2012年12月英语四级考前40天模拟试题练习（四）

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　　2012年12月英语四级考前40天模拟试题练习（四）
        　　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 center.
　　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 conversation 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 center.
　　Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D]
　　1. A) She missed the school. B) She has a lot of work to catch up.
　　C) She missed her friend. D) She looks better.
　　2. A) She did not go swimming last year. B) She does not travel very often.
　　C) She is just learning to swim. D) She enjoyed his travel very much.
　　3. A) He spoke to a well-known expert on reform.
　　B) He does not know when the group will stop.
　　C) He did not have time to prepare for the discussion.
　　D) He expect the discussion to be shorter.
　　4. A) His sister is worry about the man's birthday.
　　B) His sister gave him a birthday present.
　　C) The man expects to hear from his sister.
　　D) His sister is coming to him.
　　5. A) He can not attend a three-day conference.
　　B) Nobody will attend the meeting.
　　C) He is available all of the days.
　　D) He has another meeting.
　　6. A) Ask Lily where is the text book. B) Ask Lily when she can borrow it.
　　C) Ask Lily how can she get it. D) Ask Lily if she has an extra one.
　　7. A) Give Bob a phone call. B) Go and pick Bob up.
　　C) Go look for Bob. D) Wait for Bob.
　　8. A) In a printing shop. B) At a publishing house.
　　C) At a bookstore. D) In a library.
　　9. A) Sending an E-mail. C) Talking on the phone.
　　B) Working in an office. D) Doing spelling practice.
　　10. A) He likes the weather in Beijing very much.
　　B) He will stay in Beijing a long time.
　　C) He is planning to visit Beijing.
　　D) He thought it is quite cold in Beijing.
　　Section B
　　Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
　　11. A) The problem of preserving the air condition.
　　B) The problem of preserving the river pollution.
　　C) The problem of preserving the environment.
　　D) The problem of preserving the birds.
　　12. A) Because of the technological progress. B) Because of the countermeasures.
　　C) Because of the insecticides. D) Because of the noise.
　　13. A) The large-scale use of insecticides. B) The noise.
　　C) The pollution. D)The smog.
　　14. A) Clean Air Act. B) Clean Smog Act.
　　C) Clean Insecticides Act. D) Clean Noise Act.
　　15. A) The crossword puzzle first appeared at the beginning of the twentieth.
　　B) It first appeared in the New York World magazine.
　　C) It was first made by Arthur Wind.
　　D) People like it as soon as it appeared for the first time.
　　16. A) They are easy to do. B) They are much cheaper.
　　C) They do not need a partner. D) people want something new.
　　17. A) They do them for fun. B) They do them for educational value.
　　C) They do them for new challenge. D) They do them for money.
　　18. A) celebrated the new year. B) celebrated his 85th birthday.
　　C) celebrated the national day. D) celebrated his 75th birthday.
　　19. A) 27 years. B) 26 years.
　　C) 28 years. D) 37 years.
　　20. A) Winston Churchill in Britain. B) Washington in US.
　　C) John F. Kennedy in US. D) George bush in US.
　　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 center.
　　Passage One
　　Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.
　　Do you find getting up in the morning so difficult that it's painful? This might be called laziness, but Dr. Kleitman has a new explanation. He has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle.
　　During the hours when you labour through your work you may say that you're "hot". That's true. The time of day when you feel most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak. For some people the peak comes during the forenoon. For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why this is so, but it leads to such familiar monologues as "Get up, John! You'll be late for work again!" The possible explanation to the trouble is that John is at his temperature-and-energy peak in the evening. Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and which cycle each member of the family has.
　　You can't change your energy cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better. Habit can help, Dr. Kleitman believes. Maybe you're sleepy in the evening but feel you must stay up late anyway. Counteract your cycle to some extent by habitually staying up later than you want to. If your energy is low in the morning, but you have an important job to do early in the day, rise before your usual hour. This won't change your cycle, but you'll get up steam and work better at your low point.
　　Get off to a slow start which saves your energy. Get up with a leisurely yawn and stretch. Sit on the edge of the bed a minute before putting your feet on the floor. Avoid the troublesome search for clean clothes by laying them out the night before. Whenever possible, do routine work in the afternoon and save tasks requiring more energy or concentration for your sharper hours.
　　21. If a person finds getting up early a problem, most probably .
　　A) he is a lazy person
　　B) he refuses to follow his own energy cycle
　　C) he is not sure when his energy is low
　　D) he is at his energy peak in the afternoon or evening
　　22. Which of the following may lead to family quarrels according to the passage?
　　A) Unawareness of energy cycles.
　　B) Familiar monologues.
　　C) A change in a family member's energy cycle.
　　D) Attempts to control the energy cycle of other family members.
　　23. If one wants to work more efficiently at his low point in the morning, he should .
　　A) change his energy cycle B) overcome his laziness
　　C) get up earlier than usual D) go to bed earlier
　　24. You are advised to rise with a yawn and stretch because it will .
　　A) help to keep your energy for the day's work
　　B) help you to control your temper early in the day
　　C) enable you to concentrate on your routine work
　　D) keep your energy cycle under control all day
　　25. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
　　A) Getting off to work with a minimum effort helps save one's energy.
　　B) Dr. Kletman explains why people reach their peaks at different hours of day.
　　C) Habit helps a person adapt to his own energy cycle.
　　D) Children have energy cycles, too.
            
