2000年6月大學英語四級考試試題及答案

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) 2 hours.

b) 3 hours.

c) 4 hours.

d) 5 hours.

from the conversation we know that the two were talking about some work they will start at 9 o’clock in the morning and have to finish at 2 in the afternoon. therefore, d) “5 hours” is the correct answer. you should choose [d] on the answer sheet and mark it with a single line through the center.

sample answer [a] [b] [c] [d]

1. a) she is not interested in the article.

b) she has given the man much trouble.

c) she would like to have a copy of the article.

d) she doesn’t want to take the trouble to read the article.

2. a) he saw the big tower he visited on tv.

b) he has visited the tv tower twice.

c) he has visited the tv tower once.

d) he will visit the tv tower in june.

3. a) the woman regrets having taken up much of the professor’s time.

b) the woman regrets having taken up much of the professor’s time.

c) the woman knows the professor has been busy.

d) the woman knows the professor has run into trouble.

4. a) he doesn’t enjoy business trips as much as he used to.

b) he doesn’t think he is capable of doing the job.

c) he thinks the pay is too low to support his family.

d) he wants to spend more time with his family.

5. a) the man thought the essay was easy.

b) they both had a hard time writing the essay.

c) the woman thought the essay was easy.

d) neither of them has finished the assignment yet.

6. a) in the park. b) between two buildings.

c) in his apartment. d) under a huge tree.

7. a) it’s awfully dull. b) it’s really exciting.

c) it’s very exhausting. d) it’s quite challenging.

8. a) a movie. b) a lecture.

c) a play. d) a speech.

9. a) the weather is mild compared to the past years.

b) they are having the coldest winter ever.

c) the weather will soon get warmer.

d) the weather may get even colder.

10. a) a mystery story.

b) the hiring of a shop assistant.

c) the search for a reliable witness.

d) an unsolved case of robbery.

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.

passage one

question 11 to 14 are based on the passage you have just heard.

11. a) they want to change the way english is taught.

b) they learn english to find well-paid jobs.

c) they want to have an up-to-date knowledge of english.

d) they know clearly what they want to learn.

12. a) professionals. b) college students.

c) beginners. d) intermediate learners.

13. a) courses for doctors. b) courses for businessmen.

c) courses for reporters. d) courses for lawyers.

14. a) three groups of learners.

b) the importance of business english.

c) english for specific purposes.

d) features of english for different purposes.

passage two

questions 15 to 17 are based on the passage you have just heard.

15. a) to show off their wealth.

b) to feel good.

c) to regain their memory.

d) to be different from others.

16. a) to help solve their psychological problems.

b) to play games with them.

c) to send them to the hospital.

d) to make them aware of its harmfulness.

17. a) they need care and affection.

b) they are fond of round-the-world trips.

c) they are mostly form broken families.

d) they are likely to commit crimes.

passage three

questions 18 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.

18. a) because it was too heavy.

b) because it did not bend easily.

c) because it did not shoot far.

d) because its string was short.

19. a) it went out of use 300 years ago.

b) it was invented after the shortbow.

c) it was discovered before fire and the wheel.

d) it’s still in use today.

20. a) they are accurate and easy to pull.

b) their shooting range is 40 yards.

c) they are usually used indoors.

d) they took 100 years to develop.

part ii vocabulary and structure (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 that best completes the sentence. then mark the corresponding letter on the answer sheet with a single line through the center.

21 as we can no longer wait for the delivery of our order, we have to _______ it.

a) postpone b) refuse

c) delay d) cancel

22 these books, which you can get at any bookshop, will give you _______ you need.

a) all the information b) all the informations

c) all of information d) all of the informations

23 not until the game had begun _______ at the sports ground.

a) had he arrived b) would he have arrived

c) did he arrive d) should he have arrived

24 young people are not _______ to stand and look at works of art; they want art they can participate in.

a) conservative b) content

c) confident d) generous

25 most broadcasters maintain that tv has been unfairly criticized and argue that the power of the medium is _______.

a) granted b) implied

c) exaggerated d) remedied

26 these surveys indicate that many crimes go _______ by the police, mainly because not all victims report them.

a) unrecorded b) to be unrecorded

c) unrecording d) to have been unrecorded

27 i have no objection _______ your story again.

a) to hear b) to hearing

c) to having heard d) to have heard

28 the clothes a person wears may express his _______ or social position.

a) curiosity b) status

c) determination d) significance

29 by law, when one makes a large purchase, he should have _______ opportunity to change his mind.

