1、大学英语四级 253 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 Global Shortage of Fresh Water. You should write at least 120 words and you should base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese)
2、below: 1人们以为淡水是取之不尽的(提示：雨水、河水、井水) 2实际上淡水是非常紧缺的(提示：人口增加，工业用水增加，污染) 3我们应该怎么办 （分数：30.00）_二、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：1，分数：71.00)Two Words Is a Minute Description of a Human Need Famous for citing website design mistakes, Jakob Nielsen, the webs original usability guru (指导者) , explains why search has tak
3、en over, why adverts arent working, and how to make browsing better. Technology Guardian: The hype is everywhere about Web 2. 0. How do things like Ajax fit into the guidelines youve been espousing (支持) ? Jakob Nielsen: Its always been good usability to make interfaces reactive, to have as fast resp
4、onse times as possible. Many of these Web 2. 0 things are tricks to provide it in a faster way. In that sense it works well, its just a programming technique for achieving these goals. I used to say that I dont like a lot of functionality inside a web browser, but now you can view the browser more l
5、ike a programming system or a programming language almost, and therefore your browser can become a support platform. The question then becomes “is that the best way of doing these applications“ , or is it still best to download them and use them as a full-featured application which sucks in small am
6、ounts of data. But its all a continuum (统一体): at one end you have pure data and information on the web, and on the other the full applications. Most things exist in the middle. Information-only websites have are still useful, and then something like Microsoft Office has rich interaction styles that
7、are still easier to do on the desktop. TG: Are there problems with the way people approach web businesses? JN: There is a misunderstanding of internet advertising. There is some advertising that is working and funneling money back to the search engines. But because most advertisements work so poorly
8、 on the web, the advertisers are yelling more and more loudly and they are getting more garish(俗气的) and being deceptive. Those are really big problems, and they cause users to feel like the internet is a less welcoming place. Its like being in the bad part of town, with people insulting you. It back
9、fires because it damages credibility; they assign the blame partly to the advertiser and partly to the website. TG: How irritating is it that people still arent getting your message? JN: Its very annoying. There are many new and interesting things to talk about, but its baffling that we have to cont
10、inue talking about these old findings. But we have to. Business-to-business websites still live in the 90s in terms of interacting with customers online. The sites may look good, but theres no clear-cut information just slogans. TG: Have you seen any significant changes in the way people use the web
11、? JN: General behavior is very search-dominated. You go to your favorite search engine, type in two words and click on the first few results. Users spend one or two minutes and then decide where to do their business. That has been a big change. Search has changed from being something thats somewhat
12、useful to being something that works surprisingly well. People do tend to only type in two words, and two words is a very minute and impoverished description of a human need. But search engines can most of the timepick four or five sites that you actually want. Because people have experienced that i
13、t works, this has become their number one behavior. TG: People either love or hate you. Have your methods helped you? JN: There probably are some people who are beyond reach because they dont want to listen. Its kind of like being an astronomer and youre looking up at the sky and saying that it look
14、s like the earth is revolving around the sun, not the sun revolving around the earth. You can report it and the Pope can like it or not, but it doesnt change whats going on. Its the same here: Im reporting what average people find when they visit a website. If you dont listen your users will suffer
15、and your business will suffer. You have to fight for the people. These new technologies arent just for the technological elite. Remember that the average user is not there when a company or design team has a meeting about what to do on our website. TG: Theres a perception that you are the guy who co
16、mes to the party and tells them to turn the music down. Do you enjoy that reaction? JN: I have my own techno-enthusiasm, I like advanced fancy stuff too. If youre only doing something thats targeting a few thousand web designers, then you can make it challenging because those users would find it eng
17、aging and fun. But the average user doesnt find it engaging and fun to struggle against technology. You have to acknowledge the way the real world works. You shouldnt design for designers, or design for your boss. Good design is about problem-solving under constraintsdesign has to have a goal of ach
18、ieving some purpose. TG: Sites like MySpace are hugely populated by savvy younger people still developing a sense of design. Do you feel that sites directed towards young users are failing to teach them best practice? JN: If a teenager is just making a page for their three best friends, then these g
19、uidelines arent relevant. You can put a pulsating heart on the page, make it play your favorite song these atrocities would be the kiss of death for a mainstream website, but here its a case of personal expression. It is OK for somebodys MySpace pages to contradict everything we know about usability
20、 because theyre purely self-expression. We have to get through to them that the way you communicate among yourselves is different from the way you communicate with other people. This goes back to the school system, which needs to explain the different ways of communicating in different media. If you
21、 wrote a job application like your MySpace pages, youd be out of work. TG: So is there room for talking about these issues in the classroom? JN: There was a study done at the Open University found that in elementary schools, for every 100 spent on books, students grades improved by 1. 5%and for ever
22、y 100 spent on computers, grades improved by 0. 7%. So books are twice as good as computers for this, so its not necessarily that I should study history by clicking on some web pages, but that we should teach about these electronic media forms and how to use them. The value of that education would b
23、e immense. （分数：71.00）(1).The reactive speed plays a rather important role in the usability of web browsers.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(2).Web 2.0 is the best way to function as both a browser and a programming system.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(3).According to Jakob Nielsen, advertising does work well for both the
24、advertiser and the website.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(4).According to the interview, some websites dont serve well as the medium for interacting.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(5).Jakob Nielsen considers there are significant changes in the way people use the web.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(6).We can infer from the interview
25、that Jakob Nielsen is advising the Pope to believe that the earth is revolving around the sun.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(7).Jakob Nielsen considers a good design must be recognized by designers and the boss.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(8).Suppose Jakob Nielsen is asked to comment on some MySpace pages designed by y
26、ounger people, he may consider it as 1.（分数：7.10）填空项 1:_(9).Jakob Nielsen mentioned that a student should not write a 1 like his MySpace pages.（分数：7.10）填空项 1:_(10).We learn from the interview, comparing students grades improved through every 100 spent on books and on computers, the former are 1as goo
27、d as the latter for this.（分数：7.10）填空项 1:_三、Listening Comprehens(总题数：1，分数：15.00)A.She felt sorry for the man.B.She could not find the dictionary for the man.C.She could use the dictionary anywhere.D.The dictionary is not allowed to lend.A.A secretary.B.A shop-assistant.C.A librarianD.An operator.A.It
28、s raining heavily.B.Its going to rain.C.Its raining slightly.D.He wants some cats and dogs.A.Theres something wrong with their rearview mirror.B.They are speeding.C.They have not patrol.D.They find a light flashing.A.Theyre probably lost their way.B.The man hasnt realized that theyve lost their way.
