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年 月英语四级考试真题
2012 6
Part I Writing （30 minutes）
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled
Excessive Packaging following the outline given below. You should
write at least 120words but nomorethan 180words.
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
OnExcessive Packaging
Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)
(15 minutes)
Directions: In this part,you willhave 15minutes togoover thepassagequickly
andanswer thequestions onAnswer Sheet1.For questions 1-7 choosethe
best answer fromthefourchoices marked A), B), C)andD). For questions
8-10, complete thesentence withthe informationgiven in thepassage.
SmallSchoolsRising
This year’s list of the top 100 high schools shows that today, those with fewer
studentsare flourishing.
Fifty years ago, they were the latest thing in educational reform: big, modern,
suburban high schools with students counted in the thousands.As baby boomers(二战
后婴儿潮时期出生的人) came of high-school age, big schools promised economic
efficiency. A greater choice of courses, and, of course, better football teams. Only
years later did we understand the trade-offs this involved: the creation of excessive
bureaucracies(官僚机构)，the difficulty of forging personal connections between
teachers and students.SAT scores began dropping in 1963;today,on average,30% of
students do not complete high school in four years, a figure that rises to 50% in poorurban neighborhoods. While the emphasis on teaching to higher, test-driven standards
as set in No Child Left Behind resulted in significantly better performance in
elementary(and some middle)schools, high schools for a variety of reasons seemed to
have madelittleprogress.
Size isn’t everything, but it does matter, and the past decade has seen a
noticeable countertrend toward smaller schools. This has been 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 small schools-most of them with about 400 kids
each with an average enrollment of only 150 per grade, About 500 more are on the
drawing board. Districts all over the country are taking notice, along with mayors in
cities like New York, Chicago and San Diego. The movement includes independent
public charter schools, such as No.1 BASIS in Tucson, with only 120 high-schoolers
and 18 graduates this year.It embraces district-sanctioned magnet schools, such as the
Talented and Gifted School, with 198 students, and the Science and Engineering
Magnet,with383,which share a building in Dallas, as well as the City Honors School
in Buffalo, N.Y., which grew out of volunteer evening seminars for students. And it
includes alternative schools with students selected by lottery(抽签)，such as H-B
Woodlawn in Arlington, Va. And most noticeable of all, there is the phenomenon of
large urban and suburban high schools that have split up into smaller units of a few
hundred, generally housed in the same grounds that once boasted thousands of
studentsall marching tothesameband.
Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, Calif, is one of those, ranking
No.423—among the top 2% in the country—on Newsweek’s annual ranking of
America’s top high schools. The success of small schools is apparent in the listings.
Ten years ago, when the first Newsweek list based on college-level test participation
was published, only three of the top 100 schools had graduating Classes smaller than
100 students. This year there are 22. Nearly 250 schools on the full ,Newsweek list of
thetop 5%ofschools nationally had fewerthan 200graduates in2007.
Although many of Hillsdale’s students came from wealthy households, by the
late 1990 average test scores were sliding and it had 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 a
graduation ceremony and asking one another in astonishment, “How did that student
graduate?”
So in 2003 Hillsdale remade itself into three “houses,” romantically named
Florence, Marrakech and Kyoto. Each of the 300 arriving ninth graders are
randomly(随机地) assigned to one of the houses. Where they will keep the same four
core subject teachers 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 a week,
for open-ended discussions of everything from homework problems to bad
Saturday-night dates. The advisers also meet with students privately and stay in touch
with parents, so they are deeply invested in the students’ success.“We’re constantly
talking about one another’s advisers,” says English teacher Chris Crockett. “If youhear that yours isn’t doing well in math, or see 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 percentage of freshmen taking biology jumped from 17 to
95.“It was rough for some. But by senior year, two-thirds have moved up to physics,”
says Gilbert “Our kids are coming to school in part because they know there are
adults here who know them and care for them.”But not all schools show advances
after downsizing, and it remains to be seen whether smaller schools will be a cure-all
solution.
The Newsweek list of top U.S. high schools was made this year, as in years past,
according to a single metric, the proportion of students taking college-level exams.
Over the years this system has come in for its share of criticism for its simplicity. But
that is also its strength: it’s easy for readers to understand, and to do the arithmetic for
theirown schools ifthey’dlike.
Ranking schools is always controversial, and this year a group of 38
superintendents(地区教育主管)from five states wrote to ask that their schools be
excluded from the calculation.“It is impossible to know which high schools are ‘the
best’ in the nation, ”their letter read. in part. “Determining whether different schools
do or don’t offer a high quality of education requires a look at man different measures,
including students’ overall academic accomplishments and their subsequent
performance in college. And taking into consideration the unique needs of their
communities.”
