2015年12月大学英语四级真题及答案解析(卷1)

　　Part I Writing

　　Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying "Learning is a daily experience and a lifetime mission." You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of lifelong learning. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.

　　Part II Listening Comprehension

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions 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 Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

　　© Section A

　　1. A) They admire the courage of space explorers.

　　B) They enjoyed the movie on space exploration.

　　C) They were going to watch a wonderful movie.

　　D) They like doing scientific exploration very much.

　　2. A) At a gift shop. B) At a graduation ceremony.

　　C) In the office of a travel agency. D) In a school library.

　　3. A) He used to work in the art gallery. B) He does not have a good memory.

　　C) He declined a job offer from the art gallery. D) He is not interested in any part-time job.

　　4. A) Susan has been invited to give a lecture tomorrow.

　　B) He will go to the birthday party after the lecture.

　　C) The woman should have informed him earlier.

　　D) He will be unable to attend the birthday party.

　　5. A) Reward those having made good progress. B) Set a deadline for the staff to meet.

　　C) Assign more workers to the project. D) Encourage the staff to work in small groups.

　　6. A) The way to the visitor's parking. B) The rate for parking in Lot C.

　　C) How far away the parking lot is. D) Where she can leave her car.

　　7. A) He regrets missing the classes. B) He plans to take the fitness classes.

　　C) He is looking forward to a better life. D) He has benefited from exercise.

　　8. A) How to raise work efficiency. B) How to select secretaries.

　　C) The responsibilities of secretaries. D) The secretaries in the man's company.

　　• Conversation 1

　　9. A) It is more difficult to learn than English. B) It is used by more people than English.

　　C) It will be as commonly used as English. D) It will eventually become a world language.

　　10. A) It has words from many languages. B) Its popularity with the common people.

　　C) The influence of the British Empire. D) The effect of the Industrial Revolution.

　　11. A) It includes a lot of words from other languages.

　　B) It has a growing number of newly coined words.

　　C) It can be easily picked up by overseas travellers.

　　D) It is the largest among all languages in the world.

　　• Conversation 2

　　12. A) To return some goods. B) To apply for a job.

　　C) To place an order. D) To make a complaint.

　　13. A) He has become somewhat impatient with the woman.

　　B) He is not familiar with the exact details of goods.

　　C) He has not worked in the sales department for long.

　　D) He works on a part-time basis for the company.

　　14. A) It is not his responsibility. B) It will be free for large orders.

　　C) It costs 15 more for express delivery. D) It depends on a number of factors.

　　15. A) Report the information to her superior.

　　B) Pay a visit to the saleswoman in charge.

　　C) Ring back when she comes to a decision.

　　D) Make inquiries with some other companies.

　　© 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 Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

　　• Passage 1

　　16. A) No one knows exactly where they were first made.

　　B) No one knows for sure when they came into being.

　　C) No one knows for what purpose they were invented.

　　D) No one knows what they will look like in the future.

　　17. A) Carry ropes across rivers. B) Measure the speed of wind.

　　C) Pass on secret messages. D) Give warnings of danger.

　　18. A) To protect houses against lightning. B) To test the effects of the lightning rod.

　　C) To find out the strength of silk for kites. D) To prove that lightning is electricity.

　　• Passage 2

　　19. A) She enjoys teaching languages, B) She can speak several languages,

　　C) She was trained to be an interpreter. D) She was born with a talent for languages.

　　20. A) They acquire an immunity to culture shock.

　　B) They would like to live abroad permanently.

　　C) They want to learn as many foreign languages as possible.

　　D) They have an intense interest in cross-cultural interactions.

　　21. A) She became an expert in horse racing.

　　B) She got a chance to visit several European countries.

　　C) She was able to translate for a German sports judge.

　　D) She learned to appreciate classical music.

　　22. A) Taste the beef and give her comment. B) Take part in a cooking competition.

　　C) Teach vocabulary for food in English. D) Give cooking lessons on Western food.

　　• Passage 3

　　23. A) He had only a third-grade education. B) He once threatened to kill his teacher.

　　C) He grew up in a poor single-parent family. D) He often helped his mother do housework.

　　24. A) Careless. B) Stupid. C) Brave. D) Active.

　　25. A) Write two book reports a week. B) Keep a diary.

　　C) Help with housework. D) Watch educational TV programs only.

　　© Section C

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.

　　When you look up at the night sky, what do you see? There are other (26) bodies out there besides the moon and stars. One of the most (27) of these is a comet.

　　Comets were formed around the same time the Earth was formed. They are (28) ice and other frozen liquids and gases. (29) these "dirty snowballs" begin to orbit the sun, just as the planets do.

　　As a comet gets closer to the sun, some gases in it begin to unfreeze. They (30) dust particles from the comet to form a huge cloud. As the comet gets even nearer to the sun, a solar wind blows the cloud behind the comet, thus forming its tail. The tail and the (31) fuzzy atmosphere around a comet are (32) that can help identify this (33) in the night sky.

