2013年12月英语四级考试真题试卷附答案(二)
2013年12月英语四级考试真题试卷(第二套)
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay. You should startyour essay with a brief account of the increasing use of the mobile phone in people's life andthen explain the consequences of overusing it. You should write at least 120 words but nomore than 180 words.
注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上
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1. A) Go to a place he has visited.
B) Make her own arrangements.
C) Consult a travel agent.
D) Join in a package tour.
2. A) They are on a long trip by car.
B) They are stuck in a traffic jam.
C) They are used to getting up early.
D) They are tired of eating out at night.
3. A) He is a person difficult to deal with.
B) He dislikes any formal gathering.
C) He is unwilling to speak in public.
D) He often keeps a distance from others.
4. A) Work in another department.
B) Pursue further education.
C) Recruit graduate students.
D) Take an administrative job.
5. A) He would not be available to start the job in time.
B) He is not quite qualified for the art director position.
C) He would like to leave some more time for himself.
D) He will get his application letter ready before May 1.
6. A) Cleaner. B) Mechanic. C) Porter. D) Salesman.
7. A) Request one or two roommates to do the cleaning.
B) Help Laura with her term paper due this weekend.
C) Get Laura to clean the apartment herself this time.
D) Ask Laura to put off the cleaning until another week.
8. A) A problem caused by the construction.
B) An accident that occurred on the bridge.
C) The building project they are working
D) The public transportation conditions.
Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
9. A) To look for a job as a salesperson.
B) To have a talk with Miss Thompson.
C) To place an order for some products.
D) To complain about a faulty appliance.
10. A) The person in charge is not in the office.
B) The supplies are out of stock for the moment.
C) They failed to reach an agreement on the price.
D) The company is re-cataloguing the items.
11. A) 0743, 12536 extension 15.
B) 0734, 21653 extension 51.
C) 0734, 38750 extension 15.
D) 0743, 62135 extension 51.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) Since he found a girlfriend.
B) Since he took to heavy smoking.
C) Since he began to exercise regularly.
D) Since he started to live on his own.
13. A) He is getting too fat.
B) He smokes too much.
C) He doesn't eat vegetables.
D) He doesn't look well at all.
14. A) They are overweight for their age.
B) They are respectful to their parents.
C) They are still in their early twenties.
D) They dislike doing physical exercise.
15. A) To quit smoking.
B) To reduce his weight.
C) To find a girlfriend.
D) To follow her advice.
Passage One
Questions 16 to 19 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
16. A) They have destroyed several small towns.
B) They will soon spread to San Francisco.
C) They have injured many residents.
D) They are burning out of control.
17. A) They have been hospitalized.
B) They have got skin problems.
C) They were choked by the thick smoke.
D) They were poisoned by the burning chemicals.
18. A) It failed because of a sudden rocket explosion.
B) It has been re-scheduled for a midday takeoff.
C) It has been canceled due to technical problems.
D) It was delayed for eleven hours and thirty minutes.
19. A) They made frequent long-distance calls to each other.
B) They illegally used government computers in New Jersey.
C) They were found to be smarter than computer specialists.
D) They were arrested for stealing government information.
Passage Two
Questions 20 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.
20. A) Peaceful.
B) Considerate.
C) Generous.
D) Cooperative.
21. A) Someone dumped the clothes left in the washer and dryer.
B) Someone broke the washer and dryer by overloading them.
C) Mindy Lance's laundry blocked the way to the laundry room.
D) Mindy Lance threatened to take revenge on her neighbors.
22. A) Asking the neighborhood committee for help.
B.) Limiting the amount of laundry for each wash.
C) Informing the building manager of the matter.
D) Installing a few more washers and dryers.
Passage Three
Questions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
23. A) She is both a popular and highly respected author.
B) She is the most loved African novelist of all times.
C) She is the most influential author since the 1930's.
D) She is the first writer to focus on the fate of slaves.
24. A) The Book Critics Circle Award.
B) The Nobel Prize for literature.
C) The Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
D) The National Book Award.
25. A) She is a relative of Morrison's.
B) She is a slave from Africa.
