1、大学英语四级 250及答案解析(总分：746.58，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 an essay entitled On Conserving Energy. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below in Chinese: 1. 能源短缺问题已非常严重； 2. 可以采取节能措施解决能源短缺问题； 3. 你的看法。 （分数
2、：30.00）_二、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：1，分数：71.00)Christmas Day What is Christmas The word Christmas comes from the words Cristes maesse, or “Christs Mass“. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus for members of the Christian religion. Most historians peg the first celebration of Christmas to
3、 Rome in 336 AD. Christmas is both a holiday and a Holy Day. In America it is the biggest event of the year (especially for kids) , and for members of the Christian religions. It is an important day on the religious calendar. The federal government, all state governments, all schools/colleges/univer
4、sities and the vast majority of businesses in America give employees one or two days off at Christmas, making it an important holiday ( other federal holidays are: New Years Day, Martin Luther King Day, Washingtons Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Than
5、ksgiving Day). In the Roman Catholic calendar, Christmas is one of 6 holy feast days celebrated in America, the others being: Circumcision (New Years Day) , Ascension, Assumption ( Marys Assumption into heaven, August 15), All Saints (November 1) , and the Immaculate Conception (December 8 ) . Why d
6、oes everyone give each other presents on Christmas day? The tradition of gifts seems to have started with the gifts that the wise men (the Magi) brought to Jesus. As recounted in the Bibles book of Matthew, “ On coming to the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and wor
7、shipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh(没药). “ As mentioned in the previous question, however, no one was really in the habit of exchanging elaborate gifts until late in the 1800s. The Santa Claus story combined with an amazing r
8、etailing phenomena that has grown since the turn of the century has made gift giving a central focus of the Christmas tradition. Why is there a small evergreen tree in your living room? This is a German tradition, started as early as 700AD. In the 1800s the tradition of a Christmas Tree was widespre
9、ad in Germany, then moved to England and then America through Pennsylvanian German immigrants. Why have you decorated this evergreen with ornaments, lights, fake snow and plastic tinsel? In Victorian times, people had already started decorating trees with candies and cakes hung with ribbon. In 1880
10、Woolworths first sold manufactured Christmas Tree ornaments, and they caught on very quickly. Martin Luther, in the 16th century, is credited as being the first person to put candles on a tree, and the first electrically lighted Christmas tree appeared in 1882. Calvin Coolidge in 1923 ceremoniously
11、lit the first outdoor tree at the White House, starting that long tradition. Fake snow and tinsel Who knows? Its probably related to the song “White Christmas“. Why do you have holly drape over the mantel and staircase? Mistletoe (槲寄生) has apparently been used as a decoration in houses for thousands
12、 of years and is also associated with many pagan rituals. According to the book Extraordinary Origins of Ordinary Things by Charles Panati, “ the church forbade the use of mistletoe in any form, mindful of its idolatrous associations. As a substitute, it suggested holly(冬青属植物). The sharply pointed l
13、eaves were to symbolize the thorns in Christs crown and the red berries drops of his blood. Holly became a nativity tradition. The Christian ban on mistletoe was in effect throughout the middle ages. Surprisingly, as late as the 20th century, there were churches in England that forbade the wearing o
14、f mistletoe sprigs and corsages during services. “ Why is there a big log in the fireplace? According to the book The Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins by William and Mary Morris, “ Yuletide for Christmastime is a term derived from the yule log, which in olden days was a huge log used as the fou
15、ndation of the holiday fires. Bringing the yule log in was, as recently as the nineteenth century, as much a part of the pre-Christmas festivities as putting up an evergreen tree today. Yule can be traced back to the Middle English Yollen (cry aloud) and is thought to date from early Anglo-Saxon rev
16、els in celebration of the discovery (after the Winter Solstice, December 22) that nights were becoming shorter. According to this page, “Up until the 19 th century, the custom of burning the Yule Log flourished in England, France, Germany and among the South Slavs. Out of oak, families carved a heav
17、y, wood block. They placed it into the floor of their hearth. It glowed throughout the year under the flames of household fires. Gradually it became ash. “ Why are there poinsettias on the hearth? Poinsettias were attached to Christmas starting in 1828. Joel Roberts Poinsett, then the first Mexican