　　In any given year, about a dozen known comets come close to the sun in their orbits. The average person can't see them all, of course. Usually there is only one or two a year bright enough to be seen with the (34) eye. Comet Hale-Bopp, discovered in 1995, was an unusually bright comet. Its orbit brought it (35) close to the Earth, within 122 million miles of it. But Hale-Bopp came a long way on its earthly visit. It won't be back for another four thousand years or so.

　　Part III Reading Comprehension

　　© Section A

　　Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.

　　Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.

　　Children do not think the way adults do. For most of the first year of life, if something is out of sight, it's out of mind. If you cover a baby's (36) toy with a piece of cloth, the baby thinks the toy has disappeared and stops looking for it. A 4-year-old may (37) that a sister has more fruit juice when it is only the shapes of the glasses that differ, not the (38) of the juice.

　　Yet children are smart in their own way. Like good little scientists, children are always testing their child-sized (39) about how things work. When your child throws her spoon on the floor for the sixth time as you try to feed her, and you say, “That's enough! I will not pick up your spoon again!”the child will (40) test your claim. Are you serious? Are you angry? What will happen if she throws the spoon again? She is not doing this to drive you (41) ; rather, she is learning that her desires and yours can differ, and that sometimes those (42) are important and sometimes they are not.

　　How and why does children's thinking change? In the 1920s, Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget proposed that children's cognitive abilities unfold (43) , like the blooming of a flower, almost independent of what else is (44) in their lives. Although many of his specific conclusions have been (45) or modified over the years, his ideas inspired thousands of studies by investigators all over the world.

　　A) advocate B) amount C) confirmed D) crazy

　　E) definite F) differences G) favorite H) happening

　　I) immediately J) naturally K) obtaining L) primarily

　　M) protest N) rejected O) theories

　　© Section B

　　Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.

　　The Perfect Essay

　　A) Looking back on too many years of education, I can identify one truly impossible teacher. She cared about me, and my intellectual life, even when I didn't. Her expectations were high— impossibly so. She was an English teacher. She was also my mother.

　　B) When good students turn in an essay, they dream of their instructor returning it to them in exactly the same condition, save for a single word added in the margin of the final page: "Flawless." This dream came true for me one afternoon in the ninth grade. Of course, I had heard that genius could show itself at an early age, so I was only slightly taken aback that I had achieved perfection at the tender age of 14. Obviously, I did what any professional writer would do; I hurried off to spread the good news. I didn't get very far. The first person I told was my mother.

　　C) My mother, who is just shy of five feet tall, is normally incredibly soft-spoken, but on the rare occasion when she got angry, she was terrifying. I am not sure if she was more upset by my hubris(得意忘形) or by the fact that my English teacher had let my ego get so out of hand. In any event, my mother and her red pen showed me how deeply flawed a flawless essay could be. At the time, I am sure she thought she was teaching me about mechanics, transitions(过渡) , structure, style and voice. But what I learned, and what stuck with me through my time teaching writing at Harvard, was a deeper lesson about the nature of creative criticism.

　　D) First off, it hurts. Genuine criticism, the type that leaves a lasting mark on you as a writer, also leaves an existential imprint(印记) on you as a person. I have heard people say that a writer should never take criticism personally. I say that we should never listen to these people.

　　E) Criticism, at its best, is deeply personal, and gets to the heart of why we write the way we do. The intimate nature of genuine criticism implies something about who is able to give it, namely, someone who knows you well enough to show you how your mental life is getting in the way of good writing. Conveniently, they are also the people who care enough to see you through this painful realization. For me it took the form of my first, and I hope only, encounter with writers block—I was not able to produce anything for three years.

　　F) Franz Kafka once said: "Writing is utter solitude(独处) , the descent into the cold abyss(深渊) of oneself. " My mother's criticism had shown me that Kafka is right about the cold abyss, and when you make the introspective (内省的) decent that writing requires you are out always pleased by what you find." But, in the years that followed, her sustained tutoring suggested that Kafka might be wrong about the solitude. I was lucky enough to find a critic and teacher who was willing to make the journey of writing with me. "It is a thing of no great difficulty," according to Plutarch, "to raise objections against another man's speech, it is a very easy matter; but to produce a better in its place is a work extremely troublesome." I am sure I wrote essays in the later years of high school without my mother's guidance, but I can't recall them. What I remember, however, is how we took up the "extremely troublesome" work of ongoing criticism.

　　G) There are two ways to interpret Plutarch when he suggests that a critic should be able to produce "a better in its place." In a straightforward sense, he could mean that a critic must be more talented than the artist she critiques(评论) . My mother was well covered on this count. But perhaps Plutarch is suggesting something slightly different, something a bit closer to Marcus Cicero's claim that one should "criticize by creation, not by finding fault." Genuine criticism creates a precious opening for an author to become better on his own terms—a process that is often extremely painful, but also almost always meaningful.