C) She is a skilled storyteller.
D) She is a black woman.
Many college students today own personal computers that cost anywhere from $1000 toperhaps $5000 or more. __26__, it is not uncommon for them to purchase __27__ costinganother several hundred dollars. Twenty years ago, computers were __28__, but they werevery large and extremely expensive. Few, if any. __29__ purchased computers for home use.Over the years, the price of the "guts" of a computer-its memory-has declined to less than athousandth of the price per unit of memory that prevailed twenty years ago. This is the mainreason why computers cost so much less today than they used to. Moreover. __30__improvements have made it possible to __31__ memory circuitry that is small enough to fit intothe portable personal computers that many of us own and use. __32__, as the price ofcomputation has declined the average consumer and business have spent more onpurchasing computers.
__33__ improved agricultural technology, hybrid(杂交) seeds. __34__ animal breeding, and soon have vastly increased the amount of output a typical farmer can produce. The prices ofgoods such as meats and grains have fallen sharply relative to the prices of most other goodsand services. As agricultural prices have fallen, many households have decreased their totalexpenses on food. Even though the __35__ of a product purchased generally increases whenits price falls, total expenses on it may decline.
【参考答案】
26. In addition
27. software
28. available
29. individuals
30. technological
31. manufacture
32. In short
33. By contrast
Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.
To get a sense of how women have progressed in science, take a quick tour of the physicsdepartment at the University of California, Berkeley. This is a storied place, the __36__ of someof the most important discoveries in modern science-starting with Ernest Lawrence's inventionof the cyclotron (回旋加速器) in 1931. A generation ago, female faces were __37__ and, eventoday, visitors walking through the first floor of LeConte Hall will see a full corridor of exhibits__38__ the many distinguished physicists who made history here. __39__ all of them whitemales.
But climb up to the third floor and you'll see a __40__ display. There, among the photos ofcurrent faculty members and students, are portraits of the __41__ head of the department,Marjorie Shapiro, and four other women whose research __42__ everything from themechanics of the universe to the smallest particles of matter. A sixth woman was hired justtwo weeks ago. Although they're still only about 10 percent of the physics faculty, women areclearly a presence here. And the real __43__ may be in the smaller photos to the right:graduate and undergraduate students, about 20 percent of them female. Every year Berkeleysends its fresh female physics PhDs to the country's top universities. That makes Shapirooptimistic, but also __44__. "I believe things are getting better," she says, "but they're notgetting better as __45__ as I would like."
【参考答案】
36-45 NLIOF DCJMH
Is College a Worthy Investment?
A) Why are we spending so much money on college? And why are we so unhappy about it? Weall seem to agree that a college education is wonderful, and yet strangely we worry when we seefamilies investing so much in this supposedly essential good. Maybe it's time to ask a questionthat seems almost sacrilegious (大不敬的): is all this investment in college education reallyworth it?
B) The answer, I fear, is no. For an increasing number of kids, the extra time and money spentpursuing a college diploma will leave them worse off than they were before they set foot oncampus.
C) For my entire adult life, a good education has been the most important thing for middle-classhouseholds. My parents spent more educating my sister and me than they spent on theirhouse, and they're not the only ones... and, of course, for an increasing number of families,most of the cost of their house is actually the cost of living in a good school district.Questioning the value of a college education seems a bit like questioning the value ofhappiness, or fun.
D) The average price of all goods and services has risen about 50 percent. But the price of acollege education has nearly doubled in that time. Is the education that today's students aregetting twice as good? Are new workers twice as smart? Have they become somehow massivelymore expensive to educate?
E) Perhaps a bit. Richard Vedder, an Ohio University economics professor, says, "I look at thedata, and I see college costs rising faster than inflation up to the mid-1980s by 1 percent ayear. Now I see them rising 3 to 4 percent a year over inflation. What has happened? Thefederal government has started dropping money out of airplanes. " Aid has increased,subsidized(补贴的) loans have become available, and "the universities have gotten the money."Economist Bryan Caplan, who is writing a book about education, agrees: "It's a giant waste ofresources that will continue as long as the subsidies continue."
