2003年6月21日四级考试真题A卷 Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes) Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre. Example: You will hear: You will read: A) At the office. B) In the waiting room. C) At the airport. D) In a restaurant. From the conversation we know that the two were talking about some work they had to finish in the evening. This is most likely to have taken place at the office. Therefore, A) "At the office" is the best answer. You should choose [A] on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the centre. Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D] 1. W: George, look at the long waiting line. I’m glad you’ve made the reservation. M: More and more people enjoy eating out now. Besides, this place is especially popular with oversea students. Q: Where did this conversation most probably take place? 2. M: I wonder if you can drop by tomorrow evening. The Stevensons is coming over for dinner .I’d like you to meet them. W: Sure. I’d love to. I’ve heard they’re interesting people. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? 3. W: The presentation made by Professor Jackson was too complicated to understand. M: Well, I think he didn’t speak slowly enough for us to take notes. Q: What is the man’s complaint? 4. W: You’ve got your apartment furnished, haven’t you? M: Yes. I bought some used furniture at the Sunday Market and it was a real bargain. Q: What does the man mean? 5. M: Mary doesn’t want me to take the job. She says our child is too young and the job requires much traveling. W: You should talk to her again and see if you can find a way out. Think about the gains and loses before you make a decision. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? 6. M: I haven’t got my scores on the GRE test yet. Do you think I should call to make inquiries? W: There is no hurry. The test scores are released at least eight weeks after the test. Q: What does the woman advise the man to do? 7. M: Have you finished reading the book you bought last month? W: Oh, I didn’t read it straight through the way you read a novel. I just cover the few chapters that interested me most. Q: How did the woman read the book? 8. W: Hi, John! Haven’t seen you for quite a while. Are you fine? M: Oh, yes. But luck seemed to go against me. I had a car accident, only some minor injuries, though. Q: What happened to John? 9. M: The taxi is waiting downstairs. Let’s hurry. W: Wait a minute. I’ll take some food with us. I don’t like the meal served on the train. Q: What are the speakers going to do? 10. W: Is that optional course as hard as everybody says? M: Exactly even worse, believe it or not. Q: What does the man say about the course? 1. A) At a theatre. C) At a railway station. B) At a booking office. D)At a restaurant. 2. A) The man is inviting the woman to dinner. B) The woman is too busy to join the man for dinner. C) The woman is a friend of the Stevensons'. D) The man is going to visit the Stevensons. 3. A) The professor's presentation was not convincing enough. B) The professor's lecture notes were too complicated. C) The professor spoke with a strong accent. D) The professor spoke too fast. 4. A) The furnished apartment was inexpensive. B) The apartment was provided with some old furniture. C) The furniture in the market was on sale every Sunday. D) The furniture he bought was very cheap. 5. A) The man is thinking about taking a new job. B) The man likes a job that enables him to travel. C) The man is sure that he will gain more by taking the job. D) The man doesn't want to stay home and take care of their child. 6. A) Take the GRE test again in 8 weeks. C) Be patient and wait. B) Call to check his scores. D) Inquire when the test scores are released. 7. A) She read it selectively. C) She read it slowly. B) She went over it chapter by chapter. D) She finished it at a stretch. 8. A) He was kept in hospital for a long time. B) He was slightly injured in a traffic accident. C) He was seriously wounded in a mine explosion. D) He was fined for speeding. 9. A) Wait for a taxi. C) Go on a trip. B) Buy some food. D) Book train tickets. 10. A) It's not as hard as expected. B) It's too tough for some students. C) It's much more difficult than people think. D) It's believed to be the hardest optional course. Section B Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choice marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre. Passage One My father woke me up early one morning when I was fourteen and announced: “Get up! You’re going with me to cut grass.” I felt proud and excited because my father thought I was responsible enough to help him in his business. Still that first day was really hard. From sunrise to sunset, my father, my younger brother and I cut and trimmed very large yards in a well-to-do part of the city. By the end of the day I was exhausted but I felt food. I had put in a hard day’s labor and had earned six dollars. One day my father spotted some weeds I had missed cutting and pulled me aside. “Get that section again,” he said firmly. “Don’t let me have to tell you to do the job right the first time.” In every job I have held，from cutting lawns to washing dishes to working a machine in a construction site, I have learnt something that help me in my next job. If you look hard enough, you can learn from any job you do. 11. How did the speaker feel when his father asked him to help cut grass? 12.What did his father do when the speaker missed cutting some leaves? 13.What did the speaker want to tell us in this passage? Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard. 11. A) Anxious and worried. C) Nervous and confused. B) Proud and excited. D) Inspired and confident. 12. A) His father scolded him severely. C) His father made him do the cutting again. B) His father took back the six dollars. D) His father cut the leaves himself. 13. A) One can benefit a lot from working with his father. B) Manual labourers shouldn't be looked down upon. C) One should always do his job earnestly. D) Teenagers tend to be careless. Passage Two I live in a small village in the country. My wife and I run the village shop. We have a very peaceful life. “Boring ”, some might say. But we love it. We know all the people in the village and have plenty of time to stop and chat. I have plenty of time for my hobbies too, gardening, fishing, and walking in the countryside. I love the outdoor life. It wasn’t always like this though. I used to have a really stress job, working till late in the office every evening and often bringing work home at the weekend. The advertising world is very competitive and when I look back, I can’t imagine how I stayed it. I had no private life at all, no time for the really important things in life. Because of the pressure of the job I used to smoke and drink too much. The crisis came when my wife left me .She complained that she never saw me and I had no time for family life. This made me realize what was really important to me. I talked things through with her and decided to get back together again and started a new and better life together. I gave up tobacco and alcohol, and searched for new hobbies. Now I am afraid looking back since the past life seemed a horrible dream. 14. What did the speaker use to do for a living? 15. What do we know about the speaker’s life in the past? 16. What made the speaker change his life style? Questions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard. 14. A) He ran a village shop. C) He worked in an advertising agency. B) He worked on a farm. D) He was a gardener. 15. A) It was stressful. C) It was peaceful. B) It was colorful. D) It was boring. 16. A) His desire to start Iris own business. C) The decline in his health. B) The crisis in his family life. D) His dream of living in the countryside. Passage Three “Where is the university” is the question many visitors to Cambridge asked, but no one could point them in any one direction because there is no campus. The university consists of thirty-one self-governing colleges. It has lecture halls, libraries, laboratories, museums and offices throughout the city. Individual colleges choose their own students who have to meet the minimum entrance requirements set by the university. Undergraduates usually live and study in their colleges where they are taught in very small groups. Lectures and laboratory and practical work are organized by the university and held in university buildings. There are over 10,000 undergraduates and 3,500 post-graduates, about 40% of them are women and some 8% from overseas. As well as teaching, research is of major importance. Since the beginning of the 20th century, more than 60 university members have won Nobel Prizes. University has a huge number of buildings for teaching and research. It has more than 60 specialist subject libraries as well as the university library, which, as a copyright library, is entitled to a copy of every book published in Britain. Examinations are set and degrees are awarded by the university. It allowed women to take the university exams in 1881, but it was not until 1948 that they were awarded degrees. 17.Why is it difficult for visitors to locate Cambridge University? 18. What does the passage tell us about the colleges of Cambridge University? 19. What can be learnt from the passage about the libraries in Cambridge University? 