2013年12月大学英语四级考试真题（一）
In recent years, a growing body of research has shown that our appetite and food intake are influenced by a large number of factors besides our biological need for energy, including our eating environment and our perception of the food in front of us.
Studies have shown, for instance, that eating in front of the TV (or a similar distraction) can increase both hunger and the amount of food consumed. Even simple visual cues, like plate size and lighting, have been shown to affect portion size and consumption.
A new study suggested that our short-term memory also may play a role in appetite. Several hours after a meal, people's hunger levels were predicted not by how much they’d eaten but rather by how much food they'd seen in front of them—in other words, how much they remembered eating.
This disparity (盖弃）suggests the memory of our previous meal may have a bigger influence on our appetite than the actual size of the meal, says Jeffrey M. Brunstrom, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Bristol.
\"Hunger isn't controlled solely by the physical characteristics of a recent meal. We have identified an independent role for memory for that meal，\" Brunstrom says. \"This shows that the relationship between hunger and food intake is more complex than we thought.\"
These findings echo earlier research that suggests our perception of food can sometimes trick our body’s response to the food itself. In a 2011 study, for instance, people who drank the same 3S0-calorie (卡路里）milkshake on two separate occasions produced different levels of hunger-related hormones （荷尔蒙），depending on whether the shake’s label said it contained 620 or 140 calories. Moreover, the participants reported feeling more full when they thought they'd consumed a higher-calorie shake.
What does this mean for our eating habits? Although it hardly seems practical to trick ourselves into eating less, the new findings do highlight the benefits of focusing on our food and avoiding TV and multitasking while eating.
The so-called mindful-eating strategies can fight distractions and help us control our appetite, Brunstrom says.
56. What is said to be a factor affecting our appetite and food intake?
A) How we perceive the food we eat. C) When we eat our meals.
B) What ingredients the food contains. D) How fast we eat our meals.
57. What would happen at meal time if you remembered eating a lot in the previous meal?
A) You would probably be more picky about food.
B) You would not feel like eating the same food.
C) You would have a good appetite.
D) You would not feel so hungry.
58. What do we learn from the 2011 study?
A) Food labels may mislead consumers in their purchases.
B) Food labels may influence our body’s response to food.
C) Hunger levels depend on one's consumption of calories.
D) People tend to take in a lot more calories than necessary.
59. What does Brunstrom suggest we do to control our appetite?
A) Trick ourselves into eating less. C) Concentrate on food while eating.
B) Choose food with fewer calories. D) Pick dishes of the right size.
60. What is the main idea of the passage?
A) Eating distractions often affect our food digestion.
B) Psychological factors influence our hunger levels.
C) Our food intake is determined by our biological needs.
D) Good eating habits will contribute to our health.
56. A 57.D 58. B 59.C 60. B
As a society we might want to rethink the time and money spent on education, so that these resources can benefit a greater percentage of the population. Ideally, both high schools and colleges can prepare individuals for the ever-changing roles that are likely to be expected of them.
High school degrees offer far less in the way of preparation for work than they might, or than many other nations currently offer, creating a growing skills gap in our economy. We encourage students to go on to college whether they are prepared or not, or have a clear sense of purpose or interest, and now have the highest college dropout rate in the world.
We might look to other countries for models of how high schools can offer better training, as well as the development of a work ethic (勤奋工作的美德）and the intellectual skills needed for continued learning and development. I recommend Harvard's 2011 \"Pathways to Prosperity\" report for more attention to the \"forgotten half\" (those who do not go on to college) and ideas about how to address this issue.
Simultaneously, the liberal arts become more important than ever. In a knowledge economy where professional roles change rapidly and many college students are preparing for positions that may not even exist yet, the skill set needed is one that prepares them for change and continued learning.
Learning to express ideas well in both writing and speech, knowing how to find information, and knowing how to do research are all-solid background skills for a wide variety of roles, and such training is more important than any particular major in a liberal arts college. We need to continue to value broad preparation in thinking skills ihat will serve for a lifetime.
Students also need to learn to work independently and to make responsible decisions. The lengthening path to adulthood appears exacerbated (惡化）by parental involvement in the college years. Given the rising investment in college education, parental concern is not surprising, but learning where and when to intervene (干预）will help students take more ownership of the outcomes of these increasingly costly educations.
61. What kind of education does the author think is ideal?
A) It benefits the great majority of the general population.
B) It prepares students to meet the future needs of society.
C) It encourages students to learn throughout their lives.
D) It ensures that students' expectations are successfully fulfilled.
62. What does the author say is the problem with present high school education?
A) Ignoring the needs of those who don't go to college.
B) Teaching skills to be used right after graduation only.
C) Giving little attention to those having difficulty learning.
D) Creating the highest dropout rate in the developed world.
63. What characterizes a knowledge economy according to the passage?
A) People have to receive higher education to qualify for a professional position.
B) Students majoring in liberal arts usually have difficulty securing a job.
C) New positions are constantly created that require people to keep learning.
D) Colleges find it hard to teach students how to cope with the changing economy.
64. What does the author think a liberal arts college should focus on?
A) Solid background knowledge in a particular field.
B) Practical skills urgently needed in current society.
C) Basic skills needed for change and lifelong learning.
D) Useful thinking skills for advanced academic research.
65. What suggestion docs the author offer to parents?
A) Rethinking the value of higher education.