            

enthree

　　Passage Two
　　Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
　　Where do pesticides fit into the picture of environmental disease? We have seen that they now pollute soil, water, and food, that they have the power to make our streams fishless and our gardens and woodlands silent and birdless. Man, however much he may like to pretend the contrary, is part of nature. Can he escape a pollution that is now so thoroughly distributed throughout our world?
　　We know that even single exposures to these chemicals, if the amount is large enough, can cause extremely severe poisoning. But this is not the major problem. The sudden illness or death of farmers, farm workers, and others exposed to sufficient quantities of pesticides are very sad and should not occur. For the population as a whole, we must be more concerned with the delayed effects of absorbing small amounts of the pesticides that invisibly pollute our world.
　　Responsible public health officials have pointed out that the biological effects of chemicals are cumulative over long periods of time, and that the danger to the individual may depend on the sum of the exposures received throughout his lifetime. For these very reasons the danger is easily ignored. It is human nature to shake off what may seem to us a threat of future disaster. "Men are naturally most impressed by diseases which have obvious signs," says a wise physician, Dr. Rene Dubos, "yet some of their worst enemies slowly approach them unnoticed."
　　26. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the sentence "Man, …is part of nature." (Line 3-4, Para.1)?
　　A) Man appears indifferent to what happens in nature.
　　B) Man acts as if he does not belong to nature.
　　C) Man can avoid the effects of environmental pollution.
　　D) Man can escape his responsibilities for environmental protection.
　　27. What is the author's attitude towards the environmental effects of pesticides?
　　A) Pessimistic. B) Indifferent. C) Defensive. D) Concerned.
　　28. In the author's view, the sudden death caused by exposure to large amounts of pesticides .
　　A) is not the worst of the negative consequences resulting from the use of pesticides
　　B) now occurs most frequently among all accidental deaths
　　C) has sharply increased so as to become the center of public attention
　　D) is unavoidable because people can't do without pesticides in farming
　　29. People tend to ignore the delayed effects of exposure to chemicals because ______.
　　A) limited exposure to them does little harm to people's health
　　B) the present is more important for them than the future
　　C) the danger does not become apparent immediately
　　D) humans are capable of withstanding small amounts of poisoning
　　30. It can be concluded from Dr Dubos' remarks that _______.
　　A) people find invisible diseases difficult to deal with
　　B) attacks by hidden enemies tend to be fatal
　　C) diseases with obvious sighs are easy to cure
　　D) people tend to overlook hidden dangers caused by pesticides
　　Passage Three
　　Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.
　　Oceanography has been defined as "The application of all sciences to the study of the sea". Before the nineteenth century, scientists with an interest in the sea were few and far between.
　　Certainly Newton considered some theoretical aspects of it in his writings, but he was reluctant to go to sea to further his work.
　　For most people the sea was remote, and with the exception of early intercontinental travelers or others who earned a living from the sea, there was little reason to ask many questions about it, let alone to ask what lay beneath the surface. The first time that the question "what is at the bottom of the oceans? "had to be answered with any commercial consequence was when the laying of a telegraph cable from Europe to America was proposed. The engineers had to know the depth profile of the route to estimate the length of cable that had to be manufactured.
　　It was to Maury of the US Navy that the Atlantic Telegraph Company turned, in 1853, for information on this matter. In the 1840s, Maury had been responsible for encouraging voyages during which soundings were taken to investigate the depths of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Later, some of his findings aroused much popular interest in his book The Physical Geography of the Sea.
　　The cable was laid, but not until 1866 was the connection made permanent and reliable. At the early attempts, the cable failed and when it was taken out for repairs it was found to be covered in living growths, a fact which defied contemporary scientific opinion that there was no life in the deeper parts of the sea.
