12月大学英语四级考试试卷

12月大学英语四级考试试卷（精选4篇）

篇1：12月大学英语四级考试试卷

Part Ⅰ Writing (30minutes)

Directions: Forthis part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled ExcessivePackaging following the outline given below. You should write at least 120words but no more than 180 words.

1.目前许多商品存在过度包装的现象

2.出现这一现象的原因

3.我对这一现象的看法和建议

On ExcessivePackaging

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming andScanning)(15minutes)

Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes togo over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer sheet 1. Forquestions 1-7,choose the best answer from the four choices marked A) ，B) ，C) and D) . For questions 8-10, completethe sentences with the information given in the passage.

Small Schools Rising

This year’s list of the top 100 high schools showsthat today, those with fewer students are flourishing.

Fifty years ago, they were the latest thing ineducational reform: big, modern, suburban high schools with students counted inthe thousands. As baby boomers(二战后婴儿潮时期出生的`人) came of high-school age, big schoolspromised economic efficiency. A greater choice of courses, and, of course,better football teams. Only years later did we understand the trade-offs thisinvolved: the creation of excessive bureaucracies(官僚机构)，the difficulty of forging personalconnections between teachers and students.SAT scores began dropping in 1963;today,on average,30% of students do not complete high school in four years, afigure that rises to 50% in poor urban neighborhoods. While the emphasis onteaching to higher, test-driven standards as set in No Child Left Behindresulted in significantly better performance in elementary (and some middle)schools, high schools for a variety of reasons seemed to have made little progress.

Size isn’t everything, but it does matter, and thepast decade has seen a noticeable countertrend toward smaller schools. This hasbeen due, in part, to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has invested$1.8 billion in American high schools, helping to open about 1,000 smallschools-most of them with about 400 kids each with an average enrollment ofonly 150 per grade, About 500 more are on the drawing board. Districts all overthe country are taking notice, along with mayors in cities like New York,Chicago and San Diego. The movement includes independent public charterschools, such as No.1 BASIS in Tucson, with only 120 high-schoolers and 18graduates this year. It embraces district-sanctioned magnet schools, such asthe Talented and Gifted School, with 198 students, and the Science andEngineering Magnet, with383, which share a building in Dallas, as well as theCity Honors School in Buffalo, N.Y., which grew out of volunteer eveningseminars for students. And it includes alternative schools with studentsselected by lottery(抽签)，such asH-B Woodlawn in Arlington, Va. And most noticeable of all, there is thephenomenon of large urban and suburban high schools that have split up intosmaller units of a few hundred, generally housed in the same grounds that onceboasted thousands of students all marching to the same band.

Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, Calif, is one ofthose, ranking No.423―among the top 2% in the country―on Newsweek’s annualranking of America’s top high schools. The success of small schools is apparentin the listings. Ten years ago, when the first Newsweek list based oncollege-level test participation was published, only three of the top 100schools had graduating Classes smaller than 100 students. This year there are 22.Nearly 250 schools on the full, Newsweek list of the top 5% of schoolsnationally had fewer than 200 graduates in .

Although many of Hillsdale’s students came fromwealthy households, by the late 1990 average test scores were sliding and ithad earned the unaffectionate nickname (绰号)“Hillsjail. ” Jeff Gilbert. A Hillsdale teacher who became principal last year,remembers sitting with other teachers watching students file out of agraduation ceremony and asking one another in astonishment, “How did thatstudent graduate?”

So in Hillsdale remade itself into three“houses,” romantically named Florence, Marrakech and Kyoto. Each of the 300arriving ninth graders are randomly(随机地)assigned to one of the houses. Where they will keep the same four core subjectteachers for two years, before moving on to another for 11th and 12th grades.The closeness this system cultivates is reinforced by the institution of“advisory” classes Teachers meet with students in groups of 25, five mornings aweek, for open-ended discussions of everything from homework problems to badSaturday-night dates. The advisers also meet with students privately and stayin touch with parents, so they are deeply invested in the students’success.“We’re constantly talking about one another’s advisers,” says Englishteacher Chris Crockett. “If you hear that yours isn’t doing well in math, orsee them sitting outside the dean’s office, it’s like a personal failure.”Along with the new structure came a more demanding academic program, the percentageof freshmen taking biology jumped from 17 to 95.“It was rough for some. But bysenior year, two-thirds have moved up to physics,” says Gilbert “Our kids arecoming to school in part because they know there are adults here who know themand care for them.”But not all schools show advances after downsizing, and itremains to be seen whether smaller schools will be a cure-all solution.

The Newsweek list of top U.S. high schools was madethis year, as in years past, according to a single metric, the proportion ofstudents taking college-level exams. Over the years this system has come in forits share of criticism for its simplicity. But that is also its strength: it’seasy for readers to understand, and to do the arithmetic for their own schoolsif they’d like.

Ranking schools is always controversial, and this yeara group of 38 superintendents(地区教育主管)from five states wrote to ask that theirschools be excluded from the calculation.“It is impossible to know which highschools are ‘the best’ in the nation,”their letter read. In part. “Determiningwhether different schools do or don’t offer a high quality of educationrequires a look at many different measures, including students’ overallacademic accomplishments and their subsequent performance in college. Andtaking into consideration the unique needs of their communities.”

In the end, the superintendents agreed to provide thedata we sought, which is, after all, public information. There is, in our view,no real dispute here, we are all seeking the same thing, which is schools thatbetter serve our children and our nation by encouraging students to tackletough subjects under the guidance of gifted teachers. And if we keep workingtoward that goal, someday, perhaps a list won’t be necessary.

注意：此部分试题请在答卡1上作答.

1. Fifty yearsago. big. Modern. Suburban high schools were established in the hope of__________.

A) ensuring nochild is left behind

B) increasingeconomic efficiency

C) improvingstudents’ performance on SAT

D) providing goodeducation for baby boomers

2. What happenedas a result of setting up big schools?

A) Teachers’workload increased.

B) Students’performance declined.

C) Administrationbecame centralized.

D) Studentsfocused more on test scores.

3. What is saidabout the schools forded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation?

A) They areusually magnet schools.

B) They are oftenlocated in poor neighborhoods.

C) They arepopular with high-achieving students.

D) They are mostlysmall in size.

4. What is mostnoticeable about the current trend in high school education?

A) Some largeschools have split up into smaller ones.

B) A great varietyof schools have sprung up in urban and suburban areas.

C) Many schoolscompete for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds.

D) Students haveto meet higher academic standards.

5. Newsweek rankedhigh schools according to___

A) their students’academic achievement

B) the number oftheir students admitted to college

C) the size andnumber of their graduating classes

D) theircollege-level test participation

6. What can welearn about Hillsdale’s students in the late 1990s?

A) They were madeto study hard like prisoners.