F) Promotional literature for colleges and student loans often speaks of debt as an "investmentin yourself." But an investment is supposed to generate income to pay off the loans. Morethan half of all recent graduates are unemployed or in jobs that do not require a degree, andthe amount of student-loan debt carried by households has increased more than five timessince 1999. These graduates were told that a diploma was all they needed to succeed, but itwon't even get them out of the spare bedroom at Mom and Dad's. For many, the most visibleresult of their four years is the loan payments, which now average hundreds of dollars a monthon loan balances in the tens of thousands.
G) It's true about the money-sort of. College graduates now make 80 percent more thanpeople who have only a high-school diploma, and though there are no precise estimates, thewage premium (高出的部分) for an outstanding school seems to be even higher. But that's nottrue of every student. It's very easy to spend four years majoring in English literature and comeout no more employable than you were before you went in. Conversely, chemical engineersstraight out of school can easily make almost four times the wages of an entry-level high-school graduate.
H) James Heckman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist, has examined how the returns oneducation break down for individuals with different backgrounds and levels of ability. "Even withthese high prices, you're still finding a high return for individuals who are bright andmotivated," he says. On the other hand, "if you're not college ready, then the answer is no, it'snot worth it." Experts tend to agree that for the average student, college is still worth it today,but they also agree that the rapid increase in price is eating up more and more of the potentialreturn. For borderline students, tuition(学费) rise can push those returns into negativeterritory.
I) Everyone seems to agree that the government, and parents, should be rethinking how weinvest in higher education and that employers need to rethink the increasing use of collegedegrees as crude screening tools for jobs that don't really require college skills. "Employersseeing a surplus of college graduates and looking to fill jobs are just adding that requirement."says Vedder. "In fact, a college degree becomes a job requirement for becoming a bar-tender."
J) We have started to see some change on the finance side. A law passed in 2007 allows manystudents to cap their loan payment at 10 percent of their income and forgives any balanceafter 25 years. But of course, that doesn't control the cost of education! it just shifts it totaxpayers. It also encourages graduates to choose lower-paying careers, which reduces thefinancial return to education still further. "You're subsidizing people to become priests andpoets and so forth," says Heckman. "You may think that's a good thing, or you may not."Either way it will be expensive for the government.
K) What might be a lot cheaper is putting more kids to work. Caplan notes that work also buildsvaluable skills- probably more valuable for kids who don't naturally love sitting in a classroom.Heckman agrees wholeheartedly: "People are different, and those abilities can be shaped. That'swhat we've learned, and public policy should recognize that."
L) Heckman would like to see more apprenticeship-style(学徒式) programs, where kids can learnin the workplace-learn not just specific job skills, but the kind of "soft skills," like getting towork on time and getting along with a team- that are crucial for career success. "It's abouthaving mentors(指导者) and having workplace-based education," he says. "Time and again I'veseen examples of this kind of program working."
M) Ah, but how do we get there from here? With better public policy, hopefully, but also bymaking better individual decisions. "Historically markets have been able to handle these things,"says Vedder. "and I think eventually markets will handle this one. If it doesn't improve soon,people are going to wake up and ask, 'Why am I going to college?'"
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
46. Caplan suggests that kids who don't love school go to work.
47. An increasing number of families spend more money on houses in a good school district.
48. Subsidized loans to college students are a huge waste of money, according to oneeconomist.
49. More and more kids find they fare worse with a college diploma.
50. For those who are not prepared for higher education, going to college is not worth it.
51. Over the years the cost of a college education has increased almost by 100%.
52. A law passed recently allows many students to pay no more than one tenth of their incomefor their college loans.
53. Middle-class Americans have highly valued a good education.
54. More kids should be encouraged to participate in programs where they can learn not onlyjob skills but also social skills.
55. Over fifty percent of recent college graduates remain unemployed or unable to find asuitable job.
【参考答案】
46-55 KCEBH DJCLF
Passage One
Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.