20. What does the passage tell about women students in Cambridge University? Questions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard. 17. A) Because there are no signs to direct them. B) Because no tour guides are available. C) Because all the buildings in the city look alike. D) Because the university is everywhere in the city. 18. A) They set their own exams. C) They award their own degrees. B) They select their own students. D) They organize their own laboratory work. 19. A) Most of them have a long history. B) Many of them are specialized libraries. C) They house more books than any other university library. D) They each have a copy of every book published in Britain. 20. A) Very few of them are engaged in research. B) They were not awarded degrees until 1948. C) They have outnumbered male students. D) They were not treated equally until 1881. Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes) Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre. Passage One Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage. On average, American kids ages 3 to 12 spent 29 hours a week in school, eight hours more that they did in 1981. They also did more household work and participated in more of such organized activities as soccer and ballet (芭蕾舞). Involvement in sports, in particular, rose almost 50% from 1981 to 1997: boys now spend an average of four hours a week playing sports; girls log hall that time. All in all, however, children's leisure time dropped from 40% of the day in 1981 to 25% "Children are affected by the same time crunch (危机) that affects their parents," says Sandra Hofferth, who headed the recent study of children's timetable. A chief reason, she says, is that more mothers are working outside the home. (Nevertheless, children in both double-income and "male breadwinner" households spent comparable amounts of time interacting with their parents.19 hours and 22 hours respectively. In contrast, children spent only 9 hours with their single mothers.) All work and no play could make for some very messed-up kids. "Play is the most powerful way a child explores the world and learns about himself," says T. Berry Brazelton, professor at Harvard Medical School Unstructured play encourages independent thinking and allows the young to negotiate their relationships with their peers, but kids ages 3 to 12 spent only 12 hours a week engaged in it. The children sampled spent a quarter of their rapidly decreasing "free time" watching television. But that, believe it or not, was one of the findings parents might regard as good news. If they're spending less time in front of the TV set, however, kids aren't replacing it with reading. Despite efforts to get kids more interested in books, the children spent just over an hour a week reading. Let's face it, who's got the time? 21. By mentioning "the same time crunch" (Line 1, Para. 2) Sandra Hofferth means A) children have little time to play with their parents B) children are not taken good care of by their working parents C) both parents and children suffer from lack of leisure time D) both parents and children have trouble managing their time 22. According to the author, the reason given by Sandra Hofferth for the time crunch is A) quite convincing C) totally groundless B) partially true D) rather confusing 23. According to the author a child develops better if A) he has plenty of time reading and studying B) he is left to play with his peers in his own way C) he has more time participating in school activities D) he is free to interact with his working parents 24. The author is concerned about the fact that American kids A) are engaged in more and more structured activities B) are increasingly neglected by their working mothers C) are spending more and more time watching TV D) are involved less and less in household work 25. We can infer from the passage that A) extracurricular activities promote children's intelligence B) most children will turn to reading with TV sets switched off C) efforts to get kids interested in reading have been fruitful D) most parents believe reading to be beneficial to children Passage Two Questions 26 to :30 are based on the following passage. Henry Ford, the famous U.S. inventor and car manufacturer, once said, "The business of America is business." By this he meant that the U.S. way of life is based on the values of the business world. Few would argue with Ford's statement. A brief glimpse at a daily newspaper vividly shows how much people in the United States think about business. For example, nearly every newspaper has a business section, in which the deals and projects, finances and management, stock prices and labor problems of corporations are reported daily. In addition, business news can appear in every other section. Most national news has an important financial aspect to it. Welfare, foreign aid, the federal budget, and the policies of the Federal Reserve Bank are all heavily affected by business. Moreover, business news appears in some of the unlikeliest places. The world of arts and entertainment is often referred to as "the entertainment industry" or "show business." The positive side of Henry Ford's statement can be seen in the prosperity that business has brought to U.S. life. One of the most important reasons so many people from all over the world come to live in the United States is the dream of a better job. Jobs are produced in abundance (大量地) because the U.S. economic system is driven by competition. People believe that this system crates more wealth, more jobs, and a materially better way of life. The negative side of Henry Ford's statement, however, can be seen when the word business is taken to mean big business. And the term big business -- referring to the biggest companies, is seen in opposition to labor. Throughout U.S. history working people have had to fight hard for higher wages, better working conditions, and the fight to form unions. Today, many of the old labor disputes are over, but there is still some employee anxiety. Downsizing ---- the laying off of thousands of workers to keep expenses low and profits high -- creates feelings of insecurity for many. 26. The United States is a typical country A) which encourages free trade at home and abroad B) where people's chief concern is how to make money C) where all businesses are managed scientifically D) which normally works according to the federal budget 27. The influence of business in the U.S. is evidenced by the fact that A) most newspapers are run by big businesses B) even public organizations concentrate on working for profits C) Americans of all professions know how to do business D) even arts and entertainment are regarded as business 28. According to the passage, immigrants choose to settle in the U.S., dreaming that A) they can start profitable businesses there B) they can be more competitive in business C) they will make a fortune overnight there D) they will find better chances of employment 29. Henry Ford's statement can be taken negatively because A) working people are discouraged to fight for their fights B) there are many industries controlled by a few big capitalists C) there is a conflicting relationship between big corporations and labor D) public services are not run by the federal government 30. A company's efforts to keep expenses low and profits high may result in A) reduction in the number of employees B) improvement of working conditions C) fewer disputes between labor and management D) a rise in workers' wages Passage Three Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage. Professor Smith recently persuaded 35 people, 23 of them women, to keep a diary of all their absent-minded actions for a fortnight. When he came to analyse their embarrassing lapses ( 差错) in a scientific report, he was surprised to find that nearly all of them fell into a few groupings, Nor did the lapses appear to be entirely random (随机的). One of the women, for instance, on leaving her house for work one morning threw her dog her earrings and tried to fix a dog biscuit on her ear. “the explanation for this is that the brain is like a computer,” explains the professor. "People programme themselves to do certain activities regularly. It was the woman's custom every morning to throw her dog two biscuits and then put on her earrings. But somehow the action got reversed in the programme," About one in twenty of the incidents the volunteers reported were these "programme assembly failures," Altogether the volunteers logged 433 unintentional actions that they found themselves doing -- an average of twelve each, There appear to be peak periods in the day when we are at our zaniest (荒谬可笑的). These are two hours some time between eight a.m. and noon, between four and six p.m. with a smaller peak between eight and ten p.m. "Among men the peak seems to be when a changeover in brain 'programmes' occurs, as for instance between going to and from work." Women on average reported slightly more lapses -- 12.5 compared with 10.9 for men m probably because they were more reliable reporters. A startling finding of the research is that the absent-minded activity is a hazard of doing things in which we are skilled. Normally, you would expect that skill reduces the number of errors we make. But trying to avoid silly slips by concentrating more could make things a lot worse m even dangerous. 