　　H) My mother said she would help me with my writing, but first I had to help myself. For each assignment, I was to write the best essay I could. Real criticism is not meant to find obvious mistakes, so if she found any—the type I could have found on my own—I had to start from scratch. From scratch. Once the essay was "flawless," she would take an evening to walk me through my errors. That was when true criticism, the type that changed me as a person, began.

　　I) She criticized me when I included little-known references and professional jargon(行话) . She had no patience for brilliant but irrelevant figures of speech. "Writers can't bluff(虚张声势) their way through ignorance." That was news to me—I would need to find another way to structure my daily existence.

　　J) She trimmed back my flowery language, drew lines through my exclamation marks and argued for the value of restraint in expression. "John," she almost whispered. I leaned in to hear her: "I can't hear you when you shout at me." So I stopped shouting and bluffing, and slowly my writing improved.

　　K) Somewhere along the way I set aside my hopes of writing that flawless essay. But perhaps I missed something important in my mother's lessons about creativity and perfection. Perhaps the point of writing the flawless essay was not to give up, but to never willingly finish. Whitman repeatedly reworded "Song of Myself" between 1855 and 1891. Repeatedly. We do our absolute best with a piece of writing, and come as close as we can to the ideal. And, for the time being, we settle. In critique, however, we are forced to depart, to give up the perfection we thought we had achieved for the chance of being even a little bit better. This is the lesson I took from my mother. If perfection were possible, it would not be motivating.

　　46. The author was advised against the improper use of figures of speech.

　　47. The author's mother taught him a valuable lesson by pointing out lots of flaws in his seemingly perfect essay.

　　48. A writer should polish his writing repeatedly so as to get closer to perfection.

　　49. Writers may experience periods of time in their life when they just can't produce anything.

　　50. The author was not much surprised when his school teacher marked his essay as “flawless”.

　　51. Criticizing someone's speech is said to be easier than coming up with a better one.

　　52. The author looks upon his mother as his most demanding and caring instructor.

　　53. The criticism the author received from his mother changed him as a person.

　　54. The author gradually improved his writing by avoiding fancy language.

　　55. Constructive criticism gives an author a good start to improve his writing.

　　© Section C

　　Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

　　• Passage One

　　Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?

　　It wouldn't be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you couldn't reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?

　　It's the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.

　　You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub (中心): rich people and nerds (痴迷科研的人).

　　Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become startup hubs if and only if they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because although it's full of rich people, it has few nerds. It's not the kind of place nerds like.

　　Whereas Pittsburg has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people. The top US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128. Stanford and Berkeley yielded Silicon Valley. But what did Carnegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list?

　　I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there's no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don't want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there are plenty of hackers (电脑迷) who could start startups, there's no one to invest in them.

　　Do you really need the rich people? Wouldn't it work to have the government invest the nerds? No, it would not. Startup investors are a distinct type of rich people. They tend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention.

　　56. What do we learn about Silicon Valley from the passage?

　　A) Its success is hard to copy anywhere else.

　　B) It is the biggest technology hub in the US.

　　C) Its fame in high technology is incomparable.

　　D) It leads the world in information technology.

　　57. What makes Miami unfit to produce a Silicon Valley?

　　A) Lack of incentive for investments. B) Lack of the right kind of talents.

　　C) Lack of government support. D) Lack of famous universities.

　　58. In which way is Carnegie-Mellon different from Stanford, Berkeley and MIT?

　　A) Its location is not as attractive to rich people.

　　B) Its science departments are not nearly as good.

　　C) It does not produce computer hackers and nerds.

　　D) It does not pay much attention to business startups.

　　59. What does the author imply about Boston?

　　A) It has pleasant weather all year round.

　　B) It produces wealth as well as high-tech.

　　C) It is not likely to attract lots of investors and nerds.

　　D) It is an old city with many sites of historical interest.

　　60. What does the author say about startup investors?

　　A) They are especially wise in making investments.

　　B) They have good connections in the government.

　　C) They can do more than providing money.

　　D) They are rich enough to invest in nerds.

　　• Passage Two

　　It's nice to have people of like mind around. Agreeable people boost your confidence and allow you to relax and feel comfortable. Unfortunately, that comfort can hinder the very learning that can expand your company and your career.

　　It's nice to have people agree, but you need conflicting perspectives to dig out the truth. If everyone around you has similar views, your work will suffer from confirmation bias(偏颇) .

　　Take a look at your own network. Do your contacts share your point of view on most subjects? If yes, it's time to shake things up. As a leader, it can be challenging to create an environment in which people will freely disagree and argue, but as the saying goes: From confrontation comes brilliance.

　　It's not easy for most people to actively seek conflict. Many spend their lives trying to avoid arguments. There's no need to go out and find people you hate, but you need to do some self-assessment to determine where you have become stale in your thinking. You may need to start by encouraging your current network to help you identify your blind spots.

