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年 月大学英语四级考试真题（第 套）
2017 12 1
Part I Writing (30minutes)
（请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分，之后将进行听力考试）
Directions:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteashortessayonhowtobesthandletherelationship
betweenparentsandchildren.Youshouldwriteatleast120wordsbutnomorethan180words.
Part II ListeningComprehension (25minutes)
SectionA
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 thenews reportandthe questions willbespoken onlyonce.After you heara question,you mustchoosethe
bestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).ThenmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswer Sheet 1 with
asinglelinethroughthecentre.
Questions1and2arebasedonthenewsreportyouhavejustheard.
1.A)Hergrandfather. C)Herfriend Erika.
B) Hergrandmother. D)Herlittlebrother.
2.A)Bytakingpicturesforpassers-by. C)Byworkingparttimeata hospital.
B) Bysellinglemonadeandpictures. D)Byaskingforhelponsocialmedia.
Questions3and4arebasedonthenewsreportyouhavejustheard.
3.A)Testingtheefficiencyofthenewsolar panel.
B) Providingcleanenergytofivemillion people.
C) Generatingelectricpowerforpassing vehicles.
D) Findingcheaperwaysofhighwayconstruction.
4.A)Theyareonlyabouthalfaninch thick.
B) Theyaremadefromcheap materials.
C) Theycanbelaidrightontopof existing highways.
D) Theycanstandthewearandtearofnaturalelements.
Questions5to7arebasedonthenewsreportyouhavejustheard.
5.A)Thelackofcluesaboutthespecies. C)Endlessfightinginthe region.
B) Inadequatefundingforresearch. D)Thehazardsfromthe desert.
6.A)Toobservethewildlifeinthetwonational parks.
B) Tostudythehabitatof lionsinSudanandEthiopia.
C) Toidentifythereasonsforthelions’disappearance.
D) Tofindevidenceoftheexistenceofthe“lost lions”.
7.A)Lions’tracks. C)Somecamping facilities.
B) Lionswalking. D)Trapssetbylocalhunters.
SectionB
Directions：In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four
questions.Boththeconversationandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethe
best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1
withasinglelinethroughthecentre.
Questions8to11arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.
8.A)Aspecialgiftfromtheman. C)Acallfromherdad.
B) Herweddinganniversary. D)Her‘lucky birthday’.
9.A)Threwherasurpriseparty. C)Boughtheragold necklace.
- 1 -B) Tookheronatripoverseas. D)Gaveherabigmodel plane.
10.A)Whatherhusbandandthemanareup to.
B) Whathasbeentroublingher husband.
C) Thetripherhusbandhas planned.
D) Thegiftherhusbandhas bought.
11.A)Hewantstofindoutaboutthecouple’sholiday plan.
B) Heiseagertolearnhowthecouple’sholidayturns out.
C) Hewilltellthewomenthesecretifherhusband agrees.
D) Hewillbegladtobeaguideforthecouple’sholiday trip.
Questions12to15arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.
12.A)Theytaketherival’sattitudeinto account.
B) Theyknowwhentoadoptatough attitude.
C) Theyseetheimportanceofmakingcompromises.
D) Theyaresensitivetothedynamicsofa negotiation.
13.A)Theyknowwhentostop. C)Theyknowwhentomake compromises.
B) Theyknowhowtoadapt. D)Theyknowhowtocontroltheiremotion.
14.A)Theyarepatient. C)Theyaregoodatexpression.
B) Theylearnquickly. D)Theyupholdtheirprinciples.
15.A)Clarifyitemsofnegotiation. C)Gettoknowtheother side.
B) Makeclearone'sintentions. D)Formulateone's strategy.
SectionC
Directions:Inthissection,youwillhearthreepassages.Attheendofeachpassage,youwill
hearthreeorfourquestions.Boththepassageandthequestionswillbespokenonly
once.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefour
choicesmarkedA),B),C),D).ThenmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswer
Sheet 1withasinglelinethroughthecentre.
Questions16to18arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.
16.A)Howspaceresearchbenefitspeopleon Earth.
B)WhentheInternationalSpaceStationwasbuilt.
C)Howmanyspaceshuttlemissionstherewillbe.
D) WhenAmerica'searliestspaceprogramstarted.
17.A)Theytriedtomakebestuseofthelatest technology.
B) Theytriedtomeetastronauts'specific requirements.
