2021年12月英语四级(第2套)听力真题 新闻报道(1)_2

2021 年12 月大学英语四级考试真题（第2 套）Part ⅠWriting (30 minutes)Directions: Suppose you have just participated in a school project of collecting used books on campus. You are now to write a report about the project, which may include its aim, organizers, participants and activities. You will have 30 minutes to write the report. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.PartⅡListening Comprehension (30 minutes) Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A) It found a pet dog on board a plane to a city in Texas.B)It had one of its cargo planes land at a wrong a irportC)It sent two dogs to the wrong destinations.D)It had two of its domestic flights mixed up2.A) Correct their mistake as soon as possible.B)Give the two pets a physical c heckup.C)Hire a charter jet to bring the pets back.D)Send another plane to continue the flight.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3.A) She weighs 130 kilograms B) She has had babies beforeC) She was brought from Africa. D) She has a big family of six.4.A) It took 22 hours. B) It had some complicationsC) It was smooth. D) It was monitored by Dr. Sue Tygielski Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5.A) It enjoyed great popularity. B) It started business three years ago.C) It was frequented by newly-weds D) It was built above the sea-water.6.A) Expand his business on the beach.B)Replace the restaurant’s wooden deck.C)Post a picture of his restaurant online.D)Celebrate his silver wedding anniversary.7.A) She sold it for two thousand dollarsB)She took it to the restaurant m anagerC)She posted its picture on F acebookD)she returned it to its owner right awaySection BDirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A) The number of ducks has declined sharply in recent years.B)Climate change has little effect on the lives of wild ducks.C)Duck meat is not eaten in Australia, Canada and the U.S.D)Duck hunting remains legal in many parts of the world.9.A) Droughts. B) Bushfires.C) Farming. D) Hunting.10.A) They are not easy to domesticate. B) Their meat is not that popular.C) It is not environmentally friendly D) It is not considered cost-effective11 A) They hunted ducks as a traditional sport. B) They killed wild ducks and geese for food.C) They raised ducks and geese for their eggs. D) They poisoned wild ducks in large numbers Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A) Have her house repainted B) Replace some of her old furnitureC) Move into a newly-painted house D) Calculate the cost of the paint j ob13.A) How long the work will take B) How much the work will cost.C) How the paint job is to be done. D) How many workers are needed14.A) Cover up her furniture B) Ask some friends for helpC)Stay somewhere else D) Oversee the work herself15.A) She could have asked a friend for help with the paint jobB)Painting a house involves more trouble than she thoughtC)she should have repainted her house much earlierD)Moving her furniture is harder than the paint jobSection CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre. Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A) To cultivate good habits.B)To prepare for secondary school.C)To review what is learned in classD)To stimulate interest in learning.17.A) Discuss their academic achievements with themB)Create an ideal study environment for themC)Allow them to learn independentlyD)Check their homework promptly18.A) Finish them before they get tiredB)Tackle the most difficult task firstC)Start with something they enjoyD)Focus on the most important onesQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) Workers who meet its body weight standardsB)Workers who can lose 30 pounds in a yearC)Workers who try the hardest to lose weightD)W orkers who are in the top 10% of the slimmest20.A) ImpracticalB)InconsistentC)UnmanageableD)Unfair21.A) Offer them much fatter bonuses.B)Improve working environment.C)Encourage healthy behaviorsD)Provide free lunch and snacksQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A) It has not done enough to help left-handed children.B)It has treated left-handed children as being d isabled.C)It has not built facilities specially for the left-handed.D)It has ignored campaigns on behalf of the left-handed.23.A) They are as intelligent as other children.B)They have a distinctive style of handwritingC)They sometimes have psychological problems.D)They tend to have more difficulties in learning.24.A) Punish teachers discriminating against left-handed studentsB)Lay more emphasis on improving children’s mental healthC)Encourage students to develop various professional skillsD)Keep track of left-handed children’s school performance,25.A) How they can be reduced in number.B)Why their numbers are so highC)What percentage they account forD)If their percentage keeps increasingPart ⅢReading Comprehension (40 minutes) Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select oneword for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter: Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.It is commonly believed that the great English dramatist and poet William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23, 1564. But it is impossible to know the 26 day on which he was born. Church records show he was baptized( 施洗礼)on April 26, and three days was a customary amount of time to wait before baptizing a newly born bab y. Shakespeare’s date of death is 27 known, however: it was April 23, 1616. He was 52 and had retired to Stratford three years before.Although few plays have been performed or analyzed as extensively as the 38 plays Shakespeare wrote, there are few surviving details about his life.This 28 of biographical information is due primarily to his social 29 ; he was not a noble, but the son of a leather trader.Shakespeare 30 attended the grammar school in Stratford, where he would have studied Latin and read 31 literature. He did not go to university and at age 18 married Anne Hathaway, who was eight years his 32 .They had four children, including the twins, Hamnet and Judith. Nothing is known of the period between the birth of the twins and Shakespeare’s 33 as a dramatist in London in the early 1590sIn a million words written over 20 years, he 34 the full range of human emotions and conflicts with a 35 that remains sharp today. As his great contemporary the poet and dramatist Ben Jonson said, “He was not of an age, but for all time.”A)captured I)precisionB)classical J)probablyC)conclusively K)qualityD)emergence L)scarcityE)exact M) seniorF)generated N)separatedG)particular O) systematicallyH)positionSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.How to not be boring[A]Humans are creatures of habit. We love to establish a routine and stick with it. Then we often put ourselves on auto-pilot. Routines can be incredibly useful in helping you get things done. However, too much of a routine can also make you incredibly boring. Nevertheless, many people live lives that are boringly predictable, or live a life where everything is outlined or planned.[B]To tell the truth, interesting people are more popular among their friends. If you don’t arouse someone's curiosity or brighten someone’s day, you probably come across as being a little bit dull. But that doesn’t mean your life has ended and you can't do anything to change it. If you find yourself searching for something to say beyond small talk, try these tactics to find more interesting approaches to conversation.[C]Recently, I was at a gathering of colleagues when someone turned to me and asked, "So, what's new with you?” Ordinarily, I think I’m a good conversationalist. After all,it's literally my job to talk to people and tell their stories or share their advice. And that's not exactly an unexpected question. Still, the only “new-lo-me” topics that came to mind were my daughter’s basketball tournament （锦标赛）and my feelings about that morning’s political headlines neither amusing nor appropriate topics at that moment.[D]Oh, no, I thought.Have I become boring? But sharing our experiences in an authentic way to connect with other people is what makes us interesting, says associate professor Michael Pirson.The hesitation I felt in not sharing the ordinary things that were happening in my life, and the wild mental search for something more interesting, may have backfired and made me seem less interesting.[E]“If someone is making up some conversation that might be interesting, it’s probably not going to land well,” says Pirson, whose expertise includes trust and well-being, mindfulness, and humanistic management. “It’s going to feel like a made-up conversation that people don’t necessarily want to tune in to.”[F]The most interesting people aren’t those who've gone on some Eat, Pray, Love journey to find themselves. Instead, Pirson says, they’re those who examine the ordinary.” Often, the ‘boring things’ may not be boring at all. Maybe they are actually little miracles," he says. Share yourobservations about the world around you --- interesting stories you heard or things you noticed---and you may be surprised by the universal connection they inspire.[G]This is essentially how Jessica Hagy starts her day. The author of How to Be Interesting: An Instruction Manual, Hagy spends a lot of time thinking about what's interesting to her. People who are interesting are persistently curious, she says.[H]Think about the everyday things around you and ask questions about them. What is that roadside monument I sec on my way to work every day? Who built that interesting building in my city? What nearby attractions haven’t I visited? Why do people do things that way? Use what you find to ask more questions and learn more about the world around you. “Having that sort of curiosity is almo st like a protective gear from getting into boredom,” she says. And when you find things that are truly interesting to you, share them.[I]Television veteran Audrey Morrissey, executive producer of NBC’s The Voice, is always looking for what will make a person or story interesting to viewers. It’s usually a matter of individuality. “Having a strong point of' view, signature style, or being a super-enthusiast in a particular field makes someone interesting," she says. That means embracing what is truly interest ing or unique about yourself. “Many people are ‘not boring’ in the way that they can carry a conversation or can be good at a social gathering, etc. To be interesting means that you have lived life, taken risks, traveled, sought out experience to learn for yourself and share with others," she says.[J]Of course, it’s possible to be a fountain of knowledge and a boring person, says public relations consultant Andrea Pass, Paying attention to the listener is an important part of having a conversation that’s inte resting to both parties. Talking on and on about what’s interesting to you isn’t going to make you an interesting person, she says.[K]“If the listener is not paying attention, it’s your sign to shorten the story or change direction. Make sure to bring the audience into the conversation so that it is not one-sided,” Pass says. Be a better listener yourself, and give others opportunities to participate in the conversation by inviting them with questions or requests to share their own experiences or thoughts.(e.g., “Now,tell me about your favorite book,” or “Have you ever been to that attraction?”) Questions are a powerful tool, especially when they encourage others to disclose information about themselves. A 2012 study from the University of California, Santa Barbara, found that roughly 40% of the time we are talking, we’re disclosing subjective information about our experience. And when we’re doing so, our brains are more engaged. So one strategy to leave others with the impression that you’re a sparkling conversation partner is to get others to talk. about themselves.[L]Being relatable is also essential, Morrissey says."The best entertainment and storytelling comes from people who are relatable---those who don’t shy away from opening up but freely share who they are and what they care about.These are the people viewers most relate to and find interesting. Being authentic, honest, and vulnerable is always interesting."[M]I have now come to realize that being boring, in actuality, is not only about who you are as aperson, but also how you present yourself. No matter what, make sure you are having fun in life. Because when you are enjoying, people around you will begin to enjoy as well. Show some interest in them and they will definitely show some in you. If' you are a very reserved person, this could be a little difficult at first. But with a little effort, you can definitely improve.36.Pirson claims that some ordinary things may often prove to be miraculously interesting.37.To make a conversation interesting, it is important that you listen to the other party attentively.38.A person who is unable to stimulate others’ curiosity or make their life enjoyable may appear somewhat boring.39.Interesting people usually possess certain unique qualities, according to a TV program producer.40.Be interested in others and they are sure to be interested in you.41.The author considers himself usually good at conducting conversations.42.Interesting people are always full of curiosity.43.Falling into a routine can turn a person into an utter bore.44.One strategy to be a good conversationalist is to morivate your partner to tell their own stories.45.lnteresting as it might appear, a made-up conversation will probably turn out to be dull. Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.With obesity now affecting 2% of the population in England, and expected to rise to 35% by 2030, should we now recognise if as a disease? Obesity, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that health may be adversely affected, meets the dictionary definition of disease, argues Professor John Wilding. He points out that more than 200 genes influence weight. “Thus body weight is strongly influenced by biology----it is not an individual’s fault if they develop obesity." Yet the widespread view is that obesity is self-induced and that it is entirely the individual's responsibility to do something about it. Recognising obesity as a chronic disease with severe complications rather than a lifestyle choice “should help reduce the stigma ( 耻辱）and discrimination experienced by many people with obesity.” he adds.Professor Wilding disagrees that labelling a high proportion of the population as having a disease removes personal responsibility or may overwhelm health services, pointing out that other common diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, require people to take action to manage their condition. He suggests that most people with obesity will eventually develop complications. “But unless we accept that obesity is a disease, we are not going to be able to tackle it.” he concludes.But Dr.Richard Pile, a physician with a special interest in diabetes, argues that adopting this approach"could actually result in worse outcomes for individuals and society.” He believes that he dictionary definition of disease “is so vague that we can classify almost a nything as a disease” and says the question is not whether we can, but whether we should, and to what end.If labelling obesity as a disease was harmless then it wouldn’t really matter, he writes. But labelling obesity as a disease “risks reducing autonomy, disempowering and robbing people of the intrinsic(内在的)motivation that is such an important enabler of change.” What’s more, making obesity a disease “may not benefit patients, but it will benefit healthcare providers and the pharmaceutical(制药的)industry when health insurance and clinical guidelines promote treatment with drugs and surgery,”he warns.46.What does Professor John Wilding argue about obesity?A)Its impact on society is expected to rise.B)It is now too widespread to be neglected.C)It should be regarded as a genetic disease.D)I ts dictionary definition should be updated.47.What is the popular view of obesity?A)It is difficult to define.B)It is a modem disease.C)It has much to do with one’s genes.D)It results from a lack of self-control.48.Why are some people opposed to labelling obesity as a disease?A)Obese people would not feel responsible to take any action.B)Obese people would not be able to afford the medical costs.C)Obese people would be overwhelmed with anxiety.D)O bese people would be discriminated against.49.What does Dr. Richard Pile think of the dictionary definition of disease?A)It is of no use in understanding obesity.B)It is too inclusive and thus lacks clarity.C)It helps little to solve patients’ problems.D)It matters little to the debate over obesity.50.What is Dr. Richard Pile's concern about classifying obesity as a disease?A)It may affect obese people’s quality of life.B)It may accelerate the spread of obesity.C)It may cause a shortage of doctors.D)It may do little good to patients.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Nationwide, only about three percent of early childhood teachers are male in the U.S. Expertssay this can have an impact on young children whose understanding of gender roles and identity are rapidly forming. Research has found that having access to diverse teachers is beneficial for children. For the youngest learners, it means they are more likely to get exposed to different varieties of play and communication. It also helps them develop healthy ideas around gender.“In our world and our society, we have very specific stereotypes（模式化形象）of gender roles,”said Mindi Reich-Shapiro, an assistant professor in the teacher education department of the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and one of the authors of a recent study.” It’s important for children to see other possibilities and other paths they can take.”Despite mostly feeling supported by colleagues and family members,many of the male educators surveyed in the study reported facing social or cultural resistance in their careers as early education teachers. Some also reported that there were parents surprised or concerned that their child had a male teacher. And they had been advised by colleagues or other staff not to hug children.Reich-Shapiro and fellow researchers made several recommendations lo increase male representation in the field. Low pay has long been acknowledged as a major issue in the early childhood field. Over 70% of male educators who said they intended to stay in the early education workforce noted an increased salary was a major motivating factor for them to commit to the career long-term. The report suggests paying all early childhood educators the way elementary school teachers are paid.Cities and programs should establish support groups for male early childhood educators and provide mentoring and professional development advice for male educators and their program leaders.The authors also suggest that traditional recruitment approaches for early childhood educators “do not address the gender gap in the field.” They recommend providing young men opportunities to work with children through training and volunteer programs, targeting groups of men who are considering a career change, such as fathers.51.What do we learn from the first paragraph about early childhood education in the U.S.?A)It helps raise children’s awareness of gender roles.B)It exposes children to different ways of interaction.C)It is negatively impacted by a lack of male teachers.D)It clearly aims to form children’s identity through play.52.What does Mindi Reich-Shapiro emphasize in her comment on childhood education?A)The importance of broadening children’s horizons.B)The responsibilities of fathers for children’s growth.C)T he urgency of creating teacher education programs.D)T he role of teachers in motivating children to learn.53.What do we learn about male teachers from their responses in the study?A)Some of them find it awkward when hugging children.B)They feel pressured to keep up with female colleagues.C)They find it hard to meet the expectations of kids’ parents.D)M any of them feel prejudiced against socially and culturally.54.What is needed for men to commit to early childhood education?A)Higher pay.B)Job security.C)Social recognition.D)Better working conditions.55.What do the authors of the study recommend to bridge the gender gap in early childhood education?A)Recruiting young men who have a passion for educating young children.B)Taking measures to attract prospective male teachers to work in the field.C)Persuading prospective fathers to consider a change in their c areer.D)Providing male teachers with more opportunities for advancement.Part ⅣTranslation (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.大运河(Grand Canal)是世界上最长的人工河，北起北京，南至杭州。

