2012年12月英语四级真题及答案

Part I Writing 标准版：The above bar chart clearly shows us education pays in 2010. We see that one with higher education background earns more money weekly than those with lower ones. For instance, the college students with no degree get paid$712 per week w hereas those with a Bachelor’s degree can earn $1038.Several reasons, in my opinion, can be identified to account for this phenomenon. To begin with, compared with those with comparatively lower education degree, people who have received higher education possess considerably wider knowledge, more remarkable learning and research ability, greater innovation and most of all, resourceful social network, all of which are essential to a high-income work. Also, the higher one’s education degree is, the bigger pl atform he will have to show his ability. For example, his college, university, or research institute will organize various job fairs for them to communicate face to face with employers.This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment. Therefore, substantial education investment should be strengthened while we, as college students, should study harder to build our country and strive for a better life for ourselves.高分版：Education PaysJudging from the table, we can see that people’s income increases along with their education levels. Above all，the average college graduates earn much more than the typical high-school graduates. The fact revealed by these data is obvious: a degree does bring distinctive financial benefits to its holders. But is it true that a degree alone can ensure a bright future? I don’t think so because, on the one hand, the financial value of high education depends heavily on what skills graduates can gain from it instead of the degree itself. After all, an employer only pays for your ability and performance, not for your certificate. On the other hand, the most valuable bless high education brings to graduates is the ability to learn quickly and efficiently. People received more education tend to keep lifelong learning habits after their graduation, which would help them gain more opportunities in their career path.In conclusion, what accounts for education pays is not the degree alone, but the gr aduate’s ability and leaning habit.作文B：标准版：Education PaysThe above bar chart clearly shows us education pays in 2010. We see that unemployment rate of those with higher education background is much lower than those with lower education degree. For instance, the unemployment rate of college students with no degree is as high as 14.9% while that of those with doctoral degree is only 1.9%.The followingreason, in my opinion, is the most important one to account for this phenomenon. Compared with those with comparatively lower education degree, people who have received higher education possess considerably wider knowledge, more remarkable learning and research ability, greater innovation and most of all, resourceful social network, all of which make them more qualified and competent for their task. Thus, they are less likely to lose their jobs.This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment. Therefore, education investment should be strengthened while we, as college students, should study harder to avoid unemployment.高分版：Education PaysAs is shown in the table, the unemployment rate decreases steadily as the education level increases. The fact revealed by the statistics is obvious: graduates with a degree are less likely to be unemployed. What has brought about this effect? I believe there are three main reasons. To begin with, the education level is still the top factor that employers would take into account when selecting job candidates. It is believed that people with a college degree tend to be more intelligent and qualified. In addition, as a result of good learning habit formed during college, job hunters with high education background are also more efficient in acquiring and processing job hunting information. Finally, college education equips graduates with specialized skills, leading to greater attachment to the company they are employed and higher possibility to be reemployed even if they leave their previous company.In conclusion, it is the qualifications, learning habit and specialized skills that high education equip a graduate that make one distinctive in labor market.【标准版点评】这次四级作文出了图表题，可能让大家有些意外，但是四六级考察图表作文已经并不是第一次，早在2002年的时候就已经出现过，是图表+提纲的形式，图表反应的是大学生使用计算机的情况。