C) Theydevelopedobjectsforastronautstouseinouter space.
D) Theyaccuratelycalculatedthespeedoftheorbitingshuttles.
18.A)Theyareexpensivetomake. C)Theywerefirstmadeinspace.
B) Theyareextremelyaccurate. D)Theywereinventedinthe 1970s.
Questions19to21arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.
19.A)Everythingwasnaturalandgenuine then.
B)Peoplehadplentyoflandtocultivatethen.
C)Itmarkedthebeginningofsomethingnew.
D) ItwaswhenherancestorscametoAmerica.
20.A)Theywereknowntobecreative. C)Theyhadallkindsofentertainment.
B)Theyenjoyedlivingalivingalifeofease.D)Theybelievedinworkingfor goals.
21.A)Chattingwithherancestors. C)Furnishinghercountry house.
B) Doingneedleworkbythefire. D)Polishingallthesilverwork.
Questions22to25arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.
22.A)Sitdownandtrytocalmyourself. C)Useamaptoidentifyyour location.
- 2 -B)Callyourfamilyorfriendsforhelp. D)Trytofollowyourfootprints back.
23.A)Youmayendupenteringa wonderland.
B)Youmaygetdrownedinasudden flood.
C)Youmayexposeyourselftounexpected dangers.
D)Youmayfindawayoutwithoutyourknowing it.
24.A)Walkuphill C)Starta fire.
B) Lookforfood. D)Waitpatiently.
25.A)Checkthelocalweather. C)Prepareenoughfoodanddrink.
B) Findamapandacompass. D)Informsomebodyofyourplan.
Part Ⅲ ReadingComprehension (40minutes )
SectionA
Directions: Inthis section,there isapassage with tenblanks. Youarerequired to selectone wordforeach blank froma list
of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices.
Each choice inthe bank isidentified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2
withasinglelinethroughthecentre.Youmaynotuseanyofthewordsinthebankmorethanonce.
Questions26to35arebasedonthefollowingpassage.
Aratorpigeonmightnotbetheobviouschoicetotendtosomeonewhoissick,butthesecreatureshavesome26skills
thatcouldhelpthetreatmentofhumandiseases.
Pigeons are often seen as dirty birds and an urban 27 , but they are just the latest ina long line of animals that have
beenfoundtohaveabilitiestohelphumans.Despitehavingabrainnobiggerthanthe 28ofyourindexfinger,pigeonshave
a very impressive 29 memory. Recently it was shown that they could be trained to be as accurate as humans at detecting
breastcancerinimages.
Rats are often 30 with spreading disease rather than 31 it, but this long-tailed animal ishighly 32 . Inside a rat's nose
areupto1,000differenttypesofolfactoryreceptors (嗅觉感受器),whereashumansonlyhave 100to200types.This gives
rats the ability to detect 33smells. Asa result, some rats are beingput to work to detectTB(肺结核). When the rats detect
thesmell,theystopandrubtheirlegsto34asampleis infected.
Traditionally, a hundred samples would take labtechnicians more than two days to 35 , but for a rat ittakes less than
20 minutes. This rat detection method doesn't rely on specialist equipment. It is also more accurate — the rats are able to
findmoreTBinfectionsand,therefore,savemore lives.
A)associated I)slight
B)examine J)specify
C)indicate K)superior
D)nuisance L)suspicious
E)peak M)tip
F)preventing N)treated
G)prohibiting O)visual
H)sensitive
SectionB
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains
informationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.Youmaychoosea
paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding
letteronAnswerSheet 2.
DoIn-ClassExamsMakeStudentsStudyHarder?
Researchsuggeststheymaystudymorebroadlyfortheunexpectedratherthansearchforanswers.
- 3 -[A] I have always been a poor test-taker. So it may seem rather strange that I have returned to college to finish the
degree I left undone some four decades ago. I am making my way through Columbia University, surrounded by students
whoquicklysupplytheverbalanswerwhileIamstillprocessingthe question.
[B] Since there is no way for me to avoid exams, I am currently questioning what kind are the most taxing and
ultimately beneficial. I have already sweated through numerous in-class midterms and finals, and now I have a professor
who issues take-home ones. I was excited when I learned this, figuring I had a full week to do the research, read the texts,
and write itall up. Infact, I was still rewriting my midterm the morning itwas due. Tosay I had lostthe thread isputting it
mildly.