A recent global survey of 2000 high-net-worth individuals found that 60% were not planningon a traditional retirement. Among US participants, 75% expected to continue working insome capacity even after stepping away from full-time jobs. "Many of these people made theirwealth by doing something they're passionate (有激情的) about." says Daniel Egan, head ofbehavioral finance for Barclays Wealth Americas. "Given the choice, they prefer to continueworking." Barclays calls these people "nevertirees."
Unlike many Americans compelled into early retirement by company restrictions, the averagenevertiree often has no one forcing his hand. If 106-year-old investor Irving Kahn, head of hisown family firm, wants to keep coming to work every day. who's going to stop him? Seventy-eight-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's job security is guaranteed in theConstitution.
It may seem that these elderly people are trying to cheat death. In fact, they are. And it'sworking. Howard Friedman, a professor at UC Riverside, found in his research that those whowork hardest and are successful in their careers often live the longest lives. "People aregenerally being given bad advice to slow down, take it easy, stop worrying, and retire toFlorida," he says. He described one study participant, still working at the age of 100, who wasrecently disappointed to see his son retire.
"We're beginning to see a change in how people view retirement," says George Leeson, co-director of the Institute of Population Ageing at Oxford. Where once retirement was seen as abrief reward after a long struggle through some miserable job, it is now akin (近似) to beingcast aside. What Leeson terms "the Warren Buffett effect" is becoming more broadlyappealing as individuals come to "view retirement as not simply being linked to economicproductivity but also about contribution."
Observers are split on whether this is a wholly good thing. On the one hand, companies andfinancial firms can benefit from the wisdom of a resilient(坚韧的) chief. On the other, the newgeneration can find it more difficult to advance-an argument that typically holds little sway to anevertiree.
56. What do we learn about the so-called "nevertirees"?
A) They are passionate about making a fortune.
B) They have no choice but to continue working.
C) They love what they do and choose not to retire.
D) They will not retire unless they are compelled to.
57. What do Irving Kahn and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have in common?
A) Neither of them is subject to forced retirement.
B) Neither of them desires reward for their work.
C) Both cling to their positions despite opposition.
D) Both are capable of coping with heavy workloads.
58. What is the finding of Howard Friedman's research?
A) The harder you work, the bigger your fortune will be.
B) The earlier you retire, the healthier you will be.
C) Elderly people have to slow down to live longer.
D) Working at an advanced age lengthens people's life.
59. What is the traditional view of retirement according to the passage?
A) It means a burden to the younger generation.
B) It is a symbol of a mature and civilized society.
C) It is a compensation for one's life-long hard work.
D) It helps increase a nation's economic productivity.
60. What do critics say about "nevertirees"?
A) They are an obstacle to a company's development.
B) They lack the creativity of the younger generation.
C) They cannot work as efficiently as they used to.
D) They prevent young people from getting ahead.
Passage Two
Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.
When we talk about Americans barely into adulthood who are saddled with unbearable levels ofdebt, the conversation is almost always about student loan debt. But there's a growing bodyof evidence suggesting that today's young adults are also drowning in credit-card debt andthat many of them will take this debt to their graves.
More than 20% overspent their income by more than $100 every single month. Since theyhaven't built up their credit histories yet, it's a safe bet that these young adults are payingrelatively high interest rates on the resulting credit card debt.
Although many young people blame "socializing" as a barrier to saving money, most of themaren't knocking back $20 drinks in trendy (时尚的) lounges. They're struggling with much moredaily financial demands.
To a disturbingly large extent, the young and the broke are relying on credit cards to make ituntil their next payday. This obviously isn't sustainable in the long run. and it's going to put ahuge drag on their spending power even after they reach their peak earning years, becausethey'll still be paying interest on that bottle of orange juice or box of spaghetti (意式面条) theybought a decade earlier.
A new study out of Ohio State University found that young adults are accumulating credit carddebt at a more rapid rate than other age groups, and that they're slower at paying it off. "Ifwhat we found continues to hold true, we may have more elderly people with substantialfinancial problems in the future," warns Lucia Dunn, professor of economics at Ohio State. "Ifour findings persist, we may be faced with a financial crisis among elderly people who can't payoff their credit cards."