In the end, the superintendents agreed to provide the data 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 that better serve our children and our nation
by encouraging students totackle tough subjects under the guidance of gifted teachers.
And ifwe keepworking toward that goal, someday,perhaps alistwon’t benecessary.
注意：此部分试题请在答卡1上作答.
1. Fifty years ago. big. Modern. Suburban high schools were established in the
hopeof__________.
A)ensuring nochild isleft behind
B) increasing economic efficiency
C)improvingstudents’performance onSAT
D)providing good education for baby boomers
2.What happened as aresult of settingupbig schools?
A)Teachers’workload increased.
B) Students’performance declined.
C)Administration becamecentralized.
D)Students focused moreontest scores.
3. What is said about the schools forded by the Bill and Melinda Gates
foundation?
A)They are usually magnet schools.
B)They are often located inpoor neighborhoods.C)They are popular with high-achieving students.
D)They are mostlysmall insize.
4.What ismost noticeable about thecurrent trend inhigh school education?
A)Somelarge schools have splitupinto smallerones.
B)Agreat variety of schools havesprung upinurban and suburban areas.
C)Manyschools compete fortheBill and MelindaGates Foundation funds.
D)Students have tomeet higheracademic standards.
5.Newsweek ranked high schools according to .
A)their students’academic achievement
B) thenumberof theirstudents admitted to college
C)thesizeand numberoftheir graduating classes
D)their college-level test participation
6.What canwe learn about Hillsdale’s studentsin thelate 1990s?
A)They were made tostudy hard likeprisoners.
B)They called each other byunaffectionate nicknames.
C)Mostof them didnot have any sense ofdiscipline,
D)Their school performance was getting worse.
7. According to Jeff Gilbert, the “advisory” classes at Hillsdale were set up so
that studentscould .
A)tell theirteachers what they didonweekends
B) experience agreat deal ofpleasure inlearning
C)maintain closerrelationships withtheirteachers
D)tackle thedemanding biology and physics courses
8. is still considered a strength of Newsweek’s school ranking system in spite
ofthecriticism it receives.
9. According to the 38 superintendents, to rank schools scientifically, it is
necessary to use .
10.Tobetter serve thechildren and ournation, schools students to take .
Part ⅢListeningComprehension (35minutes)
SectionA
Directions: in this section you will hear 8 short conversations, 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 markedA)、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 thecentre.
注意：此部分试题请在答案卡2上作案。
11.A)Trying to sketch amap C)Discussing ahouseplan.B) Paintingthedining room. D)Cleaning the kitchen.
12.A) Sheis tired ofthefoodin thecanteen.
B) Sheoften eats ina French restaurant.
C)Sheusually takes asnack in theKFC.
D)Sheinvery fussy about what she eats.
13.A) Listening to someloud musicC)Talkingloudly onthetelephone.
B) Preparing foras oral examination.D) Practicing for aspeech contest.
14.A)Theman has left a good impressiononher family.
B)Theman can dress casuallyfor theoccasion.
C)Theman should buyhimselfa newsuit.
D)The man’s jeans andT-shirts are stylish.
15.A)Grey pants madefrom pure cotton.C)100%cotton pants in dark blue.
B) Fashionablepants in bright colors. D) Somethingto match her brown pants.
16.A) Its price. C)Its comfort.
B) Its location D)Its facilities.
17.A)Travel overseas. C)Takeaphoto.
B) Look fora newjob. D)Adopt a child.
18.A)It isa routineoffer.C)It is quitehealthy.
B) It isnew onthemenu.D)It is agood bargain.
Questions 19to22are based onthe conversation you .
19.A) Hosting an eveningTVprogram. C)Lecturing onbusinessmanagement.
B) Having her bicyclerepaired. D) Conductinga market survey.
20.A) Herepaired bicycles. C)Heworked as a salesman.
B) Heserved as aconsultant. D) Hecoached in aracing club.
21.A) Hewanted tobehis own boss.
B) Hefound itmore profitable
C)Hedidn’twant tostart from scratch.
D)He didn’t want to beintoo muchdebt.
22.A)They work five days aweek. C)They are paid bythehour.
B)They are all theman’s friends. D)They all enjoy gambling.
Questions 23to25are based onthe conversation you have just heard.23.A) It has gradually given way toservice industry.
B) It remains a majorpart of industrial activity.
C)It has a historyas longas paper processing.
D)It accounts for 80percent oftheregion’s GDP.
24.A)Transport problems. C)Lack of resources.
B) Shortageof funding. D)poormanagement.
25.A)Competition from rival companies. C)Possiblelocations for anewfactory
B) Product promotioncampaigns. D) Measures to createjobopportunities.
