[外语类试卷]大学英语四级模拟试卷876及答案与解析.doc

1、大学英语四级模拟试卷 876及答案与解析 一、 Part I Writing (30 minutes) 1 For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topic: WILL PHONES KILL LETTER WRITING? You should write at least 120 words according to the outline given below in Chinese: 1年轻人越来越趋向于打电话 2信件是否会被电话取缔 3我的观点 二、 Part II Readin

2、g Comprehension (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)

3、if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage; NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. 1 Discovery by Accident In the long history of mans inventiveness, discoverers seem to fall into two classes. The first is the ingenious person who sets out to find t

4、he solution to a problem. The second is the lucky one who appears to stumble upon something by accident. But we should be clear what we mean by “accident.“ For the “accidental“ aspect of many great discoveries is that something unusual has happened when there is an observant person present who notic

5、es what has happened, and sets to work to find out why. The best example of this happened so long ago that no one now can say who was the inventor. Consider the wheel, without which we should have neither clocks nor motorcars, neither airplanes nor steamships. But men had been making wheels for tens

6、 of thousands of years before someone thought of using them to make work easier.Skeletons of people who died fifty thousand years ago were discovered to be wearing little wheels as articles of personal adornment; wheels are painted on their pottery and carved on their bone implements. Their children

7、 must have played with small wheels, yet thousands of years had to pass before someone thought of making a larger wheel and fitting it to a sled, thus making a cart. During the First World War, Mr. Harry Brearley, a well-known expert in metals, was asked to investigate the problem of the “pitting“ (

8、凹痕 ) which spoiled gun barrels after being fired for a certain length of time. In his research, the first thing that Mr. Brearley did was to order a number of barrels to be made of new steel alloys. One of these alloys contained a higher percentage of chromium (铬 ) than had ever been used before. A

9、gun barrel was made of this new “chromium steel;“ but the first shot fired through it broke it into a dozen pieces. So the scraps were thrown on to the waste heap. A week or two afterwards, Mr. Brcarley noticed that among the now rusty scraps of metal were a few which were as bright as when they had

10、 left the foundry. These were the broken pieces of the chromium steel barrel. From this accidental discovery developed the enormous benefits of “stainless steel. The same desire to find out why lies behind one of the most valuable inventions of all time: that of penicillin. A culture of deadly bacte

11、ria that Dr. Alexander Fleming was experimenting with became mouldy (发霉的 ). He noticed that where the mould had formed, the deadly micro-organisms were dying fast. Had he then, he asked himself, found something which would actually kill the bacteria? With the help of some other scientists, he was ab

12、le to cultivate the mould, which had been identified as Pencillium Notatum (特异青霉 ). Eventually, that mould was mass produced, and given to the world as the “wonder-drug,“ penicillin. Behind the great rubber industry of today lies a story of one mans search and of his lucky discovery by accident. Cha

13、rles Goodyear was an American who had been trying for years to find a way in which rubber could be made to produce a hard, non-sticky, and yet elastic substance. For the trouble is that rubber, in its natural state, is hard when cold and soft and sticky when heated. One day, by chance, Goodyear drop

14、ped a small piece of molded rubber on to a stove at the same time that a piece of sulphur (硫磺 ) slipped out of his hand. The smell of burning rubber mixed with burning sulphur was horrible, and he hastily got a knife to scrape the mess from the stove top. Feverishly he scraped away and threw the bit

15、s of boiling rubber on to a plate. But when it had cooled down, what a different sort of rubber it was! It was cold, and yet flexible. It was not sticky, even when it was reheated. Goodyear had invented by accident the basic method of preparing rubber for commercial use. He had invented the process

16、that we now call “vulcanizing“ (橡胶的硫化 ). The pneumatic (充气式 ) tire had been patented forty years before John Dunlop rediscovered it quite accidentally and through it laid the foundations for his immense rubber empire. Dunlop, a veterinary surgeon, had bought his small son a tricycle. In those days s

