历年英语四级真题及答案3套精选三篇
备考大学英语四级的考生可以适当做真题来查漏补缺。下面是小编整理的历年英语四级真题及答案3套,欢迎大家阅读分享借鉴,希望对大家有所帮助。
英语四级考试真题及答案(第三套)
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter toa foreign friend who wants to study in China. Please recommend a university tohim. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)
说明:由于2019年12月四级考试全国共考了两套听力, 本套真题听力与前两套内容相同, 只是选项顺序不同, 因此在本套真题中不再重复出现。
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You arerequired to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in aword bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully beforemaking your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Pleasemark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through thecentre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Millions of people travel by plane every single day. If you're planning onbeing one of them soon, you might not be looking forward to the __26__ feelingair travel often leaves you with. Besides the airport crowds and stress,travelling at a high altitude has real efects on the body. Although the pressureof the cabin is __27__ to prevent altitude sickness, you could still __28__sleepiness or a headache. The lower oxygen pressure found in an aircraft cabinis __29__ to that at 6,000-8,000 feet of altitude. A drop in oxygen pressure cancause headaches in certain __30__ To help prevent headaches, drink plenty ofwater, and avoid alcohol and coffee.
Aiplane food might not really be as tateless as you __31__ thought. The airyou breathe in a plane dries out your mouth and nose, which can affect yoursense of taste. Perception of sweet and salty foods dropped by almost 30 percentin a simulation of air travel. However, you can make your taste buds activeagain by drinking water. A dry mouth may __32__ taste sensitivity, but taste isrestored by drinking fluids.
Although in-flight infections __33__ in dry environments like airplanes,your risk of getting sick from an airplane is actually low because of the air__34__ used. Unless you 're stting next to someone who is coughing or sneezing,you shouldn't worry too much about getting sick. However, bacteria have beenshown to live on cabin surfaces, so wash your hands __35__.
A) adjusted
B) channels
C) equivalent
D) experience
E) filters
F) frequently
G) individuals
H) originally
I) particular
J) primarily
K) reduce
L) renovated
M) smooth
N) thrive
O) unpleasant
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with tenstatements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one ofthe paragraphs Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. Youmay 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.
A south Korean city designed for the future takes on a life of its own
A) Getting around a city is one thing -- and then there's the matter ofgetting from one city to another. One vision of the perfect city of the future:a place that offers easy access to air travel.In 2011, a University of NorthCarolina business professor named John Kasarda published a book calledAerotropolis: The Way We'll Live Next. Kasarda says future cities should bebuilt intentionally around or near airports. The idea, as he has put it, is tooffer businesses "rapid, long-distance connectivity on a massive scale."
B) "The 18th century really was a waterborne century, the 19th century arail century, the 20th century a highway, car, truck century -- and the 21stcentury will increasingly be an aviation century, as the globe becomesincreasingly connected by air," Kasarda says.Songdo, a city built from scratchin South Korea, is one of Kasarda's prime examples. It has existed for just afew years."From the get-go, it was designed on the basis of connectivity andcompetitiveness," says Kasada. "The government built the bridge directly fromthe airport to the Songdo International Business District. And the surfaceinfrastructure was built in tandem with the new airport."
C) Songdo is a stone's throw from South Korea's Incheon Airport, its maininternational hub. But it takes a lot more than a nearby airport to be a city ofthe future. Just building a place as an "international business district"doesn't mean it will become one. Park Yeon Soo conceived this city of the futureback in 1986. He considers Songdo his baby. "I am a visionary," he says.Thirtyyears after he imagined the city, Park's baby is close to 70 percent built, with36,000 people living in the business district and 90,000 residents in greaterSongdo. It's about an hour outside Seoul, built on reclaimed tidal flats alongthe Yellow Sea. There's a Coast Guard building and a tall trade tower, as wellas a park, golf course and university.
D) Chances are you've actually seen this place. Songdo appears in the mostfamous music video ever to come out of South Korea."Gangnam Style" refers to thefashionable Gangnam district in Seoul. But some of the video was filmed inSongdo."I don't know if you remember, there was a scene in a subway station.That was not Gangnam. That was actually Songdo," says Jung Won Son, a professorof urban development at London's Bartlett School of Planning. "Part of thereason to shoot there is that it's new and nice."
E) The city was supposed to be a hub for global companies, with employeesfrom all over the world. But that's not how it has turned out.Songdo'sreputation is as a futuristic ghost town. But the reality is more complicated.Abridge with big, light-blue loops leads into the business district. In thecenter of the main road, there's a long line of flags of the world. On thecorner, there's a Starbucks and a 7-Eleven -- all of the international brandsthat you see all over the world nowadays.
F) The city is not empty. There are mothers pushing strollers, old womenwith walkers -- even in the middle of the day, when it's 90 degrees out. ByunYoung-Jin chairs the Songdo real estate association and started selling propertyhere when the first phase of the city opened in 2005. He says demand has boomedin the past couple of years.Most of his clients are Korean. In fact, thedeveloper says, 99 percent of the homes here are sold to Koreans. Young familiesmove here because the schools are great.And that's the problem: Songdo hasbecome a popular Korean city -- more popular as a residential area than abusiness one. It's not yet the futuristic international business hub thatplanners imagined. "It's a great place to live. And it's becoming a great placeto work," says Scott Summers, the vice president of Gale International, thedeveloper of the city. The floor-to-ceiling windows of his company's officesoverlook Songdo Central Park, with a canal full of kayaks and paddle boats.Shimmering glass towers line the canal’s edge.
G) "What's happened is, because we focused on creating that quality of lifefirst, which enabled the residents to live here, what has probably missed themark is for companies to locate here," he says. "There needs to be strongeconomic incentives."The city is still unfinished, and it feels a bit like atheme park. It doesn't feel all that futuristic. There's a high-tech undergroundtrash disposal system. Buildings are environmentally friendly. Everybody'stelevision set is connected to a system that streams personalized language orexercise classes.
H) But Star Trek this is not. And to some of the residents, Songdo feelshollow."I'm, like, in prison for weekdays. That's what we call it in theworkplace," says a woman in her 20s. She doesn't want to use her name for fearof being fired from her job. She goes back to Seoul every weekend. "I say I'mprison-breaking on Friday nights."But she has to make the prison break in herown car. There's no high-speed train connecting Songdo to Seoul, just over 20miles away.