31. In his study Professor Smith asked the subjects A) to keep track of people who tend to forget things B) to report their embarrassing lapses at random C) to analyse their awkward experiences scientifically D) to keep a record of what they did unintentionally 32. Professor Smith discovered that A) certain patterns can be identified in the recorded incidents B) many people were too embarrassed to admit their absent-mindedness C) men tend to be more absent-minded than women D) absent-mindedness is an excusable human weakness 33. "Programme assembly failures" (Line 6, Para. 2) refers to the phenomenon that people A) often fail to programme their routines beforehand B) tend to make mistakes when they are in a hurry C) unconsciously change the sequence of doing things D) are likely to mess things up if they are too tired 34. We learn from the third paragraph that A) absent-mindedness tends to occur during certain hours of the day B) women are very careful to perform actions during peak periods C) women experience more peak periods of absent-mindedness D) men's absent-mindedness often results in funny situations 35. It can be concluded from the passage that A) people should avoid doing important things during peak periods of lapses B) hazards can be avoided when people do things they are good at C) people should be careful when programming their actions D) lapses cannot always be attributed to lack of concentration Passage Four Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage. It's no secret that many children would be healthier and happier with adoptive parents than with the parents that nature dealt them. That's especially true of children who remain in abusive homes because the law blindly favors biological parents. It's also true of children who suffer for years in foster homes (收养孩子的家庭) because of parents who can't or won't care for them but refuse to give up custody (监护) rights. Fourteen-year-old Kimberly Mays fits neither description, but her recent court victory could eventually help children who do. Kimberly has been the object of an angry custody baffle between the man who raised her and her biological parents, with whom she has never lived. A Florida judge ruled that the teenager can remain with the only father she's ever known and that her biological parents have "no legal claim" on her. The ruling, though it may yet be reversed, sets aside the principle that biology is the primary determinant of parentage. That's an important development, one that's long overdue. Shortly after birth in December 1978, Kimberly Mays and another infant were mistakenly switched and sent home with the wrong parents. Kimberly's biological parents, Ernest and Regina Twigg, received a child who died of a heart disease in 1988. Medical tests showed that the child wasn't the Twiggs' own daughter, but Kimt only was, thus sparking a custody battle with Robert Mays. In 1989, the two families agreed that Mr. Mays would maintain custody with the Twiggs getting visiting fights. Those rights were ended when Mr. Mays decided that Kimberly was being harmed. The decision to leave Kimberly with Mr. Mays rendered her suit debated. But the judge made clear that Kimberly did have standing to sue ( 起诉) on her own behalf. Thus he made clear that she was more than just property to be handled as adults saw fit. Certainly, the biological link between parent and child is fundamental. But biological parents aren't always preferable to adoptive ones, and biological parentage does not convey an absolute ownership that cancels all the rights of children. 36. What was the primary consideration in the Florida judge's ruling? A) The biological link. C) The traditional practice. B) The child's benefits. D) The parents' feelings. 37. We can learn from the Kimberly case that A) children are more than just personal possessions of their parents B) the biological link between parent and child should be emphasized C) foster homes bring children more pain and suffering than care D) biological parents shouldn't claim custody rights after their child is adopted 38. The Twiggs claimed custody rights to Kimberly because A) they found her unhappy in Mr. Mays' custody B) they regarded her as their property C) they were her biological parents D) they felt guilty about their past mistake 39. Kimberly had been given to Mr. Mays A) by sheer accident C) at his request B) out of charity D) for better care 40. The author's attitude towards the judge's ruling could be described as A) doubtful C) cautious B) critical D) supportive Part III Vocabulary and Structure (20 minute) Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are for choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre. 41. She her trip to New York because she was ill. A) called off C) put up B) closed down D) went off 42. the storm, the ship would have reached its destination on time. A) But for C) In spite of B) In case of D) Because of 43. We should concentrate on sharply reducing interest rates to pull the economy out of A) rejection C) retreat B) restriction D) recession 44.The of finding gold in California attracted a lot of people to settle down there. A) prospects C) stakes B) speculations D) provisions 45. I suffered from mental because of stress from my job. A) damage C) relief B) release D) fatigue 46. The rest of the day was entirely at his for reading or recreation. A) dismissal C) disposal B) survival D) arrival 47. You will not be about your food in time of great hunger. A) special C) peculiar B) particular D) specific 48. Crime is increasing worldwide, and there is every reason to believe the will continue into the next decade. A) emergency C) pace B) trend D) schedule 49. You shouldn't have written in the _ since the book belongs to the library. A) interval B) border C) margin D) edge 50. The of airplane engines announced a coming air raid. A) roar B) exclamation C) whistle D) scream 51. This ticket you to a free boat tour on the lake. A) entities B) appoints C) grants D) credits 52. This is the nurse who to me when I was ill in hospital. A) accompanied B) attended C) entertained D) shielded 53. I was about to a match when I remembered Tom's warning. A) rub B) hit C) scrape D) strike 54. The advertisement says this material doesn't in the wash, but it has. A) contract B) shrink C) slim D) dissolve 55. He was proud of being chosen to participate in the game and he _ us that he would try as hard as possible. A) insured C) assumed B) guaranteed D) assured 56. Not only the professionals but also the amateurs will from the new training facilities. A) derive B) acquire C) benefit D) reward 57. The work was almost complete when we received orders to __ _ no further with it. A) progress C) march B) proceed D) promote 58. I waited for him half an hour, but he never A) turned in C) turned off B) turned down D) turned up 59. A house with a dangerous gas can be broken into immediately. A) leak C) mess B) split D) crack 60. A dark suit is to a light one for evening wear. A) favourable C) preferable B) suitable D) proper 61. It was in the United States that I made the of Professor Jones. A) acknowledgement C) recognition B) acquaintance D) association 62. Could you take a sheet of paper and write your name at the top? A) bare C) hollow B) vacant D) blank 63. A culture in which the citizens share similar religious beliefs and values is more likely to have laws that represent the wishes of its people than is a culture where citizens come from backgrounds. A) extensive B) influential C) diverse D) identical 64. Areas where students have particular difficulty have been treated particular care. A) by B) in C) under D) with 65. He gave a to handle the affairs in a friendly manner. A) pledge C) plunge B) mission D) motion 66. Don't let the child play with scissors he cuts himself. A) in case C) now that B) so that D) only if 67. the danger from enemy action, people had to cope with a severe shortage of food, clothing, fuel, and almost everything. A) As far as C) As well as B) As long as D) As soon as 68. Many people lost their jobs during the business A) desperation C) despair B) decrease D) depression 69. Whenever a big company a small one, the product almost always gets worse. A) gets on with C) takes over B) cuts down D) puts up with 70. Mr. Smith was the only witness who said that the fire was A) mature C) meaningful B) deliberate D) innocent Part IV Short Answer Questions (15 minutes) Directions: In this part there is a short passage with 8 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Write your answers in the spaces provided on the right of the page. What personal qualities are desirable in a teacher? I think the following would be generally accepted. First, the teacher's personality should be lively and attractive. This does not rule out people who are plain-looking, or even ugly, because many such people have great personal charm. But it does rule out such types as the over-excitable, sad, cold, and frustrated. Secondly, it is not merely desirable but essential for a teacher to have a genuine capacity for sympathy, a capacity to understand the minds and feelings of other people, especially, since most teachers are school teachers, the minds and feelings of children. Closely related with this is the capacity to be tolerant -- not, indeed, of what is wrong, but of the weaknesses and immaturity of human nature which induce ( i)~ ) people, and again especially children, to make mistakes. Thirdly, I hold it essential for a teacher to be both intellectually and morally honest. This means that he will be aware of his intellectual strengths and