可编辑修改精选全文完整版News Report One(1) A 22-year-old Chinese woman who suffered from a persistent cough was sh ocked to learn that she had a piece of chicken bone lodged in her lung. The unn amed woman from the province of Shandong started have coughing problems w hen she was 7 or 8 years old. For 14 years, she made numerous hospital visits. However, no doctor could identify any problem. Her uncontrollable coughing w as a mystery. Finally, the woman got a full body scan at a hospital in the city of Qingdao. This special medical procedure revealed she had a chicken bone stuc k in her lung. (2) Doctors performed surgery and removed the bone. The simple procedure went smoothly and the woman has recovered fully with the bone fin ally removed from her lung, the woman is very happy that she no longer suffers from that annoying cough.1. What was the woman’s problem?2. How was the woman’s problem eventually solved?News Report Two(3) A white shape named Prickles that ran away from an Australian farm during the 2013 bush fires recently returned home. According to farmer Alice Gray, P rickles was only a lamb when she ran away. The bush fires that hit the area bac k then destroyed a large part of her family’s massive property. They thought Pri ckles had died in the fire. But instead, the young sheep escaped into a 200-acre forest near the farm. (4) Once the fires were over, the family had to fix the dam age done to the farm as it was such a large property, which included rebuilding about 40 kilometers of fencing. It was this huge fencing that prevented Pickles from finding her way back. Over the years, the family spotted her a few times. They even recorded her with cameras installed to monitor the activity. But whe n they knew Pringles was alive, they couldn’t find her and never expected her t o return by herself. Seven years later, they were proven wrong.3. What does the news say about the white sheep Prickles?4.What the family do of the bush fires?News Report Three(5) Tons of gold have fallen out of the sky in Russia after a cargo plane malfun ctioned in midair this morning. The aircraft was carrying 265 million pounds w orth of gold and diamonds, when the door flew open, sending the precious meta l back to earth. According to the official news agency, Russian authorities have recovered more than 170 gold bars weighing 20 kilograms each. The plane was traveling from Yakutsk airport in a major diamond producing region to the city Krasnoyarsk in Siberia. (6)However, the aircraft made an emergency landing i n Magan after began losing some of its valuable cargo. Reports suggest some b ars of gold were scattered up to fifteen miles away from the airport. Nine tons o f gold on plane AN12 belonged to a gold mine company. Police have sealed off the runway and say it is unclear if it was an accident or an attempted robbery. ( 7) Technical engineers who worked on the plane prior to takeoff are reportedly going to be questioned by the police.5. What is the news report mainly about?6. What did the aircraft do when the incident happened?7. What does the news report say about the technical engineers who worked on the plane before takeoff?Conversation One8. Why does the man have this conversation with the man recorded?His job is related to the customer service.9. What is the woman’s purpose of calling to the furniture company?She wants to know when she can get her money back.10. What does the woman say about her bank card?The new bank card will be sent to her on Tuesday, and the bank may has cancel ed the old one before the man made the payment.11. What does the man advise the woman to do?She needs to update the card details directly on the website.Conversation Two12. Why isn’t the man going to cook?He’s worn out.13. What does the man say he’ll do on his phone?He’ll use the food delivery app on his phone.14. What does the woman think of the Indian food?That’s not the kind of the hot she means. She needs something mild.15. What does the man think of the woman?She’s really difficult to please.Passage One(16) A new study carried out by the university of Lincoln has found a link betw een the personalities of cat owners and the behavior and wellbeing of their cats. The findings suggest that just as apparent personality can affect the personality of a child, the same is true for a cat and its owner. Owners defined as individu als with high levels of anxiety, fear, anger, depression and loneliness were mor e likely to have cats with behavioral issues. Such cats display more aggressive and anxious behavioral styles as well as more stress related sickness. They will also more likely to have an ongoing medical condition and be overweight. The research also found that mentally well-adjusted owners had come from happier and healthier cats. Researchers explained that many owners regard their pets as a family member and form close social bonds with them. (17) The majority of o wners want to provide the best care for their pets and is therefore possible that pets could be affected by the way their owners interact with and manage them. The study highlights an important relationship between our personalities and th e well-being of our pets. (18) Further research is needed to investigate the caus e of nature of this relationship and look at how owners’ personalities are directl y influencing their pet’s behavior and well-being. It is possible that the well-be ing of pets is driven by the underlying nature of the owner not simply by their c onscious decisions and behaviors.16. What do we learn from the new study by the University of Lincoln?17. What does the passage say most pet owners want to do?18. What does the passage say it’s still needed to understand the effects of own ers’ personalities on their pets?Passage Two(19) One 50-minute run can add seven hours to your life. This was a claim made by The Times last week. The claim was based on a new review of studies abo ut the effects of running. The review concluded that an average runners live thr ee years longer than non-runners and that running does more to extend life than any other form of exercise. But there’s more to running than its health benefits . (20) Research published in recent years have shown that running changes your brain and mind in some fascinating ways from increasing your brain function t o regulating your emotions. However, the precise effects vary according to whe ther you engage in short fast running or long distance running. For example, in one study, researchers compared participants’ ability to learn new words after s everal minutes of intense running, and after 40 minutes of gentle running, parti cipants were able to learn 20 percent faster after the intense running and they s howed a superior memory when tested again a week later. In another study, res earchers asked volunteers to jog for 30 minutes and then showed them clips fro m a sad movie. Participants who usually struggled to handle negative emotions were more intensely affected by the sad clips just as you’d expect. But cruciall y, this was less so if they had completed the 30 minutes jog. (21) The researche rs said moderate exercise appears to have helped those participants to be less v ulnerable to the impact of the sad movie.19. What did the new review of studies claim?20. What is one effect that running has on people according to recent research?21. What did another study find about the participant after they had a 30 minute s jog?Passage ThreeWelcome to the tour of the Hill House. This house built in 1904 is one of the m ost well-known works of Charles Hill, the famous architect. It was designed and built for local entrepreneur and his family. Before starting the tour, let me give you a brief introduction about the design of this amazing building. (23) Prior to beginning his design, the architect spends sometime in the client’s old home, observing their life and studying their habits. This meant that he could design t he house according to the needs of the family. (24) The client’s main desire wa s to have a home with unique design, so the architect was given complete freed om. The building style is radically different from what was the fashion of the p eriod. At the time, most large homes were constructed of timber and brick. Thisone, however, is made of concrete, a novel construction material in those days. The interior of the house, including the fittings and furniture, was also designe d by the same person. Most of the furniture you will see is original and in good condition. However, (25) both pieces in the children’s bedrooms are copies buil t to the designs of the architect. Fortunately, all the blueprints for both the buil ding and its contents have been preserved, so we’ve been able to replace badly damaged furniture. Let’s begin our tour, starting from the rooms.22. What do we learn about the speaker?He is the guide of the tour.23. What dis the architect do before beginning his design?24. What did the architect’s client mainly want?25. What do we learn about the pieces of furniture in the children’s bedrooms?。

2021年12月英语四级(第2套)听力真题新闻报道(2)A man from Libya was enjoying a walk along the sands at Southport beach. When he was about half a mile out from the dock, he felt a bit tired. So he lay down and fell asleep, but the tide swept in quickly at the beach. And the man was shocked to wake up and find the tide had come in and completely surrounded him, cutting him off from the shore. Fortunately for him, the beach lifeguards were quickly on the scene to stop him from drowning. They act professionally to ensure the man was comfortable until an ambulance arrived. He was then taken to hospital. He is now in a stable condition. When interviewed, Keith porter of the Southport beach said, our beach is so flat that it's very common for the tide come around the back of people and cut them off from the beach. Thankfully the emergency services have again worked well together to ensure a positive outcome. And we wish the gentleman a speedy recovery.一名来自利比亚的男子正在南港海滩的沙滩上散步。