B) Investing wisely in their children's education.
C) Helping their children lo bring their talent into full play.
D) Avoiding too much intervention in their children’s education.
答案详解61. B 62. D 63. C 64. C 65 D
2013年6月全国大学英语四级考试真题
According to a report, around 30,000 pupils started secondary school last year with the math skills of a seven-year-old. MPs (国会议员) warned that many young people would need “expensive” remedial lessons in later life to get a job — posing major problems for the economy. The findings came just months after
Ofsted(教育标准办公室)claimed almost half of math lessons in English schools were not good enough. It said many teachers relied on textbooks and mundane exercises to make sure pupils passed exams at the expense of a proper understanding of the subject. MPs backed the conclusions, saying too many pupils found lessons “boring”. They insisted improvements had been made under Labor but achievement had “leveled off” in recent years.
In 2008, 79 percent of pupils met the Government’s expected standard at the end of primary school, well short of the 85 percent target set for 2006. Around five percent moved to secondary school with the math skills of a seven- year-old, said the committee. In 2006, ￡2.3 billion was spent teaching the subject. It equates to around a quarter of the ￡10 billion total budget for primary teaching and support staff.
The report said the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) needed to “radically rethink its strategy for improving pupil attainment; otherwise we seriously doubt that the department will meet its 2011 target”. The target demands that 84.5 percent of pupils will make the necessary progress between 7 and 11.
Last year, the DCSF published a major review of math education in England to boost standards. It called for a math specialist in every primary school within 10 years and more emphasis on mathematical “play” in nursery schools. Mr. Leigh said, “The department’s 10-year program to train 13,000 specialist math teachers will not benefit some primary schools for another decade. That’s far too
long; the department needs to look for ways to accelerate the program.” Sarah McCarthy Fry, the Schools Minister, said, “We have already accepted the main recommendation from a recent independent review of primary math that every school should have a specialist math teacher and have pledged ￡24 million over the next three years for a training program for teachers.”
Nick Gibb, the Tory shadow schools secretary, said, “The Government is not getting value for the money they have piled into education and the country is falling behind in international league tables as a result. The Government has failed to replace methods of teaching which have failed with tried and tested methods used in countries that have much higher levels of math achievement.”
57. What do we learn from the first paragraph?
A) 30,000 pupils started secondary school with poor math skills.
B) MPs insist more improvements should be made under Labor.
C) Young people need medical lessons to get a job.
D) Half of English schools were not good enough.
58. According to the passage, what happened in 2006?
A) 21% of pupils didn’t meet the Government’s expected standard.
B) The target set for 2006 was 87 percent.
C) ￡2.3 billion was spent on math teaching.
D) The total budget for primary teaching and support staff was ￡5 billion in 2006.
59. What will people probably do to improve math education in England?
A) Spend money on training specialist math teachers.
B) Hire a math specialist for every primary school.
C) Allow pupils to have more mathematical “play”.
D) Spend more time on math education.
60. What do Nick Gibb’s words mean?
A) The British government should put more money into math education.
B) Britain is falling behind in the international knowledge competition.
C) The British government should learn from other countries’ failures.
D) The British government should change their teaching methods every few
years.
61. What’s the passage mainly talking about?
A) There aren’t enough math teachers in British primary schools.
B) The British government didn’t spend enough money on math education.
C) British pupils are not good at math.
D) Math lessons in British primary schools need to be improved.
Conservationists call them hot spots — habitats that cover just 1.4 percent of the earth’s land surface but are so rich in biological diversity that preserving them could keep an astonishing number of plant and animal species off the endangered list.
Since 1988, when Dr. Norman Myers and his colleagues began describing these hot spots in a series of scientific papers and arguing for their protection, they have become a focus of worldwide conservation efforts. Private organizations and government agencies, including the World Bank, have made preserving 25 such ecological arks a top priority for financing and protective legislation. But a growing chorus of scientists is warning that directing conservation funds to hot spots may be a recipe for major losses in the future. Of species that live on land, nearly half of all plants and more than a third of all animals are found only in the hot spots. But
they do not include many rare species and major animal groups that live in less biologically rich regions (“cold spots”). And the hot-spot concept does not factor in the importance of some ecosystems to human beings, the scientists argue.
This debate has been simmering quietly among biologists for years; however, it is coming to a boil now with the publication of an article in the current issue of American Scientist arguing that “calls to direct conservation funding to the world’s biodiversity hot spots may be bad investment advice.” “The hot-spot concept has grown so popular in recent years within the larger conservation community that it now risks eclipsing all other approaches,” write the authors of the paper. “The officers and directors of all too many foundations, non-governmental organizations and international agencies have been seduced by the simplicity of the hot spot idea,” they go on. “We worry that the initially appealing idea of getting the most species per unit area is, in fact, a thoroughly misleading strategy.”
But hot spots have their ardent defenders, notably Dr. Norman Myers and Dr. Russell Mittermeier. Dr. Myers says hot spots have been successful at attracting attention and financing for conservation in tropical countries. “And that has been good,” he said. “No one is suggesting that one invest solely in hot spots, but if you want to avoid extinctions, you have to invest in them.”