B) They calledeach other by unaffectionate nicknames.

C) Most of themdid not have any sense of discipline,

D) Their schoolperformance was getting worse.

7. According toJeff Gilbert, the “advisory” classes at Hillsdale were set up so that students could.

A) tell theirteachers what they did on weekends

B) experience agreat deal of pleasure in learning

C) maintain closerrelationships with their teachers

D) tackle thedemanding biology and physics courses

8. is stillconsidered a strength of Newsweek’s school ranking system in spite of thecriticism it receives_________.

9. According tothe 38 superintendents, to rank schools scientifically, it is necessary touse_________.

10. To betterserve the children and our nation, schools students to take_________ .

Part Ⅲ Listening Comprehension (35minutes)

Section A

Directions: in this section you will hear 8 short conversations;one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversationand the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be apause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A) 、B) 、C) and D) 、and decidewhich is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer sheet 2with a single line through the centre.

注意：此部分试题请在答案卡2上作案。

11. A) Trying tosketch a map C) Discussing a house plan.

B) Painting the dining room. D) Cleaning the kitchen.

12. A) She istired of the food in the canteen.

B) She often eatsin a French restaurant.

C) She usuallytakes a snack in the KFC.

D) She in veryfussy about what she eats.

13.A) Listening tosome loud music. C) Talking loudly on the telephone.

B) Preparing foras oral examination. D) Practicing for a speech contest.

14. A) The man hasleft a good impression on her family.

B) The man candress casually for the occasion.

C) The man shouldbuy himself a new suit.

D) The man’s jeansand T-shirts are stylish.

15. A) Grey pantsmade from pure cotton. C) 100% cotton pants in dark blue.

B) Fashionablepants in bright colors. D) Something to match her brown pants.

16. A) Its price. C)Its comfort.

B) Its location D)Its facilities.

17. A) Traveloverseas. C) Take a photo.

B) Look for a newjob. D) Adopt a child.

18. A) It is aroutine offer. C) It is quite healthy.

B) It is new onthe menu. D) It is a good bargain.

Questions 19 to 22are based on the conversation you.

19. A) Hosting anevening TV program. C) Lecturing on business management.

B) Having herbicycle repaired. D) Conducting a market survey.

20. A) He repairedbicycles. C) He worked as a salesman.

B) He served as aconsultant. D) He coached in a racing club.

21. A) He wantedto be his own boss.

B) He found it moreprofitable

C) He didn’t wantto start from scratch.

D) He didn’t wantto be in too much debt.

22. A) They workfive days a week. C) They are paid by the hour.

B) They are allthe man’s friends. D) They all enjoy gambling.

Questions 23 to 25are based on the conversation you have just heard.

23. A) It hasgradually given way to service industry.

B) It remains amajor part of industrial activity.

C) It has ahistory as long as paper processing.

D) It accounts for80 percent of the region’s GDP.

24. A) Transportproblems. C) Lack of resources.

B) Shortage offunding. D) Poor management.

25. A) Competitionfrom rival companies. C) Possible locations for a new factory

B) Productpromotion campaigns. D) Measures to create job opportunities.

Section B

Directions: Inthis section you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, youwill hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spokenonly once After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from thefour choices marked A) ,B) ,C) and D) .Then mark the corresponding letter onAnswer sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

Passage One

Questions 26 to 28are based on the passage you have just heard.

26. A) They sharedmutual friends in school.

B) They had knowneach other since childhood.

C) They sharedmany extracurricular activities.

D) They had manyinterests in common.

27. A) At a localclub. B) At the sports center.

B) At Joe’s house.D) At the bearing school.

28. A) Durable friendshipscan be very difficult to maintain

B) One has to berespectful of other people in order to win respect.

C) It is hard forpeople from different backgrounds to become friends

D) Socialdivisions will break down if people get to know each other

Passage Two

Questions 29 to 31are based as the passage you have just heart.

29. A) Near theentrance of a park. C) At a parking meter.

B) In hisbuilding’s parking lot D) At a street corner.

30. A) It had beentaken by the police C) It had been stolen by someone.

B) It had beenmoved to the next block. D) It had been parked at a wrong place

31. A) At theGreenville center. C) In a neighboring town.

B) At a publicparking lot. D) In the city garage.

Passage Three

Questions 32 to 35are based on the passage you have just heard.

32. A) Famouscreative individuals. C) A major scientific discovery.

B) Themysteriousness of creativity. D) Creativity as shown in arts.

33. A) It issomething people all engage in. C) It starts soon after we are born.

B) It helps peopleacquire knowledge. D) It is the source of all artistic work.

34. A) Creativeimagination. C) Natural curiosity.

B) Logicalreasoning D) Critical thinking.

35. A) It isbeyond ordinary people. C) It is part of everyday life.

B) It is yet to befully understood. D) It is a unique human trait.

Section C

Directions: In this section, you will hear a passagethree times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listencarefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time,you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exactwords you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are requiredto fill in the missing information. For these blanks you can other use the exactwords you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words.Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what youhave written.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

Students have been complaining more and more aboutstolen property. Radios, cell phones, bicycles, pocket (36), and books have allbeen reported stolen. Are there enough campus police to do the job?

There are 20officers in the Campus Security Division Their job is to (37) crime, accidentslost and found (38) ,and traffic problems on campus. More than half of theirtime is spent directing traffic and writing parking tickets.(39) promptly toaccidents and other(40) is important, but it is their smallest job.

Dealing with crimetakes up the rest of their time. Very (41) do any violent crimes actually (42).In the last five years there have been no(43) .seven robberies and about 60other violent attacks, most of these involving fights at parties. On the otherhand, (44), which usually involves breaking windows or lights or writing onwalls. The thefts are not the carefully planned burglaries(入室盗窃)that you see in movies.(45)______ Do we reallyneed more police? Hiring more campus police would cost money, possibly makingour tuition go up again. (46)________

短对话：

11:

M: As you can see from the drawings, the kitchen has one door into the diningroom, another into the family room and a third to the outside.

W: The door into the family room isn’t big enough. Could it be made wider?

Q: What are the speakers doing?

12.

M: I’m thinking about where to go for a bite tonight. Any suggestions, Barbara?

W: Well, how about the French restaurant near the KFC? Frankly, I’ve had enoughof our canteen food.

Q: What do we learn about the woman?

13.

W: Hey, if you can’t enjoy the music at a sensible volume, why not use earphones?I’m preparing for the speech contest.

M: Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize I’ve being bothering you all this time.

Q: What is the man probably doing?