2021年12月英语四级听力真题第2篇Passage 2Catherine Gram graduated from the University of Chicago in 1938 and got a job as a news reporter in San Francisco.Catherine's father used to be a successful investment banker.In 1933,he bought a failing newspaper,the Washington Post.Then Catherine returned to Washington and got a job,editing letters in her father's newspaper.She married Philip Gram,who took over his father-in-law's position shortly after and became a publisher of the Washington Post.But for many years,her husband suffered from mental illness and he killed himself in 1963.After her husband's death,Catherine operated the newspaper.In the 1970s,the newspaper became famous around the world and Catherine was also recognized as an important leader in newspaper publishing.She was the first woman to head a major American publishing company,the Washington Post company.In a few years,she successfully expanded the company to include newspaper,magazine,broadcast and cable companies.She died of head injuries after a fall when she was 84.More than 3 thousand people attended her funeral including many government and business leaders.Her friends said she would be remembered as a woman who had an important influence on events in the United States and the world.Catherine once wrote,"The world without newspapers would not be the same kind of world".After her death,the employees of the Washington Post wrote,"The world without Catherine would not be the same at all."Questions 30-32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30.What do we learn from the passage about Catherine's father?31.What does the speaker tell us about Catherine Gram?32.What does the comment by employees of the Washington Post suggest?。

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12月英语四级考试真题试卷(完整版第2套)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short easy on how to besthandle the relationship between teachers and students. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)听力音频MP3文件，点击进入听力真题页面Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each newsreport, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions willbe spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer fromthe four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter onAnswer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) It tries entertain its audience.B) It tries to look into the distance.C) It wants to catch people's attention.D) It has got one of its limbs injured.2. A) It was spotted by animal protection officials.B) It was filmed by a local television reporter.C) Its videos Were posted on social media.D) Its picture won a photography prize.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) The distance travelled.B) The incidence of road accidents.C) The spending on gas.D) The number of people travelling.4. A) Fewer people are commuting.B) Gas consumption is soaring.C) Job growth is slowing down.D) Rush-hour traffic is worsening.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) He told a stranger the sad story about himself.B) He helped a stranger to carry groceries to his car.C) He went up to a stranger and pulled at his sleeves.D) He washed a stranger's car in return for some food.6. A) He ordered a lot of food for his family.B) He gave him a job at his own company.C) He raised a large sum of money for him.D) He offered him a scholarship for college.7. A) He works hard to support his family.B) He is an excellent student at school.C) He is very good at making up stories.D) He has been disabled since boyhood.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of eachconversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questionswill be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answerfrom the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter onAnswer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) Attended an economics lecture.B) Taken a walk on Charles Street.C) Had a drink at Queen Victoria.D) Had dinner at a new restaurant.9. A) Treat a college friend to dinner.B) Make preparations for a seminar.C) Attend his brothers birthday party.D) Visit some of his high school friends.10. A) Gather statistics for his lecture.B) Throw a surprise birthday party.C) Meet with Jonathan's friends on the weekend.D) Join him in his brother's birthday celebration.11. A) By car.B) By train.C) By taxi.D) By bus.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) Taking a vacation abroad.B) Reviewing for his last exam.C) Saving enough money for a rainy day.D) Finding a better way to earn money.13. A) Preparing for his final exams.B) Negotiating with his boss for a raise.C) Working part time as a waiter.D) Helping the woman with her courses.14. A) Finish her term paper.B) Save enough money.C) Learn a little bit of Spanish.D) Ask her parent's permission.15. A) He has rich sailing experience.B) He speaks Spanish fluently.C) He is also eager to go to Spain.D) He is easy to get along with.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spokenonly once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the fourchoices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) She went to the same university as her mother.B) She worked as a nurse in the First World War.C) She won the Nobel Prize two times.D) She was also a Nobel Prize winner.17. A) She fought bravely in a series of military operations.B) She developed X-ray facilities for military hospitals.C) She helped to set up several military hospitals.D) She made donations to save wounded soldiers.18. A) Both died of blood cancer.B) Both fought in World War I.C) Both won military medals.D) Both married their assistants.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) They were the first settlers in Europe.B) They were the conquerors of Norway.C) They discovered Iceland in the ninth century.D) They settled on a small island north of England.20. A) It was some five hundred miles west of Norway.B) It was covered with green most time of the year.C) It was the Vikings' most important discovery.D) It was a rocky mass of land covered with ice.21. A) The Vikings' ocean explorations.B) The making of European nations.C) The Vikings' everyday life.D) The Europeans' Arctic discoveries.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) Work hard for a better life.B) Make mistakes now and then.C) Dream about the future.D) Save against a rainy day.23. A) Teach foreign languages for the rest of his life.B) Change what he has for his past imaginary world.C) Exchange his two-story house for a beach cottage.D) Dwell on the dreams he had dreamed when young.24. A) Criminal law.B) City planning.C) Oriental architecture.D) International business.25. A) Dream and make plans.B) Take things easy in life.C) Be content with what you have.D) Enjoy whatever you are doing.Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passagewith ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choicesgiven in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully beforemaking your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark thecorresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through thecentre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Technological changes brought dramatic new options to Americans living in the 1990s. During this decade new forms of entertainment, commerce, research, andcommunication became commonplace in the U.S. The driving force behind much ofthis change was a(n) 26 popularly known as the Internet.The Internet was developed during the 1970s by the Department of Defense. In the caseof an attack, military advisers suggested the 27 of being able to operate one computerfrom another terminal. In the early days, the Internet was used mainly by scientists tocommunicate with other scientists. The Internet28 under government control until1984.One early problem faced by Internet users was speed. Phone lines could only transmitinformation at a 29 rate. The development of fiber-optic (光纤) cables allowed for billionsof bits of information to be received every minute. Companies like Intel developed fastermicroprocessors, so personal computers could process the 30 signals at a more rapidrate.In the early 1990s, the World Wide Web was developed, in large part, for 31 purposes.Corporations created home pages where they could place text and graphics tosell products. Soon airline tickets, hotel 32 , and even cars and homes could bepurchased online. Universities 33 research data on the Internet, so students could find 34 information without leaving their dormitories. Companies soon discovered that workcould be done at home and 35 online, so a whole new class of telecommuters began toearn a living from home offices unshaven and wearing pajamas (睡衣).A) advantage B) commercial C) conservation D) equipped E) incoming F) innovationG) limited H) local I) maintained J) occupations K) posted L) remained M) reservationsN) submitted O) valuableSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statementsattached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose aparagraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questionsby marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The Health Benefits of KnittingA) About 15 years ago, I was invited to join a knitting group.I agreed to give it a try.B) My mother had taught me to knit at 15, and I knitted in class throughout college andfor a few years thereafter. Then decades passed without my touching a knitting needle. But within two Mondays in the group, I was hooked, not only on knitting but also oncrocheting (钩织), and I was on my way to becoming a highly productive crafter.C) I've made countless baby blankets, sweaters, scarves, hats, caps for newborns. I takea knitting project with me everywhere, especially when I have to sit still and listen. As Idiscovered in college, when my hands are busy, my mind stays focused on the here andnow.D) It seems, too, that I'm part of a national renewal of interest in needle and otherhandicrafts (手工艺). The Craft Yarn Council reports that a third of women ages 25-35 now knit or crochet. Even men and schoolchildren are swelling the ranks, among themmy friend's three small grandsons. Last April, the council created a "Stitch Away Stress" campaign in honor of National Stress Awareness Month. Dr. Herbert Benson, a pioneerin mind/body medicine and author of The Relaxation Response, says that the repetitiveaction of needlework can induce a relaxed state like that associated with meditation(沉思) and yoga. Once you get beyond the initial learning curve, knitting and crochetingcan lower heart rate and blood pressure.E) But unlike meditation, craft activities result in tangible and often useful productsthat can enhance self-esteem. I keep photos of my singular accomplishments on mycellphone to boost my spirits when needed.F) Since the 1990s, the council has surveyed hundreds ofthousands of knitters andcrocheters, who routinely list stress relief and creative fulfillment as the activities'main benefits. Among them is the father of a prematurely born daughter who reportedthat during the baby's five weeks in the intensive care unit, "learning how to knit infanthats gave me a sense of purpose during a time that I felt very helpless. It's a hobbythat I've stuck with, and it continues to help me cope with stress at work, provide asense of order in hectic (忙乱的) days, and allow my brain time to solve problems."G) A recent email from the yarn (纺纱) company Red Heart titled "Health Benefits ofCrocheting and Knitting" prompted me to explore what else might be known about thehealth value of activities like knitting. My research revealed that the rewards go wellbeyond replacing stress and anxiety with the satisfaction of creation.H) For example, Karen Hayes, a life coach in Toronto, conducts knitting therapyprograms, including Knit to Quit to help smokers give up the habit, and Knit to Heal forpeople coping with health crises, like a cancer diagnosis or serious illness of a familymember. Schools and prisons with craft programs report that they have a calmingeffect and enhance social skills. And having to follow instructions on complex craftprojects can improve children's math skills.I) Some people find that craftwork helps them control their weight. Just as it'schallenging to smoke while knitting, when hands are holding needles and hooks, there'sless snacking and mindless eating out of boredom.J) I've found that my handiwork with yarn has helped my arthritic (患关节炎的) fingersremain more dexterous (灵巧的) as I age. A woman encouraged to try knitting andcrocheting afterdeveloping an autoimmune disease that caused a lot of hand painreported on the Craft Yarn Council site that her hands are now less stiff and painful.K) A 2009 University of British Columbia study of 38 women with an eating disorder whowere taught to knit found that learning the craft led to significant improvements. Seventy-four percent of the women said the activity lessened their fears and kept themfrom thinking about their problem.L) Betsan Corkhill, a wellness coach in Bath, England, and author of the book Knit forHealth & Wellness, established a website, Stitchlinks, to explore the value of whatshe calls therapeutic knitting. Among her respondents, 54 percent of those who wereclinically depressed said that knitting made them feel happy or very happy. In a studyof 60 self-selected people with persistent pain, Ms. Corkhill and colleagues reported thatknitting enabled them to redirect their focus, reducing their awareness of pain. Shesuggested that the brain can process just so much at once, and that activities likeknitting and crocheting make it harder for the brain to register pain signals. Perhapsmost exciting is research that suggests that crafts like knitting and crocheting may helpto keep off a decline in brain function with age. In a 2011 study, researchers led by Dr. Yonas Geda at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester interviewed a random (随机的) sample of1,321 people ages 70-89, most of whom were cognitively (在认知方面) normal, about thecognitive activities they engaged in late in life. The study, published in the Journal ofNeuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, found that those who engaged in craftslike knitting and crocheting had a diminished chance of developing mild cognitivedisorder and memory loss.M) Although it is possible that only people who arecognitively healthy would pursuesuch activities, those who read newspapers or magazines or played music did not showsimilar benefits. The researchers speculate that craft activities promote thedevelopment of nerve pathways in the brain that help to maintain cognitive health.N) In support of that suggestion, a 2014 study by Denise C. Park of the University ofTexas at Dallas and colleagues demonstrated that learning to knit or do digitalphotography enhanced memory function in older adults. Those who engaged inactivities that were not intellectually challenging, either in a social group or alone, did not show such improvements.O) Given that sustained social contacts have been shown to support health and a longlife, those wishing to maximize the health value of crafts might consider joining a groupof like-minded folks. I for one try not to miss a single weekly meeting of my knittinggroup.36. When the author was a college student, she found that knitting helped herconcentrate.37. Knitting can help people stay away from tobacco.38. Even men and children are now joining the army of knitters.39. Being a member of a crafts group enhances one's health and prolongs one's life.40. Knitting diverts people's attention from their pain.41. The author learnt to knit as a teenager, but it was not until she was much older thatshe became keenly interested.42. When people are knitting, they tend to eat fewer snacks.43. Survey findings show that knitting can help people relieve stress.44. According to a study, knitters and crocheters are lesslikely to suffer mild cognitivedamage.45. The products of knitting can increase one's sense of self-respect.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by somequestions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter onAnswer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 and 50 are based on the following passage.Nobody really knows how big Lagos is. What's indisputable is that it's growing veryquickly. Between now and 2050, the urban population of Africa could triple. Yet cities insub-Saharan Africa are not getting richer the way cities in the rest of the world have. Most urban Africans live in slums (贫民窟); migrants are often not much better off thanthey were in the countryside. Why?The immediate problem is poverty. Most of Africa is urbanising at a lower level ofincome than other regions of the world did. That means there's little money around forinvestment that would make cities liveable and more productive. Without upgrades andnew capacity, bridges, roads and power systems are unable to cope with expandingpopulations. With the exception of South Africa, the only light rail metro system in sub-Saharan Africa is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Traffic jam leads to expense andunpredictability, things that keep investors away.In other parts of the world, increasing agricultural productivity and industrialisationwent together. More productive farmers meant there was a surplus that could feedcities; in turn, that created a pool of labour for factories. But African cities aredifferent. They are too often built around consuming natural resources. Government isconcentrated in capitals, so is the money. Most urban Africans work for a smallminority of the rich, who tend to be involved in either cronyish (有裙带关系的) businesses or politics. Since African agriculture is still broadly unproductive, food isimported, consuming a portion of revenue.So what can be done? Though African countries are poor, not all African cities are. InLagos, foreign oil workers can pay as much as $65,000 per year in rent for a modestapartment in a safe part of town. If that income were better taxed, it might provide therevenue for better infrastructure. If city leaders were more accountable to their residents, they might favour projects designed to help them more. Yet even as new roads are built, new people arrive. When a city's population grows by 5% a year, it is difficult to keepup.46. What do we learn from the passage about cities in sub-Saharan Africa?A) They have more slums than other cities in the world.B) They are growing fast without becoming richer.C) They are as modernised as many cities elsewhere.D) They attract migrants who want to be better off.47. What does the author imply about urbanisation in other parts of the world?A) It benefited from the contribution of immigrants.B) It started when people's income was relatively high.C) It benefited from the accelerated rise in productivity.D) It started with the improvement of peopled livelihood.48. Why is sub-Saharan Africa unappealing to investors?A) It lacks adequate transport facilities.B) The living expenses there are too high.C) It is on the whole too densely populated.D) The local governments are corrupted.49. In what way does the author say African cities are different?A) They have attracted huge numbers of farm labourers.B) They still rely heavily on agricultural productivity.C) They have developed at the expense of nature.D) They depend far more on foreign investment.50. What might be a solution to the problems facing African cities?A) Lowering of apartment rent.B) Better education for residents.C) More rational overall planning.D) A more responsible government.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.For the past several decades, it seems there's been a general consensus on how to getahead in America: Get a college education, find a reliable job, and buy your own home. But do Americans still believe in that path, and if they do, is it attainable?The most recent National Journal poll asked respondents about the American dream, what it takes to achieve their goals, and whether or not they felt a significant amount ofcontrol over their ability to be successful. Overwhelmingly, the results show that today， the idea of the American dream—and what it takes to achieve it—looks quite differentthan it did in the late 20th century.By and large, people felt that their actions and hard work—not outside forces—were thedeciding factor in how their lives turned out. But respondents had decidedly mixedfeelings aboutwhat actions make for a better life in the current economy.In the last seven years, Americans have grown more pessimistic about the power ofeducation to lead to success. Even though they see going to college as a fairly achievablegoal, a majority—52 percent—think that young people do not need a four-year collegeeducation in order to be successful.Miguel Maeda, 42, who has a master's degree and works in public health, was the first inhis family to go to college, which has allowed him to achieve a sense of financialstability his parents and grandparents never did.While some, like Maeda, emphasized the value of the degree rather than the educationitself, others still see college as a way to gain new perspectives and life experiences. Sixty-year-old Will Fendley, who had a successful career in the military and neverearned a college degree, thinks "personal drive" is far more important than just going tocollege. To Fendley, a sense of drive and purpose, as well as an effective high-schooleducation, and basic life skills, like balancing a checkbook, are the necessaryingredients for a successful life in America.51. It used to be commonly acknowledged that to succeed in America, one had to have .A) an advanced academic degreeB) an ambition to get aheadC) a firm belief in their dreamD) a sense of drive and purpose52. What is the finding of the latest National Journal poll concerning the Americandream?A) More and more Americans are finding it hard to realize.B) It remains alive among the majority of American people.C) Americans' idea of it has changed over the past fewdecades.D) An increasing number of young Americans are abandoning it.53. What do Americans now think of the role of college education in achieving success?A) It still remains open to debate.B) It has proved to be beyond doubt.C) It is no longer as important as it used to be.D) It is much better understood now than ever.54. How do some people view college education these days?A) It promotes gender equality.B) It needs to be strengthened.C) It adds to cultural diversity.D) It helps broaden their minds.55. What is one factor essential to success in America, according to Will Fendley?A) A desire to learn and to adapt.B) A strong sense of responsibility.C) A willingness to commit oneself.D) A clear aim and high motivation.Part IV Translation (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chineseinto English. You should write your answer onAnswer Sheet 2.华山位于华阴市，据西安120公里。