62. The best title for this passage would be ________.
A) A Debate on Preserving Hot Spots B) An Introduction to Hot Spots
C) Hot Spots vs. Cold Spots D) How to Finance Hot Spots
63. Hot spots occupy a small percentage of the earth’s land surface with _____________.
A) a third of all plants
B) many major animal groups living in cold spots
C) rich biological diversity
D) many rare species living in cold spots
64. Critics of hot spots hold the opinion that ________.
A) hot spots are always as important as cold spots
B) it is unwise to invest largely in hot spots
C) governments should choose the best time to invest in hot spots
D) the hot-spot approach is a misleading strategy from the very beginning
65. According to Dr. Norman Myers, _________.
A) protecting and investing in hot spots can save species from extinction
B) conservation efforts should not center on hot spots
C) governments should invest most in cold spots
D) the hot-spot approach now is not as good as it was in the past
66. What is the writer’s attitude towards the hot-spot approach?
A) Critical. B) Neutral. C) Supportive. D) Doubtful.
2012年6月英语四级
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
In times of economic crisis. Americans turn to their families for support. If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our skyhigh divorce rate. But this won't necessarily represent. an increase in happy marriages. In the long run, the Depression weakened American families, and the current crisis will probably do the same.
We tend to think of the Depression as a time when families pulled together to survive huge job losses, By 1932. when nearly one-quarter of the workforce was unemployed, the divorce rate had declined by around 25% from 1929 But this doesn't mean people were suddenly happier with their marriages. Rather, with incomes decreasing and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn't afford to divorce. They feared neither spouse could manage alone.
Today, given the job losses of the past year, fewer unhappy couples will risk starting separate households, Furthermore, the housing market meltdown will make it more difficult for them to finance their separations by selling their homes.
After financial disasters family members also tend to do whatever they can to help each other and 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 to do.
The problem is that such an impulse is hard to sustain Across the country, many similar families were unable to maintain the initial boost in morale(士气). For some, the hardships of life without steady work eventually overwhelmed their attempts to keep their families together. The divorce rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery took hold.
Millions of American families may now be in the initial stage of their responses to the current crisis, working together and supporting one another through the early months of unemployment.
Today's economic crisis could well generate a similar number of couples whose relationships have been irreparably(无法弥补地)ruined. So it's only when the economy is healthy again that we'll begin to see just how many broken families have been created.
57．In the initial stage, the current economic crisis is likely to __________.
A)tear many troubled families apart
B)contribute to enduring family ties
C)bring about a drop in the divorce rate
D)cause a lot of conflicts in the family
58.In the Great Depression many unhappy couples close to stick together because
A)starting a new family would be hard
B)they expected things would turn better
C)they wanted to better protect their kids
D)living separately would be too costly
59.In addition to job losses. What stands in the way of unhappy couples getting a divorce?
A)Mounting family debts
B)A sense of insecurity
C)Difficulty in getting a loan
D)Falling housing prices
60.What will the current economic crisis eventually do to some married couples?
A)It will force them to pull their efforts together
B)It will undermine their mutual understanding
C)It will help strengthen their emotional bonds
D)It will irreparably damage their relationship
61.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A)The economic recovery will see a higher divorce rate
B)Few couples can stand the test of economic hardships
C)A stable family is the best protection against poverty.
D)Money is the foundation of many a happy marriage
57. B. 58. C. 59. D. 60. C. 61. D.
People are being lured (引诱)onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they're paying for it by giving up toads of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages.
Most Facebook users don't realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they're paying for Face book because people don't really know what their personal data is worth.
The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules Early on you keep everything private. That was the great thing about facebook you could create own little private network. Last year. The company changed its privacy rules so that many things you city. Your photo, your friends' names-were set, by default (默认)to be shared with every one on the Internet.
According to Facebook's vice-president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don't share information They have a \"less satisfying experience\".
Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. In original business model, which involved selling ads and putting then At the side of the pages totally Who wants to took at ads when they're online connecting with their friends?
The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In
April. Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites.\"I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,\" Schrage admits.
I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy, it's only the beginning. Which is why I'm considering deactivating(撤销)my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I'm upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don't That's too high a price to pay.
62.What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?
A)It is a website that sends messages to targeted users.
B)It makes money by putting on advertisements.
C)It profits by selling its users' personal data.
D)It provides loads of information to its users.
63.What does the author say about most Facebook users?
A)They are reluctant to give up their personal information.
B)They don't know their personal data enriches Facebook.
C)They don't identify themselves when using the website.
D)They care very little about their personal information.
64.Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?
A)To render better service to its users.
B)To conform to the Federal guidelines.
C)To improve its users' connectivity.
D)To expand its scope of business.
65.Why does Senator Charles Schumer advocate?
A)Setting guidelines for advertising on websites.
B)Banning the sharing of users' personal information.
C)Formulating regulations for social-networking sites.
D)Removing ads from all social-networking sites.
66.Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?
A)He is dissatisfied with its current service.
B)He finds many of its users untrustworthy.
C)He doesn't want his personal data abused.
D)He is upset by its frequent rule changes.
62. D) 63. C) 64. C) 65. B) 66. C)
2011年12月全国大学英语四级考试试题
Boys' schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music.
Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity (阳刚), the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to conform to a stereotype. a US study says.
Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they had to conform to the \"boy code\" of hiding their emotions to be a \"real man\".
The findings of the study so against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.
Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being faded by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.
But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boys' learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study's author, Abigail James, of the University of Virginia.
Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with \"boy-focused\" approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have more acute vision learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given \"hands-on\" lessons where they are allowed to walk around. \"Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine (女性的) and prefer the modem genre (类型) in which violence and sexism are major themes, \"James wrote.
Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to conform to a stereotype that men should be \"masterful and in charge\" in relationships. \"In mixed schools boys feel compelled to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means, \" the study
reported.
57. The author believes that a single-sex school would ____ .
A) force boys to hide their emotions to be \"real men\"
B) help to cultivate masculine aggressiveness in boys
C) encourage boys to express their emotions more freely
D) naturally reinforce in boys the traditional image of a man
58. It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys _____ .
A) Perform relatively better C) behave more responsibly
B) grow up more healthily D) receive a better education
59. What does Tony Little say about the British education system?
A) It fails more boys than girls academically.
B) It focuses more on mixed school education.
C) It fails to give boys the attention they need.
D) It places more pressure on boys than on girls.
60. According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is ______.
A) teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys
B) boys can focus on their lessons without being distracted
C) boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in
D) teaching can be designed to promote boys' team spirit
61. Which of the following is characteristic of boys according to Abigail James' report?
A) They enjoy being in charge. C) They have sharper vision.
B) They conform to stereotypes. D) They are violent and sexist.
57—61 CACAC
It's an annual argument. Do we or do we not go on holiday? My partner says no because the boiler could go, or the roof fall off and we have no savings to save us. I say you only live once and we work hard and what's the point if you can't go on holiday. The joy of a recession means no argument next year - we just won't go.
Since money is known to be one of the things most likely to bring a relationship to its knees, we should be grateful. For many families the recession means more than not booking a holiday A YouGov poll of 2, 000 people found 22% said they were arguing more with their partners because of concerns about money. What's less clear is whether divorce and separation rates rise in a recession - financial pressures mean couples argue more but make splitting up less affordable. A recent research shows arguments about money were especially damaging to couples. Disputes were characterized by intense verbal ( 言语上的) aggression, tended to be repeated and not resolved and made men, more than women, extremely angry.
Kim Stephenson, an occupational psychologist, believes money is such a big deal because of what it symbolizes, which may be different things to men and women. \"People can say the same things about money but have different ideas of what it's for.\" he explains. \"They'll say it's to save to spend, for security, for freedom, to show someone you love them.\" He says men are more likely to see money as a way of buying status and of showing their parents that they've achieved something.
\"The biggest problem is that couples assume each other know what's going on with their finances, but they don't. There seems to be more of a taboo (禁忌) about talking about money than about death. But you both need to know what you're doing, who's paying what into the joint account and how much you keep separately. In a healthy relationship, you don't have to agree about money, but you have to talk about it.\"
62. What does the author say about vacationing?
A) People enjoy it all the more during a recession.
B) Few people can afford it without working hard.
C) It makes all the hard work worthwhile.
D) It is the chief cause of family disputes.
63. What does the author mean by saying \"money is known ... to bring a relationship to its knees\"(Line 1, Para. 2)?
A) Money is considered to be the root of all evils.
B) Some people sacrifice their dignity for money.
C) Few people can resist the temptation of money.
D) Disputes over money may rain a relationship.
64. The YouGov poll of 2, 000 people indicates that in a recession ______ .
A) conflicts between couples tend to rise
B) it is more expensive for couples to split up
C) couples show more concern for each other
D) divorce and separation rates increase
65. What does Kim Stephenson believe?
A) Money is often a symbol of a person's status.
B) Money means a great deal to both and women.
C) Men and women spend money on different things.
D) Men and women view money in different ways.
66. The author suggests at the end of the passage that couples should ______ .
A) put their money together instead of keeping it separately
B) make efforts to reach agreement on their family budgets
C) discuss money matters to maintain a healthy relationship
D) avoid arguing about money matters to remain romantic
62—66 CDADC
2011年6月大学英语四级真题
Several recent studies have found that being randomly (随机地) assigned to a roommate of another race can lead to increased tolerance but also to a greater
likelihood (可能性) of conflict.
Recent reports found that lodging with a student of a different race may decrease prejudice and compel students to engage in more ethnically diverse friendships.
An Ohio State University study also found that black students living with a white roommate saw higher academic success throughout their college careers. Researchers believe this may be caused by social pressure.
In a New York Times article, Sam Boakye – the only black student on his freshman year floor -said that \"if you're surrounded by whites, you have something to prove.\"
Researchers also observed problems resulting from pairing interracial students in residences.
According to two recent studies, randomly assigned roommates of different races are more likely to experience conflicts so strained that one roommate will move out.
An Indiana University study found that interracial roommates were three times as likely as two white roommates to no longer live together by the end of the semester.
Grace Kao, a professor at Penn said she was not surprised by the findings. \"This may be the first time that some of these students have interacted, and lived, with someone of a different race,\" she said.
At Penn, students are not asked to indicate race when applying for housing.
\"One of the great things about freshman housing is that, with some exceptions, the process throws you together randomly,\" said Undergraduate Assembly chairman Alec Webley. \"This is the definition of integration.\"
\"I've experienced roommate conflicts between interracial students that have both broken down stereotypes and reinforced stereotypes,\" said one Penn resident advisor (RA). The RA of two years added that while some conflicts \"provided more multicultural acceptance and melding (融合),\" there were also \"jarring cultural confrontations.\"
The RA said that these conflicts have also occurred among roommates of the same race.