14.

M: Finally, I’ve got the chance to put on my new suit tonight. I hope to make agood impression on your family.

W: Come on! It’s only a family reunion. So jeans and T-shirts are just fine.

Q: What does the woman mean?

15.

M: Would you like to see those pants in brown and navy blue? These two colorsare coming in this season.

W: Oh, actually grey is my favorite color, but I prefer something made fromcotton, 100% cotton I mean.

Q: What is the woman looking for?

16.

W: From here, the mountains look as if you could just reach out and touch them.

M: That’s why I chose this lodge. It has one of the best views in Switzerland.

Q: What is the man’s chief consideration in choosing the lodge?

17.

M: What do I have to do to apply for a passport?

W: You need proof of citizenship, either an old passport or a birth certificateand three photographs. Then you must complete this form and pay a fee.

Q: What is the man most probably going to do?

18.

M: Miss, can I interest you in a pork special with serving tonight? It’s only799, half the usual price and it’s very tasty.

W: Oh really? I will try it.

Q: What does the man say about the dish?

长对话：

Conversation 1

W：Good evening andwelcome to this week’s Business World, the program for and about businesspeople. Tonight, we have Mr. Steven Kayne, who has just taken over andestablished bicycle shop. Tell us, Mr. Kayne, what made you want to run yourown store?

M: Well, I always loved racing bikes and fixing them. When I was workingfull-time as a salesman for a big company, I seldom had time to enjoy my hobby.I knew then that as soon as I had enough money to get my own business going,I’ll do it. I had my heart set on it and I didn’t let anything stand in my way.When I went down to the bank and got a business loan, I knew I’d love being myown boss. Now my time is my own. I open the store when I want and leave when Iwant.

W: You mean you don’t keep regular hours?

M: Well, the sign on my store says the hours are ten to six, but if business isslower than usual, I can just lock up and take off early.

W: Have you hired any employees to work with you yet?

M: Yeah, a couple of friends of mine who love biking as much as I do. They helpme out a few days a week. It’s great because we play cards or just sit aroundand talk when there are no customers.

W: Thank you, Mr. Kayne. We wish you success in your new business.

Question 19-22 are based on theconversation you have just heard.

19. What is the woman doing?

20. What did Mr. Kayne do before he took over the bicycle shop?

21. Why did the man take over a bicycle shop?

22. What do we learn about the people working in the shop?

Conversation 2

W: Well, the main activities in the region were historically steel and paperprocessing, I think.

M: Yes, but I’m not quite sure about the status of those industries now. Couldyou tell us something about that?

W: Yes, of course. In fact, they are less significant, but steel-relatedmanufacturing still accounts for 44% of industrial activity. So it’s still veryimportant. In fact, 80% of Spain’s machine tools are from the Basque Country.As for paper processing, there’s still a little. But it’s no longer what itonce was in the region. So, is that clear?

M: Yes, thanks.

W: Now, to get back to what I was saying, there’s a lot of unemployment as wellas geographical problems in the region.

M: Sorry, Victoria. What do you mean by geographical problems?

W: Well, what I mean is the area is very hilly, mountainous in parts. So thereused to be transport problems, now though there are new train links and betterroads, but it may be that some smaller towns inland remain not very wellconnected, is that OK? Does that make sense? When we talk about specificlocation suggestions for the factory, we’ll see this in more detail, so we’llcome back to this question, OK?

M: OK, right.

W: So I was about to say something about the work force in the region and thelevel of training and education. In general, it’s very good and improving.

Question 23-25 are based on theconversation you have just heard.

23. What does the woman say about the steel-related manufacturing in theregion?

24. What problem hinders the region’s development?

25. What will the speakers discuss later?

短文：

Passage 1

I first met Joe Ganz when we were both nine years old, which is probably theonly reason he’s one of my best friends. If I had first met Joe as a freshmanin high school we wouldn’t even have had the chance to get to know each other.Joe is a day student, but I am a boarding student. We haven’t been in sameclasses, sports or extra-curricular activities. Nonetheless, I spend nearlyevery weekend at his house and we talk on the phone every night. This is not tosay that we would not have been compatible if we had first met in our freshmanyear. Rather, we would not have been likely to spend enough time getting toknow each other due to the lack of immediately visible mutual interests. Infact, to be honest, I struggle even now to think of things we have in common.But maybe that’s what makes us enjoy each other’s company so much. When I lookat my friendship with Joe, I wonder how many people I’ve known whom I neverdisliked, but simply didn’t take the time to get to know. Thanks to Joe, I haverealized how little basis there is for the social divisions that exist in everycommunity. Since this realization, I have begun to make an even more determinedeffort to find friends in unexpected people and places.

Q:

26: Why does the speaker say Joe Ganz became one of his best friends?

27: Where does the speaker spend most of his weekends?

28: What has the speaker learned from his friendship with Joe?

Passage 2

It was a bad night for Lewis. His research in the neighboring town has takenlonger than he expected. It was late and he was very tired when he drove home.He turned into his building’s parking lot, but all the spaces were full. Hedrove back out onto the street, looking for a parking space. The first block wasfull. The next block was almost empty. Lewis didn’t see a “no parking” sign,but he has expected that his parking were allowed there. Most the spaces wouldbe filled. Then he saw a small parking lot with two free spaces. He was so gladto see them that he didn’t even think to read the sign by the entrance. Hedrove in, parked and hurried home to go to bed. The next morning he went backto the lot to get his car. It was gone. He ran home and telephoned the citypolice to say that his car had been stolen. It took the police only a minute totell him what had happened: his car had been on a private lot. It had beentaken away by the police. Lewis had to take a taxi to visit the city garage farfrom the city center. He had to pay a fee of 40 dollars to get his car back. Inaddition, he got a parking ticket, his first one ever in Greenville.

Q:

29: Where did Lewis intend to park his car when he came back from work onenight?

30: What did Lewis think had happened to his car the next morning?

31: Where did Lewis finally get his car back?

Passage 3

Well, to pick up where we left off last time, I believe we agreed thatcreativity is a mysterious idea. It was those things we all recognize when wesee it, but we don’t really understand what it is. We seem to feel that somepeople are naturally creative, but we don’t know how they got that way. Iscreativity a natural gift like good looks, or is it something that can beacquired like knowledge? Perhaps if we analyze the creative process carefully,we might get some insight into what it is and how it might work in our lives.The creative process has always been accepted as the source of all importantwork in the arts, but we should not think the creativity plays a role only inthe arts. Every major scientific discovery began with someone imagining theworld to look differently from the way others saw it. And this is whatcreativity is all about -- imagining the world in a new way. And despite whatyou may believe about the limits of your own creative imaginations, we all havethe potential to imagine the world in an absolutely new way. In fact, you areborn with it. It is your birth right as a human being. And what’s more, you useit every day, almost every moment of your life. Your creative imagination iswhat you use to make sense of your experiences. It’s your creative mind thatgets meaning from chaos of experiences and brings order to your world.

