1、大学英语四级 179 及答案解析(总分：746.57，做题时间：130 分钟)一、Writing (30 minutes)(总题数：1，分数：30.00)1.For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on the topic The Functions of a University Education. You should write no more than 120 words, and base your composition on the outline given in Chinese
2、 below: 1. 有人认为大学教育是为就业作准备 2. 也有人持不同的意见 3. 结合自己的经历，谈谈对大学教育功能的看法 （分数：30.00）_二、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：1，分数：71.00)Euro(欧元) National currencies are vitally important to the way modern economies operate. They allow us to consistently express the value of an item across borders of countries, oceans, and
3、 cultures. Wealth can be easily stored or transported as currency. Currencies are also deeply embedded in our cultures and our psyche. Think about how familiar you are with the price of things. If youve grown up in the United States, you think of everything in “dollars,“ just like you think about di
4、stances in inches and miles. On January 1, 2002, the euro became the single currency of 12 member states of the European Union. This will make it the second largest currency in the world, (the U.S. dollar being the largest). It will also be the largest currency event in the history of the world. Twe
5、lve national currencies will evaporate (蒸发) and be replaced by the euro. Designing the Euro The European Commission (EC) was given the task of creating the euro symbol as part of its communications work. There were three things the design had to accomplish: It had to be easily recognized. It had to
6、be easily written by hand. It had to be pleasing to look at. The EC had more than 30 designs drawn up. They selected 10 from those and let the public vote, which narrowed those 10 down to two. From them they made their final selection. The design that was selected is based on the Greek letter epsilo
7、n, and also resembles the “e“ as the first letter of the word “Europe. “ The two parallel lines through the center of the “c“ represent stability. Where Did the Idea Come From? The original seed was planted in 1946 when Winston Churchill suggested the creation of the “United States of Europe.“ His g
8、oals were primarily political, in that he hoped a unified government would bring about peace for a continent that had been torn apart by two world wars. Then, in 1952, six west-European countries took Churchills suggestion and created the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). These resources wer
9、e quite strategic to the power of each country, so a requirement of the ECSC was that each country allows their resources to be controlled by an independent authority. Their goal, just as Churchill had intended, was to help prevent military conflict between France and Germany. In 1957, the Treaty of
10、 Rome was signed, declaring the goal of creating a common European market. It was signed by France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. After many false starts, the process of creating the Euro got its real start in 1989, when the Delors Report was published by Jacques Delors,
11、president of the European Commission. This important report outlined a three-stage transition (过渡) plan that would create a single European Currency. Planning the Transition As outlined in the Delors Report, the transition to a single European courtesy followed a three-stage plan: Stage one began on
12、 July 1, 1990, and immediately abolished (废止) (at least in principle.) all restrictions on the movement of capital between the member states. It also began the identification of issues that needed to be dealt with and the development of a working program to implement the . upcoming changes. Stage tw
13、o began on January 1, 1994, and marked the establishment of the European Monetary Institute (EMI). The EMI was responsible for coordinating the monetary policy and strengthening the cooperation of the central banks, as well as making preparations for the establishment of the European System of Centr
14、al Banks, which included the single monetary policy and single currency. In December 1995, the European Heads of State or Government at the European Council meeting in Madrid voted on the name “euro“ for the single currency of the European Monetary Union. Stage three began on January 1, 1999, with t
15、he establishment of “irrevocably fixed exchange rates“ of the currencies of the current 11 member states. At this point, the euro was the official currency of those countries, but could only be used in non-cash transactions such as electronic transfers, credit, etc. Economic Requirements for Partici
16、pation In addition to the membership requirements of the EU, countries who wished to participate in the euro and be a part of “Euroland“ had to pass some economic tests referred to as convergence criteria: The countrys annual government budget deficit (赤子) cannot exceed 3 percent of gross domestic p
17、roduct (GDP, the total output of the economy). The total outstanding government debt (the cumulative (累积的) total of each years budget deficit) cannot exceed 60 percent of GDP. In order to push down inflation rates and encourage more stable prices, the countrys rate of inflation must be within 1.5 pe