17、eventy years ago tricycles had solid wheels, and the going was rather bumpy for young Master Dunlop. Looking around for some means of cushioning the rider from the shock of an uneven road, Dr. Dunlop Wondered what would happen if he cut off a length of rubber garden hose, just sufficient to encircle

18、 a tricycle wheel, closed the ends at the tube, and pumped air into it. (The tube, of course, was merely tied on to the wheel with cord, at first.) The idea was an instant success, and Dunlop at once saw the immense possibilities of fitting his “pneumatic“ tires to tricycles, and bicycles for grownu

19、ps as well. It is said that when Elias Howes wife complained to him that her sawing machine hardly did the job for which it was designed. Howe dreamed one night that a savage was chasing him with a gleaming spear which had a hole in the point. Howe woke up terrified but terribly excited. He had foun

20、d the answer to the problem of making the lock stitch on a sewing machine, a problem which had bewildered every inventor before. Put the eye in the point of the needle! There have been improvements since, but Elias Howes basic idea remains the one on which the modern sewing machine works. The list o

21、f discoveries by accident could fill a long book; and remember, most of them happened when somebody asked himself. why? 2 Most of the “great discoveries“ in history were more or less made accidentally by lucky people. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 3 Tens and thousands of years passed before wheels were used

22、 to make a vehicle. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 4 The discovery of stainless steel was the result of years of research by a well-known metallurgist who experimented with barrels made of steel alloys containing different percentages of chromium. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 5 Dr. Alexander Fleming was experimenti

23、ng with a culture of deadly bacteria when he discovered the antibiotic penicillin a special “mould“ he had cultivated all by himself. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 6 Charles Goodyear built up the great rubber industry in the US after he had invented a method for making possible the commercial use of rubber.

24、 （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 7 Dunlop gave up his veterinary profession soon after he saw the immense possibilities of fitting the pneumatic tires to bicycles and tricycles. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 8 The solution to the problem of making the lock stitch on a sewing machine is said to have been inspired by a

25、 nightmare. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 9 The important metallic chemical element in making stainless steel is _. 10 The applicant for the patent of pneumatic tire is _. 11 “Accidental“ discoveries seem to have made by chance but there has to be an observant person present who _. Section A Directions: In

26、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 mus

27、t read the four choices marked A, B, C and D, and decide which is the best answer. （ A） Animals will soon be allowed in Mr. Smiths building. （ B） Mr. Smith is allergic to dogs. （ C） She also plans to get a pet. （ D） Mr. Smith will get a lift to his apartment from a friend. （ A） Inviting foreign stud

28、ents to dinner. （ B） Eating habits of foreign students. （ C） Sharing a flat with foreign students. （ D） Getting along with foreign students. （ A） In Oak Creek Apartments. （ B） In a student dormitory. （ C） With his parents. （ D） With his girlfriend. （ A） They didnt know how much each person owed for

29、telephone calls. （ B） They couldnt understand each other since they speak different languages. （ C） They had difficulty deciding who should cook. （ D） They had different lifestyles. （ A） They are talking about some returned items. （ B） One is making a complaint to the other. （ C） They are having a c

30、hat. （ D） The man is speaking in a low voice. （ A） The man is speaking too fast （ B） The line is busy. （ C） There is something wrong with the line. （ D） The man is speaking in a low voice. （ A） He wants to return it to the shop. （ B） He wants to have it repaired. （ C） He wants to exchange it for ano

31、ther one. （ D） He wants to get a receipt for his electronic dictionary. （ A） The man will get repaid. （ B） The man has got an apology from the clerk. （ C） His money will be returned upon demand. （ D） Its hard for the man to ask for his money back. Section B Directions: In this section, you will hear

32、 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） Because they are more expensive than motels. （ B） Beca