　　Passionate, energetic debate does not require anger and hard feelings to be effective. But it does require moral strength. Once you have worthy opponents, set some ground rules so everyone understands responsibilities and boundaries. The objective of this debating game is not to win but to get to the truth that will allow you to move faster, and better.

　　Fierce debating can hurt feelings, particularly when strong personalities are involved. Make sure you check in with your opponents so that they are not carrying the emotion of the battles beyond the battlefield. Break the tension with smiles and humor to reinforce the idea that this is friendly discourse and that all are working toward a common goal.

　　Reward all those involved in the debate sufficiently when the goals are reached. Let your sparring partners(拳击陪练) know how much you appreciate their contribution. The more they feel appreciated, the more they'll be willing to get into the ring next time.

　　61. What happens when you have like-minded people around you all the while?

　　A) It will help your company expand more rapidly.

　　B) It will create a harmonious working atmosphere.

　　C) It may prevent your business and career from advancing.

　　D) It may make you feel uncertain about your own decision.

　　62. What does the author suggest leaders do?

　　A) Avoid arguments with business partners.

　　B) Encourage people to disagree and argue.

　　C) Build a wide and strong business network.

　　D) Seek advice from their worthy competitors.

　　63. What is the purpose of holding a debate?

　　A) To find out the truth about an issue. B) To build up people's moral strength.

　　C) To remove misunderstandings. D) To look for worthy opponents.

　　64. What advice does the author give to people engaged in a fierce debate?

　　A) They listen carefully to their opponents' views.

　　B) They slow due respect for each other's beliefs.

　　C) They present their views clearly and explicitly.

　　D) They take care not to hurt each other's feelings.

　　65. How should we treat our rivals after a successful debate?

　　A) Try to make peace with them. B) Try to make up the differences.

　　C) Invite them to the ring next time. D) Acknowledge their contribution.

　　Part IV Translation

　　Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.

　　云南省的丽江古镇是中国著名的旅游目的地之一。那里的生活节奏比大多数中国的城市都要缓慢。丽江到处都是美丽的自然风光，众多的少数民族同胞提供了各式各样、丰富多彩的文化项目让游客体验。历史上，丽江还以“爱之城”而闻名。当地人中流传着许多关于人生、为爱而死的故事。如今，在中外游客眼中，这个古镇被视为爱情和浪漫的天堂(paradise)。

　　答案解析

　　Part I Writing

　　行文思路

　　这篇作文的写作主旨是“学习的重要性”。首先可以解释一下引言内容，引出文章的主旨“学习的重要性”；其次结合例子分析原因；最后得出结论。

　　范文第一段是对引言的简单解释，引出话题——学习的重要性。

　　第二段是结合例子说明学习重要的原因。

　　第三段用first, second句式讲了学习的好处。

　　最后总结要时刻学习。

　　范文赏析

　　Learning is a daily experience and a lifetime mission. It really makes sense. In other words, learning plays a very important role in our whole life. We have to admit, we are learning every day. If you understand it and apply it to your study or work, you'll benefit extraordinarily.

　　I'd like to illustrate why the learning is so significant. Learning can broaden our horizon and provide potential chances for our future. If we don't follow the pace of the development of the society, we will be soon eliminated. The only way to avoid this is to improve ourselves through continuous learning. To be honest, I am the typical example. After graduation, working pressure has been around my life, which led to my further education. That's why learning is so important.

　　The effect of learning is reflected in two aspects. First, as long as we insist on learning, we will not be afraid of the difficulties in our life. Second, we can get more work skills by learning. No matter where we are, we should carry out the learning to the end.

　　Part II 听力原文及答案解析

　　© Section A

　　Short Conversations

　　• Question 1

　　M: Do you remember the wonderful film on space exploration we watched together last month?

　　W: Sure. It's actually the most impressive one I've seen on that topic.

　　Q: What do we learn about the speakers?

　　答案：B. They enjoyed the movie on space exploration.

　　点睛解析：此题考查言外之意的理解。从男士的wonderful film 以及女士的回答来判断，二者都喜欢the movie on space exploration。所以答案为B。

　　• Question 2

　　W: Are you looking for anything in particular?

　　M: Yes. My son is graduating from high school, and I want to get him something special.

　　Q: Where does the conversation most probably take place?

　　答案：A. At a gift shop.

　　点睛解析：此题为推理题。对话中男士想为即将高中毕业的儿子准备特别的东西，因此推测答案为A。

　　• Question 3

　　M: Mike told me yesterday that he had been looking in vain for a job in the art gallery.

　　W: Really? If I remember right, he had a chance to work there, but he turned it down.

　　Q: What does the woman say about Mike?

　　答案：C. He declined a job offer from the art gallery.

　　点睛解析：女士最后一句话中...but he turned it down. 意思是他拒绝了那份工作，所以四个答案中，只有C符合题意。

　　• Question 4

　　W: Would you like to come to Susan's birthday party tomorrow evening?

