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2021年 06月大学英语四级考试真题（第 1 套）
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Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay titled “Are people
becoming addicted to technology?f,. The statement given below is for your reference. You
should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
Numerous studies claim that addiction to technology is real and it has the same effect on the
brain as drug addiction.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single
line through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) Enrol him in a Newcastle football club.
B) Send him to an after-school art class.
C) Forbid him to draw in his workbook.
D) Help him post his drawings online.
2. A) Contacted Joe to decorate its dining-room.
B) Hired Joe to paint all the walls of its buildings.
C) Renovated its kitchen and all the dining-rooms.
D) Asked Joe fbr permission to use his online drawings.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) Get her pet dog back. C) Identify the suspect on the security video.
B) Beg for help from the police. D) Post pictures of her pet dog on social media.
4. A) It is suffering a great deal from the incident.
B) It is helping the police with the investigation.
C) It is bringing the case to the local district court.
D) It is offering a big reward to anyone who helps.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) Provide free meals to the local poor.
B) Help people connect with each other.
C) Help eliminate class difference in his area.
D) Provide customers with first-class service.
6. A) It does not supervise its employees. C) It does not use volunteers.
B) It donates regularly to a local charity. D) It is open round the clock.
2021年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研7. A) They will realize the importance of communication.
B) They will come to the cafe even more frequently.
C) They will care less about their own background.
D) They will find they have something in common.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) A surprise party for Paul's birthday.
B) Travel plans for the coming weekend.
C) Preparations for Saturday's get-together.
D) The new market on the other side of town.
9. A) It makes the hostess's job a whole lot easier.
B) It enables guests to walk around and chat freely.
C) It saves considerable time and labour.
D) It requires fewer tables and chairs.
10. A) It offers some big discounts. C) It is more spacious and less crowded.
B) It is quite close to her house. D) It sells local wines and soft drinks.
11. A) Cook a dish for the party. C) Prepare a few opening remarks.
B) Arrive 10 minutes earlier. D) Bring his computer and speakers.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) For commuting to work. C) For getting around in Miami.
B) For long-distance travel. D) For convenience at weekends.
13. A) They are reliable. C) They are spacious.
B) They are compact. D) They are easy to drive.
14. A) Buy a second-hand car. C) Seek advice from his friend.
B) Trust her own judgement. D) Look around before deciding.
15. A) He sells new cars. C) He is starting a business.
B) He can be trusted. D) He is a successful car dealer.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will
hear three or four 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 1 with a single line through
the centre.
2021年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) Many escaped from farms and became wild.
B) They were actually native to North America.
C) Many got killed in the wild when searching for food.
D) They were hunted by Spanish and Russian explorers.
17. A) They often make sudden attacks on people.
B) They break up nature's food supply chain.
C) They cause much environmental pollution.
D) They carry a great many diseases.
18. A) They lived peacefully with wild pigs. C) They fell victim to eagles.
B) They ran out of food completely. D) They reproduced quickly.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A)Taste coffee while in outer space.
B) Roast cofBe beans in outer space.
C) Develop a new strain of coflee bean.
D) Use a pressurised tank to brew coflee.
20. A) They can easily get burned. C) They have to be heated to 360℃.
B) They float around in the oven. D) They receive evenly distributed heat.
21. A) They charged a high price for their space-roasted coffee beans.
B) They set up a branch in Dubai to manufacture coffee roasters.
C) They collaborated on building the first space coffee machine.
D) They abandoned the attempt to roast coffee beans in space.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) It is the best time for sightseeing.
B) A race passes through it annually.
C) They come to clean the Iditarod Trail.
D) It is when the villagers choose a queen.
23. A) Its children's baking skills. C) Its tasty fruit pies.
B) Its unique winter scenery. D) Its great food variety.
24. A) The contestants. C) Jan Newton and her friends.
B) The entire village. D) People from the state of Idaho.
25. A) She owned a restaurant in Idaho.
B) She married her husband in 1972.
C) She went to Alaska to compete in a race.
D) She helped the village to become famous.
2021年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
Most animals seek shade when temperatures in the Sahara Desert soar to 120 degrees
Fahrenheit. But for the Saharan silver ant, 26 from their underground nests into the
sun's brutal rays to 27 for food, this is the perfect time to seek lunch. In 2015 these
ants were joined in the desert by scientists from two Belgian universities, who spent a
month in the 28 heat tracking the ants and digging out their nests. The goal was
simple, to discover how the 29 adapted to the kind of heat that can 30 melt the
bottom of shoes.
Back in Belgium, the scientists looked at the ants under an electronic microscope and
found that their 31 , triangular hair reflects light like a prism (棱镜)，giving them a
metallic reflection and protecting them from the sun's awful heat. When Ph. D. student
Quentin Willot 32 the hair from an ant with a 33 knife and put it under a heat
lamp, its temperature jumped.
The ants' method of staying cool is 34 among animals. Could this reflective type
of hair protect people? Willot says companies are interested in 35 these ants' method
of heat protection for human use, including everything from helping to protect the lives of
firefighters to keeping homes cool in summer.
A) adapting I) remote
B) consciously J) removed
C) crawling K) species
D) crowded L) specimens
E) extreme M) thick
F) hunt N) tiny
G) literally O) unique
H) moderate
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
2021年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研The start of high school doesn't have to be stressful
A） This month, more than 4 million students across the nation will begin high school.
Many will do well. But many will not. Consider that nearly two-thirds of students will
experience the “ninth-grade shock,“ which refers to a dramatic drop in a studenfs
academic performance. Some students cope with this shock by avoiding challenges. For
instance, they may drop difficult coursework. Others may experience a hopelessness that
results in failing their core classes, such as English, science and math.
B） This should matter a great deal to parents, teachers and policymakers.Ultimately it
should matter to the students themselves and society at large, because students5
experience of transitioning （过渡）to the ninth grade can have long-term consequences
not only for the students themselves but for their home communities. We make these
observations as research psychologists who have studied how schools and families can
help young people thrive.
C） In the new global economy, students who fail to finish the ninth grade with passing
grades in college preparatory coursework are very unlikely to graduate on time and go
on to get jobs. One study has calculated that the lifetime benefit to the local economy
fbr a single additional student who completes high school is half a million dollars or
more. This is based on higher earnings and avoided costs in health care, crime, welfare
dependence and other things.
D） The consequences of doing poorly in the ninth grade can impact more than students'
ability to find a good job. It can also impact the extent to which they enjoy life.
Students lose many of the friends they turned to for support when they move from the
eighth to the ninth grade. One study of ninth-grade students found that 50 percent of
friendships among ninth graders changed from one month to the next, signaling striking
instability in friendships.
E） In addition, studies find the first year of high school typically shows one of the greatest
increases in depression of any year over the lifespan. Researchers think that one
explanation is that ties to friends are broken while academic demands are rising.
Furthermore, most adult cases of clinical depression first emerge in adolescence （青春
期）. The World Health Organization reports that depression has the greatest burden of
disease worldwide, in terms of the total cost of treatment and the loss of productivity.
F） Given all thafs riding on having a successful ninth grade experience, it pays to explore
what can be done to meet the academic, social and emotional challenges of the transition
to high school. So far, our studies have yielded one main insight: Students5 beliefs about
change- their beliefs about whether people are stuck one way forever, or whether people
can change their personalities and abilities—are related to their ability to cope, succeed
academically and maintain good mental health. Past research has called these beliefs
“mindsets （思维模式）,“ with a “fixed mindset“ referring to the belief that people cannot
change and a “growth mindsef, referring to the belief that people can change.
G） In one recent study, we examined 360 adolescents5 beliefs about the nature of
“smartness”- that is, their fixed mindsets about intelligence. We then assessed
biological stress responses for students whose grades were dropping by examining their
stress hormones （荷尔蒙）. Students who believed that intelligence is fixed- that you are
2021年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研stuck being “not smart“ if you struggle in school- showed higher levels of stress
hormones when their grades were declining at the beginning of the ninth grade. If
students believed that intelligence could improve—that is to say, when they held more
of a growth mindset of intelligence- they showed lower levels of stress hormones when
their grades were declining. This was an exciting result because it showed that the
body's stress responses are not determined solely by one's grades. Instead, declining
grades only predicted worse stress hormones among students who believed that
worsening grades were a permanent and hopeless state of affairs.
H） We also investigated the social side of the high school transition. In this study, instead of
teaching students that their smartness can change, we taught them that their social
standing- that is, whether they are bullied or excluded or left out- can change over
time. We then looked at high school students' stress responses to daily social difficulties.
That is, we taught them a growth mindset about their social lives. In this study, students
came into the laboratory and were asked to give a public speech in front of upper-year
students. The topic of the speech was what makes one popular in high school.
Following this, students had to complete a difficult mental math task in front of the
same upper-year students.
I） Experiment results showed that students who were not taught that people can change
showed poor stress responses. When these students gave the speech, their blood vessels
contracted and their hearts pumped less blood through the body_both responses that
the body shows when it is preparing for damage or defeat after a physical threat. Then
they gave worse speeches and made more mistakes in math. But when students were
taught that people can change, they had better responses to stress, in part because they
felt like they had the resources to deal with the demanding situation. Students who got
the growth mindset intervention （干预）showed less-contracted blood vessels and their
hearts pumped more blood_both of which contributed to more oxygen getting to the
brain, and, ultimately, better performance on the speech and mental math tasks.
J） These findings lead to several possibilities that we are investigating further. First, we are
working to replicate （复制）these findings in more diverse school communities. We want
to know in which types of schools and for which kinds of students these growth mindset
ideas help young people adapt to the challenges of high school. We also hope to learn
how teachers, parents or school counselors can help students keep their ongoing academic
or social difficulties in perspective. We wonder what would happen if schools helped to
make beliefs about the potential for change and improvement a larger feature of the
overall school culture, especially for students starting the ninth grade.
36. The number of people experiencing depression shows a sharp increase in the first year
of high school.
37. According to one study, students5 academic performance is not the only decisive factor
of their stress responses.
38. Researchers would like to explore further how parents and schools can help ninth
graders by changing their mindset.
39. According to one study, each high school graduate contributes at least 500,000 dollars
to the local economy.
2021年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研40. In one study, students were told their social position in school is not unchangeable.
41. It is reported that depression results in enormous economic losses worldwide.
42. One study showed that friendships among ninth graders were far from stable.
43. More than half of students will find their academic performance declining sharply when
they enter the ninth grade.
44. Researchers found through experiments that students could be taught to respond to
stress in a more positive way.
45. It is beneficial to explore ways to cope with the challenges facing students entering high
school.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Educators and business leaders have more in common than it may seem. Teachers
want to prepare students fbr a successful future. Technology companies have an interest in
developing a workforce with the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills
needed to grow the company and advance the industry. How can they work together to
achieve these goals? Play may be the answer.
Focusing on STEM skills is important, but the reality is that STEM skills are enhanced
and more relevant when combined with traditional, hands-on creative activities. This
combination is proving to be the best way to prepare today's children to be the makers and
builders of tomorrow. That is why technology companies are partnering with educators to
bring back good, old-fashioned play.
In fact many experts argue that the most important 21 st-century skills aren't related
to specific technologies or subject matter, but to creativity; skills like imagination,
problem-finding and problem-solving, teamwork, optimism, patience and the ability to
experiment and take risks. These are skills acquired when kids tinker (鼓捣 4、玩意).
High-tech industries such as NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have found that their best
overall problem solvers were master tinkerers in their youth.
There are cognitive (认矢口的)benefits of doing things the way we did as children
- building something, tearing it down, then building it up again. Research shows that given
15 minutes of free play, four- and five-year-olds will spend a third of this time engaged in
spatial, mathematical, and architectural activities. This type of play- especially with
building blocks- helps children discover and develop key principles in math and geometry.
If play and building are critical to 21st-century skill development, thafs really good
news fbr two reasons: Children are bom builders, makers, and creators, so fostering (培养)
21st-century skills may be as simple as giving kids room to play, tinker and try things out,
even as they grow older. Secondly, it doesn't take 21 st-century technology to foster
21st-century skills. This is especially important for under-resourced schools and
communities. Taking whatever materials are handy and tinkering with them is a simple way
to engage those important “maker“ skills. And anyone, anywhere, can do it.
2021年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研46. What does the author say about educators?
A) They seek advice from technology companies to achieve teaching goals.
B) They have been successful in preparing the workforce for companies.
C) They help students acquire the skills needed fbr their future success.
D) They partner with technology companies to enhance teaching efficiency.
47. How can educators better develop students5 STEM skills, according to the author?
A) By blending them with traditional, stimulating activities.
B) By inviting business leaders to help design curriculums.
C) By enhancing students5 ability to think in a critical way.
D) By showing students the best way to learn is through play.
48. How do children acquire the skills needed for the 21st century?
A) By engaging in activities involving specific technologies.
B) By playing with things to solve problems on their own.
C) By familiarizing themselves with high-tech gadgets.
D) By mastering basic principles through teamwork.
49. What can we do to help children learn the basics of math and geometry?
A) Stimulate their interest as early as possible.
B) Spend more time playing games with them.
C) Encourage them to make things with hands.
D) Allow them to tinker freely with calculators.
50. What does the author advise disadvantaged schools and communities to do?
A) Train students to be makers to meet future market demands.
B) Develop students5 creative skills with the resources available.
C) Engage students with challenging tasks to foster their creativity.
D) Work together with companies to improve their teaching facilities.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Being an information technology, or IT, worker is not a job I envy. They are the ones
who, right in the middle of a critical meeting, are expected to instantly fix the projector
that5s no longer working. They have to tolerate the bad tempers of colleagues frustrated at
the number of times they've had to call the help desk for the same issue. They are also the
ones who know there are systems that are more powerful, reliable and faster, but their
employer simply will not put up the funds to buy them.
According to a recent survey, employees who have a job reliant on IT support consider
IT a major source of job dissatisfaction. Through no fault of their own, they can suddenly
find their productivity deteriorating or quality control non-existent. And there 5s little they
can do about it.
The experience of using IT penetrates almost the entire work field. It has become a
crucial part of employees? overall work experience. When IT is operating as it should,
employee sell-confidence swells. Their job satisfaction, too, can surge when well-functioning
machines relieve them of dull tasks or repetitive processes. But if there5s one thing that
triggers widespread employee frustration, ifs an IT transformation project gone wrong,
2021年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研where swollen expectations have been popped and a long list of promised efficiencies have
been reversed. This occurs when business leaders implement IT initiatives with little
consideration of how those changes will impact the end user.
Which is why managers should appreciate just how influential the IT user experience
is to their employees, and exert substantial effort in ensuring their IT team eliminates
programming errors and application crashes. Adequate and timely IT support should also be
available to enable users to cope with technological issues at work. More importantly, IT
practitioners need to understand what employees experience mentally when they use IT.
Therefore, businesses need to set up their IT infrastructure so that it is designed to fit
in with their employees5 work, rather than adjust their work to fit in with the company's IT
limitations.
51. What does the author say about working in IT?
A) It is envied by many. C) It is financially rewarding.
B) It does not appeal to him. D) It does not match his abilities.
52. What is the finding of a recent survey on employees who have a job reliant on IT support?
A) IT helps boost productivity.
B) IT helps improve quality control.
C) Many employees are deeply frustrated by IT.
D) Most employees rely heavily on IT in their work.
53. What is said to happen when IT is functioning properly?
A) There is a big boost in employees5 work efficiency.
B) Employees become more dependent on machines.
C) There are no longer any boring or repetitive tasks.
D) Employees become more confident in their work.
54. What should business leaders do before implementing new IT initiatives?
A) Consider the various expectations of their customers.
B) Draw up a list of the efficiencies to be promised.
C) Assess the swollen cost of training the employees.
D) Think about the possible effects on their employees.
55. How can a business help improve its employees; experience in using IT?
A) By designing systems that suit their needs.
B) By ensuring that their mental health is sound.
C) By adjusting their work to suit the IT system.
D) By offering them regular in-service training.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
铁观音(Tieguanyin)是中国最受欢迎的茶之一，原产于福建省安溪县西坪镇，如今安溪全县
普遍种植，但该县不同地区生产的铁观音又各具风味。铁观音一年四季均可采摘，尤以春秋两季
采摘的茶叶品质最佳。铁观音的加工非常复杂，需要专门的技术和丰富的经验。铁观音含有多种
维生素，喝起来口感独特。常饮铁观音有助于预防心脏病、降低血压、增强记忆力。
2021年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 9 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研2021年 06月大学英语四级考试真题（第 2 套）
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Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay titled “Is technology
making people lazy?The statement given below is for your reference. You should write at
least 120 words but no more than 180 words .
Many studies claim that computers distract people, make them lazy thinkers and even lower
their work efficiency.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single
line through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) See the Pope. C) Travel to Germany.
B) Go to Newcastle. D) Tour an Italian city.
2. A) He was taken to hospital in an ambulance.
B) His car hit a sign and was badly damaged.
C) His GPS system went out of order.
D) He ended up in the wrong place.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) Scotland will reach the national target in carbon emissions reduction ahead of schedule.
B) Glasgow City Council has made a deal with ScottishPower on carbon emissions.
C) Glasgow has pledged to take the lead in reducing carbon emissions in the UK.
D) First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged ScottishPower to reduce carbon emissions.
4. A) Glasgow needs to invest in new technologies to reach its goal.
B) Glasgow is going to explore new sources of renewable energy.
C) Stricter regulation is needed in transforming Glasgow's economy.
D) Ifs necessary to create more low-emission zones as soon as possible.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) It donates money to overpopulated animal shelters.
B) It permits employees to bring cats into their office.
C) It gives 5,000 yen to employees who keep pet cats.
D) It allows workers to do whatever their hearts desire.
6. A) Keep cats off the street. C) Volunteer to help in animal shelters.
B) Rescue homeless cats. D) Contribute to a fund for cat protection.
2021年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研7. A) It has contributed tremendously to the fame.
B) It has helped a lot to improve animals5 well-being.
C) It has led some other companies to follow suit.
D) It has resulted in damage to office equipment.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) Find out where Jimmy is. C) Make friends with Jimmy.
B) Borrow money from Jimmy. D) Ask Jimmy what is to be done.
9. A) He was unsure what kind of fellow Jimmy was.
B) He was working on a study project with Jimmy.
C) He wanted to make a sincere apology to Jimmy.
D) He wanted to invite her to join in a study project.
10. A) He got a ticket for speeding. C) He was involved in a traffic accident.
B) He got his car badly damaged. D) He had an operation for his injury.
11. A) He needed to make some donation to charity.
B) He found the 60 pounds in his pocket missing.
C) He wanted to buy a gift for his mother's birthday.
D) He wanted to conceal something from his parents.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) Shopping delivery. C) Where he goes shopping.
B) Shopping online. D) How often he does shopping.
13. A)Searching in the aisles. C) Driving too long a distance.
B) Dealing with the traffic. D) Getting one's car parked.
14. A) The after-sales service. C) The quality of food products.
B) The replacement policy. D) The damage to the packaging.
15. A) It saves money. C) It increases the joy of shopping.
B) It offers more choice. D) It is less time-consuming.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will
hear three or four 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 1 with a single line through the
centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
2021年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研16. A) They have little talent fbr learning math.
B) They need medical help fbr math anxiety.
C) They need extra help to catch up in the math class.
D) They have strong negative emotions towards math.
17. A) It will gradually pass away without teachers5 help.
B) It affects low-performing children only.
C) It is related to a child's low intelligence.
D) It exists mostly among children from poor families.
18. A) Most of them have average to strong math ability.
B) Most of them get timely help from their teachers.
C) They will regain confidence with counselling.
D) They are mostly secondary school students.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) Social media addiction is a threat to our health.
B) Too many people are addicted to smartphones.
C) Addiction to computer games is a disease.
D) Computer games can be rather addictive.
20. A) They prioritize their favored activity over what they should do.
B) They do their favored activity whenever and wherever possible.
C) They are unaware of the damage their behavior is doing to them.
D) They are unable to get rid of their addiction without professional help.
21. A) It may be less damaging than previously believed.
B) There will never be agreement on its harm to people.
C) It may prove to be beneficial to developing creativity.
D) There is not enough evidence to classify it as a disease.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) They are relatively uniform in color and design.
B) They appear more formal than other passports.
C) They are a shade of red bordering on brown.
D) They vary in color from country to country.
23. A) They must endure wear and tear. C) They must be made from a rare material.
B) They must be of the same size. D) They must follow some common standards.
24. A) They look more traditional. C) They are favored by airlines.
B) They look more official. D) They are easily identifiable.
25. A) For beauty. C) For visibility.
B) For variety. D) For security.
2021年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
Social isolation poses more health risks than obesity or smoking 15 cigarettes a day,
according to research published by Brigham Young University. The 26 is that loneliness
is a huge, if silent, risk factor.
Loneliness affects physical health in two ways. First, it produces stress hormones that
can lead to many health problems. Second, people who live alone are less likely to go to the
doctor 27 , to exercise or to eat a healthy diet.
Public health experts in many countries are 28 how to address widespread
loneliness in our society. Last year Britain even appointed a minister fbr loneliness.
“Loneliness 29 almost every one of us at some point,“ its minister for loneliness
Baroness Barran said. "It can lead to very serious health 30 for individuals who
become isolated and disconnected.^^
Barran started a "Let's Talk Loneliness^^ campaign that 31 difficult conversations
across Britain. She is now supporting " 32 benches,which are public seating areas
where people are encouraged to go and chat with one another. The minister is also 33
to stop public transportation from being cut in ways that leave people isolated.
More than one-fifth of adults in both the United States and Britain said in a
2018 34 that they often or always feel lonely. More than half of American adults are
unmarried, and researchers have found that even among those who are married, 30% of
relationships are 35 strained. A quarter of Americans now live alone, and as the song
says, one is the loneliest number.
A) abruptly I) implication
B) appointments J) pushing
C) consequences K) severely
D) debating L) sparked
E) dimensions M) splitting
F) friendly N)survey
G) hindered O) touches
H) idiom
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once.
Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding
letter on Answer Sheet 2.
2021年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研What happens when a language has no words for numbers?
A) Numbers do not exist in all cultures. There are numberless hunter-gatherers in
Amazonia, living along branches of the world's largest river tree. Instead of using
words for precise quantities, these people rely exclusively on terms similar to “a fbw" or
“some." In contrast, our own lives are governed by numbers. As you read this, you are
likely aware of what time it is, how old you are, your checking account balance, your
weight and so on. The exact numbers we think with impact everything in our lives.
B) But, in a historical sense, number-conscious people like us are the unusual ones. For the
bulk of our species' approximately 200,000-year lifespan, we had no means of precisely
representing quantities. What's more, the 7,000 or so languages that exist today vary
dramatically in how they utilize numbers.
C) Speakers of anumeric, or numberless, languages offer a window into how the invention
of numbers reshaped the human experience. Cultures without numbers, or with only one
or two precise numbers, include the Munduruku and Piraha in Amazonia. Researchers
have also studied some adults in Nicaragua who were never taught number
words.Without numbers, healthy human adults struggle to precisely distinguish and
recall quantities as low as four. In an experiment, a researcher will place nuts into a can
one at a time and then remove them one by one. The person watching is asked to signal
when all the nuts have been removed. Responses suggest that anumeric people have
some trouble keeping track of how many nuts remain in the can, even if there are only
four or five in total.
D) This and many other experiments have led to a simple conclusion: When people do
not have number words, they struggle to make quantitative distinctions that probably
seem natural to someone like you or me. While only a small portion of the world's
languages are anumeric or nearly anumeric, they demonstrate that number words are
not a human universal.
E) It is worth stressing that these anumeric people are cognitively (在认矢口方面)normal,
well-adapted to the surroundings they have dominated fbr centuries. As a child, I spent
some time living with anumeric people, the Piraha who live along the banks of the
black Maici River. Like other outsiders, I was continually impressed by their superior
understanding of the ecology we shared. Yet numberless people struggle with tasks that
require precise discrimination between quantities. Perhaps this should be unsurprising.
After all, without counting, how can someone tell whether there are, say, seven or eight
coc。〃小s(椰子)in a tree? Such seemingly straightforward distinctions become blurry
through numberless eyes.
F) This conclusion is echoed by work with anumeric children in industrialized societies.
Prior to being spoon-fed number words, children can only approximately discriminate
quantities beyond three. We must be handed the cognitive tools of numbers before we can
consistently and easily recognize higher quantities. In fact, acquiring the exact meaning of
number words is a painstaking process that takes children years. Initially, kids learn
numbers much like they learn letters. They recognize that numbers are organized
sequentially, but have little awareness of what each individual number means. With time,
they start to understand that a given number represents a quantity greater by one than the
number coming before it. This ''successor principle^^ is part of the foundation of our
numerical (数字的)cognition, but requires extensive practice to understand.
2021年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研G) None of us, then, is really a “numbers person.^^ We are not bom to handle quantitative
distinctions skillfully. In the absence of the cultural traditions that fill our lives with
numbers from infancy, we would all struggle with even basic quantitative distinctions.
Number words and their written forms transform our quantitative reasoning as they are
introduced into our cognitive experience by our parents, peers and school teachers. The
process seems so normal that we sometimes think of it as a natural part of growing up,
but it is not. Human brains come equipped with certain quantitative instincts that are
refined with age, but these instincts are very limited.
H) Compared with other mammals, our numerical instincts are not as remarkable as many
assume. We even share some basic instinctual quantitative reasoning with distant
non-mammalian relatives like birds. Indeed, work with some other species suggests
they too can refine their quantitative thought if they are introduced to the cognitive
power tools we call numbers.
I) So, how did we ever invent “unnatural“ numbers in the first place? The answer is,
literally, at your fingertips. The bulk of the world's languages use base-10, base-20 or
base-5 number systems. That is, these smaller numbers are the basis of larger numbers.
English is a base-10 or decimal (十进制的)language, as evidenced by words like 14
("four" + "10") and 31 ("three" x "10"+ "one"). We speak a decimal language because
an ancestral tongue, proto-Indo-European, was decimally based. Proto-Indo-European
was decimally oriented because, as in so many cultures, our ancestors? hands served as
the gateway to the realization that “five fingers on one hand is the same as five fingers
on the other.^^ Such momentary thoughts were represented in words and passed down
across generations. This is why the word "five" in many languages is derived from the
word for "hand." Most number systems, then, are the by-product of two key factors: the
human capacity for language and our inclination for focusing on our hands and fingers.
This manual fixation- an indirect by-product of walking upright on two legs- has
helped yield numbers in most cultures, but not all.
J) Cultures without numbers also offer insight into the cognitive influence of particular
numeric traditions. Consider what time it is. Your day is ruled by minutes and seconds,
but these concepts are not real in any physical sense and are nonexistent to numberless
people. Minutes and seconds are the verbal and written representations of an
uncommon base-60 number system used in ancient Mesopotamia. They reside in our
minds, numerical artifacts (人工制品)that not all humans inherit conceptually.
K) Research on the language of numbers shows, more and more, that one of our species'
key characteristics is tremendous linguistic (语言的)and cognitive diversity. If we are
to truly understand how much our cognitive lives differ cross-culturally, we must
continually explore the depths of our species5 linguistic diversity.
36. It is difficult for anumeric people to keep track of the change in numbers even when the
total is very small.
37. Human numerical instincts are not so superior to those of other mammals as is generally
believed.
38. The author emphasizes being anumeric does not affect one's cognitive ability.
39. In the long history of mankind, humans who use numbers are a very small minority.
40. An in-depth study of differences between human languages contributes to a true
2021年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研understanding of cognitive differences between cultures.
41. A conclusion has been drawn from many experiments that anumeric people have a hard
time distinguishing quantities.
42. Making quantitative distinctions is not an inborn skill.
43. Every aspect of our lives is affected by numbers.
44. Larger numbers are said to be built upon smaller numbers.
45. It takes great efforts fbr children to grasp the concept of number words.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Sugar shocked. That describes the reaction of many Americans this week following
revelations that, 50 years ago, the sugar industry paid Harvard scientists fbr research that
shifted the focus away from sugar's role in heart disease- and put the spotlight (注意的 中
心、)squarely on dietary fat.
What might surprise consumers is just how many present-day nutrition studies are still
funded by the food industry. Nutrition scholar Marion Nestle of New York University spent
a year informally tracking industry-funded studies on food. t4Roughly 90% of nearly 170
studies favored the sponsor's interest,^Nestle tells us. Other systematic reviews support her
conclusions.
For instance, studies funded by Welch Foods- the brand behind Welch's 100% Grape
Juice- found that drinking Concord grape juice daily may boost brain function. Another,
funded by Quaker Oats, concluded, as a Daily Mail story put it, that “hot oatmeal
breakfast keeps you full fbr longer.”
Last year, The New York Times revealed how Coca-Cola was funding well-known
scientists and organizations promoting a message that, in the battle against weight gain,
people should pay more attention to exercise and less to what they eat and drink. Coca-Cola
also released data detailing its funding of several medical institutions and associations
between 2010 and 2015.
"It's certainly a problem that so much research in nutrition and health is funded by
industry,5,says Bonnie Liebman, director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public
Interest. "When the food industry pays for research, it often gets what it pays fbr."And what
it pays fbr is often a pro-industry finding.
Given this environment, consumers should be skeptical (怀疑的)when reading the
latest finding in nutrition science and ignore the latest study that pops up on your news feed.
“Rely on health experts who've reviewed all the evidence,Liebman says, pointing to the
official government Dietary Guidelines, which are based on reviews of hundreds of studies.
“And that expert advice remains pretty simple,says Nestle. t4We know what healthy
diets are- lots of vegetables, not too much junk food, balanced calories. Everything else is
really difficult to do experimentally.^^
2021年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研46. What did Harvard scientists do 50 years ago?
A) They raised public awareness of the possible causes of heart disease.
B) They turned public attention away from the health risks of sugar to fat.
C) They placed the sugar industry in the spotlight with their new findings.
D) They conducted large-scale research on the role of sugar in people's health.
47. What does Marion Nestle say about present-day nutrition studies?
A)They took her a full year to track and analyze.
B) Most of them are based on systematic reviews.
C) They depend on funding from the food industries.
D) Nearly all of them serve the purpose of the funders.
48. What did Coca-Cola-funded studies claim?
A) Exercise is more important to good health than diet.
B) Choosing what to eat and drink is key to weight control.
C) Drinking Coca-Cola does not contribute to weight gain.
D) The food industry plays a major role in fighting obesity.
49. What does Liebman say about industry-funded research?
A) It simply focuses on nutrition and health.
B) It causes confusion among consumers.
C) It rarely results in objective findings.
D) It runs counter to the public interest.
50. What is the author's advice to consumers?
A) Follow their intuition in deciding what to eat.
B) Be doubtful of diet experts' recommendations.
C) Ignore irrelevant information on their news feed.
D) Think twice about new nutrition research findings.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Success was once defined as being able to stay at a company fbr a long time and move
up the corporate ladder. The goal was to reach the top, accumulate wealth and retire to a life
of ease. My father is a successful senior executive. In 35 years, he worked fbr only three
companies.
When I started my career, things were already different. If you weren't changing
companies every three or four years, you simply weren't getting ahead in your career. But
back then, if you were a consultant or freelancer (自 由职业者)，people would wonder what
was wrong with you. They would assume you had problems getting a job.
Today, consulting or freelancing for five businesses at the same time is a badge of
honor. It shows how valuable an individual is. Many companies now look to these "ultimate
professionals^^ to solve problems their full-time teams can,t. Or they save money by hiring
''top-tier (顶尖的)experts^^ only fbr particular projects.
Working at home or in cafes, starting businesses of their own, and even launching
business ventures that eventually may fail, all indicate “initiative”, “creativity”, and
“adaptability”, which are desirable qualities in today's workplace. Most important, there is a
growing recognition that people who balance work and play, and who work at what they are
passionate about, are more focused and productive, delivering greater value to their clients.
2021年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研Who are these people? They are artists, writers, programmers, providers of office
services and career advice. Whafs needed now is a marketplace platform specifically
designed to bring freelancers and clients together. Such platforms then become a place to
feature the most experienced, professional, and creative talent. This is where they conduct
business, where a sense of community reinforces the culture and values of the gig economy
(零工经济),and where success is rewarded with good reviews that encourage more business.
Slowly but surely, these platforms create a bridge between traditional enterprises and
this emerging economy. Perhaps more important, as the global economy continues to be
disrupted by technology and other massive change, the gig economy will itself become an
engine of economic and social transformation.
51. What does the author use the example of his father to illustrate?
A) How long people took to reach the top of their career.
B) How people accumulated wealth in his father's time.
C) How people viewed success in his father's time.
D) How long people usually stayed in a company.
52. Why did people often change jobs when the author started his career?
A) It was considered a fashion at that time.
B) It was a way to advance in their career.
C) It was a response to the changing job market.
D) It was difficult to keep a job fbr long.
53. What does the author say about people now working for several businesses at the same time?
A) They are often regarded as most treasured talents.
B) They are able to bring their potential into fuller play.
C) They have control over their life and work schedules.
D) They feel proud of being outstanding problem solver.
54. What have businesses come to recognize now?
A) Who is capable of solving problems with ease.
B) How people can be more focused and productive.
C) What kind of people can contribute more to them.
D) Why some people are more passionate about work.
55. What does the author say about the gig economy?
A) It may force companies to reform their business practice.
B) It may soon replace the traditional economic model.
C) It will drive technological progress on a global scale.
D) It will bring about radical economic and social changes.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
普 洱 (Pu'er)茶深受中国人喜爱。最好的普洱茶产自云南的西双版纳(Xishuangbanna), 那
里的气候和环境为普洱茶树的生长提供了最佳条件。普洱茶颜色较深，味道与其他许多茶截然不
同。普洱茶渔(brew)的时间越长越有味道。许多爱喝茶的人尤其喜欢其独特的香味和口感。普
洱茶含有多种有益健康的元素，常饮普洱茶有助于保护心脏和血管，还有减肥、消除疲劳和促进
消化的功效。
2021年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 9 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研2021年 06月大学英语四级考试真题（第 3 套）
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay titled “Do violent video
games lead to violence?”. The statement given below is for your reference. You should write at
least 120 words but no more than 180 words .
A growing body of research finds that violent video games can make kids act aggressively in
their real world relationships, causing an increase in violence.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
淘宝店铺【光速考研工作室】温馨提示：2021年 6 月大学英语四级考试共考了两套听力，本套的听力内
容与第二套相同，因此本套试题听力部分不再重复给出。
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Nowadays you can't buy anything without then being asked to provide a rating of a
company's performance on a five-star scale.
Fve been asked to rate my “store 26 '' on the EFTPOS terminal before I can pay.
Even the most 27 activities, such as calling Telstra or picking up a parcel from
Australia Post, are followed by texts or emails with surveys asking, “How did we do?”
Online purchases are 28 followed up by a customer satisfaction survey.
Companies are so 29 fbr a hit of stars that if you delete the survey the company sends
you another one.
We're 30 to rate our apps when we've barely had a chance to use them. One
online course provider I use asks you what you think of the course after you've only
completed 31 2 per cent of it.
Economist Jason Murphy says that companies use customer satisfaction ratings
because a 32 display of star feedback has become the nuclear power sources of the
modem economy.
However, you can,t help but 33 if these companies are basing their business on
fabrications (捏造的东西).I 34 that with online surveys 1 just click the 35 that's
closest to my mouse ci/rs。/ (光标)to get the damn thing off my screen. Often the star rating
I give has far more to do with the kind of day Fm having than the purchase I just made.
A)announce I) roughly
B) commonplace J) routinely
C) confess K) shining
D) desperate L) showering
E) experience M) variety
F) fascinated N) voyage
G) option O) wonder
H) prompted
2021年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 1 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
Science of setbacks:How failure can improve career prospects
A) How do early career setbacks affect our long-term success? Failures can help us learn
and overcome our fears. But disasters can still wound us. They can screw us up and set
us back. Wouldn't it be nice if there was genuine, scientifically documented truth to the
expression, uwhat doesn,t kill you makes you stronger”?
B) One way social scientists have probed the effects of career setbacks is to look at
scientists of very similar qualifications. These scientists, for reasons that are mostly
arbitrary, either just missed getting a research grant or just barely made it. In social
sciences, this is known as examining “near misses^^ and 4'narrow wins“ in areas where
merit is subjective. That allows researchers to measure only the effects of being chosen
or not. Studies in this area have found conflicting results. In the competitive game of
biomedical science, research has been done on scientists who narrowly lost or won
grant money. It suggests that narrow winners become even bigger winners down the
line. In other words, the rich get richer.
C) A 2018 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, for
example, followed researchers in the Netherlands. Researchers concluded that those
who just barely qualified for a grant were able to get twice as much money within the
next eight years as those who just missed out. And the narrow winners were 50 percent
more likely to be given a professorship.
D) Others in the US have found similar effects with National Institutes of Health early-career
fellowships launching narrow winners far ahead of close losers. The phenomenon is often
referred to as the Matthew effect, inspired by the Bible's wisdom that to those who have,
more will be given. There?s a good explanation for the phenomenon in the book The
Formula'. The Universal Laws of Success by Albert Laszlo Barabasi. According to
Barabasi, ifs easier and less risky for those in positions of power to choose to hand
awards and funding to those who've already been so recognized.
E) This is bad news for the losers.Small early career setbacks seem to have a
disproportionate effect down the line. What didn't kill them made them weaker. But
other studies using the same technique have shown there's sometimes no penalty to a
near miss. Students who just miss getting into top high schools or universities do just as
well later in life as those who just manage to get accepted. In this case, what didn't kill
them simply didn,t matter. So is there any evidence that setbacks might actually
improve our career prospects? There is now.
F) In a study published in Nature Communications, Northwestern University sociologist
Dashun Wang tracked more than 1,100 scientists who were on the border between
getting a grant and missing out between 1990 and 2005. He followed various measures
of performance over the next decade. These included how many papers they authored
and how influential those papers were, as measured by the number of subsequent
citations. As expected, there was a much higher rate of attrition (减员)among scientists
2021年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 2 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研who didn't get grants. But among those who stayed on, the close losers performed even
better than the narrow winners. To make sure this wasn't by chance, Wang conducted
additional tests using different performance measures. He examined how many times
people were first authors on influential studies, and the like.
G) One straightforward reason close losers might outperform narrow winners is that the
two groups have comparable ability. In Wang's study, he selected the most determined,
passionate scientists from the loser group and culled (易＞］除 )what he deemed the
weakest members of the winner group. Yet the persevering losers still came out on top.
He thinks that being a close loser might give people a psychological boost, or the
proverbial kick in the pants.
H) Utrecht University sociologist Amout van de Rijt, who was the lead author on the 2018
paper showing the rich get richer. He said the new finding is apparently reasonable and
worth some attention. His own work showed that although the narrow winners did get
much more money in the near future, the actual performance of the close losers was just
as good.
I) He said the people who should be paying regard to the Wang paper are the funding
agents who distribute government grant money. After all, by continuing to pile riches on
the narrow winners, the taxpayers are not getting the maximum bang for their buck if
the close losers are performing just as well or even better. There's a huge amount of
time and effort that goes into the process of selecting who gets grants, he said, and the
latest research shows that the scientific establishment is not very good at distributing
money. "Maybe we should spend less money trying to figure out who is better than
who,^^ he said, suggesting that some more equal dividing up of money might be more
productive and more efficient. Van de Rijt said he's not convinced that losing out gives
people a psychological boost. It may yet be a selection effect. Even though Wang tried
to account for this by culling the weakest winners, ifs impossible to know which of the
winners would have quit had they found themselves on the losing side.
J) For his part, Wang said that in his own experience, losing did light a motivating fire. He
recalled a recent paper he submitted to a journal, which accepted it only to request
extensive editing, and then reversed course and rejected it. He submitted the unedited
version to a more respected journal and got accepted.
K) In sports and many areas of life, we think of failures as evidence of something we could
have done better. We regard these disappointments as a fate we could have avoided with
more careful preparation, diflerent training, a better strategy, or more focus. And there it
makes sense that failures show us the road to success. These papers deal with a kind of
failure people have little control over- rejection. Others determine who wins and who
loses. But at the very least, the research is starting to show that early setbacks don't
have to be fatal. They might even make us better at our jobs. Getting paid like a winner,
though? Thafs a different matter.
36. Being a close loser could greatly motivate one to persevere in their research.
37. Grant awarders tend to favor researchers already recognized in their respective fields.
38. Suffering early setbacks might help people improve their job performance.
39. Research by social scientists on the effects of career setbacks has produced
contradictory findings.
2021年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 3 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研40. It is not to the best interest of taxpayers to keep giving money to narrow winners.
41. Scientists who persisted in research without receiving a grant made greater
achievements than those who got one with luck, as suggested in one study.
42. A research paper rejected by one journal may get accepted by another.
43. According to one recent study, narrow winners of research grants had better chances to
be promoted to professors.
44. One researcher suggests it might be more fruitful to distribute grants on a relatively
equal basis.
45. Minor setbacks in their early career may have a strong negative effect on the career of
close losers.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Boredom has become trendy. Studies point to how boredom is good fbr creativity and
innovation, as well as mental health. It is found that people are more creative following the
completion of a tedious task. When people are bored, they have an increase in ''associative
thought”- the process of making new connections between ideas, which is linked to
innovative thinking. These studies are impressive, but in reality, the benefits of boredom
may be related to having time to clear your mind, be quiet, or daydream.
In our stimulation-rich world, it seems unrealistic that boredom could occur at all. Yet,
there are valid reasons boredom may feel so painful. As it turns out, boredom might signal
the fact that you have a need that isn't being met.
Our always-on world of social media may result in more connections, but they are
superficial and can get in the way of building a real sense of belonging. Feeling bored
may signal the desire fbr a greater sense of community and the feeling that you fit in with
others around you. So take the step of joining an organization to build face-to-face
relationships. You,ll find depth that you won't get from your screen no matter how many
likes you get on your post.
Similar to the need for belonging, bored people often report that they feel a limited
sense of meaning. It's a fundamental human need to have a larger purpose and to feel like
we're part of something bigger than ourselves. When people are bored, they're more likely
to feel less meaning in their lives. If you want to reduce boredom and increase your sense
of meaning, seek work where you can make a unique contribution, or find a cause you can
support with your time and talent.
If your definition of boredom is being quiet, mindful, and reflective, keep it up. But if
you're struggling with real boredom and the emptiness it provokes, consider whether you
might seek new connections and more significant challenges. These are the things that will
genuinely relieve boredom and make you more effective in the process.
2021年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 4 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研46. What have studies found about boredom?
A) It facilitates innovative thinking.
B) It is a result of doing boring tasks.
C) It helps people connect with others.
D) It does harm to one's mental health.
47. What does the author say boredom might indicate?
A) A need to be left alone. C) A conflict to be resolved.
B) A desire to be fulfilled. D) A feeling to be validated.
48. What do we learn about social media from the passage?
A) It may be an obstacle to expanding one's connections.
B) It may get in the way of enhancing one's social status.
C) It may prevent people from developing a genuine sense of community.
D) It may make people feel that they ought to fit in with the outside world.
49. What does the author suggest people do to get rid of boredom?
A) Count the likes they get on their posts. C) Engage in real-life interactions.
B) Reflect on how they relate to others. D) Participate in online discussions.
50. What should people do to enhance their sense of meaning?
A) Try to do something original. C) Define boredom in their unique way.
B) Confront significant challenges. D) Devote themselves to a worthy cause.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Can you remember what you ate yesterday? If asked, most people will be able to give
a vague description of their main meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. But can you be sure
you've noted every snack bar in your car, or every handful of nuts at your desk? Most
people will have a feeling that they've missed something out.
We originally had this suspicion back in 2016, puzzled by the fact that national
statistics showed calorie consumption falling dramatically over past decades. We found
reliable evidence that people were drastically under-reporting what they ate.
Now the Office for National Statistics has confirmed that we are consuming 50% more
calories than our national statistics claim.
Why is this happening? We can point to at least three potential causes. One is the rise
in obesity levels itself. Under-reporting rates are much higher fbr obese people, because
they simply consume more food, and thus have more to remember.
Another cause is that the proportion of people who are trying to lose weight has been
increasing over time. People who want to lose weight are more likely to under-report their
eating- regardless of whether they are overweight or not. This may be driven partly by
seli-deception or 6twishful thinking^^.
The final potential cause is an increase in snacking and eating out over recent decades
- both in terms of how often they happen and how much they contribute to our overall
energy intake. Again, there is evidence that food consumed out of the home is one of the
most poorly recorded categories in surveys.
So, whafs the message conveyed? For statistics, we should invest in more accurate
measurement options. For policy, we need to focus on options that make it easy fbr people
2021年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 5 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研to eat fewer calories. If people do not know how much they are eating, it can be really hard
fbr them to stick to a diet. Also, we should be looking fbr new ways to ensure what people
eat wouldn't have much impact on their waistlines. If this works, it won't matter if they
can't remember what they ate yesterday.
51. What did the author suspect back in 2016?
A) Calorie consumption had fallen drastically over the decades.
B) Most people surveyed were reluctant to reveal what they ate.
C) The national statistics did not reflect the actual calorie consumption.
D) Most people did not include snacks when reporting their calorie intake.