I) The man who first imagined Songdo feels frustrated, too. Park says hebuilt South Korea a luxury vehicle, "like Mercedes or BMW. It's a good car now.But we're waiting for a good driver to accelerate."But there are lots of othergood cars out there, too. The world is dotted with futuristic, high-tech citiestrying to attract the biggest international companies.
J) Songdo's backers contend that it's still early, and businessSPAce isfilling up -- about 70 percent of finished offices are now occupied.Brent Ryan,who teaches urban design at MIT, says Songdo proves a universal principle."There have been a lot of utopian cities in history. And the reason we don'tknow about a lot of them is that a lot of them have vanished entirely."In otherwords, when it comes to cities -- or anything else -- it is hard to predict thefuture.
36. Songdo's popularity lies more in its quality of life than its businessattraction.
37. The man who conceived Songdo feels disappointed because it has fallenshort of his expectations.
38. A scene in a popular South Korean music video was shot in Songdo.
39. Songdo still lacks the financial stimulus for businesses to set up shopthere.
40. Airplanes will increasingly become the chief means of transportation,according to a professor.
41. Songdo has ended up diferent from the city it was supposed to be.
42. Some of the people who work in Songdo complain about boredom in theworkplace.
43. A business professor says that a future city should have easy access tointernational transportation.
44. According to an urban design professor, it is difficult for citydesigners to foresce what will happen in the future.
45. Park Yeon Soo, who envisioned Songdo, feels a parental connction withthe city.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When thepassage is read for the first time,you should listen carefully for its generalidea.When the passage is read for the second time,you are required to fill inthe blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally,when the passage isread for the third time,you should check what you have written.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
The fifth largest city in US passed a significant soda tax proposal thatwill levy (征税)1.5 cents per liquid ounce on distributors.
Philadelphil's new measure was approved by a 13 to 4 city council vote. Itsets a new bar for similar initiatives across the country. It is proof thattaxes on sugary drinks can win substantial support outside super-liberal areas.Until now, the only city to successfully pass and implement a soda tax wasBerkeley, California, in 2014.
The tax will apply to regular and diet sodas, as well as other drinks withadder sugar, such as Gatorade and iced teas. It's expected to raise $410 millionover the next five years, most of which will go toward funding a universalpre-kindergarten program for the city.
While the city council vote was met with applause inside the council room,opponents to the measure, including soda lobbyists, made sharp criticisms and apromise to challenge the tax in court.
"The tax passed today unfairly singles out beverages — including low —andno-calorie choices," said Lauren Kane, spokeswoman for the American BeverageAssociation. "But most importantly, it is against the law. So we will side withthe majority of the people of Philadelphia who oppose this tax and take legalaction to stop it."
An industry-backed anti-tax campaign has spent at least $4 million onadvertisements. The ads criticized the measure, characterizing it as a "grocerytax".
Public health groups applauded the approved tax as step toward fixingcertain lasting health issues that plague Americans. "The move to recapture asmall part of the profits from an industry that pushed a product thatcontributes to diabetes, obesity and heart disease in poorer communities inorder to reinvest in those communities will sure be inspirational to many otherplaces," said Jim Krieger, executive director of Healthy Food America. "indeed,we are already hearing from some of them. It's not 'just Berkeley' anymore."
Similar measures in California's Albany, Oakland, San Francisco andColorado's Boulder are becoming hot-button issues. Health advocacy groups havehinted that even more might be coming.
46. What does the passage say about the newly-approved soda tax inPhiladelphia?
A) It will change the lifestyle of many consumers.
B) It may encourage other US cities to fllow suit.
C) It will cut soda consumption among low-income communities.
D) It may influence the marketing strategies of the soda business.
47. What will the opponents probably do to respond to the soda taxproposal?
A) Bargain with the city council.
B) Refuse to pay additional tax.
C) Take legal action against it.
D) Try to win public support.
48. What did the industry-backed anti-tax campaign do about the soda taxproposal?
A) It tried to arouse hostile felings among consumers.
B) It tried to win grocers' support against the measure.
C) It kept sending ltters of protest to the media.
D) It criticized the measure through advertising.
49. What did public health groups think the soda tax would do?
A) Alert people to the risk of sugar-induced diseases.
B) Help people to fix certain long-time health issues.
C) Add to the fund for their rescarch on discases.
D) Benefit low-income people across the country.
50. What do we lear about similar measures concening the soda tax in someother citics?
A) They are becoming rather sensitive issues.
B) They are spreading panic in the soda industry.
C) They are reducing the incidence of sugar-induced diseases.
D) They are taking away a lot of proft from the soda industry.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Popping food into the microwave for a couple of minutes may seem utterlyharmless, and Europe's stock of these quick-cooking ovens emit as much carbon asnearly 7million cars, a new study has found, and the problem is growing. Withcosts falling and kitchen appliances becoming "status" users, owners arethrowing many microwave after an average of eight years. This is pushing salesof new microwave which are expected to reach 135 million annually in the EU bythe end of the decade.
A study by the University of Manchester worked out the emissions of carbondioxide -- the main greenhouse gas responsible for climate change -- at everystage of microwaves, from manufacture to waste disposal. "It is electricityconsumption by microwaves that has the biggest impact on the environment," saythe authors, who also calculate that the emissions from using 19 microwaves overa year are the same as those from a car. According to the same study, efforts toreduce consumption should focus on improving consumer awareness and behaviour touse appliances more efficiently. For example, electricity consumption bymicrowaves can be reduced by adjusting the time of cooking to the type offood."
However, David Reay, professor of carbon management argues that, althoughmicrowaves use a great deal of enery, their emissions are minor compared tothose from cars. In the UK alone and these emit way more than all the emissionsfrom microwaves in the EU. Backing this up, recent data show that passenger carsin the UK emitted 69m tonnes of CO2 in 2015. This is 10 times the amount thisnew microwave oven study estimates for annual emissions for all the microwaveovens in the whole of the EU." further, the energy used by microwaves is lowerthan any other form of cooking. Among common kitchen appliances used forcooking, microwaves are the most energy efficient, followed by a stove andfinally a standard oven. Thus, rising microwave sales could be seen as apositive thing.
51. What is the finding of the new study?
A) Quick-cooking microwave ovens have become more popular.
B) The frequent use of microwaves may do harm to our health.
C) CO2 emissions constitute a major threat to the environment.