32. What did the speaker mostprobably discuss last time?

33. What is the widely accepted idea about the creative process?

34. What leads to major scientific discoveries according to the speaker?

35. What does the speaker imply about the creative process?

复合式听写：

Students have been complainingmore and more about stolen property. Radios, cell phones, bicycles, pocketcalculators and books have all been reported stolen. Are there enough campuspolice to do the job? There are twenty officers in the campus securitydivision. Their job is to handle crime, accidents, lost-and-found items andtraffic problems on campus. More than half of their time is spent directingtraffic and writing parking tickets. Responding promptly to accidents and otheremergencies is important, but it is their smallest job. Dealing with crimetakes up the rest of their time. Very rarely do any violent crimes actuallyoccur. In the last five years. There have been no murders, seven robberies andabout 60 other violent attacks, most of these involving fights at parties. Onthe other hand, there have been hundreds of thefts and cases of deliberatedamaging of public property, which usually involves breaking windows or lightsor writing on walls. The thefts are not the carefully planned burglaries thatyou see in movies. Things get stolen when it’s easy to steal them, because theyare left lying around unwatched. Do we really need more police? Hiring morecampus police will cost money, possibly making our tuition go up again. Abetter way to solve this problem might be for all of us to be more careful withour things.

Part Ⅳ ReadingComprehension (Reading in depth)(25minntes)

Section A

Directions: Inthis section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to selectone word for each blank from a list of choices given in a ward bank Read thepassage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bankis identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each of themon Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any ofthe words in the bank more than once.

Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage,

One in six.Believe it or not, that’s the number of Americans who struggle with hanger. Tomake tomorrow a little better, Feeding Action Month. As part of its 30 Ways in30 Days program, it’s asking 48 across the country to help the more than 200food banks and 61,000 agencies in its network provide low-income individualsand families with the fuel they need to 49.

It’s the kind ofwork that’s done every day at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in San Antonio,People who 50 at its front door on the first and third Thursdays of each montharen’t looking for God-they’re there for something to eat, St. Andrew’s runs afood pantry(食品堂)that 51 the city and several of the 52towns. Janet Drane is its manager.

In the wake of the53 .the number of families in need of food assistance began to grow. It is 54that 49 million Americans are unsure of where they will find their next meal what’smost surprising is that 36% of them live in 55 where at least one adult is.Working. “It used to be that one job was all you needed.” says St. Andrew’sDrane. “The people we see now have three or four part-time jobs and they’restill right on the edge 56.”

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

A) surviveI)formally

B) surroundingJ)financially

C) servesK)domestic

D) reviewedL)competition

E) reportedM)communities

F) recessionN)circling

G) householdsO)accumulate

H) gather

Section B

Directions: thereare 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions orunfinished statements For each of them there are four choices marked A) ,B) ,C)and D) .You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letteron

Answer Sheer 2with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.

In times ofeconomic crisis. Americans turn to their families for support. If the GreatDepression is any guide, we may see a drop in our sky high divorce rate. Butthis won’t necessarily represent. an increase in happy marriages. In the longrun, the Depression weakened American families, and the current crisis willprobably do the same.

We tend to thinkof the Depression as a time when families pulled together to survive huge joblosses, by 1932. When nearly one-quarter of the workforce was unemployed, thedivorce rate had declined by around 25% from 1929 But this doesn’t mean peoplewere suddenly happier with their marriages. Rather, with incomes decreasing andinsecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn’t afford to divorce. They fearedneither spouse could manage alone.

Today, given thejob losses of the past year, fewer unhappy couples will risk starting separatehouseholds, Furthermore, the housing market meltdown will make it moredifficult for them to finance their separations by selling their homes.

After financialdisasters family members also tend to do whatever they can to help each otherand their communities, A 1940 book. The Unemployed Man and His Family,described a family in which the husband initially reacted to losing his job“with tireless search for work.”He was always active, looking for odd jobs todo.

The problem isthat such an impulse is hard to sustain Across the country, many similarfamilies were unable to maintain the initial boost in morale(士气). For some, the hardships of life without steady workeventually overwhelmed their attempts to keep their families together. Thedivorce rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery tookhold.

Millions ofAmerican families may now be in the initial stage of their responses to thecurrent crisis, working together and supporting one another through the earlymonths of unemployment.

Today’s economic crisis could well generate a similarnumber of couples whose relationships have been irreparably(无法弥补地)ruined. So it’s only when the economy is healthyagain that we’ll begin to see just how many broken families have been created.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

57. In the initialstage, the current economic crisis is likely to __________.

A) tear manytroubled families apart

B) contribute toenduring family ties

C) bring about adrop in the divorce rate

D) cause a lot ofconflicts in the family

58. In the GreatDepression many unhappy couples close to stick together because

A) starting a newfamily would be hard

B) they expectedthings would turn better

C) they wanted tobetter protect their kids

D) livingseparately would be too costly

59. In addition tojob losses. What stands in the way of unhappy couples getting a divorce?

A) Mounting familydebts

B) A sense ofinsecurity

C) Difficulty ingetting a loan

D) Falling housingprices

60. What will thecurrent economic crisis eventually do to some married couples?

A) It will force themto pull their efforts together

B) It willundermine their mutual understanding

C) It will helpstrengthen their emotional bonds

D) It willirreparably damage their relationship

61. What can beinferred from the last paragraph?

A) The economicrecovery will see a higher divorce rate

B) Few couples canstand the test of economic hardships

C) A stable familyis the best protection against poverty.

D) Money is thefoundation of many a happy marriage

Passage Two

Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage:

People are beinglured (引诱)onto Facebook with the promise of a fun,free service without realizing they’re paying for it by giving up toads ofpersonal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling theirdata to advertisers that want to send targeted messages.

Most Facebookusers don’t realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is upto, they still have no idea what they’re paying for Face book because peopledon’t really know what their personal data is worth.

The biggestproblem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules Early on youkeep everything private. That was the great thing about facebook you couldcreate own little private network. Last year. The company changed its privacyrules so that many things you city. Your photo, your friends’ names-were set,by default (默认)to be shared with everyone on theInternet.

According to Facebook’s vice-president Elliot Schrage,the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if peopledon’t share information They have a “less satisfying experience”.