　　M: I'm going to give a lecture tomorrow. I wish I could be in two places at the same time.

　　Q: What does the man mean?

　　答案：D. He will be unable to attend the birthday party.

　　点睛解析：推理题。I wish I could be in two places at the same time.说明他不能同时出现在两个地方，根据前一句可以推断出他要give a lecture, 答案选项中，A、B、C都与题意不符，答案为D。

　　• Question 5

　　W: Aren't you discouraged by the slow progress your staff is making?

　　M: Yes. I think I will give them a deadline and hold them to it.

　　Q: What is the man probably going to do?

　　答案：B. Set a deadline for the staff to meet.

　　点睛解析：答案很明显，从男士所说的I think I will give them a deadline and hold them to it.可知，选项B是正确答案。

　　• Question 6

　　W: Excuse me. Could you tell me where the visitor's parking is? They left my car there.

　　M: Sure. It's in Lot C. Over that way.

　　Q: What does the woman want to know?

　　答案：A. The way to the visitor's parking.

　　点睛解析：从对话中不难听出这位女士在找the visitor's parking，首先可以排除B和C。从where the visitor's parking is可以看出女士找的是去停车场的路而不是停车的地方，所以答案是A。

　　• Question 7

　　W: You look great! Now that you've taken those fitness classes.

　　M: Thanks. I've never felt better in my life.

　　Q: What does the man mean?

　　答案：D. He has benefited from exercise.

　　点睛解析：从对话中可以听出，男士已经参加了健身班，所以排除选项B；由男士的回答I've never felt better in my life.可知，A、C选项与题意不符，正确答案为D。

　　• Question 8

　　W: I really admire the efficiency of your secretaries.

　　M: Our company selects only the best. They have a heavy workload and we give them a lot of responsibilities.

　　Q: What are the speakers talking about?

　　答案：D. The secretaries in the man's company.

　　点睛解析：女士说：我很佩服你们公司秘书的效率；男士回答说：他们的工作量很大，我们给予他们很多责任，由此可以得出D选项是正确答案。

　　Long Conversations

　　• Conversion 1

　　W: Hi Leo, why do you say English would become the world language?

　　M: Well. For one thing, it's so commonly used; the only language that is used by more people is Chinese.

　　W: Why is English spoken by so many people?

　　M: It's spoken in many countries of the world because of the British Empire. And now of course there is the influence of America as well.

　　W: Many students find English a difficult language to learn.

　　M: Oh, all languages are difficult to learn. But English does have two greatest advantages.

　　W: What are they?

　　M: Well, first of all, it has a very international vocabulary. It has many German, Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian words in it. So speakers of those languages will find many familiar words in English. In fact, English has words for many other languages as well.

　　W: Why is that?

　　M: Well, partly because English speakers have travelled a lot; they bring back words with them. So English really does have an international vocabulary.

　　W: And what is the other advantage of English?

　　M: It's that English grammar is really quite easy. For example, it doesn't have dozens of different endings for its nouns, adjectives and verbs, not like Latin, Russian and German for example.

　　W: Why is that?

　　M: Well, it's quite interesting actually; it's because of the French. When the French ruled England, French was the official language, and only the common people spoke English. They tried to make their language as simple as possible. So they made the grammar easier.

　　9. What does the man say about Chinese?

　　答案：B. It is used by more people than English.

　　点睛解析：从对话中可以听出来...the only language that is used by more people is Chinese.只有这一句提到了Chinese，所以四个选项中，B选项是正确答案。

　　10. What made English a widely used language?

　　答案：C. The influence of the British Empire.

　　点睛解析：该题答案很明显。It's spoken in many countries of the world because of the British Empire. 由此可以得出答案是C。

　　11. What is said to be special about English vocabulary?

　　答案：A. It includes a lot of words from other languages.

　　点睛解析：从对话中可以听到，英语有很多外来词汇，这是其他语言并不具备的，所以答案是A。

　　• Conversation 2

　　M: Hello. Yes?

　　W: Hello. Is that the sales department?

　　M: Yes, it is.

　　W: Oh, well. My name is Jane Kingsbury of GPF Limited. And we need some supplies for our design office.

　　M: Oh, what sort?

　　W: Well, first of all, we need one complete new drawing board.

　　M: DO44 or DO45?

　　W: Ah, I don't know. What's the difference?

　　M: Well, the 45 costs 15 pounds more.

　　W: So what's the total price then?

　　M: It's 387 pounds.

　　W: Does that include valued-added tax?

　　M: Oh, I'm not sure. Most of the prices do. Yes, I think it does.

　　W: What are the boards actually made of?

　　M: Oh, I don't know. I think it's a sort of plastic stuff these days. It's white anyway.

　　W: And how long does it take to deliver?

　　M: Oh, I couldn't really say. It depends on how much work we've got and how many other orders there are to send out, you know.