18、ambassador from the United States, imported the plant from Mexico. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “ In warm climates the poinsettia grows outdoors as a winter-flowering leggy shrub about 3 metres (10 feet) high; as a potted plant in northern areas it rarely grows beyond 1 metre. What appe
19、ar to be petals are actually colored leaflike bracts (苞片) that surround a central cluster of tiny yellow flowers. A milky latex in the stems and leaves can be irritating to persons or animals sensitive to it, but the claim that poinsettias are deadly poisonous is greatly exaggerated. “ And what abou
20、t these fruit cakes? According to The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauere and Marion Becker, “Many people feel that these cakes improve greatly with age. When they are well saturated with alcoholic liquors, which raise the spirits and keep down mold, and are buried in powdered sugar in tightly closed t
21、ins, they have been enjoyed as long as 25 years after baking. “ Why are there oversized socks hanging on your mantel? According to a very old tradition, the original Saint Nicholas left his very first gifts of gold coins in the stockings of three poor girls who needed the money for their wedding dow
22、ries. The girls had hung their stockings by the fire to dry. Up until lately it was traditional to receive small items like fruit, nuts and candy in your stocking, but these have been replaced in the last half-century by more expensive gifts in many homes. According to this page, the tradition of a
23、lump of coal in the stockings of naughty children comes from Italy. Why are Christmas cards scattered all over the coffee table? Christmas cards started in London in 1843 and in America in 1846. Today about 2 billion Christmas cards are exchanged every year in the United States. Why do I keep hearin
24、g the same songs over and over again? There is a set of songs that are played continuously during the Christmas Season. Heres a pretty complete list; Away In A Manger Carol of the Bells Deck The Halls God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Jingle Bells Joy To The World Hark, The Herald Angels Sing Have Yoursel
25、f A Merry Little Christmas Ill Be Home For Christmas It Came Upon A Midnight Clear Little Drummer Boy O, Come All Ye Faithful O, Holy Night O, Little Town of Bethlehem O, Tannenbaum Rudolf, the Red Nose Reindeer Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Silent Night Silver Bells The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Ro
26、asting On An Open Fire) The First Noel The Twelve Days of Christmas We Wish You A Merry Christmas What Child Is This? White Christmas Winter Wonderland Since this list is so short, you tend to hear each song 700 times over the course of the few weeks leading up to Christmas. （分数：71.00）(1).Strictly s
27、peaking, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus for people around the world.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(2).Most employees have one or two days off at Christmas.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(3).When people began to celebrate Christmas, they was really in the habit of exchanging elaborate gifts.（分数：7.10）A.Y
28、B.NC.NG(4).People began to use fake snow and tinsel on the Christmas Tree in 1800s.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(5).Holly drape is to some extent used as religious symbol.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(6).Yuletide refers to several days before and after Christmastime.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(7).It was Mexicans that first use
29、d poinsettias on the hearth to celebrate Christmas.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(8).By saying “Many people feel that these cakes improve greatly with age“ , it means that_.（分数：7.10）_(9).In the last half-century, the gifts children received have been replaced by _ rather than small items like fruit, nuts and c
30、andy.（分数：7.10）_(10).People may hear_700 times during Christmastime.（分数：7.10）_三、Listening Comprehens(总题数：1，分数：15.00)A.Taking a photo.B.Playing a game.C.Riding a horse.D.Shooting a movie.A.Its results were just as expected.B.It wasnt very well designed.C.It fully reflected the students ability.D.Its r
31、esults fell short of her expectations.A.The woman should have complained to her neighbor.B.The woman should stay out until the neighbors are quiet.C.The woman should have stayed at the library.D.The lab will be a better place for reading.A.His computer doesnt work well.B.He isnt getting along with h
32、is staff.C.He didnt register for a proper course.D.He cant apply the theory to a program.A.Reading on the campus lawn.B.Depositing money in the bank.C.Applying for financial aid.D.Reviewing a students application.A.Buy something for the picnic.B.Go for a ride around town.C.Go shopping with the man.D