Some critics thinkthis is more about Facebook looking to make more money. In original businessmodel, which involved selling ads and putting then At the side of the pagestotally Who wants to look at ads when they’re online connecting with theirfriends?

The privacy issuehas already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April, SenatorCharles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urgedthe Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites. “Ithink the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about whatthe new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to usethem,” Schrage admits.

I suspect thatwhatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy, it’s only thebeginning. Which is why I’m considering deactivating(撤销)my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I’m upsetby the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don’t That’s toohigh a price to pay.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

62. What do welearn about Facebook from the first paragraph?

A) It is a websitethat sends messages to targeted users.

B) It makes moneyby putting on advertisements.

C) It profits byselling its users’ personal data.

D) It providesloads of information to its users.

63. What does theauthor say about most Facebook users?

A) They arereluctant to give up their personal information.

B) They don’t knowtheir personal data enriches Facebook.

C) They don’tidentify themselves when using the website.

D) They care verylittle about their personal information.

64. Why doesFacebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?

A) To renderbetter service to its users.

B) To conform tothe Federal guidelines.

C) To improve its users’connectivity.

D) To expand itsscope of business.

65. Why doesSenator Charles Schumer advocate?

A) Settingguidelines for advertising on websites.

B) Banning thesharing of users’ personal information.

C) Formulatingregulations for social-networking sites.

D) Removing adsfrom all social-networking sites.

66. Why does theauthor plan to cancel his Facebook account?

A) He isdissatisfied with its current service.

B) He finds manyof its users untrustworthy.

C) He doesn’t wanthis personal data abused.

D) He is upset byits frequent rule changes.

Part V Cloze(15 minutes)

Directions: Thereare 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choicesmarked A), B), C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You should choose theONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter onAnswer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

Because conflict and disagreements are part ofall close relationships, couples need to learn strategies for managing conflictin a healthy and constructive way. Some couples just 67 and deny the presenceof any conflict in a relationship. 68 ,denying the existence of conflictresults in couples 69 to solve their problems at early 70 ,which can then leadto even greater problems later 71 .Not surprisingly, expressing anger anddisagreement leads to lower marital (婚姻的)satisfactionat the beginning. However, this pattern of behavior 72 increases in maritalsatisfaction over time. Research suggests that working 73 conflicts is animportant predictor of marital satisfaction.

So, what can youdo to manage conflict in your own relationships? First, try to understand theother person’s point of view 74 put yourself in his or her place. People whoare 75 to what their partner thinks and feels 76 greater relationshipsatisfaction. For example, researchers found that among people in datingrelationships 77 marriages, those who can adopt their partner’s perspectiveshow more positive 78 .more relationship-enhancing attributes and moreconstructive responses 79 conflict.

Second, becauseconflict and disagreements are an 80 part of close relationships. People needto be able to apologize to their partner for wrongdoing and 81 forgiveness fromtheir parents for their own acts. Apologies minimize conflict, lead toforgiveness, and serve to restore relationship closeness. In line 82 this view,spouses who are more forgiving show higher mental 83 over time. Increasingly,apologizing can even have 84 health benefits. For example, when people reflecton hurtful 85 and grudges(怨恨)，they shownegative physiological(生理的) effects, including 86 heart rate andblood pressure, compared to when they reflect on sympathetic perspective-takingand forgiving.

67. A) resolve B) regretC) abandon D) avoid

68. A) Besides B) ThereforeC) Moreover D) However

69. A) trying B) decliningC) failing D) striving

70. A) ages B) yearsC) stages D) intervals

71. A) on B) by C)off D) away

72. A) prescribes B)protests C) proves D) predicts

73. A) round B) amidC) among D) through

74. A) so B) whileC) but D) and

75. A) sensitive B)superior C) exclusive D) efficient

76. A) expose B) experienceC) explore D) exploit

77. A) as long as B)as far as C) as well as D) as soon as

78. A) minds B) emotionsC) psychology D) affection

79. A) to B) againstC) at D) toward

80. A) absolute B)inevitable C) essential D) obvious

81. A) require B) inquireC) receive D) achieve

82. A) over B) withC) up D) of

83. A) quality B) identityC) charity D) capability

84. A) creative B)positive C) objective D) competitive

85. A) prospects B)concepts C) memories D) outlooks

86. A) added B) toughenedC) strengthened D) increased

Part Vl Translation (5 minutes)

Directions:Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given inbrackets.

Please write yourtranslation on Answer Sheet 2

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答，只需写出译文部分。

87.Those flowerslooked as if they_____________________(好长时间没有浇水了).

88.Fred bought acar last week. It is______________________(比我的车便宜一千英镑).

89.This TV programis quite boning We might______________(不妨听听音乐)

90.He left hisoffice in a hurry, with______________________(灯亮着，门开着)

91.The famousnovel is said to __________________________(已经被译成多种语言).

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

Part Ⅰ Writing (30minutes)

Directions: Forthis part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled ExcessivePackaging following the outline given below. You should write at least 120words but no more than 180 words.

1.目前许多商品存在过度包装的现象

2.出现这一现象的原因

3.我对这一现象的看法和建议

On ExcessivePackaging

篇2：12月大学英语四级考试试卷

Part ⅠWriting(30 minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on the topic: AidEducation in China.You should write at least 120 words following the outline given in Chinese below:

1.每年，高校许多大学生受到鼓舞去贫困地区支教。2.支教活动的意义。

3.我的看法。

提示:在实考试卷中，该试题在答题卡1上。

Aid--Education in China

Part ⅡReading Comprehension(Skimming and Scanning)(15 minutes)

Directions:In this part,you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1.For questions 1-7,mark

Y(for YES)if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;

N(for NO)if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;

NG(for NOT GIVEN)if the information is not given in the passage.For questions 8-10,complete the sentences with information given in the passage.Will We Run Out of Water?