29、C.Theyre traveling on the earth.D.They want to go the downtown.A.The man thinks his car is ok.B.The man thinks he needs a better car.C.The man is not sure about his trip to East.D.The woman wants to go with them.A.He hates time, so he wants to kill it.B.He met no traffic jam that day.C.He wants to t
30、ake a rest in his car.D.His car doesnt work.A.She didnt declare something.B.She had to pay a fine to her extra goods.C.She had lost a hundred dollars.D.She didnt know the rule.四、Section B(总题数：2，分数：10.00)A.American literature.B.Elementary education.C.Art history.D.Medicine.A.They are professional sto
31、rytellers.B.They are the parents of young children.C.The stories will help them improve their vocabulary.D.The stories are required for a course.A.It uses an extensive vocabulary.B.Its useful as a teaching tool.C.Its author is unknown.D.Children find it repetitive and boring.A.Her son.B.Her brother.
32、 .C.Her father.D.Her nephew.A.$50.B.$30.C.$20.D.$10.A.A chess set.B.A pen and pencil set.C.A book on athletics.D.A handball set.A.He missed the appointment.B.He arrived late.C.He was sick.D.He was very busy.A.He was busy sightseeing.B.He couldnt reach Mr. Jordans office.C.He didnt want to see Mr. Jo
33、rdan any more.D.He didnt want to take the trouble making it.A.The trip didnt do any good to his health.B.The trip was a complete disappointment.C.The trip was enjoyable but not fruitful in terms of business.D.The trip helped him meet many interesting people.A.A car outside the supermarket.B.A car at
34、 the bottom of the hill.C.Pauls car.D.The sports car.A.Inside the car.B.At the foot of the hill.C.In the garage.D.In the supermarket.A.The driver of the sports car.B.The two girls inside the car.C.The man standing nearby.D.The salesman from London.A.Nobody.B.The two girls.C.The bus driver.D.Paul.A.I
35、n 1857.B.In 1860.C.In 1902.D.In 1959.A.Tom Searight.B.Illinois Powell.C.George Powell.D.John Wesley Powell.A.One.B.Two.C.Three.D.Seven.A.The former was on teaching and the latter is on research.B.The former was on teaching and the latter is on the combination of teaching and research.C.The former wa
36、s on the combination of teaching and research and the latter is on teachingD.The former was on research and the latter is on teaching.六、Section C(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Any mistake made in the (36) 1 of a stamp raises its value to stamp (37) 2. A mistake on a (38) 3 stamp has made it worth a million and a h
37、alf times its face value. Do you think it (39) 4? Well, it is true. And this is how it (40) 5. The mistake was made more than a hundred years ago in the former British (41) 6 of Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Ocean. In 1847, an order for was sent to London. Mauritius was about to become the
38、 (42) 7 country in the world to put out . Before the order was filled and the (43) 8 arrived from England, a big dance was planned by the Commander-in-chief of all the armed forces on the island. (44) 9. Stamps were badly needed to post the letters. Therefore, an islander, who was a good printer, wa
39、s told to copy the pattern of the . (45) 10. Today, there are only twenty-six of these misprinted leftfourteen One-penny Reds and twelve Two-penny Blues. Because there are so few Two-penny Blues and because of their age, (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
40、1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_七、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：2，分数：355.00)The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched (草盖的) roof cottages around a church; a drive through a narrow village street lined with thatched cottages painted pink or white; the sight over the rolling hills of a pretty collection of t
41、hatched farm buildings in these are still common sights in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside. Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts practiced in the British Isles (英伦诸岛). Although tha
42、tch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too. Thatching is a solitary (独自的) craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practiced today has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are
43、employed in England and Wales today, maintaining and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter. In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half
44、the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often reluctant to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modem buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to import the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with
45、 thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defense against the heat. （分数：177.50）(1).Which of the following remains a unique feature of the English countryside? （分数：35.50）A.Narrow streets
46、 lined with pink or white houses.B.Rolling hills with pretty farm buildings.C.Cottages with thatched roofs.D.Churches with cottages around them.(2).What do we know about thatching as a craft?（分数：35.50）A.It is a collective activity.B.It is practiced on farms all over England.C.It is quite different f
47、rom what it used to be.D.It is in most cases handed down among family members.(3).Thatched houses are still preferred because of（分数：35.50）A.their style and comfortB.their durabilityC.their easy maintenanceD.their cheap and ready-made materials(4).People in developing countries also live under thatch
48、 because _.（分数：35.50）A.thatched cottages are a big tourist attractionB.thatched roof houses are the cheapestC.thatch is an effective defense against the heatD.they like thatched houses better than other buildings(5).We can learn from the passage that _.（分数：35.50）A.thatched cottages in England have been passed down from ancient timesB.thatching is a building craft first created by the English peopleC.the English people have a special
