2008 年 12 月英语四级真题及答案
Writing
(30 minutes)
Part I
Directions: Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteashortessayentitled
Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic Bag. You should write at least 150 words
following the outline given below.
1.一次性塑料袋的使用
2.使用一次性塑料袋带来的问题
3.限制一次性塑料袋的意义
Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic Bag
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)
Directions: In this part, you willhave 15 minutes to go over thepassage quickly
and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1.
For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked [A], [B],
[C] and [D].
For questions 8 -10, complete the sentences with the information given in the
passage.
(15 minutes)
That’s enough, kids
It was a lovely day at the park and Stella Bianchi was enjoying the sunshine
with her two children when a young boy, aged about four, approached her two-year-old
son and pushed him to the ground.
“I’d watched him for a little while and my son was the fourth or fifth child
he’d shoved,” she says.” I went over to them, picked up my son, turned to the
boy and said, firmly, ’No, we don’t push,” What happened next was unexpected.
“The boy’s mother ran toward me from across the park,” Stella says,” I
thought she was coming over to apologize, but instead she started shouting at me
for disciplining her child, All I did was let him know his behavior was unacceptable.
Was I supposed to sit back while her kid did whatever he wanted, hurting other
children in the process?”
Getting your own children to play nice is difficult enough. Dealing with other
people’s children has become a minefield.
In my house, jumping on the sofa is not allowed. In my sister’s house it’s
encouraged. For her, it’s about kids being kids: “If you can’t do it at three,
when can you do it?”
Each of these philosophies is valid and, it has to be said, my son loves visiting
his aunt’s house. But I find myself saying “no” a lot when her kids are over at
mine. That’s OK between sisters but becomes dangerous territory when you’re
talking to the children of friends or acquaintances.
“Kids aren’t all raised the same,” agrees Professor Naomi White of Monash
University.” But there is still an idea that they’re the property of the parent.
We see our children as an extension of ourselves, so if you’re saying that my child
is behaving inappropriately, then that’s somehow a criticism of me.”
In those circumstances, it’s difficult to know whether to approach the child
directly or the parent first. There are two schools of thought.
“I’d go to the child first,” says Andrew Fuller, author of Tricky Kids. Usually
a quiet reminder that ’we don’t do that here’ is enough. Kids nave finely tuned
antennae (直觉) for how to behave in different settings.”
He points out bringing it up with the parent first may make them feel neglectful,
which could cause problems. Of course, approaching the child first can bring its
own headaches, too.
This is why White recommends that you approach the parents first. Raise your
concerns with the parents if they’re there and ask them to deal with it,” she says.
Asked how to approach a parent in this situation, psychologist Meredith Fuller
answers: “Explain your needs as well as stressing the importance of the friendship.
Preface your remarks with something like: ’I know you’ll think I’m silly but in
my house I don’t want…’”
When it comes to situations where you’re caring for another child, white is
straightforward: “common sense must prevail. If things don’t go well, then have
a chat.”
There’re a couple of new grey areas. Physical punishment, once accepted from
any adult, is no longer appropriate. “A new set of considerations has come to the
fore as part of the debate about how we handle children.”
For Andrew Fuller, the child-centric nature of our society has affected
everyone:” The rules are different now from when today’s parents were growing up,”
he says, “Adults are scared of saying: ’don’t swear’, or asking a child to stand
up on a bus. They’re worried that there will be conflict if they point these things
out – either from older children, or their parents.”
He sees it as a loss of the sense of common public good and public courtesy (礼
貌), and says that adults suffer form it as much as child.
Meredith Fuller agrees: “A code of conduct is hard to create when you’re living
in a world in which everyone is exhausted from overwork and lack of sleep, and a
world in which nice people are perceived to finish last.”
“It’s about what I’m doing and what I need,” Andrew Fuller says. ”the days
when a kid came home from school and said, “I got into trouble”. And dad said,
‘you probably deserved it’. Are over. Now the parents are charging up to the school
to have a go at teachers.”
This jumping to our children’s defense is part of what fuels the “walking on
eggshells” feeling that surrounds our dealings with other people’s children. You
know that if you remonstrate(劝诫) with the child, you’re going to have to deal
with the parent. It’s admirable to be protective of our kids, but is it good?
“Children have to learn to negotiate the world on their own, within reasonable
boundaries,” White says. “I suspect that it’s only certain sectors of the
population doing the running to the school –better –educated parents are probably
more likely to be too involved.”
White believes our notions of a more child-centered, it’ a way of talking about
treating our children like commodities(商品). We’re centered on them but in ways
that reflect positively on us. We treat them as objects whose appearance and
achievements are something we can be proud of, rather than serve the best interests
of the children.”
One way over-worked, under-resourced parents show commitment to their children
is to leap to their defence. Back at the park, Bianchi’ intervention(干预) on her
son’ behalf ended in an undignified exchange of insulting words with the other boy’
mother.
As Bianchi approached the park bench where she’d been sitting, other mums came
up to her and congratulated her on taking a stand. “Apparently the boy had a
longstanding reputation for bad behaviour and his mum for even worse behaviour if
he was challenged.”