Picture a “ghost ship” sinking into the sand, left to rot on dry land by a receding sea.Then imagine dust storms sweeping up toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers from the dry seabed and spewing them across towns and villages.Seem like a scene from a movie about the end of the world? For people living near the Aral sea(咸海)in Central Asia, it’s all too real.Thirty years ago, government planners diverted the rivers that flow into the sea in order to irrigate(provide water for)farmland.As a result, the sea has shrunk to half its original size, stranding(使搁浅)ships on dry land.The seawater has tripled in salt content and become polluted, killing all 24 native species of fish.Similar large--scale efforts to redirect water in other parts of the world have also ended in ecological crisis, according to numerous environmental groups.But many countries continue to build massive dams and irrigation systems, even though such projects can create more problems than they fix.Why? People in many parts of the world are desperate for water, and more people will need more water in the next century.“Growing populations will worsen problems with water,” says Peter H.Gleick, an environmental scientist at the Pacific Institute for studies in Development, Environment, and Security, a research organization in California.He fears that by the year 2025, as many as one--third of the world’s projected(预测的)8.3 billion people will suffer from water shortages.WHERE WATER GOES

Only 2.5 percent of all water on Earth is freshwater, water suitable for drinking and growing food, says Sandra Postel, director of the Global Water Policy Project in Amherst, Mass.Two--thirds of this freshwater is locked in glaciers(冰山)and ice caps（冰盖）.In fact, only a tiny percentage of freshwater is part of the water cycle, in which water evaporates and rises into the atmosphere, then condenses and falls back to Earth as precipitation(rain or snow).Some precipitation runs off land to lakes and oceans, and some becomes groundwater, water that seeps into the earth.Much of this renewable freshwater ends up in remote places like the Amazon river basin in Brazil, where few people live.In fact, the world’s population has access to only 12,500 cubic kilometers of freshwater—about the amount of water in Lake Superior(苏必利尔湖).And people use half of this amount already.“If water demand continues to climb rapidly,” says Postel, “there will be severe shortages and damage to the aquatic(水的)environment.”

CLOSE TO HOME

Water woes(灾难)may seem remote to people living in rich countries like the United States.But Americans could face serious water shortages, too especially in areas that rely on groundwater.Groundwater accumulates in aquifers(地下蓄水层)，layers of sand and gravel that lie between soil and bedrock.(For every liter of surface water, more than 90 liters are hidden underground.)Although the United States has large aquifers, farmers, ranchers, and cities are tapping many of them for water faster than nature can replenish(补充)it.In northwest Texas, for example, overpumping has shrunk groundwater supplies by 25 percent, according to Postel.Americans may face even more urgent problems from pollution.Drinking water in the United States is generally safe and meets high standards.Nevertheless, one in five Americans every day unknowingly drinks tap water contaminated with bacteria and chemical wastes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.In Milwaukee, 400,000 people fell ill in 1993 after drinking tap water tainted with cryptosporidium(隐孢子虫)，a microbe(微生物)that causes fever, diarrhea(腹泻)and vomiting.THE SOURCE

Where so contaminants come from? In developing countries, people dump raw(未经处理的)sewage(污水)into the same streams and rivers from which they draw water for drinking and cooking;about 250 million people a year get sick from water borne(饮水传染的)diseases.In developed countries, manufacturers use 100,000 chemical compounds to make a wide range of products.Toxic chemicals pollute water when released untreated into rivers and lakes.(Certain compounds, such as polychlorinated biphenyls(多氯化联二苯)，or PCBs, have been banned in the United States.)

But almost everyone contributes to water pollution.People often pour household cleaners, car antifreeze, and paint thinners(稀释剂)down the drain;all of these contain hazardous chemicals.Scientists studying water in the San Francisco Bay reported in 1996 that 70 percent of the pollutants could be traced to household waste.Farmers have been criticized for overusing herbicides and pesticides, chemicals that kill weeds and insects but insects but that pollute water as well.Farmers also use nitrates, nitrogen--rich fertilizer that helps plants grow but that can wreak havoc(大破坏)on the environment.Nitrates are swept away by surface runoff to lakes and seas.Too many nitrates “overenrich” these bodies of water, encouraging the buildup of algae, or microscopic plants that live on the surface of the water.Algae deprive the water of oxygen that fish need to survive, at times choking off life in an entire body of water.WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?

Water expert Gleick advocates conservation and local solutions to water--related problems;governments, for instance, would be better off building small--scale dams rather than huge and disruptive projects like the one that ruined the Aral Sea.“More than 1 billion people worldwide don’t have access to basic clean drinking water,” says Gleick.“There has to be a strong push on the part of everyone—governments and ordinary people—to make sure we have a resource so fundamental to life.”

提示:在实考试卷中，8-10题在答题卡1上。

1.That the huge water projects have diverted the rivers causes the Aral Sea to shrink.2.The construction of massive dams and irrigation projects does more good than harm.3.The chief causes of water shortage are population growth and water pollution.4.The problems Americans face concerning water are ground water shrinkage and tap water pollution.5.According to the passage all water pollutants come from household waste.6.The people living in the United States will not be faced with water shortages.7.Water expert Gleick has come up with the best solution to water—related problems.8.According to Peter H.Gleick, by the year 2025, as many as of the world’s people will suffer from water shortages.9.Twothirds of the freshwater on Earth is locked in.10.In developed countries, before toxic chemicals are released into rivers and lakes, they should be treated in order to avoid.Part Ⅲ Listening Comprehension（35 minutes）

Section A

Directions:In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations.At the end of each conversation,one or more questions will be asked about what was said.Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.After each question there will be a pause.During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A),B),C)and D),and decide which is the best answer.Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11.A)Talk to his sister.B)Look at a map.C)Go on a diet.D)Tell the man why.12.A)Do whatever has been planned.B)Have a picnic and go camping.C)Eat out and see a play.D)Go to the beach.13.A)The weather was better.B)The weather was a little bit warmer.C)The weather was a little bit colder.D)The weather was cooler than expected.14.A)Mr.Steward is honest.B)Mr.Steward looks honest.C)Mr.Steward looks dishonest.D)Mr.Steward is dishonest.15.A)He did quite well with it.B)He has money problem now.C)He is in need of qualified staff.D)He could not carry it on any more.16.A)＄2.00.B)＄6.00.C)＄4.00.D)＄5.00.17.A)They will spend the summer in Italy.B)They are both from Europe.C)They are both students.D)They are both interested in art.18.A)Not getting what she wants.B)A custom that is new to her.C)Calling up customers.D)Some of her good friends.Question 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19.A)A more economical diesel fuel.B)Characteristics of a new type of fuel.C)Where a new energy source is located.D)How to develop alternative energy sources.20.A)He’s studying for a test.B)He lost his notes.C)He missed the class.D)He’s doing research on alternative.21.A)It will reduce the amount of pollutants in the air.B)It will increase the amount of unpleasant odors from vehicles.C)It will eventually destroy the ozone layer.D)It will reduce the cost of running large vehicles.22.A)To help him explain the information to his roommate.B)To help him write a paper.C)To prepare for a test.D)To tell her if the notes are accurate.Question 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23.A)The woman has passed her final exams.B)The woman wants to know how to write term papers.C)The woman is going to visit Gettysburg.D)The man introduces his experiences in Gettysburg.24.A)Because her parents like traveling.B)Because her parents like history.C)Because traveling in such places costs less.D)Because her parents want to reinforce the stuff they learned in school about history.25.A)It is far away from the city she lives in.B)It is a place where many great people were born.C)It has a certain political influences in the United States right after the battle at Gettysburg.D)It is worth reading history about Gettysburg.Section B