【作文一】1. 你的基本情况your basic information12.你申请贷款的原因、数额及用途you reason for the loan, the amount and purpose3. 你如何保证专款专用以及你的还款打算【作文：图表】图表作文Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.The MagicianThe revolution that Steve Jobs led is only just beginningWhen it came to putting on a show, nobody else in the computer industry, or any other industry for that matter, could match Steve Jobs. His product launches, at which he would stand alone on a black stage and produce as if by magic an “incredible” new electronic gadget (小器具)in front of an amazed crowd, were the performances of a master showman. All computers do is fetch and work with numbers, he once explained, but do it fast enough and “the results appear to be magic”. Mr Jobs, who died recently aged 56, spent his life packaging that magic into elegantly designed, easy-to-use products.The reaction to his death, with people leaving candles and flowers outside Apple stores and politicians singing praises on the internet, is proof that Mr Jobs had become something much more significant than just a clever money-maker. He stood out in three ways-as a technologist, as a corporate (公司的)leader and as somebody who was able to make people love what had previously been impersonal, functional gadgets. Strangely, it is this last quality that may have the deepest effect on the way people live. The era of personal technology is in many ways just beginning.As a technologist, Mr Jobs was different because he was not an engineer-and that was his great strength. Instead he was keenly interested in product design and aesthetics (美学), and in making advanced technology simple to use. He repeatedly took an existing but half-formed idea-the mouse-driven computer, the digital music player, the smartphone, the tablet computer(平板电脑)-and showed the rest of the industry how to do it properly. Rival firms competed with each other to follow where he led. In the process he brought about great changes in computing, music, telecoms and the news business that were painful for existing firms but welcomed by millions of consumers.Within the wider business world, a man who liked to see himself as a hippy (嬉皮士), permanently in revolt against big companies, ended up being hailed by many of those corporate giants as one of the greatest chief executives of his time. That was partly due to his talents: showmanship, strategic vision, an astonishing attention to detail and a dictatorial management style which many bosses must have envied. But most of all it was the extraordinary trajectory (轨迹)of his life. His fall from grace in the 1980s, followed by his return to Apple in 1996 after a period in the wilderness, is an inspiration to any businessperson whose career has taken a turn for the worse. The way in which Mr Jobs revived the failing company he had co-founded and turned it into the world’s biggest tech firm (bigger even than Bill Gates’s Microsoft, the company that had outsmarted Apple so dramatically in the 1980s), sounds like something from a Hollywood movie.But what was perhaps most astonishing about Mr Jobs was the absolute loyalty he managed to inspire in customers. Many Apple users feel themselves to be part of a community, with Mr Jobs as its leader. And there was indeed a personal link. Apple’s products were designed to accord with the boss’s tastes and to meet his extremely high standards. Every iPhone or MacBook has his fingerprints all over it. His great achievement was to combine an emotional spark with computer technology, and make the resulting product feel personal. And that is what put Mr Jobs on the right side of history, as technological innovation (创新)has moved into consumer electronics over the past decade.As our special report in t his issue (printed before Mr Jobs’s death) explains, innovation used to spill over from military and corporate laboratories to the consumer market, but lately this process has gone into reverse. Many people’s homes now have more powerful, and more flexible, devices than their offices do; consumer gadgets and online services are smarter and easier to use than most companies’ systems. Familiar consumer products are being adopted by businesses, government and the armed forces. Companies are employing in-house versions of Facebook and creating their own “app stores” to deliver software to employees. Doctors use tablet computers for their work in hospitals. Meanwhile, the number of consumers hungry for such gadgets continues to swell. Apple’s products are now bei ng snapped up in Delhi and Dalian just as in Dublin and Dallas.Mr Jobs had a reputation as a control freak (怪人), and his critics complained that the products and systems he designed were closed and inflexible, in the name of greater ease of use. Yet he also empowered millions of people by giving them access to cutting-edge technology. His insistence on putting users first, and focusing on elegance and simplicity, has become deep-rooted in his own company, and is spreading to rival firms too. It is no longer just at Apple that designers ask: “What would Steve Jobs do?”The gap between Apple and other tech firms is now likely to narrow. This week’s announcement of a new iPhone by a management team led by Tim Cook, who replaced Mr Jobs as chief executive in August, was generally regarded as competent but uninspiring. Without Mr Jobs to shower his star dust on the event, it felt like just another product launch from just another technology firm. At the recent unveiling of a tablet computer by Jeff Bezos of Amazon, whose company is doing the best job of following Apple’s lead in combining hardware, software, content and services in an easy-to-use bundle, there were several attacks at Apple. But by doing his best to imitate Mr Jobs, Mr Bezos also flattered (抬举)him. With Mr Jobs gone, Apple is just one of many technology firms trying to arouse his uncontrollable spirit in new products.Mr Jobs was said by an engineer in the early years of Apple to emit a “reality distortion (扭曲)field”, such were his powers of persuasion. But in the end he created a reality of his own, channeling the magic of computing into products that reshaped entire industries. The man who said in his youth that he wanted to “put a ding in the universe” did just that.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