52. What has the Office for National Statistics verified?
A) People's calorie intake was far from accurately reported.
B) The missing out of main meals leads to the habit of snacking.
C) The nation's obesity level has much to do with calorie intake.
D) Calorie consumption is linked to the amount of snacks one eats.
53. What do we learn about obese people from the passage?
A) They usually keep their eating habits a secret.
B) They overlook the potential causes of obesity.
C) They cannot help eating more than they should.
D) They have difficulty recalling what they have eaten.
54. What often goes unnoticed in surveys on food consumption?
A) The growing trend of eating out. C) People's home energy consumption.
B) The potential causes of snacking. D) People's changing diet over the years.
55. What does the author suggest policymakers do about obesity?
A) Remind people to cut down on snacking.
B) Make sure people eat non-fattening food.
C) Ensure people don't miss their main meals.
D) See that people don't stick to the same diet.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
龙 井 (Longjing)是一种绿茶，主要产自中国东部沿海的浙江省。龙井茶独特的香味和口感为
其赢得了 “中国名茶”的称号，在中国深受大众的欢迎，在海外饮用的人也越来越多。龙井茶通
常手工制作，其价格可能极其昂贵，也可能比较便宜，这取决于茶的生长地、采摘时间和制作工艺。
龙井茶富含维生素C 和其他多种有益健康的元素。经常喝龙井茶有助于减轻疲劳、延缓衰老。
2021年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 6 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研2021年 12月大学英语四级考试真题（第 1 套）
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Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose your school is organizing an orientation program to help the freshmen
adapt to the new environment and academic studies. You are now to write a proposal, which
may include its aim, duration, participants and activities. You will have 30 minutes to write the
proposal. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single line
through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) It found a pet dog on board a plane to a city in Texas.
B) It had one of its cargo planes land at a wrong airport.
C) It sent two dogs to the wrong destinations.
D) It had two of its domestic flights mixed up.
2. A) Correct their mistake as soon as possible.
B) Give the two pets a physical checkup.
C) Hire a charter jet to bring the pets back.
D) Send another plane to continue the flight.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) She weighs 130 kilograms. C) She was brought from Africa.
B) She has had babies before. D) She has a big family of six.
4. A) It took 22 hours. C) It was smooth.
B) It had some complications. D) It was monitored by Dr.Sue Tygielski
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) It enjoyed great popularity. C) It was frequented by newly-weds.
B) It started business three years ago. D) It was built above the sea-water.
6. A) Expand his business on the beach.
B) Replace the restauranfs wooden deck.
C) Post a picture of his restaurant online.
D) Celebrate his silver wedding anniversary.
7. A) She sold it for two thousand dollars. C) She posted its picture on Facebook.
2021年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研B) She took it to the restaurant manager. D) She returned it to its owner right away.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) The number of ducks has declined sharply in recent years.
B) Climate change has little effect on the lives of wild ducks.
C) Duck meat is not eaten in Australia, Canada and the U.S.
D) Duck hunting remains legal in many parts of the world.
9. A) Droughts. B) Bushfires. C) Farming. D) Hunting.
10. A) They are not easy to domesticate. C) It is not environmentally friendly.
B) Their meat is not that popular. D) It is not considered cost-eflective.
11. A) They hunted ducks as a traditional sport.
B) They killed wild ducks and geese fbr food.
C) They raised ducks and geese fbr their eggs.
D) They poisoned wild ducks in large numbers.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) Have her house repainted. C) Move into a newly-painted house.
B) Replace some of her old furniture. D) Calculate the cost of the paintjob.
13. A) How long the work will take. C) How the paintjob is to be done.
B) How much the work will cost. D) How many workers are needed.
14. A) Cover up her furniture. C) Stay somewhere else.
B) Ask some friends fbr help. D) Oversee the work herself.
15. A) She could have asked a friend fbr help with the paintjob.
B) Painting a house involves more trouble than she thought.
C) She should have repainted her house much earlier.
D) Moving her furniture is harder than the paintjob.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages At the end of each passage, you will
hear three or four 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 1 with a single line through
the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
2021年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研16. A) To cultivate good habits. C) To review what is learned in class.
B) To prepare for secondary school. D) To stimulate interest in learning.
17. A) Discuss their academic achievements with them.
B) Create an ideal study environment fbr them.
C) Allow them to learn independently.
D) Check their homework promptly.
18. A) Finish them before they get tired.
B) Tackle the most difficult task first.
C) Start with something they enjoy.
D) Focus on the most important ones.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) Workers who meet its body weight standards.
B) Workers who can lose 30 pounds in a year.
C) Workers who try the hardest to lose weight.
D) Workers who are in the top 10% of the slimmest.
20. A) Impractical. C) Unmanageable.
B) Inconsistent. D) Unfair.
21. A) Offer them much fatter bonuses. C) Encourage healthy behaviors.
B) Improve working environment. D) Provide free lunch and snacks.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) It has not done enough to help left-handed children.
B) It has treated left-handed children as being disabled.
C) It has not built facilities specially fbr the left-handed.
D) It has ignored campaigns on behalf of the left-handed.
23. A) They are as intelligent as other children.
B) They have a distinctive style of handwriting.
C) They sometimes have psychological problems.
D) They tend to have more difficulties in learning.
24. A) Punish teachers discriminating against left-handed students.
B) Lay more emphasis on improving children's mental health.
C) Encourage students to develop various professional skills.
D) Keep track of left-handed children's school performance.
25. A) How they can be reduced in number.
B) Why their numbers are so high.
C) What percentage they account for.
D) If their percentage keeps increasing.
2021年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices, Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
Many people believe that passion and commitment are the foundations of strong
romantic relationships. But a relationship is made of two 26 individuals. And the
personality traits (特'性)these individuals 27 or lack can often make a relationship
more- or less- likely to 28 . Recent research has found that one trait in particular
一humility (谦逊)一 is an important indicator of successful relationships.
Humility can sometimes be 29 with a lack of confidence. But researchers have
come to realize that being humble generally indicates the 30 of deeply admirable
personal qualities. Being humble means you have the ability to accurately 31 your
deficiencies without denying your skills and strengths. For example, you might recognize
that you are intelligent, but realize that you are not a 32 . Thus, humility leads to an
honest view of one's own advantages and shortcomings. Humble people do not ignore,
avoid, or try to deny their limits or deficiencies. They can 33 mistakes, see value in
things that are far from perfect and identify areas for improvement.
Perhaps it is not 34 , then, that humility appears to be a huge asset to relationships.
One study found that people tend to rate this quality 35 in their spouse. The study
also found that someone who is humble is more likely to initiate a romantic relationship,
perhaps because they are less likely to see themselves as “too good^^ fbr someone else. Thus,
a humble partner might be your ideal partner.
A) acknowledge I) possess
B) assess J) presence
C) confused K) puzzled
D) endure L) status
E) extremely M) surprising
F) genius N) thoroughly
G) highly O) unique
H) permanent
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
2021年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研There's a stress gap between men and women
A) “I used to work very hard. I love to create things, grow them and solve problems,said
Meng Li, a successful app developer in San Francisco. t4I didn't really care about my
mind and my body until they decided to go on strike.55
B) Ms. Li said her stress led to sleeplessness. When she did sleep, she experienced
"problem-solving dreams,“ which left her feeling unrested when she woke up. "After I
became a first-time mother, I quickly realized I was so busy caring for other people and
work that I felt like I'd lost myself,she said.
C) Ifs a common story- one we frequently ridicule and readily dismiss, for example, by
claiming that women tend to complain more than men, despite the growing sum of
research that underlines the problem. Women are twice as likely to suffer from severe
stress and anxiety as men, according to a 2016 study published in The Journal of Brain &
Behavior. The American Psychological Association reports a gender gap year after year
showing that women consistently report higher stress levels. Clearly, a stress gap exists.
D) “The difference is not really news to me, as a clinical psychologist,said Erin Joyce, a
women and couples therapist in Los Angeles. t4Ifs been well documented in extensive
research over the years that prevalence rates fbr the majority of the anxiety disorders are
higher in women than men.,, Some people may argue that this is merely reported data,
and they say many men feel the same pressures as women in terms of fulfilling
responsibilities at work and home. In other words, we're all really, really stressed.
E) “The difference, however, is in the nature and scope of these responsibilities in the
home environment in particular/? Dr. Joyce said. For example, the United Nations
reported that women do nearly three times as much unpaid domestic work as men. The
problem is, housework is often overlooked as work, even though it is often as laborious
(or in some cases, more so) as any paid job. As the scholar Silvia Federici put it in 1975,
the unpaid nature of domestic work reinforces the assumption that "housework is not
work, thus preventing women from struggling against it.”
F) It's not just inside the home, though. Research from Nova Southeastern University
found that female managers were more likely than male managers to display “surface
acting/5 or forcing emotions that are not wholly felt. "They expressed optimism,
calmness and sympathy even when these were not the emotions that they were
actually feeling,the study said.
G) Surface acting is a prime example of "emotional labor,5, a concept that the writer Jess
Zimmerman made familiar in a 2015 essay. The essay sparked a massive thread on the
internet community blog MetaFilter. Hundreds of women spoke up about their own
experience with emotional labor: the duties that are expected of them, but go
unnoticed. These invisible duties become apparent only when you don't do them. Like
domestic labor, emotional labor is generally dismissed and not labeled work. But
research shows it can be just as exhausting as paid work. Emotional labor can lead to
difficulty in sleeping and family conflict. Sure, circumstantial stress, like losing a job,
may lead to these same issues. But emotional labor is not circumstantial. Ifs an
enduring responsibility based on the socialized gender role of women.
H) Like Ms. Li, many women try to manage the added stress to reach what Dr. Joyce said
was an unattainable ideal. t4Some professional women aim to do it all. They want to
2021年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研reach the top of the corporate ladder and fly like supermom,^^ she said. When women
don't reach this ideal, they feel guilty; and even more stressed. After her own struggle
with this, Ms. Li took a step back and used her experience to build Sanity & Self, a
seli-care app and platform for overworked women. "The realizations I had in that
process helped me gain insights and ultimately got me ready to integrate self- care into
my daily she said.
I) The stress problem extends beyond mental health when you consider the link between
stress, anxiety and heart health. Worse, most of what we know about heart disease
comes from studies involving men. However, "there are many reasons to think that ifs
different in women,,5 Harvard Medical School reported. For example, women are more
likely to experience disturbed sleep, anxiety and unusual fatigue before a heart attack.
Stress is so normalized that it is easy fbr women to shrug off those symptoms as simply
the consequences of stress. Many women also do not experience chest pain before a
heart attack the way men do, which leads to fewer women discovering problematic
heart issues. Harvard reports that women are “much more likely than men to die within
a year of having a heart attack" and "many women say their physicians sometimes don5t
even recognize the symptoms.
J) The good news is, women are more likely than men to take charge of their stress and
manage it, the American Psychological Association reports. The concept of self-care, at
its core, is quite simple. 4tThe basics of adequate sleep, healthy diet and exercise are a
good place to start,5, Dr. Joyce said. "Support from trusted relationships is vital. This
includes professional support from various health and wellness providers if stress is
becoming increasingly overwhelming.5,
K) Disconnecting from work and home responsibilities is also obviously important. But ifs
much easier said than done. It is important to understand what causes your stress in the
first place. "Get really specific with what's stressing you out," Ms. Li said. t4We often
chalk up our stress to broad experiences like work. But work stress can take many
different forms. Is a colleague being disrespectful of your time? Is a boss undermining
your day-to-day control over decision making? These are different causes of stress and
can benefit from different kinds of sell-care.
L) Ideally, your spouse or partner will be supportive, rather than dismissive, of your
stress. It is important to talk through these issues before they come to a head. 4'Women
working outside of the home should make an effort to have a conscious conversation
with their partners about more equitable sharing of household and family
responsibilities,5, Dr. Joyce said.
36. Some career women who aim high tend to feel guilty if they fail to achieve their goals.
37. The unpaid housework done by women is triple that done by men.
38. It is reported that women consistently suffer more from severe stress than men.
39. Women are advised to identify the specific causes of their stress so that steps can be
taken to deal with it.
40. One study showed that women managers often expressed positive emotions that they
didn't really feel.
41. Women tend to mistake signs of heart attacks fbr symptoms of stress.
2021年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研42. For a time an app developer in America was so busy attending to work and family that
she suffered from sleeplessness.
43. The emotional labor women do is noticed only when it is not done.
44. Dr. Joyce suggests that apart from self-care, women should seek professional support if
they experience severe stress.
45. Some people believe that there may not exist a stress gap between men and women.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
As many office workers adapt to remote work, cities may undergo fundamental change
if offices remain under-utilized. Who will benefit if working from home becomes the norm?
Employers argue they make considerable savings on real estate when workers shift
from office to home work. However, these savings result from passing costs on to workers.
Unless employees are fully compensated, this could become a variant of parasitic (寄
生的)capitalism, whereby corporate profits increasingly rely on extracting value from the
public- and now personal- realm, rather than on generating new value.
Though employers are backed by a chorus of remote work advocates, others note the
loneliness, reduced productivity and inefficiencies of extended remote work.
If working from home becomes permanent, employees will have to dedicate part of
their private space to work. This requires purchasing desks, chairs and office equipment.
It also means having private space dedicated to work: the space must be heated, cleaned,
maintained and paid for. That depends on many things, but fbr purposes of illustration, I have
run some estimates fbr Montreal. The exercise is simple but important, since it brings these
costs out of the realm of speculation into the realm of meaningful discussion.
Rough calculations show that the savings made by employers when their staff works
from home are of similar value to the compensation workers should receive for setting up
offices at home.
What does this mean fbr offices in cities? One of two things may happen: Employers
pass these costs onto employees. This would be a form of expropriation (侵 占)，with
employees absorbing production costs that have traditionally been paid by the employer.
This represents a considerable transfer of value from employees to employers.
When employees are properly compensated, employers5 real estate savings will be
modest. If savings are modest, then the many advantages of working in offices- such as
lively atmosphere, rapidity of communication, team-building and acclimatization (适应环境)
of new employees- will encourage employers to shelve the idea of remote work and, like
Yahoo in 2013, encourage employees to work most of the time from corporate office space.
46. What does the author say about working from home?
A) It will become the norm sooner or later.
B) It requires employees to adapt promptly.
2021年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研C) It benefits employers at the expense of employees.
D) It will force cities to transform their infrastructure.
47. Why do some people oppose working from home?
A) It discourages team spirit.
B) It invades employees? privacy.
C) It undermines traditional values.
D) It negatively impacts productivity.
48. Why did the author run the estimates for Montreal?
A) To provide convincing data for serious discussion.
B) To illustrate the ongoing change in working patterns.
C) To show the impact of remote working on productivity.
D) To exemplify how remote working affects the economy.
49. What can we conclude from the author's calculations?
A) There is no point in transferring office work to working from home.
B) Employees can benefit as much from remote working as their employers.
C) Employers' gain from remote working should go to employees as compensation.
D) Effective measures should be taken to motivate employees to set up offices at home.
50. What is the author's opinion on working from home?
A) It should be avoided if possible.
B) It is only a temporary measure.
C) It can reduce companies5 real estate costs.
D) It may affect employees5 corporate loyalty.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
The human thirst fbr knowledge is the driving force behind our successful
development as a species. But curiosity can also be dangerous, leading to setbacks or even
downfalls. Given curiosity's complexity, scientists have found it hard to define.
While pinning down a definition has proven tricky, the general consensus is ifs some
means of information gathering. Psychologists also agree curiosity is intrinsically (内在地)
motivated.
Curiosity covers such a large set of behaviors that there probably isn't any single
"curiosity gene“ that makes humans wonder about and explore their environment. That said,
curiosity does have a genetic component. Genes and the environment interact in many
complex ways to shape individuals and guide their behavior, including their curiosity.
Regardless of their genetic makeup, infants have to learn an incredible amount of
information in a short time, and curiosity is one of the tools humans have found to
accomplish that gigantic task.
Hundreds of studies show that infants prefer novelty. It's what motivates non-human
animals, human infants and probably human adults to explore and seek out new things
before growing less interested in them after continued exposure.
But curiosity often comes with a cost.
In some situations, the stakes are low and failure is a healthy part of growth. For
instance, many babies are perfectly proficient crawlers, but they decide to try walking
2021年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研because there ?s more to see and do when they stand upright. But this milestone comes at a
small cost. A study of 12- to 19-month-olds learning how to walk documented that these
children fell down a lot. Seventeen times per hour, to be exact. But walking is faster than
crawling, so this motivates expert crawlers to transition to walking.
Sometimes, however, testing out a new idea can lead to disaster. For instance, the Inuit
people of the Arctic regions have created incredible modes to deal with the challenges of
living in northern climates, but what we forget about are the tens of thousands of people
that tried and failed to make it in those challenging landscapes.
51. What does the author say about curiosity?
A) It is too complex for non-scientists to understand.
B) It is the force that pushes human society forward.
C) It is a unique trait specific to the human race.
D) It is often the major cause for human failures.
52. What is the general understanding of curiosity?
A) It motivates people to seek information.
B) It is destined to transform human genes.
C) It does people more good than harm.
D) It underlies all human behaviors.
53. What do we learn about how genes shape people's behavior?
A) They determine people's way of thinking.
B) They account for age differences in learning.
C) They enable people to undertake massive tasks.
D) They work in conjunction with the environment.
54. What do numerous studies show about infants?
A) They are far more curious than adults.
B) They prefer to go after all that is novel.
C) They have different interests than adults.
D) They show non-human animal behaviors.
55. What does the example of the Inuit people of the Arctic regions illustrate?
A) The cost of humans' curiosity to explore.
B) The incredible harshness of cold weather.
C) The innovative ideas stemming from curiosity.
D) The importance of learning from past failures.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
大运河(Grand Canal)是世界上最长的人工河，北起北京，南至杭州。它是中国历史上最宏伟
的工程之一。大运河始建于公元前4 世纪，公 元 13世纪末建成。修建之初是为了运输粮食，后来
也用于运输其他商品。大运河沿线区域逐渐发展成为中国的工商业中心。长久以来，大运河对中
国的经济发展发挥了重要作用，有力地促进了南北地区之间的人员往来和文化交流。
2021年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 9 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研2021年 12月大学英语四级考试真题（第 2 套）
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Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose your university student union is planning to hold a speech contest. You are
now to write a proposal for organizing the contest. The proposal may include the topic, aim,
procedure and selection of contestants. You will have 30 minutes to write the proposal. You
should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single line
through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) She was pierced by a chicken bone. C) She suffered from lung cancer.
B) She was coughing all the time. D) She suffered from shock.
2. A) By eating chicken soup daily. C) Through a surgical operation.
B) Through regular exercising. D) By using traditional Chinese medicine.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) It was bom 13 years ago. C) It got injured in a big bushfire.
B) It was Alice Gray's lovely pet. D) It ran away into a nearby forest.
4. A) They rebuilt the fencing around their farm.
B) They spent seven years replanting their form.
C) They claimed damages for their heavy losses.
D) They installed a camera to monitor sheep activity.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) The disappearance of some gold and diamonds.
B) The transfer of tons of precious metal by air.
C) The crash of a Russian cargo airplane.
D) The loss of gold from an airplane.
6. A) It made an emergency landing. C) It contacted the goldmine company.
B) It informed the local police at once. D) It had a crew member fix the problem.
7. A) They will cooperate with the police.
B) They had checked the plane carefully.
C) They will be questioned by the police.
D) They took some gold bars and diamonds.
2021年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) For the company's records. C) To follow the company's rule.
B) For future training purposes. D) To ensure information security.
9. A) To check her customer reference number.
B) To inquire about the price of office chairs.
C) To get her money back for the returned chair.
D) To make complaints about its customer service.
10. A) She had to update its information. C) She lost it about three days ago.
B) She forgot where she had left it. D) She was issued a new card.
11. A) Reconsider her options for payment methods.
B) Make a specific note on the company's system.
C) Update her bank card details on the company's website.
D) Upload her personal information to the company's website.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) He is feeling exhausted. C) He has to work late.
B) He is tired of cooking. D) He wants to try Asian foods.
13. A) Book a table. C) Download a menu.
B) Order a delivery. D) Locate a restaurant.
14. A) It is not tasty. C) It is too oily.
B) It is not healthy. D) It is too spicy.
15. A) She is too concerned about money. C) She is too picky about food.
B) She is too weight-conscious. D) She is too eager to please.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage,you will
hear three or four 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 1 with a single line through the
centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) Owners' personalities affect their cats' behaviour and wellbeing.
B) Parents' personalities can affect the personalities of their children.
C) Parents and cat owners alike experience high levels of anxiety.
D) More and more people are treating pet cats like their children.
2021年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研17. A) Give their pets behavioural training. C) Know their pets' feelings and desires.
B) Provide their pets with the best care. D) Interact with their pets in novel ways.
18. A) More convincing explanation. C) Collection of more data.
B) More extensive sampling. D) Further investigation.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) People should do more running than mere walking.
B) Running is the best exercise fbr extending one's life.
C) People should exercise at least 60 minutes every day.
D) Running is the easiest form of exercise fbr most people.
20. A) Improving their brain function.
B) Regulating their breathing rate.
C) Slowing down their ageing process.
D) Accelerating their blood circulation.
21. A) They found it easy to control their emotions.
B) They struggled to handle negative emotions.
C) They were more eager to enjoy a movie.
D) They were less affected by sad movies.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) He is a tour guide. C) He is a local entrepreneur.
B) He is a famous architect. D) He is the owner of the Hill House.
23. A) He studied the blueprints of other famous buildings.
B) He inquired about his client5s family background.
C) He observed his client5s life and habits.
D) He took a tour of his client's old home.
24. A) A house made of timber and brick. C) A house of the current fashion.
B) A house with a lot of free space. D) A house of a unique design.
25. A) They are well preserved and in pretty good shape.
B) They are copies built to the architect?s designs.
C) They were designed by another architect.
D) They were badly damaged but restored.
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions; In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices, Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
2021年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
It is commonly believed that the great English dramatist and poet William Shakespeare
was bom in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23, 1564. But it is impossible to know the 26
day on which he was bom.
Church records show he was baptized (施洗礼)on April 26, and three days was a
customary amount of time to wait before baptizing a newly bom baby. Shakespeare 5s date
of death is 27 known, however: it was April 23, 1616. He was 52 and had retired to
Stratford three years before.
Although few plays have been performed or analyzed as extensively as the 38 plays
Shakespeare wrote, there are few surviving details about his life. This 28 of
biographical information is due primarily to his social 29 ; he was not a noble, but the
son of a leather trader.
Shakespeare 30 attended the grammar school in Stratford, where he would have
studied Latin and read 31 literature. He did not go to university and at age 18 married
Anne Hathaway, who was eight years his 32 . They had four children, including the
twins, Hamnet and Judith. Nothing is known of the period between the birth of the twins
and Shakespeare's 33 as a dramatist in London in the early 1590s.
In a million words written over 20 years, he 34 the full range of human emotions
and conflicts with a 35 that remains sharp today. As his great contemporary the poet
and dramatist Ben Jonson said, “He was not of an age, but for all time.
A) captured I) precision
B) classical J) probably
C) conclusively K) quality
D) emergence L) scarcity
E) exact M) senior
F) generated N) separated
G) particular O) systematically
H) position
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
How to not be boring
A) Humans are creatures of habit. We love to establish a routine and stick with it. Then we
often put ourselves on auto-pilot. Routines can be incredibly useful in helping you get
things done. However, too much of a routine can also make you incredibly boring.
Nevertheless, many people live lives that are boringly predictable, or live a life where
everything is outlined or planned.
B) To tell the truth, interesting people are more popular among their friends. If you don't
2021年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研arouse someone's curiosity or brighten someone's day, you probably come across as
being a little bit dull. But that doesn't mean your life has ended and you can't do
anything to change it. If you find yourself searching for something to say beyond small
talk, try these tactics to find more interesting approaches to conversation.
C) Recently, I was at a gathering of colleagues when someone turned to me and asked, "So,
whafs new with you?” Ordinarily, I think I'm a good conversationalist. After all, ifs
literally my job to talk to people and tell their stories or share their advice. And thafs
not exactly an unexpected question. Still, the only “new-to-me“ topics that came to
mind were my daughter's basketball tournament (锦标赛)and my feelings about that
morning's political headlines- neither amusing nor appropriate topics at that moment.
D) Oh, no, I thought. Have I become boring? But sharing our experiences in an authentic
way to connect with other people is what makes us interesting, says associate professor
Michael Pirson. The hesitation I felt in not sharing the ordinary things that were
happening in my life, and the wild mental search for something more interesting, may
have backfired and made me seem less interesting.
E) “If someone is making up some conversation that might be interesting, it's probably
not going to land well,^^ says Pirson, whose expertise includes trust and well-being,
mindfulness, and humanistic management. "It's going to feel like a made-up
conversation that people don't necessarily want to tune in to
F) The most interesting people aren't those who've gone on some Eat, Pray, Love journey
to find themselves. Instead, Pirson says, they're those who examine the ordinary. 4tOften,
the 'boring things5 may not be boring at all. Maybe they are actually little miracles,he
says. Share your observations about the world around you- interesting stories you
heard or things you noticed- and you may be surprised by the universal connection
they inspire.
G) This is essentially how Jessica Hagy starts her day. The author of How to Be Interesting,.
An Instruction Manual, Hagy spends a lot of time thinking about whafs interesting to
her. People who are interesting are persistently curious, she says.
H) Think about the everyday things around you and ask questions about them. What is
that roadside monument I see on my way to work every day? Who built that
interesting building in my city? What nearby attractions haven't I visited? Why do
people do things that way? Use what you find to ask more questions and learn more
about the world around you. "Having that sort of curiosity is almost like a protective
gear from getting into boredom,,5 she says. And when you find things that are truly
interesting to you, share them.
I) Television veteran Audrey Morrissey, executive producer of NBC's The Voice, is always
looking for what will make a person or story interesting to viewers: It's usually a
matter of individuality. "Having a strong point of view, signature style, or being a
super-enthusiast in a particular field makes someone interesting,she says. That means
embracing what is truly interesting or unique about yourself. "Many people are 'not
boring9 in the way that they can carry a conversation or can be good at a social
gathering, etc. To be interesting means that you have lived life, taken risks, traveled,
sought out experience to learn fbr yourself and share with others/ she says.
J) Of course, ifs possible to be a fountain of knowledge and a boring person, says public
relations consultant Andrea Pass. Paying attention to the listener is an important part of
2021年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研having a conversation thafs interesting to both parties. Talking on and on about whafs
interesting to you isn't going to make you an interesting person, she says.
K) “If the listener is not paying attention, ifs your sign to shorten the story or change
direction. Make sure to bring the audience into the conversation so that it is not one-sided,
Pass says. Be a better listener yourself, and give others opportunities to participate in the
conversation by inviting them with questions or requests to share their own experiences
or thoughts, (e. g. , “Now, tell me about your favorite book," or "Have you ever been to
that attraction?^^) Questions are a powerful tool, especially when they encourage others to
disclose information about themselves. A 2012 study from the University of California,
Santa Barbara, found that roughly 40% of the time we are talking, we're disclosing
subjective information about our experience. And when we're doing so, our brains are
more engaged. So one strategy to leave others with the impression that you're a sparkling
conversation partner is to get others to talk about themselves.
L) Being relatable is also essential, Morrissey says. "The best entertainment and
storytelling comes from people who are relatable- those who don't shy away from
opening up but freely share who they are and what they care about. These are the
people viewers most relate to and find interesting. Being authentic, honest, and
vulnerable is always interesting.
M) I have now come to realize that being boring, in actuality, is not only about who you are
as a person, but also how you present yourself. No matter what, make sure you are
having fun in life. Because when you are enjoying, people around you will begin to
enjoy as well. Show some interest in them and they will definitely show some in you. If
you are a very reserved person, this could be a little difficult at first. But with a little
effort, you can definitely improve.
36. Pirson claims that some ordinary things may often prove to be miraculously interesting.
37. To make a conversation interesting, it is important that you listen to the other party
attentively.
38. A person who is unable to stimulate others5 curiosity or make their life enjoyable may
appear somewhat boring.
39. Interesting people usually possess certain unique qualities, according to a TV program
producer.
40. Be interested in others and they are sure to be interested in you.
41. The author considers himself usually good at conducting conversations.
42. Interesting people are always full of curiosity.
43. Falling into a routine can turn a person into an utter bore.
44. One strategy to be a good conversationalist is to motivate your partner to tell their own
stories.
45. Interesting as it might appear, a made-up conversation will probably turn out to be dull.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
2021年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
With obesity now affecting 29% of the population in England, and expected to rise to
35% by 2030, should we now recognise it as a disease? Obesity, in which excess body fat
has accumulated to such an extent that health may be adversely affected, meets the
dictionary definition of disease, argues Professor John Wilding. He points out that more
than 200 genes influence weight. t4Thus body weight is strongly influenced by biology一it
is not an individuaFs fault if they develop obesity.^^ Yet the widespread view is that obesity
is self^induced and that it is entirely the individuaFs responsibility to do something about it.
Recognising obesity as a chronic disease with severe complications rather than a lifestyle
choice “should help reduce the stigma (耻辱)and discrimination experienced by many
people with obesity,he adds.
Professor Wilding disagrees that labelling a high proportion of the population as
having a disease removes personal responsibility or may overwhelm health services,
pointing out that other common diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, require
people to take action to manage their condition. He suggests that most people with obesity
will eventually develop complications. "But unless we accept that obesity is a disease, we
are not going to be able to tackle it,“ he concludes.
But Dr. Richard Pile, a physician with a special interest in diabetes, argues that
adopting this approach “could actually result in worse outcomes for individuals and society.”
He believes that the dictionary definition of disease “is so vague that we can classify almost
anything as a disease“ and says the question is not whether we can, but whether we should,
and to what end.
If labelling obesity as a disease was harmless then it wouldn't really matter, he writes.
But labelling obesity as a disease “risks reducing autonomy, disempowering and robbing
people of the intrinsic (内在的)motivation that is such an important enabler of change.
Whafs more, making obesity a disease “may not benefit patients, but it will benefit
healthcare providers and the pharmaceutical (制药的)industry when health insurance and
clinical guidelines promote treatment with drugs and surgery,“ he warns.
46. What does Professor John Wilding argue about obesity?
A) Its impact on society is expected to rise.
B) It is now too widespread to be neglected.
C) It should be regarded as a genetic disease.
D) Its dictionary definition should be updated.
47. What is the popular view of obesity?
A) It is difficult to define
B) It is a modem disease.
C) It has much to do with one's genes.
D) It results from a lack of self-control.
48. Why are some people opposed to labelling obesity as a disease?
A) Obese people would not feel responsible to take any action.
B) Obese people would not be able to afford the medical costs.
C) Obese people would be overwhelmed with anxiety.
2021年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研D) Obese people would be discriminated against.
49. What does Dr. Richard Pile think of the dictionary definition of disease?
A) It is of no use in understanding obesity.
B) It is too inclusive and thus lacks clarity.
C) It helps little to solve patients5 problems.
D) It matters little to the debate over obesity.
50. What is Dr. Richard Pile's concern about classifying obesity as a disease?
A) It may affect obese people's quality of life.
B) It may accelerate the spread of obesity.
C) It may cause a shortage of doctors.
D) It may do little good to patients.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Nationwide, only about three percent of early childhood teachers are male in the U. S.
Experts say this can have an impact on young children whose understanding of gender roles
and identity are rapidly forming. Research has found that having access to diverse teachers
is beneficial for children. For the youngest learners, it means they are more likely to get
exposed to different varieties of play and communication. It also helps them develop
healthy ideas around gender.
“In our world and our society, we have very specific stereotypes (模式化形象)of
gender roles,55 said Mindi Reich-Shapiro, an assistant professor in the teacher education
department of the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and one of the authors of
a recent study. "It's important for children to see other possibilities and other paths they
can take.”
Despite mostly feeling supported by colleagues and family members, many of the
male educators surveyed in the study reported facing social or cultural resistance in their
careers as early education teachers. Some also reported that there were parents surprised or
concerned that their child had a male teacher. And they had been advised by colleagues or
other staff not to hug children.
Reich-Shapiro and fellow researchers made several recommendations to increase male
representation in the field. Low pay has long been acknowledged as a major issue in the
early childhood field. Over 70% of male educators who said they intended to stay in the
early education workforce noted an increased salary was a major motivating factor for them
to commit to the career long-term. The report suggests paying all early childhood educators
the way elementary school teachers are paid.
Cities and programs should establish support groups for male early childhood
educators and provide mentoring and professional development advice for male educators
and their program leaders.
The authors also suggest that traditional recruitment approaches for early childhood
educators “do not address the gender gap in the field.^^ They recommend providing young
men opportunities to work with children through training and volunteer programs, targeting
groups of men who are considering a career change, such as fathers.
2021年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研51. What do we learn from the first paragraph about early childhood education in the U. S. ?
A) It helps raise children's awareness of gender roles.
B) It exposes children to different ways of interaction.
C) It is negatively impacted by a lack of male teachers.
D) It clearly aims to form children's identity through play.
52. What does Mindi Reich-Shapiro emphasize in her comment on childhood education?
A) The importance of broadening children's horizons.
B) The responsibilities of fathers fbr children's growth.
C) The urgency of creating teacher education programs.
D) The role of teachers in motivating children to learn.
53. What do we learn about male teachers from their responses in the study?
A) Some of them find it awkward when hugging children.
B) They feel pressured to keep up with female colleagues.
C) They find it hard to meet the expectations of kids5 parents.
D) Many of them feel prejudiced against socially and culturally.
54. What is needed fbr men to commit to early childhood education?
A) Higher pay.
B) Job security.
C) Social recognition.
D) Better working conditions.
55. What do the authors of the study recommend to bridge the gender gap in early
childhood education?
A) Recruiting young men who have a passion fbr educating young children.
B) Taking measures to attract prospective male teachers to work in the field.
C) Persuading prospective fathers to consider a change in their career.
D) Providing male teachers with more opportunities for advancement.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
坎儿井(Karez)是新疆干旱地区的一种水利系统，由地下渠道将水井连接而成。该系统将春
夏季节逡△ (seep into)地下的大量雨水及积雪融水收集起来，通过山体的自然坡度引到地面，用
于灌溉农田和满足人们的日常用水需求。坎儿井减少了水在地面的蒸 发 (evaporation),对地表破
坏很小，因而有效地保护了自然资源与生态环境。坎儿井体现了我国人民与自然和谐共存的智慧，
是对人类文明的一大贡献。
2021年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 9 页共9 页 by:光速考研2021年 12月大学英语四级考试真题（第 3 套）
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose you have just participated in a school project of collecting used books on
campus. You are now to write a report about the project, which may include its aim, organizers,
participants and activities. You will have 30 minutes to write the report. You should write at
least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
淘宝店铺【光速考研工作室】温馨提示：2021年 12月大学英语四级考试共考了两套听力，本套的听力
内容与第二套相同，因此本套试题听力部分不再重复给出。
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
The sheets are damp with sweat. You're cold, but your heart is racing as if a killer just
chased you down a dark street. It was just a nightmare, you tell yourself; there's nothing to
be afraid of. But you're still filled with 26 .
Given how unsettling and haunting nightmares can be, is there a way fbr dreamers to
27 . or even turn off, these bad dreams as they happen?
Research is 28 , but some studies suggest that people who can master lucid
dreaming- that is, the ability to be 29 that a nightmare is happening and possibly
even control it without waking up- may hold the 30 .
Nightmares are part of the human experience, especially for kids. Doctors 31 don't
consider occasional nightmares a problem. They can just be symptoms of a sleep disorder
that can 32 from an unpleasant experience, stress, or certain drugs.
To treat the disorder, there are a number of medicines and therapies that are
backed by 33 research, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine,
which analyzed the available research on the treatment of nightmare disorder in a recent
34 published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
However, nightmares are complicated, and researchers are still struggling to
understand them, said Dr. Rachel Salas, an expert on sleep disorders and an associate
professor at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. What we do know is that people 35
to have different kinds of nightmares at different points during the sleep cycle.
A) amount I) mechanical
B) answer J) result
C) avoid K) review
D) aware L) rigorous
E) depart M) tend
F) drastically N) timidity
G) fear O) typically
H) limited
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
2021年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 1 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研Why it matters that teens are reading less
A) Most of us spend much more time with digital media than we did a decade ago. But
today's teens have grown up with smartphones. Compared with teens a couple of
decades ago, the way they interact with traditional media like books and movies is
fundamentally different.
B) Analysis of surveys of over one million teens in the United States collected since 1976
reveals a major shift in how teens are spending their leisure time. Paper books are being
ignored, in favor of screens. Digital devices are changing other behaviors, too. More
and more, young people choose spending time on their electronic devices over engaging
in other activities, regardless of the type. Indeed, by 2016, the average American high
school senior said they spent six hours a day writing text messages, on social media,
and online during their free time. And that covers just three activities, and if other
digital media activities were included, that estimate would no doubt rise.
C) Teens did not always spend that much time with digital media. Online time has doubled
since 2006, and social media use has moved from a periodic activity to a daily one in the
same period. By 2016, nearly nine out of ten young women in the 12th grade said they
visited social media sites every day. Meanwhile, time spent playing video games rose
from under an hour a day to an hour and a half on average. One out of ten American 8th
grade students in 2016 spent 40 hours a week or more playing video games. Let me
emphasize that this is equal to the time most adults spend per week at work.
D) If teens are spending so much time using electronic devices, does that mean they have
to give up some other activities? Maybe not. Over the years, many scholars have
insisted that time online does not necessarily take away time spent engaging with
traditional media or on other activities. Some people, they argue, are just more
interested in certain kinds of media and entertainment. Thus, using more of one type of
media does not necessarily mean less of the other.
E) That may be true, but that still does not tell us much about what happens across a whole
generation of people when time spent on digital media grows. Large surveys conducted
over the course of many years tell us that American youth are not going to the cinema
nearly as often as they did in the past. While 70 percent of 8th and 10th grade students
used to go to the movies once a month or more, now only about half do this. More and
more, watching a movie is something teens choose to do on their electronic devices.
Why is this a problem? One reason is that going to the cinema is generally a social
activity. Now, watching movies is something that most teens do alone. This fits a larger
pattern. In another analysis, researchers found that today's teens go out with their
friends much less often than previous generations did.
F) But the trends related to movies are less disturbing compared with the change in how
teens spend their time. Research has revealed an enormous decline in reading. In 1980,
about 60 percent of senior high school students said they read a book, newspaper or
magazine every day that was not assigned for school. By 2016, only 16 percent did.
This is a huge drop and it is important to note that this was not merely a decline in
reading paper books, newspapers or magazines. The survey allowed for reading
materials on a digital device.
G) Indeed, the number of senior high school students who said they had not read any books
for pleasure in the last year was one out of three by 2016. That is triple the number from
2021年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 2 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研two decades ago. For today's youth, books, newspapers and magazines have less and
less of a presence in their daily lives. Of course, teens are still reading. But they are
generally reading short texts. Most of them are not reading long articles or books that
explore deep themes and require critical thinking and reflection. Perhaps not
accidentally, in 2016 reading scores were the lowest they have ever been since 1972.
H) This might present problems for young people later on. When high school students go
on to college, their past and current reading habits will influence their academic
performance. Imagine going from reading texts as short as one or two sentences to
trying to read entire books written in complex language and containing sophisticated
ideas. Reading and comprehending longer books and chapters takes practice, and
American teens are no longer getting that practice.
I) So how can this problem be solved? Should parents and teachers take away teens'
smartphones and replace them with paper books? Probably not. Research has shown
that smartphones are currently American teens5 main form of social communication.
This means that, without a smartphone, teens are likely to feel isolated from their peers.
However, that does not mean teens need to use electronic devices as often as they do
now. Data connecting excessive digital media time to mental health issues suggests a
limit of two hours a day of free time spent with screens, a restriction that will also allow
time for other activities- like going to the movies with friends or reading longer, more
complicated texts.
J) The latter is especially important. I would argue that of all the changes brought about by
the widespread use of digital devices, the huge decline in reading is likely to have the
biggest negative impact on today's teens because reading books and longer articles is
one of the best ways to learn critical thinking. It helps people to understand complex
issues and to separate fact from fiction. Thus, deep reading is crucial for being a good
citizen, a successful college student and a productive employee. If serious reading dies,
a lot will go with it.
36. Many years' surveys reveal that young people in America are going to the cinema much
less often than they used to.
37. Survey analysis shows American teens now spend their leisure time on digital devices
rather than reading printed books.
38. The number of senior high schoolers not reading books for pleasure in a year increased
three times over 20 years.
39. Many scholars claim that spending time on electronic devices doesn't necessarily mean
a decrease of time for other activities.
40. Most people spend much more time interacting with digital media than they did ten
years ago.
41. The author claims that it will be a great loss if we no longer read books and longer articles.
42. Over a decade or so, American teens' social media use shifted from an occasional
activity to a routine one.
43. A more disturbing trend in America today is that teens are spending far less time
reading than around four decades ago.
44. Some five years ago, high school seniors in America generally spent more than six
2021年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 3 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研hours a day on electronic devices.
45. It was found that American youngsters today don't socialize nearly as much as the
earlier generations.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Have you ever wondered how acceptable it is to hug or touch someone? While it may
sound safe to avoid all physical contact so as not to offend anyone, the lack of touching
might imply cold attitudes or indifference in interpersonal relationships.
So, what should we do? The simple answer is to thoroughly learn unique cultural
norms for physical contact. In nonverbal communication terminology ( 术语)，physical
contact and the study of touching are generally referred to as haptics.
Haptics in communication often suggest the level of intimacy. They are usually
classified into two groups: high-contact and low-contact.
Asia and quite surprisingly the United States, Canada and Britain belong to
low-contact cultures. People from the rest of the world, such as Latin America, are
considered to be in high-contact cultures, where they tend to expect touching in social
interactions and feel more comfortable with physical closeness. Despite the classification,
there are more complex factors such as relational closeness, gender, age, and context that
can affect how someone views physical contact.
One common French custom of greetings is cheek-kissing, but it is mostly restricted to
friends, close acquaintances and family members. While cheek-kissing for Latin Americans
is also a universal greeting form, it does not require such a high degree of relational
closeness. However, gender matters more for them because check-kissing often only
happens between women or a man and a woman but not two men.
In contrast, in certain Arabian, African, and Asian countries, men can publicly hold
hands or show physical affection as signs of brotherhood or friendship while these
behaviors may suggest a romantic relationship in other parts of the world. Although men's
touching is more normal in these cultures, physical contact between persons of opposite
sexes who are not family members is negatively perceived in Arabian countries.
These factors could definitely affect the degree to which someone is comfortable with
tactile (触觉的)communication and physical intimacy. Therefore, if you are someone who
loves to show physical affection, you should not be afraid to show it or drastically change
your behaviors- just ask for consent beforehand!
46. What does the author say in the first paragraph about physical contact?
A) Its role in interpersonal relationships is getting increasingly important.
B) It is becoming more acceptable to many who used to think it offensive.
C) Its absence might suggest a lack of warmth in interpersonal relationships.
D) It might prompt different responses from people of different social backgrounds.
2021年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 4 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研47. What does physical contact in communication suggest?
A) What social class people belong to.
B) How civilized the communicators are.
C) What family background people come from.
D) How close the communicators? relationships are.
48. What do we learn about people in high-contact cultures?
A) They are sensitive to the way people express their emotions.
B) They take touching as a cultural norm in social interactions.
C) They attach great importance to close ties among people.
D) They tend to be more open in interpersonal relationships.
49. What do we learn about social customs in Arabian countries?
A) Men can show friendship in public through physical affection.
B) Non-traditional romantic relationships are simply unacceptable.
C) Physical contact between unfamiliar people is negatively perceived.
D) People of different ages and genders show affection in different ways.
50. What does the author tell us to do concerning tactile communication?
A) Lay emphasis on nonverbal communication.
B) Learn to use appropriate body language first.
C) Pay attention to the differences between genders.
D) Take other people's preference into consideration.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
From climate change to the ongoing pandemic (大流彳亍病)and beyond, the issues
facing today's world are increasingly complex and dynamic. Yet solving problems like
these requires new approaches that extend beyond traditional ways of thinking. A study led
by Yale Professor of Psychology, Paul O'Keeffe, found that having a growth mindset (思维
彳顷向)of interest may spark this type of innovation.
Professor O'Keeffe established in earlier studies that people hold different beliefs about
the nature of interest. Those with a growth mindset of interest tend to believe that interests
can be developed and cultivated, while those with a fixed mindset of interest tend to believe
that interests are inherent (与生俱有的)and simply need to be 'found/ Building on these
findings, the latest research examined how a growth mindset of interest can boost
integrative thinking across the traditional disciplinary boundaries of arts and sciences.
For example, in one task, research participants were instructed to create new college
majors by combining two or more existing academic Arts or Science programs at their
university. After coding and analyzing the ideas they generated, the team found that people
with a growth mindset of interest were more likely to bridge programs across the arts and
sciences to create new majors like computational economics rather than creating majors
that drew from only one of those areas, like computational chemistry.
