1、大学英语四级 225 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 30 minutes to write a letter. You should write at least 120 words, and bas a your composition on the outline given below in Chinese: 假设你是即将参加一英语考试的学生，需要几本相关参考书，请写封信给一书店销售部，你的信应包括： 1. 详细说明你想买
2、的那本书的特点； 2. 咨询付款方式； 3. 确定送货时间及方式。 （分数：30.00）_二、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：1，分数：71.00)How Americans Celebrate Christmas Christmas is America s most popular holiday. Some people will attend church and observe Christmas as the birthday of Christ. For others, Christmas is just a day of fun and celebration
3、, a time for family and friends to gather together, exchange gifts and enjoy a huge holiday dinner. Christmas Day will need weeks of preparations. Since the last days of November American homes and stores have been decorated with Christmas trees and bright lights. Schools and churches have been pres
4、enting special holiday concerts. People have been going to parties, finding gifts and preparing special Christmas food. For a large number of Americans, Christmas is surrounded by more traditions than any other holiday. Yet, many of these traditions are not really very old ones in the United States.
5、 In fact, the nations first settlers would have. been very surprised to see how Americans celebrate Christmas today. People in other parts of the world, of course, have been celebrating Christmas for many centuries. In fact, December was a winter holiday season in northern and southern Europe even b
6、efore the birth of Christ. And the ancient Romans celebrated the New Year on December twenty-fifth. Some experts believe that is why the Roman Catholic Church set the birth of Christ on that day. Christians borrowed other Christmas traditions from ancient times. In the years before Christ, for examp
7、le, people honored the evergreen tree as a sign of life after death. For Christians, it became a sign of Christs birth. By the 16th century Roman Catholics in Europe were celebrating Christmas with lively parties filled with eating and drinking. Many of the first Europe an settlers in America, howev
8、er, disapproved of such customs. They believed people should honor God in simpler, quieter ways, so Christmas became a day just like any other day for most people in Americas northern colonies. In America s southern colonies, however, the Church of England became the established religion. Its tradit
9、ions were closer to those of Roman Catholic Church. So it became common for people on large farms in the south to celebrate Christmas with huge dinners and dancing. And in many parts of America, smaller groups of settlers from other western European countries observed Christmas with their own nation
10、al customs. After 1,800, all these people began to mix together more and they began to borrow Christmas traditions from each other. Settlers from Ger many, for example, observed Christmas by cutting live evergreen trees and covering them with candies and fruit. By the middle of the 19th century, peo
11、ple all over America were putting up evergreen trees at Christmas. Dutch settlers in New York were most responsible for creating another popular American tradition-Santa Claus. The story of Santa Claus began hundreds of years earlier. During the fourth century, a Roman Catholic Church official calle
12、d Nicholas of Myra became famous for his many good actions. Nicholas was made a saint (圣人) after his death and it became common in northern Europe to hold a celebration on December 6th, the day Nicholas died. All kinds of stories were told about Saint Nicholas and the Dutch brought one of these stor
13、ies with them to America. They believed that each year the saint rode a white horse from home to home. He gave presents to children who had been good, and coal or straw to children who had been bad. Other Americans who lived nearby greatly enjoyed the Dutch celebrations. They decided to make Saint N
14、icholas part of their own celebration of Christmas. But he got a new name Santa Claus. It was taken from the Dutch words for Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus. The Dutch imagined Saint Nicholas to be a serious, even frightening person, who would punish as well as give gifts. But in 1822, an American named
15、 Clement C. Moore wrote a Christmas poem for his children. The poem, called A Visit From St. Nicholas, created a completely new Santa Claus. Dr. Moore described a short, happy, little man who rode in an open sleigh (雪橇). The sleigh was pulled from house to house by eight white reindeer (驯鹿). At each
16、 house Santa delivered gifts by dropping them down the chimney into the fireplace. Dr. Moore s poem was published in a newspaper in New York, 1823. It soon became popular all over America and it became the source for the Santa Claus American children still believe in today. An American artist named
17、Thomas Nast also played a part in creating Santa Claus. Beginning in 1860s, Mr. Nast drew pictures of Santa Claus for an American publication called Harpers Weekly. These pictures showed a fat, smiling old man with a red nose and white beard. He was dressed in a red suit with white fur and a black b
18、elt. Today, more than one hundred years later, that same Santa Claus can be seen everywhere at Christmas time. As Santa Claus became more popular, so did the custom of giving gifts on Christmas. Early in the 19th century, American schoolteachers liked to reward good students by giving them small boo