Kao said she cautions against forming any generalizations based on any one of the studies, noting that more background characteristics of the students need
to be studied and explained.
57. What can we learn from some recent studies?
A)Conflicts between students of different races are unavoidable.
B) Students of different races are prejudiced against each other.
C) Interracial lodging does more harm than good.
D)Interracial lodging may have diverse outcomes.
58. What does Sam Boakye's remark mean?
A)White students tend to look down upon their black peers.
B)Black students can compete with their white peers academically.
C)Black students feel somewhat embarrassed among white peers during the freshman year.
D)Being surrounded by white peers motivates a black student to work harder to succeed.
59. What does the Indiana University study show?
A)Interracial roommates are more likely to fall out.
B)Few white students like sharing a room with a black peer.
C)Roommates of different races just don't get along.
D)Assigning students' lodging randomly is not a good policy.
60. What does Alec Webley consider to be the \"definition of integration\"?
A)
different races are required to share a room.
Students of
B)
is arranged by the school for freshmen.
Interracial lodging
C)
assigned to students of different races without exception.
Lodging is
D)
randomly assigns roommates without regard to race.
The school
61. What does Grace Kao say about interracial lodging?
A)It is unscientific to make generalizations about it without further study.
B) Schools should be cautious when making decisions about student lodging.
C) Students' racial background should be considered before lodging is assigned.
D)Experienced resident advisors should be assigned to handle the problems.
57. D. 58. D. 59A. 60 D. 61. A.
Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economic losses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led by Annan, the former United Nations secretary general.
The report, to be released Friday, analyzed data and existing studies of health, disaster, population and economic trends. It found that human-influenced climate change was raising the global death rates from illnesses including malnutrition (营养不良) and heat-related health problems.
But even before its release, the report drew criticism from some experts on climate and risk, who questioned its methods and conclusions.
Along with the deaths, the report said that the lives of 325 million people, primarily in poor countries, were being seriously affected by climate change. It projected that the number would double by 2030.
Roger Pielke Jr., a political scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who
studies disaster trends, said the Forum's report was \"a methodological embarrassment\" because there was no way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming amid the much larger losses resulting from the growth in populations and economic development in
vulnerable (易受伤害的) regions. Dr. Pielke said that “climate change is an
important problem requiring our utmost attention.” But the report, he said, \"will harm the cause for action on both climate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed (有瑕疵的).\"
However, Soren Andreasen, a social scientist at Dalberg Global Development Partners who supervised the writing of the report, defended it, saying that it was clear that the numbers were rough estimates. He said the report was aimed at world leaders, who will meet in Copenhagen in December to negotiate a new international climate treaty.
In a press release describing the report, Mr. Annan stressed the need for the negotiations to focus on increasing the flow of money from rich to poor regions to help reduce their vulnerability to climate hazards while still curbing the emissions of the heat-trapping gases. More than 90% of the human and economic losses from climate change are occurring in poor countries, according to the report.
62.
of the Global Humanitarian Forum?
What is the finding
A)Global temperatures affect the rate of economic development.
B) Rates of death from illnesses have risen due to global warming.
C) Malnutrition has caused serious health problems in poor countries.
D)Economic trends have to do with population and natural disasters.
63.
about the Forum's report from the passage?
What do we learn
A)It was challenged by some climate and risk experts.
B)It aroused a lot of interest in the scientific circles.
C)It was warmly received by environmentalists.
D)It caused a big stir in developing countries.
64.
Pielke say about the Forum's report?
What does Dr.
A)Its statistics look embarrassing. C) It deserves our closest attention.
B) It is invalid in terms of methodology. D) Its conclusion is purposely exaggerated.
65. What is Soren
Andreasen's view of the report?
A)Its conclusions are based on carefully collected data.
B) It is vulnerable to criticism if the statistics are closely examined.
C) It will give rise to heated discussions at the Copenhagen conference.
D)Its rough estimates are meant to draw the attention of world leaders.
66. What does Kofi
Annan say should be the focus of the Copenhagen conference?
A)How rich and poor regions can share responsibility in curbing global warming.
B)How human and economic losses from climate change can be reduced.
C)How emissions of heat-trapping gases can be reduced on a global scale.
D)How rich countries can better help poor regions reduce climate hazards.
62B 63A. 64B. 65D 66. D.
2010年12月大学英语四级真题
It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia (学术界) outweigh any financial considerations.
Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee’s is one of them.
The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical (制药的) company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities.
Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition (转换) to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also
well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. “Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project.”
57. By “a one-way street” (Line 1, Para. 1), the author means ________.
[A] university researchers know little about the commercial world
[B] there is little exchange between industry and academia
[C] few industrial scientists would quit to work in a university
[D] few university professors are willing to do industrial research
58. The word “deterrent” (Line 2, Para. 1) most probably refers to something that ________.
[A] keeps someone from taking action [C] attracts people’s attention
[B] helps to move the traffic [D] brings someone a financial burden
59. What was Helen Lee’s major consideration when she changed her job in
the middle of her career?
[A] Flexible work hours. [C] Her preference for the lifestyle on campus.
[B] Her research interests. [D] Prospects of academic accomplishments.