D) The use of microwaves emits more CO2 than people think.
52. Why are the sales of microwaves expected to rise?
A) They are becoming more afrdabla.
B) They have a shorter life cycle than other appliances.
C) They are gtting much easier to operate.
D) They take less tine to cook than other ppliaces.
53. What recommendation does the study by the University of Manchestermake?
A) Cooking food of dfferent varieties.
B) Improving microwave users' habits.
C) Eating less to cut energy consumption.
D) Using microwave ovens less frequently.
54. What does Professor David Reay try to argue?
A) There are far more emissions from cars than from microwaves.
B) People should be persuaded into using passenger cars less often.
C) The UK produces less CO2 than many other countries in the EU.
D) More data are needed to show whether microwaves are harmful.
55. What does Professor David Reay think of the use of microwaves?
A) It will become less popular in the coming decades.
B) It makes everyday cooking much more convenient.
C) It plays a positive role in envronmental protection.
D) It consumes more power than conventional cooking.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate apassage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet2.
中国汉族人的全名由姓和名组成。中文姓名的特点是,姓总是在前,名跟在其后。千百年来,父姓一直世代相传。然而,如今,孩子跟母亲姓并不罕见。一般来说,名有一个或两个汉字,通常承载父母对孩子的愿望。从孩子的名字可以推断出父母希望孩子成为什么样的人,或者期望他们过什么样的生活。父母非常重视给孩子取名,因为名字往往会伴随孩子一生。
四级真题参考答案(完整版)
Part I Writing
Hello Tom,
I'm pretty excited to hear that you are going to pursue a postgraduatedegree in economics in China. If you are still uncertain about which college toapply to, why not go to Renmin University of China (RUC)?
I recommend it mainly because of its academic reputation. Today, it iswidely recognized for its strengths in the fields of humanities and socialsciences.
The School of Economics often invites distinguished scholars at home andabroad to academic forums or seminars. You will definitely gain new insightsinto various economic issues by attending them as a student. Another strikingfeature of this university is its vibrant campus life, as evidenced byactivities such as Fun Sports Games, school orienteering competitions and theannual International Culture Festival. You will find them all highly enjoyable.Moreover, RUC is conveniently situated close to bus stops and subway stations,so you can spend your spare time exploring the city of Beiing.
Of course, it's totally up to you. Let me know if you make a finaldecision. Anyway, welcome to China.
Yours,
Zhang Lei
Part III Reading Comprehension
26-35:OADCG HKNEF
36-45:FIDGB EHAJC
46-55:BCDBA DABAC
Part IV Translation
The full name of a Han Chinese consists of a family name and a given name.A distinctive feature of the Chinese name is that the family name always comesfirst, followed by the given name. For thousands of years, Chinese family nameshave been passed down through the father. Nowadays, however, it is not uncommonfor a child to adopt the mother's family name. Generally, a given name is madeup of one or two characters, usually carrying the parents' wishes for theirchild. It can be inferred from the name what kind of person the parents wanttheir child to be, or what kind of life they expect him or her to lead. Chineseparents attach great importance to the choice of their child's name, as the nametends to accompany the child for his or her entire life.
英语四级考试真题及答案(第二套)
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to aforeign friend who wants to learn Chinese. Please recommend a place to him. Youshould write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)
Section A News Report
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the endof each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news reportand the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then markthe corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through thecentre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) The number of male nurses has gone down.
B) There is discrimination against male nurses.
C) There is a growing shortage of medical personnel.
D) The number of nurses has dropped to a record low.
2. A) Working conditions.
B) Educational system.
C) Inadequate pay.
D) Cultural bias.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) He fell out of a lifeboat.
B) He was almost drowned.
C) He lost his way on a beach.
D) He enjoyed swimming in the sea.
4. A) The lifeboats patrol the area round the clock.
B) The beach is a good place to watch the tide.
C) The emergency services are efficient.
D) The beach is a popular tourist resort.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) It climbed 25 storeys at one go.
B) It broke into an office room.
C) It escaped from a local zoo.
D) It became an online star.
6. A) Release it into the wild.
B) Return it to its owner.
C) Send it back to the zoo.
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 racoon did something no politician could.
D) The raccoon became as famous as some politicians.
Section B Conversation
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At theend of each conversations you will hear four questions. Both the conversationsand the question-s will be spoken only once. After you hear a question. You mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C)and D). Then markthe corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through thecentre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) She received a bonus unexpectedly.
B) She got a well-paying job in a bank.
C She received her first monthly salary.
D) She got a pay raise for her performance.
9. A) Two decades ago.
B) Several years ago.
C) Just last month.
D) Right after graduation.
10. A) He sent a small check to his parents.
B) He treated his parents to a nice meal.
C) He took a few of his friends to a gym.
D) He immediately deposited it in a bank.
11. A) Join her colleagues for gym exercise.
B) Visit her former university campus.
C) Buy some professional clothes.
D) Budget her salary carefully.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) He has just too many things to attend to.
B) He has been overworked recently.
C) He has a difficult decision to make.
D) He has just quarreled with his girlfriend.
13. A) Turn to his girlfriend for assistance.
B) Give priority to things more urgent.
C) Think twice before making the decision.
D) Seek advice from his family and advisor.
14. A) His girlfriend does not support his decision.
B) He is not particularly keen on the job offered.
C) He lacks the money for his doctoral program.
D) His parents and advisor have different opinions.
15. A)They need time to make preparations.
B) They haven't started their careers yet.
C) They need to save enough money for it.
D) They haven't won their parents' approval.
Section C Passage
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end ofeach passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and thequestions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choosethe best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C)and D).Then mark thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through thecentre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) Expressing ideas and opinions freely.
B) Enriching social and intellectual lives.
C) Acquiring information and professional knowledge.
D) Using information to understand and solve problems.
17. A) Traveling to different places in the world.
B) Playing games that challenge one's mind.
C) Improving mind-reading strategies.
D) Reading classic scientific literature.
18. A) Participate in debates or discussions.
B) Expose themselves to different cultures.
C) Discard personal biases and prejudices.
D) Give others freedom to express themselves.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) Why dogs can be faithful friends of humans.
B) The nature of relationships between dogs.
C) The reason a great many people love dogs.
D) How dogs feel about their bonds with humans.
20. A) They behave like other animals in many ways.
B) They have an unusual sense of responsibility.