19、ks. Soon some storeowners were making special books for the Christmas holidays. And by the 1850s, jewelers, toy makers, bakers and others were selling all kinds of special products at Christmas. By the 1860s, more than half the American states had made Christmas a legal holiday. Since that time, it
20、has continued to grow into a bigger and bigger celebration. Some people say that Americans pay too much attention to Christmas. They say this interferes with the religious freedom of those who are not Christians. Some people, for example, believe that Christmas religious music should not be sung in
21、public schools. They say this is unfair to children whose families do not believe in Christ. Because of such criticism, many public schools now permit students to sing only Christmas songs that are not religious and they also observe the holiday season by teaching students about a Jewish celebration
22、 that takes place near Christmas time. （分数：71.00）(1).This passage is about the origin of Christmas and how people in America celebrate it in the past and at present. （分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(2).The Americans begin to decorate their homes and stores with Christmas trees and bright lights on Christmas Eve.
23、 （分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(3).Some experts believe that the reason why the Roman Catholic Church set the birth of Christ on December 25th is that that day was the New Years Day for the ancient Romans. （分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(4).Christmas was a very ordinary day for most people in Americas southern colonies. （
24、分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(5).In America, settlers from Germany celebrated Christmas by cutting live evergreen trees and covering them with candles and fruit. （分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(6).It was the Dutch who brought the stories of Saint Nicholas to America. （分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(7).Thomas Nasts pictures are the so
25、urces for the Santa Claus American children still believe in today. （分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(8).Dutch settlers in New York were most responsible for _. （分数：7.10）_(9).It is believed that on Christmas Day, Saint Nicholas gave presents to good kids, and _ to bad ones. （分数：7.10）_(10).Some people say that Ame
26、ricans pay too much attention to Christmas and that this interferes with _ of those who are not Christians. （分数：7.10）_三、Listening Comprehens(总题数：1，分数：15.00)A.He went to see his schoolmate.B.He went to see a film with his friend.C.He watched television with his friend.D.He stayed at home talking with
27、 his friend.A.Who are going to attend the meeting.B.Whats to be discussed at the meeting.C.Where the meeting is to be held.D.When the meeting is to be held.A.The arrangement of the Wednesday meeting.B.Where they are going to meet Mr. Johnson.C.The necessity of writing to Mr. Johnson.D.Who is going t
28、o contact Mr. Johnson.A.The tape was missing.B.The tape had been returned to Paul.C.Jack lent his tape to Paul.D.Jack brought the tape to the party.A.The man reserved a room some time ago.B.The man wants to buy a flat on the second floor.C.The man has booked a room with no bath.D.The man wants to re
29、serve a room.A.The paperback edition is on sale.B.Both editions are the same price now.C.It has two editions with the same cover.D.The hardcover edition is more expensive.A.He has the best TV sets for sale.B.His TV sets have a good sale.C.His TV sets arc all of the same brand.D.He doesnt have the ne
30、west models right now.A.He has to read a history book.B.He is too busy to go with her.C.He has already visited the museum.D.He must hand in a report about the museum.四、Section B(总题数：2，分数：10.00)A.It has too much interference.B.It produces no sound whatsoever.C.The sound is too low.D.The sound is comp
31、letely distorted.A.Three.B.Four.C.Five.D.Six.A.The man has to take it back home.B.The man will get a refund.C.The player will be repaired.D.The player will be put under guarantee.A.78549B.75849C.67532D.67523A.He cant find his office key.B.He has misplaced some exams.C.Hes unable to talk.D.He doesnt
32、like his classroom.A.Mark the latest homework assignment.B.Put a cancellation notice on the classroom door.C.Make an appointment with the doctor.D.Return some exams to his students.A.Teach Dons class while hes absent.B.Give Professor Webster the key to Dons office.C.Leave a message on the board in D
33、ons classroom.D.Bring Don the homework that was due today.A.Put the homework on Dons desk.B.Leave the master key for Don.C.Give Dons students the next assignment.D.Call Don at the end of the afternoon.A.A person whose parents are clever.B.A person who often thinks about difficult problems.C.A person
34、 who is often helped by his parents and teachers.D.A person who is born with a good brain and putting it into active use.A.To praise and encourage their children more often.B.To be hard on their children.C.To leave their children alone with nothing to do.D.To give their children as much help as poss
35、ible.A.Parents play an important part in their childrens growth.B.The less you use your mind, the duller you may become.C.Intelligence is obviously the result of where and how you live.D.What makes a person bright or stupid is still under discussion.A.Courses in British history.B.Language courses.C.