Directions:In this section,you will hear 3 short passages.At the end of each passage,you will hear some questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage One

Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26.A)A plate.B)A pear.C)A ball.D)An egg.27.A)How most mathematicians work.B)Accidental discovery about the earth’s shape.C)How to track an orbit.D)How astronauts use computers to measure the size of satellite.28.A)To prove the earth was round.B)To gather information for planning space flights.C)Because all spacecraft had to carry computers.D)Because it can measure the size of the satellite.Passage Two

Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.29.A)About 30,000.B)Around 300,000.C)Over 300,000.D)More than 330,000.30.A)He had promised to do so.B)He had this kind of training before.C)He didn’t want to make the crowd disappointed.D)He needed the great amount of money.31.A)Three times.B)Four times.C)Six times.D)Seven times.Passage Three

Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.32.A)One in a billion digits.B)Zero.C)One mistake per two hundred digits.D)One in a million digits.33.A)It is the nerve cells of a computer.B)It is the brain of a computer.C)It is the eye of a computer.D)It is the heart of a computer.34.A)One second.B)Two years.C)One minute.D)A day.35.A)Human beings make fewer errors.B)Human beings do not have to be programmed.C)Human beings work more quickly.D)Human beings have to be programmed.Section C

Directions:In this section,you will hear a passage three times.When the passage is read for the first time,you should listen carefully for its general idea.When the passage is read for the second time,you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard.For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information.For these blanks,you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in you own words.Finally, when the passage is read for the third time,you should check what you have written.提示:在实考试卷中，该试题在答题卡2上。

If parents bring up a child with the aim of turning the child into a(36), they will cause a(37).According to several leading(38)psychologists, this is one of the biggest mistakes which ambitious parents make.Generally, the child will be only too(39)of what the parent expects, and will fail.Unrealistic parental expectations can cause great(40)to children.However, if parents are not too(41)about what they expect their children to do, but are ambitious in a sensible way, the child may(42)in doing very well—especially if the parents are very(43)of their child.Michael Li is very lucky.(44).Although Michael’s mother knows very little about music, Michael’s father plays the trumpet in a large orchestra.However, he never makes Michael enter music competitions if he is unwilling.Michael’s friend, Winston Chen, however, is not so lucky.(45).They want their son to be as successful as they are and so they enter him in every piano competition held.They are very unhappy when he does not win.“(46)”.Winston’s father tells him.Winston is always afraid that he will disappoint his parents and now he always seems quiet and unhappy.Part ⅣReading Comprehension（Reading in Depth）（25 minutes）

Section A

Directions:In this section,there is a passage with ten blanks.You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.Read the passage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.If our society ever needed a reading renaissance（复兴）, it’s now.The National Endowment for the Arts released “Reading at Risk” last year, a study showing that adult reading47 have dropped 10 percentage points in the past decade, with the steepest drop among those 18 to 24.“Only one half of young people read a book of any kind in 2002.We set the bar almost on the ground.If you read one short story in a teen—ager magazine, that would have48 ,” laments a director of research and analysis.He49 the loss of readers to the booming world of technology, which attracts would—be leisure readers to E—mail, IM chats, and video games and leaves them with no time to cope with a novel.“These new forms of media undoubtedly have some benefits,” says Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad Is Good for You.Video games

problem—solving skills;TV shows promote mental gymnastics by

viewers to follow complex story lines.But books offer experience that can’t be gained from these other sources, from52 vocabulary to stretching the imagination.“If they’re not reading at all,” says Johnson, “that’s a huge problem.”

In fact, fewer kids are reading for pleasure.According to data53 last week from the National Center for Educational Statistic’s long—term trend assessment, the number of 17—year—olds who reported never or hardly ever reading for fun

from 9 percent in 1984 to 19 percent in 2004.At the same time, the

of 17—year—olds who read daily dropped from 31 to 22.This slow but steady retreat from books has not yet taken a toll on reading ability.Scores for the nation’s youth have56 constant over the past two decades(with an encouraging upswing among 9—year—olds).But given the strong apparent correlation between pleasure reading and reading skills, this means poorly for the future.Section B

Directions:There are 2 passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage One

Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.There is a new type of small advertisement becoming increasingly common in newspaper classified columns.It is sometimes placed among “situations vacant”, although it does not offer anyone a job, and sometimes it appears among “situations wanted”, although it is not placed by someone looking for a job, either.What it does is to offer help in applying for a job.“Contact us before writing your application”, or “Make use of our long experience in preparing your curriculum vitae or job history”, is how it is usually expressed.The growth and apparent success of such a specialized service is, of course, a reflection on the current high levels of unemployment.It is also an indication of the growing importance of the curriculum vitae(or job history), with the suggestion that it may now qualify as an art form in its own right.There was a time when job seekers simply wrote letters of application.“Just put down your name, address, age and whether you have passed any exams”, was about the average level of advice offered to young people applying for their first jobs when I left school.The letter was really just for openers, it was explained, everything else could and should be saved for the interview.And in those days of full employment the technique worked.The letter proved that you could write and were available for work.Your eager face and intelligent replies did the rest.Later, as you moved up the ladder, something slightly more sophisticated was called for.The advice then was to put something in the letter which would distinguish you from the rest.It might be the aggressive approach.“Your search is over.I am the person you are looking for”, was a widely used trick that occasionally succeeded.Or it might be some special feature specially designed for the job interview.There is no doubt, however, that it is increasing number of applicants with university education at all points in the process of engaging staff that has led to the greater importance of the curriculum vitae.57.The new type of advertisement which is appearing in newspaper columns.A）informs job hunters of the opportunities available

B）promises to offer useful advice to those looking for employment

C）divides available jobs into various types

D）informs employers of the people available for work

58.Nowadays a demand for this specialized type of service has been created because.A）there is a lack of jobs available for artistic people

B）there are so many toplevel jobs available

C）there are so many people out of work

D）the job history is considered to be a work of art

59.In the past it was expected that first job hunters would.A)write an initial letter giving their life history

B)pass some exams before applying for a job

C)have no qualifications other than being able to read and write

D)keep any detailed information until they obtained an interview

60.Later, as one went on to apply for more important jobs, one was advised to include in the letter.A)something that would distinguish one from other applicants

B)hinted information about the personality of the applicant

C)one’s advantages over others in applying for the job

D)an occasional trick with the aggressive approach

61.The curriculum vitae has become such an important document because.A)there has been an increase in the number of jobs advertised