C) They can respond to humans' questions.
D) They can fall in love just like humans.
21. A) They stay with one partner for life.
B) They have their own joys and sorrows.
C) They experience true romantic love.
D) They help humans in various ways.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) A rare animal.
B) A historical site.
C) A cow bone.
D) A precious stone.
23. A) Dating it.
B) Preserving it.
C) Measuring it.
D) Identifying it.
24. A) The channel needs to interview the boy.
B) The boy should have called an expert.
C) The boy's family had acted correctly.
D) The site should have been protected.
25. A) Conduct a more detailed search.
B) Ask the university to reward Jude.
C) Search for similar fossils elsewhere.
D) Seek additional funds for the search.
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You arerequired to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in aword bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully beforemaking your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Pleasemark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through thecentre. 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 asick passenger, you are unlikely to get sick. That is the __26__ of a new studythat looked at how respiratory (呼吸道) viruses __27__ on airplanes. Researchersfound that only people who were seated in the same row as a passenger with theflu, for example -- or one row in front of or behind that individual -- had ahigh risk of catching the illness. All other passengers had only a very __28__chance of getting sick, according to the findings. Media reports have notnecessarily presented __29__ information about the risk of getting infected onan airplane in the past. Therefore, these new findings should help airplanepassengers to feel less __30__ to catching respiratory infections whiletraveling 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 anairplane, the researchers said. So, to __32__ the risks of infection, the studyteam flew on 10 different __33__ in the U.S. during the flu season. Theresearchers found that passengers sitting within two seats on __34__ side of aperson infected with the flu, as well as those sitting one row in front of orbehind this individual, had about an 80 percent chance of getting sick. Butother passengers were __35__ safe from infection. They had a less than 3 percentchance of catching the flu.
A) accurate
B) conclusion
C) directly
D) either
E) evaluate
F) explorations
G) flights
H) largely
I) nearby
J) respond
K) slim
L) spread
M) summit
N) vividly
O) vulnerable
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with tenstatements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one ofthe paragraphs Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. Youmay 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 Most Important Meal of the Day?
A) Along with old classics like "carrots give you night vision" and "Santadoesn't bring toys to misbehaving children", one of the most well-worn phrasesof tired parents everywhere is that breakfast is the most important meal of theday. 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, accordingto the British Dietetic Association, and around three-quarters of Americans.
B) "The body uses a lot of energy stores for growth and repair through thenight," explains diet specialist Sarah Elder. "Eating a balanced breakfast helpsto up our energy, as well as make up for protein and calcium used throughout thenight." But there's widespread disagreement over whether breakfast should keepits top spot in the hierarchy (等级) of meals. There have been concerns around thesugar content of cereal and the food industry's involvement in pro-breakfastresearch -- 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 amarketing tactic by cereal companies? The most researched aspect ofbreakfast(and breakfast-skipping) has been its links to obesity. Scientists havedifferent theories as to why there's a relationship between the two. In one USstudy that analysed the health data of 50,000 people over seven years,researchers found that those who made breakfast the largest meal of the day weremore likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who ate a largelunch or dinner. The researchers argued that breakfast helps reduce dailycalorie intake and improve the quality of our diet -- since breakfast foods areoften 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 beginwith. To find out, researchers designed a study in which 52 obese women tookpart in a 12-week weight loss programme. All had the same number of caloriesover the day, but half had breakfast, while the other half did not. What theyfound was that it wasn't breakfast itself that caused the participants to loseweight: it was changing their normal routine.
E) If breakfast alone isn't a guarantee of weight loss, why is there a linkbetween obesity and breakfast-skipping? Alexandra Johnstone, professor ofappetite research at the University of Aberdeen, argues that it may simply bebecause breakfast-skippers have been found to be less knowledgeable aboutnutrition and health. "There are a lot of studies on the relationship betweenbreakfast eating and possible health outcomes, but this may be because those whoeat breakfast choose to habitually have health-enhancing behaviours such asregular exercise and not smoking," she says.
F) A 2016 review of 10 studies looking into the relationship betweenbreakfast and weight management concluded there is "limited evidence" supportingor refuting (反驳) the argument that breakfast influences weight or food intake,and more evidence is required before breakfast recommendations can be used tohelp prevent obesity.
G) Researches from the University of Surrey and University of Aberdeen arehalfway through research looking into the mechanisms behind how the time we eatinfluences body weight. Early findings suggest that a bigger breakfast isbeneficial to weight control. Breakfast has been found to affect more than justweight. Skipping breakfast has been associated with a 27% increased risk ofheart disease, a 21% higher risk of type 2 diabetes in men, and a 20% higherrisk of type 2 diabetes in women. One reason may be breakfast's nutritionalvalue -- partly because cereal is fortified (增加营养价值) with vitamins. In one studyon the breakfast habits of 1,600 young people in the UK, researchers found thatthe fibre and micronutrient intake was better in those who had breakfastregularly. There have been similar findings in Australia, Brazil, Canada and theUS.
H) Breakfast is also associated with improved brain function, includingconcentration and language use. A review of 54 studies found that eatingbreakfast can improve memory, though the effects on other brain functions wereinconclusive. 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 testedconcentration, the number of studies showing a benefit was exactly the same asthe number that found no benefit," she says. "And no studies found that eatingbreakfast 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 thelonging for food and consumption later in the day, according to research by theAustralian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Whilecereal remains a firm favourite among breakfast consumers in the UK and US, arecent investigation into the sugar content of 'adult' breakfast cereals foundthat some cereals contain more than three-quarters of the recommended dailyamount of free sugars in each portion, and sugar was the second or third highestingredient in cereals.
J) But some research suggests if we're going to eat sugary foods, it's bestto do it early. One study recruited 200 obese adults to take part in a16-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 studywas unable to show the long-term effects. A review of 54 studies found thatthere is no consensus yet on what type of breakfast is healthier, and concludedthat the type of breakfast doesn't matter as much as simply eatingsomething.
K) While there's no conclusive evidence on exactly what we should be eatingand when, the consensus is that we should listen to our own bodies and eat whenwe're hungry. "Breakfast is most important for people who are hungry when theywake up," Johnstone says. "Each body starts the day differently -- and thoseindividual differences need to be researched more closely," Spitznagel says. "Abalanced breakfast is really helpful, but getting regular meals throughout theday is more important to leave blood sugar stable through the day, which helpscontrol weight and hunger levels," says Elder. "Breakfast isn't the only meal weshould be getting right."