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 2with asingle linethrough thecentre.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
Passage One
Questions 26to28are based onthe passageyou have just heard.
26.A)They shared mutualfriends inschool.
B)They had known eachother sincechildhood.
C)They shared many extracurricular activities.
D)They hadmany interests in common.
27.A)At a local club. B)At thesports center.
B)At Joe’s house. D)At thebearing school.
28.A) Durable friendships can be very difficultto maintain
B) Onehas tobe respectful of otherpeoplein order towin respect.
C)It ishard for peoplefrom different backgrounds to become friends
D)Social divisionswill break down ifpeople get to knoweach other
PassageTwo
Questions 29to31are based as thepassage you havejust heart.
29.A) Near theentrance ofapark. C)At aparking meter.
B) In his building’s parking lot D)At a street corner.
30.A)It had been taken bythepoliceC)In had been stolen bysomeone.
B) ithad keenmoved tothe nextblock. D)it had been parked at a wrong place
31.A)At theGreenvillecenter.C)In a neighboring town.
B)At a publicparking lot. D)In a thecity garage.PassageThree
Questions 32to35are based onthe passageyou have just heard.
32.A) Famous creativeindividuals.C)Amajor scientificdiscovery.
B)Themysteriousness ofcreativity.D) Creativityas shown in arts.
33.A) It issomething people all engage in. C)It starts soonafter weare born.
B) It helps peopleacquire knowledge. D)It is thesource ofall artisticwork.
34.A) Creativeimagination. C)Natural curiosity.
B) Logical reasoning D) Critical thinking.
35.A) It isbeyond ordinary people. C)It is part of everyday life.
B) It isyet tobe fully understood. D) It isa uniquehuman trait.
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
other use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your
are words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what
you have written.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
Students have been complaining more and more about stolen property. Radios,
cell phones, bicycles, pocket(36) ,and books have all been reported stolen. Are there
enough campus policeto dothejob?
There are 20 officers in the Campus Security Division Their job is to(37) crime,
accidents lost and found(38) ,and traffic problems on campus. More than half of their
time is spent directing traffic and writing parking tickets.(39) promptly to accidents
and other(40) is important, but itis theirsmallest job.
Dealing with crime takes 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
60 other violent attacks, most of these involving fights at parties. On the other
hand,(44)
,which usually involves breaking windows or lights or writing on walls. The
thefts are not thecarefully planned burglaries(入室盗窃)that you see in movies.(45)
.
Do we really need more police? Hiring more campus police would cost money,
possiblymaking ourtuitiongo upagain.(46)
.
Part ⅣReading Comprehension(Reading in depth)(25minntes)SectionA
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 ward bank 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 them 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 47to56are based onthe followingpassage,
One in six. Believe it or not, that’s the number of Americans who struggle with
hanger To make tomorrow a little better, Feeding Action Month. As part of its 30
Ways in 30 Days program, It’s asking 48 across the country to help the more than 200
food banks and 61,000 agencies in its network provide low-income individuals and
families with thefuel they needto 49.
It’s the kind of work 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
month aren’t looking for God-they’re there for something to eat, St. Andrew’s runs a
food pantry(食品堂)that 51 the city and several of the 52 towns. Janet Drane is its
manager.
In the wake of the 53 .the number of families in need of food assistance began to
grow. It is 54 that 49 million Americans are unsure of where they will find their next
meal What’s most 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’s
Drane.“The people we see now have three or four part-time jobs and they’re still right
ontheedge 56.”
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
A)survive I)formally
B) surrounding J)financially
C)serves K)domestic
D)reviewed L)competition
E)reported M)communities
F) recession N)circling
G)households O)accumulate
H)gather
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 letteron
Answer Sheer2with a single linethrough the centre.
PassageOne
Questions 57to61are based onthe followingpassage.
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. Butthis 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 neitherspouse could managealone.
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
moredifficultfor them to finance theirseparations byselling theirhomes.
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 oddjobs todo.
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 therecovery tookhold.
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
monthsofunemployment.
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.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
57.In theinitial stage, thecurrent economic crisis is likely to__________.
A)tear many troubled families apart
B) contributetoenduring family ties
C)bring about adrop inthe divorcerate
D)cause a lotof conflicts inthefamily
58. In the Great Depression many unhappy couples close to stick together
because
A)starting a newfamily would be hard
B) they expected things would turn better
C)they wanted tobetter protect theirkids
D)living separately would betoo costly
59 .In addition to job losses. What stands in the way of unhappy couples gettingadivorce?
A)Mounting family debts
B)Asenseof insecurity
C)Difficultyin getting aloan
D)Falling housingprices
60. What will the current economic crisis eventually do to some married
couples?