2021年12月英语四级(第2套)听力真题新闻报道(1)The British government has called for more men to consider a career in nursing. Figures show the number of male nurses has fallen in the last three years. Now, the number of men working in the nursing sector has reached a seven-year low. Numbers of male nurses increased between 2021 and 2021 and reached a peak of 7168. This figure has dropped to only 6924 in 2021. The UK Health Secretary said this is clearly a cultural problem, and probably one that exists in many parts of the world. But we can make efforts to change that now. We want to persuade males to think about career options of going into nursing. There is absolutely no reason why men can't go into this profession. The health secretary said that the government already has plans to attract a more varied workforce into nursing. She stated, we are leading the way on workforce planning. We will become the first nation in Europe to publish a national health and care workforce plan.英国政府呼吁更多的男性考虑从事护理工作。

2021年12月四级听力原文Section ANews report 1United Airlines has apologized for mistakenly shipping an American family’s pet dog in the wrong direction to Japan. The dog owner’s beloved 10-year-old dog named Buddy, took an unexpected 16-hour flight to Tokyo following a mix-up by the airline. The dog owner’s family are currently in the process of moving. They were meant to be reunited with the pet in their new home city in Texas. But, when they arrived at the United Airlines cargo facility in the southern US state, they found a stranger’s dog waiting in Buddy’s place. Both of the dogs had been sent to the wrong destinations on connecting flights from Denver, with Buddy mistakenly being sent to Japan instead. Buddy was given a physical check-up when he arrived at Tokyo’s International Airport. The dog was then sent back to the US on a private chartered jet. “I'm so glad he's alive and coming home soon,”said the relieved dog owner. “An error occurred during the connections in Denver. We have notified our customers that their pets arrived safely. We will arrange to return the pens tothem as soon as possible,”a spokesperson of United Airlines said.Question 1 to 2 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q1: What did Joe's parents decide to do?Q2: What will the restaurant Number 4 do?New report 2Officials at Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona, are celebrating the birth of a baby elephant. Zoo officials say the baby was born on Monday. It is a female, and she weighs nearly 130 kilograms. Q3: Samba, her mother is a 30-year-old African elephant. The pregnancy lasted 22 months. Officials describe the baby elephant as healthy, standing and nursing. The baby hasn't been given a name yet. Samba has given birth before. Zoo officials said during this pregnancy, she was closely monitored through physical exams and blood tests. Doctor Sue Tagalsky is the zoo’s director of the zoological operations. Q4: She said the elephant's birth went smoothly and, that there were no complications. The new baby expands the zoo's elephant herd to six. That includes the baby's parents, a sister, a brother, and an adult female.Question 3 to 4 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q3: What do we learn about the mother elephant Samba?Q4: What does the report say about the birth of the new baby elephant?New report 3:Three years ago, a couple was enjoying a meal at a beach restaurant. The restaurant was built on a wooden structure above the sea water. During the meal, the man's wedding ring slipped off his finger. It fell through the wooden floorboards apparently lost forever.Recently, the restaurant manager Ron Krivoy decided to replace the wooden deck, and he found an old gold coin, some $100 bills and a silver wedding ring while replacing the deck. The restaurant's waitress, Sasha F Mecca posted a picture of the ring on Facebook. The post was shared about 5,000 times. 3 days later, the happy wife called to claim the ring. She even tested pictures of her and her husband eating there in 2017 as proof. The restaurant mailed the ring back to the happy couple. Meanwhile, Krivoy discovered that the gold coin was very rare. It was from 1855 and worth as much as $2,000.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report, you have just heard.Q5:What do we learn about the restaurant?Q6: What did the restaurant manager decide to do recently?Q7: What did the waitress do about the recovered ring?Section BLong conversation 1W: I can't believe that duck hunting is still legal in so many parts of the world [8]. The scientific evidence from countries like Australia, Canada, and the USA clearly indicates a decline in the birds' numbers.M: But can anyone be sure if the decline is really caused by the hunting or by climate change [9]?W: It's caused by both in fact [9]. We see more droughts in countries like Australia. Ducks are birds that feed and breed in areas where there is a lot of water, but their habitats have been shrinking in recent decades because of the droughts.M: And I guess with fewer places to inhabit, they concentrate in greater numbers in few areas, which surely makes them easier targets for the hunters.W: It does. My grandfather was a duck hunter. He told me hunting ducks and geese began in the 19th century. They were easily found and plentifully available food source in farming areas, especially for poor immigrants.M: What do they use for hunting during that period?W: They use new types of guns, and birds could easily be shot down in flight, and in such great numbers that commercial hunting of ducks and geese became an industry. Yet, there's no commercial farming of these birds nowadays. Their meat is hardly eaten in western countries [10].M: No, duck hunting seemingly exists as the continuation of a tradition.W: Well, ducks have never been popular with farmers like my grandfather anyway because they sometimes destroy crops. In fact, farmers used to poison them in large numbers [11].M: That somehow doesn't surprise me. Nobody places much value on the lives of these poor birds or on their meat.Question 8 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q8: What does the woman find unbelievable?Q9: What does the woman say has caused the shrinking of ducks' habitats in Australia?Q10: Why is there no commercial farming of ducks and geese in western countries?Q11: What does the woman say about farmers in her grandfather's time?Long Conversation 2M: Okay, Miss Bright. I finished calculating. I estimate you have between 210 and 240 square meters of walls and ceiling.W: So how much would the pain job cost?M: That would depend on the quality of paint you choose. We carry two brands -one cost 60 cents every square meter, and the other 90 cents. The second is guaranteed to look great for about10 years, whereas the cheaper one will start to dull after around 6 or 7 years.W: In that case, we would prefer the more expensive option.M: All right, then. So including labor costs, taxes, and everything, this job would come to $3,000.W: Emm, to be perfectly honest, that's more than I expected.M: Please bear in mind that the price includes moving all the furniture, and the whole task would take 2 days.W: Really? Why?M: Well, we can't paint the walls without clearing all the furniture first. So every time we paint a room, we first have to move the furniture to another room. So that takes more time. Plus, it requires two people, which works out more expensive.W: I see. But does that mean I could not live here in my own house during those 2 days [13]?M: That is correct.W: Oh well, that changes everything I'm afraid. I would have to stay with a friend or check into a hotel [14]. I hadn't consideredany of that. I'm starting to realize that painting my house [12] is far more troublesome than I had anticipated [15].M: This is usually the case. Most of our clients go through the same realization.W: I see.M: You have my number. Please feel free to call me for any further questions.W: Thank you.Question 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q12: What is the woman planning to do?Q13: What is the woman's chief concern?Q14: What does the woman have to do while the paint job is being done?Q15: What has the woman come to realize at the end of the conversation?Section CPassage 1Homework is an important part of schooling, but the purposes of giving children homework will change as they grow older. Q16: At the primary level, the main aim is to cultivate good habits, like learning to plan and exercising self discipline. During the secondary school years, extending what is learned at school is positively related to academic achievement. So the content of homework becomes more important. So how can you help your child do their best? Q17: Creating an ideal working environment will make it easier for them to get down to their assignments quickly. Make sure it's free of distractions. And for primary school children at least somewhere near you. So you can answer questions and offer encouragement. You probably have to help younger children plan their session. But it's important that by the end of primary school, it's second nature get them to tell you everything they have to do, then encourage them to establish an order in which they do work. Q18: When there are several different assignments, make sure they begin with one they enjoy. So it seems easy to get started. It's best to take on the most difficult task second. Once they're settled, but before they get tired, if older children have more than an hour of homework, encourage them to schedule a short break to stretch. If youencourage them to tell you what they've learned, they'll absorb the information more deeply and remember it more readily.Question 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q16: What is the main aim of homework for primary school kids?Q17: What does the passage suggest parents do to help their children?Q18: What should children do to deal with multiple assignments?Passage 2Workers at Mexican Oil Company will receive a health incentive of almost $300 a year if they meet certain body weight standards. To qualify for the bonus, Q19: they must maintain a healthy weight. For those who are overweight or obese, they can receive the bonus if they reduce their weight by 10 % during the year. Some applaud the policy as fair, because it rewards both individuals who maintain a healthy weight and those who are working towards achieving it.Q20: But critics say the policy contradicts recommendations by many health experts who warned that a person's weight is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. That means weight can be hard for individuals to control, which makes the bonus unfair. Some experts say the policy is inconsistent with the science of what we know about body weight regulation. These experts argue that focusing on wage is the wrong approach. Q21: A more productive method of encouraging health among employees is to promote healthy behaviors. For example, companies can give workers gym memberships, or encourage participation in lectures on healthy eating and living. They can also reduce sweets and provide healthier snacks in the office and healthier meals at the company canteen. Or they can give employees more time during their lunch break to exercise. These are much better and much more productive ways for companies to move forward on their employees’well being.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q19: Who will qualify for the bonus in Mexican Oil Company?Q20.:What do critics think of Mexican Oil Company's bonus policy?Q21: What do experts propose companies do about workers’well being?Passage 3Campaigners have warned that the Q22: British government is not doing enough to prevent left-handed pupils from falling behind their peers. They claim that thousands of children are still being penalized for being left-handed. This is due to a lack of action from ministers who failed to take any meaningful action for years. It is feared that a failure to address early year challenges such as poor handwriting is too much more serious problems down the line with these pupils facing reduced career prospects. Q23: Studies in recent years show that left-handed children are more likely to suffer with learning difficulties, and their scores are lower on IQ tests. Campaigners feel it's strange that children and British schools are penalized because they happen to be left-handed. They don't understand why successive governments have failed to act on this. Q24: They want the Department of Education to record which children are left-handed and what their educational attainments are since they make up some 10 % of the population. In early year education, left-handed children are struggling and making amess of their handwriting. Educators don't know how to deal with this. In many cases, there's no active help and a lack of teacher training. Q25: Campaigners point out that a high percentage of the prison population is left-handed. They say that these prison numbers are unusually high and ask why it is the case.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q22: Why are some people criticizing the British government?Q23: What do studies in recent years show about left-handed children?Q24: What do the campaigners demand the Department of Education do?Q25: What do the campaigners want to know about left-handed prisoners?。