36. According to one professor, obesity is related to a lack of basicawareness of nutrition and health.
37. Some scientists claim that people should consume the right kind of foodat breakfast.
38. Opinions differ as to whether breakfast is the most important meal ofthe day.
39. It has been found that not cating breakfast is related to the incidenceof certain diseases in some countries.
40. Researchers found it was a change in eating habits rather thanbreakfast itself that induced weight loss.
41. To keep oneself healthy, eating breakfast is more important thanchoosing 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 weightloss or food intake.
44. Pecople who prioritise breakfasts tend to have lower calorie but highernutritional intake.
45. Many studies reveal that eating breakfast helps people memorise andconcentrate.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When thepassage is read for the first time,you should listen carefully for its generalidea.When the passage is read for the second time,you are required to fill inthe blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally,when the passage isread for the third time,you should check what you have written.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Textbooks represent an 11 billion dollar industry, up from $8 billion in2014. Textbook publisher Pearson is the largest publisher -- of any kind -- inthe world.
It costs about $1 million to create a new textbook. A freshman textbookwill have dozens of contributors, from subject-matter experts through graphicand layout artists to expert reviewers and classroom testers. Textbookpublishers connect professors, instructors and students in ways thatalternatives, such as open e-textbooks and open educational resources, simply donot. This connection happens not only by means of collaborative development,review and testing, but also at conferences where faculty regularly decide ontheir textbooks and curricula for the coming year.
It is true that textbook publishers have recently reported losses, largelydue to students renting or buying used print textbooks. But this can be chalkedup to the excessively high cost of their books -- which has increased over 1,000percent since 1977. A restructuring of the textbook industry may well be inorder. 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 orlifeless. For example, over the centuries, they have simulated (模拟) dialogues ina number of ways. From 1800 to the present day, textbooks have done this byposing questions for students to answer inductively (归纳性地). That means studentsare asked to use their individual experience to come up with answers to generalquestions. Today's psychology texts, for example, ask: "How much of yourpersonality do you think you inherited?" while ones in physics say: "How can youpredict 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 interactiveexperience. Readers proceed at their own pace. They "customize" their books byengaging with different layers and linkages. Highlighting, Post-It notes,dog-ears and other techniques allow for further customization that studentsvalue 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 connect professors and students as textbooks do.
D) They compete fercely 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) Flling 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 leam in an interactive way.
C) They can purchase custonized versions.
D) They can adapt the material themselves.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
When we think of animals and plants, we have a pretty good way of dividingthem into two distinct groups: one converts sunlight into energy and the otherhas to eat food to make its energy. Well, those dividing lines come crashingdown with the discovery of a sea slug (海蛞蝓) that's truly half animal and halfplant. It's pretty incredible how it has managed to hijack the genes of thealgae (藻类) on which it feeds.
The slugs can manufacture chlorophyll, the green pigment (色素) in plantsthat captures energy from sunlight, and hold these genes within their body. Theterm kleptoplasty is used to describe the practice of using hijacked genes tocreate nutrients from sunlight. And so far, this green sea slug is the onlyknown animal that can be truly considered solar-powered, although some animalsdo exhibit some plant-like behaviors. Many scientists have studied the green seaslugs 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 totheir future generations. Their babies retain the ability to produce their ownchlorophyll, though they can't generate energy from sunlight until they've eatenenough algae to steal the necessary genes, which they can't yet produce on theirown.
"There's no way on earth that genes from an alga should work inside ananimal cell," says Sidney Pierce from the University of South Florida. "And yethere, they do. They allow the animal to rely on sunshine for its nutrition. Soif something happens to their food source, they have a way of not starving todeath until they find more algae to eat."
The sea slugs are so good at gathering energy from the sun that they canlive up to nine months without having to eat any food. They get all theirnutritional needs met by the genes that they've hijacked from the algae.
51. 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 plants.
D) 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 hjacks from other species.
D) The green pigment it inberits 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 algac for quite some time.
D) They can produce chlorophyl on their own.
54. What does Sidney Pierce say about genes fom 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 sca slug gencs.
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 Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate apassage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet2.
中国的家庭观念与其文化传统有关。和睦的大家庭曾非常令人羡慕。过去四代同堂并不少见。由于这个传统,许多年轻人婚后继续与父母同住。今天,这个传统正在改变。随着住房条件的改善,越来越多年轻夫妇选择与父母分开住。但他们之间的联系仍然很密切。许多老年人仍然帮着照看孙辈。年轻夫妇也抽时间探望父母,特别是在春节和中秋节等重要节日。
四级真题参考答案(完整版)
Part I Writing
Dear Mike,
How's everything going? Last time you said you felt inclined to learnChinese but had no clue where to start. So I'm writing to recommend a place toyou -- the Confucius Institute, an established language center aimed to promoteChinese language and culture.
The reasons for my recommendation are as follows. Firstly, this Chinesegovernment-funded educational institute is staffed by the most experienced,professional Chinese teachers, which ensures high-quality instruction. You canturn to them whenever you encounter difficulties in mastering the tones and thecharacters. Secondly, students there are encouraged to take part in activitiesranging from making traditional food to learning clligraphy, as a means ofexposing them to the appealing aspects of Chinese culture. Besides, theorganization is now widely embraced by more than two million students. Thatmeans you aren' t alone as a beginner and will probably forge deep friendshipswith other learmers.
Learming a language from scratch won't be easy. But I believe you'll findyourself having fun while improving your Chinese proficiency.
Best wishes,
Li Hua
Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension
1. A
2. D
3. B
4. C
5. D
6. A
7. C
8. C
9. A
10. B
11. A
12. C
13. D
14. D
15. B
16. D
17. B
18. A
19. B
20. D
21. A
22. C
23. B
24. C
25. A
Part III Reading Comprehension
26-35:BLKAO CEGDH
36-45:EIBGD JAFCH
46-55:CDACB DADCB
Part IV Translation
China's family values are related to its cultural traditions. Harmoniousextended families used to be very enviable. It was not uncommon in the past forfour generations of a family to live under the same roof. According to thetradition, many young people continued to live with their parents aftermarriage. Today, that tradition is changing. As housing conditions improve, moreand more young couples are opting to live apart from their parents. But theconnections between them still remain strong. Many old people still help to lookafter their grandchildren. And young couples take time to visit their parents,especially during important festivals such as the Spring Festival and theMid-Autumn Festival.