As Professor O'Keefe pointed out, “This research provides a useful direction for
organizations whose products and services call for integrated and creative solutions. Take
smartphones for example. You need not only computer science and engineering knowledge,
but also an understanding of psychology and visual design to create a better product.
Employees with a growth mindset may be more likely to devise innovative ideas that bridge
2021年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 5 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研multiple areas of knowledge to achieve better solutions.
The benefits of a growth mindset of interest may also extend to those seeking
employment. This is a pressing issue because many people are becoming unemployed due
to the COVID-19 pandemic. Having a growth mindset of interest can help job seekers
expand their interests and become more adaptable to different fields, and take the initiative
to learn new skills.
51. What does the author say about the world today?
A) It faces problems that are getting more varied and complicated.
B) It has done away with many of the traditional ways of thinking.
C) It is undergoing radical and profound changes.
D) It is witnessing various types of innovations.
52. What did Professor O'Keeffe find in his earlier studies?
A) People's interests tend to change with age.
B) People's interests determine their mindsets.
C) People are divided about the nature of interest.
D) People of different ages have different mindsets.
53. What is the fbcus of Professor O'Keeffe's recent research?
A) How boundaries can be removed between arts and science disciplines.
B) How feasible it is to create new disciplines like computational economics.
C) How students in arts and sciences view the two types of mindset of interest.
D) How a growth mindset of interest can contribute to cross-disciplinary thinking.
54. What does the author want to illustrate with the example of smartphones?
A) Hi-tech products are needed in interdisciplinary research.
B) Improved technology gives birth to highly popular products.
C) Making innovative products needs multidisciplinary knowledge.
D) Hi-tech products can boost people's integrative thinking.
55. What is the author's suggestion to those who are seeking employment?
A) Learning practical skills.
B) Broadening their interests.
C) Staying safe in the pandemic.
D) Knowing their pressing issues.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
都江里(Dujiangyan)坐落在成都平原西部的岷江上，距成都市约50公里，始建于公元前三世
纪。它的独特之处在于无需用堤坝调控水流。两千多年来，都江堰一直有效地发挥着防洪与灌溉作
用，使成都平原成为旱涝保收的沃土和中国最重要的粮食产地之一。都江堰工程体现了我国人民
与自然和谐共存的智慧，是全世界年代最久、仍在使用、无坝控水的水利工程。
2021年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 6 页共6 页 by：光速考研2022年 06月大学英语四级考试真题（第 1 套）
扫码获音频
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose you are going to write a proposal to your school library for improving its
service. You are to write about its current problems and possible solutions to these problems.
You will have 30 minutes to write the report. You should write at least 120 words but no more
than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single line
through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) It studied the effects of exercise on sleep.
B) Its participants came from various walks of life.
C) Its findings confirmed those of previous studies.
D) It ran for as long as some thirty years.
2. A) Eating more vegetables instead of meats.
B) Drinking water instead of beverages with added sugar.
C) Consuming more energy drinks and sports drinks.
D) Forming the habit of exercising regularly.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) He asked them about his lost paintings.
B) He knew the owner of two missing paintings.
C) He left his paintings at a highway rest stop.
D) He found two 17th-century oil paintings.
4. A) They are imitations. C) They were stolen by an Italian boy.
B) They are originals. D) They came from the same artist.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) Look after her grandfather. C) Save her sick grandmother.
B) Leave the remote cold region. D) Flee from the threat of bears.
6. A) She has to face a criminal charge.
B) She was found lying motionless in the snow.
C) She searched for her daughter in freezing cold.
D) She works in childcare services.
7. A) She was found in a forest after three days.
2022年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研B) She lay totally unconscious for three days.
C) She suffered from the effects of severe cold.
D) She was finally rescued by her relatives.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) She shows a real passion for taking photos.
B) She has just returned from her hometown.
C) She comes from the city of Cape Town.
D) She has a truly amazing appearance.
9. A) It is as famous as Cape Town. C) It is green and free from pollution.
B) It has a flat surface at the top. D) It was named by European settlers.
10. A) She has British ancestors. C) She grew up in India.
B) She is of mixed blood. D) She speaks several languages.
11. A) It is an extremely violent sport. C) It is originated in New Zealand.
B) It is becoming a national sport. D) It is more popular than football.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) Prepare a study guide. C) Go over his notes regularly.
B) Consult his advisors. D) Take stress-relief sessions.
13. A) His worksheets are terribly messy. C) His study folder is badly disorganized.
B) He finds the workload too heavy. D) He has difficulty taking notes quickly.
14. A) A visual learner. C) An organized learner.
B) An emotional learner. D) A logical learner.
15. A) Arrange them using color and pictures.
B) Restructure them in a logical way.
C) Commit them to memory after class.
D) Organize them into a well-connected story.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages At the end of each passage, you will
hear three or four 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 1 with a single line through
the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) It is mainly based on a society5s religion.
2022年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研B) It is interpreted differently in different times.
C) It is a code of conduct based on laws and ethics.
D) It is a moral principle to guide people's behavior.
17. A) It may lead to misunderstanding despite good intentions.
B) It assumes that human beings are all good-natured.
C) It may sometimes produce undesirable outcomes.
D) It fails to consider the complexity of human relationships.
18. A) The golden rule is often in conflict with certain laws and ethical principles.
B) The golden rule must sometimes give way to more important principles.
C) Failure to follow the golden rule may lead to violation of laws and ethics.
D) Observing the golden rule is the first step to becoming a responsible citizen.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) Many of them find it rather difficult to manage.
B) They have not seen as much diversity as desired.
C) Many of them have an increasingly diversified staff.
D) They have not quite grasped the concept of diversity.
20. A) Initiatives to achieve diversity in large corporations.
B) Advantages and disadvantages of a diversified team.
C) People's attitudes towards diversity at the workplace.
D) Innovative ideas and solutions resulting from diversity.
21. A) People prefer to work with team members similar to themselves.
B) Employers attach great importance to their corporations5 diversity.
C) Employers differ from employees in their perspectives on diversity.
D) Doubts about the practicability of diversity are gradually disappearing.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) Choosing the best time for signing a business contract.
B) Changing one's form of communication from time to time.
C) Laying equal stress on written and spoken communication.
D) Using different forms of communication appropriately.
23. A) They are regarded as seriously binding.
B) They are seldom honored by business partners.
C) They are taken as memos of understanding.
D) They are to be confirmed in written form.
24. A) It has reached the highest level of evolution.
B) It places a high value on written contracts.
C) It regards written contracts as unalterable.
D) It has seen a decline in verbal agreements.
25. A) Its details cannot be renegotiated. C) It strengthens business partnerships.
B) It has to be carried out to the letter. D) Its terms may not be strictly binding.
2022年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices, Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
You might think of your teeth as tools, like built-in knives and forks, but if they are
mere tools, why do they feel pain and wouldn't it be better if they could just 26 under
any condition? In spite of our 27 discomfort, it turns out there's a good reason our
teeth are so sensitive. Tooth pain is a 28 mechanism that ensures when a tooth is
being damaged we'll notice and do something about it.
If we eat something too hot or too cold, or if the tooth is worn down enough where the
tissue 29 is exposed, all of those things cause pain, and then the pain causes the
person not to use that tooth to try to protect it a little bit more. So ifs really a protective
mechanism more than anything else. If teeth didn't feel pain, we might 30 to use
them in situations that damage them, and for humans, damaging 31 teeth is a problem
because, unlike crocodiles, we can't 32 them.
Teeth have three layers, only one of which-the innermost layer of the tooth-can hurt, as
that layer of the tooth 33 both blood vessels and nerves. Pain is the only feeling to
which the nerves in that layer respond. Whereas people with tooth sensitivity may complain,
for example, of tooth pain 34 by heat or cold, the nerves in the inner layer don't sense
temperature. Rather, they feel pain, which may be 35 with, say, drinking something
very cold.
A) adult I) emotional
B) associated J) implies
C)chew K) mammal
D) contains L) replace
E) continue M) swallow
F) defense N) triggered
G) dental O) underneath
H) downward
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
2022年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研How to determine if a company is a good fit for you
A) On paper, the job seemed perfect for me: The position was completely in line with my
degree, the duties and responsibilities were compatible with my interests, and the office
maintained a well-stocked kitchen that would satisfy my every snack desire.
B) Sounds like my dream job, right? There was only one small problem: I simply didn't get
along with the company culture. They favored a more rigid, closed-door, corporate
atmosphere, while I would have preferred something more collaborative and open. They
were complete clock watchers, while I would have liked a more flexible schedule. To
put it plainly, we just weren't on the same page.
C) When it comes to looking for a new job, you already know that a big part of the
interview process involves the company evaluating whether or not you're a good fit for
their open role. But, ifs important to keep in mind that the employer isn't the only one
who needs to identify a good match- you should be looking for that same exact thing.
Company culture can have a big impact on how you feel about your work, so you want
to make sure you sign an offer letter with an organization you5re truly excited about.
D) However, figuring out what a company is like before you actually work there can be a bit
of a challenge. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to determine whether or not a
company is a good fit for you_before you ever sign your name on that dotted line.
E) First of all, know what you want. Ifs hard to make any decisions when you don't really
know what you're looking for. So before you can determine whether you and a specific
company would be compatible together, it's important to have a solid handle on what
exactly you want from your employer. Many of us have an easier time identifying the
things that we absolutely don't want. If those are the only things you can think of, don't
worry! Thafs still a good place to start.
F) Start by writing down the things you didn,t like about previous employers, as well as
the parts you really valued. There ?s no wrong answer here- so from big things to small
details, write them all down on your list. This will help you immediately identify what
you're looking for in an organization, as well as the things you're trying to stay far, far
away from.
G) Make sure to do your research. Now comes the part when you put on your detective hat
and do a little digging. The Internet will be your best friend when you5re trying to
familiarize yourself with a company's culture before ever walking through their office
doors. And where exactly should you look for these culture clues? Start with the most
obvious place first: the company's website. Read through their copy and blog. Do they
use formal, direct language? Or is it casual, conversational, and maybe even a little
humorous? This can be a big indicator of what sort of atmosphere the company is trying
to cultivate.
H) Next, turn your attention toward their social media outlets. Are they sharing photos of
their team's Thursday afternoon barbeque or Halloween costume contest? Or are their
social media accounts strictly reserved for company-related announcements and
product launches?
I) An industry review website like Glassdoor is another spot to check in order to find
some insider information about what you can expect about a company. However,
remember to take the reviews you read with a grain of salt- many of them are written
2022年6 月英语四级真题第1套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研by scorned (被鄙视的)employees.
J) Finally, you can never fail with personal connections. Send a quick message to a current
or previous company employee on Linkedln or by email and ask if they would be
willing to have a quick conversation with you about the organization in general. If you
get a yes to your request for a chat, you'll be armed with some pretty powerful and
helpful information heading into your interview!
K) Learn more by asking questions. You know that part at the end of a job interview when
the hiring manager asks if you have any questions, and you just stare across the table
blankly with your mouth hanging open? Thafs the perfect opportunity to speak up and
get your burning company culture questions answered! So yes, you can definitely ask
your interviewer about what ifs like to work fbr that particular organization. Simple
questions like, “What three words would you use to describe the culture here?^^ or
"What's your favorite part about working for this company?^^ can reveal a lot about
what ifs really like behind closed doors.
L) Prioritize your values. What does my dream company culture look like? Well, I could
come and go as I please, as long as I was getting the work done. My boss would
genuinely listen to and value all of my ideas and suggestions. My co-workers would all
be friendly with one another, without ever falling into the office gossip trap. The
kitchen would have endless options of pizza and cookies. Oh, and they5d give me two
months of paid vacation with a very generous salary.
M) What are my chances of finding all of those things with one employer? Slim to
none- believe me, I've looked. This is why it's so important to know which aspects of
a company's culture you value most. Is it an open communication style or a flexible
schedule? Focus on the top spots on your priority list, and ensure a potential employer
at least checks those boxes. Unfortunately, this is reality, you can't have everything you
want but a few are certainly achievable.
N) When you're hunting for a new job, you already know that the employer is trying to
decide whether or not you're a good fit for the position. But you should also look at the
process through a similar lens. You may not be the one conducting the actual interview,
but you're still trying to determine whether or not the company is a good fit for you.
O) Keep these tips in mind to figure out whether you and a potential employer are a perfect
match or just a recipe (方案)for disaster. After all, ifs a good thing to know before
actually accepting an offer.
36. Clues about the culture of a company can be found on its website.
37. It can be difficult to know the real situation in a company until you become part of it.
38. It is impossible fbr a job applicant to have every expectation met.
39. Simply by reading its description, the author found the job offered ideal.
40. Job applicants are advised to make a written list of their likes and dislikes in their
previous employment.
41. At the end of an interview, a job applicant should seize the opportunity to get answers to
their urgent questions.
42. To begin with, job applicants should be clear what they expect from their future
employer.
2022年6 月英语四级真题第1套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研43. Job applicants should read with a critical eye what is written about a company on the
website.
44. Job satisfaction has a lot to do with company culture.
45. A chat with an insider of a company can give job applicants very useful information
when they prepare for an interview.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Online classes began to be popularized just a few decades ago. They are advertised as
a way for adults to finish their education and students to learn the material at their own
pace—it is far more compatible for people with busy schedules.
But after being enrolled in an online course last fall semester, I came to realize online
classes were merely a means to fulfil course requirements.
First of all, students lack the desire to learn, and they simply complete their
assignments to receive credit for a passing grade rather than genuinely engage with the
course material.
As online courses tend to have more than 100 students, most of the assignments are
short and simple. They are not designed for students to interact with the material in depth
but designed to be graded easily to accommodate such a large number of students.
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of taking an online class is the absence of
face-to-face interaction between the teacher and their students. Live sessions are infrequent
and are often scheduled during the middle of the day when students have to attend other
classes or work. The office hours of the professor may also be during inconvenient times
fbr many students as well. Most interaction with the professor has to be through email
which is often impersonal. It is nearly impossible for students to build a relationship with
their professor.
There is also little interaction amongst students. It can be harder fbr students to create
study groups and form relationships with their peers.
Online classes also require either a computer or laptop and a reliable internet
connection. Not all students have access to these types of resources, whether it is for
financial or other reasons, and some students can be put at a disadvantage.
Oftering online classes certainly helps students who would otherwise not be able to
attend classroom sessions. However, they fail to provide a genuine education with an
emphasis on convenience rather than critical thinking. We need restructured online classes in
which students can have a learning experience that will actually provide quality education.
2022年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研46. What does the author say about students enrolled in online classes?
A) They can access course materials easily.
B) They are unmotivated to learn.
C) They can learn at their own pace.
D) They rarely fulfil the course requirements.
47. What does the author think of online course assignments?
A) They are made convenient to mark.
B) They are meant to facilitate interaction.
C) They are based on easily accessible material.
D) They are given to accommodate students' needs.
48. What does the author say is one disadvantage of online classes?
A) They are frequently scheduled at irregular times.
B) They make professors5 offices much less accessible.
C) They tend to increase professors5 burden of responding to students' emails.
D) They provide little chance for students to build relationships with each other.
49. What problem may arise if classes go online?
A) More students may find it easy to be absent from them.
B) Teachers will worry about poor internet connections.
C) Some students may have difficulty attending them.
D) Schools with limited resources will be at a disadvantage.
50. What does the author think constitutes a key part of genuine education?
A) Acquisition of useful knowledge.
B) Training of real-life skills on campus.
C) Development of students5 personalities.
D) Cultivation of analytical thinking ability.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
In the age of the internet, there's no such thing as a private debate. But is that bad for
science? Some scientists have had concerns. When debates in any sector move beyond the
halls of universities and government agencies, there's potential fbr information to be used
incorrectly, leading to public confusion; yet, open debate can also promote communication
between the scientific community and the public. Recent open debates on scientific
research, health, and policy have aroused greater public attention and encouraged more
diverse voices. If this trend spurs scientists to agree more quickly about the best solutions to
our problems-and at the same time helps the public observe the process of scientific
discourse more clearly- then this is good for everyone, including scientists.
A recent debate published in The New York Times discussed the question of how quickly
medicine should be developed and produced. Issues such as safety of the product and
perception of the public were examined and considered. But some experts worried that such
public speculation might lead people to believe that disagreement about the details meant a
lack of adequate scientific consensus over the safety and efficiency of modern-day medicine.
The anxiety seems misplaced. Gone are the days of going to a conference and debating
scientific issues, and that5s good because those gatherings were not diverse enough and
excluded many important voices. These days, the public can access debates about science
2022年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研regardless of where they take place.
For many scientists, public debate is a new frontier and it may feel like a place with few
restraints or rules, but rather than avoiding such conversations, let the debates be
transparent and vigorous, wherever they are held. If the public is to understand that science
is an honorably self-correcting process, the idea that science is a fixed set of facts in a
textbook needs to be dismissed. With the validity of science coming under attack, there's a
need fbr scientific debates to be perceived as open and true to life. Let everyone see the
noisy, messy deliberations that advance science and lead to decisions that benefit us all.
51. What does the author think open debate can do?
A) Help the public to better understand science.
B) Clear up confusion in the scientific community.
C) Settle disputes between universities and government agencies.
D) Prevent information from being used incorrectly by the public.
52. Why did a recent debate published in The New York Times arouse concerns among experts?
A) It might hinder the progress in medical research.
B) It might breed public distrust in modem medicine.
C) It might add to the difficulty of getting research funds.
D) It might prevent medical scientists reaching consensus.
53. Why does the author say some experts' anxiety seems misplaced?
A) Debating scientific issues at a conference is now old-fashioned.
B) Diverse topics can be debated by both scientists and the public.
C) Debates about science are accessible to the public anyway.
D) Scientists can voice their opinions whatever way they like.
54. What does the author suggest scientists do about public debate?
A) Have more discussions about it. C) Fonnulate new rules fbr it.
B) Embrace it with open arms. D) Restrain it to a rational degree.
55. What does the author say about science in the last paragraph?
A) It is transmitted through textbooks.
B) It is what proves valid and true to life.
C) It is a dynamic and self^improving process.
D) It is a collection of facts and established rules.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
从前有个农夫嫌他种的禾苗长得慢，就到地里把禾苗一株株地拔高了一点。回家后他对家人
说：“今天可真把我累坏了！但我总算让禾苗一下子长高了。”他儿子到地里去一看，禾苗都已死
光了。
现在有些家长急于让孩子成功，往往步那个农夫的后尘，搞得孩子苦不堪言，却不见孩子学
业长进。这样的家长是否该对这个问题有所醒悟，让孩子自然成长呢？
2022年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 9 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研2022年 06月大学英语四级考试真题（第 2 套）
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Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose you are going to write a proposal to your student union for enriching
students' extracurricular activities. You are to write about what activities to organize and why.
You will have 30 minutes to write the report. You should write at least 120 words but no more
than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
淘宝店铺【光速考研工作室】温馨提示：2022年 6 月大学英语四级考试共考了 1套听力，本套的听力
内容与第1套相同，因此本套试题听力部分不再重复给出。
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
If you've ever looked at the ingredients list while grocery shopping, chances are
you've seen the term “natural flavors^^. But have you taken a 26 to consider what
these natural flavors actually are?
Most of us might think that "natural flavors^^ are, well, naturally good for us. A recent
study in the journal Appetite found that when the word “natural“ appears on packaging,
people 27 that the food within is indeed healthier. In truth, natural flavors do not
28 much, at least chemically speaking, from their flavor-boosting 29 : artificial
flavors. Both can be made in a lab by trained flavorists, but artificial flavors use chemicals
to give a product a 30 smell or taste.
Natural flavors come from plant or animal 31 , like fruit, vegetable, meat, fish
or milk that is then processed or refined in some way. In short, natural flavors are 32
from plants and animals to create specific flavors fbr processed foods. But that does not
33 make it easier to tell what is really in your food. Because the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has not 34 the term, companies can use it to refer to pretty
much anything derived from a plant or animal. And natural flavors can also include a
variety of chemical additives, such as preservatives. The FDA doesn't require companies to
reveal what additional chemicals a specific item 35 .
So if you want to know for certain what you5re getting with your groceries, you might
want to stick to the farmer's market.
A) acknowledge I) implies
B)chance J) necessarily
C) contains K) particular
D) counterparts L) perceive
E) defined M) second
F) differ N) sources
G) especially O) strange
H) extracted
Section B
2022年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 1 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
Fake holiday villa websites prompt warning
A) During the British winter, the thought of two weeks in a coastal villa (另U 墅)with
soul-stirring views of the sea and a huge pool to enjoy is enough to offset (抵消)the
labor until the holidays start. For a growing number of people, however, their yearly
break is turning into a nightmare as they find that the property they have paid thousands
fbr does not exist and the website through which they booked it has disappeared.
B) Consumers have been warned to be aware of the potential for deception in this market,
which is far from uncommon. In 2017 there were 1,632 cases of reported “villa fraud
(诈骗)“，with victims losing an average of £ 2,052, according to Action Fraud, the
national center for reporting such frauds. '"Millions of pounds are lost each year by
defrauded holidaymakers,5, says Sean Tipton of the Association of British Travel Agents
(ABTA).
C) The problem has ballooned in the last 10 years, with frauds becoming more and more
sophisticated. The fake websites have authentic-sounding names involving a mix of
keywords, typically including the place name,“summer”, "villas" or "rentals”. Details
of legitimate (合法的)villas are often stolen from other sites. "When the fraudsters first
started it was unsophisticated_the websites looked amateur and there wasn't a lot of
effort,“ says Tipton. t4Now they are clever. They extensively rip off legitimate websites
and use a different website name. They511 have pictures of a sales team and it might be a
poor actor in New York that is down as their head of sales.”
D) Fraudsters target popular seaside destinations for British tourists visiting Spain where
prices can soar if demand exceeds supply. Prices are kept within reasonable ranges to
avoid arousing suspicion. 4tA villa might cost £ 5,000 elsewhere and they will offer it at
say £ 3,500. But a bit of a giveaway is that the villa will be cheaper than on other
websites and there ?s unlimited availability/? says Tipton. Fraudsters also invest in
pay-per-click advertising to feature at the top of search engines when people type in
phrases such as “Spanish seaside villas”.
E) With such a degree of professionalism, how can consumers find out if the website
they're looking to book with is trustworthy? ”When people book holiday villas they are
doing so through rose-colored glasses,“ says Tony Neate, chief executive of Get Safe
Online, t4They should be Googling the property, and looking on websites like Google
Maps and StreetView to see if ifs there. Also, speak to the person you5re booking the
villa with on a landline phone, as fraudsters tend to only use mobiles.,, He also suggests
asking someone not going on the holiday to have a look at the website. "They might
spot problems you don't spot." Another potential red flag is being asked to pay by bank
transfer. "The problem is that when the money leaves your account it's in theirs
straightaway and ifs very hard to track it,“ says Barclays Bank head of digital safety,
Jodie Gilbert. t4We generally recommend other forms of payment, like credit card.^^
F) Little seems to be known about these fraudsters, ''There is no way to definitely know
who they are,“ says Neate. "It could be anyone. It could be your next-door neighbor or
organized crime in Russia." Action Fraud says people should ensure the company
2022年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 2 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研renting the villa is a member of a recognized trade body such as ABTA.
G) “By working with industry partners such as ABTA and Get Safe Online, we are able to
issue alerts about the latest threats they should be aware of. If you believe you have
fallen victim to fraud or cyber-crime, please report it to Action Fraud,“ it adds. ABTA
says it is trying to combat the issue by running public awareness campaigns. "It's a
growing problem and people can't stop fraudsters being dishonest,“ says Tipton.
“They're still going to do it. Ifs not impossible to stop but as ifs internet-based ifs
harder to pursue.”
H) Nick Cooper, the founder and co-owner of villa booking company Villa Plus, estimates
his company has uncovered more than 200 fake villa websites over the past two years,
and doesn't believe enough is being done. t4It is hopeless to report fake villa websites to
the internet giants who host them,^^ he says. "I found it impossible to speak to anyone.
Also, once one bank account gets reported, they simply use another.^^
I) For now the only way to stop fraudsters appears ultimately to lie in the hands of the
consumer. "When people book their holidays they get so emotionally involved, and
when they find that villa at a good price with availability in peak season, they are an
easy target,“ says Cooper. "The public has to learn to be far more aware they are a
target for these sort of frauds.But ifs not just the financial cost. 4tA family will turn up
at a villa and find out it doesn,t exist or the owner doesn't know who you are,^^ says
Tipton. 4tThe problem then is you have to find accommodation at short notice. It can be
incredibly expensive but ifs the emotional cost, too.”
J) Carla O'Shaughnessy from Sydenham was searching last year for a good deal to book a
villa in Majorca for a summer break for the family. was comparing prices online and
found one that came in a bit cheaper than others/5 says O? Shaughnessy. She emailed the
company via its website, asking how far the villa was from the airport and about local
restaurants. "They came back with believable answers; it was all very friendly and
professional,she says. Happy with the responses, O9Shaughnessy paid the full amount
of £ 3,000 via bank transfer into the travel agent?s account and then forgot about it until
a month before the booking.
K) “I tried logging on to the website and couldn,t,^^ she recalls. "I Googled the agenfs
name and there were lots of complaints about him being a fraudster. If only I'd Googled
before but I never thought of it." Although she found another villa in time for their
holiday, she admits she was much more cautious. "I paid through a secure third-party
site and had phone conversations with the agent. But I wasn't able to relax until we
turned up and I had the keys.^^
36. Fraudsters often steal villa-booking information from authentic holiday websites.
37. Fraudsters keep changing their bank accounts to avoid being tracked.
38. It is suggested that people not going on the holiday might help detect website frauds.
39. More and more British holidaymakers find the seaside villas they booked online
actually nonexistent.
40. By checking an agenfs name online before booking a villa, holidaymakers can avoid
falling into traps.
41. Fraudsters are difficult to identify, according to an online safety expert.
2022年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 3 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研42. Holidaymakers have been alerted to the frequent occurrence of online villa-booking
frauds.
43. It is holidaymakers that can protect themselves from falling victim to frauds.
44. Holidaymakers are advised not to make payments by bank transfer.
45. Fraudsters advertise their villas at reasonable prices so as not to be suspected.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Social media can be a powerful communication tool fbr employees, helping them to
collaborate, share ideas and solve problems. Research has shown that 82% of employees
think social media can improve work relationships and 60% believe it can support
decision-making processes. These beliefs contribute to a majority of workers connecting
with colleagues on social media, even during work hours.
Employers typically worry that social media is a productivity killer; more than half of
U.S. employers reportedly block access to social media at work. In my research with 277
employees of a healthcare organization I found these concerns to be misguided. Social
media doesn't reduce productivity nearly as much as it kills employee retention.
In the first part of the study I surveyed the employees about why and how they used
platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedln. Respondents were then asked about their
work behaviors, including whether they felt motivated in their jobs and showed initiative at
work. I found employees who engage in online social interactions with co-workers through
social media blogs tend to be more motivated and come up with innovative ideas. But when
employees interact with individuals outside the organization, they are less motivated and
show less initiative.
In the second part of the study I found 76% of employees using social media for work
took an interest in other organizations they found on social media. When I examined how
respondents expressed openness to new careers and employers, I found that they engaged in
some key activities including researching new organizations and making new work
connections.
These findings present a dilemma fbr managers: employees using social media at work
are more engaged and more productive, but they are also more likely to leave your
company. Managers should implement solutions that neutralize the retention risk caused by
social media.
They can create social media groups in which employees will be more likely to
collaborate and less likely to share withdrawal intentions or discussions about external job
opportunities. Managers can also use social media to directly reduce turnover (跳 槽 )
intentions, by recognizing employees9 accomplishments and giving visibility to employees5
success stories.
2022年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 4 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研46. What does previous research about social media reveal?
A) Most employees think positively of it.
B) It improves employees' work efficiency.
C) It enables employees to form connections.
D) Employees spend much of their work time on it.
47. What did the author's own research find about social media?
A) It influences employees? work negatively.
B) It does much harm to employee loyalty.
C) It kills employees' motivation for work.
D) It affects employers9 decision-making.
48. What did the author find in his study about the effect of online social interactions?
A) It differs from employee to employee.
B) It tends to vary with the platform used.
C) It has much to do with whom employees interact with.
D) It is hard to measure when employees interact with outsiders.
49. What problem was found with employees using social media for work?
A) They seldom expressed their inner thoughts.
B) Most of them explored new job opportunities.
C) They were reluctant to collaborate with others.
D) Many of them ended with lower productivity.
50. What does the author suggest managers do to neutralize the retention risk?
A) Give promotions to employees for their accomplishments.
B) Create opportunities for employees to share success stories.
C) Acknowledge employees5 achievements through social media.
D) Encourage employees to increase their visibility on social media.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
In the coming era of budget cuts to education, distance learning could become the norm.
The temptation for those in charge of education budgets to trade teachers for
technology could be so strong that they ignore the disadvantages of distance learning.
School facilities are expensive to build and maintain, and teachers are expensive to employ.
Online classes do not require buildings and each class can host hundreds of people
simultaneously, resulting in greater savings, thus increasing the temptation of distance
education for those concerned more about budgets than learning. But moving away from a
traditional classroom in which a living, breathing human being teaches and interacts with
students daily would be a disaster. Physically attending school has hidden benefits: getting
up every morning, interacting with peers, and building relationships with teachers are
essential skills to cultivate in young people. Moreover, schools should be more than simple
institutions of traditional learning. They are now places that provide meals. They are places
where students receive counseling and other support.
Those policy-makers are often fascinated by the latest technology in education and its
potential to “transfbrm“ education overnight. But online education does not allow a teacher
to keep a struggling student after class and offer help. Educational videos may deliver
2022年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 5 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研academic content, but they are unable to make eye contact or assess a studenfs level of
engagement. Distance education will never match the personal teaching in a traditional
classroom. In their first 18 years of life, American children spend only 9% of their time in
school. Yet teachers are expected to prepare them to be responsible citizens, cultivate their
social skills, encourage successful time management, and enhance their capacity to flourish
in an increasingly harsh labor market. Given these expectations, schools should not become
permanently “remote”.
The power of the classroom is rooted in the humanity of the people gathered in the
same place, at the same time. Personal teaching is about teachers showing students a higher
path, and about young people going through the process together. Technology, no matter
how advanced, should simply be a tool of a good teacher.
51. What mainly accounts fbr the possibility that distance learning could become the norm?
A) Advances in education technology. C) Shortage of school facilities.
B) Shrinking financial resources. D) Lack of qualified teachers.
52.What does the author say is one possible benefit of students attending school physically?
A) Developing the habit of getting up early.
B) Eating nutritionally well-balanced meals.
C) Growing into living and breathing human beings.
D) Cultivating relationships with peers and teachers.
53. What does the author think of the latest technology in education?
A) It may have potential disadvantages.
B) It may render many teachers jobless.
C) It may add to students' financial burden.
D) It may revolutionize classroom teaching.
54. What does the author say teachers are expected to do?
A) Enhance students5 leadership capacity.
B) Elevate students to managerial positions.
C) Enable students to adapt to the changes in life.
D) Prepare students to be competitive in the future.
55. Why couldn't technology replace a good teacher?
A) It lacks humanity. C) It cannot track students5 growth.
B) It is still immature. D) It cannot cater to personal needs.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
从前有个人养了一群羊。一天早上他准备出去放羊，发现少了一只。他仔细一看，看到羊栏
(sheepfold)上有个窟窿。显然，夜间有狼钻进羊圈叼走了羊。
邻居劝他修羊栏，可是他不听。
第二天，他发现狼又通过窟窿叼走一只羊。他想起邻居的话，就赶快堵上窟窿,把羊栏补好。
此后，他的羊再也没有被狼叼走。
故事告诉我们:出了问题及时补救，可以防止蒙受更大损失。
2022年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 6 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研2022年 06月大学英语四级考试真题（第 3 套）
淘宝店铺【光速考研工作室】温馨提示： 年 月英语四级考试第 套试题，除翻译写作外，其余
2022 6 3
题目与第 套完全一致，故而未重复给出。
2
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose you are going to write a proposal to your school clinic for improving its
service. You are to write about its current problems and possible solutions to these problems.
You will have 30 minutes to write the report. You should write at least 120 words but no more
than 180 words.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
从前，有个农夫正在地里耕作，突然看见一只兔子飞奔而过，撞在一棵大树上死了。农夫毫不
费力就吃到了兔肉，心里非常高兴。他想，“如果总是这样该多好啊!” 于是，他不再耕作，每天守
候在那棵树旁，等待着能再捡到撞死在树上的兔子。他等呀等，等了一天又一天，田地也荒芜了，却
再也没有等到第二只兔子。人们因而都嘲笑他把偶然当成了必然。
年 月英语四级真题第 套第 页共 页
2022 6 3 1 12022年 9 月大学英语四级考试真题（第 1 套）
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Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose your university is selecting some students to teach kids in remote rural
areas during the coming vacation. You are now to write an application letter to the university to
explain why you want to take part and what you can do for the kids. You will have 30 minutes to
write the letter. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single line
through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) It examines the effect of cholesterol on people's health.
B) Its participants all had high blood cholesterol levels.
C) It questions the benefits of a vegetarian protein diet.
D) Its finding came as a surprise to the researchers.
2. A) They do not know all the effects of eating meat.
B) Red meat itself does not cause heart diseases.
C) White meat may be healthier than red meat.
D) Vegetarian protein may be easier to absorb.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) It may have been due to the lorry driver's drunk driving.
B) It may affect the local supply of turkeys for Christmas.
C) It interrupted traffic for several hours running.
D) It was caused by a lony running into a trailer.
4. A) It has been the scene of several fatal accidents recently.
B) It is the spot that causes the local police a lot of worry.
C) It has witnessed several traffic accidents this year.
D) It is a location frequented by local traffic police.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) Get approval to add more routes. C) Advertise it through a mobile app.
B) Attract more international tourists. D) Make it affordable to common folk.
6. A) 11 costs more than twice as much as a car ride.
B) It is gaining popularity among ordinary Indians.
C) It symbolizes India's advancement in high-tech.
2022年9月英语四级真题第1套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研D) It ca n get any where in the city within 15 minutes.
7. A) International tourists. C) Prominent superstars.
B) High-class travelers. D) Customers in a hurry.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) Treat her friends in a bar. C) Make some cheese.
B) Take a trip to Washington. D) Throw a party.
9. A) Spend no more than 30 dollars. C) Help him prepare t he barbecue.
B) Buy different kinds of cheese. D) Find out different people's tastes.
10. A) It is the best kind of hard cheese. C) It is more delicious than honey.
B) It is the most popular in Spain. D) It is a good choice for children.
11. A) Buy what the man recommended. C) Choose one o f the two types of cheese.
B) Have a taste of both of the cheeses. D) Ask the man to cut the cheese into slices.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) New teachers and staff have to be recruited.
B) It might take some time for students to adapt.
C) It involves buying lots of tablets and software.
D) The software has to be constantly upgraded.
13. A) It can greatly improve their learning efficiency.
B) It can help them to interact more with teachers.
C) It can save their trouble of carrying printed books.
D) It can develop their skills in using electronic devices.
14. A) They may have trouble comprehending texts.
B) They may encounter technological problems.
C) They may pay less respect to teachers.
D) The y may get distracted more easily.
15. A) It generate s a great deal of electronic garbage.
B) It does a lot of damage to the environment.
C) It emits huge a mounts of harmful radiation.
D) It accelerates the exhaustion of rare minerals.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will
hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.
2022年9月英语四级真题第1套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研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 1 with a single line through
the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) Communicate with our coworkers.
B) Encounter people in different places.
C) Judge people based on our first impressions.
D) Engage in a variety of psychological activities.
17. A) It is an objective evaluation of a person's character.
B) It is a mental process influenced by many factors.
C) It contributes to the formation of personal traits.
D) It varies greatly among different social groups.
18. A) It can lead to incorrect judgments. C) It can result in instant losses.
B) It can cause mistrust among people. D) It can give rise to gender bias.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) Both groups spend a lot of time on mobile devices.
B) Both groups attach importance to social connections.
C) They are equally competent in using new technology.
D) They are similar in terms of social skills.
20. A) Their social skills were negatively affected.
B) Their school performance was slightly lower.
C) Their emotions were much harder to regulate.
D) Their relations with peers were badly strained.
21. A) It may pose a threat to their children's safety.
B) It may affect society's traditional values.
C) It may hurt their relations with children.
D) It may change their children's ethical values.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) It is motivating. C) It is incredible.
B) It is passive. D) It is impracticable.
23. A) It results in short-term excitement.
B) It helps us avoid making mistakes.
C) It breeds long-term passion and enthusiasm.
D) It is bound to help us achieve greater success.
24. A) Drive us forward. C) Spur us to action.
B) Bring us power. D) Give us ideas.
25. A) Listening to success stories. C) Following the advice of experts.
B) Applying ideas to one's life. D) Consuming the world around us.
2022年9月英语四级真题第 1套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices, Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Public perception of success in the U.S. might be totally misguided.
While 92% of people believe others care most about fame and 26 , fewer than
10% factor those qualities into their own success. This is according to the newly 27
study by Harvard Graduate School of Education professor Todd Smith. Smith says he was
28 by how past studies on success "assumed what people will care about.In this
study, his team “went the 29 direction^^ by spending years carrying out individual
interviews and group surveys to see what people really talk about when they talk about
success.
As a scientist, Smith 30 studied individuality for a living, and even he was
surprised to find younger respondents cared more about having a 31 in life. Those
between the ages of 18 and 34 prioritized it most, and that prioritization dropped off as
respondents5 ages went up. Perhaps this is because older people had fewer options when
they were starting their careers, at a time when values focused more on stable incomes than
32 personal missions.
Other trends included an emphasis on the importance of parenting. Being a parent
33 very high across the priorities of all study participants. Ultimately, Smith hopes
institutions will take note of these insights 34 .
Higher education institutions tend to focus on preparing students for high-paying jobs.
For such institutions, from universities to workplaces, to better 35 people in the U.S.,
they'll need to understand “what the American public highly prioritizes,Smith says.
A) accommodate I) opposite
B) accordingly J) profession
C) acquiring K) purpose
D) bothered L) ranked
E) fortune M) released
F) fulfilling N) similarly
G) identify O) wrong
H) literally
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
2022年9月英语四级真题第1套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研How a rabbit study and an ex-student boost my hopes for a future of 4love and dignity9
A) At whatever grade level teachers find themselves, from kindergarten to the final class at
medical or law school, few moments stir the emotions as deeply as when fomier
students reappear years and often decades later with an update on where their journey
has taken them and what resiliencies (韧性)have been the pavement on which they've
traveled.
B) So it was when a recent letter came from Kelli Harding, a student 21 years ago in my
Peace Studies summer course in Washington. The weekly tuition-free class, in a roomy
space that Ralph Nader and his Public Citizen nonprofit group provided, was
discussion-based and required no useless homework or exams. Just come in and figure
out how to increase peace and decrease violence. And do it today, tomorrow is too late.
The course attracted mostly congressional interns (实习生)，with a few exceptions like
Kelli who was in Washington as an AmeriCorps volunteer.
C) Her year-long service included comforting AIDs patients at a free health clinic and
delivering meals to the homebound. It was a world apart from her undergraduate days at
the University of California-Berkeley majoring in political science. The Washington
experience, which Kelli would later call “transfbrmative”, was the fuel that carried her
into medicine to earn a master's degree in public health from Columbia University and
a medical degree from the University of Rochester, and almost two decades of practice
as an emergency-room psychiatrist (精神科医生)at New York-Presbyterian Hospital
and a clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
D) Kelli's letter, a literate update on both her personal and professional life, touched my
heart, and especially so when saying that two decades later she still has the course text,
''Solutions to Violence,and that “it remains one of my favorite possessions.She lives
in Lower Manhattan with her husband, Padraic, whom she met on a flight to London,
and their three boys.
E) If Kelli stands out, ifs because she is also a gifted writer. Last month, Atria Books
published her book The Rabbit Effect: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the
Groundbreaking Science of Kindness.
F) With a blending of free-flowing confessional prose and scholarly research found in 461
notes, Kelli met my expectations that her ideas and ideals would be sound and singular.
“Despite our scientific progress,5, she writes, ''Americans are remarkably unhealthy. In
2016, the United States ranked forty-third in the world for life expectancy.... It is also
by far the world's most expensive place to get sick.”
G) Enter the rabbits-not those running around in our woodlands but ones serving in two
month-long medical experiments to test the effects of eating a high-fat diet and the
connections between cholesterol and heart disease. With similar diets, the expectations
were that all the rabbits would have similar cloggings of their arteries (动脉堵塞).Yet
one group had 60% fewer of them.
H) The reason? Instead of receiving the standard care given to lab animals, the 60% group
was watched over by a newcomer to the lab who, Kelli writes, 4'handled the animals
differently. When she fed her rabbits she talked to them and petted them. She didn5t just
pass out food, she gave them love.... The studies indicate something is missing in the
traditional biomedical model. It wasn't diet or genetics that made a difference in which
rabbits got sick and which stayed healthy. It was kindness.5,
2022年9月英语四级真题第1套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研I） Amid the political noise about Obamacare, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance and
thieving pharmaceutical （医药的）companies, Kelli Harding stands apart from the
crowd calling fbr quick fixes, the simpler the better. She has walked too many miles in
the halls of hospitals visiting too many far-gone patients and seeing too many medical
mistakes to go along with conventional thinking.
J） “The rabbit effect,she explains, means that “when it comes to our health, we've been
missing some crucial pieces: hidden factors behind what really makes us healthy.
Factors like love, friendship, and dignity. The designs of our neighborhoods, schools,
and workplaces. There's a social dimension to health that we've completely overlooked
in our efforts to find the best and most cutting-edge medical care.... Ultimately, what
affects our health in the most meaningful ways has more to do with how we treat one
another, how we live, and how we think about what it means to be human than with
anything that happens in the doctor's office.”
K） In more than a few passages, she relates the stories of men and women who came up
against assembly- line medicine where patients were treated mostly as pieces of flesh.
“Clinically,“ she writes, 4tifs common to see two patients with the same condition, such
as recovering from a heart attack, have two very different courses based on seemingly
irrelevant factors, such as their family relationships or their educational levels. In my
practice, the sickest people I see often share similar backgrounds: loneliness, abuse,
poverty, or discrimination. For them, the medical model isn't enough. Ifs like fixing up
an airplane engine and ignoring that the pilot is on his third drink at the bar and a
massive storm is overhead.... To properly care for patients, we also need to care about
the lives of the people getting the care.”
L） Kelli wastes no time taking potshots 必（随意排匕评）the medical establishment and its
body-centered biomedicine methods. Instead, she remains positive, holding up for
praise one of her medical school professors, George Engel, “who always noticed not
just a patient's physical condition but little details about her life, such as if she had
family pictures up in her hospital room or flowers delivered. He was the kind of trusted
doctor you'd feel relieved to see and welcome into the room with a sick family member.
He'd sit down to talk with the patient not just about medical problems, but about her
life and priorities. He built a large consultation service to address the holistic （整体的）
needs of hospitalized patients, including psychological and social factors.
M） It's a guess how many George Engels in their white jackets are at work these days and
another speculation on the number of Kelli Hardings the nation is blessed with. May the
totals be large and getting larger.
36. Kelli Harding also distinguishes herself by her literary talent.
37. Kelli Harding doesn't think America's medical model is sufficient for patients who need
help most.
38. Kelli Harding differs from those seeking quick and simple solutions to America's
medical problems.
39. Kelli Harding was a participant in a summer course the author taught.
40. According to Kelli Harding, scientific advances have not made Americans healthier, nor
prolonged their life.
41. The author was deeply moved by what Kelli Harding wrote about her current life.
2022年9月英语四级真题第1套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研42. George Engel, in treating his patients, not only looks into their symptoms but also into
things like the emotional support they receive.
43. According to Kelli Harding, rabbits5 health had more to do with humans' kindness to
them than their diet or genetics.
44. What Kelli Harding went through in Washington changed her life.
45. A social aspect to health has not been taken into account in trying to provide the best
medical care.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Academic dishonesty is nothing new. As long as there have been homework
assignments and tests, there have been cheaters. The way that cheating looks has changed
over time, though, particularly now that technology has made it easier than ever. A study by
the Josephson Institute of Ethics interviewed 23,000 high school students and asked them a
variety of questions about academic ethics. Of the teens surveyed, 51 percent said that they
had knowingly cheated at some point on an exam but that they did not feel uneasy about the
behaviour. A Common Sense Media survey found that 35 percent of students had cheated
via smartphone, though the parents surveyed in that particular study did not believe their
kids had ever cheated. In many cases, students did not realize that strategies like looking up
answers on a smartphone were actually cheating at all.
In today's classrooms, students who cheat are rarely caught. There are no formulas
written on the insides of hands or students looking across the aisle, or whispering answers
to their classmates. Today5s students use smartphones, tablets or even in-class computers to
aid their cheating attempts and leave no trace of their crimes. Since cheating through
technology is not listed specifically as being against the rules in many school policies,
students do not view the actions unethical.
The technology is being adopted so quickly that school districts cannot adequately
keep up with cheating policies, or even awareness campaigns that alert students to the
problem with using technology to find answers in a certain way. From a young age,
students learn that answers exist conveniently at their fingertips through search engines and
expert websites.