limitations, and will have thought about and decided upon the moral principles by which his life shall be guided. There is no contradiction in my going on to say that a teacher should be a bit of an actor. That is part of the technique of teaching, which demands that every now and then a teacher should be able to put on an act to enliven (使生动) a lesson, correct a fault, or award praise. Children, especially young children, live in a world that is rather larger than life. A teacher must be capable of infinite patience. This, I may say, is largely a matter of self-discipline and self-training, for we are none of us born like that. Finally, I think a teacher should have the kind of mind which always wants to go on learning. Teaching is a job at which one will never be perfect; there is always something more to learn about it. There are three principal objects of study: the subjects which the teacher is teaching; the methods by which the subjects can best be taught to the particular pupils in the classes he is teaching; and ---- by far the most important -- the children, young people, or adults to whom the subjects are to be taught. The two fundamental principles of British education today are that education is education of the whole person, and that it is best acquired through full and active co-operation between two persons, the teacher and the learner. S1. Plain-looking teachers can also be admired by their students if they have S1 . S2. The author says it is S2 that teachers be sympathetic with their students. S3. A teacher should be tolerant because humans tend to have S3(1) and to be S3(2) . S4. A teacher who is S4 will be able to make his lessons more lively. S5. How can a teacher acquire infinite patience? S5 S6. Since teaching is a job no one can be perfect at, it is necessary for teachers to keep improving their knowledge of the subjects they teach and their S6 S7. Teachers' most important object of study is S7 . S8. Education cannot be best acquired without S8 between the teacher and the learner Part V Writing (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write an eye-witness account of a traffic accident. You should write at least 120 words according to the outline given below in Chinese: 假设你在某日某时某地目击一起车祸，就此写一份见证书。见证书须包括以下几点： 1． 车祸发生的时间及地点 2． 你所见到的车祸情况 3． 你对车祸原因的分析 An Eye-Witness Account of a Traffic Accident 2003年6月21日四级听力试题原文及译文 Section A W：Gorge, look at the long waiting line. I am glad you've made a reservation. M：More and more people enjoy eating out now. Beside, this place is especially popular with the overseas students. Q：Where did the conversation most probably take place? W: 乔治，看看这里排着这么长的队，真高兴你订到了座位。 M：越来越多的人喜欢在外面吃饭。而且这个地方尤其受留学生亲睐。 Q：对话可能在哪里发生？ M:I wonder if you can drop by tomorrow evening. The Stevensons are coming over to dinner. I'd like you to meet them. W: Sure, I'd love to. I've heard they are very interesting people. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? M：你明天晚上能到我这来一趟吗？史蒂文森一家明天到我家吃晚饭，我希望你能见见他们。 W：当然，我非常愿意。我听说他们非常有意思。 Q：我们可从该对话中了解到什么？ W: The presentation made by Professor Jacksonwas complicated to understand. M: Well, I think he didn't speak slowly enough for us for us to take the notes. Q: What did the man complain? W：杰克森教授作的报告太难懂了。 M；我觉得他的语速太快，我们根本没法做笔记。 Q：男士抱怨什么？ W: You've got your apartment furnished, haven't you? M: I've bought some used furniture from Sunday market. It was a real bargain. Q: What does the man mean? W：你买了家俱，是吗？ M：我从周日市场买了一些旧家俱。价钱便宜。 Q：男人什么意思？ M Mary doesn't want me to take the job. She says our child is too young. And the job requires much travelling. W: You should talk to her again and see if you can find a way out. Think about the gains and losses before you make the decision. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? M：玛丽不想让我干那个工作，她说孩子还些这个工作又需要我经常出差。 W：你应该和她再谈谈，看你们能不能想出个两全其美的办法。权衡一下利弊，再做决定。 Q：从对话中我们可以了解到什么？ M:I haven't got my scores on the GRE test yet. Do you think I should call to make inquiries? W: There is no hurry. The test scores are released at least eight weeks after the test. Q: What does the woman advise the man to do? M：我还不知道GRE考试的分数。你觉得我是不是该打电话问问？ W：不要急。考试的分数至少要在考试后八周之后公布。 Q：女人建议男人干嘛？ M: Have you finished reading the book you bought last month? W: oh, I didn't read straight through the way you read a novel,I just covered a few chapters which interested me most. Q: How did the woman read the book? M：你读上个月你买的那本书了吗？ W：哦，我不象你读小说那样从头读到尾。我读了我感兴趣的几章。 Q：女人采用什么读书方式？ W: Hello, Joe, Haven't seen you for quite a while. Are you fine? M: Oh,yes, but not a thing to go against me. I had a car accident, only someminor injuries though. Q: What happened to Joe? W：你好，乔，很久不见，你好吗？ M：还好，我吉人自有天相，出了车祸，只不过受了轻伤。 m: The taxi is waiting downstairs, let's hurry. W: Wait a minute. I'll take some food with us. I don't like the meal served on the train. Q: What are the speakers going to do? M：出租车在楼下等着，赶紧！ M：等等，我要带点吃的东西。我不喜欢吃火车上供应的食物。 Q：两个谈话者准备做什么？ W: Is that optional course as hard as everybody says? M: It's actually even worse, believe it or not. Q :What did the man say about the course? W：那门选修课象别人说的那么难吗？ M：不管你信不信，难极了。 Q：他们如何评价选修课？ Section B Passage 1 My father woke me up early one morning when I was fourteen and announced "Get up, you are going with me to cut grass." I felt proud and excited because my father thought I was responsible enough to help him in his business. Still, that first day was very hard. From sunrise to sunset, my father, my younger brother and I cut and t very large yards in well-to-do part of the city. By the end of the day I was exhausted, but I felt good. I put out a hard day's labor and earned six dollars. One day, my father spotted some weeds I have miss cutting and pulled me inside. "Cut that section again!" he said firmly "and don't make me have to tell you again.” The message was very clear. Today I stress the importance of doing the job right the first time. Every job I have held from cutting lawns to wash dishes to working a machine on the construction site. I have learned something that help me in my next job. If you work hard enough, you can learn from any job you do. 11 Q: How did the speaker feel when his father asked him to help cut grass?13 Q: What did his father do when the speaker missed cutting some leaves? 14 Q:What did the speak want to tell us in this passage? Passage B I am living in a small village in the country. My wife and I run a village shop. We have a very peaceful live, boring some my say. But we love it. We know all the people in the village. They have plenty of time to stop and chat. I have plenty of time for my hobbies too--gardening, fishing, walking in the country side. I love the outdoor life. It wasn't always like this though I used to have a really stressful job, working so late in the office every evening. I often bring work home at the weekends. The advertising world is very competitive. And when I look back, I can't imagine how I stood it. I have no private life at all. No time for the really important things in life. Because of the pressure of the job, I used to smoke and drink too much. The crisis came when my wife left me. She complaint that she never saw me and I had no time for family life. This made me realize what is really important to me. I talked things through with her and decided to get back together and started a new and better life together. I gave up tobacco and alcohol and searched for new hobbies. Now I am afraid of looking back since the past life seemed like a horrible dream. 14 What did the speaker do for a living? 15 What do we know about the speaker's life in the past? 16 What made the speaker change his life style? Passage 3 "Where is the university?" is the question many visitors to Cambridge ask. But no one could point at any one direction because there is no campus. The university consists of 31 self-governing colleges. It has lecture halls, libraries, laboratories, museums and offices throughout the city. Individual colleges choose their own students who have to meet their minimum entrance requirements set by the university. And the graduates usually live and study in their colleges but they are taught in very full groups. Lectures and laboratories and practical work are organized by the university and held in university buildings. There are over ten thousand undergraduates and three thousand five hundred post-graduates. About 40% of them are women and some 8% from overseas. As well as teaching, research is of major importance. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, more than sixty university members have won Nobel prizes. The university has a huge number of buildings for teaching and research. It has more than 60 specialist subject libraries as well as the university library, which as the copy-right libraries, is entitled to a copy of every book published in Britain. Examinations are held and degrees are awarded by the university. It allowed women to take the university exams in the 1881, but it was the not until 1941 that they were awarded degrees. 17 Why is it difficult to located Cambridge University? 18 What does the passage tell us about the colleges of the university? 19 What can be learnt from the passage about the libraries in Cambridge University? 20 What does we know from the passage tell us about the women students in Cambridge university?
2003年6月21日四级考试真题A卷
Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
Example: You will hear:
You will read:
A) At the office.
B) In the waiting room.
C) At the airport.
D) In a restaurant.