2021年12月大学英语四级考试真题（第二 套）PartⅠWriting(30 minutes)Directions:Suppose you have just participated in a school project of collecting used books on campus.You are now to write a report about the project,which may include its aim,organizers, participants and activities.You will have30minutes to write the report.You should write at least 120words but no more than180words.PartⅡListening Comprehension(30minutes) Section ADirections:In this section,you will hear three news reports.At the end of each news report,you will hear two or three questions.Both the news report and questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through the centre.Questions1and2are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A)It found a pet dog on board a plane to a city in Texas.B)It had one of its cargo planes land at a wrong airportC)It sent two dogs to the wrong destinations.D)It had two of its domestic flights mixed up2.A)Correct their mistake as soon as possible.B)Give the two pets a physical checkup.C)Hire a charter jet to bring the pets back.D)Send another plane to continue the flight.Questions3and4are based on the news report you have just heard.3.A)She weighs130kilograms B)She has had babies beforeC)She was brought from Africa.D)She has a big family of six.4.A)It took22hours.B)It had some complicationsC)It was smooth.D)It was monitored by Dr.Sue Tygielski Questions5to7are based on the news report you have just heard.5.A)It enjoyed great popularity.B)It started business three years ago.C)It was frequented by newly-weds D)It was built above the sea-water.6.A)Expand his business on the beach.B)Replace the restaurant’s wooden deck.C)Post a picture of his restaurant online.D)Celebrate his silver wedding anniversary.7.A)She sold it for two thousand dollarsB)She took it to the restaurant managerC)She posted its picture on FacebookD)she returned it to its owner right awaySection BDirections:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions.Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through the centre.Questions8to11are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A)The number of ducks has declined sharply in recent years.B)Climate change has little effect on the lives of wild ducks.C)Duck meat is not eaten in Australia,Canada and the U.S.D)Duck hunting remains legal in many parts of the world.9.A)Droughts.B)Bushfires.C)Farming.D)Hunting.10.A)They are not easy to domesticate.B)Their meat is not that popular.C)It is not environmentally friendly D)It is not considered cost-effective11A)They hunted ducks as a traditional sport.B)They killed wild ducks and geese for food.C)They raised ducks and geese for their eggs.D)They poisoned wild ducks in large numbers Questions12to15are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)Have her house repainted B)Replace some of her old furnitureC)Move into a newly-painted house D)Calculate the cost of the paint job13.A)How long the work will take B)How much the work will cost.C)How the paint job is to be done.D)How many workers are needed14.A)Cover up her furniture B)Ask some friends for helpC)Stay somewhere else D)Oversee the work herself15.A)She could have asked a friend for help with the paint jobB)Painting a house involves more trouble than she thoughtC)she should have repainted her house much earlierD)Moving her furniture is harder than the paint jobSection CDirections:In this section,you will hear three passages.At the end of each passage,you will hear three or four questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through the centre. Questions16to18are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A)To cultivate good habits.B)To prepare for secondary school.C)To review what is learned in classD)To stimulate interest in learning.17.A)Discuss their academic achievements with themB)Create an ideal study environment for themC)Allow them to learn independentlyD)Check their homework promptly18.A)Finish them before they get tiredB)Tackle the most difficult task firstC)Start with something they enjoyD)Focus on the most important onesQuestions19to21are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A)Workers who meet its body weight standardsB)Workers who can lose30pounds in a yearC)Workers who try the hardest to lose weightD)Workers who are in the top10%of the slimmest20.A)ImpracticalB)InconsistentC)UnmanageableD)Unfair21.A)Offer them much fatter bonuses.B)Improve working environment.C)Encourage healthy behaviorsD)Provide free lunch and snacksQuestions22to25are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A)It has not done enough to help left-handed children.B)It has treated left-handed children as being disabled.C)It has not built facilities specially for the left-handed.D)It has ignored campaigns on behalf of the left-handed.23.A)They are as intelligent as other children.B)They have a distinctive style of handwritingC)They sometimes have psychological problems.D)They tend to have more difficulties in learning.24.A)Punish teachers discriminating against left-handed studentsB)Lay more emphasis on improving children’s mental healthC)Encourage students to develop various professional skillsD)Keep track of left-handed children’s school performance,25.A)How they can be reduced in number.B)Why their numbers are so highC)What percentage they account forD)If their percentage keeps increasingPartⅢReading Comprehension(40minutes) Section ADirections:In this section,there is a passage with ten blanks.You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.Read the passage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter:Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2with a single line through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.It is commonly believed that the great English dramatist and poet William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon on April23,1564.But it is impossible to know the26day on which he was born.Church records show he was baptized(施洗礼)on April26,and three days was a customary amount of time to wait before baptizing a newly born baby.Shakespeare’s date of death is27known,however:it was April23,1616.He was52and had retired to Stratford three years before.Although few plays have been performed or analyzed as extensively as the38plays Shakespeare wrote,there are few surviving details about his life.This28of biographical information is due primarily to his social29;he was not a noble,but the son of a leather trader.Shakespeare30attended the grammar school in Stratford,where he would have studied Latin and read31literature.He did not go to university and at age18married Anne Hathaway, who was eight years his32.They had four children,including the twins,Hamnet and Judith. Nothing is known of the period between the birth of the twins and Shakespeare’s33as a dramatist in London in the early1590sIn a million words written over20years,he34the full range of human emotions and conflicts with a35that remains sharp today.As his great contemporary the poet and dramatist Ben Jonson said,“He was not of an age,but for all time.”A)captured I)precisionB)classical J)probablyC)conclusively K)qualityD)emergence L)scarcityE)exact M)seniorF)generated N)separatedG)particular O)systematicallyH)positionSection BDirections:In this section,you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs.Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived.You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter.Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet2.How to not be boring[A]Humans are creatures of habit.We love to establish a routine and stick with it.Then we often put ourselves on auto-pilot.Routines can be incredibly useful in helping you get things done. However,too much of a routine can also make you incredibly boring.Nevertheless,many people live lives that are boringly predictable,or live a life where everything is outlined or planned. [B]To tell the truth,interesting people are more popular among their friends.If you don’t arouse someone's curiosity or brighten someone’s day,you probably come across as being a little bit dull. But that doesn’t mean your life has ended and you can't do anything to change it.If you find yourself searching for something to say beyond small talk,try these tactics to find more interesting approaches to conversation.[C]Recently,I was at a gathering of colleagues when someone turned to me and asked,"So, what's new with you?”Ordinarily,I think I’m a good conversationalist.After all,it's literally my job to talk to people and tell their stories or share their advice.And that's not exactly an unexpected question.Still,the only“new-lo-me”topics that came to mind were my daughter’s basketball tournament（锦标赛）and my feelings about that morning’s political headlines----neither amusing nor appropriate topics at that moment.[D]Oh,no,I thought.Have I become boring?But sharing our experiences in an authentic way to connect with other people is what makes us interesting,says associate professor Michael Pirson.The hesitation I felt in not sharing the ordinary things that were happening in my life,and the wild mental search for something more interesting,may have backfired and made me seem less interesting.[E]“If someone is making up some conversation that might be interesting,it’s probably not going to land well,”says Pirson,whose expertise includes trust and well-being,mindfulness,and humanistic management.“It’s going to feel like a made-up conversation that people don’t necessarily want to tune in to.”[F]The most interesting people aren’t those who've gone on some Eat,Pray,Love journey to find themselves.Instead,Pirson says,they’re those who examine the ordinary.”Often,the‘boring things’may not be boring at all.Maybe they are actually little miracles,"he says.Share yourobservations about the world around you---interesting stories you heard or things you noticed---and you may be surprised by the universal connection they inspire.[G]This is essentially how Jessica Hagy starts her day.The author of How to Be Interesting:An Instruction Manual,Hagy spends a lot of time thinking about what's interesting to her.People who are interesting are persistently curious,she says.[H]Think about the everyday things around you and ask questions about them.What is that roadside monument I sec on my way to work every day?Who built that interesting building in my city?What nearby attractions haven’t I visited?Why do people do things that way?Use what you find to ask more questions and learn more about the world around you.“Having that sort of curiosity is almost like a protective gear from getting into boredom,”she says.And when you find things that are truly interesting to you,share them.[I]Television veteran Audrey Morrissey,executive producer of NBC’s The Voice,is always looking for what will make a person or story interesting to viewers.It’s usually a matter of individuality.“Having a strong point of'view,signature style,or being a super-enthusiast in a particular field makes someone interesting,"she says.That means embracing what is truly interesting or unique about yourself.“Many people are‘not boring’in the way that they can carry a conversation or can be good at a social gathering,etc.To be interesting means that you have lived life,taken risks,traveled,sought out experience to learn for yourself and share with others," she says.[J]Of course,it’s possible to be a fountain of knowledge and a boring person,says public relations consultant Andrea Pass,Paying attention to the listener is an important part of having a conversation that’s interesting to both parties.Talking on and on about what’s interesting to you isn’t going to make you an interesting person,she says.[K]“If the listener is not paying attention,it’s your sign to shorten the story or change direction. Make sure to bring the audience into the conversation so that it is not one-sided,”Pass says.Be a better listener yourself,and give others opportunities to participate in the conversation by inviting them with questions or requests to share their own experiences or thoughts.(e.g.,“Now,tell me about your favorite book,”or“Have you ever been to that attraction?”)Questions are a powerful tool,especially when they encourage others to disclose information about themselves.A2012 study from the University of California,Santa Barbara,found that roughly40%of the time we are talking,we’re disclosing subjective information about our experience.And when we’re doing so, our brains are more engaged.So one strategy to leave others with the impression that you’re a sparkling conversation partner is to get others to talk.about themselves.[L]Being relatable is also essential,Morrissey says."The best entertainment and storytelling comes from people who are relatable---those who don’t shy away from opening up but freely share who they are and what they care about.These are the people viewers most relate to and find interesting.Being authentic,honest,and vulnerable is always interesting."[M]I have now come to realize that being boring,in actuality,is not only about who you are as aperson,but also how you present yourself.No matter what,make sure you are having fun in life. Because when you are enjoying,people around you will begin to enjoy as well.Show some interest in them and they will definitely show some in you.If'you are a very reserved person,this could be a little difficult at first.But with a little effort,you can definitely improve.36.Pirson claims that some ordinary things may often prove to be miraculously interesting.37.To make a conversation interesting,it is important that you listen to the other party attentively.38.A person who is unable to stimulate others’curiosity or make their life enjoyable may appear somewhat boring.39.Interesting people usually possess certain unique qualities,according to a TV program producer.40.Be interested in others and they are sure to be interested in you.41.The author considers himself usually good at conducting conversations.42.Interesting people are always full of curiosity.43.Falling into a routine can turn a person into an utter bore.44.One strategy to be a good conversationalist is to morivate your partner to tell their own stories.45.lnteresting as it might appear,a made-up conversation will probably turn out to be dull. Section CDirections:There are2passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet2with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions46to50are based on the following passage.With obesity now affecting2%of the population in England,and expected to rise to35%by 2030,should we now recognise if as a disease?Obesity,in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that health may be adversely affected,meets the dictionary definition of disease, argues Professor John Wilding.He points out that more than200genes influence weight.“Thus body weight is strongly influenced by biology----it is not an individual’s fault if they develop obesity."Yet the widespread view is that obesity is self-induced and that it is entirely the individual's responsibility to do something about it.Recognising obesity as a chronic disease with severe complications rather than a lifestyle choice“should help reduce the stigma(耻辱）and discrimination experienced by many people with obesity.”he adds.Professor Wilding disagrees that labelling a high proportion of the population as having a disease removes personal responsibility or may overwhelm health services,pointing out that other common diseases,such as high blood pressure and diabetes,require people to take action to manage their condition.He suggests that most people with obesity will eventually develop complications.“But unless we accept that obesity is a disease,we are not going to be able to tackle it.”he concludes.But Dr.Richard Pile,a physician with a special interest in diabetes,argues that adopting this approach"could actually result in worse outcomes for individuals and society.”He believes that he dictionary definition of disease“is so vague that we can classify almost anything as a disease”and says the question is not whether we can,but whether we should,and to what end.If labelling obesity as a disease was harmless then it wouldn’t really matter,he writes.But labelling obesity as a disease“risks reducing autonomy,disempowering and robbing people of the intrinsic(内在的)motivation that is such an important enabler of change.”What’s more,making obesity a disease“may not benefit patients,but it will benefit healthcare providers and the pharmaceutical(制药的)industry when health insurance and clinical guidelines promote treatment with drugs and surgery,”he warns.46.What does Professor John Wilding argue about obesity?A)Its impact on society is expected to rise.B)It is now too widespread to be neglected.C)It should be regarded as a genetic disease.D)Its dictionary definition should be updated.47.What is the popular view of obesity?A)It is difficult to define.B)It is a modem disease.C)It has much to do with one’s genes.D)It results from a lack of self-control.48.Why are some people opposed to labelling obesity as a disease?A)Obese people would not feel responsible to take any action.B)Obese people would not be able to afford the medical costs.C)Obese people would be overwhelmed with anxiety.D)Obese people would be discriminated against.49.What does Dr.Richard Pile think of the dictionary definition of disease?A)It is of no use in understanding obesity.B)It is too inclusive and thus lacks clarity.C)It helps little to solve patients’problems.D)It matters little to the debate over obesity.50.What is Dr.Richard Pile's concern about classifying obesity as a disease?A)It may affect obese people’s quality of life.B)It may accelerate the spread of obesity.C)It may cause a shortage of doctors.D)It may do little good to patients.Passage TwoQuestions51to55are based on the following passage.Nationwide,only about three percent of early childhood teachers are male in the U.S.Expertssay this can have an impact on young children whose understanding of gender roles and identity are rapidly forming.Research has found that having access to diverse teachers is beneficial for children.For the youngest learners,it means they are more likely to get exposed to different varieties of play and communication.It also helps them develop healthy ideas around gender.“In our world and our society,we have very specific stereotypes（模式化形象）of gender roles,”said Mindi Reich-Shapiro,an assistant professor in the teacher education department of the Borough of Manhattan Community College,and one of the authors of a recent study.”It’s important for children to see other possibilities and other paths they can take.”Despite mostly feeling supported by colleagues and family members,many of the male educators surveyed in the study reported facing social or cultural resistance in their careers as early education teachers.Some also reported that there were parents surprised or concerned that their child had a male teacher.And they had been advised by colleagues or other staff not to hug children.Reich-Shapiro and fellow researchers made several recommendations lo increase male representation in the field.Low pay has long been acknowledged as a major issue in the early childhood field.Over70%of male educators who said they intended to stay in the early education workforce noted an increased salary was a major motivating factor for them to commit to the career long-term.The report suggests paying all early childhood educators the way elementary school teachers are paid.Cities and programs should establish support groups for male early childhood educators and provide mentoring and professional development advice for male educators and their program leaders.The authors also suggest that traditional recruitment approaches for early childhood educators“do not address the gender gap in the field.”They recommend providing young men opportunities to work with children through training and volunteer programs,targeting groups of men who are considering a career change,such as fathers.51.What do we learn from the first paragraph about early childhood education in the U.S.?A)It helps raise children’s awareness of gender roles.B)It exposes children to different ways of interaction.C)It is negatively impacted by a lack of male teachers.D)It clearly aims to form children’s identity through play.52.What does Mindi Reich-Shapiro emphasize in her comment on childhood education?A)The importance of broadening children’s horizons.B)The responsibilities of fathers for children’s growth.C)The urgency of creating teacher education programs.D)The role of teachers in motivating children to learn.53.What do we learn about male teachers from their responses in the study?A)Some of them find it awkward when hugging children.B)They feel pressured to keep up with female colleagues.C)They find it hard to meet the expectations of kids’parents.D)Many of them feel prejudiced against socially and culturally.54.What is needed for men to commit to early childhood education?A)Higher pay.B)Job security.C)Social recognition.D)Better working conditions.55.What do the authors of the study recommend to bridge the gender gap in early childhood education?A)Recruiting young men who have a passion for educating young children.B)Taking measures to attract prospective male teachers to work in the field.C)Persuading prospective fathers to consider a change in their career.D)Providing male teachers with more opportunities for advancement.PartⅣTranslation(30minutes)Directions:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on Answer Sheet2.大运河(Grand Canal)是世界上最长的人工河，北起北京，南至杭州。