模考吧网提供最优质的模拟试题，最全的历年真题，最精准的预测押题！2012年12月22日大学英语四级(CET-4)考试真题一、Writing （本大题1小题．每题106.0分，共106.0分。

For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition . You should write at least 100 words, and base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese) below: ）第1题Education pays...Education pays in higher earnings and lower unemployment ratesNote: Data are for persons age 25 and over. Earnings are for full-time wage and salary w orkers.Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey.【正确答案】：模考吧网提供最优质的模拟试题，最全的历年真题，最精准的预测押题！范文一：Education PayWhat is shown in the chart above is that those people with high degree earn more than those with lower. For example, staff with master’s degree receive a better payment than those with bachelor’s degree, ac cording to a survey of the payment to the employee. These survey indicates that education degree does have a relationship with earnings, contrary to the recent theory of useless education.Recently, there is a heated discussion about the significance of the education. Some people hold a view that higher education is useless since college education cannot mesh with the social needs. Some think that higher education is indispensable if you want to go far in both your studies and life. Now that surve y has proved which part is wiser.As for me, I definitely support the view that education is necessary for p eople’s life. Reading can not only make me survive well in this society with fierce competition but also he lp me make sense of life. I pursue for it for my whole life.作文范文2：Education Pays, published every three years, presents detailed evidence of the private and public benefi ts of higher education. It also sheds light on the distribution of these benefits by examining both the incre ases and the persistent disparities in college participation and completion. In the three years between th e publication of Education Pays 2007 and Education Pays 2010, median earnings for four-year college g raduates increased more rapidly than those of high school graduates and the gap between the unemplo yment rates of the two groups grew. In addition to earnings comparisons, the report documents differenc es in lifestyles, health, and other outcomes for people with and without college education. Differences in enrollment and completion patterns across demographic groups highlight the reality that gaps in educati onal attainment are explained by a combination of money and other factors.作文范文3：Pays corresponds to education levels, as is demonstrated by the chart above, “Education: A Weekly Inv estment”. The weekly earnings in 2010 increases with the sort of diploma the person holds. For instance , the college students with no degree get paid $712 per week whereas those with a Bachelor’s degree c an earn 50% more than them.Several reasons, in my opinion, can be identified to account for this phenomenon. To begin with, compa red with those with comparatively lower education degree, people who have received higher education p ossess considerably wider knowledge, more remarkable learning and research ability, greater innovatio n and most of all, resourceful social network, all of which are essential to a high-income work. Also, the higher one’s education degree is the bigger platform he will have to show his ability. For example, his co llege, university, or research institute will organize various job fairs for them to communicate face to face with employers.。

2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题第一套Part I Writing【标准版点评】这次四级作文出了图表题，可能让大家有些意外，但是四六级考察图表作文已经并不是第一次，早在2002年的时候就已经出现过，是图表+提纲的形式，图表反应的是大学生使用计算机的情况。