[C] AsI was suffering through my week of anxiety, overthinking the material and guessing my grasp of it, I did some
of my own polling among students and professors. David Eisenbach, who teaches a popular class on U.S. presidents at
Columbia,prefersthein-classvariety.Hebelievesstudentsultimatelylearnmoreandencouragesthemtoformstudygroups.
“That way they socialize over history outside the class, which wouldn’t happen without the pressure of an in-class exam,”
heexplained,“Furthermore,in-classexamsforcestudentstolearnhowtoperformunderpressure,andessentialworkskill.”
[D] Healsosays thereislesschanceofcheatingwith thein-classvariety.In2012,125studentsatHarvard werecaught
up in a scandal when it was discovered they had cheated on a take-home exam for a class entitled “Introduction To
Congress.” Some colleges have what they call an “honor code,” though if you are smart enough to get into these schools,
you are either smart enough to get around any codes or hopefully, too ethical to consider doing so. As I sat blocked and
clueless for two solid days, I momentarily wondered if I couldn’t just call an expert on the subject matter which I was
tackling,orsomeonewhotooktheclasspreviously,togetme going.
[E] Following the Harvard scandal, Mary Miller, the former dean of students at Yale,made an impassioned appeal to
her school’s professors to refrain from take-hone exams. “Students risk health and well being, as well as performance in
other end-of-term work, when faculty offers take-home exams without clear, time-limited boundaries,” she told me.
“Research now shows that regular quizzes, short essays, and other assignments over the course of a term better enhance
learningandretention.”
[F] Most college professors agree the kind of exam they choose largely depends on the subject. A quantitative-based
one, for example, is unlikely to be sent home, where one could ask their older brothers and sisters to help. Vocational-type
classes, such as computer science or journalism, on the other hand, are often more research-oriented andlend themselves to
take-home testing. Chris Koch, who teaches “History of Broadcast Journalism” at Montgomery Community College in
Rockville, Maryland, points out that reporting isabout investigation rather than the memorization of minute details. “In my
field, it’snot what you know—it’s what you know how to findout,” says Koch. “There isway too much information, and
more coming all the time, for anyone to remember. I want my students to search out the answers to questions by using all
theresourcesavailableto them.
[G] Students’ test-form preferences vary,too, often depending on the subject and course difficulty. “I prefer take-home
essays because itis then really about the writing, so you have time to edit and do more research,” says Elizabeth Dresser, a
junior atBarnard. Then there isthe stress factor.Francesca Haass, a senior atMiddlebury, says, “Ifind the in-class onesare
more stressful in the short term, but there is immediate relief as you swallow information like mad, and then you get to
forget it all. Take-homes require thoughtful engagement which can lead to longer term stress as there is never a moment
when the time is up.” Meanwhile, Olivia Rubin, a sophomore at Emory, says she hardly even considers take-homes true
exams.“Ifyouunderstandthematerialandhavetheabilitytoarticulate (说出)yourthoughts,theyshouldbeabreeze.”
[H] How students ultimately handle stress may depend on their personal test-taking abilities. There are people who
always waituntilthelastminute,andmake itmuchharderthanitneedstobe.Andthentherethosewho,notknowingwhat
questionsare coming atthem, and having noresources to refer to, can freeze. And then there are we rare folks who fit both
thosedescriptions.
[I] Yes,myadvancedage mustfactor intotheequation (等式),inpartbecauseofmyinabilityto accesstheinformation
as quickly.As another returning student at Columbia, Kate Marber, toldme, “Weare learning not only all this information,
but essentially how to learn again. Our fellowstudents have just come out of highschool. A lothas changed since we were
lastinschool.”
[J] Ifnothingelse,thesituationhasgivenmycollege sonandmesomethingtoshare, WhenIasked hisopiniononthis
matter,heresponded,“Ilikein-classexamsbecausethetimeisalreadyreserved,asopposedtousingmyfreetimeat home
- 4 -to work on a test,” he responded. It seems to me that a compromise would be receiving the exam questions a day or two in
advance,andthendoingtheactualtestinclassthetickingclockoverhead.
[K] Better yet, how about what one Hunter College professor reportedly did recently for her final exam: She
encouragedtheclassnottostressorevenstudy,promisingthat,“Itisgoingtobeapieceofcake.”Whenthestudentscamein,
sharpened pencils in hand, there was not a bluebook in sight. Rather, they saw a large chocolate cake and they each were
givena slice.