a) accurate b) urgent

c) excessive d) adequate

30 you will see this product _______ wherever you go.

a) to be advertised b) advertised

c) advertise d) advertising

31 the early pioneers had to _______ many hardships to settle on the new land.

a) go along with b) go back on

c) go through d) go into

32 the suggestion that the major _______ the prizes was accepted by everyone.

a) would present b) present

c) presents d) ought to present

33 beer is the most popular drink among male drinkers, _______ overall consumption is significantly higher than that of women.

a) whose b) which

c) that d) what

34 peter, who had been driving all day, suggested _______ at the next town.

a) to stop b) stopping

c) stop d) having stopped

35 i didn’t know the word. i had to _______ a dictionary.

a) look out b) make out

c) refer to d) go over

36 the professor could hardly find sufficient grounds _______ his arguments in favour of the new theory.

a) to be based on b) to base on

c) which to base on d) on which to base

37 there are signs _______ restaurants are becoming more popular with families.

a) that b) which

c) in which d) whose

38 i think i was at school, _______ i was staying with a friends during the vacation when i heard the news.

a) or else b) and then

c) or so d) even so

39 it is said that the math teacher seems _______ towards bright students.

a) partial b) beneficial

c) preferable d) liable

40 in order to show his boss what a careful worker he was, he took _______ trouble over the figures.

a) extensive b) spare

c) extra d) supreme

41 - “may i speak to your manager mr. williams at five o’clock tonight?”

- “i’m sorry. mr. williams _______ to a conference long before then.”

a) will have gone b) had gone

c) would have gone d) has gone

42 you _______ him so closely; you should have kept your distance.

a) shouldn’t follow b) mustn’t follow

c) couldn’t’ have been following d) shouldn’t have been following

43 the growth of part-time and flexible working patterns, and of training and retraining schemes, _______ more women to take advantage of employment opportunities.

a) have allowed b) allow

c) allowing d) allows

44 everybody _______ in the hall where they were welcomed by the secretary.

a) assembled b) accumulated

c) piled d) joined

45 putting in a new window will _______ cutting away part of the roof.

a) include b) involve

c) contain d) comprise

46 living in the western part of the country has its problems, _______ obtaining fresh water is not the least.

a) with which b) for which

c) of which d) which

47 in the _______ of the project not being a success, the investors stand to lose up to $30 million.

a) face b) time

c) event d) course

48 the manager would rather his daughter _______ in the same office.

a) had not worked b) not to work

c) does not work d) did not work

49 _______, he does get annoyed with her sometimes.

a) although much he likes her b) much although he likes her

c) as he likes her much d) much as he likes her

50 the british constitution is _______ a large extent a product of the historical events described above.

a) within b) to

c) by d) at

part iii reading comprehension (35 minutes)

direction: 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:

long after the 1998 world cup was won, disappointed fans were still cursing the disputed refereeing(裁判)decisions that denied victory to their team. a researcher was appointed to study the performance of some top referees.

the researcher organized an experimental tournament(錦標賽)involving four youth teams. each match lasted an hour, divided into three periods of 20 minutes during which different referees were in charge.

observers noted down the referees’ errors, of which there were 61 over the tournament. converted to a standard match of 90 minutes, each referee made almost 23 mistakes, a remarkably high number.

the researcher then studied the videotapes to analyse the matches in detail. surprisingly, he found that errors were more likely when the referees were close to the incident. when the officials got it right, they were, on average, 17 meters away from the action. the average distance in the case of errors was 12 meters. the research shows the optimum(最佳的)distance is about 20 meters.

there also seemed to be an optimum speed. correct decisions came when the referees were moving at a speed of about 2 meters per second. the average speed for errors was 4 meters per second.

if fifa, football’s international ruling body, wants to improve the standard of refereeing at the next world cup, it should encourage referees to keep their eyes on the action from a distance, rather than rushing to keep up with the ball, the researcher argues.

he also says that fifa’s insistence that referees should retire at age 45 may be misguided. if keeping up with the action is not so important, their physical condition is less critical.