Schools must develop anti-cheating policies that include technology and these policies
must be updated consistently. Teachers must stay on guard when it comes to what their
students are doing in classrooms and how technology could be playing a negative role in
the learning process. Parents must also talk to their kids about the appropriate ways to find
academic answers and alert them to unethical behaviours that may seem innocent in their
own eyes.
46. What do we learn from the study by the Josephson Institute of Ethics?
A) Over half of the students interviewed were unaware they were cheating.
B) Cheating was becoming a way of life for a majority of high school teens.
2022年9月英语四级真题第1套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研C) More than half of the interviewees felt no sense of guilt over cheating.
D) Cheating was getting more and more difficult for high school students.
47. What did the Common Sense Media survey reveal?
A) Most parents tended to overprotect their children.
B) Many students committed cheating unknowingly.
C) Students were in urgent need of ethical education.
D) Parents and kids had conflicting ideas over cheating.
48. Why do students rarely get caught cheating nowadays?
A) They copy formulas on their palms.
B) They help each other to cover up their acts.
C) They keep changing their ways of cheating.
D) They make use of modem technology.
49. What does the author think schools should do to tackle cheating?
A) Bring policies against cheating up to date.
B) Reform their exam methods constantly.
C) Take advantage of the latest technologies.
D) Alert parents to their children's behaviour.
50. What does the author suggest teachers do in the classroom?
A) Prevent students from overusing electronic devices.
B) Develop more effective anti-cheating strategies.
C) Find more ways to curb students' unethical acts.
D) Guard against students' misuse of technology.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Remote work is about more than just working from home—it means working
differently. Organizations should reconsider the appropriateness of their performance
evaluation procedures in light of the shift to remote work. This requires a fundamental
rethinking of what organizations expect from employees and what companies would look
for in a model employee in a remote work context.
It is likely that the “first to arrive and last to leave^^ mentality is no longer relevant, but
should be replaced by a regard for the quality of an employee's contribution to the
organization. This means that work should be measured in terms of the quality of the work,
not just the quality of the process. As remote work is largely unobservable to supervisors,
employers need to think about how they can objectively measure the quality of work in a
way that is consistent for employees of similar rank.
Focusing on output alone can have the unintended consequences. Employers should
think instead about the values and soft skills they want to emphasize in a remote work
environment. Qualities like flexibility and the ability to work under minimal supervision
might become critical. Much has been written about the importance of timely feedback. In
the context of a global pandemic (大流行病)，firms may want to provide additional support
to employees by providing more frequent communication. This allows managers to both
keep an eye on struggling employees and provide ongoing feedback on how employees are
adapting to their new work environment.
Compensation also needs to be revisited. The purpose of performance evaluation is
2022年9月英语四级真题第1套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研ultimately to determine how to reward employees for their work. This means that pay
structures need to adapt to the reality of working from home. However, organizations also
need to be honest with employees about the financial impact of COVID-19.
For organizations that have struggled to keep the lights on due to the pandemic, this
might mean thinking of non-financial ways to reward employees, like unpaid time off or
flexible work schedules. Employers can also consider how to bundle different types of
compensation to help employees cope with their unique situations.
51. What does the author say companies should do in the context of remote work?
A) Reform performance evaluation.
B) Rethink the organizational fundamentals.
C) Reexamine its effects on employees5 behaviors.
D) Reflect on its differences from working in the office.
52. What should be prioritized in assessing employees? remote work?
A) The quantity of their output.
B) The length of their work time.
C) The quality of their contribution.
D) The flexibility of their work schedules.
53. What quality in the employees would be of great importance in a remote work context?
A) The ability to produce quality work.
B) The ability to maximize work efficiency.
C) The ability to finish tasks in a timely manner.
D) The ability to work with the least supervision.
54. Why is it important for firms to provide timely feedback during the pandemic?
A) To evaluate their employees of similar rank in a consistent way.
B) To keep a watchful eye on those employees who perform poorly.
C) To help employees in need adapt to the new work environment.
D) To maintain connections with their employees away from office.
55. What is the author's suggestion to employers who experience the financial impact of the
pandemic?
A) Urging their employees to adapt to the new situation.
B) Rewarding their employees in unconventional ways.
C) Identifying employees who make little contribution.
D) Allowing their employees to look for part-time jobs.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
太极拳(Taijiquan)起源于中国古代，是中国武 术 (martial art)的一个重要分支。练太极拳最
初是为了自卫，现在是促进身心健康的有效锻炼方式。大量研究表明，这种锻炼方式有助于保持
力量、灵活性和平衡力，并减少压力和焦虑。太极拳练习起来既容易又愉快，通过轻柔、流畅的
动作，促使心情平静、头脑清晰。今天，太极拳已经传播到世界各地，深受广大健身者的喜爱。
2022年9月英语四级真题第1套 第 9 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研2022年 9 月大学英语四级考试真题(第2 套)
淘宝店铺【光速考研工作室】温馨提示：2022年 9 月英语四级考试特殊，本套试题中听力与阅读题与
第 1套完全一致，未重复整理，请知悉。
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose your class has just finished celebrating the Teachers 'Day. You are now to
write a report to the university newspaper on the celebration activities organized by your class.
You will have 30 minutes to write the report. You should write at least 120 words but no more
than 180 words.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
按照中国民间的传统习俗，春节期间长辈通常会给孩子发红包，俗称发压 岁 钱 (lucky money),
以表达对孩子的祝福，祝他们好运。如今，红包不仅是给孩子的礼物，而且经常也是给长辈或亲
朋好友的礼物。近年来， 随着微信用户数量的增加，微信红包变得愈加流行。欢度春节时，人们
经常互发微信红包表达问候。这无疑是一种与远方亲友联系的便捷方式。
2022年9月英语四级真题第2套 第 1 页 共 1 页 by：光速考研2022年 9 月大学英语四级考试真题(第3 套)
淘宝店铺【光速考研工作室】温馨提示：2022年9 月英语四级考试特殊，本套试题中听力与阅读题与
第1套完全一致，未重复整理，请知悉。
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose your class plans to invite some former graduates to share their job
experiences with the students. As the organizer of the activity, you are now to write an
invitation letter to the invited speakers on behalf of your class. You will have 30 minutes to
write the letter. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
戏曲是一种中国传统的艺术形式，可以追溯到唐朝。中国戏曲吸引观众的一大特色是其独具
风格的脸遒(facial painting)o脸谱代表不同角色的性格和命运。观众通过观察脸谱能够更好地理
解这些角色的故事。欣赏戏曲是中国人特别是老年人的一大乐趣。为了吸引更多的年轻观众，传
统戏曲正在不断地发展和创新。如今，越来越多的外国观众也喜欢中国戏曲。
2022年9月英语四级真题第3套第1 页共1 页by：光速考研2022年 12月大学英语四级考试真题（第 1 套）
扫码获音频
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: In this task, you are to write an essay on the role of physical exercise in achieving
success at college. You will have 30 minutes for the task. You should write at least 120 words
but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single line
through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) Part of its dam wall collapsed. C) It was destroyed by an earthquake.
B) It released a lot of harmful gases. D) Some miners were trapped underground.
2. A) It posed a safety threat to the miners. C) It brought the mine's operations to a halt.
B) It caused damage too heavy to assess. D) It was followed by two more earthquakes.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) It prepared beds fbr all the six new citizens.
B) It assigned a team of doctors fbr each expected baby.
C) It made ample preparations for various possibilities.
D) It brought in the most advanced instruments.
4. A) They had to undergo 2-3 physical checkups.
B) They were all of normal size except the sixth.
C) They could go home together with their mother a day later.
D) They needed to stay in the hospital fbr a couple of months.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) It is owned by the local government. C) It has been bought by an American.
B) It has been turned into a public park. D) It is a perfect tourist destination.
6. A) Its seafood. C) Its unspoiled beaches.
B) Its unusual coastline. D) Its architecture.
7. A) It has an unmatched location. C) It has beautiful weather all year round.
B) It is worth over 18 million euros. D) It is an ideal place to meet famous stars.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
2022年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) She has been attending some group classes.
B) She has registered for two new gym classes.
C) She became a member of the gym two months ago.
D) She is entitled to a discount on all the gym exercises.
9. A) Considering the promotion of its regular classes.
B) Taking measures to expand its exercise programs.
C) Recruiting coaches for hot yoga and advanced spinning.
D) Offering existing members a discount off two new classes.
10. A) She missed the deadline for the 10-week course.
B) She missed out on the gym's general discount.
C) She didn't sign up for membership in time.
D) She wasn't so much interested in hot yoga.
11. A) She doesn't want to reveal her card details over the phone.
B) She doesn't think it wise to pay before attending any class.
C) She might have to cancel her registration any minute.
D) She prefers to have the fee added to her monthly bill.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) To make investments. C) To research new markets.
B) To sign a business contract. D) To open a new office.
13. A) Dubai. C) Amsterdam.
B) Beijing. D) Earl's Court.
14. A) Rent a bike for him to geta round the town.
B) Reserve a meeting room in the head office.
C) Help him prepare his presentation.
D) Send him a map of the hotel area.
15. A) Bring his projector. C) Submit his claims form.
B) Keep all his receipts. D) Pay with his credit card.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage,you will
hear three or four 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 1 with a single line through the
2022年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) Whether a country's educational level is linked to women's rights.
B) Whether women's rights are making good progress around the world.
C) Whether a country's protection of women's rights is related to its public health.
D) Whether women's rights are more often overlooked in less-developed countries.
17. A) Their people still have better health if women's rights are respected.
B) They must make efforts to increase women5s access to health care.
C) Their people tend to attach importance to women5s rights.
D) They need to invest more in hospital staff and facilities.
18. A) Their link with a country's public health.
B) Their potential impact on social progress.
C) Their value to a country's international image.
D) Their positive effect on economic development.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) It creates a wonderful setting for dating. C) It turns parks into picnic sites.
B) It may cause strange physical reactions. D) It may result in a crowded beach.
20. A) Breathing difficulty. C) Excessive sweating.
B) Bad breath. D) High blood pressure.
21. A) It protects people against bacteria. C) It accelerates people's blood circulation.
B) It enables people to build up endurance. D) It provides people with extra energy.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) They are more likely to win in combat sports.
B) They are in the minority among the population.
C) They have a higher chance of joining sports teams.
D) They have more disadvantages in getting ahead.
23. A) Their brain is more powerful than that of right-handed people.
B) The left side of their brain is more powerful than its right side.
C) They tend to be a lot more aggressive than right-handed people.
D) Their brain has a stronger connection between its two sides.
24. A) They have a larger brain. C) It is related to their genes.
B) It still remains unknown. D) They are better at reasoning.
25. A) Teach them how to perform tasks with their right hand.
B) Help them fully develop their mathematical abilities.
C) Encourage them to play fast-paced interactive sports.
D) Advise them to choose jobs that require quick reactions.
2022年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices, Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
Researchers, writing in the journal Heart, pooled data from 23 studies and found that
social isolation or feelings of loneliness were tied to an increased risk of coronary heart
disease (冠心病)and strokes.
The studies included data from 181,006 men and women ages 18 and over. There were
4,628 coronary events and 3,002 strokes in follow-up periods 26 from three to 21
years. Three of the papers 27 loneliness, 18 looked at social isolation and two
included both. Social isolation and loneliness were determined with questionnaires; the
researchers depended on medical records and death 28 for determining coronary
events and strokes.
The scientists found that loneliness and social isolation increased the 29 risk of
having a heart attack or a death from heart disease by 29 percent, and the risk of stroke by
32 percent. There were no 30 between men and women.
“People have tended to focus from a policy point of view on 31 lonely people to
make them more 32 J said the lead author, Nicole K. Valtorta, a research fellow at
the University of York in England. t4Our study 33 that if this is a risk factor, then we
should be trying to prevent the risk factor in the first place.”
The authors 34 that this was a review of observational studies and did not 35
cause and effect.
A) acknowledge I) narrow
B) certificates J) permanent
C) connected K) produces
D) demonstrates L) ranging
E) differences M) relative
F) establish N) submitting
G) formats O) targeting
H) measured
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
2022年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研The hidden costs colleges don't want you to know about
A) This fall, thousands of college students from across the country will begin their
undergraduate studies at colleges around the nation. They will inevitably pack too much
to fit in their tiny dorm rooms. They will also carry with them a huge student loan debt,
in addition to countless “hidden“ out-of-pocket costs paid for by their bank accounts
and the bank accounts of their families.
B) At my well-respected, private, four-year university in Washington, D.C., which boasts a
yearly tuition of $44,046 not including room and board, I receive over $57,000 yearly
in financial aid. As a student from a family that is struggling to make ends meet, my
financial aid package is a combination of federal grants and federal work study,
university merit scholarships and financial aid awards, and about $8,000 yearly in
federally subsidized (有补贝占的)and unsubsidized loans. On paper, my expenses and
my financial aid just about even out. Off paper, they don't.
C) Universities today are in the business of making money, and mine is no exception. They
hit me right out of gate with a $160 fee to attend my freshman orientation, a price which
does not include the cost of travel to and from the District. Almost every class has an
associated fee not included in the cost of tuition, most between $40 and $100. Fees for
lab science classes are the highest, and all students at my university are required to take
at least one lab before they graduate. Buying a laptop proved a necessity and, thankfully,
a relative bought me one as a gift. Renting a mini-fridge for my dorm room costs my
roommates and me about $140 a year.
D) Schools will charge you whatever they can. The costs of any damage to the dorm,
including elevators, bathrooms, and common areas, are billed to every person on a dorm
floor, or even the entire building if they do not know who caused the damage. After I
fell out of my bed twice during my freshman year, the university installed a railing一for
$20, billed to my student account. My financial aid did not anticipate any of these costs,
and so it did not cover them.
E) An Internet search of “hidden costs” of college turns up a host of articles on
parent-centered websites on the college application process. These articles are almost
always geared towards upper- and middle-class families. For students already struggling
to pay tuition, these costs may be the least of their worries.
F) So what hidden costs should low-income students really be paying attention to? My
college experience offers a few examples.
G) If you are a low-income student who will be attending school out-of^state, make sure
you know if you can use your state benefits, such as the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program, or SNAP. It wasn't until after I had accepted admission to an
out-oi-state school that I learned that I could not use my Ohio Medicaid on campus for
anything other than emergency care. My benefits became invalid the second I moved
out of Ohio. After my freshman year, I had to opt for the schooFs insurance plan, which
costs around $2,000 a year. Even if your school offers a flat-rate fee for a doctor's
appointment at the student health center (mine is $20 a visit), these fees often do not
include extra fees for lab tests or prescription medications (药物).
H) If you plan on paying off bills in your student account with a credit card, be aware of
any additional costs. My school charges an additional fee for the use of a credit card to
2022年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研settle outstanding charges, which can add upwards of 3% of the balance to your bill.
I) There is another depressing reality hidden within even the largest financial aid packages:
Colleges often offer the most generous packages during freshman year as a way to
attract new students. My family was careful to ask about the chances of financial aid
being taken away after my freshman year. We were assured that, except for low grades
or a raise in family income, no money would be taken away. We did not know to
ask- and the school did not readily point out- that even if tuition rises, my financial
aid package will stay the same. So when my university voted to raise tuition costs 3% at
the end of my freshman year, my financial aid package remained the same and I was
suddenly responsible fbr an additional $1,200 fbr the next year. The university
administration will likely vote to raise costs at least once more before my graduation.
J) Yes, I chose to attend an expensive university far from my hometown. Yes, there were
cheaper options. But there are promising students from struggling families across the
nation who should not rule out their dream schools entirely. All things considered, I am
paying significantly less than the ticket price of my university, and having an
educational experience in Washington, D.C., that I would not have had anywhere else.
As a low-income student from a down-and-out Rust Belt community, these educational
experiences have enormous potential to brighten my future-and my family's future.
K) The key is to make sure that students and their families understand that hidden costs
exist, and that they may prove problematic. Fill out a more comprehensive checklist,
and be wary of listed prices that seem too low. Understand just how complicated the
financial aid process is.
L) Students and families must also understand their ability to self^advocate. They should
not pay student bills or excess fees blindly. If something does not look right, ask about
it. If it still doesn't look right, negotiate it. In cases where parents are working multiple
jobs, are less knowledgeable about college bureaucracies, have limited English
language skills, or are not contributing financially to their child's education, the burden
of self-advocacy will fall on the student. I understand the difficulty, and the
embarrassment. But it is necessary.
M) In the grand scheme of things, however, colleges also must come to understand that the
hidden fees they ask for may prove unmanageable fbr the very kinds of low-income or
first-generation students they are trying desperately to attract.
36. Students5 financial aid remains unchanged even when tuition rises.
37. Students may not be able to enjoy their state benefits when they go to college out of the
state.
38. The financial aid the author receives is supposed to cover all her college expenses.
39. When the person who damages dorm facilities is not identified, students are required to
share the cost.
40. Though it is difficult and embarrassing, students should make inquiries about what fees
they have to pay and why.
41. Today, many Americans have to go to college on student loans.
42. Receiving education in a private university in the nation's capital may change the
2022年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研author's future life and that of her family's.
43. Students may no longer be qualified for financial aid if they perform poorly in school or
if their family income has increased.
44. In addition to tuition, college students have to pay extra fees for the courses they take.
45. Some schools charge students a fee to their student accounts for using credit cards to
pay bills.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
To write his 2010 book, The 5-Factor World Diet, nutritionist Harley Pasternak
traveled to the healthiest countries around the world to learn more about what made their
meals extra nourishing.
He noted that Japanese people ate a wonderful variety of seaweeds, and that Chinese
people tried to include at least five different colors in every meal. Pasternak also came
away with some valuable observations about how different the North American way of life
was, compared with many other countries.
For starters, Americans eat much bigger portions than people in other countries. 44We
don't prioritize eating seasonally or locally, and we also add lots of salt, sugar and
thickening agents to our foods,explained Pasternak. Contrast that to the healthy
Mediterranean, Nordic and Okinawan diets listed in Pasternak's book. They all seem to
stick to the ethos (特质)of regional, seasonal produce.
For example, a traditional Mediterranean diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
nuts and olive oil as the main components of nutritional intake. Fish, chicken and red wine
make moderate appearances, while red meat, salt and sugar are used much less often. The
benefits of a traditional Mediterranean diet have been studied since the 1970s, and
researchers have found that living that olive oil life can help people lose weight, lower their
heart disease risk and reverse diabetes.
Most other healthy eating cultures also make meals an event一say, multiple courses
around the family table, or a glass or two of red wine at a long lunch-as opposed to hastily
wolfing down handfuls of cereal above the kitchen sink and calling it dinner.
Each of the healthy eating cultures has its own unique feature. But Pasternak did take
note of one unifying factor in all of the healthy societies he observed. "The only
overlapping feature in most of these healthy countries is that they all walk way more than
the average American,said Pasternak, “So really, regardless of what you're eating, if
someone's walking four miles more than you each day, they're going to be a lot thinner and
live a lot longer than you.^^
46. What characterizes Japanese and Chinese foods?
A) Variety. B) Flavor. C) Color. D) Naturalness.
2022年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研47. What is typical of Americans in the way of eating?
A) They emphasize nutrition. C) They prioritize convenience.
B) They tend to eat quite a lot. D) They care about flavors.
48. What features in Mediterranean, Nordic and Okinawan diets?
A) Fruits and vegetables. C) Seasonal local produce.
B) Olive oil and red wine. D) Unprocessed ingredients.
49. What do people in most healthy eating cultures have in common?
A) They get the whole family to eat at a table.
B) They eat their meals regularly and punctually.
C) They consume plenty of cereal for breakfast.
D) They attach great importance to their meals.
50. Compared with the average American, people in healthy societies .
A) walk at least 4 miles a day
B) do considerably more walking
C) pay more attention to body shape
D) consume a lot more organic food
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Recognizing when a friend or colleague feels sad, angry or surprised is key to getting
along with others. But a new study suggests that being sensitive to people's feelings may
sometimes come with an extra dose of stress. This and other research challenge the
prevailing view that emotional intelligence is uniformly beneficial to its bearer.
In a study, psychologist Myriam Bechtoldt of the Frankfurt School of Finance and
Management in Germany asked 166 male university students a series of questions to
measure their emotional intelligence. For example, they showed the students photographs
of people's faces and asked them to what extent feelings such as happiness or disgust were
being expressed. The students then had to give job talks in front of judges who displayed
serious facial expressions. The scientists measured concentrations of stress honnones in the
students5 saliva (唾液)before and after the talk.
In students who were rated more emotionally intelligent, the stress measures increased
more during the experiment and took longer to go back to baseline. The findings suggest
that some people may be too emotionally clever fbr their own good, says Bechtoldt.
“Sometimes you can be so good at something that it causes trouble,she notes.
Indeed, the study adds to previous research hinting at a dark side of emotional
intelligence. A study published in 2002 in Personality and Individual Differences suggested
that emotionally perceptive people might be particularly influenced by feelings of
depression and hopelessness. Furthermore, several studies have implied that emotional
intelligence can be used to manipulate others for personal gains.
More research is needed to see how exactly the relation between emotional
intelligence and stress would play out in women and in people of different ages and
education levels. Nevertheless, emotional intelligence is a useful skill to have, as long as
you learn to also properly cope with emotions- both others' and your own, says Bechtoldt.
2022年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研For example, some sensitive individuals may assume responsibility for other people's
sadness or anger, which ultimately stresses them out. Remember, as Bechtoldt says, “you
are not responsible for how other people feel.^^
51. What is the finding of the new study?
A) Emotional intelligence helps people get along with others.
B) Emotional intelligence is generally beneficial to its bearer.
C) People who are aware of others' feelings may experience more stress.
D) People who are emotionally stressed may have trouble making friends.
52. What was the purpose of psychologist Myriam Bechtoldfs experiment?
A) To define different types of human feelings.
B) To assess the impacts of being emotionally clever.
C) To demonstrate how to distinguish different feelings.
D) To identify gender differences in emotional intelligence.
53. What does the finding of Myriam Bechtoldfs study indicate?
A) Greater emotional cleverness means less trouble in one's life.
B) Emotional intelligence helps people succeed in job interviews.
C) People's psychological wellbeing is related to various factors.
D) People may suffer from having a high emotional intelligence.
54. What do we learn about emotional intelligence from a number of studies?
A) People suffering from depression are emotionally immature.
B) People who look at the dark side of life often feel depressed.
C) Some people may take advantage of it and benefit themselves.
D) Some people may lack it and are easily manipulated by others.
55. What does the author suggest sensitive individuals do?
A) Avoid burdening themselves with others' feelings.
B) Rid themselves of worries over worldly affairs.
C) Learn to cope with people's negative feelings.
D) Help people to deal with their troubles in life.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
在中国农历中，在 数 (Start of Autumn)意味着夏天的结束和秋天的开始。立秋带来的首先是天
气的变化，气温逐渐下降。人们看到树叶开始变黄飘落时，知道秋天已经来临，这就是所谓的“一
叶知秋”。但此时酷热的天气并未完全结束，高温通常还会持续一段时间，被称为“秋 老 虎 立 秋
对农民意义重大，这时各种秋季作物迅速生长、开始成熟，收获的季节即将到来。
2022年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 9 页共9 页 by：光速考研2022年 12月大学英语四级考试真题（第 2 套）
扫码获音频
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: In this task, you are to write an essay on the importance of developing a healthy
lifestyle among college students. You will have 30 minutes for the task. You should write at least
120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single line
through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) A free car show. C) A sports competition.
B) A yearly concert. D) A pipe band contest.
2. A) Improve the image of Glasgow city.
B) Enrich the local culture of Glasgow.
C) Contribute a lot to the local economy.
D) Entertain people in local communities.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) Surprising rise in global sea levels.
B) Dangerous ice melts in Greenland.
C) Changing weather patterns in summer.
D) Record growth of Greenland's ice sheets.
4. A) It began in late May. C) It started a month earlier than usual.
B) It lasted three months. D) It ended a month earlier than before.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) Bundles of £20 notes kept turning up.
B) A villager was searching for his lost cash.
C) Local policemen came across bundles of £20 notes.
D) A bundle containing thousands of pounds got stolen.
6. A) They give it to charity. C) They hand it over to the local government.
B) They return it to the finder. D) They place a notice in The Northern Echo.
7. A) They cooperated well with the police. C) They were puzzled by the mystery.
B) They enjoyed a fairly affluent life. D) They had a strong community spirit.
2022年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) Excited. C) Indifferent.
B) Delighted. D) Strange.
9. A) Search fbr the meaning of their life. C) Call on their relatives and friends.
B) Look back on their years at school. D) Talk about future plans with friends.
10. A) He prefers to have them shown on social media.
B) He loves them but does not want to make a fuss.
C) He enjoys celebrating others' birthdays rather than his own.
D) He looks forward to receiving presents from his close friends.
11. A) Hold it on a modest scale to remove birthday anxieties.
B) View it as a chance fbr people to socialize and have fiin.
C) Extend invitation to those he trusts most.
D) Make it an occasion to collect donations.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) It was absolutely exhausting. C) There was too long a delay.
B) There was a terrible smell. D) She got off at the wrong station.
13. A) She hasn't saved enough money. C) She hasn't passed the driving test yet.
B) She is worried about traffic jams. D) She is used to taking public transport.
14. A) They are popular. C) They are a bit expensive fbr her.
B) They are dangerous. D) They are environmentally friendly.
15. A) By bus. C) By renting a bike.
B) By jogging. D) By sharing a ride.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages At the end of each passage, you will
hear three or four 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 1 with a single line through
the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) He is a sign language interpreter. C) He doesn't like speaking at meetings.
B) He is a deaf person working in IT. D) He doesn't use email or text messages.
17. A) Improved communication skills. C) Big advances in sign language.
B) Speech recognition technology. D) Transformation in the IT industry.
2022年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研18. A) He can avoid being mistaken. C) He can understand with ease.
B) He can take notes on the spot. D) He can see the speakers; images.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) To find pure white walls shining. C) To get a hug from family members.
B) To enter a house well looked after. D) To see cheerful colours all around.
20. A) Choosing a colour because it is fashionable.
B) Painting the interior of their cupboards.
C) Doing the painting job all by themselves.
D) Designing all window frames the same way.
21. A) Fit most of the cupboards into walls.
B) Hang landscape paintings all around.
C) Match the room's ceiling with all the furniture in colour.
D) Paint the wooden frameworks and walls the same colour.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) Children must read at least 3 times a week.
B) Reading is a habit every child can develop.
C) Reading to their children is important.
D) Children should start reading at age 3.
23. A) The number of books they have read by age four.
B) The speed of their brain development in infancy.
C) The number and quality of books parents read to them in infancy.
D) The quality and quantity of time parents spend playing with them.
24. A) Books with specifically labeled images.
B) Books with pictures of dolls and toys.
C) Books describing the lives of animals.
D) Books telling very interesting stories.
25. A) Read as many books as possible to their children.
B) Choose carefully what to read to their children.
C) Share experience with other parents.
D) Create picture books for their children.
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices, Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
2022年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研Parenting brings fathers more joy than it does mothers, according to a new study. The
research examined three studies 26 more than 18,000 participants. Across all three,
parenthood was 27 with more positive wellbeing outcomes for dads than for mums.
So why are fathers happier than mothers? "Fathers may fare better than mothers in part
due to how they spend time with their children,“ said lead author Katherine Nelson-Cofley.
In one study, the authors 28 that dads were more likely to take “playing” as an 29
activity both when caring fbr their kids and spending time with their kids. t4Playing with
their children likely offers parents opportunities to experience positive feelings and 30
closeness with their children,“ they say.
Fathers also did better than men without kids, reporting greater happiness, life
satisfaction, and fewer 31 symptoms. They also reported greater connectedness and
autonomy (自 主).For mums, 32 , compared to women without children, the results
weren't quite as positive. Mums reported greater autonomy, but also “greater trouble” and
fewer positive 33 .
Mums reported happier moods while interacting with their kids, compared to other
experiences, but not while engaging 34 in childcare. t4This difference suggests that
how mothers and fathers spend time with their children might have important 35 for
their wellbeing,the authors write. They suspect that mums may be less happy than dads
because they5re more likely to have higher expectations about parenthood. As such, they're
more likely to be “let down^^ by the experience.
A) additional I) implications
B) associated J) interfered
C) composing K) involving
D) cultivate L) note
E) depressive M) precisely
F) directly N) superficial
G) emotions O) therefore
H) however
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
Learning to say no
A) Not doing something will always be faster than doing it. This philosophy applies in
many areas of life. For example, there is no meeting that goes faster than not having a
meeting at all. This is not to say you should never attend another meeting, but the truth
is that we say "yes" to too many things we don't actually want to do.
B) How often do people ask you to do something and you just reply, ttSure.^^ Three days
later, you're overwhelmed by how much is on your to-do list. We become frustrated by
our obligations even though we were the ones who said "yes" to them in the first place.
2022年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研Even worse, people will occasionally fight to do things that waste time. You don't have
to do something just because it exists. Ifs worth asking if things are necessary. Many of
them are not, and a simple "no” will be more productive than whatever work the most
efficient person can cope with. But if the benefits of saying "no" are so obvious, then
why do we say "yes" so often?
C) We say "yes" to many requests not because we want to do them, but because we don't
want to be seen as rude or unhelpful. Often, we have to consider saying “no" to
someone we will interact with again in the future—our co-worker, our spouse, our
family and friends. Saying "no" to our superiors at work can be particularly difficult. In
these situations, I like the approach recommended in Essentialism by Greg McKeown.
He writes, ''Remind your superiors what you would be neglecting if you said 'yes' and
force them to deal with the trade-off. For example, if your manager comes to you and
asks you to do X, you can respond with 'Yes, I'm happy to make this the priority.
Which of these other projects should I deprioritize to pay attention to this new project?^^^
D) Collaborating with others is an important element of life. The thought of straining the
relationship outweighs the commitment of our time and energy. For this reason, it can
be helpful to be gracious in your response. Do whatever favors you can, and be
warm-hearted and direct when you have to say no. But even after we have accounted
for these social considerations, many of us still seem to do a poor job of managing the
trade-off between yes and no. We find ourselves over-committed to things that don't
meaningfully improve or support those around us, and certainly don't improve our
own lives.
E) Perhaps one issue is how we think about the meaning of yes and no. The words "yes"
and “no" get so often used in comparison with each other that it feels like they carry
equal weight in conversation. In reality, they5re not just opposite in meaning, but of
entirely diflerent magnitudes in commitment. When you say "no", you're only saying
"no" to one option. When you say "yes”, you5re saying "no" to every other option. I
like how economist Tim Harford put it, “Every time we say 'yes' to a request, we're
also saying 'no' to anything else we might accomplish with the time." Once you're
committed to something, you've already decided how that future block of time will be
spent. In other words, saying "no" saves you time in the future. Saying "yes" costs you
time in the fixture. "No" is a form of time credit. You retain the ability to spend your
future time however you want. “Yes" is a form of time debt. You have to pay back your
commitment at some point.
F) “No" is a decision. "Yes" is a responsibility. Saying "no" is sometimes seen as a
luxury that only those in power can afford. And it's true: turning down opportunities is
easier when you can foil back on the safety net provided by power, money, and
authority. But it's also true that saying "no" is not merely a privilege reserved for the
successful. It's also a strategy that can help you become successful. Saying 'no" is an
important skill to develop at any stage of your career because it retains the most
important asset in life: your time. As investor Pedro Sorrentino put it, “If you don't
guard your time, people will steal it from you." You need to say "no" to whatever isn't
leading you toward your goals.
G) Nobody embodied this idea better than Steve Jobs, who said, “People think fbcus
means saying 'yes' to the thing you've got to focus on. But thafs not what it means at
all. It means saying 'no' to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to
2022年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研pick carefully.^^ Jobs had another great quote about saying "no": 'Tm actually as
proud of the things we haven5t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying
4no5 to 1,000 things.
H) Over time, as you continue to improve and succeed, your strategy needs to change. The
opportunity cost of your time increases as you become more successful. At first, you
just eliminate the obvious distractions and explore the rest. As your skills improve and
you learn to separate what works from what doesn't, you have to continually increase
your threshold for saying "yes”. You still need to say "no" to distractions, but you also
need to learn to say “no" to opportunities that were previously good uses of time, so
you can make space fbr better uses of time. Ifs a good problem to have, but it can be a
tough skill to master.
I) What is true about health is also true about productivity: an ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure. More effort is wasted doing things that don't matter than is
wasted doing things inefficiently. And if that is the case, elimination is a more useful
skill than optimization. Fm reminded of the famous Peter Drucker quote, “There is
nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”
36. People often grant a request just because they want to appear polite and helpful.
37. It's no easy job learning to say "no" to opportunities that were once considered worth
grasping.
38. When you decline a request, you are saving your future time.
39. People sometimes struggle to do things that are simply a waste of time.
40. Doing efficiently what is not worth doing is the most useless effort.
41. It is especially difficult fbr people to decline to do what their superiors ask them to do.
42. People agree to do too many things they are in fact unwilling to do.
43. According to one famous entrepreneur, innovation means refusal to do an enormous
number of things.
44. It is an essential aspect of life to cooperate with other people.
45. Refusing a request is sometimes seen as a privilege not enjoyed by ordinary people.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
We're eating more fish than ever these days. At around 20 kilograms per person global
fish consumption is now more than twice what it was in the 1960s. Whafs really
remarkable, though, is where that fish comes from.
For the first time in human history, most of our aquatic (水产的)food now comes
from farming rather than fishing.
People ate around 73 million tonnes of farmed fish- just more than half of the volume
2022年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研of fish that humans consumed—in 2014. Thafs out of a total fish supply of 167 million
tonnes; the remaining 20 million or so tonnes go into things like animal feed and medical
products.
To keep eating fish at the current rate, we're definitely going to need to keep
aquaculture (水产养殖) developing. Thafs because the volume offish caught in the wild
has leveled off since the 1990s.
Back in 1974, only 10% of marine fish stocks had been overfished. Now, more than
three-tenths are. Only a tenth of our oceans' fish stocks could sustain heavier fishing than
current levels.
But while catchings at sea have suffered, fish-farming has been growing at a fast rate.
A lot of that is coming from China, which produces 60% of the world's farmed fish. In fact,
some 35 countries, including China, now produce more farmed than wild-caught fish.
This shift toward aquaculture isn't just good for ensuring salmon (三文鱼)on your
plate; ifs also crucial to ensuring food security and sustainability. By 2050, the world will
need to feed an estimated 9.7 billion people. They'll have to get their protein somewhere.
However, raising cattle, pigs, and other land-based animals requires vast sums of grain and
water. For example, pound for pound, beef requires 15 times more feed to raise than carp, a
freshwater fish farmed all over Asia. That grain-and the water needed to grow it-could be
consumed by people instead.
However, aquaculture is no silver bullet. In some southeast Asian countries, shrimp
farming does disastrous damage to marine ecosystems. Despite these problems, however,
shrimp continues to be among the most popular sea foods worldwide.
46. What does the author say is remarkable about the fish we eat?
A) They reproduce quickly.
B) They are mostly farmed.
C) They have become as important as grain.
D) They have a longer history than humans.
47. What do we need to do if we keep consuming fish at the current rate?
A) Increase the fishing volume considerably.
B) Develop more advanced fishing technology.
C) Enlarge the marine fish stocks effectively.
D) Expand the scale offish-farming continuously.
48. What does the author say about China in terms of aquatic food?
A) It places increasing emphasis on fishing now.
B) It boasts of the world's largest fishing stocks.
C) It raises more fish than caught from the wild.
D) It supplies 60% of the world's fish products.
49. Why does the author say aquaculture is so important these days?
A) It is a must for feeding the world's fast-growing population.
B) It proves a reliable source of protein for humans and animals.
C) It is essential to maintaining both mental and physical health.
D) It ensures a balanced healthy diet for people the world over.
2022年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研50. What does the author imply by saying aquaculture is no silver bullet?
A) Shrimp-farming is a risky business.
B) Fish-farming will not be sustainable.
C) Fish-farming may cause serious problems too.
D) Shrimp-farming can become quite expensive.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
In 2020, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the World Food Programme (WFP).
Why a Nobel Prize for the WFP, and why now? In 2019, the WFP assisted nearly 100
million people in 88 countries. It is the safety net fbr those who fall off the edge of existence.
It is a response to solving the problem of food instability. Its Nobel Prize reminds us all of the
moral hazard in imagining that the poor and vulnerable are somebody else's problem.
The WFP has been around since 1961 and has been the global coordinator of
nationally based efforts to avoid disasters with food aid. Despite decades of effort to
eliminate hunger, the latest estimate is that about 11% of people on the planet (about 820
million people) are suffering daily undernourishment. Progress at reducing undernourishment
has stopped despite gains through the 1990s and 2000s.
Developed countries sometimes offer food and aid to developing ones, but at a price.
One American philosopher stated that addressing the needs of the poor and vulnerable is
about more than money- it is mostly about creating conditions under which prosperity and
opportunity can thrive. When aid is offered with heavy conditions attached, like loan
repayment or food for resources, it often widens the gap between rich and poor and sustains
the old world order. This is why the work of the WFP is so vital.
The scientific community, however, can provide a helping hand to the WFP. By
sharing knowledge of agriculture and climate with peers in countries most vulnerable to
poverty and hunger, scientists can help reduce these problems. By making its voice heard,
science can lead by example. The ability to overcome food shortages that must be built into
some of the poorest countries will not come from loans from wealthy countries, which may
have food problems of their own, or world economic institutions. This ability will be built
upon self-confident people using open and shared scientific knowledge to pull themselves
out of their misery.
51. What does the WFP's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize make us realize?
A) More and more people in the world are suffering from starvation.
B) All of us can be affected by food instability one way or another.
C) It is hazardous to leave millions of people poor and vulnerable.
D) It is morally wrong to think helping the poor is not our business.
52. What do we learn about the WFP's effort to eliminate hunger?
A) It has ensured a sufficient food supply to millions.
B) It is still far from its goal despite the progress made.
C) It has done a good job in combating natural disasters.
D) It is preventing starvation occurring on a global scale.
53. What will happen when food aid is offered at a price?
2022年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研A) The rich will become richer and the poor poorer.
B) More people will be willing to join in the effort.
C) More food will be made available to the needy.
D) The relief effort will be rendered less sustainable.
54. How can scientists help cope with poverty and hunger?
A) By collaborating closely with world economic institutions.
B) By sharing expertise with peers in poverty-stricken nations.
C) By setting up more food research programs in developing countries.
D) By building self-respect in people suffering from undemutrition.
55. What message does the author try to convey at the end of the passage?
A) Wealthy nations should solve their own food problems first.
B) Rich countries should be more generous in providing food aid.
C) Poor nations should enhance their own ability to solve their food shortages.
D) World economic institutions should play a bigger role in fighting hunger.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
立 春 (Start of Spring)在中国农历中表示春天的开始。立春之后，白天变得更长，天气也愈发
温暖，万物开始复苏，大地充满生机。人们常说“一年之计在于春”，农民在这个时节开始播种，
为全年的丰收打下基础。中国人早在三千年前就己开始在立春这一天举行庆祝活动。数百年来，
迎春一直是民间的重要习俗。在春暖花开的日子里，人们常常外出游玩，欣赏春天的美景。
2022年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 9 页共9 页 by：光速考研2022年 12月大学英语四级考试真题（第 3 套）
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: In this task, you are to write an essay on the necessity of developing social skills for
college students. You will have 30 minutes for the task. You should write at least 120 words but
no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
淘宝店铺【光速考研工作室】温馨提示：2022年 12月大学英语四级考试全国共考了两套听力。
本套试题听力内容与第二套相同，因此本套听力部分不再重复给出。
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Phones influence all aspects of teenage life. Ninety-five percent of Americans ages 13
to 17 have a smartphone or have access to one, and nearly half report using the internet
“almost 26
But as recent survey data and interviews have suggested, many teens find much of that
time to be unsatisfyingly spent. Continuous 27 shouldn't be mistaken for endless
enjoyment. A new 28 representative survey about “screen time and device distractions^^
from the Pew Research Center indicates that ifs not just parents who think teenagers are
worryingly 29 from their phones- many teens themselves do too. Fifty-four percent
of the 13-to-17-year-olds surveyed said they spend too much time 30 in their phones.
Vicky Rideout, who runs a research firm that studies children's interactions with media
and technology, was not surprised by this finding. She says ifs hardly 31 to teenagers.
“They are dealing with the same challenges that adults are, as far as they are living in the
32 of a tech environment designed to suck as much of their time onto their devices as
possible,5, Rideout says.
The way parents interact with technology can 33 the way they interact with their
kids. Rideout thus thinks it's up to parents to model good 34 : Kids tend to take note if
their parents put their phone away at dinner or charge it in another room while they sleep.
Witnessing habits like that can help kids “realize that they can 35 some more control
over their devices,she says.
A) absorbed I) recruited
B) addicted J) shape
C) behavior K) solution
D) constantly L) specific
E) context M) summary
F) exercise N) usage
G) inseparable O) vaguely
H) nationally
Section B
2022年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 1 页共6页 by：光速考研Evil Genius
A) A few years ago I found myself teaching a university class on evil. It was for third-year
criminology students to help them contextualize theory and research within
controversial current topics. It was a huge success. The debates were heated and
interesting. I could see people's views change within the course of a single lecture. Over
the past 13 years, as a student, lecturer and researcher, I've enjoyed discussing the
science of evil with anyone willing to listen. What I like most is destroying the cliche
(陈词滥调)of good and evil, and replacing them with scientific insight. We need a
more informed way of discussing behavior that at first we cannot, or should not, begin
to understand.
B) Without understanding, we risk dehumanizing others, writing off human beings simply
because we don't comprehend them. We must try to understand what we have labeled
evil. We tend to think evil is something that other people are. We think of ourselves as
“good people”, and even when we do morally wrong things, we understand the context
of our decisions. With others, however, it is far easier to write them off. If their actions
deviate (偏离)substantially from what we consider acceptable, we may label them evil.
We need to be careful with this. Calling someone evil is often similar to saying they
cannot change, and perhaps aren't even a human at all. However, when you actually go
monster-hunting, and you look deeply at the people behind shocking behavior, you may
be surprised.
C) As a child I used to love the Scooby-Doo cartoons. Arriving in their “Mystery
Machine55, the gang would have to find a monster who was terrorizing a neighborhood.
They would run around looking for clues and at the end unmask the bad guy. It was
always a normal person in a costume. There were no monsters. Like the Scooby crew,
we may find ourselves hunting for an easy fix, one word fbr people who do bad things.
But if we take a good look, the word "evil" is insufficient- there are no simple
explanations for why humans do bad things: instead there are many, and they are all
marvelously different.
D) Evil is typically referred to when there is deviance from social norms: formal deviance
is the violation of laws, like theft, murder, and attacks, while informal deviance
involves violations of social norms, like lying. Evil behavior is typically thought to
embrace one or both forms. However, deviance can also describe a behavior that simply
differs from the norm.
E) Perhaps this is where we can find the good side of our bad side. Deviating from the
norm can make us villains (恶棍),but it can also make us heroes. A child deviates from
social pressures when they stand up fbr another child being bullied in school. A soldier
deviates when they choose not to follow orders to kill an innocent civilian. An
employee in a big tech company deviates when they expose its wrongdoings.
F) Creativity is also a deviation. Here, too, things are complex. Thinking creatively has
given us modem medicine, technology and modem political structures, but it has also
given us poison and nuclear weapons. Great benefit and great harm can come from the
same human tendency.
G) In a research paper, Evil Genius, published in 2014, the behavioral scientists Francesca
Gino and Scott Wiltermuth wanted to examine whether people who behave unethically in
one task are more creative than others on a subsequent task, even after controlling for
differences in baseline creative skills. The unethical behavior they chose was dishonesty.
2022年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 2 页 共 6页 by：光速考研 ’H) Over five experiments researchers gave participants tasks in which they could cheat. In
one study, they were given matrixes (矩阵)and had to find two numbers that added up
to 10. Participants were asked to self-report how well they did at the end of the study:
59% cheated by saying that they solved more matrixes than they actually had.
I) After each task, the researchers measured participants? performance on the Remote
Associates Test. This shows participants three words at a time that appear to be
unrelated, and the person has to think of a fourth word that is associated with all of
them. For example, you might get “Fox, Man, Peep”, or "Dust, Cereal, Fish”. In order
to find the linking words ("Hole" for the first, "Bowl" for the second) you need to be
creative. The more you get right, the more creative you are thought to be because you
have come up with uncommon associations.
J) For every one of the five studies, they found the same thing- participants who cheated
in the first task did better on the creativity task. Why? Like other forms of unethical
behavior, lying means breaking rules. It involves being deviant, going against the social
principle that people should tell the truth. Similarly, being creative involves “thinking
outside the box”, deviating from expectations. They involve similar thought patterns, so
stimulating one stimulates the other. Can we learn from this? Perhaps. To be more
creative, we could try lying in a controlled environment. Find online logic games and
cheat at them, play Scrabble (拼字游戏)with a dictionary, or write a story about
something that is untrue? Such tasks can get our brains thinking flexibly, beyond our
normal comfort zone. This is not a call to become a compulsive (强迫性的)liar, but a
controlled liar.