36、Courses in sports.D.Teacher training courses.A.To attract more students.B.To make the courses suitable for students of all levels.C.To let the students have a good rest.D.To make the summer school more like a holiday.A.Because they all work very hard.B.Because their teachers are all native speakers
37、of English.C.Because they learn not only in but also out of class.D.Because they are all advanced students.A.An advertisement.B.An address.C.An operator.D.Long distance rates.A.The phone number you need to know is not in your phone book.B.You want to make a long distance call.C.You dont know the lon
38、g distance rates.D.You need to know how to put the money in the slot.A.Call Directory Assistance.B.Know the area code.C.Call the operator.D.Talk to a computer.六、Section C(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Today it is perfectly natural for us to shake hands when we greet someone, or say good-bye. But like so many other
39、 things we do without thinking such actions at one time probably (36) 1something else. For example, in (37) 2 life the hand was probably a symbol of power and (38) 3. The hand was used to fight enemies, kill animals and make spears and tools. So when the hand was (39) 4 to someone, it could have rep
40、resented good will, since it showed that the person was not (40) 5or ready to fight. We know that the hand was an important symbol in early (41) 6, probably as a mark of power. The Greeks (42) 7to their gods with raised hands. Presenting hands palm to palm was at one time the way an inferior person
41、paid respect to a (43) 8. Among the Arabs, (44) 9. Later on, polite Arabs began to resist the efforts of people to kiss their hands, and sometimes they would end up clasping hands as each tried to prevent the other from showing this mark of “inferiority“. (45) 10. The hand and what was done with it
42、have been full of meaning to people down through the ages. (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)To most Africans, tribalism simply means very strong loyalty to ones ethnic group. It is a force that can
43、be both good and bad. By definition tribalism means sharing among members of the extended family. It makes sure that a person is taken care of by his own group. To give a job to a fellow tribesman is not wrong; it is an obligation. Similarly ,for a politician or military leader it is considered good
44、 common sense to choose his closest adviser from people of his own tribe. This ensures security, continuity, authority. Tribal loyalty may mean a quick promotion-from sergeant to captain, from clerk to manager-within a very short time. Modern African politicians publicly speak out against tribal div
45、isions. Yet it remains perhaps the most powerful force in day-to-day African life. As evidence of tribalism, in 1977 in Kenya, president Jomo Kenyattas tribe controlled business and politics. Eight of the 21 cabinet posts, including the most important four were filled. by Kikuyus. In Uganda in the s
46、ame year, the president s small Kakwa tribe filled almost all the highest government and military positions! In Agola, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, the fighting in the past ten years can be partly explained by disagreements among tribes. （分数：177.50）(1).What is the definition of tribalism?（分数：35.50）A.Shari
47、ng among members of the extended family.B.Giving a job to a fellow tribesman.C.A force that can be both good and bad.D.People have the same religious belief.(2).One example of bow a tribe takes care of its own people is_.（分数：35.50）A.a force that can be both good and badB.very strong loyalty to ones ethnic groupC.tribal loyalty may mean a quick promotionD.it is important to be loyal to one s own tribal group(3).In paragraph 2,“thc most important four“ refers to_.（分数：35.50）A.military positionB.businessC.cabinet postsD.Kikuyus(4).How many examples are there “as ev