英语四级考试真题及答案(第一套)
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter toa foreign friend who wants to teach English in China. Please recommend a city tohim. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)
Section A News Report
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the endof each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news reportand the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then markthe corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through thecentre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) Many facilities were destroyed by a wandering cow.
B) A wandering cow knocked down one of its fences.
C) Some tourists were injured by a wandering cow.
D) A wandering cow was captured by the police.
2. A) It was shot to death by a police officer.
B) It found its way back to the park's zoo.
C) It became a great attraction for tourists.
D) It was sent to the animal control department.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) It is the largest of its kind.
B) It is going to be expanded.
C) It is displaying more fossil specimens.
D) It is staring an online exhibition.
4. A) A collection of bird fossils from Australia.
B) Photographs of certain rare fossil exhibits.
C) Some ancient wall paintings from Australia.
D) Pictures by winners of a wildlife photo contest.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) Pick up trash.
B) Amuse visitors.
C) Deliver messages.
D) Play with children.
6. A) They are especially intelligent.
B) They are children's favorite.
C) They are quite easy to tame.
D) They are clean and pretty.
7. A) Children may be harmed by the rooks.
B) Children may be tempted to drop litter.
C) Children may contract bird diseases.
D) Children may overfeed the rooks.
Section B Conversation
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At theend of each conversations you will hear four questions. Both the conversationsand the question-s will be spoken only once. After you hear a question. You mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C)and D). Then markthe corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through thecentre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) It will be produced at Harvard University.
B) It will be hosted by famous professors.
C) It will cover different areas of science.
D) It will focus on recent scientific discoveries.
9. A)It will be more futuristic.
B) It will be more systematic.
C) It will be more entertaining.
D) It will be easier to understand.
10. A) People interested in science.
B) Youngsters eager to explore.
C) Children in their early teens.
D) Students majoring in science.
11. A) Offer professional advice.
B) Provide financial support.
C) Help promote it on the Internet.
D) Make episodes for its first season.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) Unsure.
B) Helpless.
C) Concerned.
D) Dissatisfied.
13. A) He is too concerned with being perfect.
B) He loses heart when faced with setbacks.
C) He is too ambitious in achieving goals.
D) He takes on projects beyond his ability.
14. A) Embarrassed.
B) Unconcerned.
C) Miserable.
D) Resentful.
15. A) Try to be optimistic whatever happens.
B) Compare his present with his past only.
C) Always learn from others' achievements.
D) Treat others the way he would be treated.
Section C Passage
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end ofeach passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and thequestions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choosethe best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C)and D).Then mark thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through thecentre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) They have a stronger sense of social responsibility.
B) They are more likely to succeed in the humanities.
C) They are more likely to become engineers.
D) They have greater potential to be leaders.
17. A) Praise girls who like to speak up frequently.
B) Encourage girls to solve problems on their own.
c) Insist that boys and girls work together more.
D) Respond more positively to boys' comments.
18. A) Offer personalized teaching materials.
B) Provide a variety of optional courses.
C) Place great emphasis on test scores.
D) Pay extra attention to top students.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) It often rains cats and dogs.
B) It seldom rains in summer time.
C) It does not rain as much as people think.
D) It is one of the most rainy cities in the US.
20. A) They drive most of the time.
B) The rain is usually very light.
C) They have got used to the rain.
D) The rain comes mostly at night.
21. A) It has a lot of places for entertainment.
B) It has never seen thunder and lighting.
C) It has fewer cloudy days than any other coastal city.
D) It has mild weather both in summer and in winter.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) It occurs when people are doing a repetitive activity.
B) It results from exerting one's muscles continuously.
C) It happens when people engage in an uncommon activity.
D) It comes from staining one's muscles in an unusual way.
23. A) Blood flow and body heat increase in the affected area.
B) Body movements in the affected area become difficult.
C) They begin to make repairs immediately.
D) They gradually become fragmented.
24. A) About one week.
B) About two days.
C) About ten days.
D) About four weeks.
25. A) Apply muscle creams.
B) Drink plenty of water.
C) Have a hot shower.
D) Take pain-killers.
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You arerequired to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in aword bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully beforemaking your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Pleasemark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through thecentre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
When travelling overseas, do you buy water in plastic bottles or take yourchances with tap water? Imagine you are wandering about on a Thai island or__26__ the ruins of Angkor. It's hot so you grab a bottle of water from a localvendor. It's the safe thing to do, right? The bottle is __27__ , and the labelsays "pure water". But maybe what's inside is not so __28__ . Would you still bedrinking it if you knew that more than 90 percent of all bottled water soldaround the world __29__ microplastics?
That's the conclusion of a recently __30__ study, which analysed 259bottles from 11 brands sold in nine countries, __31__ an average of 325 plasticparticles per litre of water. These microplastics included a __32__ commonlyknown as PET and widely used in the manufacture of clothing and food and __33__containers. The study was conducted at the State University of New York onbehalf of Orb Media, a journalism organisation. About a million bottles arebought every minute, not only by thirsty tourists but also by many of the 2.1billion worldwide who live with unsafe drinking water.
Confronted with this __34__ , several bottled-water manufacturers includingNestle and Coca-Cola undertook their own studies using the same methodology.These studies showed that their water did contain microplastics, but far lessthan the Orb study suggested. Regardless, the World Health Organisation haslaunched a review into the __35__ health risks of drinking water from plasticbottles.
A) adequate
B) admiring
C) contains
D) defending
E) evidence
F) instant
G) liquid
H) modified
I) natural
J) potential
K) released
L) revealing
M) sealed
N) solves
O) substance
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with tenstatements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one ofthe paragraphs Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. Youmay 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.
Make Stuff, Fail, And Learn While You're At It
A) We've always been a hands-on, do it-yourself kind of nation. BenFranklin, one of America's founding fathers, didn't just invent the lightningrod. His creations include glasses, innovative stoves and more.
B) Franklin, who was largely self-taught, may have been a genius, but hewasn't really an exception when it comes to American making and creativity.
C) The personal computing revolution and philosophy of disruptiveinnovation of Silicon Valley grew, in part, out of the creations of the HomebrewComputer Club, which was founded in a garage in Menlo Park, California, in themid-1970s. Members-including guys named Jobs and Wozniak-started making andinventing things they couldn't buy.