From the conversation we know that the two were talking about some work they had to finish in the evening. This is most likely to have taken place at the office. Therefore, A) "At the office" is the best answer. You should choose [A] on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the centre.
Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D]
1. W: George, look at the long waiting line. I’m glad you’ve made the reservation.
M: More and more people enjoy eating out now. Besides, this place is especially popular with oversea students.
Q: Where did this conversation most probably take place?
2. M: I wonder if you can drop by tomorrow evening. The Stevensons is coming over for dinner .I’d like you to meet them.
W: Sure. I’d love to. I’ve heard they’re interesting people.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
3. W: The presentation made by Professor Jackson was too complicated to understand.
M: Well, I think he didn’t speak slowly enough for us to take notes.
Q: What is the man’s complaint?
4. W: You’ve got your apartment furnished, haven’t you?
M: Yes. I bought some used furniture at the Sunday Market and it was a real bargain.
Q: What does the man mean?
5. M: Mary doesn’t want me to take the job. She says our child is too young and the job requires much traveling.
W: You should talk to her again and see if you can find a way out. Think about the gains and loses before you make a decision.
6. M: I haven’t got my scores on the GRE test yet. Do you think I should call to make inquiries?
W: There is no hurry. The test scores are released at least eight weeks after the test.
Q: What does the woman advise the man to do?
7. M: Have you finished reading the book you bought last month?
W: Oh, I didn’t read it straight through the way you read a novel. I just cover the few chapters that interested me most.
Q: How did the woman read the book?
8. W: Hi, John! Haven’t seen you for quite a while. Are you fine?
M: Oh, yes. But luck seemed to go against me. I had a car accident, only some minor injuries, though.
Q: What happened to John?
9. M: The taxi is waiting downstairs. Let’s hurry.
W: Wait a minute. I’ll take some food with us. I don’t like the meal served on the train.
Q: What are the speakers going to do?
10. W: Is that optional course as hard as everybody says?
M: Exactly even worse, believe it or not.
Q: What does the man say about the course?
1. A) At a theatre. C) At a railway station.
B) At a booking office. D)At a restaurant.
2. A) The man is inviting the woman to dinner.
B) The woman is too busy to join the man for dinner.
C) The woman is a friend of the Stevensons'.
D) The man is going to visit the Stevensons.
3. A) The professor's presentation was not convincing enough.
B) The professor's lecture notes were too complicated.
C) The professor spoke with a strong accent.
D) The professor spoke too fast.
4. A) The furnished apartment was inexpensive.
B) The apartment was provided with some old furniture.
C) The furniture in the market was on sale every Sunday.
D) The furniture he bought was very cheap.
5. A) The man is thinking about taking a new job.
B) The man likes a job that enables him to travel.
C) The man is sure that he will gain more by taking the job.
D) The man doesn't want to stay home and take care of their child.
6. A) Take the GRE test again in 8 weeks. C) Be patient and wait.
B) Call to check his scores. D) Inquire when the test scores are released.
7. A) She read it selectively. C) She read it slowly.
B) She went over it chapter by chapter. D) She finished it at a stretch.
8. A) He was kept in hospital for a long time.
B) He was slightly injured in a traffic accident.
C) He was seriously wounded in a mine explosion.
D) He was fined for speeding.
9. A) Wait for a taxi. C) Go on a trip.
B) Buy some food. D) Book train tickets.
10. A) It's not as hard as expected.
B) It's too tough for some students.
C) It's much more difficult than people think.
D) It's believed to be the hardest optional course.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choice marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
My father woke me up early one morning when I was fourteen and announced: “Get up! You’re going with me to cut grass.” I felt proud and excited because my father thought I was responsible enough to help him in his business. Still that first day was really hard. From sunrise to sunset, my father, my younger brother and I cut and trimmed very large yards in a well-to-do part of the city. By the end of the day I was exhausted but I felt food. I had put in a hard day’s labor and had earned six dollars. One day my father spotted some weeds I had missed cutting and pulled me aside. “Get that section again,” he said firmly. “Don’t let me have to tell you to do the job right the first time.” In every job I have held，from cutting lawns to washing dishes to working a machine in a construction site, I have learnt something that help me in my next job. If you look hard enough, you can learn from any job you do.
11. How did the speaker feel when his father asked him to help cut grass?
12.What did his father do when the speaker missed cutting some leaves?
13.What did the speaker want to tell us in this passage?
Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.
11. A) Anxious and worried. C) Nervous and confused.
B) Proud and excited. D) Inspired and confident.
12. A) His father scolded him severely. C) His father made him do the cutting again.
B) His father took back the six dollars. D) His father cut the leaves himself.
13. A) One can benefit a lot from working with his father.
B) Manual labourers shouldn't be looked down upon.
C) One should always do his job earnestly.
D) Teenagers tend to be careless.
Passage Two
I live in a small village in the country. My wife and I run the village shop. We have a very peaceful life. “Boring ”, some might say. But we love it. We know all the people in the village and have plenty of time to stop and chat. I have plenty of time for my hobbies too, gardening, fishing, and walking in the countryside. I love the outdoor life. It wasn’t always like this though. I used to have a really stress job, working till late in the office every evening and often bringing work home at the weekend. The advertising world is very competitive and when I look back, I can’t imagine how I stayed it. I had no private life at all, no time for the really important things in life. Because of the pressure of the job I used to smoke and drink too much. The crisis came when my wife left me .She complained that she never saw me and I had no time for family life. This made me realize what was really important to me. I talked things through with her and decided to get back together again and started a new and better life together. I gave up tobacco and alcohol, and searched for new hobbies. Now I am afraid looking back since the past life seemed a horrible dream.
14. What did the speaker use to do for a living?
15. What do we know about the speaker’s life in the past?
16. What made the speaker change his life style?
Questions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.
14. A) He ran a village shop. C) He worked in an advertising agency.
B) He worked on a farm. D) He was a gardener.
15. A) It was stressful. C) It was peaceful.
B) It was colorful. D) It was boring.
16. A) His desire to start Iris own business. C) The decline in his health.
B) The crisis in his family life. D) His dream of living in the countryside.
Passage Three
“Where is the university” is the question many visitors to Cambridge asked, but no one could point them in any one direction because there is no campus. The university consists of thirty-one self-governing colleges. It has lecture halls, libraries, laboratories, museums and offices throughout the city. Individual colleges choose their own students who have to meet the minimum entrance requirements set by the university. Undergraduates usually live and study in their colleges where they are taught in very small groups. Lectures and laboratory and practical work are organized by the university and held in university buildings. There are over 10,000 undergraduates and 3,500 post-graduates, about 40% of them are women and some 8% from overseas. As well as teaching, research is of major importance. Since the beginning of the 20th century, more than 60 university members have won Nobel Prizes. University has a huge number of buildings for teaching and research. It has more than 60 specialist subject libraries as well as the university library, which, as a copyright library, is entitled to a copy of every book published in Britain. Examinations are set and degrees are awarded by the university. It allowed women to take the university exams in 1881, but it was not until 1948 that they were awarded degrees.
17.Why is it difficult for visitors to locate Cambridge University?
18. What does the passage tell us about the colleges of Cambridge University?
19. What can be learnt from the passage about the libraries in Cambridge University?
20. What does the passage tell about women students in Cambridge University?
Questions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.
17. A) Because there are no signs to direct them.
B) Because no tour guides are available.
C) Because all the buildings in the city look alike.
D) Because the university is everywhere in the city.
18. A) They set their own exams. C) They award their own degrees.
B) They select their own students. D) They organize their own laboratory work.
19. A) Most of them have a long history.
B) Many of them are specialized libraries.
C) They house more books than any other university library.