　　W: OK, now we also want some drawing pens, ink and rulers, and some drawing paper.

　　M: Oh dear. The girl who takes all those supplies isn't here this morning. So I can't take those orders for you. I only do the equipment you see.

　　W: OK, well, perhaps I'll ring back tomorrow.

　　M: So do you want the drawing board then?

　　W: Oh, I have to think about it. Thanks very much. I'll let you know. Good-bye.

　　M: Thank you. Good-bye.

　　12. What is the woman's purpose in making the phone call?

　　答案：C. To place an order.

　　点睛解析：该对话中的We need some supplies for our design office.直接表明是要购买材料的，所以答案C是正确答案。

　　13. What do we learn about the man from the conversation?

　　答案：B. He is not familiar with the exact details of goods.

　　点睛解析：对话中的I'm not sure, I don't know等都表明该男士对货物的具体情况不熟悉，所以选B。

　　14. What does the man say about delivery?

　　答案：D. It depends on a number of factors.

　　点睛解析：女士询问送货需要多长时间，男士回答说需要根据他们的工作量和其他需要送货的订单情况，由此选D。

　　15. What does the woman say she will possibly do tomorrow?

　　答案：C. Ring back when she comes to a decision.

　　点睛解析：对话结尾处我们可以听到perhaps I'll ring back tomorrow，选项A、B和D都和打电话无关，所以C是正确答案。

　　© Section B

　　• Passage One

　　No one knows for sure just how old kites are. In fact, they have been in use for centuries. Twenty-five centuries ago, kites were well-known in China. These first kites were probably made of wood. They may even had been covered with silk, because silk was used a lot at that time. Early kites were built for certain uses. In ancient China, they were used to carry ropes to cross rivers. Once across, the ropes were torn down and wooden bridges would hang for them. The legend tells of one General who flew musical kites over the enemies' camp. The enemy fled, believing the sounds to be the warming voices of angels. By the 15th century, many people flew kites in Europe. Marco Polo may have brought the kite back from his visit to China. The kite has been linked to great names and events. For instance, Benjamin Franklin used the kite to prove that lightening is electricity. He flew the kite in the storm. He did this in order to draw lightening from the clouds. He tied a metal key and a strip of silk to the kite line. The silk ribbon would stop the lightening from passing through his body. Benjamin's idea was first laughed at. But later on, it enlightened the invention of the lightening rod. With such a grand history, kite flying is sure to remain an entertaining and popular sport.

　　16. What does the speaker say about kites?

　　答案：B. No one knows for sure when they came into being.

　　点睛解析：根据短文第一句话No one knows for sure just how old kites are.可知答案是B。

　　17. What did ancient Chinese use kites to do?

　　答案：A. Carry ropes across rivers.

　　点睛解析：短文中，我们可以听到In ancient China, they were used to carry ropes to cross rivers.由此选A。

　　18. Why did Benjamin Franklin fly a kite in the storm?

　　答案：D. To prove that lightening is electricity.

　　点睛解析：在短文中可以听到For instance, Benjamin Franklin used the kite to prove that lightening is electricity. He flew the kite in the storm. 由此可知，选D。

　　• Passage Two

　　I have learnt many languages, but I've not mastered them the way the professional interpreter or translator has. Still, they have open doors for me. They have allowed me the opportunity to seek jobs in international contexts and help me get those jobs. Like many people who have lived overseas for a while, I simply got crazy about it. I can't imagine living my professional or social life without international interactions. Since 1977, I have spent much more time abroad than in the United States. I like going to new places, eating new foods and experiencing new cultures. If you can speak the language, it's easier to get to know the country and its people. If I had the time and money, I would live for a year in as many countries as possible. Beyond my career, my facility with languages has given me a few rare opportunities. Once, just after I returned from my year in Vienna, I was asked to translate for a German judge at the Olympic level horse event and learned a lot about the sport.

　　In Japan, once when I was in the studio audience of a TV cooking show, I was asked to go up on the stage and taste the beef dish that was being prepared and tell what I thought. They asked "Was it as good as American beef?" It was very exciting for me to be on Japanese TV, speaking in Japanese about how delicious the beef was.

　　19. What does the speaker say about herself?

　　答案：B. She can speak several languages.

　　点睛解析：根据短文第一句I have learnt many languages, but I've not mastered them the way the professional interpreter or translator has.直接排除选项D；短文中并没有提到teaching language，所以排除选项A；从听到的短文内容判断，作者并没有受过专门的训练，所以C选项也被排除。

　　20. What does the speaker say about many people who have lived overseas for a while?

　　答案：D. They have an intense interest in cross-cultural interactions.

　　点睛解析：短文中提到Like many people who have lived overseas for a while...，后面又提到I can't image living my professional or social life without international interactions.由此可推测，D选项是正确答案。

　　21. How did the speaker's experience of living in Vienna benefit her?

　　答案：C. She was able to translate for a German sports judge.