Andrew Fuller doesn’t believe that we should be afraid of dealing with other
people’s kids. “look at kids that aren’t your own as a potential minefield,”
he says. He recommends that we don’t stay silent over inappropriate behaviour,
particularly with regular visitors.
1. What did Stella Bianchi expect the young boy’s mother to do when she talked to
him?
A) make an apology
B) come over to intervene
C) discipline her own boy
D) take her own boy away
2. What does the author say about dealing with other people’s children?
A) it’s important not to hurt them in any way
B) it’s no use trying to stop their wrongdoing
C) it’s advisable to treat them as one’s own kids
D) it’s possible for one to get into lots of trouble
3. According to professor Naomi white of Monash university, when one’s kids are
criticized, their parents will probably feel___________________________
A) discouraged
B) hurt
C) puzzled
D) overwhelmed
4. What should one do when seeing other people’s kids misbehave according to Andrew
fuller?
A) talk to them directly in a mild way
B) complain to their parents politely
C) simply leave them alone
D) punish them lightly
5. Due to the child-centric nature of our society, ______________________
A) parents are worried when their kids swear at them
B) people think it improper to criticize kids in public
C) people are reluctant to point our kids’ wrongdoings
D) many conflicts arise between parents and their kids
6. In a world where everyone is exhausted from over work and lack of
sleep,____________________________
A) it’s easy for people to become impatient
B) it’s difficult to create a code of conduct
C) it’s important to be friendly to everybody
D) it’s hard for people to admire each other
7. How did people use to respond when their kids got into trouble at school?
A) they’d question the teachers
B) they’d charge up to the school
C) they’d tell the kids to clam down
D) They’d put the blame on their kids
8. Professor white believes that the notions of a more child-centred society should
be____________________
9. According to professor white, today’s parents treat their children as something
they___________________
10. Andrew fuller suggests that , when kids behave inappropriately, people should
not______________________
Part III
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long
conversations.Attheendofeachconversation,oneormorequestionswillbeasked
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
thefourchoicesmarked[A],[B],[C]and[D],anddecidewhichisthebestanswer.
ThenmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthe
centre.
11. A)Only true friendship can last long.
Listening Comprehension
(35 minutes)
B)Letter writing is going out of style.
C)She keeps in regular touch with her classmates.
D)She has lost contact with most of her old friends.
12. A) A painter.
B) A mechanic.
C) A porter.
D) A carpenter.
13. A) Look for a place near her office.
C) Make inquiries elsewhere.
B) Find a new job down the street.
D) Rent the $600 apartment.
14. A) He prefers to wear jeans with a larger waist.
B) He has been extremely busy recently.
C) He has gained some weight lately.
D) He enjoyed going shopping with Jane yesterday.
15. A)The woman possesses a natural for art.
B) Women have a better artistic taste than men.
C) He isn’t good at abstract thinking.
D) He doesn’t like abstract paintings.
16. A) She couldn’t have left her notebook in the library.
B) she may have put her notebook amid the journals.
C) she should have made careful notes while doing reading.
D) she shouldn’t have read his notes without his knowing it.
17. A)she wants to get some sleep
B) she needs time to write a paper
C) she has a literature class to attend
D)she is troubled by her sleep problem
18. A)He is confident he will get the job.
B)His chance of getting the job is slim.
C)It isn’t easy to find a qualified sales manager.
D)The interview didn’t go as well as he expected.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. A)He can manage his time more flexibly.
B)He can renew contact with his old friends.
C)He can concentrate on his own projects.
D)He can learn to do administrative work.
20. A)Reading its ads in the newspapers.
B)Calling its personnel department.
C)Contacting its manager.
D)Searching its website.
21. A)To cut down its production expenses.
B)To solve the problem of staff shortage.
C)To improve its administrative efficiency.
D)To utilize its retired employees’ resources.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
22. A)Buy a tractor.
B)Fix a house.
C)See a piece of property.
D)Sing a business contract.
23. A)It is only forty miles form where they live.
B)It is a small one with a two-bedroom house.
C)It was a large garden with fresh vegetables.
D)It has a large garden with fresh vegetables.
24. A)Growing potatoes will involve less labor.
B)Its soil may not be very suitable for corn.
C)It may not be big enough for raising corn.
D)Raising potatoes will be more profitable.
C)Labor
D)Profits
B)Equipment
25. A)Finances
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each
passage,you willhearsome questions. Boththe passageand the questions willbe
spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from
thefour choices marked[A], [B], [C]and [D]. Then markthe corresponding letter
on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.
26 A) To introduce the chief of the city’s police force
B)To comment on a talk by a distinguished guest
C)To address the issue of community security
D)To explain the functions of the city council
27 A)He has distinguished himself in city management
B)He is head of the International Police Force
C)He completed his higher education abroad
D)He holds a master’s degree in criminology
28 A)To coordinate work among police departments
B)To get police officers closer to the local people
C)To help the residents in times of emergency
D)To enable the police to take prompt action
29 A)Popular
B)discouraging
C)effective
D)controversial
Passage Two
Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
30 A)people differ greatly in their ability to communicate
B)there are numerous languages in existence
C)Most public languages are inherently vague
D)Big gaps exist between private and public languages
31 A)it is a sign of human intelligence
B)in improves with constant practice
C)it is something we are born with
D)it varies from person to person
32 A)how private languages are developed
B)how different languages are related
C)how people create their languages
D)how children learn to use language
Passage Three
Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
33 A)she was a tailor
B)she was an engineer
C)she was an educator
D)she was a public speaker
34.A)Basing them on science-fiction movies.