K) In addition to benefits for creativity, deviance can be a good thing in other ways. Even
Philip Zimbardo, the author of the Stanford prison experiment, who showed how easily
we can be led to behave badly, believes that the future of deviance research may lie
more in understanding extreme pro-social behavior, such as heroism. Like evil, we
often view heroism as only a possibility for outliers- for people who are abnormal. But
Zimbardo asks: "What if the capability to act heroically is also fundamentally ordinary
and available to all of us?” Some say we should never meet our heroes, lest they
disappoint us when we find out how normal they are. But this should be liberating, not
disappointing. We are all capable of behaving like outliers. Ifs time for us to understand
deviance, and realize its potential for good as well as for harm.
36. A behavior that does not conform to social norms may be described as being deviant.
37. Various experiments found that participants who cheated in the initial task performed
better in the creativity test.
38. People may be simply considered evil if their behaviors are morally unacceptable to us.
39. The research published by two scientists was intended to examine the relationship
between dishonesty and creativity.
40. The author's lectures sparked lively discussions in his class.
41. The researchers tested the participants5 creativity by asking them to play a word game.
42. It is time we realized that deviance may be capable of doing both good and harni to
individuals and society.
43. The reasons fbr people's evil behaviors can be explained in more ways than one.
2022年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 3 页 共 6页 by：光速考研44. The math task in one experiment was designed to test participants' tendency to cheat.
45. Some creative ideas have turned out to do harm to human society.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Even though we are living in an age where growing old is thought of as an inevitable
misery, this doctor has been changing the game for seniors over the last 25 years.
It all started in 1991 when the Harvard-educated physician was transferred from
working in a stressful emergency room to being the medical director of a nursing home in
upstate New York. The depressing and regimented (严格管制的)environment got him
thinking on what exactly could improve the residents? conditions.
Even though animals in nursing homes were illegal at the time, Dr. Bill Thomas took a
chance. Based on a hunch (直觉)，he brought in two dogs, four cats, hens, rabbits, 100 birds,
a multitude of plants, a flower garden, and a vegetable patch.
The change was dramatic. There was a 50% drop in medical prescriptions along with a
dramatic decrease in death rates- but most importantly, the residents were simply happier.
Dr. Thomas's approach, named the Eden Alternative, has driven nursing homes to
allow a more autonomous (自 主的)and creative living space fbr their elderly. It erases the
belief that growing old means growing useless. He encourages residents to think of their
age as an enriching new phase of life rather than the end of it.
Thomas, now a speaker and author of several books, also created small,
independently-run residences with their own bedrooms and bathrooms, and he has been
preaching a singular message that getting old is not a bad thing.
“Within six weeks, they had to send a truck around to pick up all the wheelchairs,
Thomas told the Washington Post. "You know why most people in nursing homes use
wheelchairs? Because the buildings are so big.”
The 56-year-old doctor's methods have been adopted in Australia, Japan, Canada, and
America with enormous success. Last year he published Second Wind'. Navigating the
Passage to a Slower, Deeper, and More Connected Life, a guide on how to shift our
perspectives on aging and growth.
He is currently traveling through North America performing with his guitar and his
enthusiasm on his Age of Disruption Tour.
46. What has Bill Thomas been doing for a quarter of a century?
A) Transforming people's lifestyle. C) Changing people's philosophy of life.
B) Honoring his Harvard education. D) Shifting people's perspective on aging.
47. Why did Bill Thomas try something diflerent in the nursing home?
A) He wanted to make it more pleasant fbr seniors.
B) He wanted to apply his Harvard training to practice.
2022年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 4 页 共 6页 by：光速考研C) He felt it his duty to revolutionize its management.
D) He felt disappointed working in the environment.
48. What do we learn about Bill Thomas bringing animals and plants into the nursing home?
A) He made a mess of the nursing home.
B) He did something all professionals would do.
C) He won instant support from the state authorities.
D) He acted in violation of the state law.
49. What has Bill Thomas been persistently advocating?
A) Good health is not just a privilege of the young.
B) Nursing homes should be strictly limited in size.
C) Getting old is by no means something miserable.
D) Residences for seniors should be run independently.
50. How is Bill Thomas's new concept received?
A) It is gaining ground in many countries.
B) It is being heatedly debated worldwide.
C) It is considered revolutionary everywhere.
D) It is winning approval from the government.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Research shows that in developed countries, more affluent and educated people tend to
consume higher-quality diets- including more fruits and vegetables, fish and whole grains.
On the contrary, economically disadvantaged people report diets that are nutrient-poor and
energy-dense. They are less likely to have food-purchasing habits that confonn to public
health recommendations.
These dietary differences are often accompanied by higher rates of obesity and
diabetes among lower-income people. This relationship between social class and diet
quality and health is extensively documented. However, the research does not explain why
this is the case- a question that has significant implications for designing effective policies
and initiatives to improve diets and prevent chronic diseases.
Public-health initiatives to promote healthy diets often focus on providing nutrition
education and recipes (食谱).These approaches, however, often presume less food literacy
(i. e. food knowledge and skills) among low-income people. Are unhealthy diets really the
result of poor choices, limited food skills and knowledge?
Research suggests that adults in food-insecure households are just as likely as those in
food-secure households to adjust recipes to make them more healthy. They are also just as
proficient in food preparation and cooking skills. There is no indication that increasing food
skills or budgeting skills will reduce food insecurity.
Instead, disadvantaged groups are constrained by their economic, material and social
circumstances. For example, low income is the strongest predictor of food insecurity in
Canada, where one in eight households experiences insufficient access to nutritious foods.
Ifs well-established that food prices are an important determinant of food choice.
Low-income households report that they find it difficult to adopt dietary guidelines because
food prices are a barrier to improving their diets.
2022年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 5 页 共 6页 by：光速考研When researchers estimate the cost of diets people actually eat, higher-quality diets are
typically more costly.
While this may be so, it does not, in itself, prove that healthy diets are necessarily
more expensive or cost-prohibitive. After all, not all socioeconomically disadvantaged
people consume poor diets.
We can easily think of a number of foods and recipes that are both inexpensive and
nutritious. The internet is full of recipes fbr “eating well on a budget.”
51. What can we learn from research on diets in developed countries?
A) Dietary recommendations are not fit for underprivileged people.
B) People from different social groups vary in their dietary habits.
C) People;s choice of food depends on their individual taste.
D) There is no consensus on what high-quality diets are.
52. What does the author say is important in formulating policies to improve diets and health?
A) A better understanding of the relationship between social class and health.
B) A greater emphasis on studying the cause of obesity and chronic diseases.
C) Prioritizing the provision of better nutrition fbr lower classes.
D) Designing education programs and initiatives on public health.
53. What does research reveal about adults in food-insecure households?
A) Their eating habits need to be changed.
B) Their food literacy has been improving.
C) They do not pay much attention to their food recipes.
D) They do not lack food knowledge or budgeting skills.
54. What would help improve food security among the disadvantaged groups in Canada?
A) Teaching them budgeting skills.
B) Increasing their food choices.
C) Enabling them to have more access to nutritious foods.
D) Taking more effective measures to increase food supplies.
55. What does the author suggest disadvantaged people do to improve their health?
A) Adopt a positive attitude towards dietary guidelines.
B) Choose diets that are both healthy and affordable.
C) Make sure to purchase healthy foods on the internet.
D) Change their eating habits and consumption patterns.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
冬 至 (Winter Solstice)是全年白昼最短、黑夜最长的一天，标志着一年中最寒冷时节的开始。
冬至过后，气温越来越低，人们的户外活动逐渐减少。农民地里活儿不多，主要忙于灌溉系统的
维护和农作物的防冻，同时为来年春天播种做准备。
中国人历来很重视冬至，许多地方都把冬至当作一个节日，庆祝方式各地不尽相同。北方人
有冬至吃饺 子 (jiaozi)的习俗，南方人有冬至吃汤 圆 (tangyuan)的传统。
2022年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 6 页共6 页 by：光速考研2023年 03月大学英语四级考试真题（第 1 套）
扫码获音频
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose you have taken part in a career planning seminar. Write an account of the
seminar and summarize what you have learned from it. You should write at least 120 words but
no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single
line through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) A proposed policy allowing Africans to travel in Africa without a visa.
B) An agreement among 13 African countries to set up a free-trade zone.
C) A plan to invite all African countries to join the African Union.
D) An important initiative to permit tourists to visit Africa without a visa.
2. A) It will attract more investments from all over the world.
B) It will help many African countries reduce trade deficits.
C) It will reduce the cost of trade between African countries.
D) It will allow Africans to play a bigger role in world trade.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) Cooling down volcanic rock with sea water.
B) Storing carbon dioxide underground as a gas.
C) Capturing carbon dioxide and burying it under the sea.
D) Pumping carbon dioxide underground to form stone.
4. A) Lack of burying ground. C) High consumption of water.
B) Long time for processing. D) Enormous cost of energy.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) It varies with the seasons. C) It has caused nationwide concern.
B) It has been on the decline. D) It is ninety grams daily on average.
6. A) They emphasize food variety. C) They do more cooking than men.
B) They prefer French stick loaves. D) They favor diets lower in calories.
7. A) They bake more bread at home. C) They eat more fruit than they used to.
B) They spend less time eating breakfast. D) They put jam instead of butter on bread.
2023年3月英语四级真题第1套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Section B
Directions: In this section, you 'will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) After the rush hour. C) As soon as possible.
B) Early in the morning. D) Around lunch time.
9. A) Two first class seats. C) One window seat.
B) Two seats together. D) One seat near the exit.
10. A) In the middle of the platform. C) Behind the yellow line.
B) At the far end of the platform. D) In the waiting room.
11. A) Wait in a queue for his turn. C) Pay an extra fee for the service.
B) Go to the baggage claim area. D) Give the ticket to the train guard.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) Almost all of them were operating at a deficit.
B) They have all been turned into movie theatres.
C) Nearly all of them closed down decades ago.
D) They have adapted to meet fashion changes.
13. A) It shows foreign movies exclusively. C) It is the oldest theatre in London.
B) It shows movies from the 1950s. D) It is located next to a hat factory.
14. A) They wear hats on social occasions. C) They enjoy watching foreign movies.
B) They don't speak foreign languages. D) They don't go to movie theatres often.
15. A) They are meant mostly fbr immigrants.
B) They attract large crowds of young Londoners.
C) They are hard fbr English people to appreciate.
D) They have an English translation on the screen.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will
hear three or four 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 1 with a single line through
the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) She doesn't think smartphones can replace tablets.
B) She incorporates smartphones into her teaching.
C) She cannot stop children using smartphones.
2023年3月英语四级真题第1套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研D) She regards smartphones as a distraction.
17. A) To enforce school discipline.
B) To make students concentrate.
C) To help children grow up to be professionals.
D) To cultivate children's good study habits.
18. A) Use books and pens only. C) Make full use of electronic devices.
B) Cut down their screen time. D) Learn to use the internet for research.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) By cleaning the kitchen floor. C) By helping her mother do the dishes.
B) By looking after her baby brother. D) By helping her brother wash windows.
20. A) She ordered a large number of dolls.
B) She checked if a purple doll was ordered.
C) She mistakenly canceled her mom's order.
D) She ordered a more expensive doll instead.
21. A) They asked the children's hospital to pick them.
B) They took all of them to the children's hospital.
C) They opened all of them one by one.
D) They discussed where to keep them.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard .
22. A) The time one starts school. C) The school that one attends.
B) The classroom atmosphere. D) The relationship with classmates.
23. A) To help parents decide when to send their children to school.
B) To find causes for differences in the participants9 performance.
C) To identify students having potential to be professional athletes.
D) To offer constructive suggestions for making educational policies.
24. A) Political leaders. C) Professional athletes.
B) Financial analysts. D) High-school students.
25. A) Leadership ability. C) Risk-taking.
B) Commitment to work. D) Self-confidence.
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
2023年3月英语四级真题第1套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
Ifs a fantasy that goes back centuries: a message in a bottle, carried ashore from
fhr-off lands. Authors, artists and children 26 have dreamed of such a gift from the
sea.
This time, though, it's not a bottle that washes ashore. It's eggs- thousands of little
toy eggs.
Thafs what happened on the German island of Langegoog this week.
Lying just off the North Sea coast, it found itself 27 by an invasion of colored
plastic eggs- much to the 28 of local children, because the eggs contained toys.
Police 29 the eggs came from a freighter that lost part of its cargo during an
unusually 30 storm, the worst to hit Germany's northeastern coast since 2006.
At any rate, what was lost has now been found by many of the community's littlest
residents.
“The surprise eggs have found their way to freedom,,5 said Mayor Uwe Garrels.
However, the joy of the moment 31 off soon.
“At first I thought this was a wonder, because everything was so 32 , but then we
realized that this is a huge 33 in the end,“ said the mayor. He also noted the plastic
bags and other materials that have washed ashore on the island can cause serious problems
for 34 .
Still, all these little eggs contained an extra treat with their toys. They 35 notes
from afar.
There was just one problem fbr the German children who received them: They were
written in Russian.
A) wore I) intense
B) wildlife J) human
C) suspect K) effective
D) struck L) delight
E) similar M) colorful
F) quantity N) bore
G) overthrown O) alike
H) mess
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
2023年3月英语四级真题第1套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Hyphenating your last name after marriage?
A) Congratulations on deciding to get married! While being married is great and wonderful,
the act of getting married can be quite stressful. There is the planning of the ceremony
itself, the merging (合并)of two households and all of the details involved in that. You
also have to take the time to apply for your marriage license and then decide whether or
not you are going to keep your last name or change it.
B) This is where a lot of people have trouble. Once upon a time, it was just customary fbr a
bride to take her groom's last name as her own and abandon her maiden name
completely. The act of keeping her own last name was considered taboo (禁忌)and
people's eyebrows would raise right off their faces when they found out that the bride
was even considering something so radical.Over time, though, more and more women
are deciding to keep their last names.
C) There are a lot of reasons to want to keep your own last name. Hopefully you have a
supportive groom who understands why this idea is the most appealing to you. A lot of
times, though, the act of keeping your name is still something that causes concern. Even
if your groom is fine with it, his family (or your own) might not be so understanding.
D) There are a couple of ways to compromise on the issue.You could choose an entirely
new last name for the two of you to share. This way neither of you gets "your" way and
you both have to deal with the legalities of going through a name change. Most of the
time, though, the most popular compromise is to hyphenate your last name and the last
name of your groom. For example, if your groom5s name is John Smith and your name
is Kate Jones, you would name yourself Kate Jones-Smith or Kate Smith-Jones. This
allows you to keep going by your own last name while legally adopting your husband's
last name at the same time.
E) The compromise is the biggest reason that so many women choose to hyphenate their
last names. It is a way of you keeping your own identity while also making your future
husband happy. It allows you to stay connected to accomplishments that you achieved
before you got married. For example, many women who choose to hyphenate do so
partially because they have earned higher educational degrees and certifications under
their maiden names. They might have also had things published or publicized and want
to stay connected to that identity. Hyphenating your last name can help you bridge the
gap between your personal and professional lives. Many women who opt to simply
keep their own names do so because they don't want to give up all that they have
accomplished professionally. Adopting their husband's last name makes it hard for them
to claim ownership of these accomplishments personally because they happened under
their “other" name.
F) While tradition is one thing, there isn't any logical reason to completely change your
name. Keeping your name and joining it to your husband's through hyphenation is as
legal as simply adopting his name or as simply keeping your own and leaving his out of
the picture entirely.
G) Probably the most important reason to consider hyphenation is your identity. You've
spent your whole life building your identity under a certain name. Obviously you will
still be you even if you've taken on your husband's last name and omitted yours entirely.
At the same time, your name is associated with the identity you've built up and
hyphenation allows you to respect that while also respecting tradition and your
2023年3月英语四级真题第1套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研husband's family's identity.
H) If you care about outside opinions on your name, you should know that a large portion
of today's society is annoyed by the hyphenated name. Some people find it “snobby'
(势禾ll 的)and others simply find it irritating because they have a hard time remembering
which last name they are supposed to say first. Some people even believe that not
simply adopting your husband's last name is a huge sign of disrespect and a lack of
commitment.
I) It is possible that your future husband will find this choice offensive. Some men,
regardless of how you might feel about such things, are traditionalists and feel that it is
simply “right“ for the woman to take the man's last name as her own. Whether your
future husband insisting on your adopting his last name is a red flag to you or not, it is
still something that you should take into consideration.
J) There are all sorts of reasons to hyphenate your name or not to hyphenate your name.
The basis for each of these things, however, is whether or not you are willing to make a
compromise when it comes to changing your name. The hyphenation is the epitome (体
现) of a compromise.One spouse wants a complete name change. The other spouse
wants no name change. Hyphenating the two names is a way for each person to, at least
a little bit,"win"the argument.
K) And don't forget the legal stuff! Making the decision is just part of the process. From
there you are going to have to legally change your name all over the place. You'll
need to change your name at the bank,with social security, with your credit cards, on
your driver's license, at the gym.. .everywhere. Ifs easy to get overwhelmed just
thinking about it.
L) What matters, of course, is that the two of you are going to be happily married
一hopefully for the rest of your lives. At the end of the day, whether you each keep your
names, whether you come up with an entirely new name for the two of you to share or
whether you hyphenate your current last names, what matters is that you love each other
and are going to be joining your lives together. Try to remember that as you are staring
at the application for your marriage license and filling out the portion that reads”name
after you get married^^ (or whatever the legalese for that might be).
36. Many people today still find name hyphenation upon marriage unacceptable.
37. As a compromise, a bride will in most cases adopt a name that combines the couple's
last names.
38. The bride should consider adopting her groom's last name whether he feels strongly
about it or not.
39. Making preparations for marriage causes a lot of stress.
40. Hyphenating the last names could be a win-win solution should arguments arise about
what name to adopt upon marriage.
41. It used to be considered socially unacceptable for a bride to retain her maiden name.
42. The bride who adopts a hyphenated last name after marriage can maintain connections
with their past achievements.
43. Hyphenating names allows the bride to preserve her own identity while respecting
tradition.
2023年3月英语四级真题第1套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研44. No matter what name the bride adopts, it is most important that the newly weds truly
love each other.
45. Legally speaking, the bride is free to choose whatever name she prefers.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Ifs good to be smart. After all, intelligent people earn more money, accumulate more
wealth, and even live longer. But there5s another side to the story. The brightest people and
strongest leaders sometimes make errors others don't, especially in situations that require
common sense.
Travis Bradberry, president at TalentSmart, explained in his post Why Smart People Act
So Stupid that ''Rational thinking and intelligence don't tend to go hand in hand. Intelligent
people are more prone to silly mistakes because of blind spots in how they use logic. These
blind spots exist because smart people tend to be overconfident in their reasoning abilities.”
They are so used to being right and having quick answers that they don't even realise when
they're making a mess by answering without thinking things through.
A lifetime of praise leads smart people to develop too much faith in their intelligence
and abilities. They often fail to recognise when they need help, and when they do recognise
it,they tend to believe that no one else is capable of providing it.
“It's hard for anyone to graciously accept the fact that they're wrong. It's even harder
fbr smart people because they grow so used to being right all the time that it becomes a part
of their identity,5, Bradberry wrote. 'Tor smart people, being wrong can feel like a personal
attack, and being right, a necessity.^^
Smart people also have a hard time accepting feedback. They tend to undervalue the
opinions of others, which means they have trouble believing that anyone is qualified to give
them useful feedback. Not only does this tendency hinder their growth and performance, it
can lead to harmful relationships, both personally and professionally.
Smart people develop overachieving personalities because things come so easily to
them. They simply don't understand how hard some people have to work to accomplish the
same things, and because of that, they push people too hard.They set the bar too high, and
when people take too long or don't get things quite right, they assume it's due to a lack of
effort. So they push even harder.
46. What do we learn from the passage about the brightest people?
A) They can make silly mistakes in straightforward situations.
B) They usually turn a blind eye to their own weaknesses.
C) They are admired by people around them.
D) They can differ in their personalities.
47. What accounts fbr the existence of intelligent people's logical blind spots?
A) Their irrational way of thinking.
2023年3月英语四级真题第1套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研B) Too much faith in their ability to think.
C) Their ignorance of behavioural science.
D) Too much concern about their work.
48. How do smart people react when they are found to be wrong?
A) They shift the blame to others. C) They may feel shocked.
B) They graciously accept the facts. D) They may get offended.
49. What may happen to smart people who find it difficult to accept suggestions?
A) They may suffer in their professional and private life.
B) They may lose faith in their administrative abilities.
C) They may commit more errors than ever before.
D) They may experience a lot of emotional stress.
50. What is said about those working with or under overachieving people?
A) They put a lot of effort into their work.
B) They set higher goals for themselves.
C) They are under increasing pressure.
D) They take less time to get things done.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Of the endless troubles that come with being driven from one's home country,losing
educational certificates may seem small. But it isn't. Refugees who settle in other countries
often find themselves unable to continue on their previous career path due to a new set of
employer standards or skills requirements. To solve this problem, the U.S. State
Department is posing a solution: online learning.
The State Department will announce a partnership with an online education platform
called Coursera. The platform will allow refugees worldwide to take thousands of online
courses for free. "Coursera for Refiigees” will be available for any non-profit group that
supports refugees in any country, as well as individual refugees. They can apply for fully
funded access to Coursera's course catalog, which means they can take all of the platform^
classes and obtain professional certificates for free. The platform currently offers
professor-led lectures on a broad range of topics, from data science to fashion design.
As the world migrant crisis intensifies, employment is becoming a global concern. The
new program aims to aid refugees by offering "important skills that will help them in the
global economy,“ Evan Ryan, U.S. assistant secretary of state fbr educational and cultural
affairs, said on a press call last week. "What we don,t want to do is not act,“ added
Coursera chief operations officer Lila Ibrahim.
The idea isn't without problems. For one, starting a new career path isn't as simple as
watching a few videos and obtaining an online certificate; even those looking to continue
previous careers can't simply rely on an online lecture to get them up-to-date on standards,
policies, and practices. For another, most of the classes on Coursera are in English, and
though there are plans to add translations, language barriers can be a big obstacle. Then
there are the questions over the value of massive open online courses (MOOCs)
themselves- both fbr refugees and fbr average learners.
But it's still early days and there are signs of hope. In 2015, a joint study found 72% of
people taking the MOOCs saw career benefits afterwards.
2023年3月英语四级真题第1套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研51. Why is the U.S. State Department launching an online learning program for refugees?
A) To enable them to settle down in host countries.
B) To allow them to learn as many job skills as possible.
C) To offer them a platform to pursue advanced degrees.
D) To help them to meet new employment standards.
52. What do we know about “Coursera for Refugees”?
A) It provides refugees with a wide range of courses free of charge.
B) It offers free online data services fbr refugees around the world.
C) It allows refugees to obtain degrees in various academic fields.
D) It supplies refugees with a great variety of job opportunities.
53. What does the passage say is a consequence of the global migrant crisis?
A) Instability increases in host countries.
B) The global economic crisis intensifies.
C) A lot more refugees die during migration.
D) Refugees find it more difficult to get a job.
54. What does the author say causes refugees? difficulty in taking online courses?
A) Cultural environment.
B) Changed academic requirements.
C) Lack of language skills.
D) Difference in teaching platforms.
55. What did the joint study find about the MOOCs several years ago?
A) They helped solve learners5 financial problems.
B) They benefited most of the learners.
C) They changed some learners' career path.
D) They provided the most needed vocational skills.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
随着生活水平的提高，更多人开始加入到自驾游的行列之中。自驾游者既可驾驶自家车
也可借车或 租车出游。司机可能是车主或结伴出游者。自驾游与传统的组团旅游不同，它能
够更好地满足旅游者的个性化需求，使他们更好地享受旅游的过程。自驾游尤其受到年轻出
游者的欢迎。年轻人追求独立自由的生活，而自驾游恰好满足了他们的这一需求。
2023年3月英语四级真题第1套 第 9 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研2023年 03月大学英语四级考试真题(第2 套)
淘宝店铺【光速考研工作室】温馨提示：2023年3月第2套试题除翻译和写作外，其余题目与第
1套完全一致，故而未重复给出。
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose you have read a book recently and intend to recommend it to other
members of your book club via an online fbrum. Briefly introduce the book and explain
why it is worth reading. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
近年来，越来越多的城市居民为农村的田园风光所吸引，利用节假日到乡村旅游。他们住
在农民家中，品尝具有当地风味的农家饭菜。有些游客还参与采摘瓜果等活动，亲身感受收获
的喜悦。乡村旅游 能够有效地帮助游客舒缓压力，放松心情，增进身心健康。实际上，这种旅
游形式不仅能使城市游客受益，同时也能增加农民的收入,促进农村经济发展。
2023年3月英语四级真题第2套 第 1 页 共 1 页 by:光速考研2023年 03月大学英语四级考试真题(第3 套)
淘宝店铺【光速考研工作室】温馨提示：2023年 3 月第3 套试题除翻译和写作外，其余题目
与第2 套完全一致，故而未重复给出。
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose you have attended a lecture delivered by a famous scholar. Write a
report to the campus newspaper, summarizing its most important points. You should write at
least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
近年来，越来越多的年轻人喜爱各种形式的自助旅游。许多自助旅游者选择徒步或骑自行
车出游。他们自己设计路线，自带帐篷、厨具以及其他必备的生活用品。在旅途中，自助旅游
者经常能够发现一些新的美丽景点，但有时也会遇见意想不到的困难或突发事件。游客在旅行
中拥抱自然、欣赏美景，同时也增强了自己克服困难的勇气和野外生存的能力。
2023年3月英语四级真题第3 套 第 1 页 共 1 页 by：光速考研2023年 06月大学英语四级考试真题(第1 套) 蹒 第
扫码获音:
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose your university is conducting a survey to collect students' opinions of
online classes. You are to write a response to the survey about their advantages and
disadvantages, and what improvements can be made. You will have 30 minutes for the task. You
should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single
line through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) She was involved in a conflict with bird lovers.
B) She was charged with mistreating animals.
C) She was on bad terms with her neighbors.
D) She was accused of violating a city law.
2. A) It will take time to solve the rat problem.
B) All wild animals should be well protected.
C) The woman was not to blame for the situation.
D) No one should go unpunished for violating law.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) Communicate with astronauts in Mars Dune Alpha.
B) Work in an environment resembling Mars.
C) Build a Martian habitat in Houston.
D) Send in applications before Friday.
4. A) Ready-made food. C) Food they grow.
B) Food that is organic. D) Potatoes mostly.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) He apologized for scratching an athlete?s gold medal.
B) He was asked to present a gold medal to Miu Goto.
C) He bit a softball player's Olympic gold medal.
D) He attracted public attention at a media event.
6. A) Have another picture taken with the Olympic medalist.
B) Apologize to the International Olympic Committee.
C) Get the damaged medal repaired.
2023年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研D) Pay for the cost of a new medal.
7. A) Allow no one to touch them. C) Treat them as treasures.
B) See them as symbols of honor. D) Keep them in a safe place.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) She covered its screen with a plastic sheet.
B) She connected it with her smartphone.
C) She decorated it with colorful stickers.
D) She bought some new software for it.
9. A) It may not be simply blue. C) It is more harmful to young people.
B) It includes unnatural light. D) It induces people to fall asleep.
10. A) He has had much trouble falling asleep.
B) He has had some sort of health problems.
C) He has stayed up playing computer games.
D) He has been burdened with excessive work.
11. A) Exposure to blue light is the chief cause of obesity.
B) Sleep may be more important than people assumed.
C) Sleep may also be negatively affected by natural light.
D) Overuse of electronic devices may cause heart disease.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) What they wanted to be when grown up.
B) What their favorite cartoon character was.
C) What they learned from computer games.
D) What they liked to do most after school.
13. A) A stock broker. C) A mechanical engineer.
B) A pop singer. D) A basketball player.
14. A) Ambitious. B) Sensible. C) Imaginative. D) Practical.
15. A) Relax their strict control of their kids.
B) Help their kids understand themselves.
C) Impose their own dreams on their kids.
D) Dismiss their high expectations of their kids.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will
hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.
2023年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研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 1 with a single line through
the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) Set up company branches. C) Introduce iPhones into its markets.
B) Improve its infrastructure. D) Promote Internet-ready phones.
17. A) They cater to Africans5 needs. C) They are more powerful and capable
B) They are more expensive models. D) They boast the longest battery life.
18. A) A large touchscreen. C) A voice-response device.
B) An old-school keypad. D) A digitally-designed system.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) It ensured sustainable economic growth.
B) It was strongly opposed by manufacturers.
C) It was cheaper than using fossil fuel plastic.
D) It satisfied consumer demands on the whole.
20. A) The capacity to mass produce it.
B) The U.S. federal government5s regulations.
C) A boom in market demand for clear plastic bottles.
D) A rapid increase in U.S. petroleum chemical production.
21. A) Require companies to use 30% of new plastic.
B) Increase the supply of new plastic in the market.
C) Reduce the amount of plastic pollution in local areas.
D) Take measures to promote the use of recycled plastic.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) It studies dreams. C) It is a hotel fbr business people.
B) It rents a place for nap-takers. D) It is a nap research institute.
23. A) To find out creative people's work performance.
B) To see how many people can go without napping.
C) To understand the obvious importance of napping.
D) To feel how difficult it is to get his idea across.
24. A) They decline due to pointless meetings.
B) They depend on his ability to concentrate.
C) They enable him to enjoy a creative career.
D) They are affected by the overuse of social media.
25. A) Some bosses associate napping with laziness.
B) Many office workers nap during work hours.
C) Some bosses can concentrate without napping.
D) Many of his friends daydream in the office.
2023年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
You probably haven't taken the time to think of all the work that went into creating the
shirt on your back. I mean, how hard it could be to create fabric and 26 it into a shirt
shape. Don't machines do all that? Well, creating fabric from cotton, which is the most
27 clothing material, is actually a process that involves a lot of water, 2,700 liters per
shirt to be 28 . Take a look at the video below from National Geographic fbr some
more mind-blowing 29 about cotton clothing production.
Clean water is 30 becoming one of the most sought-after resources in the world.
Given how large the 31 and cotton industries are, they take up a lot of our fresh water
demands across the world, according to The Huffington Post. The video from National
Geographic was created to spread 32 of how environmentally harmful cotton is. But
the situation can be made better. Through better water management and farming practices,
water usage in cotton production can be cut down by 33 40 percent.
Called “Better Cotton"，this environmentally conscious product will save millions of
liters of water a year simply from 34 the demands of cotton production. Cotton
doesn't have to go, since it is, after all, one of the most useful cash crops across the globe.
However, as water supplies 35 , farmers and consumers need to be more conscious of
the effect that these products have on the environment as a whole.
A) abstracts I) nearly
B) abundant J) reckoning
C) awareness K) reducing
D) conscience L) sew
E) exact M) shrink
F) increasingly N) statistics
G) intense O) textile
H) mend
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
2023年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研The spoken web
A) We're growing more used to chatting to our computers, phones and smart speakers
through voice assistants like Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri and Microsoflfs Cortana. Blind
and partially sighted people have been using text-to-speech converters fbr decades.
B) Out of these assistants, Siri is the most well-known. The assistant uses voice inquiries
and a natural-language user interface (界面)to answer questions. The software adapts
to users5 individual language usages, searches, and preferences, with continuing use.
C) Some think voice could soon take over from typing and clicking as the main way to
interact online. But what are the challenges of moving to “the spoken web”?
D) What use is written online content if you can't read? That is the situation facing illiterate
(不识字的)African farmers. They are often denied crucial information the web offers
many others. With a literacy rate in some parts of Africa at only 22.6%, farmers are
often "underpaid for their produce because they might be unaware of the prevailing
prices,“ says Francis Dittoh, a researcher behind Mr Meteo, a speech-based weather
information service.
E) “The most frequently heard complaint is about rainfall predictions,says Mr Dittoh,
who lives in Tamale, northern Ghana. 4tThey tell us the methods their forefathers used to
predict the weather don't seem to work as well these days." This is down to climate
change, he believes. Yet knowing when ifs going to rain is vital for farmers wanting to
sow seeds, irrigate crops or take their animals out to the fields to feed on grass.
F) Mr Dittoh says the idea of converting online weather reports into speech came from the
farmers themselves, after a workshop in the village of Guabuligah. "They came up with
this,“ he says. Mr Meteo takes the online weather forecast, converts it to a short
recording in the appropriate language and makes it available on a basic phone. Farmers
ring up to receive the information. The local language Dagbani is spoken by 1.2 million
people but is not served by any online translation applications. The service was
designed to be cheap and easy to run, says Mr Dittoh. He plans to begin field tests this
month, working with Tamale's Savanna Agricultural Research Institute.
G) The spoken web could also help the one-in-five adults in Europe and the U.S. with poor
reading skills. But building the spoken web-web-to-voice and voice-to-web- isn't
straightforward. For software to understand pizza is served at Italian restaurants is easy.
To cover multiple domains and to be able to have a conversation with users on every
single topic is still a long way off.
H) So although many computer assistants can answer simple questions about the weather
and play music for us, anything resembling a wide-ranging human conversation is
decades away. Artificial intelligence just isn't smart enough yet. Even turning your
voice into text- automatic speech recognition- is one of the hardest problems to solve,
as there are as many ways to pronounce things as there are people on the planet.
I) Siri has often been praised fbr its ability to interpret our casual language and deliver
very specific and accurate results, sometimes even providing additional information.
But it is still somewhat restricted, particularly when the language moves away from
stiffer commands into more human interactions. In one example, the phrase “Send a text
to Jason, Clint, Sam, and Lee saying we're having dinner at Silver Cloud restaurant”
was interpreted as sending a message to Jason only, containing the text “Clint Sam and
Lee saying we're having dinner at Silver Cloud restaurant”. It has also been noted that
2023年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Siri lacks a proper editing function, as saying “Edit message to say: we're at Silver
Cloud restaurant and you should come find us“ generates “Clint Sam and Lee saying
we5re having dinner at Silver Cloud restaurant to say we're at Silver Cloud restaurant
and you should come find us”.
J) Using voice interaction feels far more intimate than surfing the net the old-fashioned
way. This is intentional as the informal tone of the assistant helps create an emotional
attachment. But if something speaks, it must also listen. Our phones are always near us
and they are collecting data about us all the time. This has already raised privacy
concerns. The American Civil Liberties Union has stated that digital assistants create a
threat to privacy from hackers. Some people have other concerns. They worry assistants
will one day be used to deliver advertising directly to us.
K) But digital voices need more personality to make them popular. Robots are not yet witty,
Siri is boring. The benefits of using voice instead of tapping fingers obviously depend
on the context. Doctors completing online forms about their patients by speech, for
example, can dictate 150 words a minute, three times faster than typing on a keyboard.
This enables them to spend less time on administration and more time with patients.
L) Last year, speech recognition company Nuance helped a doctors' surgery in Dukinfield,
near Manchester, set up a speech system for the practice's six doctors. Now they can
dictate notes on a patient?s health condition and treatment and a smart assistant
automatically enters the information into the right fields on a web form. Previously, the
doctors made voice recordings that were then transcribed by secretaries- a process that
was costly and likely to cause delays. The new system means letters to patients now
have more detail.
M) Using voice also makes sense when you're doing other things with your hands. Think
about when you're cooking, and you just want to know what the next step in the recipe is.
Your hands are covered with oil; you're not going to get on the iPad, so ifs a lot more
natural to talk. And speech obviously makes sense when you're driving. In the U.S., 29%
of drivers admit they surf behind the wheel, according to insurance firm State Farm. This
is up from 13% in 2009. No wonder using mobile phones while driving causes more
crashes a year than drink driving, says the U.S. National Safety Council.
36. According to Francis Dittoh, their speech-based weather information service was meant
to be inexpensive and easy to use.
37. Using voice instead of typing enables doctors to spend more time taking care of patients.
38. It is extremely difficult to convert voice into text because of different pronunciations.
39. African farmers unable to read often don't have access to important information
conveyed online.
40. Some phone users worry advertisers will take advantage of voice assistants to send ads
directly to them.
41. The spoken web is helpful when one's hands are occupied.
42. Some people believe online interaction would soon depend mainly on voice.
43. Setting up a spoken web is by no means an easy task.
44. Weather information is extremely important to farmers.
45. Some people are concerned about privacy because their phones are constantly collecting
their personal information.
2023年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
The United States is facing a housing crisis: Affordable housing is inadequate, while
luxury homes abound (充裕),and homelessness remains a persistent problem. Despite this,
popular culture and the housing industry market happiness as living with both more space
and more amenities (便利设施).Big houses are advertized as a reward for hard work and
diligence, turning housing from a basic necessity into a luxury.
This is reflected in our homes. The average single-family home built in the United
States before 1970 was less than 1,500 square feet in size. By 2016, the average size of a
new, single-family home was 2,422 square feet. Whafs more, homes built in the 2000s
were more likely than earlier models to have more of all types of spaces: bedrooms,
bathrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, recreation rooms and garages.
There are consequences of living big. As middle-class houses have grown larger, two
things have happened. First, large houses take time to maintain, so cleaners and other
low-wage service workers are required to keep these houses in order. Second, once-public
spaces, where people from diverse backgrounds used to come together, have increasingly
become privatized, leading to a reduction in the number of public facilities available to all,
and a reduced quality of life for many. Take swimming pools. While in 1950, only 2,500
U.S. families owned pools, by 1999 this number was 4 million. At the same time, public
municipal pools were often closed, leaving low-income people nowhere to swim.
The trend fbr bigger housing thus poses ethical questions. Should Americans accept a
system in which the middle and upper classes enjoy a luxurious lifestyle, using the
low-wage labor of others? Are we willing to accept a system in which an increase in
amenities purchased by the affluent means a reduction in amenities fbr the poor?
I believe neither is acceptable. We must change the way we think: living well does not
need to mean having more private spaces; instead, it could mean having more public spaces.
A better goal than building bigger houses fbr some is to create more publicly accessible
spaces and amenities for all.
46. What are big houses promoted to be in the United States?
A) A luxury for the homeless. C) An abundant source of comforts.
B) A reward for industriousness. D) An absolute necessity for happiness.
47. What is one of the consequences of living big?
A) Many Americans? quality of life has become lower.
B) People from diverse backgrounds no longer socialize.
C) People no longer have access to public swimming pools.
D) Many Americans' private life has been negatively affected.
48. What questions arises from living big?
2023年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研A) Questions related to moral principles.
B) Questions having to do with labor cost.
C) Questions about what lifestyle to promote.
D) Questions concerning housing development.
49. What kind of social system does the author think is unacceptable?
A) One in which the wealthy exploit the low-wage laborers building their houses.
B) One in which the rich purchase amenities at an increasingly unjustifiable price.
C) One in which the upper classes deprive the lower classes of affordable housing.
D) One in which the affluent enjoy a more comfortable life at the expense of the poor.
50. What does the author advocate for people to live well?
A) Finding ways to turn private spaces into public ones.
B) Building more houses affordable to those less affluent.
C) More public spaces created for everyone to enjoy.
D) All amenities made accessible to the rich and the poor alike.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Most of us in the entrepreneurial community are blessed- or cursed-with
higher-than-average ambition. Ambitious people strongly desire accomplishments and are
willing to take more risks and spend more effort to get them.
Overall, this is a positive quality, especially for people trying to build their own
businesses. Apparently, if you're more naturally driven to set goals, you are more likely to
succeed.
Actually, this isn't always the case. In fact, in some cases, extreme ambition may end
up doing more harm than good.
One major side effect of excessive ambition is the tendency to focus too determinedly
on one particular vision or end goal. This is problematic because it hinders your ability to
adapt to new circumstances, which is vital if you want to be a successful entrepreneur. If a
new competitor emerges to threaten your business, you may need to change direction, even
if that means straying from your original vision. If you have too much ambition, you'll find
this hard, if not impossible.
Few people are successful when they try to build their first brand. Unfortunately, for the
most ambitious entrepreneurs, a failure is seen as disastrous, and impossible to recover from.
Ifs a clear departure from the intended plan toward the intended goal. For people with
limited ambition, however, failure is viewed as something closer to reality. Remember,
failure is inevitable, and every failure you survive is a learning experience.
Ambitious people tend to be more materialistically successful than their non-ambitious
counterparts. However, they're only slightly happier than their less-ambitious counterparts,
and tend to live significantly shorter lives. This implies that even though ambitious people are
more likely to achieve conventional “success,“ such success means nothing for their health
and happiness- and if you don't have health and happiness, what else could possibly matter?
Clearly, some amount of ambition is good for your motivation. Without any ambition,
you wouldn,t start your own business, set or achieve goals and get far in life. But an excess
of ambition can also be dangerous, putting you at risk of burnout, stubbornness and even a
shorter life.
2023年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研51. What does the author think of most entrepreneurs?
A) They are more willing to risk their own lives.
B) They are more ambitious than ordinary people.
C) They achieve greater nonconventional success.
D) They have more positive qualities than most of us.
52. What does the author imply by saying “this isn't always the case,? (Line 1, Para. 3)?
A) Ambitious people may not have a greater chance of success.
B) Ambitious people may not have more positive qualities.
C) Entrepreneurs9 ambition does as much good as harm.
D) Entrepreneurs are more naturally driven to success.
53. What does the author say is of extreme importance for one to become a successful entrepreneur?
A) Holding on to one's original vision.
B) Being able to adapt to new situations.
C) Focusing determinedly on one particular goal.
D) Avoiding radical change in one's career direction.
54. How do the most ambitious entrepreneurs regard failure in their endeavor?
A) It will awaken them to reality.
B) It is a lesson they have to learn.
C) It means the end of their career.
D) It will result in a slow recovery.
55. What does the author advise us to do concerning ambition?
A) Distinguish between conventional success and our life goal.
B) Follow the example of the most ambitious entrepreneurs.
C) Avoid taking unnecessary risks when starting a business.
D) Prioritize health and happiness over material success.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
中国越来越重视终身教育,发展继续教育是构建终身教育体系的有效途径。高校作为人才培养
的基地，拥有先进的教学理念和优越的教学资源，理应成为继续教育的办学主体。因此，近年来许
多高校适应社会需求，加强与用人单位沟通，努力探索一条符合中国国情的继续教育发展新路，
以使继续教育在国家发展战略中发挥更大的作用。
2023年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 9 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研2023年 06月大学英语四级考试真题（第 2 套）
扫码获音频
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose the student union of your university is organizing an online discussion on
interpersonal relationships. You are to write an essay on ways to maintain a warm and friendly
relationship with your classmates and on the benefits of such a relationship. You will have 30
minutes for the task. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single
line through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) A man was bitten by a snake. C) A man kept a 4-foot snake as a pet.
B) A man was taken to a hospital. D) A man fell off his toilet seat.
2. A) Where the snake had been taken. C) How the snake was captured.
B) Whether the snake was infected. D) Who owned the snake.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) Taking her trash out in fancy dresses.
B) Amusing herself by going to ball parties.
C) Sharing her photos with famous movie stars.
D) Posting her daughter's photos on social media.
4. A) To make herself popular. C) To please her daughter.
B) To amuse people. D) To record her achievements
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) Eat as much as they want for $10.
B) Have a chance of winning a $100 prize.
C) Have a meal even if they have no money.
D) Get a free meal after answering some questions.
6. A) It was brought up by two staffers.
B) It helped to popularize her restaurant.
C) It originated from a donation to her staff.
D) It was suggested by some of her customers.
7. A) Fifty customers have oflered donations.
B) More people have been giving than taking.
2023年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研C) Many people have come to eat at the restaurant.
D) Most staffers have received messages of kindness.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) He is a psychologist. C) He is a host for a TV program.
B) He is a famous writer. D) He is a primary school teacher.
9. A) Why social media accounts vanish without a trace.
B) Why parents raise their children in different ways.
C) Why people fail to respond to emails promptly.
D) Why friends break off contact all of a sudden.
10. A) They simply shut themselves down.
B) They avoid showing their emotions.
C) They scream to get their parents back.
D) They attempt to ignore the whole situation.
11. A) They may regard any difference as the end of a relationship.
B) They are on better terms with friends and romantic partners.
C) They try to express their feelings and thoughts effectively.
D) They attach more value to their relationships with others.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) Their price. C) Their quality.
B) Their color. D) Their design.
13. A) Jeans are a typical American garment.
B) America makes the best-known brands of jeans.
C) America has the best weaving tools in the world.
D) Jeans are available in a greater variety in America.
14. A) They are artificial. C) They are unique.
B) They are natural. D) They are special.
15. A) They are for casual wearing. C)They are much too pricey.
B) They are popular with boys. D)They are worth the price.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will
hear three or four 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)
2023年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the
centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) He desires more in life.
B) He wants to see it again.
C) He feels as inspired as other audience members.
D) He longs to become a superstar himself.
17. A) It is rather unrealistic. C) It is somewhat complicated.
B) It is extremely artistic. D) It is relatively predictable.
18. A) They are biased against women. C) They are full of shootings.
B) They are basically misleading. D) They are too simple.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) It can highlight leadership. C) It is a means to inspire creative thinking.