2021年12月全国大学英语四级真题试卷卷二1、听力2、选词填空∶It is commonly believed that the great English dramatist and poet.26.E)exact27.C)conclusively28.L)scarcity29.H)position30.Jprobably31.B)classical32.M)senior33.D)emergence34.A)captured35.I)precision3、信息匹配：How to no be boring36.(F)The most interesting people aren't those who've gone on some Eal,Pray,Love jourmey to find themsclves.Instead,Pirson says,they're those who examine the ordinary.37.(J)Of course,it's possible to be a fountain of knowledge and a boring person,says public relations consultant Andrea Pass.Paying attention to the listener is an important part of。

38.[B]To tell the truth,interesting people are more popular among their friends.If you don't arouse somcone's curiosity or brighten somcone's day,you probably come.…..39.(I)Television veteran Audrey Morrissey,executive producer of NBC's The Voice,is always looking for what will make a person or story interesting to viewers…..40.(M)I have now come to realize that being boring,in actuali-ty,is not only about who you are as a person,but also how you present yourself……41.(C)Recently,I was at a gathering of colleagues when some-one turned to me and asked,"So,what's new with you?"Ordi narily,I think I'm a good conversationalist……..42.(G)This is essentinlly how Jessica Hagy starts her day a lot of time thinking about what's interesting to her.....43.(A)Humans are creatures habit.We love to establish a rou-tine and stick with it.Then we often put ourselves on auto-pi-lot.Routincs can be incredibly useful in helping you get things done….44.(K)"If the listener is not paying attention,it's your sign to shorten the story or change direction.45.(E)"If someone is making up some conversation that might be interesting,it's probably not going to land well,"says Pirson,whose expertise includes trust and….4、仔细阅读：With obesity now affecting29%of the population in England,and expected to rise to35%by2030, should we now recognise it as disease?46.C)It should be regarded as a genetic disease.47.D)It results from a lack of self-control.48.A)Obese people would not feel responsible to take any action.49.B)It is too inclusive and thus lacks clarity.50.D)It may do little good to patients.Nationwide,only about three percent of early childhood teach-51.C)It is negatively impacted by a lack of male teachers.52.A)The importance of broadening children's horizons.53.D)Many of them feel prejudiced against socially and cultur-ally.54.A)Higher pay.55.B)Taking measures to attract prospective male teachers to work in the field.5、翻译：大运河(GrandCanal)是世界上最长的人工河，北起北京，南至杭州。

