[外语类试卷]大学英语四级模拟试卷449及答案与解析.doc

1、大学英语四级模拟试卷 449及答案与解析 一、 Part I Writing (30 minutes) 1 For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled On Reacting to Disastrous Events. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below. 1. 人总会碰到一些灾难 2有人走不出灾难的阴影 3你如果遇到灾难会怎么做 二、 Part II Reading Comprehens

2、ion (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions attached to the passage. For questions 1-7, mark： Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage; N (for NO) if the state

3、ment contradicts the information given in the passage; NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. 1 Why Minority Students Dont Graduate from College Barry Mills, the president of Bowdoin College, was justifiably proud of Bowdoins efforts to recruit minority students. Since 20

4、03 the school has boosted the proportion of so-called under-represented minority students (blacks, Latinos (南美洲人 ), and Native Americans, about 30 percent of the U.S. population) in entering freshman classes from 8 percent to 13 percent. But Bowdoin has not done quite as well when it comes to actual

5、ly graduating minorities. While nine out of 10 white students routinely get their diplomas within six years, only seven out of 10 black students made it to graduation day in several recent classes. The United States once had the highest graduation rate of any nation. Now it stands 10th. For the firs

6、t time in American history, there is the risk that the rising generation will be less well educated than the previous one. The graduation rate among 25-to 34-year-olds is no better than the rate for the 55-to 64-year-olds who were going to college more than 30 years ago. Studies show that more and m

7、ore poor and nonwhite students are eager to graduate from college-but their graduation rates fall far short of their dreams. The graduation rates for blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans lag far behind the graduation rates for whites and Asians. As the minority population grows in the United States

8、, low college-graduation rates become a threat to national prosperity. The problem is noticeable at public universities. In 2007, the University of Wisconsin-Madison-one of the top five or so “public Ivies“-graduated 81 percent of its white students within six years, but only 56 percent of its black

9、s. At less-selective state schools, the numbers get worse. Community colleges have low graduation rates generally-but rock-bottom rates for minorities. A recent review of California community colleges found that while a third of the Asian students picked up their degrees, only 15 percent of African-

10、Americans did so as well. Private colleges and universities generally do better, partly because they offer smaller classes and more personal attention. But when it comes to a significant graduation gap, Bowdoin has company. Nearby Colby College logged an 18-point difference between white and black g

11、raduates in 2007 and 25 points in 2006. “Higher education has been able to get around this issue for years, particularly the more selective schools, by saying the responsibility is on the individual student,“ says Pennington of the Gates Foundation. “If they fail, its their fault.“ Some critics blam

12、e affirmative action-students admitted with lower test scores and grades from shaky high schools often struggle at top schools. But a bigger problem may be that poor high schools often send their students to colleges for which they are “undermatched“: they could get into better, richer schools, but

13、instead go to community colleges and low-rated state schools that lack the resources to help them. Some schools out for profit cynically increase tuitions and count on student loans and federal aid to foot the bill-knowing full well that the students wont make it. “Colleges know that a lot of kids t

14、hey take will end up in remedial classes, for which theyll get no college credit and then theyll be dismissed,“ says Amy Wilkins of the Education Trust. “The school gets to keep the money, but the kid leaves with loads of debt and no degree and no ability to get a better job. Colleges are not holdin

15、g up their end.“ A college education is getting ever more expensive. Since 1982 tuitions have been rising at roughly twice the rate of inflation. University administrators insist that most of those bikes are matched by increased scholarship grants or loans, but the recession has decreased private en

16、dowments(捐助 ) and cut into state spending on higher education. In 2008 the net cost of attending a four-year public university equaled 28 percent of median family income, while a four-year private university cost 76 percent of median family income. More and more scholarships are based on scores, not

17、 need. Poorer students are not always the best-informed consumers. Often they end up deeply in debt or simply unable to pay after a year or two and must drop out. There once was a time when universities took an unreasonable pride in their drop-out rates. Professors would begin the year by saying, “L