18、rcent of the three best performing EU countries. The average nominal long-term interest rate must be within 2 percent of the average rate in the three countries with the lowest inflation rates. (Interest rates are measured on the basis of long-term government bonds and/or comparable securities.) The
19、 countrys exchange rates must stay within “normal“ fluctuation margins of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) for at least two years. While there was much debate over how strictly these requirements must be upheld, it was finally determined that participating countries must show that they are
20、 at least “on course“ to meet the requirements. Meeting the initial requirements, however, is not a one-time thing. The Stability and Growth Pact, which was drafted in 1996, established an agreement stating that fines would be charged to countries who have excessive deficits. Member states cannot ru
21、n a budget deficit that is greater than 3.0 percent of the GDP. If they do, they will be charged 0.2 percent of their GDP, plus 0.1 percent of the GDP for every percentage point of deficit above 3. 0 percent. The Pact does not automatically impose these fines, however. Countries that are in recessio
22、n (不景气), which is defined as a fall by at least 2.0 percent for four fiscal quarters, may automatically be exempt (免除). A fall by any amount from 0.75 to 2.0 percent requires a vote by the EU to impose the fine. While the Pact is structured as a stabilizer for the economy, there are still those who
23、argue that it can be damaging to economies in that governments can adopt a loose fiscal stance during times of fast growth, but put the brakes on excessively during slowdowns. Implementing the Changeover On January 1, 1999, the euro was established as the official currency of the 12 participating me
24、mber states of the European Union. The conversion rates (汇价) were “irrevocably fixed,“ and the euro officially “existed. “ At that point, the euro could be used for non-cash transactions, such as making electronic payments, writing checks, or credit transactions. Although this sounds confusing, in m
25、ost cases the balances were shown both in the national currency as well as in the converted euro amounts. The currency changed, but because of the established conversion rate, the value remained the same. The euro currency was introduced on January 1, 2002. Some countries had slightly different sche
26、dules for the end of circulation of their existing national currency. When items were purchased with national currency, the change was given in euros. Exchange of cash was also done in banks.“ Automated teller machines (ATMs) began distributing only euros on January 1, 2002. During the “dual circula
27、tion period,“ until the final deadlines were reached for changeover, both national currencies and the euro were accepted, but after that point only the euro was acceptable legal tender. Banks will still be able to exchange old currency for new currency until approximately 2012. （分数：71.00）(1).The pas
28、sage mainly discusses the various aspects of euro.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(2).Euro is the second largest currency in the world today.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(3).By voting, the public made the final selection of the euro symbols.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(4).Winston Churchill suggested that ECSC should be created to
29、prevent military conflict in Europe.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(5).The Treaty of Rome was signed by six European countries to establish a unified market.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(6).Jacques Delors suggested euro as the name of the single currency in Europe.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(7).To become a member of euro, the co
30、untries must meet the convergence criteria.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(8).The convergence criteria involve government budget deficit, outstanding government debt, inflation, nominal long-term interest rate and 1.（分数：7.10）填空项 1:_(9).If a member of the euro runs a budge deficit of 4.0 percent, it will be char
31、ged 1 of their GDP by the Stability and Growth Pact.（分数：7.10）填空项 1:_(10).During the dual circulation period, the public bought the commodities with national currency and got the change in 1.（分数：7.10）填空项 1:_三、Listening Comprehens(总题数：1，分数：15.00)A.She will do anything but play golf.B.She seldom wants
32、to do anything.C.She never plays, but shed like to.D.She is an enthusiastic golfer.A.She finds reading poetry rewarding.B.She made some beautiful pottery.C.She wrote some award-winning poems.D.She is now writing for a newspaper.A.They were inexpensive.B.Hes going to give them away.C.They were free.D