英语四级2021.12第二套听力The English CET-4 listening test in December 2021 was challenging for many students. The test comprised various sections, including conversations, news reports, and academic lectures. One of the main problems faced by test-takers was the speed at which the speakers delivered the content. The rapid pace made it difficult for students to grasp the information and answer the questions accurately. Additionally, the use of unfamiliar accents and idiomatic expressions further compounded the difficulty of the test. As a result, many students found it challenging to comprehend the spoken English and respond appropriately.Another issue that arose during the listening test was the complexity of the vocabulary used. The speakers in the test employed a wide range of words, including technical terms and academic jargon. This posed a significant challenge for students, especially those who may not have been exposed to such vocabulary in their regular English studies. As a result, many test-takers struggled tounderstand the meaning of certain words and phrases, which affected their overall comprehension of the listening material.Furthermore, the listening test also presented challenges in terms of the content itself. The topics covered in the test were diverse and ranged from environmental issues to social trends and technological advancements. This wide array of subjects made it challenging for students to anticipate the content of the listening passages and prepare adequately. As a result, many test-takers found themselves grappling with unfamiliar topics and struggling to follow the discussions presentedin the test.In addition to the linguistic and content-related challenges, the listening test also posed difficulties in terms of concentration and focus. The test spanned over an hour, during which students had to maintain their attention and actively listen to the spoken content. This prolonged period of intense concentration proved to be demanding for many test-takers, leading to fatigue and a decrease inattentiveness. As a result, some students may have missed crucial details in the listening passages, which affected their ability to answer the questions accurately.Moreover, the listening test also presented challenges in terms of time management. The test comprised multiple sections, each with its own set of questions and time constraints. This required students to allocate their time effectively and prioritize which questions to focus on. However, the pressure of the time limit and the need to move swiftly through the test may have caused some students to feel overwhelmed and rushed, impacting their ability to answer the questions thoroughly and accurately.Overall, the English CET-4 listening test in December 2021 presented a multitude of challenges for test-takers. From the rapid pace of the spoken content to the complexity of the vocabulary and the diverse range of topics covered, students faced numerous obstacles in comprehending the listening passages and answering the questions effectively. Additionally, the test also tested students' concentration, focus, and time management skills, adding to the overalldifficulty of the examination. As a result, many students may have found the listening test to be a daunting and demanding experience, requiring them to draw on various linguistic, cognitive, and strategic abilities to navigate the challenges presented.。

2021年12月四级真题第二套附答案及听力材料Part I WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to learn Chinese. Please recommend a place to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening ComprehensionSection ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A) The number of nurses has dropped to a record low.B) There is a growing shortage of medical personnel.C) There is discrimination against male nurses.D) The number of male nurses has gone down.2.A) Cultural bias.B) Inadequate pay.C) Educational system.D) Working conditions.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3.A) He fell out of a lifeboat.B) He lost his way on a beach.C) He was almost drowned.D) He enjoyed swimming in the sea.4.A) The beach is a popular tourist resort.B) The emergency services are efficient.C) The beach is a good place to watch the tide.D) The lifeboats patrol the area round the clock.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5.A) It became an online star.B) It broke into an office room.C) It escaped from a local zoo.D) It climbed 25 storeys at one go.6.A) Send it back to the zoo.B) Release it into the wild.C) Return it to its owner.D) Give it a physical checkup.7.A) A racoon can perform acts no human can.B) A racoon can climb much higher than a cat.C) The raccoon became as famous as some politicians.D) The racoon did something no politician could.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A) She got a well-paying job in a bank.B) She received a bonus unexpectedly.C) She received her first monthly salary.D) She got a pay raise for her performance.9.A) Several years ago.B) Two decades ago.C) Right after graduation.D) Just last month.10.A) He sent a small check to his parents.B) He took a few of his friends to a gym.C) He immediately deposited it in a bank.D) He treated his parents to a nice meal.11.A) Buy some professional clothes.B) Budget her salary carefully.C) Join her colleagues for gym exercise.D) Visit her former university campus.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A) He has a difficult decision to make.B) He has been overworked recently.C) He has just quarreled with his girlfriend.D) He has just too many things to attend to.13.A) Give priority to things more urgent.B) Turn to his girlfriend for assistance.C) Think twice before making the decision.D) Seek advice from his family and advisor.14.A) His parents and advisor have different opinions.B) He is not particularly keen on the job offered.C) He lacks the money for his doctoral program.D) His girlfriend does not support his decision.15.A) They need time to make preparations.B) They need to save enough money for it.C) They haven’t started their careers yet.D) They haven’t won their parents’ approval.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A) Acquiring information and professional knowledge.B) Using information to understand and solve problems.C) Enriching social and intellectual lives.D) Expressing ideas and opinions freely.17.A) Improving mind-reading strategies.B) Reading classic scientific literature.C) Playing games that challenge one’s mind.D) Traveling to different places in the world.18.A) Give others freedom to express themselves.B) Expose themselves to different cultures.C) Discard personal biases and prejudices.D) Participate in debates or discussions.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) The nature of relationships between dogs.B) The reason a great many people love dogs.C) Why dogs can be faithful friends of humans.D) How dogs feel about their bonds with humans.20.A) They have an unusual sense of responsibility.B) They can respond to humans’ questions.C) They can fall in love just like humans.D) They behave like other animals in many ways.21.A) They have their own joys and sorrows.B) They experience true romantic love.C) They help humans in various ways.D) They stay with one partner for life.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A) A cow bone.B) A rare animal.C) A historical site.D) A precious stone.23.A) Measuring it.B) Preserving it.C) Dating it.D) Identifying it.24.A) The site should have been protected.B) The boy’s family had acted correctly.C) The boy should have called an expert.D) The channel needs to interview the boy.25.A) Search for similar fossils elsewhere.B) Ask the university to reward Jude.C) Conduct a more detailed search.D) Seek additional funds for the search.Part III Reading ComprehensionSection ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Finally, some good news about airplane travel. If you are on a plane with a sick passenger, you are unlikely to get sick. That is the 26 of a new study that looked at how respiratory (呼吸道) viruses 27 on airplanes. Researchers found that only people who were seated in the same row as a passenger with the flu, for example – or one row in front of or behind that individual – had a high risk of catching the illness. All other passengers had only a very 28 chance of getting sick, according to the findings. Media reports have not necessarily presented 29 information aboutthe risk of getting infected on an airplane in the past. Therefore, these new findings should help airplane passengers to feel less 30 to catching respiratory infections while traveling by air.Prior to the new study, little was known about the risks of getting 31 infected by common respiratory viruses, such as the flu or common cold, on an airplane, the researchers said. So,to 32 the risks of infection, the study team flew on 10 different 33 in the U.S. during the flu season. The researchers found that passengers sitting within two seats on 34 side of a person infected with the flu, as well as those sitting one row in front of or behind this individual, had about an 80 percent chance of getting sick. But other passengers were 35 safe from infection. They had a less than 3 percent chance of catching the flu.A) accurateB) conclusionC) directlyD) eitherE) evaluateF) explorationsG) flightsH) largely I) nearbyJ) respond K) slimL) spread M) summit N) vividly O) vulnerableSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Is Breakfast Really the MostImportant Meal of the Day?A) Along with old classics like “carrots give you night vision” and “Santa doesn’t bring toys to misbehaving children”, one of the most well-worn phrases of tired parents everywhere is that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Many of us grow up believing that skipping breakfast is a serious mistake, even if only two thirds of adults in the UK eat breakfast regularly, according to the British Dietetic Association, and around three-quarters of Americans.B) “The body uses a lot of energy stores for growth and repair through the night,” explains diet specialist Sarah Elder. “Eating a balanced breakfast helps to up our energy, as well a s make up for protein and calcium used throughout the night.” But there’s widespread disagreement over whether breakfast should keep its top spot in the hierarchy (等级) of meals. There have been concerns around the sugar content of cereal and the food indus try’s involvement in pro-breakfast research –and even one claim from an academic that breakfast is “dangerous”.C) What’s the reality? Is breakfast a necessary start to the day or a marketing tactic by cereal companies? The most researched aspect of breakfast (and breakfast-skipping) has been its links to obesity. Scientists have different theories as to why there’s a relationship between the two. In one US study that analysed the health data of 50,000 people over seven years, researchers found thatthose who made breakfast the largest meal of the day were more likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who ate a large lunch or dinner. The researchers argued that breakfast helps reduce daily calorie intake and improve the quality of our diet – since breakfast foods are often higher in fibre and nutrients.D) But as with any study of this kind, it was unclear if that was the cause – or if breakfast-skippers were just more likely to be overweight to begin with. To find out, researchers designed a study in which 52 obese women took part in a 12-week weight loss programme. All had the same number of calories over the day, but half had breakfast, while the other half did not. What they found was that it wasn’t breakfast itself that caused the particip ants to lose weight: it was changing their normal routine.E) If breakfast alone isn’t a guarantee of weight loss, why is there a link between obesity and breakfast -skipping? Alexandra Johnstone, professor of appetite research at the University of Aberdeen, argues that it may simply be because breakfast-skippers have been found to be less knowledgeable about nutrition and health. “There are a lot of studies on the relationship between breakfast eating and possible health outcomes, but this may be because those who eat breakfast choose to habitually have health-enhancing behaviours such as regular exercise and not,” she says.F) A 2016 review of 10 studies looking into the relationship between breakfast and weight management concluded there is “limited evidence” supporting or refuting (反驳) the argument that breakfast influences weight or food intake, and more evidence is required before breakfast recommendations can be used to help prevent obesity.G) Researchers from the University of Surrey and University of Aberdeen are halfway through research looking into the mechanisms behind how the time we eat influences body weight. Early findings suggest that a bigger breakfast is beneficial to weight control. Breakfast has been found to affect more than just weight. Skipping breakfast has been associated with a 27% increased risk of heart disease, a 21% higher risk of type 2 diabetes in men, and a 20% higher risk of type 2 diabetes in women. One reason may be breakfast’s nutritional value – partly because cereal is fortified (增加营养价值) with vitamins. In one study on the breakfast habits of 1,600 young people in the UK, researchers found that the fibre and micronutrient intake was better in those who had breakfast regularly. There have been similar findings in Australia, Brazil, Canada and the US.H) Breakfast is also associated with improved brain function, including concentration and language.A review of 54 studies found that eating breakfast can improve memory, though the effects on other brain functions were inconcl usive. However, one of the review’s researchers, Mary Beth Spitznagel, says there is “reasonable” evidence breakfast does improve concentration – there just needs to be more research. “Looking at studies that tested concentration, the number of studies sho wing a benefit was exactly the same as the number that found no benefit,” she says. “And no studies found that eating breakfast was bad for concentration.”I) What’s most important, some argue, is what we eat for breakfast. High-protein breakfasts have been found particularly effective in reducing the longing for food and consumption later in the day, according to research by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. While cereal remains a firm favourite among breakfast consumers in the UK and US,a recent investigation into the sugar content of ‘adult’ breakfast cereals found that some cereals contain more than three-quarters of the recommended daily amount of free sugars in each portion, and sugar was the second or third highest ingredient in cereals.J) But some research suggests if we’re going to eat sugary foods, it’s best to do it early. One study recruited 200 obese adults to take part in a 16-week-long diet, where half added dessert to their breakfast, and half didn’t. Those who added dessert lost an average of 40 pounds more – however, the study was unable to show the long-term effects. A review of 54 studies found that there is no consensus yet on what type of breakfast is healthier, and concluded that the type of breakfast doesn’t matter as much as simply eating something.K) While there’s no conclusive evidence on exactly what we should be eating and when, the consensus is that we should listen to our own bodies and eat when we’re hungry. “Breakfast is most importa nt for people who are hungry when they wake up,” Johnstone says. “Each body starts the day differently –and those individual differences need to be researched more closely,” Spitznagel says. “A balanced breakfast is really helpful, but getting regular mea ls throughout the day is more important to leave blood sugar stable through the day, which helps control weight and hunger levels,” says Elder. “Breakfast isn’t the only meal we should be getting right.”36. According to one professor, obesity is related to a lack of basic awareness of nutrition and health.37. Some scientists claim that people should consume the right kind of food at breakfast.38. Opinions differ as to whether breakfast is the mist important meal of the day.39. It has been found that not eating breakfast is related to the incidence of certain diseases in some countries.40. Researchers found it was a change in eating habits rather than breakfast itself that induced weight loss.41. To keep oneself healthy, eating breakfast is more important than choosing what to eat.42. It is widely considered wrong not to eat breakfast.43. More research is needed to prove that breakfast is related to weight loss or food intake.44. People who prioritise breakfast tend to have lower calorie but higher nutritional intake.45. Many studies reveal that eating breakfast helps people memorise and concentrate.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Textbooks represent an 11 billion dollar industry, up from $8 billion in 2014. Textbook publisher Pearson is the largest publisher – of any kind – in the world.It costs about $1 million to create a new textbook. A freshman textbook will have dozens of contributors, from subject-matter experts through graphic and layout artists to expert reviewers and classroom testers. Textbook publishers connect professors, instructors and students in ways that alternatives, such as open e-textbooks and open educational resources, simply do not. This connection happens not only by means of collaborative development, review and testing, but also at conferences where faculty regularly decide on their textbooks and curricula for the coming year.It is true that textbook publishers have recently reported losses, largely due to students renting or buying used print textbooks. But this can be chalked up to the excessively high cost of their books –which has increased over 1,000 percent since 1977. A restructuring of the textbook industry may well be in order. But this does not mean the end of the textbook itself.While they may not be as dynamic as an iPad, textbooks are not passive or lifeless. For example, over the centuries. they have simulated (模拟) dialogues in a number of ways. From 1800 to the present day, textbooks have done this by posing questions for students to answer inductively (归纳性地). That means students are asked to use their individual experience to come up with answers to general questions. Today’s psychology texts, for example,ask: “How much of your personality do you think you inherited?” while ones in physics say: “How can you predict where the ball you tossed will land?”Experts observe that “textbooks come in layers, something like an onion.” For an active learner, engaging with a textbook can be an interactive experience. Readers proceed at their own pace. They “customize” their books by engaging with different layers and linkages. Highlighting, Post-It notes, dog-ears and other techniques allow for further customization that students value in print books over digital forms of books.46. What does the passage say about open educational resources?A) They contribute to teaching as much as to learning.B) They don’t profit as much as traditional textbooks do.C) They can’t co nnect professors and students as textbooks do.D) They compete fiercely for customers with textbook producers.47. What is the main cause of the publishers’ losses?A) Failure to meet student need.B) Industry restructuring.C) Emergence of e-books.D) Falling sales.48. What does the textbook industry need to do?A) Reform its structures.B) Cut its retail prices.C) Find replacements for printed textbooks.D) Change its business strategy periodically.49. What are students expected to do in the learning process?A) Think carefully before answering each question.B) Ask questions based on their own understanding.C) Answer questions using their personal experience.D) Give answers showing their respective personality.50. What do experts say about students using textbooks?A) They can digitalize the prints easily.B) They can learn in an interactive way.C) They can purchase customized versions.D) They can adapt the material themselves.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.When we think of animals and plants, we have a pretty good way of dividing them into two distinct groups: one converts sunlight into energy and the other has to eat food to make its energy.Well, those dividing lines come crashing down with the discovery of a sea slug (海蛞蝓) that’s truly half animal and half plant. It’s pretty incredible how it has managed to hijack the genes of the algae (藻类) on which it feeds.The slugs can manufacture chlorophyll, the green pigment (色素) in plants that captures energy from sunlight, and hold these genes within their body. The term kleptoplasty is used to describe the practice of using hijacked genes to create nutrients from sunlight. And so far, this green sea slug is the only known animal that can be truly considered solar-powered, although some animals do exhibit some plant-like behaviors. Many scientists have studied the green sea slugs to confirm that they are actually able to create energy from sunlight.In fact, the slugs use the genetic material so well that they pass it on to their future generations. Their babies retain the ability to produce their own chlorophyll, though they can’t generate energyfrom sunlight until they’ve eaten enough algae to steal the necessary genes, which they can’t yet produce on their own.“There’s no way on earth that genes from an alga should work inside an animal cell,” says Sidney Pierce from the University of South Florida. “And yet here, they do. They allow the animal to rely on sunshine for its nutrition. So if something happens to their food source, they have a way of not starving to death until they find more algae to eat.The sea slugs are so good at gathering energy from the sun that they can live up to nine months without having to eat any food. They get all their nutritional needs m et by the genes that they’ve hijacked from the algae51. What is the distinctive feature of a sea slug?A) It looks like both a plant and an animal.B) It converts some sea animals into plants.C) It lives half on animals and half on plantsD) It gets energy from both food and sunlight.52. What enables the sea slug to live like a plant?A) The genes it captures from the sea plant algae.B) The mechanism by which it conserves energy.C) The nutrients it hijacks from other species.D) The green pigment it inherits from its ancestors.53. What does the author say about baby sea slugs?A) They can live without sunlight for a long time.B) They can absorb sunlight right after their birth.C) They can survive without algae for quite some time.D) They can produce chlorophyll on their own.54. What does Sidney Pierce say about genes from an alga?A) They are stolen from animals like the sea slug.B) They can’t function unless exposed to sunlight.C) They don’t usually function inside animal cells.D) They can readily be converted to sea slug genes.55. What do we learn about sea slugs from the passage?A) They behave the way most plant species do.B) They can survive for months without eating.C) They will turn into plants when they mature.D) They will starve to death without sunlight.Part IV TranslationDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国的家庭观念与其文化传统有关。