由于备考时大家只是关注近几年的题型，可能没有关注到以往考察过图表作文。

我们在备考作文的时候，一般会从以下几个方面着手准备，如何描述现象、如何分析原因、如何分析影响、如何给出解决措施、如何进行观点论战等。

其实，图表作文也是从这几个方面展开，只是将第一段的描述现象改为描述图表即可。

可见，无论是考察哪种作文题，我们都可以将它转化为我们熟悉的提纲式。

这次作文题目有两个版本。

题目都是Educational Pays（教育回报），一个版本的图表显示的是教育水平越高，收入越高，另一个版本的图表显示的是教育水平越高，失业率越低。

虽然图表描述的具体内容不同，但主题是一致的：教育是值得投资的。

写作思路也是一致的。

两篇范文都是采取三段式的描述方法。

第一段：描述图表。

先一句话引出图表总体内容The above bar chart clearly shows us … 然后具体描述现象We see that…。

最后用for instance引出一些具体数据来例证现象。

第二段：分析原因。

先写一个引出原因的句子，然后具体列举一到两个原因即可。

由于字数限制，原因不必列太多。

第三段：给出建议。

先是总结这个现象This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment.（教育值得投资）。

然后是建议国家增大教育投资，以及个人要努力学习。

这种三段式的写作模式容易掌握，在考场中比较实用，建议大家仿写。

【高分版点评】本次四级作文围绕着同一个话题，education pay（教育回报），出现了两个版本，一个是教育和失业率的关系，另一个是教育和收入的关系。

2012年12月英语四级完整版真题:第二套Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) Make phone calls to promote sales.B) Arrange business negotiations.C) Handle complaints from customers.D) Take orders over the phone.20. A) They had different business strategies.B) Customers often mistook one for the other.C) Conflicts between them could not be properly solved.D) Customers' questions could not be answered on the same day.21. A) They each take a week.B) They like to spend it together.C) They have to take it by turns.D) They are given two weeks each.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A) At a road crossing.B) Outside a police station.C)D) In front of a kindergarten.23. A) He drove too fast to read it.B) He did not notice it.C) It says 45 miles an hour.D) It is not clearly visible. 24. A) It should have been renewed two months ago.B) It actually belongs to somebody else.C) It is no longer valid.D) It is not genuine.25. A) He got a ticket.B) He was fined $35.C) He had his driver's license canceled.D) He had to do two weeks' community service.Section BPassage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the conversation you have just heard.26. A) They care more about an item's price than its use.B) They grab whatever they think is a good bargain.C) They become excited as if they had never been there.D) They behave as if their memories have failed totally.27. A) Those with a VIP card. C) Those needing assistance.B) Those with 15 items or less. D) Those paying in cash.28. A) Go back and pick up more items. C) Change the items they have picked up.B) Take out some unwanted purchases. D) Calculate the total cost of the groceries.29. A) It calls for carefulness. C) It needs a good knowledge of math.B) It requires tolerance. D) It involves communication skills.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) A package of ideas formally presented.B) A short presentation clearly delivered.C) A natural and spontaneous style ot speech.D) A clever use of visual aids in presentation.31. A) The skillful use of gestures and facial expressions.B) Differences in style between writing and speaking.C) Different preferences of audiences.D) The importance of preparation.32. A) The differences between American and Asian cultures.B) The significance of cross-cultural communication.C) The increasing importance of public speaking.D) The key to becoming a good speaker.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) By comparing his performance with others'.B) By being repeatedly .C) By observing what their teachers do. D) By being given constant praise.34. A) The best students are usually smart by nature.B) It is only natural for children to make errors.C) Children cannot detect their own mistakes.D) All children should have equal opportunities.35. A) It is favorable to knowledge accumulation.B) It is beneficial to independent children.C) It is unhealthy to students' upbringing.D) It is unhelpful to students' learning.Passage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.I've worked in the factories surrounding my hometown every summer since I graduated from high school. but making the transition（转变）between school and full-time blue-collar work during the break never gets any easier. For a student like me who considers any class before noon to be uncivilized, getting to a factory by 6 o'clock each morning is torture. My friends never seem to understand why I'm so relieved to be back at school or that my summer vacation has been anything but a vacation.There're few people as self-confident as a college student who has never been out in the real world. People my age always seem to overestimate the value of their time and knowledge. In fact, all the classes did not prepare me for my battles with the machine 1 ran in the plant, which would jam whenever I absent-mindedly put in a part backward .The most stressful thing about