33、.He has to return them soon.A.He isnt going out today.B.The wind is dying down.C.The thinks today is Wednesday.D.The wind is strong today.A.Go over the list.B.Do some shopping.C.List everything her friend needs.D.Go for an outing.A.Find a larger room.B.Buy two bookshelves.C.Sell the old table.D.Rear
34、range some furniture.A.He is in Europe to see his mother.B.He is on a European tour with his mother.C.He is at home on sick leave.D.He is attending his sick mother at home.A.A guest and a receptionist.B.A passenger and an air hostess.C.A customer and a shop assistant.D.A guest and a waitress.四、Secti
35、on B(总题数：2，分数：10.00)A.18.B.8.C.16.D.6.A.Business executives.B.White-collar workers.C.Fashionable young people.D.Government officials.A.Fierce competition.B.Network problems.C.High price.D.Government policy.A.Conduct market research.B.Sell cameras.C.Advertise on newspapers.D.Give away the mobile phon
36、es.A.North of Los Angles.B.Between Los Angles and San Diego.C.East of San Diego.D.Los AnglesA.They are a type of insect.B.They are a kind of fish.C.They are a type of bird.D.They are a type of pig.A.In March.B.In early summer.C.In October.D.In April.A.He didnt like physics any more.B.His eyesight wa
37、s too poor.C.Physics was too hard for him.D.He had to work to support himself.A.He was not happy with the new director.B.He was not qualified to be an engineer.C.He wanted to travel.D.He found his job boring.A.He enjoyed teaching English.B.He wanted to earn more to support his family.C.The owner of
38、the school promised him a good position.D.He could earn more as a teacher than as a travel agent.A.Washington, D. C.B.New York City.C.Chicago.D.Denver.A.To prevent diseases among military personnel.B.To investigate serious crimes in the military.C.To find ways of identifying bodies of soldiers.D.To
39、store old military journals and diaries.A.Working with DNA.B.Wearing a necklace.C.Taking blood samples.D.Making identification tags.A.Geology.B.Political science.C.History.D.Biology.A.Anglo-Saxon words.B.Foreign words.C.Greek words.D.Native words.A.Borrowed words.B.Foreign words.C.Native words.D.Tec
40、hnical words.A.The words most frequently used in English conversation and literature are native.B.English literature makes greater use of foreign words than does ordinary conversation.C.Scientific writing in English contains a very high percentage of foreign words.D.Some of the commonest words in En
41、glish have been borrowed from Latin, Greek and French.六、Section C(总题数：1，分数：10.00)American society is not nap friendly. In fact, says David Dinges, a sleep (36) 1at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. “Theres even a (37) 2against admitting we need sleep.“ Nobody wants to be caught napp
42、ing or found (38) 3at work. To quote a proverb: “Some sleep five hours, nature requires seven, laziness nine and (39) 4eleven.“ The way not to fall at work is to take naps when you need them. “We have to totally change our (40) 5toward napping“, says Dr. William Dement of Stanford University, the go
43、dfather of sleep research. Last year a national commission led by Dement (41) 6an “American sleep debt“ which one member said was as important as the national debt. The commission was (42) 7about the dangers of sleepiness: people causing (43) 8accidents or falling while driving. This may be why we h
44、ave a new sleep policy in the White House. According to recent reports, the President is trying to take a half hour nap every afternoon. (44) 9. We seem to have “a mid-afternoon quiet phase“ also called “a secondary sleep gate“. (45) 10. Clearly, we were born to nap. We Superstars of Snooze dont nap
45、 to replace lost shut eye or to prepare for a night shift. Rather, we “snack“ on sleep, whenever, wherever and at whatever time we feel like it. (46) 11. （分数：10.00）填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_七、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：2，分数：355.00)For a long time, men
46、 want to see whether lifeless computers can exercise judgment, make choices, give birth to ideas, and play games intelligently. At the far limit of possibility, they wish to know whether, at least in theory, machines can reproduce themselves. In other words, are we really certain that a machine can
47、do only what its programmer wishes it to do? Already there are in existence a number of machines that approach these powers. Tile simplest type is the computer that understands logic. Samuel Butler, the great English author, predicted the view of the future world of machines in his novel Erewhon, pu
48、blished in 1872. Ever since, authors with less sense of satire (讽刺) than Butler have created tales of monster (怪物)machines that take over and destroy the world. In varying degrees, their imaginary monsters have the power of reproduction, which permitted them to multiply until they could capture and crush mankind. Science today is not laughing at such extremes. Dr. J. Von Neumann, of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, very carefully considered the question: Cmn machines become highly organized enough to reproduce themselves?