33、.Go to a clinic.A.Shell make a better website.B.Shell introduce a better website.C.Shell find a better name for the website.D.Shell help him look for a better website.A.By going on a diet.B.By having fewer meals.C.By doing physical exercise.D.By eating fruit and vegetables.四、Section B(总题数：2，分数：10.00
34、)A.To change his travel plan.B.To arrange a time to pick up his tickets.C.To reserve a hotel room.D.To make a plane reservation.A.The man can save money by staying an extra night.B.The man should have called earlier.C.She needs the man to come into the office.D.She will mail the tickets to the man.A
35、.Friday.B.Saturday.C.Sunday.D.Monday.A.Travel on May 19 as planned.B.Wait for a cheaper fare.C.Stay an extra day in Atlanta.D.Return on Sunday.A.They are in a hotel.B.They are in a restaurant.C.They are in an ice-cream shop.D.They are in a snack bar.A.They have leek and smoked salmon tart.B.They hav
36、e roast pork stuffed with prunes and shallots.C.They have a main coursechicken with honey.D.They have the Manhattan clam chowder.A.He doesnt have any bread pudding.B.He doesnt have any salmon.C.He doesnt have any iced tea.D.He doesnt have any chicken soup.A.Posters allow people to eat poorly.B.A bad
37、 diet is a symptom of social, cultural, and economic problems.C.Poor people are not aware of the four food groups.D.Alcohol contributes to a bad diet.A.They are not the solution to dietary problems.B.They do not illustrate all the food groups.C.They are not based on medical research.D.They are only
38、to wealthy people.A.Cultural problems.B.Social problems.C.Economic problems.D.Physical problems.A.A poet.B.A teacher.C.A student.D.An artist.A.New England mystery stories.B.Eighteenth-century English criticism.C.A comparison of poems by Dickinson and Whitman.D.The poems of Walt Whitman.A.The life of
39、 Emily Dickinson.B.The poetry of Walt Whitman.C.The poem “I heard a Fly Buzz“.D.The poem “Im Nobody“.A.They are in a good temper.B.They like music.C.They want to say something.D.They sing for enjoyment.A.They make some signs.B.They stay away from other birds.C.They keep silent.D.They hide themselves
40、.A.It spreads out its tail.B.It dances.C.It uses shells and flowers to build a garden.D.It flies high in the sky.六、Section C(总题数：1，分数：10.00)The United States and five major Asian nations have announced a partnership to develop new energy technologies to reduce pollution and curb global warming witho
41、ut hurting economic development. The plan was officially unveiled Thursday at a (36) 1meeting in Laos. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer announced the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development. He says it will develop and (37) 2 clean energy technologies among some of the biggest in t
42、he developing and the (38) 3world. The partnership brings together the worlds two largest (39) 4 the United States and China and four other major Asian economies: Japan, India, Australia and South Korea. Together these six countries contribute more than one-half of the worlds so-called greenhouse ga
43、ses that contribute to global warming. U. S. (40) 5 Secretary of State Robert Zoellick says the partnership will allow partners to gain a better understanding of the challenges (41) 6 developing nations. “We have to listen to our developing country (42) 7 about some of their particular problems,“ he
44、 said. “India and China in particular both have huge development challenges, of which energy is a (43) 8component. “ Mr. Zoellick underscores that (44) 9. The Kyoto Protocol requires 35 nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by five percent by the year 2012. (45) 10. (46) 11. （分数：10.00）填空项 1:_填空
45、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)No matter how large or notable the U. S. travel industry is or may become, it will always be members of a broader world society. The charge facing all of us is to appropriately en gage poverty.
46、 Poverty is certainly not new but the means at our disposal to address poverty are improving by the day. Fortunately, the $ 3.3 trillion world travel industry is uniquely suited to address poverty in regions where it is most entrenched. In the course of making a case for harnessing travel and touris
47、m for poverty reduction, the travel and tourism industry already exists in every region of the globe and is a proven job producer and sustainer of native culture. That travel and tourism creates good jobs is indisputable. In the U. S. , the Industrial Age economy is in transition to a service economy, and travel and tourism is responsible for one in every seven workers in the U. S. civilian workforce, directly or indirectly. But by no means is this phenomenon limited to the U. S. The World Travel and Tourism Council re ports tourism employs almost 200 million