blue-collar life is knowing your job欢迎下载 2could disappear overnight. Issues like downsizing（裁员）and overseas relocation had always seemed distant to me until my co-workers told me that the unit I was working in would shut down within six months and move to Mexico, where people would work for 60 cents an hour.After working 12-hour shifts in a factory, the other options have become only too clear. When I'm back at the university, skipping classes and turning in lazy re-writes seems too irresponsible after seeing what I would be doing without school. All the advice and public-service announcements about the value of an education that used to sound stale now ring true.These lessons I'm learning, however valuable, are always tinged（带有）with a sense of guilt. Many people pass their lives in the places I briefly work, spending 30 years where I spend only two months at a time. "This job pays well, but it's hell on the body," said one co-worker. "Study hard and keep reading," she added.My experiences in the factories have inspired me to make the most of my college years before I enter the real world for good.57. How did the author look back on his summer days while at college?A) They brought him nothing but torture.B) They were no holiday for him at all.C) They were a relief from his hard work at school.D) They offered him a chance to know more people.58. What does the author say about college students?A) They expect too much from the real world.B) They have little interest in blue-collar life.C) They think too highly of themselves. D) They are confident of their future.59. What, according to the author, is most frustrating for blue-collar workers?A) They do not get decent pay.B) They do not have job security.C) They have to work 12-hour shifts.D) They have to move from place to place.60. In what important way has the author's work experience changed him?A) He learned to be more practical.B) He acquired a sense of urgency.C) He came to respect blue-collar workers.D) He came to appreciate his college education61. Why does the author feel somewhat guilty?A) He realizes there is a great divide between his life and that of blue-collar workers.B) He looks down upon the mechanical work at the assembly line.C) He has not done much to help his co-workers at the factory.D) He has stayed at school just for the purpose of escaping from the real world.Passage TwoQuestions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.Are people suffering from gadget（小器具）overload? Are they欢迎下载 3exhausted by the consumer equivalent of the brain fatigue-information overload that is caused by constant updates of devices and online media?Underwriters Laboratories issued a report last week that found 48% of consumers "feel high-tech manufacturers bring new products to market faster than people need them."There are two possible explanations. The first, obvious one is that the pace of innovation（创新）is too fast for consumers. The second less obvious one is that, in fact, innovation is too slow. That is, the new offerings companies are pushing out the door every six months or so are me-too products or ones with just a couple of new features. Marketing schedules, not product innovation, are driving the corporate（公司的）train. Manufacturers in America valued "speed to market" more than in other countries, the report found.Sara Greenstein, Underwriters Laboratories' chief strategy officer, offered her interpretation of the survey results. "Innovation is too fast only if corners are cut."For the high-tech sector, there are a few other interesting findings. Consumers are less concerned about safety in high-tech products than categories like fresh and processed food. But their top safety concerns are emissions and wireless radio waves. Many people, it seems, are uneasy living in a thickening cloud of radio waves from mobile phone towers and the gadgets they communicate with.A finding that was a hit surprising is that to consumers, the inner parts of high-tech devices do apparently matter. Some 55% of consumers, according to the report, said they are "more concerned about where high-tech components come from than where the product was assembled."The report doesn't really say how that information would affect consumer buying decisions. It could be complicated. Manufacturing companies on average rely on more than 35 contract suppliers around the world to create a single product. That number would be higher for a laptop.But maybe some sort of supply-chain labeling showing where parts come from in a product? "We're working on it," Ms. Greenstein said.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