51. the experiment conducted by the researcher was meant to _______.

a) review the decisions of referees at the 1998 world cup

b) analyse the causes of errors made by football referees

c) set a standard for football refereeing

d) reexamine the rules for football refereeing

52. the number of refereeing errors in the experimental matches was _______.

a) slightly above average

b) higher than in the 1998 world cup

c) quite unexpected

d) as high as in a standard match

53. the findings of the experiment show that _______.

a) errors are more likely when a referee keeps close to the ball

b) the farther the referee is from the incident, the fewer the errors

c) the more slowly the referee runs, the more likely will errors occur

d) errors are less likely when a referee stays in one spot

54. the word “officials” (line 2, para.4) most probably refers to _______.

a) the researchers involved in the experiment

b) the inspectors of the football tournament

c) the referees of the football tournament

d) the observers at the site of the experiment

55. what is one of the possible conclusions of the experiment?

a) the ideal retirement age for an experienced football referee is 45.

b) age should not be the chief consideration in choosing a football referee.

c) a football referee should be as young and energetic as possible.

d) an experienced football referee can do well even when in poor physical condition.

passage two

questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage:

while still in its early stages, welfare reform has already been judged a great success in many states - at least in getting people off welfare. it’s estimated that more than 2 million people have left the rolls since 1994.

in the past four years, welfare rolls in athens country have been cut in half. but 70 percent of the people who left in the past tow years took jobs that paid less than $6 an hour. the result: the athens county poverty rate still remains at more than 30 percent - twice the national average.

for advocates(代言人)for the poor, that’s an indication much more needs to be done.

“more people are getting jobs, but it’s not making their lives any better,” says kathy lairn, a policy analyst at the center on budget and policy priorities in washington.

a center analysis of us census data nationwide found that between 1995 and 1996, a greater percentage of single, female-headed households were earning money on their own, but that average income for these households actually went down.

but for many, the fact that poor people are able to support themselves almost as well without government aid as they did with it is in itself a huge victory.

“welfare was a poison. it was a toxin(毒素)that was poisoning the family,” says robert rector, a welfare-reform policy analyst. “the reform in changing the moral climate in low-income communities. it’s beginning to rebuild the work ethic(道德觀), which is much more important.”

mr. rector and others argued that once “the habit of dependency is cracked,” then the country can make other policy changes aimed at improving living standards.

56. from the passage, it can be seen that the author _______.

a) believes the reform has reduced the government’s burden

b) insists that welfare reform is doing little good for the poor

c) is overenthusiastic about the success of welfare reform

d) considers welfare reform to be fundamentally successful

57. why aren’t people enjoying better lives when they have jobs?

a) because many families are divorced.

b) because government aid is now rare.

c) because their wages are low.

d) because the cost of living is rising.

58. what is worth noting from the example of athens county is that _______.

a) greater efforts should be made to improve people’s living standards

b) 70 percent of the people there have been employed for two years

c) 50 percent of the population no longer relies on welfare

d) the living standards of most people are going down

59. from the passage we know that welfare reform aims at _______.

a) saving welfare funds

b) rebuilding the work ethic

c) providing more jobs

d) cutting government expenses

60. according to the passage before the welfare reform was carried out, _______.

a) the poverty rate was lover

b) average living standards were higher

c) the average worker was paid higher wages

d) the poor used to rely on government aid

passage three

questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage:

americans are pound of their variety and individuality, yet they love and respect few things more than a uniform, whether it is the uniform of an elevator operator or the uniform of a five-star general. why are uniforms so popular in the united states?

among the arguments for uniforms, one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian(百姓的)clothes. people have become conditioned to expect superior quality from a man who wears a uniform. the television repairman who wears uniform tends to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes. faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform. what easier way is there for a nurse, a policeman, a barber, or a waiter to lose professional identity(身份)than to step out of uniform?

uniforms also have many practical benefits. they save on other clothes. they save on laundry bills. they are tax-deductible(可減稅的). they are often more comfortable and more durable than civilian clothes.

primary among the arguments against uniforms is their lack of variety and the consequent loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them. though there are many types of uniforms, the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it, without change, until retirement. when people look alike, they tend to think, speak, and act similarly, on the job at least.

uniforms also give rise to some practical problems. though they are long-lasting, often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes. some uniforms are also expensive to maintain, requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the home laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes.

61. it is surprising that americans who worship variety and individuality _______.

a) still judge a man by his clothes

b) hold the uniform in such high regard

c) enjoy having a professional identity

d) will respect an elevator operator as much as a general in uniform

62. people are accustomed to think that a man in uniform _______.

a) suggests quality work

b) discards his social identity

c) appears to be more practical

d) looks superior to a person in civilian clothes

63. the chief function of a uniform is to _______.

a) provide practical benefits to the wearer

b) make the wearer catch the pubic eye

c) inspire the wearer’s confidence in himself

d) provide the wearer with a professional identity

64. according to the passage, people wearing uniforms _______.