18、ook to the right and look to the left. One of you is not going to be here by the end of the year.“ But such a Darwinian spirit is beginning to give way as at least a few colleges face up to the graduation gap. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the gap has been roughly halved over the last thre

19、e years. The university has poured resources into peer counseling to help students from inner-city schools adjust to the faster pace of a university classroom, and also to help minority students overcome the stereotype that they are less qualified. State and federal governments could sharpen that fo

20、cus everywhere by broadly publishing minority graduation rates. For years private colleges such as Princeton and MIT have had success bringing minorities onto campus in the summer before freshman year to give them a head start on college-level courses. The newer trend is to start recruiting poor and

21、 nonwhite students as early as the seventh grade, using new tools like hip-hop competitions to identify kids with sophisticated verbal(语言的 ) means. Such programs can be expensive, of course, but cheap compared with the millions already invested in scholarships and grants for kids who have little cha

22、nce to graduate without special support. With effort and money, the graduation gap can be closed. Washington and Lee is a small, selective school in Virginia. Its student body is less than 5 percent black and less than 2 percent Latino. While the school usually graduated about 90 percent of its whit

23、es, the graduation rate of its blacks and Latinos had dipped to 63 percent by 2007. “We went through a dramatic shift,“ says Dawn Watkins, the vice president for student affairs. The school aggressively pushed mentoring (师徒制 ) of minorities by other students and “partnering“ with parents at a specia

24、l pre-enrollment session. The school had its first-ever black homecoming. Last spring the school graduated the same proportion of minorities as it did whites. If the United States wants to keep up in the global economic race, it will have to pay systematic attention to graduating minorities, not jus

25、t enrolling them. 2 What was Barry Mills, the president of Bowdoin College, proud of? （ A） The Colleges high enrollment rate of white students. （ B） The Colleges high enrollment rate of minority students. （ C） The Colleges high graduation rate of white students. （ D） The Colleges high graduation rat

26、e of minority students. 3 Since Americans rank in graduation rate dropped dramatically, _. （ A） more poor and non-white students cannot enter college （ B） the enrollment rate of white students may increase （ C） the young may be less well educated than their fathers （ D） more money and effort will be

27、 put on higher education 4 In the University of Wisconsin-Madison, whats the graduation rate of its blacks in 2007? （ A） 81%. （ B） 56%. （ C） 15%. （ D） 25%. 5 Private colleges and universities have higher graduation rates for minorities partly because _. （ A） their classes are usually larger than pub

28、lic Ivies （ B） they offer more scholarships to minority students （ C） the minority students they enroll are generally better （ D） they pay more attention to students individual need 6 The students that are sent to “undermatched“ colleges _. （ A） tend to have a higher graduation rate （ B） dont receiv

29、e enough help from schools （ C） pay lower tuitions than their peers （ D） learn practical ability to get a better job 7 Whats the recessions impact on higher education? （ A） Universities receive fewer contributions from individuals. （ B） Tuitions have been rising twice the rate of inflation. （ C） The

30、 scholarship grants or loans increase to match the hike. （ D） More and more scholarships are based on need rather than scores. 8 How has the University of Wisconsin-Madison managed to narrow the graduation gap? （ A） It has poured resources to provide financial help to minority students. （ B） It has

31、organized programs to help students adapt the pace of class pattern. （ C） It has arranged to bring minority students onto campus before freshman year. （ D） It has given chances to less qualified students to enter university. 9 Before the minorities enter university, Princeton and MIT arrange them to

32、 take part in_. 10 Washington and Lee worked together with parents as_to help minorities at a special pre-enrollment session. 11 More attention should be paid to increase the graduation rate of minorities in order to_. Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2

33、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

34、 which is the best answer. （ A） In bed. （ B） At her mothers. （ C） In the hospital. （ D） At the office. （ A） By plane. （ B） By car. （ C） By train. （ D） By bus. （ A） He would prefer calling her next week. （ B） He will let her decide about the next meeting. （ C） He would like to buy some refreshments f