2012年12月四级考试听力真题、原题、及答案2012年12月四级考试真题（第二套）作文及听力试题11. [A] Find a shortcut to the park. [B] Buy some roses from the market.[C] Plant trees in the east end of town. [D] Go to the park to enjoy the flowers.12. [A] She has been invited to give a talk. [B] She is going to meet the man at 9:30.[C] She cannot attend the presentation.[D] She cannot work because of her toothache.13. [A] He is a very successful businessman.[B] He has changed his business strategy.[C] He is making plans to expand his operation. [D] He was twenty when he took over the company.14. [A] She has every confidence in Susan.[B] She has not read the news on the Net.[C] She is a little bit surprised at the news. [D] She is not as bright and diligent as Susan.15. [A] It is more comfortable and convenient to take a bus.[B] It is worth the money taking a train to Miami.[C] It is not always cheaper going by bus. [D] It is faster to go to Miami by train.16. [A] Antiques can improve their image. [B] Preservation of antiques is important.[C] The old furniture should be replaced. [D] They should move into a new office.17. [A] All roads were closed because of the flood. [B] The man stayed at the lab the whole night.[C] The man got home late due to the storm. [D] The stormcontinued until midnight.18. [A] Many children feel bored when left alone. [B] The woman?s sons might enjoy team sports.[C] The woman?s kids can play soccer with his son.[D] Children should play sports at least once a week.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. [A] Make phone calls to promote sales.[B] Arrange business negotiations.[C] Handle complaints from customers. [D] Take orders over the phone.20. [A] They had different business strategies. [B] Customers often mistook one for the other.[C] Conflicts between them could not be properly solved.[D] Customers? questions could not be answered on the same day.21. [A] They each take a week. [B] They like to spend it together.[C] They have to take it by turns. [D] They are given two weeks each.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. [A] At a road crossing. [B] Outside a police station.[C] Near a school. [D] In front of a kindergarten.23. [A] He drove too fast to read it. [B] He did not notice it.[C] It says 45 miles an hour. [D] It is not clearly visible.24. [A] It should have been renewed two months ago. [B] It actually belongs to somebody else.[C] It is no longer valid. [D] It is not genuine.25. [A] He got a ticket. [B] He was fined $ 35.[C] He had his driver?s license canceled[D] He had to do two weeks? community service. Section BDirections:In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some 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]. Thenmark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. [A] They care more about an item?s price than it s use. [B] They grab whatever they think is a good bargain.[C] They become excited as if they had never been there. [D] They behave as if their memories have failed totally.27. [A] Those with a VIP card. [B] Those with 15 items or less.[C] Those needing assistance. [D] Those paying in cash.28. [A] Go back and pick up more items. [B] Take out some unwanted purchases.[C] Change the items they have picked up. [D] Calculate the total cost of the groceries.29. [A] It calls for carefulness. [B] It requires tolerance.[C] It needs a good knowledge of math. [D] It involves communication skills. Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. [A] A package of ideas formally presented. [B] A short presentation clearly delivered.[C] A natural and spontaneous style of speech. [D] A cleveruse of visual aids in presentation.31. [A] The skillful use of gestures and facial expressions.[B] Differences in style between writing and speaking.[C] Different preferences of audiences. [D] The importance of preparation.32. [A] The differences between American and Asian cultures.[B] The significance of cross-cultural communication.[C] The increasing importance of public speaking. [D] The key to becoming a good speaker. Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. [A] By comparing his performance with others?.[B] By being repeatedly corrected by adults.[C] By observing what their teachers do. [D] By being given constant praise.34. [A] The best students are usually smart by nature. [ B] It is only natural for children to make errors.[C] Children cannot detect their own mistakes.[D] All children should have equal opportunities.35. [A] It is favorable to knowledge accumulation. [B] It is beneficial to independent children.[C] It is unhealthy to students? upbringing.[D] It is unhelpful to students? learning.Section CDirections:In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the firsttime, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you arerequired to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.Time is, for the average American, of utmost importance. To the (36) foreign visitor, Americans seem to be more concerned with getting things (37)accomplished on time (according to a predetermined schedule) than they are with developing deep (38) interpersonal relations. Schedules, for the American, are meant to be planned and then followed in the smallest (39) detail.It may seem to you that most Americans are completely (40) controlled by the little machines they wear on their wrists, cutting their discussions off (41)abruptly to make it to their next appointment on time.Americans? language is filled with (42)references to time, giving a clear (43) indication of how much it is valued. Time is something to be “on,” to be “kept,” “filled,” “saved,” “wasted,” …gained,” “planned,” “given,” “made the most of,” even …killed. “The international visitor soon learns that (44) it is considered very rude to be late—even by 10 minutes—for an appointment in America.Time is so valued in America because by considering time to be important one can clearly achieve more than if one “wastes” time and doesn?t keep busy. This philosophy has proven its worth. (45) It has enabled Americans to be extremely productive, and productivity itself is highly valued in America. Many American proverbs (谚语) stress the value of guarding time, using it wisely and setting and working toward specific goals.(46)Americans believe in spending their time and energy todayso that the fruits of their labor may be enjoyed at a later time。