36. Elderlystudentsfindithardtokeepupwiththerapidchanges ineducation.
37. Somebelievetake-homeexamsmayaffectstudents'performanceinother courses.
38. Certainprofessorsbelievein-classexamsareultimatelymorehelpfulto students.
39. In-classexamsarebelievedtodiscouragecheatingin exams.
40. Theauthorwashappytolearnshecoulddosomeexamsat home.
41. Studentswhoputofftheirworkuntilthelastmomentoftenfindtheexamsmore difficultthantheyactuallyare.
42. Differentstudentsmaypreferdifferenttypesof exams.
43. Mostprofessorsagreewhethertogiveanin-classoratake-homeexamdependsontypeofcoursebeing taught.
44. Theauthordroppedoutofcollegesomefortyyears ago.
45. Somestudentsthinktake-homeexamswilleatuptheirfree time.
SectionC
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions orunfinished statements. For
each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the
correspondingletteronAnswer Sheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.
PassageOne
Questions46and50arebasedonthefollowingpassage.
That people often experience trouble sleeping in a differentbed in unfamiliar surroundings is a phenomenon known as
the“first-night”effect.Ifa personstays in thesame roomthefollowingnight theytendtosleepmore soundly.Yuka Sasaki
andhercolleaguesatBrownUniversitysetouttoinvestigatetheoriginsofthiseffect.
Dr. Sasaki knew the first-night effect probably has something to do with how humans evolved. The puzzle was what
benefitwould be gained from itwhen performance might be affected the following day. She also knew from previous work
conducted on birds and dolphins that these animals put half of their brains to sleep at a time so that they can rest while
remainingalertenoughtoavoidpredators(捕食者).Thisledhertowonderifpeoplemightbedoingthesamething.Totake
acloser look, her teamstudied 35healthypeopleas they sleptinthe unfamiliar environmentof theuniversity’s Department
of Psychological Sciences. The participants each slept in the department for two nights and were carefully monitored with
techniques that looked at the activity of their brains. Dr. Sasaki found, as expected, the participants slept less well on their
firstnight thantheydid ontheir second,takingmore thantwice aslongto fall asleepandsleeping lessoverall. During deep
sleep, the participants’ brains behaved in a similar manner seen in birds and dolphins. On the first night only, the left
hemispheres(半球)oftheirbrainsdidnotsleepnearlyasdeeplyastheirrighthemispheresdid.
Curiousifthelefthemisphereswereindeedremainingawaketoprocessinformationdetectedinthesurrounding
environment, Dr. Sasaki re-ran the experiment while presenting the sleeping participants with a mix of regularly timed
beeps( 蜂 鸣 声 )ofthesame toneandirregularbeepsof adifferenttoneduringthenight. She workedoutthat,iftheleft
hemisphere was staying alert to keep guard ina strange environment, then itwould react to the irregular beeps by stirring
peoplefromsleepandwouldignoretheregularlytimedones.Thisispreciselywhatshe found.
46. Whatdidresearchersfindpuzzlingaboutthefirst-night effect?
A) Towhatextentitcan troublepeople. C)Whatcircumstancesmaytriggerit.
B) Whatroleithasplayed inevolution. D)Inwhatwayitcanbebeneficial.
47. WhatdowelearnaboutDr.YukaSasakidoingherresearch?
A) Shefoundbirdsanddolphinsremainalertwhile asleep.
B) Shefoundbirdsanddolphinssleepinmuchthesame way.
C) Shegotsomeideafrompreviousstudiesonbirdsand dolphins
- 5 -D) Sheconductedstudiesonbirds’anddolphins’sleepingpatterns.
48. WhatdidDr.Sasakidowhenshefirstdidher experiment?
A) Shemonitoredthebrainactivityofparticipantssleepinginanew environment.
B) Sherecruited35participantsfromherDepartmentofPsychological Sciences.
C) Shestudiedthedifferencesbetweenthetwosidesofparticipants’ brains.
D) Shetestedherfindingsaboutbirdsanddolphinsonhuman subjects.
49. WhatdidDr.Sasakidowhenre-runningher experiment?
A) Sheanalyzedthenegativeeffectofirregulartoneson brains.