D) They each have a copy of every book published in Britain.
20. A) Very few of them are engaged in research.
B) They were not awarded degrees until 1948.
C) They have outnumbered male students.
D) They were not treated equally until 1881.
Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.
On average, American kids ages 3 to 12 spent 29 hours a week in school, eight hours more that they did in 1981. They also did more household work and participated in more of such organized activities as soccer and ballet (芭蕾舞). Involvement in sports, in particular, rose almost 50% from 1981 to 1997: boys now spend an average of four hours a week playing sports; girls log hall that time. All in all, however, children's leisure time dropped from 40% of the day in 1981 to 25%
"Children are affected by the same time crunch (危机) that affects their parents," says Sandra Hofferth, who headed the recent study of children's timetable. A chief reason, she says, is that more mothers are working outside the home. (Nevertheless, children in both double-income and "male breadwinner" households spent comparable amounts of time interacting with their parents.19 hours and 22 hours respectively. In contrast, children spent only 9 hours with their single mothers.)
All work and no play could make for some very messed-up kids. "Play is the most powerful way a child explores the world and learns about himself," says T. Berry Brazelton, professor at Harvard Medical School Unstructured play encourages independent thinking and allows the young to negotiate their relationships with their peers, but kids ages 3 to 12 spent only 12 hours a week engaged in it.
The children sampled spent a quarter of their rapidly decreasing "free time" watching television. But that, believe it or not, was one of the findings parents might regard as good news. If they're spending less time in front of the TV set, however, kids aren't replacing it with reading. Despite efforts to get kids more interested in books, the children spent just over an hour a week reading. Let's face it, who's got the time?
21. By mentioning "the same time crunch" (Line 1, Para. 2) Sandra Hofferth means
A) children have little time to play with their parents
B) children are not taken good care of by their working parents
C) both parents and children suffer from lack of leisure time
D) both parents and children have trouble managing their time
22. According to the author, the reason given by Sandra Hofferth for the time crunch is
A) quite convincing C) totally groundless
B) partially true D) rather confusing
23. According to the author a child develops better if
A) he has plenty of time reading and studying
B) he is left to play with his peers in his own way
C) he has more time participating in school activities
D) he is free to interact with his working parents
24. The author is concerned about the fact that American kids
A) are engaged in more and more structured activities
B) are increasingly neglected by their working mothers
C) are spending more and more time watching TV
D) are involved less and less in household work
25. We can infer from the passage that
A) extracurricular activities promote children's intelligence
B) most children will turn to reading with TV sets switched off
C) efforts to get kids interested in reading have been fruitful
D) most parents believe reading to be beneficial to children
Questions 26 to :30 are based on the following passage.
Henry Ford, the famous U.S. inventor and car manufacturer, once said, "The business of America is business." By this he meant that the U.S. way of life is based on the values of the business world.
Few would argue with Ford's statement. A brief glimpse at a daily newspaper vividly shows how much people in the United States think about business. For example, nearly every newspaper has a business section, in which the deals and projects, finances and management, stock prices and labor problems of corporations are reported daily. In addition, business news can appear in every other section. Most national news has an important financial aspect to it. Welfare, foreign aid, the federal budget, and the policies of the Federal Reserve Bank are all heavily affected by business. Moreover, business news appears in some of the unlikeliest places. The world of arts and entertainment is often referred to as "the entertainment industry" or "show business."
The positive side of Henry Ford's statement can be seen in the prosperity that business has brought to U.S. life. One of the most important reasons so many people from all over the world come to live in the United States is the dream of a better job. Jobs are produced in abundance (大量地) because the U.S. economic system is driven by competition. People believe that this system crates more wealth, more jobs, and a materially better way of life.
The negative side of Henry Ford's statement, however, can be seen when the word business is taken to mean big business. And the term big business -- referring to the biggest companies, is seen in opposition to labor. Throughout U.S. history working people have had to fight hard for higher wages, better working conditions, and the fight to form unions. Today, many of the old labor disputes are over, but there is still some employee anxiety. Downsizing ---- the laying off of thousands of workers to keep expenses low and profits high -- creates feelings of insecurity for many.
26. The United States is a typical country
A) which encourages free trade at home and abroad
B) where people's chief concern is how to make money
C) where all businesses are managed scientifically
D) which normally works according to the federal budget
27. The influence of business in the U.S. is evidenced by the fact that
A) most newspapers are run by big businesses
B) even public organizations concentrate on working for profits
C) Americans of all professions know how to do business
D) even arts and entertainment are regarded as business
28. According to the passage, immigrants choose to settle in the U.S., dreaming that
A) they can start profitable businesses there
B) they can be more competitive in business
C) they will make a fortune overnight there
D) they will find better chances of employment
29. Henry Ford's statement can be taken negatively because
A) working people are discouraged to fight for their fights
B) there are many industries controlled by a few big capitalists
C) there is a conflicting relationship between big corporations and labor
D) public services are not run by the federal government
30. A company's efforts to keep expenses low and profits high may result in
A) reduction in the number of employees
B) improvement of working conditions
C) fewer disputes between labor and management
D) a rise in workers' wages
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.
Professor Smith recently persuaded 35 people, 23 of them women, to keep a diary of all their absent-minded actions for a fortnight. When he came to analyse their embarrassing lapses ( 差错) in a scientific report, he was surprised to find that nearly all of them fell into a few groupings, Nor did the lapses appear to be entirely random (随机的).
One of the women, for instance, on leaving her house for work one morning threw her dog her earrings and tried to fix a dog biscuit on her ear. “the explanation for this is that the brain is like a computer,” explains the professor. "People programme themselves to do certain activities regularly. It was the woman's custom every morning to throw her dog two biscuits and then put on her earrings. But somehow the action got reversed in the programme," About one in twenty of the incidents the volunteers reported were these "programme assembly failures,"
Altogether the volunteers logged 433 unintentional actions that they found themselves doing -- an average of twelve each, There appear to be peak periods in the day when we are at our zaniest (荒谬可笑的). These are two hours some time between eight a.m. and noon, between four and six p.m. with a smaller peak between eight and ten p.m. "Among men the peak seems to be when a changeover in brain 'programmes' occurs, as for instance between going to and from work." Women on average reported slightly more lapses -- 12.5 compared with 10.9 for men m probably because they were more reliable reporters.
A startling finding of the research is that the absent-minded activity is a hazard of doing things in which we are skilled. Normally, you would expect that skill reduces the number of errors we make. But trying to avoid silly slips by concentrating more could make things a lot worse m even dangerous.
31. In his study Professor Smith asked the subjects
A) to keep track of people who tend to forget things
B) to report their embarrassing lapses at random
C) to analyse their awkward experiences scientifically
D) to keep a record of what they did unintentionally
32. Professor Smith discovered that
A) certain patterns can be identified in the recorded incidents
B) many people were too embarrassed to admit their absent-mindedness
C) men tend to be more absent-minded than women
D) absent-mindedness is an excusable human weakness
33. "Programme assembly failures" (Line 6, Para. 2) refers to the phenomenon that people
A) often fail to programme their routines beforehand
B) tend to make mistakes when they are in a hurry
C) unconsciously change the sequence of doing things
D) are likely to mess things up if they are too tired
34. We learn from the third paragraph that
A) absent-mindedness tends to occur during certain hours of the day
B) women are very careful to perform actions during peak periods
C) women experience more peak periods of absent-mindedness
D) men's absent-mindedness often results in funny situations
35. It can be concluded from the passage that
A) people should avoid doing important things during peak periods of lapses
B) hazards can be avoided when people do things they are good at
C) people should be careful when programming their actions
D) lapses cannot always be attributed to lack of concentration
Passage Four
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.