2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题答案解析Part I Writing标准版：The above bar chart clearly shows us education pays in 2010. We see that one with higher education background earns more money weekly than those with lower ones. For instance, the college students with no degree get paid$712 per week whereas those with a Bachelor’s degree can earn $1038.Several reasons, in my opinion, can be identified to account for this phenomenon. To begin with, compared with those with comparatively lower education degree, people who have received higher education possess considerably wider knowledge, more remarkable learning and research ability, greater innovation and most of all, resourceful social network, all of which are essential to a high-income work. Also, the higher one’s education degree is, the bigger platform he will have to show his ability. For example, his college, university, or research institute will organize various job fairs for them to communicate face to face with employers.This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment. Therefore, substantial education investment should be strengthened while we, as college students, should study harder to build our country and strive for a better life for ourselves.高分版：Education PaysJudging from the table, we can see t hat people’s income increases along with their education levels. Above all，the average college graduates earn much more than the typical high-school graduates.The fact revealed by these data is obvious: a degree does bring distinctive financial benefits to its holders. But is it true that a degree alone can ensure a bright future? I don’t think so because, on the one hand, the financial value of high education depends heavily on what skills graduates can gain from it instead of the degree itself. After all, an employer only pays for your ability and performance, not for your certificate. On the other hand, the most valuable bless high education brings to graduates is the ability to learn quickly and efficiently. People received more education tend to keep lifelong learning habits after their graduation, which would help them gain more opportunities in their career path.In conclusion, what accounts for education pays is not the degree alone, but the graduate’s ability and leaning habit.作文B：标准版：Education PaysThe above bar chart clearly shows us education pays in 2010. We see that unemployment rate of those with higher education background is much lower than those with lower education degree. For instance, the unemployment rate of college students with no degree is as high as 14.9% while that of those with doctoral degree is only 1.9%.The followingreason, in my opinion, is the most important one to account for this phenomenon. Compared withthose with comparatively lower education degree, people who have received higher education possess considerably wider knowledge, more remarkable learning and research ability, greater innovation and most of all, resourceful social network, all of which make them more qualified and competent for their task. Thus, they are less likely to lose their jobs.This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment. Therefore, education investment should be strengthened while we, as college students, should study harder to avoid unemployment.高分版：Education PaysAs is shown in the table, the unemployment rate decreases steadily as the education level increases. The fact revealed by the statistics is obvious: graduates with a degree are less likely to be unemployed.What has brought about this effect? I believe there are three main reasons. To begin with, the education level is still the top factor that employers would take into account when selecting job candidates. It is believed that people with a college degree tend to be more intelligent and qualified. In addition, as a result of good learning habit formed during college, job hunters with high education background are also more efficient in acquiring and processing job hunting information. Finally, college education equips graduates with specialized skills, leading to greater attachment to the company they are employed and higher possibility to be reemployed even if they leave their previous company.In conclusion, it is the qualifications, learning habit and specialized skills that high education equip a graduate that make one distinctive in labor market.【标准版点评】这次四级作文出了图表题，可能让大家有些意外，但是四六级考察图表作文已经并不是第一次，早在2002年的时候就已经出现过，是图表+提纲的形式，图表反应的是大学生使用计算机的情况。