A)It will force them to pull theirefforts together
B) It willundermine theirmutual understanding
C)It willhelp strengthen theiremotional bonds
D)It will irreparably damage theirrelationship
61.What canbeinferred from the last paragraph?
A)The economicrecovery will see ahigherdivorce rate
B) Few couples can stand the testof economichardships
C)Astablefamily is thebest protection against poverty.
D)Money isthefoundation ofmany ahappy marriage
PassageTwo
Questions 62to66are based onthe followingpassage:
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 sendtargeted 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
peopledon’treally knowwhat theirpersonal datais 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 beshared with every oneonthe 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 thenAt 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-networkingsites.“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
ofpeople Idon’tThat’s toohigh aprice topay.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
62.What dowelearn about Facebook from thefirst paragraph?
A)It is awebsite that sends messages totargeted users.
B) It makes moneybyputting onadvertisements.
C)It profits byselling itsusers’personal data.
D)It provides loads ofinformation to its users.
63.What does theauthorsay about mostFacebook users?
A)They are reluctant to give uptheirpersonal information.
B)They don’t knowtheirpersonal dataenriches Facebook.
C)They don’t identify themselves when usingthe website.
D)They carevery littleabout theirpersonal information.
64.Whydoes Facebook makechanges to itsrules according to ElliotSchrage?
A)Torender betterservice to itsusers.
B)Toconform to theFederal guidelines.
C)Toimproveits users’connectivity.
D)Toexpand its scope ofbusiness.
65.Whydoes SenatorCharles Schumeradvocate?
A)Setting guidelines foradvertising onwebsites.
B) Banning thesharing ofusers’personal information.
C)Formulating regulations forsocial-networking sites.
D)Removing ads from all social-networking sites.
66.Whydoes theauthorplan tocancel hisFacebook account?
A)He is dissatisfied withits current service.
B) Hefinds many ofitsusers untrustworthy.
C)Hedoesn’t want his personal dataabused.
D)He is upset byitsfrequent rule changes.
PartVCloze (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 2with asingle linethrough thecentre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
Because conflict and disagreements are part of all close relationships, couples
need to learn strategies for managing conflict in a healthy and constructive way. Some
couples just 67and deny the presence of any conflict in a relationship. 68,denying the
existence of conflict results in couples 69 to solve their problems at early 70 ,which
can then lead to even greater problems later 71 .Not surprisingly, expressing anger
and disagreement leads to lower marital ( 婚 姻的 )satisfaction at the beginning.
However, this pattern of behavior 72 increases in marital satisfaction over time.
Research suggests that working 73 conflicts is an important predictor of marital
satisfaction.
So, what can you do to manage conflict in your own relationships? First, try to
understand the other person’s point of view 74 put yourself in his of her place. People
who are 75 to what their partner thinks and feels 76 greater relationship satisfaction.
For example, researchers found that among people in dating relationships 77
marriages, those who can adopt their partner’s perspective show more positive
78 .more relationship-enhancing attributes and more constructive responses 79
conflict.
Second, because conflict and disagreements are an 80 part of close relationships.
People need to be able to apologize to their partner for wrongdoing and 81
forgiveness from their parents for their own acts.Apologies minimize conflict, lead to
forgiveness, 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 reflect on hurtful 85 and
grudges(怨恨)，they show negative physiological(生理的) effects, including 86 heart
rate and blood pressure, compared to when they reflect on sympathetic
perspective-taking and forgiving.
67.A)resolve B)regret C)abandon D)avoid
68.A)Besides B)Therefore C)Moreover D)However
69.A)trying B)declining C)failing D)striving
70.A)ages B)years C)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)amid C)among D)through
74.A)so B)while C)but D)and
75.A)sensitive B)superior C)exclusive D)efficient
76.A)expose B)experience C)explore D)exploit
77.A)as long as B)as far as C)as well as D)as soonas
78.A)minds B)emotions C)psychology D)affection
79.A)to B)against C)at D)toward
80.A)absolute B)inevitable C)essential D)obvious
81.A)require B)inquire C)receive D)achieve
82.A)over B)with C)up D)of
83.A)quality B)identity C)charity D)capability
84.A)creative B)positive C)objective D)competitive85.A)prospects B)concepts C)memories D)outlooks
86.A)added B)toughened C)strengthened D)increased
PartVlTranslation(5 minutes)
Directions: Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given
inbrackets.
Pleasewrite your translation onAnswer 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 flowers looked as if they_____________________(好长时间没有浇
水了).
88.Fred bought a car last week. It is______________________(比我的车便宜
一千英镑).
89.ThisTVprogram is quiteboningWemight______________(不妨听听音乐)
90.Heleft hisofficein a hurry,with______________________(灯亮着，门开着)
91.The famous novel 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。