　　Within a few years oceanography was under way. In 1872 Thomson led a scientific expedition, which lasted four years and brought home thousands of samples from the sea. Their classification and analysis occupied scientists for years and led to a five-volume report, the last volume being published in 1895.
　　31. The proposal to lay a telegraph cable from Europe to America made oceanographic studies take on _______.
　　A) an academic aspect B) a military aspect
　　C) a business aspect D) an international aspect
　　32. It was _______ that asked Maury for help in oceanographic studies.
　　A) the American Navy
　　B) some early intercontinental travelers
　　C) those who earned a living from the sea
　　D) the company which proposed to lay an undersea cable
　　33. The aim of the voyages Maury was responsible for in the 1840 was _______.
　　A) to make some sounding experiments in the oceans
　　B) to collect sample of sea plants and animals
　　C) to estimate the length of cable that was needed
　　D) to measure the depths of the two oceans
　　34. "defied" in the 5th paragraph probably means "_______".
　　A) supported B) gave proof to C) challenged D) agreed to
　　35. This passage is mainly about _______.
　　A) the beginnings of oceanography
　　B) the laying of the first undersea cable
　　C) the investigation of ocean depths
　　D) the early intercontinental communications
　　Passage Four
　　Questions 36 to 40are based on the following passage.
　　People tend to be more impressed by evidence that seems to confirm some relationship. Thus many are convinced their dreams are prophetic（预言的）because a few have come true; they neglect of fail to notice the many that have not.
　　Consider also the belief that "the phone always rings when I'm in the shower." If it does ring while you are in the shower, the event will stand out and be remembered. If it doesn't ring while you are in the shower, that nonevent probably won't even register（留下印象）.
　　People want to see order, pattern and meaning in the world. Consider, for example, the common belief that things like personal misfortunes, plane crashes, and deaths "happen in threes." Such beliefs stem from the tendency of people to allow the third event to define the time that counts as their "happening together" is one month; if three crashes occur in a year, the period of time is stretched. Flexible end points reinforce such beliefs.
　　We also tend to believe what we want to believe. A majority of people thinks they are more intelligent, more fair-minded and more skilled behind the wheel of an automobile than the average person. Part of the reason we view ourselves so favorably is that we use criteria that work to our advantage. As economist Thomas Schelling explains, "Everybody ranks himself high in qualities he values: careful drivers give weight to care, skilled drivers give weight to skill, and those who are polite give weight to courtesy." This way everyone ranks high on his own scale.
　　Perhaps the most important mental habit we can learn is to be cautious（谨慎的）in drawing conclusions. The "evidence" of every day life is sometimes misleading.
　　36. In the first paragraph the author states that _______.
　　A) dreams cannot be said to be prophetic even though a few have come true
　　B) dreams are prophetic because some of them did come true
　　C) dreams may come true if clearly remembered
　　D) dreams and reality are closely related
　　37. By "things like…" "happen in threes" (Para.3,Line2), the author indicates that people believe _______.
　　A) personal misfortunes tend to happen every now and then
　　B) personal misfortunes, plane crashes, and deaths usually happen together
　　C) misfortunes tend to occur according to certain patterns
　　D) misfortunes will never occur more than three times to a person in his lifetime
　　38. The word "courtesy" (Para.4,Line 6) probably means _______.
　　A) good manners B) friendly relations
　　C) appropriate speech D) satisfactory service
　　39. What can be inferred from the passage?
　　A) Happenings that go unnoticed deserve more attention.
　　B) In a series of misfortunes the third one is usually the most serious.
　　C) People tend to make use of evidence that supports their own beliefs.
　　D) Believers of misfortunes happening in threes are cautious in interpreting events.
　　40. It can be concluded from the passage that _______.
　　A) there is some truth even in the wildest dreams
　　B) one should take notice of other people's merits
　　C) there is no order or pattern in world events
　　D) we should not base our conclusions on accidental evidence
            