Dunn says a lot of these young people are never going to get out from under their credit carddebt. "Many people are borrowing on credit cards so heavily that payoff rates at these levelsare not sufficient to recover their credit card debt by the end of their life, which could haveloss implications for the credit card issuing banks."
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
61. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
A) Many young Americans will never be able to pay off their debts.
B) Credit cards play an increasingly important role in college life.
C) Credit cards are doing more harm than student loans.
D) The American credit card system is under criticism.
62. Why do young people have to pay a higher interest on their credit card debt?
A) They tend to forget about the deadlines.
B) They haven't developed a credit history.
C) They are often unable to pay back in time.
D) They are inexperienced in managing money.
63. What is said to be the consequence of young adults relying on credit cards to make endsmeet?
A) It will place an unnecessary burden on society.
B) It will give them no motivation to work hard.
C) It will exert psychological pressure on them.
D) It will affect their future spending power.
64. What will happen to young adults if their credit card debt keeps accumulating according toLucia Dunn?
A) They will have to pay an increasingly higher interest rate.
B) They may experience a financial crisis in their old age.
C) Their quality of life will be affected.
D) Their credit cards may be cancelled.
65. What does Lucia Dunn think might be a risk for the credit card issuing banks?
A) They go bankrupt as a result of over-lending.
B) They lose large numbers of their regular clients.
C) Their clients leave their debts unpaid upon death.
D) Their interest rates have to be reduced now and then.
中国结(the Chinese knot)最初是由手工艺人发明的，经过数百年不断的改进.已经成为一种优雅多彩的'艺术和工艺。在古代，人们用它来记录事件，但现在主要用于装饰的目的。“结”在中文里意味着爱情、婚姻和团聚。中国结常常作为礼物交换或用作饰品祈求好运和避邪。这种形式的手工艺(handicraft)代代相传，现在已经在中国和世界各地越来越受欢迎。
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
【参考答案】
The Chinese knot, originally invented by the craftsmen, has become an elegant and colorful artand craft over hundreds of years' improvement. In ancient times, it was used to recordevents, but nowadays it is mainly functioning as decorations. " Knot" signifies love, marriageand reunion in Chinese. Often used as gift exchanges or decorations, the Chinese knot isbelieved to bring good luck as well as ward off evil spirits. The handicraft has been passeddown from one generation to another and now is gaining popularity both at home and abroad.
2013年12月全国大学英语四级考试(2)-- 答案(仅供参考)
【作文范文】
On the Overuse of the Mobile Phone
As is shown in the picture, having a mobile phone in hand and at the ready is the default modewhile walking on the streets. What this cartoon symbolically reveals is that people nowadays,especially young people, are growing increasingly dependent on their mobile phones.
It is true that the mobile phone has brought great convenience to people's life. 1. However,just as is illustrated in the picture, the overuse of it may lead to several bad consequences. Iobegin with, there is evidence that long-term exposure to electromagnetic radiation maytrigger many health problems, such as insomnia, headaches and even cancers. 2. In addition,when people immerse themselves in the mobile phone, they tend to pay less attention to theirsurroundings, posing an immediate threat to their life, health and property. Last but notleast, excessive use of mobile phones means much less chance of face-to-face interactions withthe people who populate their real lives.
In conclusion, while mobile phones have contributed a lot to making our life more convenient,we should use them appropriately and rationally.
01-25 CACBA BDACA BDADC DBCDB ACABD
26. In addition 27. software 28. available 29. individuals
30. technological 31. manufacture 32. In short 33. By contrast
34. scientific 35. quantity
36-45 NLIOF DCJMH
46-55 KCEBH DJCLF
56-65 CADCD ABDBC
66.
The Chinese knot, originally invented by the craftsmen, has become an elegant and colorful artand craft over hundreds of years' improvement. In ancient times, it was used to recordevents, but nowadays it is mainly functioning as decorations. " Knot" signifies love, marriageand reunion in Chinese. Often used as gift exchanges or decorations, the Chinese knot isbelieved to bring good luck as well as ward off evil spirits. The handicraft has been passeddown from one generation to another and now is gaining popularity both at home and abroad.
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