B) Including interesting examples in them
C) Adjusting them to different audiences
D) Focusing on the latest progress in space science
35.A) Whether spacemen carry weapons
B) How spacesuits protect spacemen
C) How NASA trains its spacemen
D) What spacemen cat and drink
Section C
Directions: Inthissection,youwillhearapassagethreetimes.Whenthepassage
isreadforthefirsttime,youshouldlistencarefullyforitsgeneralidea.When
the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks
numberedfrom36to43withtheexactwordsyouhavejustheard.Forblanksnumbered
from44to46youarerequiredtofillinthemissinginformation.Fortheseblanks,
youcaneitherusetheexactwordsyouhavejustheardorwritedownthemainpoints
inyourownwords.Finally,whenthepassageisreadforthethirdtime,youshould
check what you have written.
Crime is increasing world wide. There is every reason to believe the (36)____will
continue through the next few decades.
Crime rates have always been high in multicultural, industrialized societies
such as the United States, but a new (37) ____has appeared on the world
(38)____rapidly rising crime rates in nations that previously reported few(39)____.
Street crimes such as robbery, rape (40) ___and auto theft are clearly rising
(41)___in eastern European countries such as Hungary and in western European nations
such as the united Kingdom.
What is driving this crime (42)____?There are no simple answers. Still,there
are certain conditions(43) _______with rising crime increasing
heterogeneity (混
杂) of populations, greater cultural pluralism, higher immigration, democratization
of government,(44) _________________________________________________.
These conditions are increasingly observable around the world. For instance,
cultures that were previously isolated and homogeneous(同种类的) ,such as Japan,
Denmark and Greece (45)_______________________.
Multiculturalism can be a rewarding, enriching experience, but it can also lead
to a clash of values. Heterogeneity in societies will be the rule in the twenty-first
century, and (46)_______________________
Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)
Section A
Question 47-56
A bookless life is an incomplete life. Books influence the depth and breadth
of life. They meet the natural______47_____for freedom, for expression, for
creativity and beauty of life. Learners, therefore, must have books, and the right
type of book, for the satisfaction of their need. Readers turn______48_____ to books
because their curiosity concerning all manners of things, their eagerness to share
in the experiences of others and their need to ____49 _____ from their own limited
environment lead them to find in books food for the mind and the spirit. Through
their reading they find a deeper significance to life as books acquaint them with
life in the world as it was and it is now. They are presented with a __50 _____ of
human experiences and come to ___51 ____ other ways of thought and living. And while
____52 ____ their own relationships and responses to life , the readers often find
that the ___53__ in their stories are going through similar adjustments, which help
to clarify and give significance to their own.
Books provide ___54 ____ material for readers’ imagination to grow.
Imagination is a valuable quality and a motivating power, and stimulates achievement.
B. Characters
C. Communicating
I. Establishing J. Narrow
While enriching their imagination, books __55 ____their outlook, develop a
fact-finding attitude and train them to use leisure ___56 ___. The social and
educational significance of the readers’ books cannot be overestimated in an
academic library.
A. Abundant
G. Diversity
H. Escape
Respect
Section B
Directions: Thereare2passagesinthissection.Eachpassageisfollowedbysome
questionsorunfinishedstatements.Foreachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarked
[A],[B],[C]and[D].Youshoulddecideonthebestchoiceandmarkthecorresponding
letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
E. Derive
F. Desire
O. Widen
D. Completely
K. Naturally
L. Personnel
M. Properly N.
If you are a male and you are reading this ,congratulations: you are a
survivor .According to statistics .you are more than twice as likely to die of skin
cancer than a woman ,and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Assuming you make
it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you will
die on average five years before a woman.
There are many reasons for this-typically, men take more risks than woman and
are more likely to drink and smoke but perhaps more importantly, men don’t go to
the doctor.
“Men aren’t seeing doctors as often as they should, ” says Dr. Gullotta, “This
is particularly so for the over-40s,when diseases tend to strike.”
Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those
over 45,it should be at least once a year.
Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old ma who had delayed doing anything about
his smoker’s cough for a year.
“When I finally saw him it had already spread and he has since died from lung
cancer” he says, “Earlier detection and treatment may not have cured him, but it
would have prolonged this life”
According to a recent survey, 95%of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a
doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group.
“A lot of men think they are invincible (不可战胜的)”Gullotta says “They only
come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and they think” Geez, if it
could happen to him.
Then there is the ostrich approach,” some men are scared of what might be there
and would rather not know, ” says Dr. Ross Cartmill.
“Most men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service their
bodies,” Cartmill says .He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could
be addressed by preventive check-ups.
Regular check-ups for men would inevitably place strain on the public purse,
Cartmill says.” But prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the