B) It can help connect people. D) It is an intuitive way to solidify friendship.
20. A) Allow them to recite data points.
B) Make them more open to learning.
C) Enable them to remember the main idea.
D) Stimulate them to engage in discussions.
21. A) Inspire listeners5 imagination. C) Convey fundamental values.
B) Enrich their own experience. D) Explain insightful ideas.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) Immigrants outnumber U.S.-bom Americans.
B) Immigrants have been contributing to the U.S.
C) Another wave of immigrants is hitting the U.S.
D) The number of immigrants to the U.S. is declining.
23. A) More of them expect their children to succeed in business.
B) They have fewer chances to be hired by U.S. companies.
C) They have founded most Fortune 500 companies.
D) More of them are successful business people.
24. A) They have higher installment loan debt than native-born Americans.
B) Nineteen percent of them borrow money from friends and family.
C) Their level of debt is lower than that of native-born Americans.
D) Thirty-four percent of them use credit fbr their daily purchases.
25. A) Keep their traditional values and old habits.
B) Find employment in competitive businesses.
C) Borrow money from financial institutions.
D) Collaborate with native-born Americans.
2023年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
Morocco is responding to increasing energy demands by setting up one of the largest
solar plants in the world. The Noor solar power station is 26 in the city of Ouarzazate
and, once completed, will generate 580 million watts of electricity. The World Bank
estimates it will serve 1.1 million people. Ifs 27 to be completed soon.
Morocco's current energy comes 28 from imports. The nation hopes to get 50
percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. With demand fbr energy 29 at
an annual rate of 7 percent, the new solar plant could be a 30 part of that goal.
“This makes Morocco a big 31 in the field of solar energy in the Arab region
and the African continent. It could also be a forerunner fbr many other countries in the
world that 32 on foreign imports of energy,said Ali Hajji, a solar energy specialist
and engineering professor.
Experts believe that the Middle East and North Africa have huge 33 fbr solar
energy projects. This is partly because of adequate sunlight and partly because technology
has become more 34 in the region.
“The last few years have seen a realization of 35 how competitive solar
technologies can be,“ said Michael Taylor, a senior analyst at the International Renewable
Energy Agency.
A) affordable I) mostly
B) ancestor J) operating
C) crucial K) perhaps
D) depend L) pioneer
E) initial M) potential
F) insist N) rising
G) just 0) scheduled
H) located
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once.
Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding
letter on Answer Sheet 2.
2023年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研New Formula One Chief Hopes to Grab Americans5 Attention
A) For the past four decades, the leader of Formula One car racing, one of the biggest
annual sporting series in the world, was Bernie Ecclestone, a former motorcycle parts
dealer who built it into an international presence essentially on his own.
B) A skilled backroom operator who speaks without a filter, Ecclestone said often that in
his opinion, the sport was at its best when he was allowed to act as “a dictator.”
C) Yet now the dictator is gone. After an American company, Liberty Media, acquired the
Formula One competition recently, Chase Carey- a former executive with Fox
Broadcasting Company and DirecTV who by his own admission is not a fierce racing
fan~~was named to replace Ecclestone and to try to renovate the organization's
management, reach and ambition.
D) Among the goals, Carey said in an interview on Tuesday, is one that just about every
global sport seems interested in chasing: increasing interest in the United States.
“People have said we're going to 'Americanize' it," Carey said. "And we're not going
to do that totally. But realistically, there are some elements of Americanization that the
sport could use.”
E) While Formula One commands enormous audiences throughout much of the world,
many American sports fans know it as that other motorsport, the one that is not Nascar
(纳斯卡车赛).Formula One teams race far more technologically advanced vehicles
around tracks all over the world-in magnificent events in places like Malaysia, Monaco,
Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, and on tradition-rich tracks like Silverstone in
England and Monza in Italy too.
F) The series has an annual race in Austin, Texas. But within “a few years,5, Carey said, he
plans to bring another to a destination American city, like New York, Los Angeles,
Miami or Las Vegas. Carey's ambitious plan is two-fbld: first, change the business
model of Formula One, which he said was a “one-man show“ under Ecclestone that had
a largely narrow vision when it came to negotiating partnership deals; and second, alter
the way fans experience the sport, both in person and remotely, so that connections
between the audience and people within the series are easier to make.
G) Increased digital access fbr fans, a more behind-the-scenes experience for broadcast
viewers and innovation in areas like virtual reality_what is it like to speed around a track
inside a Ferrari?一are among the possibilities. "The sport has clearly been underserved,,,
Carey said. "It doesn't do anything digitally. There's no marketing. It doesn't tell any
stories. The goal in this is to make the fans connect to the live experience as much as
possible, and the tools you have to do that, we're not using at
H) The larger question, though, is a familiar one: Is there room fbr Formula One in the
ever-crowded sports landscape of the United States? Opinions vary, particularly because
viewing habits among consumers continue to evolve. John Bloom, a professor at
Shippensburg University who has studied American sports history, said the biggest
challenge for any sport trying to increase its presence in the United States was framing
itself in a way that had lasting appeal. t4Sports generally become popular in some way
because they establish a narrative,Bloom said. "When I think of motorsports in the
U.S., what we all think of is Nascar, and the narrative of Nascar is sort of rural, white,
2023年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研working-class Americans, mostly in the South, connecting with the atmosphere of those
races. That5s the narrative. When I think of the narrative of Formula One, ifs a very
different kind of audience.5,
I) That difference, Carey said, is significant. While some might immediately link Formula
One to Nascar in terms of American growth, Carey said Formula One's brand research
had indicated there was very little crossover; rather, Formula One fans generally cite
other so-called elite events, like Wimbledon or the Ryder Cup, as competitions they
enjoy. "Other than they5re both cars, the Nascar fan base is a very different fan base,^^
Carey said. "It's a very regional fan base. Formula One is a global, famous brand of
stars. These are machines that shock and awe you.”
J) Carey's background is in deal making and innovation. At Fox Broadcasting Company,
he was a top advisor for years, known for his skill in helping to lead the launch of the
company into sports, as well as the start of Fox News Channel. After going to DirecTV,
he positioned the satellite provider as a mainstream option in millions of households.
K) Now, after Liberty Media paid $ 4.4 billion to acquire Formula One, he is charged with
making the investment pay off. "I think they can build Formula One in the U.S.,^^ said
Patrick Crakes, an executive at InVivo Media Group who spent 25 years at Fox
Broadcasting Company before leaving in 2016 as a senior manager at Fox Sports.
“People don't work on their cars anymore. They don't want that connection anymore.
It's about technology and pushing the limits. It's about speed, danger and risk. And
Formula One has that more than any other racing series.5,
L) That is what hooked Carey, and he said he thought his experience was not unusual. He
recalled attending Formula One's Monaco race last year and being overwhelmed by the
ceremony leading up to the event, the way the race charmed the city for days ahead of
the start. In his mind, it felt like a Super 3。皿(超级碗橄榄球赛).
M) Then, on race day, he watched as the cars rocketed out of a tunnel and went screaming
toward a tight turn with the city's harbor and the Mediterranean Sea in the background
framing the scene. He was fascinated. "You can't help but be awed,“ he said, “and I
think that feeling can be translated to the viewer.^^
N) He added: "The broader sport is a little too inward-looking, and we need to be more
open. In some ways, I'm glad to be coming from the outside. The guys who are in the
sport forever are sitting there saying: 'We can't do that. We can't do that because it's
never been done that way.'"
36. Chase Carey believes greater use should be made of digital technology to make
Formula One more accessible to its fans.
37. Chase Carey was deeply impressed by the ceremony preceding last year's Monaco race.
38. One of Chase Carey's goals is to make Formula One more appealing to Americans.
39. A former motorbike parts dealer led Formula One for the past forty years.
40. Chase Carey thought the audience of Formula One could be made to share his feeling
about the race.
41. Chase Carey used to serve as a top advisor for a major broadcasting company.
2023年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研42. Chase Carey intends to make connections easier between the audience and the Formula
One racers.
43. The new leader of Formula One admitted he was not super interested in car racing.
44. People;s opinions differ as to whether Fonnula One can be promoted in the U.S.
45. Compared with other racing series, Formula One focuses more on speed and involves
more danger.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Supermarkets have long been suffering as one of the thinnest-margined businesses in
existence and one of the least-looked-fbrward-to places to work or visit. For more than a
decade, they have been under attack from e-commerce giants, blamed for making
Americans fat, and accused of contributing to climate change.
Supermarkets can technically be defined as giants housing 15,000 to 60,000 different
products. The revolutionary idea of a self-service grocery, where people could hunt and
gather food from aisles rather than asking a clerk to fetch items from behind a counter, first
came about in America. There is some debate about which was the very first, but over the
years a consensus has built around King Kullen Supermarket, founded in New York in 1930.
For some 300 years, Americans had fed themselves from small stores and public
markets. Shopping for food involved mud, noisy chickens, clouds of flies, nasty smells,
bargaining, and getting short-changed. The supermarket imitated the Fordist factory, with
its emphasis on efficiency and standardization, and reimagined it as a place to buy food.
Supermarkets may not feel cutting-edge now, but they were a revolution in distribution at
the time. They were such strange marvels that, on her first official state visit to the United
States in 1957, Queen Elizabeth II insisted on an impromptu (即 兴 的 )tour of a
suburban-Maryland Giant Food.
The typical supermarket layout has barely changed over the past 90 years. Most stores
open with flowers, fruit and vegetables at the front as a breath of freshness to arouse our
appetite. Meanwhile, they keep the milk, eggs, and other daily basics all the way back so
you511 travel through as much of the store as possible, and be tempted along the way.
In the early days, as the supermarket multiplied, so did our suspicion of it. We have
long feared that this "revolution in distribution^^ uses corporate black magic on our appetite.
The book The Hidden Persuaders, published in 1957, warned that supennarkets were
putting women in a ''hypnoidal trance (催眠恍惚状态),“causing them to wander aisles
bumping into boxes and "picking things off shelves at random.^^
46. What problem have supermarkets been facing?
A) They are actually on the way to bankruptcy.
B) They have been losing customers and profits.
C) They are forced to use e-commerce strategies.
D) They have difficulty adapting to climate change.
2023年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研47. What does the passage say about the idea of a self-service grocery?
A) It was put forward by King Kullen.
B) It originated in the United States.
C) It has been under constant debate.
D) It proves revolutionary even today.
48. What did supermarkets do by adopting the Fordist factory approach?
A) They modernized traditional groceries in many ways.
B) They introduced cutting-edge layout of their stores.
C) They improved the quality of the food they sold.
D) They revolutionized the distribution of goods.
49. What is the typical supermarket layout intended to do?
A) Arouse customers5 appetite to buy flowers, fruit and vegetables.
B) Provide customers easy access to items they want to buy.
C) Induce customers to make more unplanned purchases.
D) Enable customers to have a more enjoyable shopping experience.
50. What have people long feared about supermarkets?
A) They use tricky strategies to promote their business.
B) They are going to replace the local groceries entirely.
C) They apply corporate black magic to the goods on display.
D) They take advantage of the weaknesses of women shoppers.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
The traditional school year, with three months of vacation every summer, was first
implemented when America was an agricultural society and the summer months were needed
for farm work. Since then, we've completely changed as a nation. Students no longer spend
summers farming, but they aren't in school, either. The average American student receives 13
weeks off from school each calendar year_with about 11 of those during the summer. Few
other countries have more than seven weeks off in a school calendar.
With the U.S. lagging behind other countries in academics, ifs time to consider
year-round schooling. One benefit of this change is that students will not fall victim to the
“summer slide,“ or the well-documented phenomenon where students forget some of the
knowledge they have acquired when too much time is taken off from school. Decades of
research shows that it can take from 8 to 13 weeks at the beginning of every school year for
students to get back to where they were before the summer holiday.
But year-round schooling isn't just about academics. Teachers and students
experience a closer relationship in year-round schools than they do in traditional schools
and, in the absence of any long-term break, students do not feel detached from the school
environment. These closer bonds and greater attachment pay off. Research shows that
students in year-round schools are more sei住confident and feel more positive about their
schooling experience.
But don't kids need time to relax? Some childhood development experts believe that
time off from school is vital to healthy development as kids are not designed to spend so
much of their time inside classrooms and the summer break provides a perfect opportunity
2023年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研to get outside. The problem with this argument is that most children aren't playing outside
or even spending time with other kids. While some children visit summer camps, most stay
at home, watching TV or playing games on electronic devices, which hardly benefits them.
The U.S. has changed from a farming economy to a knowledge- and innovation-based
economy, so it makes sense fbr the school year to change as well.
51 .Why did America's traditional school year have a three-month summer vacation?
A) Students needed to help with farm work.
B) Students needed time to learn necessary farming skills.
C) The agricultural society then attached less importance to academics.
D) America lagged behind other countries in making a scientific school calendar.
52. What benefit will year-round schooling bring students in addition to improving their
learning?
A) It will help them get back to where their lessons started.
B) It will enable them to absorb what they have learned.
C) It will familiarize them with the school environment.
D) It will strengthen their relationship with teachers.
53. What do some childhood development experts believe about the long summer vacation?
A) It meets students' need to study on their own.
B) It enables students to learn about the outside world.
C) It satisfies students' desire to stay longer at home.
D) It contributes to students' healthy growth.
54. What is the argument against the experts5 idea of a long summer vacation?
A) It does little good to most students.
B) It benefits few students playing outside.
C) It leads students to neglect their studies.
D) It makes students addicted to computer games.
55. What does the author think of the traditional school year in the U.S. today?
A) Well-grounded. B) Culture-bound. C) Outdated. D) Welcomed.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
改革开放40多年以来，中国政府对高等教育越来越重视，高等教育已经进入稳步发展阶段。
高校学生总数已接近4,700万人，位居世界第一。随着我国经济的快速发展，人民生活水平不断
提高，越来越多的人渴望接受高等教育。我国高校的数量和学科专业持续增加，招生人数逐年上
升，教学质量也在不断改进，为更多年轻人创造了接受高等教育的机会。
2023年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 9 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研2023年 06月大学英语四级考试真题（第 3 套）
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose the student union of your university is organizing an online discussion on
college students doing community service. You are to write an essay on its benefits and the
service you can provide to the community. You will have 30 minutes for the task. You should
write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
淘宝店铺【光速考研工作室】温馨提示：由于2023年 6 月四级考试全国共考了两套听力，本套真
题听力与第2 套内容相同，只是选项顺序不同，因此在本套真题中不再重复出现。
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Whether you're just having a down day or a down period, taking a walk can instantly
lift your mood, especially when you go outdoors. Not only can walking make you less
depressed, but according to a new study, depression sufferers who took a 26 walk
showed just as much improvement in their 27 as people taking medicine. In fact,
60-70 percent of the participants in the study could no longer even be 28 as
depressed.
Bone density may not be one of the most exciting health benefits of walking, but ifs
an important one. People with stronger bones avoid osteoporosis (骨质疏松症)and all the
problems that 29 with it, like breaks and other disabilities. And the best way to get
strong, healthy bones is by doing weight-bearing exercises like running, dancing and
walking, according to a large study. But as regards bones, it's 30 use it or lose it: To
keep your bones strong you have to keep exercising. The researchers found that adults who
walked regularly had better bone density throughout their lives than their 31 friends.
Taking a walk can be great fbr 32 your head or blowing off some steam. It also
provides a great opportunity to 33 with friends and family, far away from electronics
and other 34 at home. Even better, you set a powerful example because when they
see you 35 the benefits of walking, they 41 be encouraged to walk more, too.
A) accompany
I) distractions
B) approved J) exclusively
C) bond K) inactive
D) classified L) occurrences
E) clearing M) reaping
F) come N) symptoms
G) daily O) typical
H) definitely
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
2023年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 1 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
A Club Where Lions Dance and Traditions Take Root
A） The first thing you notice in the staircase to the fourth-floor studio on Canal Street in
Manhattan, New York, is the measured thumping （啜喙声）coming from behind a metal
door. Just beyond the entrance, large lion masks were twisting and turning to the
drum-beat. On a recent Friday evening, the teenagers made their way across the studio
floor as they practiced Chinese lion dancing.
B） “You want to play in a circle,5, Victor Fong, aged 24, told his students at the New York
Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club. "Take it slow and do it again.,5 The dance group,
made up of 60 members, performs throughout the year but was now preparing for its
biggest events, Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations, which will begin on Saturday
and conclude on February 15. Teenagers comprise about half of the group, many of
whom began lion dancing at the age of 14. About 100 current and past members of the
dance group- which has been performing since 1956一will be among the 220 groups
marching through Chinatown in Manhattan for the 18th Lunar New Year Parade on
February 5.
C） Mr. Fong has been involved in the organization since he was 15 and began teaching lion
dancing three years ago. But the club also acts as a recreation center and safe haven （庇
护所）fbr teenagers, with video games readily available. As many as 20 students show
up after school. uThe basic requirement for hanging out here is you have to learn how to
lion dance," Mr. Fong said. While that is not a formal requirement for being a member,
everyone finds a way to participate in the Lunar New Year Parade, whether ifs by
dancing, carrying a flag or beating a drum.
D） Alvin Chau, aged 26, is an environmental consultant by day and a lion dancer on
weekends. He has been a club member for 10 years and joined because of an interest in
lion dance. "We're a big family,5, he said, shaking hands with other members as they
walked through the door. 4tYou know everyone.^^
E） It is believed that the lion dance began in the third century. Stories vary about how lion
dancing came to be, but most of them include a monster named Nian who would
terrorize a village. The villagers finally banded together and scared the beast away with
firecrackers （爆竹）and drums. While lions are not native to China, some versions of
the story include the villagers creating a monster of their own in the shape of a lion to
fight off the beast.
F） Today, the dancers travel across Chinatown going from business to business to bring
good luck for the coming year. The new year- ac cording to the Chinese lunar
calendar_will begin on Saturday and marks the Year of the Rooster （鸡年），which is
thought to be a symbol of positivity. "It's almost like the dark night is ending and the
sun is coming up,“ said Ya Yung Teng, the digital collections coordinator fbr the
Museum of Chinese in America. "It's hopeful that we're going to have a new day.”
Roosters and chickens are not particularly strong creatures, Ms. Teng said, but they are
numerous. t4In away,^^ she said, the rooster, "stands for 'We the People.
G） The lion head and tail are operated by two people. As one person controls the head, a
2023年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 2 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研second follows under a train of fabric representing the body. The dancers move in
harmony as they imitate the animal's natural movements in the wild, including the
aggressiveness of an attack. A lion head figure weighs under 10 pounds and sits
squarely on the dancer5s shoulders. Inside, the dancer manipulates strings that open and
close the lion's eyes, shake its ears and open its mouth to reveal a fire-orange tongue.
H) “A good lion dancer will imitate a living creature,5, said Karlin Chan, aged 59, who
heads the athletic club's community public relations. 6tI started lion dancing when I was
a kid,“ he said. "Chinatown was much smaller then and it was a celebration with
fireworks and firecrackers, which added a lot of flavor and meaning to it.”
I) Mr. Chan buys a new lion head each year when he travels to China. A head costs about
$1,500. “If you want the good stuff, the quality, you have to see it for yourself,5, he said.
"I'll inspect the product before we put it in the container and ship it over." Mr. Chan,
who has been involved with the club for nearly 50 years, said that passing the dance
from one generation to the next was vital. 4tYou need to pass on the traditions and the
culture, and this is a part of our culture/ he said. "It's a great way to promote cultural
understanding and exchange; we welcome that.”
J) For Sara Pore, aged 17, another club member, lion dance is more than just tradition; it
provides a creative outlet. "Lion dancing started 2,000 years ago- thafs incredible,
she said. "But what makes you a competent lion dancer is that there's a sense of
imagination involved. Lion dancing teaches competence in leadership because of this.
You're constantly forced to push yourself past your
K) Back at rehearsal (抖F 练)，Just in Le, aged 18, tied a red ribbon around his waist to
practice jumping. The dancers use the ribbons to pull themselves up over their partners5
heads. The room's ceilings are too low to wear the lion heads for jumping practice, so
once up on his partner's head, Mr. Le held out his arms as if in offering.
L) Mr. Le comes by the dance as a legacy (传承).“I was bom into it," Mr. Le said, noting
that his uncle and father were club members. "Growing up, I would always watch my
family and see the lion dance, and I slowly grew interested in it." By the age of 14, he
was fully enrolled in the athletic club's lion dance group. "I value my culture and
tradition, being Chinese or Asian-American. I have a lot of pride in that,“ he said. "I
want to contribute and give back to the community.^^
36. The lion dancers perform from door to door to bring New Year wishes to business people.
37. The New York dance club also serves as a place for entertainment where youngsters can
enjoy themselves safely.
38. Lion dancers need to have a little imagination to perform well.
39. There are a number of different versions about the origin of the lion dance.
40. Some 50% of the members of a New York lion dance club are teenagers.
41. One club member says he feels proud of his cultural tradition.
42. Two dancers coordinate their movements, one manipulating the lion's head and the
other its body.
43. One lion dancer compares their New York dance club to a family.
44. Lion dance should be handed down to future generations as part of Chinese culture.
45. One lion dancer learned how to perform from his elders.
2023年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 3 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Team-building exercises have become popular fbr managers trying to increase
organisational and team harmony and productivity. Unfortunately many employees resent
compulsory bonding and often regard these exercises as a nuisance.
A paper published this week by University of Sydney researchers in Social Networks
has reported participants5 feelings about team-building interventions{ 干预)，revealing
ethical implications in forcing employees to take part.
“Many people see team-building activities as a waste of time, so we decided to look in
more depth at whafs behind this,^^ said the paper?s lead researcher, Dr Peter Matous.
“Teams are formed, combined and restructured. Staff are relocated and office spaces
redesigned. All this is done with the aim of improving workplace efficiency, collaboration
and cohesion. But does any of this work?” said Dr Matous.
The study found that team-building exercises which focused on the sharing of and
intervening into personal attitudes and relationships between team members were considered
too heavy-handed and intrusive, although the researchers say some degree of openness and
vulnerability is often necessary to make deep, effective connections with colleagues.
“Some participants were against team-building exercises because they were implicitly
compulsory. They didn't welcome managemenfs interest in their lives beyond their direct
work performance,said Matous. "Many people don't want to be forced into having fun or
making friends, especially not on top of their busy jobs. They feel management is being too
nosy or trying to control their lives too much.”
In this study the researchers recommended a self-disclosure (表露)approach where
participants were guided through a series of questions that allowed them to increasingly
disclose personal information and values. The method is well-tested and has been shown to
increase interpersonal closeness. However, to be successful it must be voluntary.
The researchers said there are numerous schools of thought that propose differing
psychological methods for strengthening relationships. "With caution, many relational
methods to improve teams and organisations can be borrowed from other fields. The
question is how to apply them effectively to strengthen an entire collective, which is more
than just the sum of individual relationships,said Dr Matous.
46. Why are many employees opposed to team-building exercises?
A) They consider such exercises annoying.
B) They deem these exercises counter-productive.
C) They see such exercises as hannfiil to harmony.
D) They find these exercises too demanding.
47. What did Dr Matous and his team do to find out whether team-building activities would
2023年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 4 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研improve productivity?
A) They relocated team leaders and their offices.
B) They rearranged the staff and office spaces.
C) They redesigned the staff's work schedules.
D) They reintroduced some cohesive activities.
48. What did the study by Matous5 team find about some team-building exercises?
A) They were intended to share personal attitudes and relationships.
B) They implicitly added to the vulnerability of team members.
C) They invariably strengthened connections among colleagues.
D) They were regarded as an intrusion into employees' private lives.
49. How can the self-disclosure approach succeed in increasing interpersonal closeness?
A) By allowing participants freedom to express themselves.
B) By applying it to employees who volunteer to participate.
C) By arranging in proper order the questions participants face.
D) By guiding employees through a series of steps in team building.
50. What does Matous think of the various psychological methods borrowed from other
fields for strengthening relationships?
A) They must be used in combination for an entire collective.
B) They prioritise some psychological aspects over others.
C) They place too much stress on individual relationships.
D) They have to be applied cautiously to be effective.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
There are close to 58,000 homeless people in Los Angeles county. Thafs a shocking
and tragic number for a region thafs home to some of the richest people in the world. At
last, the problem became so acute- and so visible- that Los Angeles took extraordinary
action. The citizens of this county voted in November 2016 and again in March 2017 to
raise their own taxes. The purpose of such action is to fund an enormous multibillion-dollar,
10-year program of housing and social services for the homeless.
As a result, Los Angeles now has its best chance in decades to combat homelessness.
This is an opportunity that surely all can agree must not be wasted. It is neither desirable
nor morally acceptable nor practical for this county to tolerate the signs of deprivation more
commonly associated with the slums (贫民窟)of Rio de Janiero.
How did we get here? For as long as there are homeless people, there is a tendency to
blame the victims themselves for their condition- to see their failure to thrive as an issue of
character, of moral weakness, of laziness. But contrary to popular belief, the homeless in
Los Angeles are not mostly mentally ill or drug addicted or frightening, although a sizable
minority meet some of those descriptions. Today, a greater and greater proportion of people
living on the streets are there because of bad luck or a series of mistakes, or because the
economy forgot them- they lost a job or were evicted (逐出)or fled an abusive marriage
just as the housing market was growing increasingly unforgiving.
The challenges are enormous, even if everyone is pulling in the same direction. That
reality was driven home this month by a new Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
2023年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 5 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研report showing that the county's homeless population is growing faster than the supply of
new housing.
In the world's richest nation, homelessness on this scale should be shameful and
shocking. But most Los Angeles residents are no longer either shocked or shamed.
Increasingly, we are uncomfortable, annoyed, disgusted, scared or unaware. Compassion
(同情心)is being replaced by resignation.
51. Why did the citizens of Los Angeles vote to raise their own taxes?
A) To combat the county5s homelessness.
B) To reform the county's service system.
C) To fund the development of local infrastructure.
D) To narrow the gap between the rich and the poor.
52. What do people tend to believe about the homeless?
A) They seldom meet the descriptions of homelessness.
B) They are the victims of fast economic development.
C) They are responsible fbr their own condition.
D) They account fbr the majority of drug addicts.
53. What is one of the causes fbr more and more people in Los Angeles to become homeless?
A) They find it increasingly difficult to afford a place to live.
B) The divorce rate in the county has been on a steady rise.
C) They have been compelled to take low-paying jobs.
D) The society fails to forgive them for their mistakes.
54. What do we learn from the new Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority report?
A) Supplying enough job opportunities for the homeless remains a challenge.
B) Everyone is pulling in the same direction to solve the homelessness problem.
C) The increase in new housing falls short of the demand of the growing homeless population.
D) Los Angeles5 homeless condition is deteriorating faster than many people predict.
55. How do most Los Angeles residents now feel about homelessness?
A) They are increasingly ashamed about its scale.
B) They find it no more scaring than it appears.
C) They are less and less indifferent to it.
D) They no longer find it shocking.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
中国政府一直大力推行义务教育(compulsory education),以使每个儿童都享有受教育的机会。
自1986年 《义务教育法》生效以来，经过不懈努力，实现了在全国推行义务教育的目标。如今，
在中国，儿童年满六周岁开始上小学，从小学到初中一共接受九年义务教育。从 2008年秋季学期
开始，义务教育阶段学生无须缴纳学费。随着一系列教育改革举措的实施，中国义务教育的质量也
有显著提高。
2023年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 6 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研2023年 12月大学英语四级考试真题（第 1 套）
扫码获音频
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose the university newspaper is inviting submissions from the students for its
coming edition on what in their university impresses them most. You are now to write an essay
for submission. You will have 30 minutes to write the essay. You should write at least 120 words
but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single
line through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) He noticed the driver was too young to drive.
B) He found there was no one sitting at the wheel.
C) He thought something must be wrong with the driver.
D) He saw the driver changing lanes much too frequently.
2. A) Buy a sports car. C) Leave California.
B) Drive across town. D) Visit his sister.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) How they change the way we shop. C) How they cause increased headaches.
B) How they alter human skeletons. D) How they affect our communication.
4. A) It loosens. C) It hardens.
B) It brightens. D) It softens.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) Create Internet pages for him. C) Name an orange tree after him.
B) Ask a local pet shop to adopt him. D) Hold a birthday party for him.
6. A) He is a bold and aggressive pet. C) He once bit a doctor's receptionist.
B) He pays regular visits to village shops. D) He likes to sit on the hairdresser45 67chair.
7. A) He is fond of luxury cat food. C) He knows everybody in the village.
B) He likes to stay in villagers? houses. D) He often seeks food around her pub.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be
spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four
2023年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) Who to order the food. C) When to go for their meal.
B) Whether to have sandwiches. D) Where to have their lunch.
9. A) In the shopping center nearby. C) At the Sandwich Place on Camden Street.
B) In the expensive Italian style diner. D) At the American restaurant they frequent.
10. A) There is to be a conference call.
B) She has to meet with her boss then.
C) There will be crowds of people waiting for her.
D) She will have a photo taken with Brigette Clark.
11. A) She doesn't deem homemade soup tasty. C) She feels Jeremy would rather dine out.
B) She doesn't think his wife cooks well. D) She has found the soup smells terrible.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) A landlady. C) A receptionist.
B) A waitress. D) A saleswoman.
13. A) He was involved in a terrible car accident last April.
B) He has much difficulty getting up and down stairs.
C) He is expected to undergo a knee operation.
D) He prefers to stay next door to the children.
14. A) To please his parents-in-law. C) To satisfy his curiosity.
B) To find the best trip for his kids. D) To compare prices.
15. A) Visit a local art gallery. C) Take some photos of the islands.
B) Go on a boat trip. D) Try her hand-made clothing.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will
hear three or four 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 1 with a single line through the
centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) They are more intelligent than many of us.
B) They have already become our new friends.
C) They have begun to affect our social behavior.
D) They play increasingly more important roles.
17. A) Whether it might have any effect on the way we negotiate.
B) Whether it might actually outperform human negotiators.
C) Whether it can facilitate business transactions.
D) Whether it can speed up legal procedures.
2023年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研18. A) Choose to be tough. C) Use deceptive strategies.
B) Sympathize with their opponent. D) Appear to be pleasant.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) They were perceived differently by some academics.
B) They still existed six months after the course ended.
C) They varied greatly among the course participants.
D) They were only measurable within seven weeks.
20. A) They can be easily seen among participants in a healthy weight range.
B) They should be attributed to participants5 change in diet behaviors.
C) They are linked to cooking confidence and cooking satisfaction.
D) They actually result from eating more fruits and vegetables.
21. A) Gender. C) Health.
B) Confidence. D) Practice.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) It keeps others away. C) It remains visible.
B) It causes discomfort. D) It varies in size.
23. A) It makes us feel uncomfortable.
B) It renders the acquaintance a stranger.
C) It brings the acquaintance closer to us.
D) It causes the bubble around us to vanish.
24. A) In personal space. C) Within a distance of 18 inches.
B) In social space. D) Over 2 feet away from one another.
25. A) When we begin to feel fear. C) When we are 3 or 4 years old.
B) When we develop a sense of space. D) When we enter our teens.
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
Exercising for just 10 minutes a w eek is linked to a long er life, according to a new
study publish ed in The British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Several re cent studies have found that even low-intensity exercise, done for a short
amount of time, can have a meaningful 26 on health. Still, the idea that exercising for
just 10 minutes a week may be enough to increase your lifespan is novel. Ifs also some
what 27 since the federal physical activity guidelines recommend getting at least 75
2023年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研minutes of vigorous exercise or 150 minutes of 28 exercise each week.
The study was based on data from more than 88, 0 0 0 U.S. adults who 29 in the
National Health Interview Survey between 1997 and 2008.
Contrary to some research that has found an 30 limit to the amount of exercise
that is healthy, the researchers found that the re was 31 no limit to the longevity (长
寿)benefits of exercise. Even the small group of people who got 10 times the amount of
exercise recommended by the federal government had a 46% lower 32 of death than
the least active group.
Still, observational studies like this one cannot prove cause and effect; they can only
find 33 . The researchers also were not able to 34 for certain lifestyle factors that
could affect lifespan, including dietary habits and changes in physical activity over time.
Despite these 35 . the study's results are yet another indication of the power of
physical activity, even in small amounts.
A) adjust I) participated
B) alter J) patterns
C) approximately K) populated
D) controversial L) risk
E) coordinates M) seemingly
F) impact N) type
G) limitations 0) upper
H) moderate
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
How Climate Change Will Affect What You Eat
A) Earlier this year, scientists warned that one in six animal species could go extinct (灭绝的)
due to climate change. Could the same thing happen to our crops and other foodstuffs
too?
B) Ifs clear that farmers in many parts of the world are going to find things harder in the
coming decades. Last week, BBC Future explored one scientisfs efforts to help crops
cope with the increased probability of droughts. By using the genes from resurrection
(复 i舌)plants, Jill Farrant of the University of Cape Town is exploring whether she can
design crops to survive for much longer periods without water.
C) But if we can't find ways to protect other foods, will they survive climate change?
Fortunately, there is some good news on this front. Despite alarmist headlines about
“foods that are going extinct,there is no evidence that major food types like beans,
chocolate, wine, com or wheat will cease to exist.
D) But that doesn't mean it's all good news for future food. We will probably have to
2023年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研change where we grow certain crops, as some regions get too hot. The disadvantage,
obviously, is that local farmers will suffer under this situation. And some people may
struggle to get the same access to certain foods. t4Even if overall food production may
be unaffected, food security can still be impacted,5, says Margaret Walsh, a scientist at
the US Department of Agriculture's Climate Change Program Office. In other words,
even if a certain food is still grown on some comer of the Earth, it doesn,t mean that
everyone will continue to have the same degree of access as today.
E） Overall, the yields of many foods, from staples to life-enhancing extras such as coffee
and chocolate, will likely be impacted by climate change too. How those decreases will
be felt will depend on the degree of warming and the crop in question, but in general,
"anything over about 30℃ is very bad for crops,55 says Wolfram Schlenker, an associate
professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University. For example,
statistical studies that he and a colleague built of com and soybean （大豆）production in
the U.S. show a steep decline after crossing the 30℃ temperature threshold （临界点）.
F） In the U.S.- the world's largest producer of com and soybeans- farms can move north
to some degree, Schlenker says. But eventually, yields will likely suffer because the soil
north of Iowa declines in quality- a legacy of glacial （冰川 的）expansion. Other
studies, including studies of wheat in India and com in Africa, also found that there is a
threshold above which yields sharply decline: crops can adapt and move, but only to a
point. "What's common to all studies is the finding that extreme heat is damaging to
crop growth, although exact cutoffs vary by crop,^^ Schlenker says. "If predictions for
the end of the century are true, though, I think a lot of agricultural areas in the U.S. will
see significant hits.”
G） Under current conditions, about 4% of the world's croplands experience drought in any
given year, but by the end of the century those conditions are forecasted to jump to about
18% per year. Some studies indicate that horticulture crops- generally, everything
besides staples- may be impacted most severely, largely because they tend to be
confined to a smaller geographic area. Researcher Andrew Jarvis and his colleagues
found that 80% of coffee-growing zones in Central America and Brazil could become
unsuitable by 2050, fbr example, while climate change will likely have “great impacts”
on cocoa （可可粉）production in West Africa. "High quality chocolate will be less
available in the future, and if you want it, you'll have to pay a lot more for it,“ Jarvis says.
H） This means that, fbr those who can afford it, some foods will simply cost them more in
the future. But for poorer people, those same price jumps will likely cause certain foods
to go extinct from their diets. "The more you reduce, the shorter the supply, and the
higher the price will jump,5, Schlenker says.
I） Another potential climate change-induced problem is our dependence on commodity
crops- wheat, soybeans, com and rice—which currently provide humanity with 75% of
its calories, either directly or indirectly through the animals we raise on those crops.
Jarvis and his colleagues also found that, over the past five decades, the world has seen
an increasing standardisation of diets; the foods we eat globally today are 36% more
similar than they were in 1961. While this can be good news for the world's poorest
people who now consume more calories, protein and fat than in the past, homogeneity
（同一性）and over-dependence on a handful of staples leaves us vulnerable to threats
such as drought, disease and pests- all of which are predicted to worsen in many parts
of the world as a result of climate change.
2023年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研J) There are ways we could soften the coming blow to the global food supply, however.
Like Farranfs work with resurrection crops, a number of companies, organisations and
researchers are aiming to create drought-and temperature-resistant crops through genetic
engineering and conventional breeding. For now, the jury is still out as to how successful
those endeavours will be. "The people at Monsanto who Fve talked to are much more
optimistic that they'll be able to engineer heat-tolerant crops,“ Schlenker says. "On the
other hand, scientists at the USDA who I've spoken with are much more cautious.”
K) Until genetic engineering comes to fruition, other strategies might also help in some
places, including applying more fertiliser, implementing better irrigation, using
machinery that gets crops out of the field faster or installing storage facilities to delay
spoilage. "Many places could benefit a great deal just by using technologies that
already exist,“ Walsh says. "General farm management can go a long way toward
easing changes.
L) Finally, diversifying our diet away from heat-sensitive wheat, com, rice and other crops
could also help. "We've seen profound changes in the last decades in what we eat
largely as a result of international trade, and I think that trend toward more
diversification will continue,5, Jarvis says. 4'Depending on a greater number of plant
species creates a more vigorous and less risky food system- and one that provides a
broader range of nutritional requirements.^^
36. One consequence of climate change is that some people may not have adequate access
to certain foods.
37. People around the world are eating foods more similar than what they used to eat.
38. A recent news report talked about scientific efforts to help crops survive droughts
through genetic engineering.
39. It is predicted that climate change will affect the availability and price of quality
chocolate.
40. People wonder if certain crops and foodstuffs could disappear like some animal species
due to climate change.
41. Although farms in the U.S. can move a bit northward, crop yields may decrease.
42. One possible solution to the food security problem is diversification of diet.
43. It remains unsettled whether the global food supply problem can be solved by creating
heat-tolerant crops through genetic engineering.
44. Poor people may have to give up eating certain foods because of their high prices.
45. A number of existing farming technologies could be used to reduce the negative effect
of climate change on food production.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
2023年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
One of my bad habits is saying "busy" when people ask me how I'm doing. Sometimes
ifs because I actually am busy, but other times ifs because thafs what I think I'm supposed
to say. Thafs what important people say. Thafs what people who get promoted say. But
working long hours doesn't drive better results. Never taking a vacation won't lead to a
promotion. So why are we so proud to talk about how busy we are all the time?
In 2016, researchers from Columbia, Harvard, and Georgetown conducted a study to
figure it out. They found busy people are perceived to be of high status, and interestingly,
these status attributions are heavily influenced by our own beliefs about social mobility. In
other words, the more we believe that one has the opportunity fbr success based on hard
work, the more we tend to think that people who skip leisure and work all the time are of
higher standing.
Thafs why we feel like we have to appear busy, and there?s a real perception that if
someone is knee-deep in meetings, emails, and stress, then they're probably a big deal. This
culture of busyness is making it hard for employees to find work-life balance. According to
a recent study, one in five highly engaged employees are at risk of burnout (精疲力竭).
Personally, I'm going to stop saying "busy" when people ask me how I am. It sounds
self-righteous (自 以为是的)and sets the wrong tone. Phrases like “I have limited access to
email" and "I'll respond as soon as I get back“ sound like you're being held against your
will from working as opposed to making the most of your time off.
Thafs why we recently launched the Out of Office Email Generator, a free tool you
can use before your next long weekend or trip. You can share loud and proud that you
won't be checking email until you're back. Managers need to think twice about emailing
their teams on the weekend and talking about how busy they are. Leaders should take time
off themselves and encourage employees to do the same.
46. What is a reason fbr the author to be in the habit of saying "busy" when asked how he is
doing?
A) He just follows successful people's example.
B) He is actually proud to be fully occupied.
C) He thinks everyone should be devoted to work.
D) He believes busyness ensures accomplishments.
47. Why do we tend to think that busy people are of high status?
A) Our status can be attributed to our social mobility.
B) We hold the belief that hard work leads to success.
C) Our own opportunity fbr success never comes easily.
D) We find few people of high status have time fbr leisure.
48. What do we learn about the culture of busyness from a recent study?
A) It places employees in endless meetings, emails and stress.
B) It compels some 20% of employees to appear always busy.
C) It distorts many employees9 belief of what a satisfying life is.
D) It does much harm to many busy employees5 well-being.
49. What do such utterances as “I have limited access to email“ sound like according to the
author?
A) One is too busy to check all emails in time.
2023年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研B) One is opposed to the prevailing work culture.
C) One is forced by circumstances to stop working.
D) One is simply enjoying their time off work.
50. Why did the author and his colleagues launch the Out of Office Email Generator?
A) To enable busy employees to spend less time checking emails.
B) To ensure employees as well as employers truly have time off.
C) To stop managers from talking about how busy their teams usually are.
D) To encourage both employers and employees to answer emails promptly.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Female employees consistently pay lower airfares than men do fbr the same flights
because they tend to book earlier.
We compared the airfare paid by employees in the same position within a company
for the same class of travel and used a common statistical technique to account fbr other
factors that might affect differences in airfares. We found that women paid on average $18
less per ticket than their male colleagues. Further investigation allowed us to conclude
that this gap is largely explained by the fact that women tended to book earlier than men,
1.8 days on average.
We wanted to determine what was causing these gender differences in booking business
trips so we tested a variety of possible explanations, such as women choosing to plan ahead
or male frequent travelers being inclined to book late. None of these explained away the
gender gap, so we applied data collected from surveys that express consumer preferences that
play a central role in economic decisions, such as patience and risk avoidance.
We found that only the concept of4'negative reciprocity^^—in which an employee who
feels unfairly treated engages in negative behaviors, such as spending their company's
money less carefully- explains these differences. The surveys showed men tend to exhibit
more of these negative behaviors than women. This isn't to say that all men engage in these
behaviors- or that booking relatively late is a sign of abnormal behavior. It only means that
the gender gap disappears when we plug in the negative reciprocity variable.
Prior research on negative reciprocity among workers found that it can result in lower
employee motivation, business performance and workplace morale (士气)and culture.
Our results show another way these negative behaviors can manifest themselves, like
in airline bookings, and add to evidence that women are less likely to engage in them.
Companies spend significant sums of money on business travel. While that $18
difference per ticket may seem small, it adds up. Our analysis suggests early booking by
women can translate into savings of $1 million a year fbr a large multinational company
with 20,000 regular travelers.
51. What did the author5 s team conclude about the gender difference in airfares from their
further investigation?
A) It is largely attributed to women booking earlier than men.
B) It is largely explained by women's choosing cheaper flights.
C) It is mainly accounted fbr by male employees9 readiness to pay more.
D) It is due to the fact that women care more about their company's money.
2023年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研52. What did the researchers want to determine by testing a variety of possible explanations?
A) What made male frequent travelers book air tickets late.
B) What caused women to plan ahead in booking business trips.
C) What motivated women to book cheaper flights.
D) What accounted for the gender gap in airfares.
53. What happened when the negative reciprocity variable was taken into account?
A) Both men and women were found to engage in negative behaviors.
B) Neither men nor women viewed booking late as a bad behavior.
C) The gender difference in airfare expenses no longer existed.
D) The gender gap tended to narrow to a significant degree.
54. What did prior research on negative reciprocity among workers find?
A) It can do more harm to the workplace than to employees.
B) It contributes to the male-female divide in the workplace.
C) It proves to be counterproductive in a number of ways.
D) It can result in increasing labor-management conflicts.
55. What does the author emphasize about their analysis in the last paragraph?
A) It can help companies increase their savings significantly.
B) It can duly contribute to companies? business performance.
C) It can translate women's booking practice into men's behavior.
D) It can enhance large multinational companies5 competitiveness.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
中国政府十分重视人民的健康饮食(diet) 通过大力提倡健康饮食，人们对合理营养增进健
o
康的重要性有了更加深刻的认识。“吃得安全、吃得营养、吃得健康”是人民对美好生活的基本需
要，是提升人民幸福感的必然要求，也为食品产业的发展提供了新机遇。目前，各级政府都在采取
多种举措确保人民饮食健康，推进健康中国的建设。
2023年12月英语四级真题第1套 第 9 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研2023年 12月大学英语四级考试真题（第 2 套）
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Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose the university newspaper is inviting submissions from the students for its
coming edition on the recent developments in their hometown. You are now to write an essay
for submission. You will have 30 minutes to write the essay. You should write at least 120 words
but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single
line through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) Their interests are quite similar. C) Their brains work in harmony.
B) They are generally the same age. D) They have the same ethnic background.
2. A) It can work both ways. C) It is hard to predict.
B) It can be touching. D) It resembles family ties.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) Identify their biological fathers. C) See whether they are actually related.
B) Search fbr their half-brothers. D) Find out more about their ancestry.
4. A) They were both 60 years of age. C) They flew 737 airplanes as pilots.
B) They were bom to the same mother. D) They were both given up fbr adoption.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) The kilometer-long beach was practically deserted.
B) The beautiful beach was spoiled with lots of trash.
C) Other tourists refused to join in the cleanup.
D) One of his friends was caught littering.
6. A) The beach authorities. C) A passerby.
B) One of the five tourists. D) A local woman.