　　点睛解析：根据短文中I was asked to translate for a German judge at the Olympic level horse event and learned a lot about the sport.可以判断C选项是正确答案。

　　22. What was the speaker asked to do in the Japanese studio?

　　答案：A. Taste the beef and give her comment.

　　点睛解析：我们在短文中听到...I was asked to go up on the stage and taste the beef dish that was being prepared and tell what I thought.所以答案是A。

　　• Passage Three

　　Dr. Ben Carson grew up in a poor single-parent household in Detroit. His mother, who had only a third-grade education, worked two jobs cleaning bathrooms. To his classmates and even to his teachers, he was thought of as the dumbest kid in the class, according to his own not so fond memories. He had a terrible temper, and once threatened to kill another child. Doctor Carson was headed down a path of self-destruction until a critical moment in his youth. His mother, convinced that she had to do something dramatic to prevent him from leading a life of failure, laid down some rules. He could not watch television except for two programs a week, could not play with his friends after school until he finished his homework, and had to read two books a week and write book reports about them. His mother's strategy worked. "Of course, I didn't know she couldn't read, so there I was submitting these reports," he said. "She would put check marks on them like she had been reading them. As I began to read about scientists, economists and philosophers, I started imaging myself in their shoes." As he got into the habit of hard work, his grades began to soar. Ultimately, he received a scholarship to attend Yale University. And later, he was admitted to the University of Michigan Medical School. He is now a leading surgeon at Johns Hopkins Medical School, and he's also the author of three books.

　　23. What do we learn about Ben Carson?

　　答案：C. He grew up in a poor single-parent family.

　　点睛解析：从短文中，我们可以听到他妈妈只有三年级的文化程度，而不是他，所以A选项排除；他曾经想要杀死一个孩子而不是他的老师，所以B选项排除；根据短文的第一句话可知C是正确答案。

　　24. What did Ben Carson's classmates and teachers think of him when he was first at school?

　　答案：B. Stupid.

　　点睛解析：从短文中我们可以听到...he was thought of as the dumbest kid in the class, according to his own not so fond memories.由此可知stupid与文意符合。

　　25. What did Ben Carson's mother tell him to do when he was a school boy?

　　答案：A. Write two book reports a week.

　　点睛解析：根据短文，B、C、D选项内容都没有出现，只有A选项内容在短文中被提到，所以选A。

　　© Section C

　　26. heavenly

　　点睛解析：heavenly body 天体

　　27. fascinating

　　点睛解析：fascinating 迷人的

　　28. made up of

　　点睛解析：be made up of 由……组成、构成

　　29. Now and then

　　点睛解析：now and then 有时

　　30. combine with

　　点睛解析：combine with 与……结合

　　31. generally

　　点睛解析：generally 通常，普遍地，一般地

　　32. characteristics

　　点睛解析：characteristic 特征

　　33. phenomenon

　　点睛解析：phenomenon 现象

　　34. naked

　　点睛解析：naked eyes 肉眼

　　35. relatively

　　点睛解析：relatively 相当地

　　Part III阅读答案及解析

　　© Section A

　　36. G

　　点睛解析：该空格应填入一个形容词，用来修饰toy，首先考虑备选单词中的常规形容词，根据句意“如果你用一块布把小朋友……的玩具盖住”可知，应填入G“favorite”，意为“非常喜爱的”。

　　37. M

　　点睛解析：空格前面是情态动词may，故空格处需要填入动词原形，候选项有A“advocate”，M“protest”，可用排除法，“advocate”意为“提倡”，明显违背句意，选择M，意为“抗议，提出抗议”。

　　38. B

　　点睛解析：由前面的...has more fruit juice...可知该句探讨主题“得到的果汁多还是少”，表示果汁的“量”，所以此处应填入B“amount”。

　　39. O

　　点睛解析：根据空格后的about how things work可知，应填入O“theories”，构成theories about how things work的结构，意为“关于事物如何运转的理论”。

　　40. I

　　点睛解析：该空格出现在动词test前，所以填入副词，根据该段首句“小孩向来就会验证他们的理论”的表述，可知I“immediately”更符合语境，所以选I。

　　41. D

　　点睛解析：drive sb. crazy“使某人抓狂”，固定用法。

　　42. F

　　点睛解析：根据空格前后的词语those和are可知，此处应填入名词而且是复数，所有候选项中只有“differences” 符合，所以此空应填入F“differences”。

　　43. J

　　点睛解析：空格出现在动词unfold之后，所以应填入副词，根据句意“小孩的认知能力自然就体现出来了”可知，该题选J。

　　44. H

　　点睛解析：此处可填入形容词、-ing和-ed，而空格前的independent of意为“不依赖于……”，本句表达的意思是小孩的认知能力不依赖于他们生活中发生的任何其他事，所以选择H“happening”。

　　45. N

　　点睛解析：根据句首的Although可知，rejected“被否定的”更符合句意，故选N。

　　© Section B

　　46. I

　　点睛解析：根据关键信息figures of speech定位到I段。

　　47. C

　　点睛解析：在段落C，作者的母亲在作者的看起来很完美的文章中指出许多缺陷 ...my mother and her red pen showed me how deeply flawed a flawless essay could be.