60. Guy Grant chose to work as a researcher at Cambridge in order to ________.
[A] do financially more rewarding work
[B] raise his status in the academic world
[C] enrich his experience in medical research
[D] exploit better intellectual opportunities
61. What contribution can industrial scientists make when they come to teach in a university?
[A] Increase its graduates’ competitiveness in the job market.
[B] Develop its students’ potential in research.
[C] Help it to obtain financial support from industry.
[D] Gear its research towards practical applications.
57.C 58.A 59.B 60.D 61.A
Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.
Being sociable looks like a good way to add years to your life. Relationships with family, friends, neighbours, even pets, will all do the trick, but the biggest longevity (长寿) boost seems to come from marriage or an equivalent relationship. The effect was first noted in 1858 by William Farr, who wrote that widows and widowers (鳏夫) were at a much higher risk of dying than their married peers. Studies since then suggest that marriage could add as much as seven years to a man’s life and two to a woman’s. The effect holds for all causes of death, whether illness, accident or self-harm.
Even if the odds are stacked against you, marriage can more than compensate. Linda Waite of the University of Chicago has found that a married older man with heart disease can expect to live nearly four years longer than an unmarried man with a healthy heart. Likewise, a married man who smokes more than a pack a day is likely to live as long as a divorced man who doesn’t smoke. There’s a flip side, however, as partners are more likely to become ill or die in the couple of years following their spouse’s death, and caring for a spouse with mental disorder can leave you with some of the same severe problems. Even so, the odds favour marriage. In a 30-year study of more than 10,000 people, Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School describes how all kinds of social networks have similar effects.
So how does it work? The effects are complex, affected by socio-economic factors, health-service provision, emotional support and other more physiological (生理的) mechanisms. For example, social contact can boost development of the brain and immune system, leading to better health and less chance of depression later in life. People in supportive relationships may handle stress better. Then there are the psychological benefits of a supportive partner.
A life partner, children and good friends are all recommended if you aim to live to 100. The ultimate social network is still being mapped out, but Christakis says: “People are interconnected, so their health is interconnected.”
62. William Farr’s study and other studies show that _________.
[A] social life provides an effective cure for illness
[B] being sociable helps improve one’s quality of life
[C] women benefit more than men from marriage
[D] marriage contributes a great deal to longevity
63. Linda Waite’s studies support the idea that _________.
[A] older men should quit smoking to stay healthy
[B] marriage can help make up for ill health
[C] the married are happier than the unmarried
[D] unmarried people are likely to suffer in later life
64. It can be inferred from the context that the “flip side” (Line 4, Para. 2) refers to _________.
[A] the disadvantages of being married
[B] the emotional problems arising from marriage
[C] the responsibility of taking care of one’s family
[D] the consequence of a broken marriage
65. What does the author say about social networks?
[A] They have effects similar to those of a marriage.
[B] They help develop people’s community spirit.
[C] They provide timely support for those in need.
[D] They help relieve people of their life’s burdens.
66. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
[A] It’s important that we develop a social network when young.
[B] To stay healthy, one should have a proper social network.
[C] Getting a divorce means risking a reduced life span.
[D] We should share our social networks with each other.
62.D 63.B 64.A 65.A 66.B
2010年6月英语四级考试真题 57. C) 58. A) 59. C) 60. C) 61. A)
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
You never see him, but they're with you every time you fly. They record where you are going,how fast you're traveling and whether everything on your airplane is functioning normally. Their ability to withstand almost any disaster makes them seem like something out of a comic book.They're known as the black box.
When planes fall from the sky, as a Yemeni airliner did on its way to Comoros Islands in the India ocean June 30, 2009, the black box is the best bet for identifying what went wrong. So when a French
submarine (潜水艇) detected the device's homing signal five days later, the discovery marked a huge step toward determining the cause of a tragedy in which 152 passengers were killed.
In 1958, Australian scientist David Warren developed a flight-memory recorder that would track basic information like altitude and direction. That was the first mode for a black box, which became a requirement on all U.S. commercial flights by 1960. Early models often failed to withstand crashes, however, so in 1965 the device was completely redesigned and moved to the rear of the plane – the area least subject to impact – from its original position in the landing wells (起落架舱). The same year, the Federal Aviation Authority required that the boxes, which were never actually black, be painted orange or yellow to aid visibility.
Modern airplanes have two black boxes: a voice recorder, which tracks pilots' conversations,and a flight-data recorder, which monitors fuel levels, engine noises and other operating functions that help investigators reconstruct the aircraft's final moments. Placed in an insulated (隔绝的) case and surrounded by a quarter-inch-thick panels of stainless steel, the boxes can withstand massive force and temperatures up to 2,000℉. When submerged, they're also able to emit signals from depths of 20,000 ft. Experts believe the boxes from
Air France Flight 447, which crashed near Brazil on June 1,2009, are in water nearly that deep, but statistics say they're still likely to turn up. In the approximately 20 deep-sea crashes over the past 30 years, only one plane's black boxes were never recovered. 57. What does the author say about the black box? A) It ensures the normal functioning of an airplane. B) The idea for its design comes from a comic book. C) Its ability to ward off disasters is incredible. D) It is an indispensable device on an airplane.
58. What information could be found from the black box on the Yemeni airliner?
A) Data for analyzing the cause of the crash. B) The total number of passengers on board. C) The scene of the crash and extent of the damage.