2021年12月英语四级(第2套)听力真题新闻报道(1)New York State plans to shut off the thundering waters of Niagara Falls — again.纽约州计划再一次关停尼亚加拉瀑布奔腾的水流。

At least, the American side of the falls.至少是美国部分的瀑布。

This "once in a lifetime" event actually may take place twice in some folks' lives.这种“生平仅见”的事情其实对于某些人来说这辈子可能见过两次了。

The New York State parks system wants to turn off the falls on the American side sometime in the next two to three years纽约州公园系统准备在接下来的两到三年时间内关停一段时间美国部分的瀑布，to replace two 115-year-old stone bridges that allow pedestrians, park vehicles and utilities access to Goat Island.以替换两座已有115年历史的桥梁，这两座桥用于行人、公园车辆等通行至公羊岛。

The American side of the falls were shut off in 1969 to study the buildup of rock at the base of the falls.美国部分的大瀑布曾经在1969年关闭过，当时是为了研究瀑布下的岩基。

When that happened, people came from all over the world to see the falls turned off.关停的时候，世界各地的人们都前来围观。

2021年12月英语四级(第2套)听力真题短文(1)Analytical skills are our ability to understand and solve problems using information we have available. These skills are extremely important for our professional, social, and intellectual lives. What are the best ways to improve them? One way is to expand your world view. Unfortunately, this takes time. Ultimately, it will help you better evaluate information and analyze different ideas and outcomes. Traveling is a great way to expand your world view, although it can be expensive. An entertaining way of enhancing your analytical skills is to engage them by playing brain games. These are games that challenge you to think deeply and to develop your analytical skills. These games will get you used to thinking in a certain way. As a result, they will help improve your ability to think. However, opinions vary on whether video games are effective. The general consensus is that the best ones avoid mindless violence, and instead focus on strategy and challenge us to solve problems and achieve broad goals. Joining a debate or reading club or group is also a good idea. This provides people with the opportunity to come together and discuss ideas,literature and problems. Groups like these will help you refine your analytical skills and enable you to express yourself better. Any social group that encourages free exchange of ideas and pursuit of knowledge is beneficial. It helps you to actively develop your analytical skills.分析技能是我们利用现有信息理解和解决问题的能力。

2021年12月英语四级听力第二套听力材料1. 听力原文第一篇Speaker 1: Good morning, everyone, wee to the conference. I'm here to talk to you about the latest developments in the field of renewable energy. As we all know, the demand for clean and sust本人nable energy sources is increasing, and it's crucial for us to find alternative solutions to traditional fossil fuels. Today, we'll be discussing the potential of wind power as a reliable and efficient energy source.Speaker 2: Thank you for the introduction. Wind power has seen significant growth in recent years, with many countries investing in large-scale wind farms. These farms have the capacity to generate a substantial amount of electricity, and they have the added benefit of being environmentally friendly. However, there are still some challenges that need to be addressed in order to make wind power more viable on a global scale.Speaker 1: That's right. One of the m本人n challenges is the intermittent nature of wind energy. Wind doesn't blowconsistently, which means that we need to develop storage solutions to ensure a stable and reliable energy supply. Another issue is the impact that wind farms can have on local wildlife and ecosystems. It's important for us to consider these factors when planning and implementing new wind projects.2. 第二篇Speaker 1: Good afternoon, everyone. Today, we're going to be talking about the future of transportation. With the rapid advancement of technology, we are seeing some exciting developments in this field. One of the most promising innovations is the concept of self-driving cars. These vehicles have the potential to revolutionize the way we travel, making our roads safer and reducing traffic congestion.Speaker 2: Self-driving cars cert本人nly have the potential to transform the transportation industry. However, there are still some concerns that need to be addressed before they can be more widely adopted. Firstly, there are ethical and legal considerations surrounding the use of autonomous vehicles. Who is responsible in the event of an accident, for example? These areplex questions that need to be carefully considered.Speaker 1: Absolutely. In addition to these concerns, there are also technical challenges that need to be ovee. Self-driving cars rely on aplex network of sensors and algorithms to navigate the road, and there are still limitations to their capabilities. For example, they may struggle to operate in cert本人n weather conditions or in areas with poor infrastructure. It's important for us to continue research and development in this area to ensure that self-driving cars are safe and reliable.3. 第三篇Speaker 1: Good evening, everyone. Today, we're going to be discussing the impact of digital technology on education. The internet and digital devices have transformed the way we access and consume information, and they have the potential to revolutionize the education system as well. However, there are both opportunities and challenges associated with this.Speaker 2: That's right. The internet has made it possible for students to access a wealth of resources and learning materials from anywhere in the world. This has the potential to democratize education and make it more accessible to people from diverse backgrounds. However, it's important for us to ensure that all students have equal access to these resources,regardless of their socioeconomic status.Speaker 1: Absolutely. In addition to these opportunities, there are also concerns about the impact of digital technology on students' attention spans and critical thinking skills. With the constant exposure to digital devices, there is a risk of students bing overly reliant on technology for their learning, which could have long-term consequences for their cognitive development.2. 文章正文2021年12月英语四级听力第二套听力材料共分为三篇，分别涉及可再生能源、自动驾驶汽车以及数字科技对教育的影响三个主题。

2021年12月英语四级(第2套)听力真题听力短文(2)We know we have to pay for what we get.我们都知道我们获得的时候得付出点什么。

If we buy food, we have to pay for it.如果我们买吃的，我们得付钱。

If a doctor treats us, we know there will be a bill to pay. These are private bills.如果医生给我们看病，我们也要付钱。

这都是个人账单。

But there are also public bills to be paid. They are paid by the government.但也有公共账单。

这些账单由政府买单。

In turn we get the needed services. We pay for these services through taxes.作为享受服务的交换，我们赋税。

What would happen if everyone stopped paying taxes?如果大家都不交税的话，会发生什么？The water supply would stop; the streets might not be cleaned; schools would be closed.供水会被中断，街道不会再有人清扫，学校会被关闭。

We would not want to live in such a city.我们不会想要住在一个这样的城市里的。

The chief duty of every government is to protect persons and property.每个政府的主要职责就是保护每一个人及其财产。

More than three-fourths of government expenses are used for this purpose.超过政府支出的四分之三都是用于这个目的。

2021年12月英语四级听力真题新闻报道(1)A poisonous fish which has a sting strong enough to kill a human is invading the Mediterranean, warned scientists. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (UICN) has raised concerns after the poisonous fish was spotted in the water around Turkey, Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean. Native to the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, the potentially deadly fish has poisonous hooks and a painful sting capable of killing people. Although fatalities are rare, the stings can cause extreme pain and stop people breathing. The fish, often known as Devil Firefish, is a highly invasive species.And environmentalists fear its arrival could endanger other types of marine life. After being spotted in the Mediterranean, a marine scientist says, “The fish is spreading, and that’s a cause for concern.”科学家们警告称，一种有毒的鱼正在入侵地中海，这种鱼的毒刺足以杀死一个人。