a) are usually helpful

b) have little or no individual freedom

c) tend to lose their individuality

d) enjoy greater popularity

65. the best title for this passage would be _______.

a) uniforms and society

b) the importance of wearing a uniform

c) practical benefits of wearing a uniform

d) advantages and disadvantages of uniforms

passage four

questions 66 to 70 are based on the following passage:

since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. one strength of the human condition is our tendency to give and receive support from one another under stressful circumstances. social support consists of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. those of us with strong support systems appear better able to cope with major life changes and daily hassles(困難). people with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. studies over a range of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, reveal that the presence of social support helps people fend off(擋開)illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.

social support cushions stress in a number of ways. first, friends, relatives, and co-workers may let us know that they value us. our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others despite our faults and difficulties. second, other people often provide us with informational support. they help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. third, we typically find social companionship supportive. engaging in leisure-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting(轉移…注意力)us from our worries and troubles. finally, other people may give us instrumental support - financial aid, material resources, and needed services - that reduces stress by helping us resolve and cope with our problems.

66. interpersonal relationships are important because _______.

a) they are indispensable to people’s social well-being

b) they awaken people’s desire to exchange resources

c) they help people to cope with life in the information era

d) they can cure a range of illnesses such as heart disease, etc.

67. research shows that people’s physical and mental health _______.

a) relies on the social welfare systems which support them

b) has much to do with the amount of support they get from others

c) depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles

d) is closely related to their strength for coping with major changes in their lives

68. which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “cushions” (line 1, para.2)?

a) adds up to.

b) does away with.

c) lessens the effect of.

d) lays the foundation for.

69. helping a sick neighbor with some repair work is an example of _______.

a) instrumental support

b) informational support

c) social companionship

d) the strengthening of self-respect

70. social companionship is beneficial in that _______.

a) it helps strengthen our ties with relatives

b) it enables us to eliminate our faults and mistakes

c) it makes our leisure-time activities more enjoyable

d) it draws our attention away from our worries and troubles

part iv translation (15 minutes)

directions: in this part, there are four items, each consisting of one or two sentences for you to translate into chinese. these sentences are all taken from the reading passages you have just read in part three of test paper one. you should refer back to the passages so as to identify their meanings in the context.

s1. (lines 1-2, para.1, passage 1)

long after the 1998 world cup was won, disappointed fans were still cursing the disputed refereeing(裁判)decisions that denied victory to their team.

s2. (lines 1-2, para.6, passage 2)

but for many, the fact that poor people are able to support themselves almost as well without government aid as they did with it is in itself a huge victory.

s3. (lines 5-6, para.2, passage 3)

what easier way is there for a nurse, a policeman, a barber, or a waiter to lose professional identity(身份)than to step out of uniform?

s4. (lines 3-4, para.1, passage 4)

social support consists of the exchange of resources among people based on their inter personal ties.

part v writing (30 minutes)

directions: for this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on the topic is a test of spoken english necessary? the first sentence has already been written for you. you should write at least 100 words, and base your competition on the outline given in chinese below:

1. 很多人認為有必要舉行英語口語考試,理由是...

2. 也有人持不同意見,...

3. 我的看法和打算

is a test of spoken english necessary

a test of spoken english will be included as an optional component of the college english test (cet)

答案

1. c 2. c 3. b 4. d 5. b 6. d 7. a 8. c 9. d 10. d

11. d 12. a 13. b 14. c 15. b 16. a 17. a 18. c 19. b 20. a

21. d 22. a 23. c 24. b 25. c 26. a 27. b 28. b 29. d 30. b

31. c 32. b 33. a 34. b 35. c 36. d 37. a 38. a 39. a 40. c

41. a 42. d 43. d 44. a 45. b 46. c 47. c 48. d 49. d 50. b

51. b 52. c 53. a 54. c 55. b 56. d 57. c 58. a 59. b 60. d

61. b 62. a 63. d 64. c 65. d 66. a 67. b 68. c 69. a 70. d

s1. 1998年世界盃足球賽早已塵埃落定,但失望的球迷們仍在責罵那些頗有爭議的判罰,聲稱正是那些判罰使他們的球隊沒能獲勝。

s2. 但是窮人在沒有政府救濟的情況下,生活照樣過得很好,對很多人來說,這一事實本身就是一個巨大的勝利。

s3. 對於一名護士、理髮師或是一名侍者而言,還有什麼比脫掉制服更加便利的方法能讓他們失去職業身份呢?

s4. 社會資助是由人與人之間的資源交換所構成的,而這種交換乃是建立在他們的人際關係的基礎之上。