B)there has been an increase in the number of applicants with degrees

C)jobs are becoming much more complicated nowadays

D)the other processes of applying for jobs are more complicated

Passage Two

Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.In cities with rent control, the city government sets the maximum rent that a landlord can charge for an apartment.Supporters of rent control argue that it protects people who are living in apartments.Their rent cannot increase;therefore, they are not in danger of losing their homes.However, the critics say that after a long time, rent control may have negative effects.Landlords know that they cannot increase their profits.Therefore, they invest in other businesses where they can increase their profits.They do not invest in new buildings which would also be rent—controlled.As a result, new apartments are not built.Many people who need apartments cannot find any.According to the critics, the end result of rent control is a shortage of apartments in the city.Some theorists argue that the minimum wage law can cause problems in the same way.The federal government sets the minimum that an employer must pay workers.The minimum helps people who generally look for unskilled, low—paying jobs.However, if the minimum is high, employers may hire fewer workers.They will replace workers with machinery.The price, which is the wage that employers must pay, increases.Therefore, other things being equal, the number of workers that employers want decreases.Thus, critics claim, an increase in the minimum wage may cause unemployment.Some poor people may find themselves without jobs instead of with jobs at the minimum wage.Supporters of the minimum wage say that it helps people keep their dignity.Because of the law, workers cannot sell their services for less than the minimum.Furthermore, employers cannot force workers to accept jobs at unfair wages.Economic theory predicts the results of economic decisions such as decisions about farm production, rent control, and the minimum wage.The predictions may be correct only if “other things are equal”.Economists do not agree on some of the predictions.They also do not agree on the value of different decisions.Some economists support a particular decision while others criticize it.Economists do agree, however, that there are no simple answers to economic questions.62.There is the possibility that setting maximum rent may.A)cause a shortage of apartments

B)worry those who rent apartments as homes

C)increase the profits of landlords

D)encourage landlords to invest in building apartment

63.According to the critics, rent control.A)will always benefit those who rent apartments

B)is unnecessary

C)will bring negative effects in the long run

D)is necessary under all circumstances

64.The problem of unemployment will arise.A)if the minimum wage is set too highB)if the minimum wage is set too low

C)if the workers are unskilledD)if the maximum wage is set

65.The passage tells us.A)the relationship between supply and demand

B)the possible results of government controls

C)the necessity of government control

D)the urgency of getting rid of government controls

66.Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A)The results of economic decisions can not always be predicted.B)Minimum wage can not always protect employees.C)Economic theory can predict the results of economic decisions if other factors are not changing.D)Economic decisions should not be based on economic theory.Part ⅤCloze(15 minutes)

Directions:There are 20 blanks in the following passage.For each blank there are four choices marked A),B),C)and D)on the right side of the paper.You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage.Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.In recent years, more and more foreigners are involved in the teaching programs of the United States.Both the advantages and the disadvantages67 using

foreign faculty(教师总称）68 teaching positions have

to be69 , of course.It can be said that the foreign

that makes the faculty member from abroad an

asset also71 problems of adjustment, both for the university and for the individual.The foreign research scholar usually isolates72 in the laboratory as a

means of protection;73 , what he needs is to be fitted

a highly organized university system quite different

from75 at home.He is faced in his daily work

differences in philosophy, arrangements of courses and methods of teaching.Both the visiting professor and his students77 a common ground in each other’s

cultures, some78 of what is already in the minds of

American students is79 for the foreign professor.While helping him to80 himself to his new

environment, the university must also81 certain

67.A)with B)for

C)of D)at

68.A)in B)on

C)for D)within

69.A)thought B)measured

C)balanced D)considered

70.A)situation B)circumstances

C)background D)condition

71.A)carries B)create

C)emerges D)solves

72.A)himself B)oneself

C)him D)one

73.A)otherwise B)moreover

C)however D)whatever

74.A)into B)by

C)to D)with

75.A)those B)which

C)what D)that

76.A)toward B)with

C)toD)at

77.A)have B)possess

C)need D)lack

78.A)concept B)feeling

C)plan D)intelligence

79.A)ordered B)asked

C)put D)required

80.A)place B)adapt

C)put D)direct

81.A)remain B)keep

C)make D)cause

adjustments in order to82 full advantage of what the

newcomer can83.It isn’t always known how to make

use of foreign faculty, especially at smaller

colleges.This is thought to be a85 where further

study is called86.The findings of such a study will be of value to colleges and universities with foreign faculty.82.A)take B)make

C)do D)be

83.A)show B)afford

C)express D)offer

84.A)powerful B)creative

C)imaginary D)advanced

85.A)scope B)range

C)field D)district

86.A)on B)for

C)upon D)at

Part ⅥTranslation(5 minutes)

Direction:Complete the sentences on Answer Sheet 2 by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets.提示:在实考试卷中，该试题在答题卡2上。

篇3：12月大学英语四级考试作文

China has often been criticized for the rampant practice of software piracy. Take a look around. We operate on pirated Windows systems, defend PC security with pirated Kaspersky anti-virus programmes, process files with pirated Microsoft Office, draft 3D designs with pirated AutoCAD, refine pictures with pirated Adobe Photoshop, and study English with pirated Kingsofts electronic dictionaries and translators. Its no exaggeration that pirated software is everywhere.

The logic behind the phenomenon is simple and clear: if a pirated copy is available for just a tiny fraction of the normal price, not to speak of many of the free downloads online, who would pay for an authentic copy? Cheaper prices aside, easy access is another important factor. With such a large gathering of pirated upgrades around, who would bother to spend time and money searching the stores for an authorized yet outdated version?

Despite these apparent benefits, the practice of software piracy should be banned, because it represents unfair competition and by nature its a no-win situation. But how? Two approaches are to be taken at the same time: Technically, software developers should enhance their antipiracy engineering, so that cracking the software should be virtually impossible. And legally, the government should also tighten its antipiracy laws and toughen up the penalties, so that violations should be costly.

篇4：12月大学英语四级考试作文

Nowadays, TV PK Shows (or we can call it Talent Shows) are great hit in China and have attracted many young people. As for me, TV PK Shows, as all other things, have both positive and negative effects. Therefore, the most crucial thing is how we see them.

Some people think Talent Shows provide grass-root people with a stage to display their talents, so they should seize every opportunity to show off their talents. Some College students even give up their studies to attend these TV PK Shows in the hope of becoming famous overnight. They even regard TV PK shows as a shortcut to the success. While other people reckon that TV PK Shows will develop the undergraduates’ attitude of anxious of achieving quick success. And once they were failed in these shows, they would suffer a great psychological unbalance. This is really bad to their physical and psychological health.

To sum up, everything has its limit. As long as the right attitude is employed, then it is OK.