It's no secret that many children would be healthier and happier with adoptive parents than with the parents that nature dealt them. That's especially true of children who remain in abusive homes because the law blindly favors biological parents. It's also true of children who suffer for years in foster homes (收养孩子的家庭) because of parents who can't or won't care for them but refuse to give up custody (监护) rights.
Fourteen-year-old Kimberly Mays fits neither description, but her recent court victory could eventually help children who do. Kimberly has been the object of an angry custody baffle between the man who raised her and her biological parents, with whom she has never lived. A Florida judge ruled that the teenager can remain with the only father she's ever known and that her biological parents have "no legal claim" on her.
The ruling, though it may yet be reversed, sets aside the principle that biology is the primary determinant of parentage. That's an important development, one that's long overdue.
Shortly after birth in December 1978, Kimberly Mays and another infant were mistakenly switched and sent home with the wrong parents. Kimberly's biological parents, Ernest and Regina Twigg, received a child who died of a heart disease in 1988. Medical tests showed that the child wasn't the Twiggs' own daughter, but Kimt only was, thus sparking a custody battle with Robert Mays. In 1989, the two families agreed that Mr. Mays would maintain custody with the Twiggs getting visiting fights. Those rights were ended when Mr. Mays decided that Kimberly was being harmed.
The decision to leave Kimberly with Mr. Mays rendered her suit debated. But the judge made clear that Kimberly did have standing to sue ( 起诉) on her own behalf. Thus he made clear that she was more than just property to be handled as adults saw fit.
Certainly, the biological link between parent and child is fundamental. But biological parents aren't always preferable to adoptive ones, and biological parentage does not convey an absolute ownership that cancels all the rights of children.
36. What was the primary consideration in the Florida judge's ruling?
A) The biological link. C) The traditional practice.
B) The child's benefits. D) The parents' feelings.
37. We can learn from the Kimberly case that
A) children are more than just personal possessions of their parents
B) the biological link between parent and child should be emphasized
C) foster homes bring children more pain and suffering than care
D) biological parents shouldn't claim custody rights after their child is adopted
38. The Twiggs claimed custody rights to Kimberly because
A) they found her unhappy in Mr. Mays' custody
B) they regarded her as their property
C) they were her biological parents
D) they felt guilty about their past mistake
39. Kimberly had been given to Mr. Mays
A) by sheer accident C) at his request
B) out of charity D) for better care
40. The author's attitude towards the judge's ruling could be described as
A) doubtful C) cautious
B) critical D) supportive
Part III Vocabulary and Structure (20 minute)
Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are for choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
41. She her trip to New York because she was ill.
A) called off C) put up
B) closed down D) went off
42. the storm, the ship would have reached its destination on time.
A) But for C) In spite of
B) In case of D) Because of
43. We should concentrate on sharply reducing interest rates to pull the economy out of
A) rejection C) retreat
B) restriction D) recession
44.The of finding gold in California attracted a lot of people to settle down there.
A) prospects C) stakes
B) speculations D) provisions
45. I suffered from mental because of stress from my job.
A) damage C) relief
B) release D) fatigue
46. The rest of the day was entirely at his for reading or recreation.
A) dismissal C) disposal
B) survival D) arrival
47. You will not be about your food in time of great hunger.
A) special C) peculiar
B) particular D) specific
48. Crime is increasing worldwide, and there is every reason to believe the will continue into the next decade.
A) emergency C) pace
B) trend D) schedule
49. You shouldn't have written in the _ since the book belongs to the library.
A) interval B) border
C) margin D) edge
50. The of airplane engines announced a coming air raid.
A) roar B) exclamation
C) whistle D) scream
51. This ticket you to a free boat tour on the lake.
A) entities B) appoints
C) grants D) credits
52. This is the nurse who to me when I was ill in hospital.
A) accompanied B) attended
C) entertained D) shielded
53. I was about to a match when I remembered Tom's warning.
A) rub B) hit C) scrape D) strike
54. The advertisement says this material doesn't in the wash, but it has.
A) contract B) shrink C) slim D) dissolve
55. He was proud of being chosen to participate in the game and he _ us that he would try as hard as possible.
A) insured C) assumed
B) guaranteed D) assured
56. Not only the professionals but also the amateurs will from the new training facilities.
A) derive B) acquire C) benefit D) reward
57. The work was almost complete when we received orders to __ _ no further with it.
A) progress C) march
B) proceed D) promote
58. I waited for him half an hour, but he never
A) turned in C) turned off
B) turned down D) turned up
59. A house with a dangerous gas can be broken into immediately.
A) leak C) mess
B) split D) crack
60. A dark suit is to a light one for evening wear.
A) favourable C) preferable
B) suitable D) proper
61. It was in the United States that I made the of Professor Jones.
A) acknowledgement C) recognition
B) acquaintance D) association
62. Could you take a sheet of paper and write your name at the top?
A) bare C) hollow
B) vacant D) blank
63. A culture in which the citizens share similar religious beliefs and values is more likely to have laws that represent the wishes of its people than is a culture where citizens come from backgrounds.
A) extensive B) influential
C) diverse D) identical
64. Areas where students have particular difficulty have been treated particular care.
A) by B) in C) under D) with
65. He gave a to handle the affairs in a friendly manner.
A) pledge C) plunge
B) mission D) motion
66. Don't let the child play with scissors he cuts himself.
A) in case C) now that
B) so that D) only if
67. the danger from enemy action, people had to cope with a severe shortage of food, clothing, fuel, and almost everything.
A) As far as C) As well as
B) As long as D) As soon as
68. Many people lost their jobs during the business
A) desperation C) despair
B) decrease D) depression
69. Whenever a big company a small one, the product almost always gets worse.
A) gets on with C) takes over
B) cuts down D) puts up with
70. Mr. Smith was the only witness who said that the fire was
A) mature C) meaningful
B) deliberate D) innocent
Part IV Short Answer Questions (15 minutes)
Directions: In this part there is a short passage with 8 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Write your answers in the spaces provided on the right of the page.
What personal qualities are desirable in a teacher? I think the following would be generally accepted.
First, the teacher's personality should be lively and attractive. This does not rule out people who are plain-looking, or even ugly, because many such people have great personal charm. But it does rule out such types as the over-excitable, sad, cold, and frustrated.
Secondly, it is not merely desirable but essential for a teacher to have a genuine capacity for sympathy, a capacity to understand the minds and feelings of other people, especially, since most teachers are school teachers, the minds and feelings of children. Closely related with this is the capacity to be tolerant -- not, indeed, of what is wrong, but of the weaknesses and immaturity of human nature which induce ( i)~ ) people, and again especially children, to make mistakes.
Thirdly, I hold it essential for a teacher to be both intellectually and morally honest. This means that he will be aware of his intellectual strengths and limitations, and will have thought about and decided upon the moral principles by which his life shall be guided. There is no contradiction in my going on to say that a teacher should be a bit of an actor. That is part of the technique of teaching, which demands that every now and then a teacher should be able to put on an act to enliven (使生动) a lesson, correct a fault, or award praise. Children, especially young children, live in a world that is rather larger than life.
A teacher must be capable of infinite patience. This, I may say, is largely a matter of self-discipline and self-training, for we are none of us born like that.
Finally, I think a teacher should have the kind of mind which always wants to go on learning. Teaching is a job at which one will never be perfect; there is always something more to learn about it. There are three principal objects of study: the subjects which the teacher is teaching; the methods by which the subjects can best be taught to the particular pupils in the classes he is teaching; and ---- by far the most important -- the children, young people, or adults to whom the subjects are to be taught. The two fundamental principles of British education today are that education is education of the whole person, and that it is best acquired through full and active co-operation between two persons, the teacher and the learner.