2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题第一套Part I Writing【标准版点评】这次四级作文出了图表题，可能让大家有些意外，但是四六级考察图表作文已经并不是第一次，早在2002年的时候就已经出现过，是图表+提纲的形式，图表反应的是大学生使用计算机的情况。

由于备考时大家只是关注近几年的题型，可能没有关注到以往考察过图表作文。

我们在备考作文的时候，一般会从以下几个方面着手准备，如何描述现象、如何分析原因、如何分析影响、如何给出解决措施、如何进行观点论战等。

其实，图表作文也是从这几个方面展开，只是将第一段的描述现象改为描述图表即可。

可见，无论是考察哪种作文题，我们都可以将它转化为我们熟悉的提纲式。

这次作文题目有两个版本。

题目都是Educational Pays（教育回报），一个版本的图表显示的是教育水平越高，收入越高，另一个版本的图表显示的是教育水平越高，失业率越低。

虽然图表描述的具体内容不同，但主题是一致的：教育是值得投资的。

写作思路也是一致的。

两篇范文都是采取三段式的描述方法。

第一段：描述图表。

先一句话引出图表总体内容The above bar chart clearly shows us … 然后具体描述现象We see that…。

最后用for instance引出一些具体数据来例证现象。

第二段：分析原因。

先写一个引出原因的句子，然后具体列举一到两个原因即可。

由于字数限制，原因不必列太多。

第三段：给出建议。

先是总结这个现象This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment.（教育值得投资）。

然后是建议国家增大教育投资，以及个人要努力学习。

这种三段式的写作模式容易掌握，在考场中比较实用，建议大家仿写。

【高分版点评】本次四级作文围绕着同一个话题，education pay（教育回报），出现了两个版本，一个是教育和失业率的关系，另一个是教育和收入的关系。

2012年12月英语六级试题答案(完整版)Part ⅠWritingMy View on University RankingIn recent years, all kinds of University Ranking Lists can be found on some educational websites, or newspapers. The ranking standards also vary. These lists have great influence on students. They are even becoming the only scale to evaluate the colleges and universities.People hold different views toward this phenomenon. Some believe that these lists help the students a lot, especially for those who will choose their university. While some other protest vigorously. In their points, the list is really ridiculous and harmful. In my view, the university ranking may have its own reference values, but its disadvantages overweigh its values.For those university-students-to-be, they are supposed to choose the school according to his or her own situation, but not the so-called Ranking List. What’s more, how about the university students? How do they feel about themselves when they see the ranking? The list may become some intangible shackles for them if their own school ranks poorly.In a nutshell, there is no easy method to rank these universities, but the Ranking, only helps students ignore the essentials, namely, their ninety-nine percent perspiration.此次六级作文的自由度很大，看似给出了提纲，实际上具体的观点全靠个人发挥。

Part Ⅵ Translation (5 minutes) Directions: Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets. Please write your translation on Answer Sheet 2. 注意：此部分试题清在答题卡2上作答，只需写出译⽂部分。

87. I finally got the job I dreamed about. Never before in my life______________ (我感到如此激动)！ 88. Yesterday Jane left the meeting early. Otherwise, she ______________ (可能会说⼀些后来会懊悔的话). 89. With the noisy going on outside the classroom, I had great difficulty ______________ (集中注意⼒复习功课). 90. This is the first time I ______________ (听到他们⽤法语交流). 91. All the information you need to apply for your visa is ______________ (可以免费获取). 【答案】 87. 我感到如此激动had I felt so excited 88 可能会说⼀些后来会懊悔的话could had said something she would regret later 89. 集中注意⼒复习功课 in focusing reviewing lessons 90. 听到他们⽤法语交流hear them communicating in French 91. 可以免费获取freely available/available for free 【解析】 87. had I felt so excited 【解析】本题考查过去完成时及倒装句。