7. A) It was tourists not natives who were cleaning up the beach.
B) The number of tourists to the be ach is on a steady decline.
C) Some natives were selling poor-quality food to tourists.
D) The tourists345 good d eed was not noticed by the locals.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
2023年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) He has to play football with workmates. C) He is going to visit a friend.
B) He has got some books to read. D) He is physically unfit for it.
9. A) To teach kids about animal protection. C) To see some rare animals in cages.
B) To learn how popular zoos could be. D) To give her little nephew a treat.
10. A) He enjoys excellent health. C) He coaches tennis players every week.
B) He is keen on extreme sports. D) He spends most of his time in the gym.
11. A) Tending to his swollen ankle. C) Writing three book reports.
B) Concentrating on reading. D) Planning Christmas celebrations.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) It is being debated by hundreds of retirees.
B) It is attracting many people's attention.
C) It partly records his own experience.
D) It argues for postponing retirement.
13. A) One should foresee a financial crisis.
B) One should trust financial planners' figures.
C) One should have one million dollars to retire.
D) One should start saving as early as possible.
14. A) It doesn't need to be permanent. C) It helps to reduce travel expenses.
B) It shouldn't be considered risky. D) It is the way to quit a job one hates.
15. A) By keeping close contact with one's employers.
B) By following the counsel of financial planners.
C) By retiring when one reaches sixty years old.
D) By investing half of one's monthly income.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will
hear three or four 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 1 with a single line through
the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) They tended to be arbitrarily judged by individuals of opposing groups.
B) They tended to be easily anticipated by those belonging to their own race.
C) They were influenced by the presence of someone from an outsider group.
D) They were readily shared among members of the same social or racial group.
2023年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研17. A) When an unknown student from another university was present.
B) When an experimenter from the research team took notice.
C) When they were offered both candy and fruit as a snack.
D) When they tried to make a positive impression on the researchers.
18. A) By maintaining its positive image.
B) By advertising its social benefits.
C) By supporting struggling consumers.
D) By teaching consumers diet strategies.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) The academic and learning issues struggling students encounter.
B) The risk students foce due to a history of mental health problems.
C) The work universities are doing to help students succeed academically.
D) The effect of interacting with therapy dogs on students under pressure.
20. A) Their executive functioning. C) Their academic networking.
B) Their communicative skills. D) Their leadership capacities.
21. A) Rid students of their anxiety.
B) Add to some students' stress.
C) Contribute little to typical student?s success.
D) Help students with mental issues pull through.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) Work hard and plan carefully. C) Aim high and expect great results.
B) Attempt to succeed at any cost. D) Remain optimistic even in difficulty.
23. A) Regarding failure as something inevitable.
B) Trying out innovative marketing strategies.
C) Venturing into sectors never explored before.
D) Being willing to experiment with novel ideas.
24. A) Expect future success so as to move forward .
B) Learn from our failure and fbrge ahead.
C) Distinguish between good and bad risks.
D) Examine our strategies and find out weaknesses.
25. A) Fresher offers. C) More challenges.
B) Safer operation. D) Less competition.
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
' 2023年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
A number of studies have looked at how family life can affect productivity and
satisfaction in the workplace. However, there has been 26 little research on the
influence of leisure activities. So Ciara Kelly and colleagues recruited 129 hobbyists to
look at how the time spent on their hobbies 27 their work life.
The researchers found that when participants spent longer than 28 on their
leisure activity, their belief in their ability to perform their job was strengthened. But this
was only the 29 when they had a serious hobby that was dissimilar to their job, or
when their hobby was similar to their work but they only did it 30 . When their hobby
was both serious and similar to their job, then spending more time on it actually decreased
their work 31 .
Why might that be? To maintain a serious hobby, people need to invest significant
psychological resources, say the authors—so if the activity has the same kinds of demands
as their work, they may be left 32 and unable to perform well at their job. But if their
hobby is quite different from their career, it may not 33 in the same way but instead
help them develop other knowledge and skills that can 34 their confidence at work.
''Consider a scientist who is a keen rock climber,says Kelly. "Since climbing is so far
35 from their day-to-day work activities, they can still recover from the demands of
their job with plenty of resources.55
A) boost I) normal
B) case J) prevalent
C) casually K) relative
D) efficiency L) removed
E) estate M) scratch
F) exhausted N)shaped
G) faculty O) surprisingly
H) interfere
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once.
Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding
letter on Answer Sheet 2.
More fathers are taking paternity leave, but mothers are still doing all the work
A) Attitudes towards paternity leave (陪产彳身)have drastically changed in America in the
last five years as more fathers feel comfortable taking extended time off, but gender
bias persists when it comes to career prospects and the home, according to a new study
of working parents.
B) Research by the Boston College Center for Work & Family, which surveyed new
parents at four large US companies who were qualified for taking at least six weeks
paid parental leave, found that 81% of the 1,240 employees surveyed said the notion of
2023年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研fathers taking leave has become more acceptable.
C) Of those surveyed, 62% of fathers took the maximum amount of time off compared to
93% of mothers, and around three-quarters of workers said their employer was equally
supportive of mothers and fathers taking parental leave and over half said leave policies
had made workplace culture better.
D) The US is one of only three countries in the world not to offer statutory (法定的)paid
leave, but increasingly states and companies are starting to take up the issue. So far,
eight states and the District of Columbia have their own paid family leave laws.
E) Brad Harrington, executive director of the center and lead author of the study,
estimates only 20% to 30% of companies in the US offer paid parental leave. He feels
the research findings reflect an obvious change in corporate attitudes to new fathers
taking time off.
F) “We did a study on paternity leave five years ago. Compared with those findings, these
numbers were shocking to me. I did not expect 80% of people to say the organisation
finds dads taking this leave acceptable and three-quarters to say ifs equally supportive
of women and men taking leave/5 Harrington said.
G) The previous study found that nearly three-quarters of fathers saw two to four weeks as
an appropriate duration for paternity leave and 76% said they would prefer not to take
all their time off at once.
H) Since then, there have been a number of legal cases against companies involving
paternity leave- including cases against JPMorgan Chase and Estee Lauder_which have
helped put pressure on companies to make their parental leave policies gender neutral.
I) However, the study also shows how traditional gender roles endure both at work, where
more women than men reported changes in their perceived career potential, and at
home- even among workers who claim to have a strong desire for equality.
J) The vast majority of men, 97%, said one of the top reasons to take leave was to share
caregiving with their partner. But when they were asked about how caregiving and
household tasks were divided, their answers painted a different picture. While about
75% of employees said both genders should give the same amount of care, the majority
of men and nearly half of women admitted that in reality the female actually did most of
it. A tiny fraction, 2%, of men said they did more of the childcare.
K) Men and women's experiences of the return to work following parental leave were also
considerably different. Of the women surveyed, 32% reported a downturn in their job
satisfaction, while 14% said it increased. In comparison, 17% of men said their job
satisfaction went down and 20% said it went up. Meanwhile, more women reported an
increase in their responsibilities and manager expectations after childbirth. Half of the
women said they used flexible work arrangements after becoming a parent, while just
27% of men did. Similar percentages of men and women said they enjoyed their careers
and that it gave them a sense of achievement, while around half of women and 44% of
men said it was a key part of their identity.
L) On the subject of career advancement, 59% of women and 49% of men said leave could
be limiting and both genders said they feared it would have an impact on their progress
long-term. But on opportunity for promotion, more than double the number of women,
30% compared with 15% of men, believed their chances to be lower after becoming a
2023年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研parent. Despite progress, the struggle for women to reach the highest positions of power
is demonstrated in this year's Fortune 500 list, which featured a record 33 female CEOs,
but this still represents a tiny fraction of the total.
M) Harrington said culture change depends on companies putting more focus on men and
their responsibilities. t4By that I mean companies need to give men paternity leave and
encourage men to take time off to be with their kids early on in the kids' life. They
also need to recognise that men have to make significant adjustments when they
become parents. Companies cannot do all these things to enhance women's
advancement and then turn around and say, 'Oh, but we don't expect the men to take
over for the women at home.^^^
N) In May, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Outten & Golden LLP
announced a historic class-action $ 5m settlement with JPMorgan Chase on behalf of
male employees who claim they were illegally denied access to paid parental leave.
Derek Rotondo, 35, filed the discrimination charge against his company after he was
allegedly told by his HR department that mothers were considered primary caregivers.
Thus, they were allowed to take 16 weeks of paid parental leave. Fathers, however,
could take just two weeks.
O) The father of two from Columbus, Ohio, who still works at the company as an associate
and investigator, said he has witnessed a “domino effect (多米诺效应)" across
companies since the settlement, but that there is still substantial progress to be made
towards changing attitudes towards paternity leave.
P) “I do think there5s still some way to go...there5s still going to be sort of the unstated
expectation for new dads to essentially come right back to work, but I think the
research is showing that's starting to change.He said equal parental leave is an
essential component to creating gender equality in the workplace. "The old standard
of women staying home, having babies and cooking doesn't apply and hasn't applied
for a long time.”
36. In the absence of Federal legislation, some states in the US have passed laws
concerning paid family leave.
37. Most fathers admitted that even during their paternity leave they actually did much less
childcare than the mother.
38. According to one father, equal parental leave is indispensable to achieving gender
equality in the workplace.
39. One survey indicated there is now less objection to paternity leave.
40. Compared to five years ago, according to one researcher, many more people said their
organisation gave the same support to men and women taking parental leave.
41. One study finds that even workers who claim to desire gender equality stick to
traditional gender roles both at work and at home.
42. The majority of workers surveyed said parental leave policies had improved workplace
culture.
43. In spite of progress, the number of women in top positions of big companies remains
extremely small.
2023年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研44. According to one estimate, less than one third of companies in the US provide paid
parental leave.
45. A number of lawsuits have pressured companies to formulate gender neutral policies on
parental leave.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Having a rival can keep you committed to achieving your goals and enhance your
overall performance. But before you go out and find an entrepreneur to outcompete, ifs
important to understand and avoid the traps that often come with rivalry. After all,
competitive rivalry can also hinder eflective decision-making and increase your willingness
to take risks, behaviors that can ultimately hurt your venture's success.
Finding someone you're committed to outcompeting can be a great way to stay
focused on your goals and push your venture to the next level. But when you're intently
focused on outperforming your rivals, you may begin to develop a “win-at-all-costs”
mentality that causes you to ignore how you achieve success. One group of researchers,
for example, examined the link between rivalry and unethical behavior. They found that
when people compete against their rivals, they are more willing to behave unethically to
win. But such behavior may stain your reputation and strain relationships important to
your success. One way to avoid this trap is to stop and reflect on whafs important. While
outperforming your rivals may provide short-term benefits, the loss of your integrity will
have long-term consequences.
One reason having a rival can enhance your venture's performance is that it creates a
level of excitement that drives you to work harder. But this eagerness to win may also
hurt your venture's success, particularly when it causes you to make impulsive, insensible
decisions. But it's possible to avoid such costly mistakes by making a habit of engaging in
critical thinking, such as considering opposing viewpoints and conducting cost-benefit
analyses, especially for those decisions that are complex and can determine the future of
your venture.
The sense of eagerness that comes with having a rival can not only cause you to make
poorer decisions, but it can also lead you to take greater risks that put your venture in peril.
One way you can overcome the risk-inducing effects of rivalry that stand to endanger your
venture's success is to remain attentive to your emotional state and actively monitor how
such feelings are affecting your decision-making.
46. How can competitive rivalry benefit entrepreneurs according to the passage?
A) By enabling them to outcompete other entrepreneurs.
B) By enabling them to make their venture a success.
C) By helping them to reach long-term goals.
D) By helping them to stay goal-oriented.
2023年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研47. What is one of the traps entrepreneurs may often fall into when competing with rivals?
A) They may adopt strategies that are bound to ruin their venture.
B) They may resort to unethical means to outperform their rivals.
C) They may be too eager to succeed while ignoring the huge labor cost.
D) They may be intently focused on winning at the current market level.
48. What are entrepreneurs advised to do to avoid traps that often accompany rivalry?
A) Deliberate on what really matters.
B) Prioritize reaping immediate benefits.
C) Estimate the long-term consequences.
D) Reflect on what successes are achievable.
49. How can entrepreneurs avoid making impulsive and insensible decisions?
A) By engaging themselves in critical reasoning.
B) By developing a habit of keeping their integrity.
C) By criticizing themselves for previous poor performances.
D) By refraining from being too excited about their successes.
50. How can entrepreneurs overcome the risk-inducing effects of rivalry?
A) By paying close attention to their current performance.
B) By taking steps that stand to endanger their rivals? success.
C) By monitoring how their decision-making impacts their mentality.
D) By keeping their emotions in check to avoid making poor decisions.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
A multitasker is one who can perform two or more tasks effectively at the same time,
which-apart from the obvious differences- is similar to what a computer does. The concept
does indeed come from the realms of technology, where it is used to refer to an operating
system that can execute multiple tasks at the same time. However, the question is: can a
person really be a multitasker?
For most scientists, the answer is no. So much so that, according to experts in
neuroscience (神经系统科学)，our brains do not handle multitasking situations well. As
soon as two tasks require our attention, productivity suffers. What we call multitasking,
therefore, is in reality the ability to move more or less quickly from one task to another.
This requires two essential conditions: that one of the tasks needs to be automatic, like
walking or eating, and that they both need different mental processes. Answering the phone
and writing at the same time, for example.
However, on the other side of the coin there are people who maintain that it is possible
to be, or at least seem to be, multitasking. A recent study concluded that regardless of
whether people are actually handling several tasks or not, the mere fact that they perceive
this activity as multitasking has a positive effect on their performance.
The business perspective offers a different view: multitasking is understood as the
ability to adapt to all types of environment within a company and effectively undertake
different activities within a set time frame. Indeed, many companies look for people who
are skilled in multitasking to improve their productivity. From this different perspective,
you can not only be multitasking but this ability can also be taught: something that is easier
in fluid organisations, which favour flexibility in their working practices.
2023年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研The benefits of multitasking are clear. Being quicker and more efficient increases our
performance and the number of tasks completed. But having to pay attention to several
things at once means that the powers of concentration are reduced and that can lead to
more mistakes.
51 .What does a “multitasker“ originally refer to?
A) An operating system capable of doing several tasks at once.
B) A skilled worker executing more than one task at the same time.
C) A sophisticated technology doing several tasks effectively at once.
D) An efficient person able to perform multiple tasks at the same time.
52 .Why can't people really be multitaskers according to neuroscientists?
A) They are not sufficiently exposed to multitasking situations.
B) They are not comparable to mechanical operating systems.
C) Their brains do not allow them to multitask.
D) Their attention span cannot be expanded.
53 .What do we learn from the conclusion of a recent study on multitasking?
A) People make greater achievements by maintaining whatever they are doing is multitasking.
B) People's performance benefits from the perception of what they are doing as multitasking.
C) People's active mental processes exert a positive effect on their multitasking.
D) People can improve their capabilities by handling multitasking situations.
54 . How does the business world view multitasking?
A) It is a rare skill often found in fluid organisations.
B) It is an adaptable capability required of all workers.
C) It is an essential quality many employees lack.
D) It is a desirable ability that can be developed.
55 .What does the author imply we should do if we have to focus on some task and do it
well?
A) Work in a flexible way. C) Avoid multitasking.
B) Learn from mistakes. D) Increase efficiency.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
改革开放以来，中国人民生活水平不断提高，这在人们的优食(diet)变化上得到充分体现。
如今，人们不再满足于吃得饱，而是追求吃得更加安全、更加营养、更加健康，食物也愈来愈丰富
多样，不再限于本地的农产品。物流业(logistics industry)的发展使人们很容易品尝到全国各地的特
产。毫无疑问，食品质量与饮食结构的改善为增进人们健康提供了有力的保障。
2023年12月英语四级真题第2套 第 9 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研2023年 12月大学英语四级考试真题（第 3 套）
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose the university newspaper is inviting submissions from the students far its
coming edition on a campus event that has impressed them most. You are now to write an essay
for submission. You will have 30 minutes to write the essay. You should write at least 120 words
but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
淘宝店铺【光速考研工作室】温馨提示：由于2023年 12月四级考试全国共考了两套听力，本套
真题听力与第2 套内容相同，只是选项顺序不同，因此在本套真题中不再重复出现。
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
When people set out to improve their health, they usually take a familiar path: starting
a healthy diet, getting better sleep, and doing regular exercise. Each of these behaviors is
important, of course, but they all 26 on physical health- and a growing body of
research suggests that social health is just as, if not more, important to 27 well-being.
One recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE, for example, found that the
strength of a person's social circle was a better 28 of sei住reported stress, happiness
and well-being levels than fitness tracker data on physical activity, heart rate and sleep.
That finding suggests that the " 29 self5, represented by endless amounts of health data
doesn't tell the whole 30 .
There's also a qualified self, which is who I am, what are my activities, my social
network, and all of these aspects are not 31 in any of these measurements.
This idea is supported by plenty of 32 research. Studies have shown that social
support_whether it comes from friends, family members or a spouse—is 33 associated
with better mental and physical health. A rich social life, these studies suggest, can lower
stress levels, improve mood, encourage positive health behaviors and discourage damaging
ones, boost heart health and improve illness 34 rates.
Social isolation, meanwhile, is linked to higher rates of physical diseases and mental
health conditions. It's a significant problem, 35 since loneliness is emerging as a
widespread public health problem in many countries.
A) base I) prompt
B) eagerly J) puzzle
C) especially K) quantified
D) focus L) recovery
E) indicator M) reflected
F) overall N) story
G) preached O) strongly
H) prior
Section B
2023年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 1 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
Teenagers and social networking
A) As a parent of two boys at primary school, I worry about the issues associated with
teenagers and social media. Newspapers are constantly filled with frightening accounts
of drug addiction and aggressive behaviour supposedly caused by violent videogames.
But even when these accounts touch on real concerns, they do not really reflect the
great mass of everyday teenage social behaviour: the online chat, the texting, the surfing,
and the emergence of a new teenage sphere that is conducted digitally.
B) New technologies always provoke generational panic, which usually has more to do
with adult fears than with the lives of teenagers. In the 1930s, parents worried that radio
was gaining “an irresistible hold of their children”. In the 80s, the great danger was the
Sony Walkman (随身听).When you look at today's digital activity, the facts are much
more positive than you might expect.
C) Indeed, social scientists who study young people have found that their digital use can be
inventive and even beneficial. This is true not just in terms of their social lives, but their
education too. So if you use a ton of social media, do you become unable, or unwilling,
to engage in face-to-face contact? The evidence suggests not. Research by Amanda
Lenhart of the Pew Research Centre, a US think tank, found that the most passionate
texters are also the kids most likely to spend time with friends in person. One form of
socialising doesn't replace the other. It expands it.
D) “Kids still spend time face to face,^^ Lenhart says. Indeed, as they get older and are
given more freedom, they often ease up on social networking. Early on, the web is their
“third space"，but by the late teens, ifs replaced in reaction to greater independence.
They have to be on Facebook, to know whafs going on among friends and family, but
they are ambivalent (有矛盾心理的)about it, says Rebecca Eynon, a research fellow at
the Oxford Internet Institute, who has interviewed about 200 British teenagers over
three years. As they gain experience with living online, they begin to adjust their
behaviour, struggling with new communication skills, as they do in the real world.
E) Parents are wrong to wony that kids don't care about privacy. In fact, they spend hours
changing Facebook settings or using quick-delete sharing tools, such as Snapchat, to
minimise their traces. Or they post a photograph on Instagram, have a pleasant
conversation with friends and then delete it so that no traces remain.
F) This is not to say that kids always use good judgment. Like everyone else, they make
mistakes- sometimes serious ones. But working out how to behave online is a new
social skill. While there5s plenty of drama and messiness online, it is not, for most teens,
a cycle of non-stop abuse: a Pew study found only 15% of teens said someone had
bullied them online in the last 12 months.
G) But surely all this short-form writing is affecting literacy? Certainly, teachers worry.
They say that kids use overly casual language and text-speak in writing, and don't have
as much patience for long reading and complex arguments. Yet studies of first-year
college papers suggest these anxieties may be partly based on misguided nostalgia (怀
2023年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 2 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研旧).When Stanford University scholar Andrea Lunsford gathered data on the rates of
errors in "freshman composition,, papers going back to 1917, she found that they were
virtually identical to today.
H) But even as error rates stayed stable, student essays have blossomed in size and
complexity. They are now six times longer and, unlike older “what I did this summer^^
essays, they offer arguments supported by evidence. Why? Computers have vastly
increased the ability of students to gather information, sample different points of view
and write more fluidly.
I) When linguist Naomi Baron studied students' instant messaging even there she found
surprisingly rare usage of short forms such as "u" fbr "you”, and as students got older,
they began to write in more grammatical sentences. That is because they want to appear
more adult, and they know how adults are expected to write. Clearly, teaching teens
formal writing is still crucial, but texting probably isn't destroying their ability to learn it.
J) It is probably true that fewer kids are heavy readers compared with two generations ago,
when cheap paperbacks boosted rates of reading. But even back then, a minority of
people- perhaps 20%一were lifelong heavy readers, and it was cable TV, not the
internet, that struck a blow at that culture in the 1980s. Still, 15% or more of kids are
found to be deeply bookish. In fact, the online world offers kids remarkable
opportunities to become literate and creative because young people can now publish
ideas not just to their friends, but to the world. And it turns out that when they write for
strangers, their sense of ''authentic audience^^ makes them work harder, push themselves
further, and create powerful new communicative forms.
K) Few would deny that too much time online can be harmful. Some of the dangers are
emotional: hurting someone from a distance is not the same as hurting them face to
face. If we're lucky, the legal environment will change to make teenagers? online lives
less likely to haunt them later on. Just last week, California passed a law allowing
minors to demand that internet firms erase their digital past and the EU has considered
similar legislation.
L) Distraction is also a serious issue. When kids switch from chat to music to homework,
they are indeed likely to have trouble doing each task well. And studies show that pupils
don't fact-check information online一"smart searching^^ is a skill schools need to teach
urgently. Ifs also true that too much social networking and game playing can cut into
schoolwork and sleep. This is precisely why parents still need to set firm boundaries
around it, as with any other distraction.
M) So whafs the best way to cope? The same boring old advice that applies to everything
in parenting: moderation. Rebecca Eynon argues that it's key to model good behaviour.
Parents who stare non-stop at their phones and don't read books are likely to breed kids
who will do the same. As ever, we ought to be careful about our own behaviour.
36. Research has found the use of digital technology benefits not only teenagers' social
lives but also their studies.
37. It is urgent that schools teach kids how to verify online information.
38. Students now write longer and more complex essays than their counterparts in previous
decades while the error rates remain unchanged.
39. Newspaper reports of teenagers give a false picture of their behaviour.
2023年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 3 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研40. Parents are advised to mind their own digital behaviour and set a good example for their
kids.
41. Contrary to parents' belief, kids try hard to leave as few traces as possible on the web.
42. Students' ability to learn formal writing is unlikely to be affected by texting.
43. Historically, new technologies have always caused great fears among parents.
44. The reading culture was seriously affected by cable television some four decades ago.
45. Teachers say that kids' writing is too casual, using language characteristic of text
messages.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
In the history of horse racing, few horses have captured the affection of the British
public like Red Rum. Today, three decades after his retirement, he is still one of the
best-known and most beloved racehorses of all time.
Red Rum was passed around to several owners before being purchased for Noel Le
Mar. The agent who made the purchase was the now-legendary horse trainer Donald
“Ginger” McCain.
It wasn't apparent at the time, but Red Rum had a serious bone disease in his foot. For
many horses (and many trainers) this would mean the end of a racing career before it even
began. For Ginger and Red Rum, though, it was just an obstacle to greatness that had to be
overcome.
Red Rum's true talent came out in steeplechases (障碍赛马).His power, speed and
jumping ability carried him to his first Grand National title in 1973. The very next year,
Red Rum returned to take his second title. He was the first horse to take successive firsts
since Reynoldstown in 1935-1936. Red Rum's spirit and grace had already begun to charm
the leagues of Grand National fans.
In the following two years, Red Rum lost out on the title, coming in second both times.
When he returned in 1977 to try again, he was largely regarded as past his prime. He was
12 years old and not expected to place highly. He surprised sporting fans around the world
when he came in a remarkable 25 lengths ahead of the nearest horse, taking his third Grand
National win. To this day, Red Rum's third win is known as one of the greatest moments in
horse racing history.
Red Rum was headed for the Grand National once again in 1978 but suffered an injury
in one of his heels shortly before the race. He was retired soon after, but his public life and
fame by no means decreased with the end of his career. Red Rum traveled all over the
country for various engagements. He often led pre-race parades at Aintree Racecourse and
was a popular guest at charity benefits and public events.
2023年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 4 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研46. What do we learn from the passage about Red Rum the racehorse?
A) He captured public aflection long before he won national titles.
B) He won enormous fame and love from British people.
C) He became a myth three decades after his retirement.
D) He owed his great success to several well-known horse trainers.
47. What did the serious bone disease in Red Rum's foot mean to himself and his trainer?
A) It was simply a hindrance they had to get over to excel.
B) It was surely a disadvantage though not considered fatal.
C) It was actually the end of a racing career that had just begun.
D) It was really a major obstacle hard to overcome on their own.
48. What does the author say Red Rum did with his power, speed and jumping ability?
A) He won his first Grand National title at 12.
B) He took two firsts successively in 1935-1936.
C) He surprised sporting fans worldwide in 1973.
D) He took three Grand National wins in the 1970s.
49. What did people generally think of Red Rum when he returned to the racecourse in 1977?
A) He had already passed the peak of his racing life.
B) He would have no rival in Grand National steeplechases.
C) He had lost his charm with the leagues of Grand National fans.
D) He could be expected to repeat his glory in the prime of his career.
50. What became of Red Rum after his career ended?
A) He suffered from severe pain in a heel.
B) He spent almost all his time traveling.
C) He lived on various charity benefits.
D) He remained famous and popular.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
People in business often make decisions based on their own personal feelings or
instincts. It is quite horrifying to see people being guided by some unknown force. But how
wise is it, really, to let your instincts drive your decisions?
In the decision-making process, relying on instincts only makes sense when you have
a vast experience to support you. Simply “fueling“ that something is right or should be done
is highly subjective and can drown you.
On the other hand, there is a more rational approach to making decisions. Data and
analysis have long been associated with informed decisions. These reduce the likelihood of
errors and increase the chances of success. Big, systematic data is mostly the foundation of
most of our decisions, personal and business alike. But with its extreme usability comes a
complication: what do you do if you strongly feel something should not be done, even if the
data insists that it should?
This seemingly easy question is what drives the need to understand the relationship
between instincts and data in the decision-making process. Without making things
complicated, the solution to this dilemma is using data and instincts in conjunction to arrive
at the best possible decisions.
Instinctive decisions are always backed by previous experiences or information, which
2023年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 5 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研acknowledges that instinctive decisions have worked in the past. Decisions are not about
making the choice and braving the consequences because you want to blindly trust your
instincts. They are about combining your inner wisdom with the knowledge of systematic
data to make the best decisions.
Sometimes, rational analysis and data are impractical to be employed in certain
situations. Absence of definitive criteria, and time and resource constraints, and novel
situations are instances which limit the practicality of data. The only feasible option is to
rely on what your instincts tell you. In these situations, instincts can help you make
effective and quick decisions.
Combining instinctive and rational analysis produces well-rounded decisions. It
reduces the chances of making mistakes, and has increasingly become a favorite approach
to decision-making among leaders of today.
51. What does the author say businesspeople often do?
A) Strive to make sense of some unknown forces.
B) Avoid being driven by their own feelings.
C) Draw on a vast wealth of past experience.
D) Rely on instincts in decision-making.
52. What should we take into account in order to make informed decisions?
A) The likelihood of errors. C) The complexity of circumstances.
B) Systematic data and analysis. D) Personal feelings and business strategies.
53. What should people do in a decision-making process if instincts disagree with data?
A) Resolve the dilemma with previous experience.
B) Figure out which of the two is more reliable.
C) Combine the two together.
D) Prioritize instincts over data.
54. What should we do when facing various factors that limit the practicality of data?
A) Make a rational and systematic analysis. C) Resort to our inner wisdom.
B) Explore the most feasible options. D) Apply definitive criteria.
55. What does it take for decisions to become the best according to the author?
A) Applying instincts and data in conjunction.
B) Assessing all factors when making a choice.
C) Recalling what has actually worked in the past.
D) Refraining from trusting instincts arbitrarily.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
改革开放以来，中国人的轨盒(diet)发生了显著变化。过去由于经济落后，食品种类有限、数
量不足，人们仅仅满足于吃得饱。如今中国经济快速发展，食品不仅更加丰富多样，质量也大幅提
高。随着生活水平不断提升，人们对饮食的要求越来越高，更加注重吃得营养健康。因此，目前市
场上推出的低脂、低糖、有机食品受到人们的普遍欢迎。
2023年12月英语四级真题第3套 第 6 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研2024年 06月大学英语四级考试真题(第1 套)
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose your university is seeking students' opinions on whether university libraries
should be open to the public. You are now to write an essay to express your view. You will have
30 minutes for the task. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single
line through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) Due to a fire alarm in their apartments.
B) Because of the smoke and heat damage.
C) Due to the water used to extinguish the flames.
D) Because of the collapse of the three-story building.
2. A) Investigating the cause of the incident.
B) Helping search for the suspect of the crime.
C) Rescuing the businessmen trapped in the building.
D) Checking town records for the property developer.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) It plays a less important role in one's health than nutrient intake.
B) It impacts people's health to a lesser degree than sun exposure.
C) It is associated with people's mental health conditions.
D) It is linked with older adults' symptoms of depression.
4. A) It was indefinite. C) It was straightforward.
B) It was systematic. D) It was insignificant.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) It has helped solve several murder cases.
B) It has become a star police dog in Beijing.
C) It has surpassed its mother in performance.
D) It has done better than naturally bom dogs.
6. A) To speed up investigation into criminal cases. C) To cut down training expenses.
B) To test the feasibility of cloning technology. D) To reduce their training time.
7. A) Cloning is too complicated a process. C) Cloning is ethically controversial.
2024年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研B) The technology is yet to be accepted. D) The technology is too expensive.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) He read it somewhere online. C) He read an article reviewing it.
B) He heard about it from a coworker. D) He watched a TV series based on it.
9. A) His publications. C) His address.
B) His first book. D) His name.
10. A) Collect a lot more data. C) Clarify many new concepts.
B) Relax a bit less often. D) Read more reference books.
11. A) Find out the show's most interesting episodes.
B) Watch the series together with the woman.
C) Get an e-copy of the book to read.
D) Check to see when the show starts.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) To check the prices of his farm produce.
B) To ask the way to the Newcastle City Hall.
C) To inquire about the vegetarian food festival.
D) To seek the man's help with her work on the farm.
13. A) Bakers. C) Vegetarians.
B) Vendors. D) Organisers.
14. A) The issuing of certificates to vendors. C) The festival they are organising.
B) The completion of the baking task. D) The deadline for application.
15. A) The closing date of submission. C) The details of the ceremony.
B) The website of his company. D) The organiser's address.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will
hear three or four 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 1 with a single line through
the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) Most scenic sites have been closed.
B) Access to official campsites is limited.
C) Health experts advise going outdoors.
2024年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研D) People have more time during the summer.
17. A) It is strongly opposed by nearby residents.
B) It leads to much waste of public money.
C) It has caused environmental concerns.
D) It has created conflicts among campers.
18. A) Look fbr open land in Scotland. C) Avoid getting close to wilderness.
B) Leave no trace of their camping. D) Ask for permission from authorities.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) They outcompete mythical creatures.
B) They usually mind their own business.
C) They truly exist in the Amazon region.
D) They resemble alarmingly large snakes.
20. A) Scar tissue from dolphins' fighting.
B) Skin infection from water pollution.
C) Unhealed wounds from snake bites.
D) Swimming along in seasonal floods.
21. A) It has been shrinking at an astonishing pace.
B) It has been placed under international protection.
C) It has been appealing to both freshwater and sea dolphins.
D) It has been abandoned as a battleground for male dolphins.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) About 58% of young adults call parental support the new normal.
B) Most adult children enjoy increasing sources of financial support.
C) A full 70% of the young adults cannot afford to buy a car by themselves.
D) Most early adults cannot sustain their lifestyles without parental support.
23. A) It renders them dependent. C) It makes them mentally immature.
B) It causes them to lose dignity. D) It hinders them from getting ahead.
24. A) It challenges one's willpower. C) It calls fbr due assistance.
B) It results from education. D) It defines adulthood.
25. A) Current lifestyles. C) College loans.
B) Poor budgeting. D) Emergency expenses.
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
2024年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
Ifs well known that physical exercise is beneficial not just to physical health but also
to mental health. Yet whereas most countries have 26 , evidence-backed guidelines on
the type and intensity of exercise 27 for various physical health benefits, such
guidelines do not yet exist for exercise and mood. This is 28 due to a lack of
necessary evidence. However, a new systematic review brings us usefully up to-date on the
current findings in this area.
Before 29 into some of the key take-aways, an important 30 made in the
review is between aerobic exercise and anaerobic. The former 31 such things as
walking, jogging and cycling and means exercising in such a way that your body is able to
use oxygen to bum fat for energy. In contrast, anaerobic exercise- such as lifting heavy
weights- is of such 32 intensity that your body does not have time to use oxygen to
create energy and so instead it breaks down glucose (葡萄糖)in your blood or muscles.
Beginning first with the influence of exercise intensity on the mood benefits of aerobic
exercise, the researchers, led by John Chan at Shenzhen University, found 33 results
from 19 relevant studies. Some favoured higher intensity, others low, while seven studies
found that intensity made no 34 to mood benefits.
In relation to the intensity of anaerobic exercise, however, the results were far
clearer- the optimum (最 佳 选 择 )for improving mood is 35 intensity, perhaps
because low intensity is too dull while high intensity is too unpleasant.
A) constitutes I) involves
B) contradictory J) moderate
C) decision K) notified
D) detailed L) partly
E) difference M) required
F) dipping N) traditionally
G) distinction 0) vigorous
H) falling
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
Why Do Americans Work So Much?
A) How will we all keep busy when we only have to work 15 hours a week? That was the
question that worried the British economist John Maynard Keynes when he wrote his
short essay ''Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren^^ in 1930. Over the next
century, he predicted, the economy would become so productive that people would
2024年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研barely need to work at all. For a while, it looked like Keynes was right. In 1930 the
average working week was 47 hours in the United States. But by 1970, the number of
hours Americans worked on average had fallen to slightly less than 39.
B) But then something changed. Instead of continuing to decline, the duration of the
working week remained stable. It has stayed at just below 40 hours for nearly five
decades. So what happened? Why are people working just as much today as in 1970?
C) There would be no mystery in this if Keynes had been wrong about the power of
technology to increase the economy's productivity, which he thought would lead to a
standard of living “between four and eight times as high as it is today.^^ But Keynes got
that right: Technology has made the economy massively more productive. According to
Benjamin M.Friedman, an economist at Harvard, the U.S. economy is right on track to
reach Keynes?s eight-fold (/1 倍)multiple by 2029. That is a century after the last data
Keynes would have had access to.
D) In a new paper, Friedman tries to figure out why that increased productivity has not
translated into increased leisure time. Perhaps people just never feel materially satisfied,
always wanting more money to buy the next new thing. This is a theory that appeals to
many economists. ''This argument is, at best, far from sufficient,he writes. If that were
the case, why did the duration of the working week decline in the first place?
E) Another theory Friedman considers is that, in an era of ever fewer settings that provide
effective opportunities for personal connections and relationships, people may place
more value on the socializing that happens at work. There is support fbr this theory.
Many people today consider colleagues as friends. But Friedman argues that the
evidence fbr this theory is far from conclusive. Many workers report that they would
like to spend more time with family, rather than at work. Furthermore, this theory
cannot explain the change in trend in the U.S. working week in the 1970s.
F) A third possibility proves more convincing for Friedman. That is: American inequality
means that the gains of increasing productivity are not widely shared by everyone. In
other words, most Americans are too poor to work less. Unlike the other two
explanations Friedman considers, this one fits chronologically (按年代).Inequality
declined in America during the period following World War II, along with the duration
of the working week. But since the early 1970s it has risen dramatically.
G) Keynes's prediction of a shorter working week rests on the idea that the standard of
living would continue rising for everyone. But Friedman says that this is not what has
happened. Although Keynes's eight-fold figure holds up for the economy as a whole, it
is not at all the case for the median (中位数的)American worker. For them, output by
2029 is likely to be around 3.5 times what it was when Keynes was writing. This is a bit
below his fbur-to eight-fold predicted range.
H) This can be seen in the median worker's income over this time period, complete with a
shift in 1973 that fits in precisely with when the working week stopped shrinking.
According to Friedman, between 1947 and 1973 the average hourly wage for normal
workers (those who were not in management roles) in private industries other than
agriculture nearly doubled in terms of what their money could buy. But by 2013 the
average hourly wage fbr ordinary workers had fallen 5 percent from the 1973 level in
terms of actual purchasing power. Thus, though American incomes may have gone up
since 1973, the amount that American workers can actually buy with their money has
gone down. For most Americans, then, the magic of increasing productivity stopped
2024年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研working around 1973. Thus, they had to keep working just as much in order to maintain
their standard of living.
I) What Keynes predicted was a very optimistic version of what economists call
technological unemployment. This is the idea that less labor will be necessary because
machines can do so much. In Keynes's vision, the resulting unemployment would be
distributed more or less evenly across society in the form of increased leisure. But
Friedman says that, fbr Americans, reality is much darker. Americans now have a labor
market in which millions of people- those with fewer skills and less education- are
seeking whatever poorly paid work they can get. This is confirmed by a recent poll that
found that, for half of hourly workers, their top concern is not that they work too much
but that they work too little. This is most likely not because they like their jobs so much.
Rather, we can assume it is because they need the money.
J) This explanation leaves an important question. If the very rich- the workers who have
reaped above-average gains from the increased productivity since Keynes 5s time- can
afford to work less, why do they continue to work so much? (Indeed, research has
shown that the highest earners in America tend to work the most.) Friedman believes
that for many top earners, work is a labor of love. They are doing work they care about
and are interested in, and doing more of it is not necessarily a burden. For them, it may
even be a pleasure. These top earners derive meaning from their jobs and work is an
important part of how they think of themselves. And, of course, they are compensated
fbr it at a level that makes it worth their while.
K) Friedman concludes that the prosperity (繁荣)Keynes predicted is here. After all, the
economy as a whole has grown even more brilliantly than he expected. But for most
Americans, that prosperity is nowhere to be seen. And, as a result, neither are those
shorter working weeks.
36. Some people view socializing at the workplace as a chance to develop personal
relationships.
37. As ordinary American workers5 average hourly pay had decreased despite increasing
productivity, they had to work just as many hours as before to keep their living standards.
38. American workers5 average weekly working time has not changed for nearly half a
century.
39. Friedman believes inequality in the U.S. largely explains why increasing productivity
has not resulted in reduced working hours.
40. Many economists assume people's thirst for material things has prevented them from
enjoying more leisure time.
41. An economisfs prediction about a shorter average working week seemed to be correct
fbr a time in the 20th century.
42. In the U.S. labor market, the primary concern of people with less schooling and fewer
skills is to secure any employment even if it is low-paid.
43. Keynes was right in predicting that technology would make the economy much more
productive.
44. Many of the highest earners have a keen interest in and love for what they are doing.
45. According to Keynes, there would be a shorter working week with everyone's standard
of living continuing to rise.
2024年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Lao Zi once said, “Care about what other people think and you will always be their
prisoner.^^
People-pleasing, or seeking seli-worth through others' approval, is unproductive and
an exhausting way to go through life. Why do we allow what others think of us to have so
much power over how we feel about ourselves? If ifs true that you can't please all people
all of the time, wouldn't it make sense to stop trying?
Unfortunately, sense often isn't driving our behavior. For social beings who desire
love and belonging, wanting to be liked, and caring about the effect we have on others, is
healthy and allows us to make connections. However, where we get into trouble is when
our self-worth is dependent upon whether we win someone's approval or not.
This need to be liked can be traced back to when we were children and were
completely dependent on others to take care of us: Small children are not just learning how
to walk and communicate, they are also trying to learn how the world works. We learn
about who we are and what is expected of us based on interactions with others, so, to a
fbur-year-old, if Mommy or Daddy doesn't like him or her, there is the danger that they will
abandon them. We need to understand that when we desperately want someone to approve
of us, ifs being driven by that little kid part of us that is still terrified of abandonment.
As you become more capable of providing yourself with the approval you seek, your
need for external validation will start to vanish, leaving you stronger, more confident, and
yes, happier in your life. Imagine how much time we lose each moment we restrain our
authentic selves in an effort to be liked.
If we base our worth on the opinions of others, we cheat ourselves of the power to
shape our experiences and embrace life not only for others but also for ourselves, because
ultimately, there is no difference. So embrace the cliche (老话)and love yourself as it's
highly doubtful that you511 regret it.
46. What can we conclude from Lao Zi's quotation?
A) We should see through other people's attempt to make a prisoner of us.
B) We can never really please other people even if we try as hard as we can.
C) We can never be truly free if taking to heart others' opinion of us.
D) We should care about other people's view as much as they care about our own.
47. What will happen if we base our sell-worth on other people's approval?
A) Our desire to be loved will be fulfilled.
B) Our life will be unfruitful and exhausting.
C) Our identity as social beings will be affected.
D) Our sense of self will be sharpened and enhanced.
2024年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研48. What may account for our need to be liked or approved of?
A) Our desperate longing fbr interactions with others.
B) Our understanding of the workings of the world.
C) Our knowledge about the pain of abandonment.
D) Our early childhood fear of being deserted.
49. What can we do when we become better able to provide ourselves with the desired
approval?
A) Enjoy a happier life. C) Receive more external validation.
B) Exercise self-restraint. D) Strengthen our power of imagination.
50. What does the author advise us to do in the last paragraph?
A) Embrace life fbr ourselves and for others.
B) Base our worth on others5 opinions.
C) See our experiences as assets.
D) Love ourselves as we are.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Some people have said aging is more a slide into forgetfulness than a journey towards
wisdom. However, a growing body of research suggests that late-in-life learning is possible.
In reality, education does an aging brain good.
Throughout life, people's brains constantly renovate themselves. In the late 1960s,
British brain scientist Geoffrey Raisman spied growth in damaged brain regions of rats
through an electron microscope; their brains were forging new connections. This meant
brains may change every time a person leams something new.
Of course, that doesn't mean the brain isn't affected by the effects of time. Just as
height usually declines over the years, so does brain volume: Humans lose about 4 percent
every decade starting in their 40s. But that reduction doesn't necessarily make people think
slower; as long as we are alive and functioning, we can alter our brains with new
information and experiences.
In fact, scientists now suspect accumulating novel experiences, facts, and skills can
keep people's minds more flexible. New pathways can strengthen our ever-changing
mental structure, even as the brain shrinks.
Conventional fixes like word puzzles and brain-training apps can contribute to mental
durability. Even something as simple as taking a different route to the grocery store or
going somewhere new on vacation can keep the brain healthy.
A desire for new life challenges can further boost brainpower. Research about aging
adults who take on new enterprises shows improved function and memory as well as a
reduced risk of mental disease. Openness- a characteristic defined by curiosity and a desire
for knowledge- may also help folks pass brain tests. Some folks are bom with this
take-in-the-world attitude, but those who aren,t as genetically gifted aren,t necessarily out
of luck. While genes can encourage an interest in doing new things, a 2012 study in the
journal Psychology and Aging found completing reasoning tasks like puzzles and number
games can enhance that desire for novel experiences, which can, in turn, refresh the brain.
Thafs why brain scientist Richard Kennedy says "It's not that old dogs can't learn new
tricks. Ifs that maybe old dogs don't realize why they should.^^
2024年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研51. What do some people think of aging adults?
A) Their wisdom grows as time goes by.
B) Their memory gradually deteriorates.
C) They can benefit from late-in-life learning.
D) They are likely to have mental health issues.
52. What can we conclude from Geoffrey Raisman's finding?
A) Brain damage seriously hinders one's learning.
B) Brain power weakens slower than we imagine.
C) Brains can refresh and improve with learning.
D) Brains forge connections under new conditions.
53. What is one thing that helps maintain the health of our brain even as it shrinks?
A) Doing daily routines by conventional means.
B) Avoiding worrying about our mental durability.
C) Imitating old dogs' way of learning new tricks.
D) Approaching everyday tasks in novel ways.
54. What does the author say can contribute to the improvement of brain function?
A) Being curious and desiring knowledge.
B) Being eager to pass brain tests at an old age.
C) Rising to life's challenges and avoiding risks.
D) Boosting immunity to serious mental diseases.
55. What is the finding of the 2012 study in the journal Psychology and Aging!
A) Wishing to solve puzzles enhances one's reasoning power.
B) Playing number games unexpectedly stimulates one's memory.
C) Desiring new experiences can help to renovate the brain.