S1. Plain-looking teachers can also be admired by their students if they have S1 .
S2. The author says it is S2 that teachers be sympathetic with their students.
S3. A teacher should be tolerant because humans tend to have S3(1) and to be S3(2) .
S4. A teacher who is S4 will be able to make his lessons more lively.
S5. How can a teacher acquire infinite patience? S5
S6. Since teaching is a job no one can be perfect at, it is necessary for teachers to keep improving their knowledge of the subjects they teach and their S6
S7. Teachers' most important object of study is S7 .
S8. Education cannot be best acquired without S8 between the teacher and the learner
Part V Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write an eye-witness account of a traffic accident. You should write at least 120 words according to the outline given below in Chinese:
假设你在某日某时某地目击一起车祸，就此写一份见证书。见证书须包括以下几点：
1． 车祸发生的时间及地点
2． 你所见到的车祸情况
3． 你对车祸原因的分析
An Eye-Witness Account of a Traffic Accident
2003年6月21日四级听力试题原文及译文 Section A
W：Gorge, look at the long waiting line. I am glad you've made a reservation. M：More and more people enjoy eating out now. Beside, this place is especially popular with the overseas students. Q：Where did the conversation most probably take place? W: 乔治，看看这里排着这么长的队，真高兴你订到了座位。 M：越来越多的人喜欢在外面吃饭。而且这个地方尤其受留学生亲睐。 Q：对话可能在哪里发生？
M:I wonder if you can drop by tomorrow evening. The Stevensons are coming over to dinner. I'd like you to meet them. W: Sure, I'd love to. I've heard they are very interesting people. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? M：你明天晚上能到我这来一趟吗？史蒂文森一家明天到我家吃晚饭，我希望你能见见他们。 W：当然，我非常愿意。我听说他们非常有意思。 Q：我们可从该对话中了解到什么？
W: The presentation made by Professor Jacksonwas complicated to understand. M: Well, I think he didn't speak slowly enough for us for us to take the notes. Q: What did the man complain? W：杰克森教授作的报告太难懂了。 M；我觉得他的语速太快，我们根本没法做笔记。 Q：男士抱怨什么？
W: You've got your apartment furnished, haven't you? M: I've bought some used furniture from Sunday market. It was a real bargain. Q: What does the man mean? W：你买了家俱，是吗？ M：我从周日市场买了一些旧家俱。价钱便宜。 Q：男人什么意思？
M Mary doesn't want me to take the job. She says our child is too young. And the job requires much travelling. W: You should talk to her again and see if you can find a way out. Think about the gains and losses before you make the decision. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? M：玛丽不想让我干那个工作，她说孩子还些这个工作又需要我经常出差。 W：你应该和她再谈谈，看你们能不能想出个两全其美的办法。权衡一下利弊，再做决定。 Q：从对话中我们可以了解到什么？
M:I haven't got my scores on the GRE test yet. Do you think I should call to make inquiries? W: There is no hurry. The test scores are released at least eight weeks after the test. Q: What does the woman advise the man to do? M：我还不知道GRE考试的分数。你觉得我是不是该打电话问问？ W：不要急。考试的分数至少要在考试后八周之后公布。 Q：女人建议男人干嘛？ M: Have you finished reading the book you bought last month? W: oh, I didn't read straight through the way you read a novel,I just covered a few chapters which interested me most. Q: How did the woman read the book? M：你读上个月你买的那本书了吗？ W：哦，我不象你读小说那样从头读到尾。我读了我感兴趣的几章。 Q：女人采用什么读书方式？
W: Hello, Joe, Haven't seen you for quite a while. Are you fine? M: Oh,yes, but not a thing to go against me. I had a car accident, only someminor injuries though. Q: What happened to Joe? W：你好，乔，很久不见，你好吗？ M：还好，我吉人自有天相，出了车祸，只不过受了轻伤。
m: The taxi is waiting downstairs, let's hurry. W: Wait a minute. I'll take some food with us. I don't like the meal served on the train. Q: What are the speakers going to do? M：出租车在楼下等着，赶紧！ M：等等，我要带点吃的东西。我不喜欢吃火车上供应的食物。 Q：两个谈话者准备做什么？
W: Is that optional course as hard as everybody says? M: It's actually even worse, believe it or not. Q :What did the man say about the course? W：那门选修课象别人说的那么难吗？ M：不管你信不信，难极了。 Q：他们如何评价选修课？
Section B Passage 1 My father woke me up early one morning when I was fourteen and announced "Get up, you are going with me to cut grass." I felt proud and excited because my father thought I was responsible enough to help him in his business. Still, that first day was very hard. From sunrise to sunset, my father, my younger brother and I cut and t very large yards in well-to-do part of the city. By the end of the day I was exhausted, but I felt good. I put out a hard day's labor and earned six dollars. One day, my father spotted some weeds I have miss cutting and pulled me inside. "Cut that section again!" he said firmly "and don't make me have to tell you again.” The message was very clear. Today I stress the importance of doing the job right the first time. Every job I have held from cutting lawns to wash dishes to working a machine on the construction site. I have learned something that help me in my next job. If you work hard enough, you can learn from any job you do.
11 Q: How did the speaker feel when his father asked him to help cut grass?13 Q: What did his father do when the speaker missed cutting some leaves? 14 Q:What did the speak want to tell us in this passage?
Passage B I am living in a small village in the country. My wife and I run a village shop. We have a very peaceful live, boring some my say. But we love it. We know all the people in the village. They have plenty of time to stop and chat. I have plenty of time for my hobbies too--gardening, fishing, walking in the country side. I love the outdoor life. It wasn't always like this though I used to have a really stressful job, working so late in the office every evening. I often bring work home at the weekends. The advertising world is very competitive. And when I look back, I can't imagine how I stood it. I have no private life at all. No time for the really important things in life. Because of the pressure of the job, I used to smoke and drink too much. The crisis came when my wife left me. She complaint that she never saw me and I had no time for family life. This made me realize what is really important to me. I talked things through with her and decided to get back together and started a new and better life together. I gave up tobacco and alcohol and searched for new hobbies. Now I am afraid of looking back since the past life seemed like a horrible dream.
14 What did the speaker do for a living? 15 What do we know about the speaker's life in the past? 16 What made the speaker change his life style?
Passage 3 "Where is the university?" is the question many visitors to Cambridge ask. But no one could point at any one direction because there is no campus. The university consists of 31 self-governing colleges. It has lecture halls, libraries, laboratories, museums and offices throughout the city. Individual colleges choose their own students who have to meet their minimum entrance requirements set by the university. And the graduates usually live and study in their colleges but they are taught in very full groups. Lectures and laboratories and practical work are organized by the university and held in university buildings. There are over ten thousand undergraduates and three thousand five hundred post-graduates. About 40% of them are women and some 8% from overseas. As well as teaching, research is of major importance. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, more than sixty university members have won Nobel prizes. The university has a huge number of buildings for teaching and research. It has more than 60 specialist subject libraries as well as the university library, which as the copy-right libraries, is entitled to a copy of every book published in Britain. Examinations are held and degrees are awarded by the university. It allowed women to take the university exams in the 1881, but it was the not until 1941 that they were awarded degrees.
17 Why is it difficult to located Cambridge University? 18 What does the passage tell us about the colleges of the university? 19 What can be learnt from the passage about the libraries in Cambridge University? 20 What does we know from the passage tell us about the women students in Cambridge university?