D) So it's no surprise that the Maker Movement today is thriving incommunities and some schools across America. Making is available to ordinarypeople who aren't tied to big companies, big defense labs or researchuniversities. The maker philosophy echoes old ideas advocated by John Dewey,Montessori, and even ancient Greek philosophers, as we pointed out recently.
E) These maker spaces are often outside of classrooms, and are serving animportant educational function. The Maker Movement is rediscovering learning bydoing, which is Dewey's phrase from 100 years ago. We are rediscovering Deweyand Montessori and a lot of the practices that they pioneered that have beenforgotten or at least put aside. A maker space is a place which can be in aschool, but it doesn't look like a classroom. It can be in a library. It can beout in the community. It has tools and materials. It's a place where you get tomake things based on your interest and on what you, re learning to do.
F) Ideas about learning by doing have struggled to become mainstreameducationally, despite being old concepts from Dewey and Montessori, Plato andAristotle, and in the American context, Ralph Emerson, on the value ofexperience and self-reliance. It's not necessarily an efficient way to learn. Welearn, in a sense, by trial and error. Learning from experience is somethingthat takes time and patience. It's very individualized. If your goal is to havestandardized approaches to learning, where everybody learns the same thing atthe same time in the same way, then learning by doing doesn't really fit thatmold anymore. It's not the world of textbooks. It's not the world oftesting.
G) Learning by doing may not be efficient, but it is effective.Project-based learning has grown in popularity with teachers and administrators.However, project-based learning is not making. Although there is a connection,there is also a distinction. The difference lies in whether the project is in asense defined and developed by the student or whether it's assigned by ateacher. We'll all get the kids to build a small boat. We are all going to learnabout X, Y, and Z. That tends to be one form of project- based learning.
H) I really believe the core idea of making is to have an idea within yourhead—or you just borrow it from someone—and begin to develop it, repeat it andimprove it. Then, realize that idea somehow. That thing that you make isvaluable to you and you can share it with others. I'm interested in how thesethings are expressions of that person, their ideas, and their interactions withthe world.
I) In some ways, a lot of forms of making in school trivialize (使变得无足轻重)making. The thing that you make has no value to you. Once you are donedemonstrating whatever concept was in the; textbook, you throw away the pipecleaners, the straws, the cardboard tubes.
J) Making should be student-directed and student-led, otherwise it'sboring. It doesn't have the motivation of the student. I'm not saying thatstudents should not learn concepts or not learn skills. They do. But to reallyharness their motivation is to build upon their interest. It's to let them be incontrol and to drive the car.
K) Teachers should aim to build a supportive, creative environment forstudents to do this work. A very social environment, where they are learningfrom each other. When they have a problem, it isn't the teacher necessarilycoming in to solve it. They are responsible for working through that problem. Itmight be they have to talk to other students in the class to help get ananswer.
L) The teacher's role is more of a coach or observer. Sometimes, to people,it sounds like this is a diminished role for teachers. I think it's a heightenedrole. You're creating this environment, like a maker space. You have 20 kidsdoing different things. You are watching them and really it's the humanbehaviors you're looking at. Are they engaged? Are they developing and repeatingtheir project? Are they stumbling (受挫)? Do they need something that they don'thave? Can you help them be aware of where they are?
M) My belief is that the goal of making is not to get every kid to behands-on, but it enables us to be good learners. It's not the knowledge that isvaluable; it's the practice of learning new things and understanding how thingswork. These are processes that you are developing so that you are able, overtime, to tackle more interesting problems, more challenging problems-problemsthat require many people instead of one person, and many skills instead ofone.
N) If teachers keep it form-free and student-led, it can still be tied to acurriculum and an educational plan. I think a maker space is more like a libraryin that there are multiple subjects and multiple things that you can learn. Whatseems to be missing in school is how these subjects integrate, how they fit ttogether in any meaningful way. Rather than saying, "This is science, over hereis history," I see schools taking this idea of projects and looking at: How dothey support children in higher level learning?
O) I feel like this is a shift away from a subject matter-based curriculumto a more experiential curriculum or learning. It's still in its early stages,but I think it's shifting around not what kids learn but how they learn.
36.A maker space is where people make things according to their personalinterests.
37.The teachers, role is enhanced in a maker space as they have to monitorand facilitate during the process.
38.Coming up with an idea of one's own or improving one from others is keyto the concept of making.
39.Contrary to structured learning, learning by doing is highlyindividualized.
40.America is a nation known for the idea of making things by oneself.
41.Making will be boring unless students are able to take charge.
42.Making can be related to a project, but it is created and carried out bystudents themselves.
43.The author suggests incorporating the idea of a maker space into aschool curriculum.
44.The maker concept is a modern version of some ancient philosophicalideas.
45.Making is not taken seriously in school when students are asked to makesomething meaningless to them based on textbooks.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When thepassage is read for the first time,you should listen carefully for its generalidea.When the passage is read for the second time,you are required to fill inthe blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally,when the passage isread for the third time,you should check what you have written.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Professor Ashok Goel of Georgia Tech developed an artificially intelligentteaching assistant to help handle the enormous number of student questions inthe online class, Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence. This online course isa core requirement of Georgia Tech's online Master of Science in ComputerScience program. Professor Goel already had eight teaching assistants, but thatwasn't enough to deal with the overwhelming number of daily questions fromstudents.
Many students drop out of online courses because of the lack of teachingsupport. When students feel isolated or confused and reach out with questionsthat go unanswered, their motivation to continue begins to fade. Professor Goeldecided to do something to remedy this situation and his solution was to createa virtual assistant named Jill Watson, which is based on the IBM Watsonplatform.
Goel and his team developed several versions of Jill Watson beforereleasing her to the online forums. At first, the virtual assistant wasn't toogreat. But Goel and his team sourced the online discussion forum to find all the40,000 questions that had ever been asked since the class was launched. Thenthey began to feed Jill with the questions and answers. After some adjustmentsand sufficient time, Jill was able to answer the students' questions correctly97% of the time. The virtual assistant became so advanced and realistic that thestudents didn't know she was a computer. The students, who were studyingartificial intelligence, were interacting with the virtual assistant andcouldn't tell it apart from a real human being. Goel didn't inform them aboutJill's true identity until April 26. The students were actually very positiveabout the experience.