            

enfour

　　Part III Vocabulary (20 minutes)
　　Directions There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four 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. Glass may _______ at high temperature.
　　A) dissolve B) disappear C) soften D) melt
　　42. Everyone is encouraged to _______ food or clothing for those who suffered a great deal in the flood.
　　A) attribute B) distribute C) contribute D) drift
　　43. White teeth are a sharp _______ to black skin.
　　A) content B) contract C) contrast D) contain
　　44. It is kind of you to ________ my children when I am away.
　　A) look after B) take after C) look in D) take in
　　45. Tom is _______ about photography. He spends nearly all his money on it.
　　A) justice B) innocent C) fierce D) crazy
　　46. Careful planning and hard work will _______ our final success.
　　A) enclose B) ensure C) discharge D) deny
　　47. There are _______ approaches to English teaching. But not all of them are equally efficient for our Chinese students.
　　A) double B) joint C) original D) diverse
　　48. I could have _______ such a situation but I didn't.
　　A) forecast B) overcome C) shed D) urged
　　49. I prefer a _______ typewriter to an automatic one.
　　A) mechanic B) manual C) merchant D) mental
　　50. Professor Smith _______the most important part in his paper.
　　A) omitted B) disputed C) designed D) chased
　　51. Physically we feel comfortable. But _______, we suffer a lot.
　　A) psychologically B) moderately C) naturally D) precisely
　　52. When he retired, his son _______ the business.
　　A) took over B) took off C) took in D) took up
　　53. They _______ our house at $10,000.
　　A) count B) estimate C) value D) assess
　　54. When he studied at college, Jack was supported by a _______.
　　A) treatment B) assistance C) scholarship D) award
　　55. You are very _______ to take the trouble to help me. I can not thank you enough.
　　A) reasonable B) essential C) thoughtful D) considerable
　　56. He wants to _______ his appointment from Monday to Wednesday.
　　A) transfer B) decay C) advance D) postpone
　　57. This is what I could do. There is no other _______ for me.
　　A) change B) shift C) alternate D) alternative
　　58. Please be _______. Your question is too general.
　　A) limited B) narrow C) specific D) thorough
　　59. ____ to meet anybody, he went in from the back door.
　　A) Not wishing B) Wishing C) Not wished D) No wishing
　　60. _____ right now, she would get there on Sunday.
　　A) Would she leave B) Were she to leave C) If she leaves D) If she had left
　　61. She was eager to persuade him to go with her but met with flat _______.
　　A) disapproval B) rejection C) refusal D) decline
　　62. He has two sons, _____ work as chemists.
　　A) two of whom B) both of whom C) both of which D) all of whom
　　63. When you buy the spare parts for your car, try to get the _______ ones from the authorized dealer.
　　A) genuine B) generous C) genius D) gentle
　　64. Great Britain and France will hold a _______ regarding some European economic problems.
　　A) conference B) reference C) conversion D) cooperation
　　65. They ______ in writing a book on radioactive substance.
　　A) cooperated B) collaborated C) collapsed D) operated
　　66. A man makes ______ for his old age by putting aside enough money to live on when he is old.
　　A) foundation B) discipline C) deposit D) provision
　　67. It is free for the ________ citizens to visit the museums in this city.
　　A) senior B) resemble C) guilty D) gravity
　　68. The _______ of the population in this city has become a heavy burden for the local government.
　　A) frame B) density C) average D) extend
　　69. Our teacher has a _______ against popular music.
　　A) interruption B) doubt C) prejudice D) presume
　　70. Crude ores are mined and shipped overseas or _______ long distances by land to refineries and mills.
　　A) transported B) transformed C) transferred D) transmitted
　　Part IV Translation
　　Directions: The five sentences below are chosen from the Reading Comprehension. Translate these sentences into Chinese according to the texts.
　　1. Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and which cycle each member of the family has.
　　2. Responsible public health officials have pointed out that the biological effects of chemicals are cumulative over long periods of time, and that the danger to the individual may depend on the sum of the exposures received throughout his lifetime.
　　3. Their classification and analysis occupied scientists for years and led to a five-volume report, the last volume being published in 1895.
　　4. Thus many are convinced their dreams are prophetic（预言的）because a few have come true; they neglect of fail to notice the many that have not.
　　5. A majority of people thinks they are more intelligent, more fair-minded and more skilled behind the wheel of an automobile than the average person.
　　Part V Writing (30 minutes)
　　Directions: The summer vacation is drawing near. You want to find a part-time job. Write an application letter of about 120-150 words within 30 minutes. You may use the following outline in Chinese.
　　Outline：1．介绍自己的情况和求职目标；
　　2．介绍自己的资历；
　　3．争取面试机会并表示感谢。
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