B) Sherecordedparticipants’adaptationtochangedenvironment.
C) Sheexposedherparticipantstotwodifferentstimuli.
D) Shecomparedtheresponsesofdifferentparticipants.
50. WhatdidDr.Sasakifindabouttheparticipantsinher experiment?
A) Theytendedtoenjoycertaintonesmorethan others.
B) Theytendedtoperceiveirregularbeepsasa threat.
C) Theyfeltsleepywhenexposedtoregular beeps.
D) Theydifferedintheirtoleranceofirregular tones.
PassageTwo
Questions51to55arebasedonthefollowingpassage.
It’stimetoreevaluatehowwomenhandleconflictatwork.Beingoverworkedorover-committedathomeandonthe
jobwillnotgetyouwhereyouwanttobeinlife.Itwillonlyslowyoudownandhinderyourcareergoals.
Didyouknowwomenaremorelikelythanmentofeelexhausted?Nearlytwiceasmanywomenthanmenages18-44
reportedfeeling“verytired”or“exhausted”,accordingtoarecentstudy.
This may not be surprising given that this is the age range when women have children. It's also the age range when
many women are trying to balance careers and home. One reason women may feel exhausted is that they have a hard time
saying "no." Women want to be able to do it all volunteer for school parties or cook delicious meals-and so their answer to
anyrequestisoften“Yes,Ican.”
Womenstruggletosay“no”intheworkplaceforsimilarreasons,includingthedesiretobelikedbytheircolleagues.
Unfortunately,thisinabilitytosay"no"maybehurtingwomen'sheathaswellastheircareer.
At the workplace, men use conflict as a way to position themselves, while women often avoid conflict or striveto be
the peacemaker, because they don't want to beviewed as aggressive or disruptive at work. For example, there’s a problem
that needs to be addressed immediately, resulting ina dispute over should be the one to fix it. Men are more likely to face
that dispute from the perspective of what benefits them most, whereas women may approach the same dispute from the
perspective of what's the easiest and quickest way to resolve the problem-even if that means doing the boring work
themselves.
This difference in handling conflict could be the deciding factor on who gets promoted to a leadership position and
who does not. Leaders have to be able to delegate and manage resources wisely – including staff expertise. Shouldering
moreoftheworkloadmaynotearnyouthatpromotion.Instead,itmayhighlightyourinabilitytodelegateeffectively.
51. Whatdoestheauthorsayistheproblemwith women?
A) Theyareoftenunclearaboutthecareergoalsto reach.
B) Theyareusuallymorecommittedathomethanonthe job.
C) Theytendtobeover-optimisticabouthowfartheycould go.
D) Theytendtopushthemselvesbeyondthelimitsof their ability.
52. Whydoworkingwomenofchild-bearingagetendtofeeldrainedofenergy?
A) Theystruggletosatisfythedemandsofbothworkand home.
B) Theyaretoodevotedtoworkandunabletorelaxasa result.
C) Theydotheirbesttocooperatewiththeir workmates.
D) Theyareobligedtotakeuptoomany responsibilities.
- 6 -53. Whatmayhinderthefutureprospectsofcareer women?
A) Theirunwillingnesstosay “no”.
B) Theirdesiretobeconsidered powerful.
C)Anunderestimateoftheirown ability.
D) Alackofcouragetofacechallenges.
54. Menandwomandifferintheirapproachtoresolvingworkplaceconflicts inthat _.
A) womentendtobeeasily satisfied
B) menaregenerallymore persuasive
C) mentendtoputtheirpersonalinterests first
D) womenaremuchmorereadytocompromise
55. Whatisimportanttoagoodleader?
A)Adominantpersonality. C)Thecouragetoadmit failure
B) Theabilitytodelegate. D)Astrongsenseofresponsibility.
Part Ⅳ Translation (30 minutes)
Directions:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestotranslateapassagefromChineseinto
English.YoushouldwriteyouransweronAnswer Sheet2.
泰山位于山东省西部。海拔 1500余米,方圆约 400平方公里。泰山不仅雄伟壮观,而且是一座历史文化名山,过去
3000多年一直是人们前往朝拜的地方。据记载,共有 72位帝王曾来此游览。许多作家到泰山获取灵感,写诗作文,艺
术家也来此绘画。山上因此留下了许许多多的文物古迹。泰山如今已成为中国一处主要的旅游景点。
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