35、or the meeting. （ D） He definitely wants to know about the meeting. （ A） 9:20. （ B） 9:26. （ C） 9:14. （ D） 9:06 （ A） He was talking in a newspaper advertisement. （ B） He was talking to a newspaper salesman. （ C） He was talking at a newspaper office. （ D） He was talking at a car dealers. （ A） It was r

36、eally very cold. （ B） There was snow all winter. （ C） It snowed in December. （ D） The temperature was below zero. （ A） Something happened to her car. （ B） She was broken and couldnt afford the bus. （ C） She got up too late to catch the bus. （ D） Her car got stuck in the driveway. （ A） She prefers ap

37、ples. （ B） Shes on a diet. （ C） There was nothing else to eat. （ D） Its only a snack. （ A） The man is learning how to use a computer. （ B） The woman is showing the man how to put page numbers on a document. （ C） The man is printing a document. （ D） The man is using his computer to do mathematical fu

38、nctions. （ A） He needs to press F-7 to return to the document before he prints it. （ B） He has to print the document to see the page numbers. （ C） The printer is not working correctly. （ D） The numbers are on the screen but they dont print out. （ A） She wants the man to listen to the instructions an

39、d observe. （ B） She wants the man to watch while she performs the operations. （ C） She wants the man to ask questions so that she carl help him. （ D） She wants the man to try to do it while she gives him instructions. （ A） At a newspaper. （ B） At an advertising agency. （ C） At a furniture store. （ D

40、） At a real estate office. （ A） A two-bedroom apartment. （ B） A sofa. （ C） A chair. （ D） A roommate. （ A） Her phone number. （ B） The location of the apartment. （ C） The best time to call her. （ D） Her first name. （ A） $5. （ B） $15. （ C） $30. （ D） $250.00 Section B Directions: In this section, you wi

41、ll 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. （ A） The speakers friend entered his house from back

42、 door. （ B） The speakers friend entered his neighbors house by mistake. （ C） A thief entered the speakers house by mistake. （ D） The speakers friend entered the room by climbing the apple tree. （ A） To cook something for him. （ B） To wait for him. （ C） To give him advice. （ D） To have a meal and dri

43、nk by himself. （ A） Under a piece of stone. （ B） Under the window. （ C） In the kitchen. （ D） Near the living-room. （ A） Forgetful. （ B） Lazy. （ C） Careful. （ D） Serious. （ A） He sees his sister very seldom. （ B） He sent Mark something on his 19th birthday. （ C） He always walked to work. （ D） He live

44、s with his sister and her family. （ A） To punish Mr. Brown. （ B） To visit his uncle. （ C） To receive the bills. （ D） To inquire something. （ A） They use many different methods. （ B） All birds follow major geographical features. （ C） All birds use their memory of a map. （ D） We have no information ab

45、out this. （ A） To fly one following another. （ B） To fly without stopping. （ C） To use land features as the guide. （ D） To take one route only. （ A） Their memory. （ B） The stars. （ C） The sense of time. （ D） Their experience. （ A） They use a map and the memory of location. （ B） They use the sun and

46、the stars. （ C） They use a map and the earths magnetic field. （ D） They have precise sense of time or may use the earths magnetic field. 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 genera

47、l idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words yo

48、u have just heard or write down the 36 Carbon monoxide poisoning causes death and injuries throughout the world. The poison gas has been a problem since humans first began burning【 B1】 _to cook food or to create heat during cold weather. More people die from carbon monoxide poisoning in the United S

49、tates each year than from any other kind of poisoning. Carbon monoxide gas is called the such a silent【 B2】 _that it is hard for people to【 B3】_it in the air. Yet, carbon monoxide gas is very【 B4】 _It steals the bodys ability to use oxygen. Carbon monoxide【 B5】 _the ability of the blood to carry oxygen to body tissues. It does this by【 B6】 _with the blood. When carbon monoxide links with the blood, the blood is no longer able to carry oxygen to the tissues that n