D) Learning new tricks should not be confined to old dogs only.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
四合院(siheyuan)是中国一种传统的住宅建筑，其特点是房屋建造在一个院子的四周，将院
子合围在中间。四合院通常冬暖夏凉，环境舒适，尤其适合大家庭居住。四合院在中国各地有多种
类型，其中以北京的四合院最为典型。如今，随着现代城市的发展，传统的四合院已逐渐减少，但
因其独特的建筑风格，四合院对中国文化的传承和中国历史的研究具有重要意义。
2024年6月英语四级真题第1套 第 9 页 共 9 页 by:光速考研2024年 06月大学英语四级考试真题（第 2 套）
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Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose your university is seeking students' opinions on whether university sports
facilities should be open to the public. You are now to write an essay to express your view. You
will have 30 minutes for the task. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180
words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report,
you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single
line through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) It hit a bird shortly after takeoff.
B) Its crew members went on strike.
C) It narrowly escaped a plane crash when turning around.
D) Its captain got slightly injured during the forced landing.
2. A) Panic. C) Relieved.
B) Nervous. D) Contented.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) He is now kept in a secure area. C) He has been caught a second time.
B) He has escaped the zoo once again. D) He finally disappeared six days ago.
4. A) Squeezed. C) Disappointed.
B) Threatened. D) Frustrated.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) It is condemned as a crazy idea. C) It is questioned by local residents.
B) It is enriching the city's night life. D) It is giving rise to safety concerns.
6. A) Avoid entering one-way streets. C) He has been caught a second time.
B) Follow all the traffic rules drivers do. D) Give way to automobiles at all times.
7. A) To ease the city's busy traffic. C) To add a new means of transport.
B) To bring new life into the city. D) To reduce the city's air pollution.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each
conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be
spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four
2024年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 1 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with
a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) Take it seriously. C) Make it sound scary.
B) Discuss it regularly. D) Talk about it openly.
9. A) By shopping around for the best deals. C) By citing concrete examples.
B) By making abstract sums relevant. D) By visiting discount stores.
10. A) Paying their kids to help with housework.
B) Setting kids a good example by sharing chores.
C) Giving kids pocket money according to their needs.
D) Urging kids to deposit some of their gift money.
11. A) The importance of cutting down family expenses.
B) The need to learn important lessons from her elders.
C) The delight in seeing their savings grow.
D) The necessity of saving into a pension.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) He is a successful businessman. C) He has published a new bestseller.
B) He reviews books on political affairs. D) He has worked in several banks.
13. A) The man's ideas about education.
B) The man's academic background.
C) The man's attempts at drawing public attention.
D) The man's proposals to solve economic problems.
14. A) To reduce students' financial burden.
B) To motivate all students to be successful.
C) To give students incentive to excel in economics.
D) To provide remedies for students5 poor performance.
15. A) Improving school budgeting. C) Seeking donations.
B) Increasing tuition fees. D) Raising taxes.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will
hear three or four 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 1 with a single line through the
centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) To show his sympathy towards people always being busy.
B) To prevent people from complaining about being "busy".
C) To call on busy people to take care of themselves.
2024年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 2 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研D) To help busy people to sort out their priorities.
17. A) Avoid saying we are busy. C) Describe our schedule in detail.
B) Reflect on their true purpose. D) Respond as most busy people do.
18. A) To show their achievements resulted from great efforts.
B) To prove they stand out as accomplished professionals.
C) To cover up their failure to achieve some purpose.
D) To tell others a complete lie about their inability.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) They will help one reduce fear
B) They should become so popular.
C) They will be less challenging after a time.
D) They should cover so many different types.
20. A) To break one's ultimate limits. C) To avoid dangerous mistakes.
B) To stop being extremely afraid D) To enjoy the sports to the full.
21. A) By allowing our motivation to be at an all-time high.
B) By stopping us hurting the same muscles repeatedly.
C) By burning as many as 300 calories per hour.
D) By enabling us to get an all-over workout.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) It is natural. C) It is personal.
B) It is instrumental. D) It is vital.
23. A) To guard against being perceived negatively.
B) To prevent themselves from being isolated.
C) To conceal personality preferences.
D) To maintain workplace harmony.
24. A) It helps to enhance team spirit. C) It helps to resolve problems.
B) It stimulates innovative ideas. D) It facilitates policy-making.
25. A) An innovative mind. C) Mutual trust.
B) Corporate culture. D) A healthy mentality.
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one
word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the
passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by
a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single
line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
2024年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 3 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研A team of researchers led by Priyanka Joshi examined the degree to which men and
women relied on ''communicative abstraction^^ to verbally convey their ideas and emotions.
Communicative abstraction, according to the researchers, reflects the tendency of people to
use ''abstract speech that focuses on the broader picture and 26 purpose of action
rather than concrete speech focusing on details and the means of 27 action.”
Interestingly, they found that men were far more likely to speak in the abstract than were
women.
To arrive at this 28 , the researchers examined the linguistic (语言的)patterns of
men and women in over 600,000 blog posts written on websites. To do this, the researchers
computed abstractness ratings for 29 40,000 commonly used words in the English
language. Words considered to be concrete could be easily visualized, such as “table” or
“chair”. Words that were more 30 to visualize, for example, ttjustice^^ or “morality”
were considered to be more abstract. They found that men used 31 more abstract
language in their blog posts.
What is the 32 of this effect? The researchers suggest that power differences
between the genders- that is, men having more power in society- might be a key
determinant (决定 因素).For instance, in a follow-up study conducted with a sample of 300
students, the researchers 33 power dynamics in an interpersonal setting to see if this
would influence communicative abstraction. They found that participants in a high-power
interviewer role were more likely to give abstract descriptions of behaviors than were
participants in a low-power interviewee role. This suggests that communicating more
abstractly does not reflect a 34 tendency of men or women but rather 35 within
specific contexts.
A) approximately I) manipulated
B) attaining J) recommended
C) conclusion K) refraining
D) difficult L) signals
E) emerges M) significantly
F) fixed N) source
G) ignored O) ultimate
H) legally
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
How to better work towards long-term goals
A) Hal Hershfield, a psychologist at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, wanted
to know why people weren't saving for retirement. Across the board, people are living
longer. Logically, they511 need more money to live comfortably in their post-work years.
2024年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 4 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研And yet, savings rates in the U.S. have gone down in recent decades, not up.
B) To help explain this seemingly irrational behavior, Hershfield and his team scanned the
brains of study participants while asking them to what degree various traits (特征)
一like “honorable"or "fiinny“一applied to their current self, their future self, a current
other, or a future other. As participants answered, Hersh行eld's team recorded which
parts of their brains lit up. Unsurprisingly, people's brains were most active when
thinking about their current selves and least active when thinking about a current other.
But the team found that participants9 brain activity while considering their future selves
more closely resembled their brain activity while thinking about a current other rather
than the current self.
C) Put in practical terms, when thinking of yourself in a month or a year or a decade, your
brain registers that person in ways similar to how it would register Taylor Swift or the
mailman. Understood in that way, saving for retirement is the equivalent of giving
money away to someone else entirely.
D) In light of Hershfield^ study, one simple question arises: Is it possible to make our
present selves give a damn about our future selves? The answers are anything but
simple.
E) Seen through the lens of the present self versus the future self, our self-defeating
actions- like choosing to watch television rather than go to the gym- suddenly make
perfect sense. We get to enjoy the very concrete, immediate benefits of our actions
while someone else (namely, our future selves) suffers the hypothetical (彳发设的)，
far-off consequences. As a result, the decisions we make fbr our present selves often
look very different from our decisions for our future selves. We believe that tomorrow
will be different. We believe that we will be different tomorrow; but in doing so, we
prioritize our current mood over the consequences of our inaction for the future self.
F) Understanding our procrastination (拖延)through the lens of the present and future
selves, we're left with three possible solutions: The first is to force your future self to do
whatever your present self doesn't want to do. The second is to convince your present
self that your future self is, in fact, still you. If the central problem is that we think of
our future selves as other people, it follows that trying to identify more closely with our
future selves will encourage us to make better long-term decisions.
G) In a follow-up study, Hershfield wanted to explore ways to bridge the disconnect
between the present and future selves and encourage people to save more for retirement.
He and his team took photos of study participants, and then used image processing to
visually age their faces. Participants were then placed in a virtual reality setting where
they could look into a mirror and see their aged selves looking back at them.
Participants who saw their aged selves said they would save 30% more of their salary
for retirement than the control group.
H) Whatever your long-term goals may be- getting in better shape, launching your own
business, writing a book- thinking about your deadline in terms of days rather than
months or years can help you wrap your mind around how close the future really is.
2024年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 5 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研I) The third solution is to forget about your future self and use your present self's love of
instant gratification。黄足感) to your advantage. While the two tactics (手段) above
can be effective in making better long-term choices, in the end, you5re still struggling
against human nature. Our brains are hard- wired for instant gratification. Instead of
fighting your present self's need for immediate rewards, why not use it to your
advantage? When most of us set goals, we focus on long-term results we want to see一
e.g., losing weight, getting a promotion, retiring in comfort, etc. While those visions of
our future selves can be inspiring, when it comes to actually doing the day-to-day work,
it may be more effective to reframe activities in terms of their immediate, or at least
very near-term, rewards.
J) Take writing this article, for instance. Ifs easy for me to imagine how amazing it will
feel at the end of the workday to have this article done. This isn't just my opinion.
Research partners Kaitlin Woolley of Cornell University and &elet Fishbach of the
University of Chicago have made a career out of studying the differences between the
goals that people achieve and the ones that fall to the wayside.
K) “In one study, we asked people online about the goals they set at the beginning of the
year. Most people set goals to achieve delayed, long-term benefits, such as career
advancement, debt repayment, or improved health. We asked these individuals how
enjoyable it was to pursue their goal, as well as how important their goal was. We also
asked whether they were still working on their goals two months after setting them. We
found that enjoyment predicted people's goal persistence two months after setting the
goal far more than how important they rated their goal to be,“ Woolley said.
L) This pattern held true across a wide variety of goals from exercising to studying to
eating healthier foods. For example, people ate 50% more of a healthy food when
directed to focus on the good taste rather than the long-term health benefits. Other
studies have shown a greater uptake of exercise in people who were told to think of the
enjoyment of doing the exercise now rather than future health gains.
M) These findings suggest that when it comes to achieving your goals, enjoying the process
itself is more important than wanting the long-term benefits. In other words, present self
trumps (战月生)future self. Who says instant gratification has to be a bad thing? By all
means, set ambitious long-term goals for your future self, but when it comes to actually
following through day-to-day, make sure your present self knows whafs in it fbr her too.
36. Our brains are genetically determined to satisfy immediate desires.
37. Taken in a practical way, saving for post-work years is like giving money away to
others.
38. Research found that, as regards achievement of one's goals, it is important to focus
more on enjoying the process than the long-term benefits.
39. Regarding our future selves as still being ourselves will help us make better long-term
decisions.
40. Savings rates in America have dropped in recent decades even though people's life
expectancy has increased.
2024年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 6 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研41. Researchers found that enjoyment rather than importance enabled people to persist in
their goals.
42. When making decisions, we give priority to our current frame of mind without thinking
much of the consequences.
43. People ate more of a healthy food when they focused on its good taste instead of its
long-term benefits.
44. As was expected, when people thought of their present selves, their brains were
observed to become more active.
45. Researchers found that participants who saw the images of their aged selves would save
more for their later years than those who didn't.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
People often wonder why some entrepreneurs have greater success than others. Is it
habits, connections, luck, work ethic or any other behavior? I believe the key to success is
willpower. Willpower is the ability to control yourself. It is a strong determination that allows
you to do something difficult. It is a behavior we are bom with more than one we learn;
however, it is possible to not only learn it, but also strengthen it with constant exercise.
Willpower is just like a muscle; to keep it strong you need to constantly exercise it.
People with a great amount of willpower have the discipline to develop positive, successful
habits. Even with an incredible amount of talent, without the discipline and motivation to
create positive habits, it can be difficult to achieve success.
Willpower and habits go hand in hand. It is critical to create good habits and take the
actions necessary to stick to those habits day in and day out for greater success. Almost half
of our daily actions are part of our habits and not decisions, so once the correct habits are in
place, you will automatically perform those tasks on a day-to-day basis.
The best way to create and stick to a habit is to have strong motivation. Ifs easier to
change your habits to lose weight if you have a health issue and you want to be around
longer for your kids, or if your business is something you're passionate about. Having a
valuable outcome associated with a habit will help you stick to that habit permanently.
The art of self-control is one that most successful individuals have mastered.
Sell-control enables you to avoid behaviors that don't contribute to your success and adopt
those that do.
Because there is a delayed satisfaction associated with self-control, it can be easy to
get off track. However, if you work on sticking to those small positive habits one day at a
time, it becomes easier to stay strong and achieve that delayed reward. Once a reward is
achieved, it is much easier to continue sticking to your habits.
2024年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 7 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研46. What does the author say we need to do to strengthen our willpower?
A) Keep it under control. C) Learn from entrepreneurs.
B) Apply it continuously. D) Aim at success determinedly.
47. How are almost half of our daily actions performed according to the passage?
A) Out of habit. C) Like muscle building.
B) With determination. D) By self-discipline.
48. What will help people stick to doing something constructive automatically?
A) Practising it on a day-to-day basis.
B) Associating it with improving health.
C) Possessing a reasonable amount of talent.
D) Foreseeing the desired outcome it will yield.
49. How does the art of self-control help us succeed?
A) By allowing us to remain clear-headed permanently.
B) By enabling us to alter our behaviors constantly.
C) By enabling us to take positive actions.
D) By allowing us to avoid taking risks.
50. Why can it be difficult for us to maintain self-control?
A) Most of us are not in the habit of exercising self-control.
B) We may not get immediate rewards from self-control.
C) Self-control tends to be associated with pains.
D) Self-control only brings about small benefits.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Today, most scientific research is funded by government grants, companies doing
research and development, and non-profit foundations. As a society, we reap the rewards
from this science, but we also help pay for it. You indirectly support science through taxes
you pay, products and services you purchase, and donations you make.
Funding for science has changed with the times. Historically, science has been largely
supported through private patronage (资助)，church sponsorship, or simply paying for the
research yourself. Today, researchers are likely to be funded by a mix of grants from
various government agencies, institutions, and foundations. Other research is funded by
private companies. Such corporate sponsorship is widespread in some fields. Almost 75%
of U.S. clinical trials in medicine are paid for by private companies. And, of course, some
researchers today still fund small-scale studies out of their own pockets. Most of us can't
afford to do nuclear research as a private hobby, but birdwatchers, rock collectors, and
others can do real research on a limited budget.
In a perfect world, money wouldn't matter- all scientific studies would be completely
objective. But in the real world, funding may introduce biases. Drug research sponsored by
the pharmaceutical (制 药的)industry is more likely to end up favoring the drug under
consideration than studies sponsored by government grants or charitable organizations.
Similarly, nutrition research sponsored by the food industry is more likely to end up
2024年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 8 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研favoring the food under consideration than independently funded research.
So what should we make of all this? Should we ignore any research funded by
companies or special interest groups? Certainly not. These groups provide invaluable
funding for scientific research. Furthermore, science has many safeguards in place to catch
instances of bias that affect research outcomes. Ultimately, misleading results will be
corrected as science proceeds; however, this process takes time. Meanwhile, it pays to
examine studies funded by industry or special interest groups with extra care. Are the
results consistent with other independently funded studies? What do other scientists have to
say about this research? A little examination can go a long way towards identifying bias
associated with the funding source.
51. What does the passage mainly discuss regarding scientific research?
A) Its foundation. C) Its prospect.
B) Its rewards. D) Its funding.
52. What do we learn from the passage about researchers like birdwatchers and rock
collectors?
A) They have little access to government funding.
B) They can do research with limited resources.
C) They can do amateur work in their own fields.
D) They have no means for large-scale research.
53. What would scientific studies look like in a perfect world according to the author?
A) They would be totally unbiased. C) They would be responsibly conducted.
B) They would be independently funded. D) They would be strictly supervised
54. What does the author say about companies and special interest groups?
A) They try hard to pull down the safeguards for research.
B) They make extra efforts to research their own products.
C) They provide valuable resources fbr scientific research.
D) They reap the most benefits from scientific research.
55. What does the author think of research funded by industry or special interest groups?
A) Its recommendations should be examined for feasibility.
B) Its misleading results should be corrected in time.
C) Its validity should be checked with additional care.
D) Its hidden biases should be identified independently.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
农 历 (the lunar calendar)起源于数千年前的中国，根据太阳和月亮的运行规律制定。长期以
来，农历在农业生产和人们日常生活中发挥着重要作用。古人依据农历记录日期、安排农活，以
便最有效地利用自然资源和气候条件，提高农作物的产量和质量。中国的春节、中秋节等传统节
日的日期都基于农历。农历是中国传统文化的重要组成部分，当今依然广为使用。
2024年6月英语四级真题第2套 第 9 页 共 9 页 by：光速考研2024年 06月大学英语四级考试真题(第3 套)
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose your university is seeking students' opinions on 'whether university
canteens should be open to the public. You are now to yvrite an essay to express your view. You
will have 30 minutes for the task. You will have 30 minutes for the task. You should write at
least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
淘宝店铺【光速考研工作室】温馨提示：由于2024年 6 月四级考试全国共考了两套听力，本套真
题听力与第2 套内容相同，只是选项顺序不同，因此在本套真题中不再重复出现。
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Over the coming decades, millions of jobs will be threatened by robotics and artificial
intelligence. Despite intensive academic 26 on these developments, there has been
little study on how workers 27 to being replaced through technology.
To find out, business researchers at TUM and Erasmus University Rotterdam
conducted 11 studies and surveys with over 2,000 persons from several countries.
The findings show: In principle, most people view it more 28 when workers
are replaced by other people than by robots or intelligent software. This preference 29 、
however, when it refers to people's own jobs. When that is the case, the majority of workers
find it less upsetting to see their own jobs go to robots than to other employees. In the long
term, however, the same people see machines as more threatening to their future role in the
workforce. These effects can also be observed among people who have recently become
unemployed.
The researchers were able to identify the causes behind these 30 paradoxical
results, too: People tend to 31 themselves less with machines than with other people.
Consequently, being replaced by a robot or software 32 less of a threat to their feeling
of seli-worth. This reduced self-threat could even be observed when participants assumed
that they were being replaced by other employees who relied on technological abilities such
as artificial intelligence in their work.
“Even when unemployment results from the 33 of new technologies, people still
judge it in a social context,5, says Christoph Fuchs, one of the authors of the study. "It is
important to understand these 34 effects when trying to manage the massive changes
in the working world to minimize 35 in society.”
A) compare
I) introduction
B) contradicts J) modifications
C) conventional K) poses
D) debate L) psychological
E) disruptions M) react
F) drastically N) reverses
G) favorably O) seemingly
H) guarantee
2024年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 1 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph
from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on
Answer Sheet 2.
No escape as 'snow day' becomes 4e-learning day'
A) Certain institutions, such as schools, are likely to close when bad weather, such as snow,
flooding or extreme heat or cold, causes travel difficulties, power outages (断供)，or
otherwise endangers public safety. When snowy weather arrives in the US, it means the
chance of school children benefiting from the long-standing tradition of the “snow day”,
when schools are forced to close and students get an unexpected day off.
B) The criterion for a snow day is primarily the inability of school buses to operate safely
on their routes and danger to children who walk to school. Often, the school remains
officially open even though buses do not run and classes are canceled. Severe weather
that causes cancellation or delay is more likely in regions that are less able to handle the
situation. Snow days are less common in more northern areas of the United States that
are used to heavy winter snowfall, because municipalities are well equipped to clear
roads and remove snow. In areas less accustomed to snow even small snowfalls of an
inch or two may render roads unsafe.
C) Snow days are a familiar theme in American film and TV shows, with children getting
the good news and then running outside for some seasonal snowman-building and
snowball throwing, against a background of joyful pop music. But the tradition is now
over fbr pupils in several US states such as South Carolina, Nevada, Georgia and
Indiana. This academic year, many school boards have introduced policies which
require students to work from home if the school is shut by snow or extreme weather.
They are known as "e-learning days”, which certainly sounds less fiin than a snow day.
D) Teachers are also losing their snow days and instead will be expected to be on hand to
take a virtual register and answer students' questions online. A pilot programme in a
school district in Anderson County, South Carolina, has supplied students with
electronic tablets loaded with assignments to complete in the event of a school closure.
If it is successful, it could be rolled out across the state.
E) But some parents object to the new policy if the vigorous debate on the Facebook page of
Anderson County school district is anything to go by. "When it snows, let the kids enjoy
it,“ said one commenter. Another said the decision would “ruin school even more”, and
someone else called snow days “a fun part of childhood”. But supporters of the policy say
it means children will miss fewer days of school. It will also bring to an end a less
popular US high school tradition: the “make-up day"，which requires students in many
states to make up the time lost due to weather by working during school holidays.
F) Students in North Carolina already have several make-up days scheduled because of
school closures during Hurricane Florence, which struck in September. Tom Wilson, the
superintendent (主管)of Anderson County school district, said the change away from
snow days makes practical and financial sense. He said technology has changed every
profession, so it makes sense to use it to “eliminate"make-up days. Adam Baker of the
Department of Education in Indiana said e-leaming days were proving a“great success”.
He said most Indiana schools already use digital devices during lessons, so it was an
“easy decision^^ to extend this to days when schools are closed. He denies the decision
2024年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 2 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研is depriving children of the chance to eiyoy the snow. "Students are still able to enjoy
snow days and outside he said. "Many have PE and science assignments that
have them out enjoying the weather.^^ But local school superintendents in Ohio are
resisting proposals to adopt e-leaming days. They fear that students without internet
access at home will be disadvantaged by the policy, and superintendent Tom Roth is
concerned that e-leaming days will offer a lower quality of education.
G) There are also so-called “blizzard bags”, with assignments that children take home
ahead of an expected snow closure. But Mr Roth says it is not sufficient as a
replacement. t4I think we still need the class time to give our kids the education that they
deserve,he said. "You can't get that with a blizzard bag or doing the work from home
like that. Ifs not going to be as effective.
H) There is a long-running debate on whether missing days of school affects attainment. In
England, there has been a focus on tackling absenteeism (旷课)from school. The
Department for Education (DFE) published research in 2016 arguing that missing any
days at school could have a negative impact on results. Even a few days lost in a year
could be enough to miss out on getting a good exam grade, the DFE's research
concluded. This differed from the findings of a study from Harvard University in the
US, which concluded that missing a few occasional days because of the weather did not
damage learning.
I) The Harvard study examined seven years of school results data and could not find any
impact from snow closures. What caused more disruption was when schools tried to
stay open in bad weather, even though many staff and pupils were absent. But weather
can make a difference to school results, according to another piece of Harvard research
published last summer. Ifs hot weather that has the negative impact. The results of 10
million school students were examined over 13 years and researchers found a
“significant“ link between years with extremely hot weather and lower results.
J) It's obvious that students should go to school every day to get the most out of education.
In cases of extreme weather students don't always have that option. However, research
shows that authorised absences from school such as during extreme weather are less
problematic for students than absences that are not authorised. This is because
unauthorised absences tend to reflect patterns and behaviours of student disengagement,
or the possible negative attitudes of parents towards education that students adopt and
carry with them through schooling. The level of impact on students' educational
performance is all to do with the length of time that a student is absent from school and
how regularly this occurs.
36. There is opposition to the practice of giving children assignments to take home before
extreme weather forces a school closure.
37. New policies adopted by many US schools require students to do online learning at
home in case of a school closure.
38. According to some research, extreme hot weather negatively affects students5
performance.
39. There is a time-honoured tradition in the US for school kids to stay at home on “snow
days”.
40. Debates on social media show some parents are opposed to ending the “snow day”
tradition.
2024年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 3 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研41. In more northern regions of the US, school is less likely to be affected by snowy weather.
42. Research indicates absences from school with permission do not cause as many
problems as those without permission.
43. There is objection to e-learning days owing to fear that students with no access to the
Internet at home will suffer.
44. In a pilot programme, students are given electronic devices to do assignments when
schools are closed.
45. Along-standing debate is going on over the impact of school absences on students'
academic performance.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions
or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
It may sound surprising, but you don't have to be interested in fashion, or even in
history, to enjoy Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History. I happen to be
interested in both, and ended up enjoying the book for completely different reasons.
Richard Thompson Ford is a law professor, and you probably won't forget that for
even one page. His carefully reasoned arguments, packed with examples, sound almost like
reading a court opinion, only maybe wordier. You will probably never think of fashion as a
trifle again.
Ford's thesis is that the best way to understand what particular fashions meant in any
given era is to look at the restrictions placed on them. Through this lens, he shows us that
the first laws passed in the 1200s to ensure that only the nobility were allowed to wear
certain fabrics, colors and ornaments reflected the rise of the middle class, who were now
able to imitate some of these fashions. The status of the upper classes was threatened;
fashion was a tool to preserve it.
Ford takes the reader through the evolution of fashion while examining the underlying
motivations of status, sex, power, and personality, which, he assumes, influenced all
innovations in fashion in the past and which continue to influence us today. His writing is
more than a little dense- dense with research, clauses, and precise adjectives and nouns.
But there5s also humor and enough interesting episodes to make the writing appealing. No
one is spared his sharp analysis: not the easy targets of 19th century women's cripling (伤
害身体的)fashions nor the modem uniforms of Silicon Valley T-shirts
But the greatest strength of this book (on fashion!) is its intellectual profoundness.
Ford asks us to question unconscious beliefs, to realize that we almost never do so, to
understand that the simplest choices are charged with meaning, and yet that meaning can
and does change all the time. Consider the fact that a 1918 catalog insisted that boys and
girls be dressed in the appropriate color. We believe our thinking today is evolved; Ford
shows us ifs not.
2024年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 4 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研46. What does the author think of the book Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made
History?
A) It is read by people for entirely different reasons.
B) It is meant fbr those interested in fashion history.
C) It makes enjoyable as well as informative reading.
D) It converts fashion into something fbr deliberation.
47. How can people best understand a particular fashion in an era, according to Ford?
A) By examining the restraints imposed on it.
B) By looking at what the nobility were wearing.
C) By glancing at its fabrics, colors and ornaments.
D) By doing a survey of the upper and middle classes.
48. What was the aim of the first laws passed regarding fashion in the 1200s?
A) To facilitate the rise of the middle class.
B) To loosen restrictions on dress codes.
C) To help initiate some novel fashions
D) To preserve the status of the nobles.
49. What does the author think of Ford's writing?
A) It uses comparison and contrast in describing fashions of different eras.
B) It makes heavy reading but is not lacking in humor or appeal.
C) It is filled with interesting episodes to spare readers intolerable boredom.
D) It is characteristic of academics in presenting arguments.
50. What does the author say is the greatest strength of Ford's book?
A) Plentiful information. C) Evolved thinking.
B) Meaningful choices. D) Intellectual depth.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
The art of persuasion means convincing others to agree with your point of view or to
follow your course of action. For some of us, persuasion is an instinctive quality and the
power of influencing comes naturally. For the rest of us, persuasion skills can be learned
and developed over time.
Employers place a great value on employees with persuasion skills because they can
impact several aspects of job performance. Besides, teamwork and leadership rely heavily
on the power of persuasion to get things done. Without persuasion skills, employees may
not be as committed to or convinced of the importance of an organization's vision and
long-term mission. Effective use of persuasion skills will not only help get your coworkers
excited about your ideas, it'll also help you motivate them to achieve a common goal.
In order to learn the art of persuasion at the workplace, you need to understand how to
handle conflicts and reach agreements. Good communication is the first step in effective
persuasion, but logic and reasoning are just as important. Before you can get somebody
on-board with your goal, you should help them understand why they should pursue it.
Using visual aids to back up your ideas can help communicate your ideas better and make
compelling arguments so your listeners will come to a logical choice and become fully
committed to your ideas and plans.
Successful persuasion skills are based on your ability to have positive interactions and
maintain meaningful relationships with people. In order to sustain those relationships, you
2024年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 5 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研must be able to work in their best interests as well. Your coworkers are more likely to agree
with you when they succeed alongside you. The more they achieve and the greater progress
they make, the more they trust your judgement and strength.
We persuade and get persuaded every day- we're either convincing or being
convinced. A vast majority of people prefer collaboration and teamwork over traditional
organizational structures; no one likes to be told what to do or to be pushed around.
Therefore, organizations and leaders should adopt powerful persuasion skills to bring about
necessary changes.
51. What does the author say about the ability to be persuasive in the first paragraph?
A) People may either be bom with it or be able to cultivate it.
B) It proves crucial in making others follow one's course of action.
C) It refers to the natural and instinctive power of influencing one's coworkers.
D) People may view it as both a means to convince others and an art of communication.
52. Why are persuasion skills greatly valued in the workplace?
A) They enable employees to be convinced of their long-term gains.
B) They enable employees to trust their leaders unconditionally.
C) They help motivate coworkers to strive for a common goal.
D) They help an organization to broaden its vision effectively.
53. What should people do to learn the art of persuasion at the workplace?
A) Acquire effective communication skills.
B) Avoid getting involved in conflicts with others.
C) Understand the reason for pursuing their goals.
D) Commit themselves fully to their ideas and plans.
54. When are you more likely to succeed in persuading your coworkers?
A) When they are convinced you work in their interests while sacrificing your own.
B) When they become aware of the potential strength of the judgements you make.
C) When they become aware of the meaningful relationships you keep with them.
D) When they are convinced they will make achievements together with you.
55. Why are organizations and leaders advised to adopt powerful persuasion skills to bring
about necessary changes?
A) To convince employees of the value of collaboration.
B) To allow for the preferences of most people of today.
C) To improve on traditional organizational structures.
D) To adapt to employees9 ever-changing working styles.
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
汉 语 中 的 “福”字 (the character fii)表示幸福和好运，是中国传统文化中最常用的吉祥
(auspicious)符号之一。人们通常将一个大大的福字写在红纸上，寓意期盼家庭幸福、社会安定、
国家昌盛。春节贴福字是民间由来已久的习俗。为了欢庆春节，家家户户都会将福字贴在门上或
墙上，表达对幸福生活的向往、对美好未来的期待。人们有时还将福字倒过来贴，表示幸福已到、
好运已到。
2024年6月英语四级真题第3套 第 6 页 共 6 页 by：光速考研大学英语四级考试2024年12月真题（第一套） 回 辑
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose the business school of your university is conducting a survey to collect students' opinions on
the express delivery service industry in China. You are to write a response about its recent development and its
impact on people s lives. You will have 30 minutes to write the essay. You should write at least 120 words but no
more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or
three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A) She is making a special effort to be recognized.
B) She has been living in Fayetteville fbr 25 years.
C) She has been driving a school bus ever since 2009.
D) She is the longest-serving bus driver in Fayetteville.
2. A) The importance of their service to the city. C) The new proclamation issued early this week.
B) The number of riders they serve in the city. D) The significance of the event to take place March 18.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A) Budgeted $56.7 million fbr the coming school year. C) Proposed a spending increase by 5.99 percent.
B) Requested to raise teachers5 67salaries by 3 percent. D) Kept raising funds fbr at least 8 budget cycles.
5. A) They often take place in the Scottish highlands.
B) They usually happen in the middle of the night.
6. A) They sent out a message to calm them down.
B) They promised to stop the construction work. ；
4. A) Decrease in salaries fbr school administrators. C) Firing of less qualified faculty members.
B) Reduction in federal and state funding. D) Closing down of some less competitive schools.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
C) Their damage can be as serious as that of bombs.
D) Their loud claps can be confused with explosions.
C) They told them the military exercise was over.
* D) They set off to inspect the site of the plane crash.
7. A) Keep warm. C) Avoid driving.
B) Take caution. D) Use rail service.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear
1 • 2024年12月四级真题（第一套）・four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A) Why the man is so anxious to buy a new phone. C) How the man got into the habit of being wasteful.
B) How the man could possibly afford a new phone. D) Why the man is so fbnd of using his credit card.
9. A) It is not in fashion any more. C) It is not as fancy as his colleagues5.
B) It goes out of order frequently. D) It lacks functions office work requires.
10. A) It enables him to buy a new phone at a more favorable price.
B) It is a special offer to recent college graduates working in offices.
C) It is available to office workers who have a good enough credit score.
D) It allows him to borrow money without paying interest for six months.
11. A) She borrowed money to pay her debt. C) She enjoys buying a lot of fancy things.
B) She developed a habit of overspending. D) She regrets ignoring the woman?s advice.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) Blog writing and natural resources saving. C) Audience participation in The Morning Show.
B) Joint efforts to improve the local community. D) Home ownership and environmental protection.
13. A) Not a realistic size for families. C) Only fit fbr families of four or less.
B) Not welcomed by most Americans. D) Only suitable fbr renting to the poor.
14. A) It should be changed. C) It will come true sooner or later.
B) It isn't easy to realize. D) It doesn't appeal to average families.
15. A) They help to lower housing prices. C) They are a good choice for many people.
B) They help to save up for larger houses. D) They are vital to reducing waste worldwide.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four
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 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) Play outdoors and enjoy themselves. C) Take care of their well-being.
B) Beat challenges and take risks. D) Grow up strong and healthy.
17. A) Enable them to develop their motor skills. C) Reduce their stress and depression.
B) Help them to conceal their frustration. D) Prevent them from feeling lonely.
18. A) It begins early. C) It calls for lifelong efforts.
B) It proves demanding. D) It lies in nature experiences.
• 2024年12月四级真题（第一套）• 2Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) When companies share their information online. C) When companies embrace greater diversity
B) When their job search criteria are met fully. D) When they find job postings visually attractive.
20. A) Emails in the normal format. C) All companies in the same sector.
B) Major companies in one location. D) Various aspects of a company ,s workforce.
21. A) Job security. C) Minimum base salary.
B) Potential pay raises. D) Information about diversity.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) Positive. C) Important.
B) Original. D) Surprising.
23. A) Dogs match their behavior with kids as much as with adults.
B) Kids and adults alike find in dogs a source of attachment.
C) Kids' attitude to dogs is influenced by adults.
D) Dogs can help kids in many ways.
24. A) Dogs pay much attention to the kids they live with.
B) Dogs view both adults and kids as social companions.
C) Kids differ from adults in their behavior towards dogs.
D) Kids need to be aware of the risks in playing with dogs.
25. A) Understanding dogs. C) Taking care of dogs.
B) Training dogs. D) Associating with dogs.
Part in Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank
from a list of choices given in a word bank fallowing the passage. Read the passage through carefully before
making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for
each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank
more than once.
When Toni Morrison died in 2019, the world lost one of its most influential authors. But Morrison was
not an early success. Her first novel was not published until she was 39, and her last appeared when she was
84. And Morrison was not 26 in this regard. Numerous writers produce masterpieces well into their 70s
and beyond. Such 27 accomplishments highlight an important point. Our capacity to speak, write and
learn new vocabulary does not seem to 28 with age. Our eyesight may dim and our recall may weaken,
but, by comparison, our ability to produce and to 29 language is well preserved into older adulthood.
Indeed, the latest research that has emerged on language and aging shows that language mastery is
a 30 that we begin as infants and continue on for the rest of our lives. Some aspects of our language
abilities, such as our knowledge of word meanings, 31 improve during middle and late adulthood. One
3 - 2024年 12月四级真题(第一套)・study, fbr example, found that adults over sixty had an average vocabulary size of over 21,000 words. The
researchers also studied a 32 of college students and found that their average vocabulary contained
33 16,000 words. In another study, older adults, with an average age of 75, 34 better than participants
in their youth or middle years on tasks that required them to determine the meaning of words. Thus,
language seems to be a skill that, contrary to what many might 35 , does not weaken with age.
A) actually I) literary
B) approximately J) performed
C) assume K) rarely
D) component L) sample
E) comprehend M) undermined
F) deteriorate N) unique
G) equivalent O) unit
H) journey
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement
contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is
derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter Answer the
questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
Why it's wrong to look at work-life balance as an achievement
A) Few topics have been so endlessly analysed as work-life balance. The quest to attain this mysterious state
has dominated discussion around careers fbr years- especially fbr working parents. The concept is often
presented as something to achieve, or a goal to reach. And once you've reached it, congratulations: you've
made it; you're a successful human being of the 21st century.
B) But the problem is that we often tell ourselves: "I'm going to put in eight hours' worth of work, and then I'm
going to put in eight hours' worth of 'me time', which will include my family, my hobbies, my workout, my
everything,says Anat Lechner, clinical associate professor of management at New York University. UI don't
think ifs such a simple formula.^^
C) And, according to new findings, it may not be. Some researchers are now encouraging us to stop thinking
about work-life balance as an achievement that you either hit or don't. Instead, they suggest it may be
more of a lifelong process- a continuous, never-ending exercise that requires self-awareness and timely
adjustments. Researchers loana Lupu and Mayra Rujz-Castro argue that work-life balance is “a cycle, not
an achievemenf,. In their 2020 study, the researchers interviewed nearly 80 employees at two London-based
firms- an equal number of men and women between the ages of 30 and 50, all with at least one dependent
child- who worked in middle or senior management roles.
D) Although it sounds like the respondents had a lot in common, here's what separated them: about 30% of the
• 2024年12月四级真题（第一套） 4men and 50% of the women reported resisting working long hours. The other respondents, meanwhile, all
worked long hours because they thought thafs what successful professionals should do.
E) Lupu and Ruiz-Castro looked at those who rejected the long hours and they found that those workers actually
had strikingly similar strategies for maintaining their work-life balance. They had a tendency to reflect and
question assumptions in the name of self-awareness and regularly took steps to adjust the things standing in
their way to work-life balance.
F) Lupu and Ruiz-Castro identified five steps that the respondents in the study who had better work-life balance
used in their jobs. First, they paused and reconsidered beliefs such as 'Tm a professional, so I should work,
work, work”, and asked themselves questions like, "What's currently causing me stress?55 Second, after
identifying the cause, they zeroed in on their resultant emotions. Did they feel angry, sad, energised? Third,
they reprioritised, asking “Is working long hours really worth cutting back on family time?”，for example.
Fourth, they considered their alternatives: is there anything at work that could be changed to accommodate
these new priorities? And finally, they implemented changes, like asking their supervisor for greater
flexibility, or deciding not to take on every project that comes their way.
G) This five-step process is something anyone can adopt. Going through the steps, and constantly checking in
with yourself, can help you shift and adapt your professional life to something that will better harmonise with
your personal one. ''Awareness of your emotional state is essential in order to determine the changes you
want to make in your work and in your says Lupu.
H) New York University's Lechner agrees that finding that balance is an ongoing pursuit. Ifs not simply about
dividing up the hours in your day between work, the gym, kids and chores. If the underlying emotional
sources of stress are still there, then the time you actually spend at home may not be enjoyable. "We come
home and even though physically we are there, mentally we still may be processing things that happened at
work. We're not present,n she says. What we call “work-life balance” is actually just a substitute to having a
sense of fulfillment and contentment.
I) Of course, finding that balance probably shouldn't be something you have to do by yourself. Research by
Erin Kelly, professor of work and organisation studies at MIT, shows companies and managers can play a
key role in creating a better environment for workers. For her book Overload: How Good Jobs Went Bad
and What to Do about It, she and co-author Phyllis Moen split more than 1,000 employees at a Fortune 500
company into two groups, one that worked under a management redesign and one that continued working
within the existing management structure.
J) Under the management redesign, many steps were taken to ensure better work-life balance and prevent
burnout (精疲力竭).Managers were regularly reminded to explicitly support their employees. Workers were
allowed to make changes, like cancelling 9 am meetings. All of this was done in the name of increasing job
satisfaction and giving workers greater flexibility, and to assure workers that it was something management
was committed to. Unsurprisingly, Kelly and Moen found that employees in the redesign group reported less
stress and less burnout. They were less likely to quit their jobs; indeed, over the next four years, they were
40% less likely to quit than those who kept working under the old policies.
K) “Work-life balance is understood to be an individuaFs response, so people think 'it's up to me to manage the
5 ♦ 2024年12月四级真题(第一套)・craziness of my work says Kelly. But organisations need to examine the demands they're placing on
employees. uThe root problem is not how the two pieces of work and life come together. Ifs that we have
unrealistic expectations of what we're asked to do on the work side." If your workplace isn't an environment
where work-life balance is possible in the first place, any effort you attempt to make toward it on a personal
level will be in vain.
L) Thafs a conversation that appears to be gathering pace. The new prevalence of remote and flexible working
models will likely all play important roles in how we balance our professional and personal lives. And if
it seems like finding that perfect balance remains difficult to achieve, the experts say that keeping some
perspective can help. For millions of people, work is about being able to put food on the table. Talking about
work-life balance “is a very privileged conversation"，says Lechner. t4If we're reflecting, maybe we should
also reflect on that.”
36. According to a management expert, work-life balance is not as simple as giving equal amounts of time to
work and personal life.
37. Research found that those who are given greater flexibility at work are less stressed and more likely to stay in
their jobs.
38. Workers who rejected working long hours tended to make regular adjustments in order to achieve work-life
balance.
39. Talking about work-life balance is said to be a privilege reserved for the better-off^ not fbr those who barely
make a living.
40. Knowing one's emotional state is of utmost importance in deciding what changes to make for a better work-
life balance.
41. More female professionals reported being reluctant to work overtime than their male counterparts.
42. Without organisational support, any personal effort to maintain work-life balance will be unsuccessful.
43. The question of how to achieve work-life balance has long been the main subject of discussion among
workers.
44. You may not actually experience emotional wellbeing at home if you remain occupied with what happened at
work.
45. Some researchers suggest that work-life balance is not a goal to achieve, but a process fbr life to be adjusted
promptly.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished
statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best
choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
The weakening of the human connection to nature might be good for economic growth but is bad for
people. A tipping point was reached in 2020 when human-made materials-such as steel, concrete and plastic一
・2024年12月四级真题(第一套)・ 6were found to weigh more than all life on Earth. Continuing to grow concrete forests rather than real ones is
shortsighted. Simply being in the nearest wood has such health benefits that the Woodland Trust successfully
lobbied fbr it to be prescribed by doctors.
Yet slipping from popular culture is the wonder and beauty of the natural world. For every three nature-
related words in hit songs of the 1950s, researchers found, there was only slightly more than one 50 years later. It
is not a moment too soon that teenagers will be able to take a natural history test, given that for decades children
have been able to name more video game characters than wildlife species.
Part of remedying this social disease would be fbr parliament to pass a “right to grow" law, allowing anyone
to turn underused public spaces into vegetable and fruit gardens. The idea is fbr people to get back in touch with
the soil- while producing food sustainably.
Vegetable planting has a respectable tradition. In April 1649, locals responded to high prices and food
shortages by cultivating vegetables on common land in Southern England. The practice of throwing seed bombs
to turn vacant plots of land green took off in 1970s New York, and has been revived (使复活)by green-thumbed
(有园艺才能的)social media influencers who defy local US regulations in a war on ugly spots in cities.
Apart from the urgent task of providing more healthy nutrients to those who increasingly can't afford them,
publicly accessible fruit and vegetable gardens connect what we eat to where it comes from- the means of
production, if you will. They can make unlovely spaces lovely, and marry use and beauty as well as help promote
a sense of community. Plants are also, of course, our first defence against species loss and climate change. Such
planting is a small step for humanity- in the right direction.
46. What does the author want to emphasise in the first paragraph?
A) The year 2020 was a big turning point in human history.
B) Economic growth benefits people little in the long run.
C) It is unwise to weaken the human connection to nature.
D) It is harmful to mankind to use human-made materials.
47. What did researchers find about popular culture?
A) It is increasingly detached from the natural world.
B) It is filled with all kinds of video game characters.
C) It is especially appealing to the taste of teenagers.
D) It is still impacted by the hit songs of the 1950s.
48. What does the author propose people do?
A) Take measures to ensure sustainable food development.
B) Reconnect with nature through the right to grow.
C) Stand by the parliament in fighting social diseases.
D) Cover public spaces with fruit trees and vegetable plants.
49. What do we learn from the passage about vegetable planting?
A) It all started in 1649 in Southern England.
B) It is protected by US government regulations.
7 • 2024年12月四级真题(第一套)・C) It has long been used to increase food supply and improve urban landscape.
D) It has been popularised worldwide with the increasing influence of social media.
50. What can publicly accessible fruit and vegetable gardens do apart from their practical functions?
A) Raise people's environmental awareness. C) Act as the first defence against natural disasters.
B) Add to the great variety of plant species. D) Enhance people's community spirit.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Engineering in the U.S. has long been a male-dominated profession. Fifty years ago, it looked like that might
change.
In 1970, the percentage of women majoring in engineering was less than 1%. In 1979, that number was 9%.
Many hoped women would continue to enter the field at the same rate. But thafs not what happened. Today, only
21% of engineering majors are women, a number largely unchanged since 2000.
I am a historian who, along with my colleagues, surveyed 251 women engineers who graduated from college
in the 1970s. These pioneers reflected on the challenges they faced- and had advice for women entering the field
today.
One survey taker explained, <4The greatest challenge for me was continuing to believe in myself when all
the messages I was getting were that I would never be taken seriously or promoted or given raises at the same
rate as men, who were clearly less qualified and not as smart as I was.”
A chemical engineer who worked in manufacturing agreed, 4