33、use it is inconvenient to rent this private rooms. （ C） Because they cannot provide modern conveniences as motels. （ D） Because they are old-fashioned and outdated. （ A） It helps the candidate get the job. （ B） Its a good way to flatter the manager. （ C） It shows that the candidate is confident. （ D

34、） It shows that the candidate is polite. （ A） A note sent through an e-mail with many words. （ B） A note done by handwriting with specificity. （ C） A note that is brief and general. （ D） A note that is long and specific. （ A） A thank-you note is significant before an interview. （ B） A handwriting no

35、te is not as good as an e-mail note. （ C） A thank-you note should be as general as possible. （ D） The manager tends to read a brief thank-you note. （ A） City officials. （ B） Experts in various institutions. （ C） Newly-graduated university students. （ D） Some famous scientists. （ A） Languages, mathem

36、atics and literature. （ B） History, physics and languages. （ C） Chemistry, languages and mathematics. （ D） Science, languages and history. （ A） 15. （ B） 16. （ C） 17 （ D） 18 （ A） The program received great support from the public. （ B） The students have more interest and responsibility for their lear

37、ning. （ C） Philadelphia saved a lot of money through the program. （ D） The students have a heavier load of homework to do every day. 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 id

38、ea. 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 you ha

39、ve just heard or write down the 27 If you were supposed to be at my house at 6: 00 p.m. for dinner, but you came at 8: 00 p.m., we would 【 B1】 _ think you were quite impolite. However, if you come from Brazil, the idea of being 【 B2】 _ , or “on time“, might mean coming two hours late. In fact, being

40、 “early“ or “late“ depends on your cultural 【 B3】 _ and no dictionary can give a clear 【 B4】 _ of“early“ or “late“ because these ideas reflect “social time“ rather than real time. Even more 【 B5】 _ is how people from other cultures explain their lateness. American students might say they simply had

41、not cared that they were late. In 【 B6】_ , Brazilians would go out of their way to explain their lateness in a number of ways they were delayed by unforeseen or 【 B7】 _ problems, for example. Or they might 【 B8】 _ the reasons of being late to reasons that you might never think of. Some American stud

42、ents might feel very guilty and blame themselves, but 【 B9】_ . Another surprising difference that researchers discovered was the way cultures view someone who is late. Americans tend to think negatively of people being late. 【 B10】_ Or, at least, you will be viewed with some disfavor. But in Brazil,

43、 if you are late for an appointment, the chances are you will be admired. 【 B11】 _ . 28 【 B1】 29 【 B2】 30 【 B3】 31 【 B4】 32 【 B5】 33 【 B6】 34 【 B7】 35 【 B8】 36 【 B9】 37 【 B10】 38 【 B11】 Section A Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for

44、 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 for each item with a single line through the center. You may not use a

45、ny of the words in the bank more than once. 38 A student must attend a certain number of courses in order to graduate, and each course which he attends gives him a credit which he may count towards a degree. In many American universities the total work for a degree consists of thirty-six courses eac

46、h lasting for one semester. A【 S1】 _course consists of three classes per week for fifteen weeks; while attending a university a student will probably attend four or five courses during each semester.【 S2】 _a student would【 S3】 _to take four years attending two semesters each year. It is also possibl

47、e for a student to move between one university and another during his degree course, though this is not in fact done as a regular【 S4】 _. For every course that he follows, a student is given a grade, which is recorded, and the record is【 S5】 _for the student to show to【 S6】_employers. All this impos

48、es a constant pressure and strain of work, but in spite of this some students still find time for great activity in student affairs.【 S7】 _to positions in student organizations【 S8】 _much enthusiasm. Any student who is thought to have broken the roles, for example, by cheating has to appear before a

49、 student court. With the enormous numbers of students, the【 S9】 _of the system does involve a certain amount of activity. A student who has held one of these positions of authority is much respected and it will be of【 S10】 _to him later in his earner. A) practice B) arouse C) constantly D) expect E) acceptance F) prospective G) operation H) suppose I) elections J) normally K