The goal of Professor Goel's virtual assistant next year is to take overanswering 40% of all the questions posed by students on the online forum. Thename Jill Watson will, of course, change to something else next semester.Professor Goel has a much rosier outlook on the future of artificialintelligence than, say, Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates or SteveWozniak.
46. What do we lear about Knowledge-Based Arificial Itelligence?
A) It is a robot that can answer students' questions.
B) It is a course designed for students to leamn online.
C) It is a high-tech device that revolutionizes teaching.
D) It is a computer program that aids student leaming.
47. What problem did Professor Goel meet with?
A) His students were unsatisfied with the assistants.
B) His course was too difficult for the students.
C) Students' questions were too many to handle.
D) Too many students dropped out of his course.
48. What do we lear about Jill Watson?
A) She turned out to be a great sucess.
B) She got along pretty well with students.
C) She was unwelcome to students at first.
D) She was released online as an experiment.
49. How did the students feel about Jill Watson?
A) They thought she was a bit too artificial.
B) They found her not as capable as expected.
C) They could not but admire her knowledge.
D) They could not tell her from a real person.
50. What does Professor Goel plan to do next with Jill Watson?
A) Launch different versions of her online.
B) Feed her with new questions and answers.
C) Assign her to answer more of students' questions.
D) Encourage students to interact with her more freely.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Thinking small, being engaging, and having a sense of humor don't hurt.Those are a few of the traits of successful science crowdfunding efforts thatemerge from a recent study that examined nearly 400 campaigns. But having alarge network and some promotional skills may be more crucial.
Crowdfunding, raising money for a project through online appeals, has takenoff in recent years for everything from making movies to producing water-savinggadgets. Scientists have tried to tap Internet donors, too, with mixed success.Some raised more than twice their goals, but others have fallen short ofreaching even modest targets.
To determine what separates science crowdfunding triumphs from failures, ateam led by science communications scholar Mike Sch?fer of the University ofZurich examined the content of the webpages for 371 recent campaigns.
Four traits stood out for those that achieved their goals, the researchersreport in Public Understanding of Science. For one, they use a crowdfundingplatform that specializes in raising money for science, and not just any kind ofproject. Although sites like Kickstarter take all comers, platforms such asExperiment.com and Petridish.org only present scientific projects. For another,they present the project with a funny video because good visuals and a sense ofhumor improved success. Most of them engage with potential donors, sinceprojects that answered questions from interested donors fared better. And theytarget a small amount of money. The projects included in the study raised $4,000on average, with 30% receiving less than $1,000. The more money a projectsought, the lower the chance it reached its goal, the researchers found.
Other factors may also significantly influence a project's success, mostnotably, the size of a scientist's personal and professional networks, and howmuch a researcher promotes a project on their own. Those two factors are by farmore critical than the content on the page. Crowdfunding can be part ofresearchers' efforts to reach the public, and people give because "they feel aconnection to the person" who is doing the fundraising—not necessarily to thescience.
51. What do we learn about the scientists trying to raise money online fortheir projects?
A) They did not raise much due to modest targets.
B) They made use of mixed fundraising strategies.
C) Not all of them achieved their anticipated goals.
D) Most of them put movies online for the purpose.
52. What is the purpose of Mike Schafer' s research of recent crowdfundingcampaigns?
A) To create atractive content for science websites.
B) To identify reasons for their different outcomes.
C) To help scientists to launch innovative projects.
D) To separate science projects from general ones.
53. What trait contributes to the success of a crowdfiunding campaign?
A) The potential benefit to future generations.
B) Its interaction with prospective donors.
C) Its originality in addressing financial issues.
D) The value of the proposed project.
54. What did the researchers think of the financial targets of crowdfundingprojects?
A) They should be small to be sucessful.
B) They should be based on actual needs.
C) They should be assed with great care.
D) They should be ambitious to gain notice.
55. What motivates people to donate in a crowdfunding campaign?
A) The ease of access to the content of the webpage.
B) Their desire to contribute to the cause of science.
C) The significance and influence of the project itself.
D) Their feeling of connection to the scientists themselves.
Part Ⅳ Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate apassage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet2.
中国家庭十分重视孩子的教育。许多父母认为应该努力工作,确保孩子受到良好教育。他们不仅非常情愿为孩子的教育投资,而且花很多时间督促他们学习。多数家长希望孩子能上名牌大学。由于改革开放,越来越多的家长能送孩子到国外学习或参与国际交流项目,以拓宽其视野。通过这些努力,他们期望孩子健康成长,为国家的发展和繁荣作出贡献。
四级真题参考答案(完整版)
Part Ⅰ Writing
Hi Mark,
I'm so glad that you have made up your mind to teach English in China.Before you make a decision about your precise destination, let me introduce myhometown, Chongqing.
Located in southwest China, Chongqing may not enjoy worldwide fame as muchas Beijing or Shanghai, but it is a thriving metropolis with lower cost ofliving. Working and living here, you can achieve your career goals withoutfeeling too much stress. The locals are known for being warm and hospitable, andyou can teach in a way that feels good for you. To be sure, teaching a foreignlanguage in a city where residents speak a dialect all the time can be verychallenging. It takes time indeed to correct pronunciation mistakes each studentmakes. But since you are always praised for your kindness and patience, itshould hardly be an obstacle for you.
Anyway, I will support and help you as much as possible, whichever city yougo to. I believe living and teaching in China will be a pleasant and memorableexperience for you.
Best wishes,
Li Ming
Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension
1. D
2. D
3. B
4. C
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. C
9. C
10. A
11. B
12. D
13. A
14. C
15. B
16. C
17. D
18. A
19. C
20. B
21. D
22. D
23. A
24. B
25. C
Part III Reading Comprehension
26-35:BMICK LOGEJ
36-45:EICGK FBJDH
46-55:BCADC CBBAD
Part IV Translation
Chinese families attach great importance to their children's education.Many parents hold that they should work hard to ensure their children's accessto good education. Not only are they perfectly willing to invest in theirchildren's education, but they also spend much time urging them to study. Mostparents expect their children to get admitted to elite universities. Owing toChina s reform and opening-up, an increasing number of parents can send theirchildren to study abroad or participate in international exchange programs tobroaden their horizons. Through these efforts, they expect their children growup strong and healthy and make a contribution to the nation's development andprosperity.