D) Homing signals sent by the pilot before the crash. 59. Why was the black box redesigned in 1965? A) New materials became available by that time. B) Too much space was needed for its installation. C) The early models often got damaged in the crash. D) The early models didn't provide the needed data.
60. Why did the Federal Aviation Authority require the black boxes be painted orange or yellow?
A) To distinguish them from the colour of the plane. B) To caution people to handle them with care. C) To make them easily identifiable. D) To conform to international standards.
61. What do we know about the black boxes from Air France Flight
447?
A) There is still a good chance of their being recovered. B) There is an urgent need for them to be reconstructed. C) They have stopped sending homing signals. D) They were destroyed somewhere near Brazil.
The $11 billion self-help industry is built on the idea that you should turn negative thoughts like \"I never do anything right\" into positive ones like \"I can succeed.\" But was positive thinking advocate Norman Vincent Peale right? Is there power in positive thinking? Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are.
The study's authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by citing older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not
better. If you tell your dim friend that he has the potential of an Einstein, you're just underlining his faults. In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked
participants to write essays opposing funding for the disabled. When the essayists were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written.
In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students' self-esteem. The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes. Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell. When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, \"I am lovable.\"
Those with low self-esteem didn't feel better after the forced self-affirmation. In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren't urged to think positive thoughts.
The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy (心理治疗) that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them. In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse. Meditation (静思) techniques, in contrast, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a larger, more realistic
perspective. Call it the power of negative thinking.
62. What do we learn from the first paragraph about the self-help industry?
A) It is a highly profitable industry.
B) It is based on the concept of positive thinking. C) It was established by Norman Vincent Peale. D) It has yielded positive results.
63. What is the finding of the Canadian researchers?
A) Encouraging positive thinking many do more harm than good. B) There can be no simple therapy for psychological problems. C) Unhappy people cannot think positively. D) The power of positive thinking is limited.
64. What does the author mean by \"… you're just underlining his
faults\" (Line 4, Para. 3)?
A) You are not taking his mistakes seriously enough. B) You are pointing out the errors he has committed. C) You are emphasizing the fact that he is not intelligent. D) You are trying to make him feel better about his faults. 65. What do we learn from the experiment of Wood, Lee and Perunovic?
A) It is important for people to continually boost their self-esteem. B) Self-affirmation can bring a positive change to one's mood. C) Forcing a person to think positive thoughts may lower their self-esteem.
D) People with low self-esteem seldom write down their true feelings. 66. What do we learn from the last paragraph?
A) The effects of positive thinking vary from person to person. B) Meditation may prove to be a good form of psychotherapy. C) Different people tend to have different ways of thinking. D) People can avoid making mistakes through meditation.
62. B) 63. A) 64. B) 65. C) 66. B)
2013年6月英语四级真题及答案 57C 58C 59D 60D 61C
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
Junk food is everywhere. We’re eating way too much of it. Most of us know what we’re doing and yet we do it anyway.
So here's a suggestion offered by two researchers at the Rand Corporation: Why not take a lesson from alcohol control policies and apply them to where food is sold and how it’s displayed?
\"Many policy measures to control obesity （肥胖症）assume that people consciously and rationally choose what and how much they eat and therefore focus on providing information and more access to healthier foods,\" note the two researchers.
\"In contrast,\" the researchers continue, \"many regulations that don't assume people make rational choices have been successfully applied to control alcohol, a substance -- like food -- of which immoderate consumption leads to serious health problems.\"
The research references studies of people’s behavior with food and alcohol and results of alcohol restrictions, and then lists five regulations that the researchers think might be promising if applied to junk foods. Among them:
Density restrictions: licenses to sell alcohol aren't handed out unplanned to all comers but are allotted （分配）based on the number of places in an area that already sell alcohol. These make alcohol less easy to get and reduce the number of psychological cues to drink.
Similarly, the researchers say, being presented with junk food stimulates our desire to eat it. So why not limit the density of food outlets, particularly ones that sell food rich in empty calories? And why not limit sale of food in places that aren’t primarily food stores?
Display and sales restrictions: California has a rule prohibiting alcohol displays near the cash registers in gas stations, and in most places you can’t buy alcohol at drive-through facilities. At supermarkets, food companies pay to have their wares in places where they're easily seen. One could remove junk food to the back of the store and ban them from the shelves at checkout lines. The other measures include restricting portion sizes, taxing and prohibiting special price deals for junk
foods, and placing warning labels on the products.
57.What does the author say about junk food?
A) People should be educated not to eat too much.
B) It is widely consumed despite its ill reputation.
C) Its temptation is too strong for people to resist.
D) It causes more harm than is generally realized.
58.What do the Rand researchers think of many of the policy measures to control obesity?
A) They should be implemented effectively.
B) They provide misleading information.
C) They are based on wrong assumptions.
D) They help people make rational choices.
59.Why do policymakers of alcohol control place density restrictions?
A) Few people are able to resist alcohol’s temptations.
B) There are already too many stores selling alcohol.
C) Drinking strong alcohol can cause social problems.
D) Easy access leads to customers' over-consumption.
60.What is the purpose of California’s rule about alcohol display in gas stations?
A) To effectively limit the density of alcohol outlets.
B) To help drivers to give up the habit of drinking.
C) To prevent possible traffic jams in nearby areas.
D) To get alcohol out of drivers’ immediate sight.
61.What is the general guideline the Rand researchers suggest about junk food control?