　　48. K

　　点睛解析：该句意思为“为了接近完美，作家应该反复修改他的文章”，对应K段中的Perhaps the point of writing the flawless essay was not to give up, but to never willingly finish.

　　49. E

　　点睛解析：该句大意为“在某些时段里，作家可能什么也写不出来”，和E段中的I was not able to produce anything for three years.相对应。

　　50. B

　　点睛解析：这句话的意思是“当老师认为作者的文章没有瑕疵时，他并不惊讶”，B段的...so I was only slightly taken aback that I had achieved perfection at the tender age of 14.与之相呼应。

　　51. F

　　点睛解析：这句话的意思是“对别人的演讲品头论足总比自己做一个更棒的演讲容易”。对应F段的“It is a thing of no great difficulty,” according to Plutarch, “to raise objections against another man's speech, it is a very easy matter; but to produce a better in its place is a work extremely troublesome.”

　　52. A

　　点睛解析：这句话的意思是“作者将其母亲视为非常严格、细心的老师”。对应A段的She cared about me, and my intellectual life, even when I didn't. Her expectations were high—impossibly so. She was an English teacher. She was also my mother.

　　53. H

　　点睛解析：这句话与H段的That was when true criticism, the type that changed me as a person, began.相对应。

　　54. J

　　点睛解析：这句话的意思是“作者通过避免使用华而不实的语言慢慢地完善自己的作品”。对应J段的So I stopped shouting and bluffing, and slowly my writing improved.

　　55. G

　　点睛解析：这句话的意思是“有建设性的评判能让作家在提升作品方面有一个好的开始”。与G段中Genuine criticism creates a precious opening for an author to become better on his own terms—a process that is often extremely painful, but also almost always meaningful.相对应。

　　© Section C

　　56. A

　　点睛解析：根据短文理解，Silicon Valley是很难被复制的，B、C、D三个选项的内容在文中并没有明显体现。

　　57. B

　　点睛解析：短文第五段中Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because although it's full of rich people, it has few nerds.由此可知，迈阿密缺少痴迷科研的人，所以B选项是正确答案。

　　58. A

　　点睛解析：第七段中详细描述了卡内基梅隆大学所在的匹兹堡的不同之处：The weather is terrible...，Rich people don't want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca.这些信息都指向了A选项，所以选A。

　　59. D

　　点睛解析：根据题干中的Boston可定位至原文的第七段。as there is in Boston，as在这里表对比，意为“波士顿却有”，那么前文一定指出了匹兹堡没有某物，所以往前文查找，发现前文提到的是and there's no interesting old city to make up for it，意思是匹兹堡不仅天气恶劣，而且也没有有趣的老城区，但是波士顿却与之相反，故选择D，表示“波士顿有很多历史古迹”。

　　60. C

　　点睛解析：短文最后一段中提到...and means they can supply advice and connections as well as money.由此可知选项C最符合题意。

　　61. C

　　点睛解析：根据题干可定位到第一段，由最后一句Unfortunately, that comfort can hinder the very learning that can expand your company and your career.可知，选项C符合题意。

　　62. B

　　点睛解析：根据题干，可定位至第三段“As a leader, it can be challenging to create an environment in which people will freely disagree and argue.作者给领导者的建议是“建立一个言论自由的环境很有挑战性”，意思是领导者需要建立这样的环境，故选择B项，高度概括。

　　63. A

　　点睛解析：从文中第五段The objective of this debating game is not to win but to get to the truth that will allow you to move faster, and better.这句话可以得知，讨论的目的是找出真相，所以选A。

　　64. D

　　点睛解析：根据关键信息fierce debate定位到原文倒数第二段，原文提出观点“用微笑和幽默表明这是一场友好的讨论，大家的目标都是一样的”，对应D选项，该题强干扰项为B，而实际上B选项错在each other's beliefs上，原文并没有提到尊重彼此的信念，所以选项D是正确答案。

　　65. D

　　点睛解析：根据题干rivals对应到最后一段的sparring partners，原文提出“让他们知道你对他们的付出很感激”，对应D选项“肯定他们的付出”，为同义替换关系。

　　Part IV Translation

　　The ancient town of Yunnan Province, Lijiang, is one of the most famous tourist destinations in China. The pace of life there is slower than that of most cities of China. Lijiang is full of beautiful natural scenery and many ethnic minorities provide tourists with a great variety of cultural experience. Lijiang is also famous as the "city of love" in history. Many stories about life and dying for love have spread widely among the locals. Nowadays, for tourists at home and abroad, the ancient town is considered as a paradise of love and romance. 超精讲，分类练，英语四级简单过