A) Guiding people to make rational choices about food.
B) Enhancing people’s awareness of their own health.
C) Borrowing ideas from alcohol control measures.
D. Resorting to economic, legal and psychological means
2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题答案解析
As you are probably aware, the latest job markets news isn’t good: Unemployment is still more than 9 percent, and new job growth has fallen close to zero. That’s bad for the economy, of course. And it may be especially discouraging if you happen to be looking for a job or hoping to change careers right now. But it actually shouldn’t matter to you nearly as much as you think.
That’s because job growth numbers don’t matter to job hunters as much as job turnover data. After all, existing jobs open up every day due to promotions, resignations, terminations, and retirements. (Yes, people are retiring even in this economy.) In both good times and bad, turnover creates more openings than economic growth does. Even in June of 2007, when the economy was still humming along, job growth was only 132,000, while turnover was 4.7 million!
And as it turns out, even today — with job growth near zero — over 4 million job hunters are being hired every month.
I don’t mean to imply that overall job growth doesn’t have an impact on one’s ability to land a job. It’s true that if total employment were higher, it would mean more jobs for all of us to choose from (and compete for). And it’s true that there are currently more people applying for each available job opening, regardless of whether it’s a new one or not.
But what often distinguishes those who land jobs from those who don’t is their ability to stay motivated. They’re willing to do the hard work of identifying their valuable skills; be creative about where and how to look; learn how to present themselves to potential employers; and keep going, even after repeated rejections. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that 2.7 million people who wanted and were available for work hadn’t looked within the last four weeks and were no longer even classified as unemployed.
So don’t let the headlines fool you into giving up. Four million people get hired every month in the U.S. You can be one of them.
57. The author tends to believe that high unemployment rate ______?
A) deprives many people of job opportunities.
B) prevents many people from changing careers.
C) should not stop people from looking for a job.
D) does not mean the U.S. economy is worsening.
58. Where do most job openings come from?
A) Job growth
B) Job turnover
C) Improved economy
D) Business expansion
59. What does the author say about overall job growth?
A) It doesn’t have much effect on individual job seekers.
B) It increases people’s confidence in the economy.
C) It gives a ray of hope to the unemployed.
D) It doesn’t mean greater job security for the employed.
60. What is the key to landing a job according to the author?
A) Education
B) Intelligence
C) Persistence
D) Experience
61. What do we learn from the passage about the unemployment figures in the US?
A) They clearly indicate how healthy the economy is.
B) They provide the public with the latest information.
C) They warn of the structural problems in the economy.
D) They exclude those who have stopped looking for a job.
57 C. 58. B. 59. A. 60. C. 61. D.
Our risk of cancer rises dramatically as we age. So it makes sense that the elderly should be routinely screened for new tumors — or doesn’t it?
While such vigilant（警觉的）tracking of cancer is a good thing in general, researchers are increasingly questioning whether all of this testing is necessary for the elderly. With the percentage of people over age 65 expected to nearly double by 2050, it’s important to weigh the health benefits of screening against the risks and costs of routine testing.
In many cases, screening can lead to additional biopsies and surgeries to remove cancer, which can cause side effects, while the cancers themselves may be slow-growing and may not pose serious health problems in patients’ remaining years. But the message that everyone must screen for cancer has become so ingrained that when health care experts recommended that women under 50 and over 74 stop screening for breast cancer, it caused a riotous reaction among
doctors, patients and advocacy groups.
It’s hard to uproot deeply held beliefs about cancer screening with scientific data. Certainly, there are people over age 75 who have had cancers detected by routine screening, and gained several extra years of life because of treatment. And clearly, people over age 75 who have other risk factors for cancer, such as a family history or prior personal experience with the disease, should continue to get screened regularly. But for the remainder, the risk of cancer, while increased at the end of life, must be balanced with other factors like remaining life expectancy（预期寿命）.
A recent study suggests that doctors start to make more objective decisions about who will truly benefit from screening- especially considering the explosion of the elderly that will soon swell our population.
It’s not an easy calculation to make, but one that make sense for the whole patient. Dr. Otis Brawley said, “Many doctors are ordering these tests purely to cover themselves. We need to think about the rational use of health care and stop talking about the rationing of health care.”
That means making some difficult decisions with elderly patients, and going against the misguided belief that when it comes to health care, more is always better.
62. Why do doctors recommend routine cancer screening for elderly people?
A. It is believed to contribute to long life.
B. It is part of their health care package.
C. The elderly are more sensitive about their health.
D. The elderly are in greater danger of tumor growth.
63. How do some researchers now look at routine cancer screening for the elderly?
A. It adds too much to their medical bills.
B. It helps increase their life expectancy.
C. They are doubtful about necessity.
D. They think it does more than good.
64. What is the conventional view about women screening for breast cancer?
A. It applies to women over 50.
B. It is a must for adult women.
C. It is optional for young women.
D. It doesn’t apply to women over 74.
65. Why do many doctors prescribe routine screening for cancer?
A. They want to protect themselves against medical disputes.
B. They want to take advantage of the medical care system.
C. They want data for medical research.
D. They want their patients to suffer less.
66. What does the author say is the general view about health care?
A. The more, the better.
B. Prevention is better than cure.
C. Better early than late.
D. Better care, longer life.
SB_2答案62. D. 63. C. 64. B 65. A. 66. A.
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