1、2006年 9月国家公共英语（四级）真题试卷及答案与解析 PART A Directions: For Questions 1-5, you will hear a conversation. While you listen, fill out the table with the information you have heard. Some of the information has been given to you in the table. Write only 1 word in each numbered box. You will hear the recording t
2、wice. You now have 25 seconds to read the table below. 0 PART B Directions: For Questions 6-10, you will hear a passage. Use not more than 3 words for each answer. You will hear the recording twice. You now have 25 seconds to read the sentences and the questions below. 5 PART C Directions: You will
3、hear three dialogues or monologues. Before listening to each one, you will have 5 seconds to read each of the questions which accompany it. While listening, answer each question by choosing A, B, C or D. After listening, you will have 10 seconds to check your answer to each question. You will hear e
4、ach piece ONLY ONCE. （ A） for military purposes. （ B） for pleasure. （ C） for scientific research. （ D） for sports. （ A） Balloons are easier to lift. （ B） It is a good time for exercise. （ C） The visibility is good. （ D） There is no danger in flying. （ A） Gas produced by metal and coal. （ B） Air kept
5、 hot by burning coal. （ C） Hydrogen heated by a gas burner. （ D） Natural gas carried in a metal container. （ A） There was a huge increase in new jobs lately. （ B） About 75, 000 new jobs were created last month. （ C） Some 300, 000 new workers were employed last year. （ D） There was a growth of new jo
6、bs in the past six years. （ A） It should be revised. （ B） It is too long. （ C） It covers a broad area. （ D） It is positive. （ A） Restaurants and hotels. （ B） Manufacturing. （ C） Health care and hospitals. （ D） Business services. （ A） New York. （ B） Chicago. （ C） Harvard. （ D） Washington. （ A） poet.
7、（ B） lawyer. （ C） politician. （ D） economist. （ A） Philosophy. （ B） Economics. （ C） Agriculture. （ D） Management. （ A） At the time of Pearl Harbor. （ B） Before his PhD exams. （ C） In 1941. （ D） In 1936. 一、 Section II Use of English (15 minutes) Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best wo
8、rd for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. 20 Some people were just born to rebel; Charles Darwin was one of them.【 21】_Nicholas Copernicus, Benjamin Franklin and Bill Gates. They were【 22】_“laterborns“ -that is, they had【 23】 _one older sibling brother or sister when they w
9、ere born. 【 24】 _, laterborns are up to 15 times more likely than firstborns to【 25】_authority and break new【 26】 _, says Frank J. Sulloway, a researcher scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In his book“Born To Rebel“being【 27】 _this week, Sulloway claims that【 28】_someone is an old
10、er or younger sibling is the most important【 29】_shaping personality - more significant than gender, race, nationality【 30】_class. He spent 26 years【 31】 _the lives - and birth orders - of 6, 566 historical【 32】 _to reach his conclusions. A laterborn himself, Sulloway first【 33】 _how birth order aff
11、ected personality【 34】 _a scholar of Darwin at Harvard University. “ How could a somewhat【 35】 _student at Cambridge become the most【 36】_thinker in the 19th century?“ he said. Darwin, the first to【 37】 _the belief that God created the world with his theory of evolution, was the fifth of six childre
12、n. Most of his【 38】 _were firstborns. Sulloways theory held【 39】 _with Copernicus, the first astronomer to【 40】_that the Sun was the center of the universe, and computer revolutionary Gates of Microsoft. 21 【 21】 （ A） Likewise （ B） Likely （ C） Alike （ D） Unlike 22 【 22】 （ A） both （ B） neither （ C） a
13、ll （ D） either 23 【 23】 （ A） at best （ B） at least （ C） at most （ D） at worst 24 【 24】 （ A） In short （ B） In detail （ C） In all （ D） In fact 25 【 25】 （ A） resist （ B） decline （ C） flee （ D） prevent 26 【 26】 （ A） soil （ B） foundation （ C） land （ D） ground 27 【 27】 （ A） dismissed （ B） released （ C） di
14、scharged （ D） reviewed 28 【 28】 （ A） whether （ B） if （ C） since （ D） when 29 【 29】 （ A） member （ B） part （ C） factor （ D） case 30 【 30】 （ A） besides （ B） but （ C） except （ D） or 31 【 31】 （ A） perceiving （ B） watching （ C） arranging （ D） studying 32 【 32】 （ A） illustrations （ B） statues （ C） figures
15、（ D） numbers 33 【 33】 （ A） wondered （ B） described （ C） requested （ D） posed 34 【 34】 （ A） on （ B） as （ C） about （ D） by 35 【 35】 （ A） neutral （ B） brilliant （ C） commonplace （ D） promising 36 【 36】 （ A） questionable （ B） indifferent （ C） traditional （ D） revolutionary 37 【 37】 （ A） provoke （ B） cha
16、llenge （ C） summon （ D） reinforce 38 【 38】 （ A） followers （ B） counterparts （ C） opponents （ D） proponents 39 【 39】 （ A） exact （ B） true （ C） genuine （ D） real 40 【 40】 （ A） theorize （ B） originate （ C） invent （ D） propose Part B Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below
17、each text by choosing A, B, C or D . Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. 40 The U. S. Supreme Court has forbidden prayers in public schools, but many Americans cling to the idea that their educational system has a moral purpose. It is an idea common to both the Greeks and the medieval Church. In to
18、days world, the moral purpose of education takes non-religious forms: racial integration, sex education, good citizenship. At the college level, the ambiguities become more complex. Should a morally objectionable person be allowed to teach? Should a morally objectionable doctrine be permitted? Many
19、people are understandably dismayed by such inspection. But would they prefer moral neutrality? Should engineers be trained to build highways without being taught any concern for the homes they displace? Should prospective corporate managers learn how to increase profits regardless of pollution or un
20、employment? Just the opposite, according to Beyond the Ivory Tower, a new book by Harvards Bok, which calls for increased emphasis on “applied ethics. “(Writes Bok:“A university that refuses to take moral dilemmas seriously violates its basic obligations to society. “) Religious colleges have always
21、 practiced a similar preaching. But some 500 schools now offer courses in the field. The Government supports such studies with a program known as EVIST, which stands for Ethics and Values in Science and Technology (and which sounds as though a computer had already taken charge of the matter). “ The
22、modern university is rooted in the scientific method, having essentially turned its back on religion, “ says Steven Muller, president of John Hopkins. “The scientific method is a marvelous means of inquiry, but it really doesnt provide a value system. The biggest failing in higher education today is
23、 that we fall short in exposing students to values. “ Charles Muscatine, a professor of English at Berkeley and member of a committee that is analyzing liberal arts curriculums for the Association of American Colleges, is even harsher. He calls todays education programs “a marvelous convenience for
24、low-quality society. “The key goal of education, says Muscatine, should be “ informed decision making that recognizes there is a moral component to life. “Instead, he says, most universities are “spreading the dangerous myth that technical skills are more important than moral reasoning. “ 41 The fir
25、st paragraph implies that （ A） there is a conflict between laws and public opinions on the purpose of education. （ B） the moral purpose of education varies in form with the social situation. （ C） Greeks and the medieval Church had the same moral purpose in education. （ D） the moral purpose of educat
26、ion is to advocate religious beliefs. 42 The second paragraph implies that the author is for （ A） the offering of the course “religious doctrines“. （ B） a reconsideration of the obligations of universities to society. （ C） neutrality in value judgment in higher education. （ D） moral inspection of th
27、e staff and the courses they offer. 43 Steven Muller believes that higher education fails to （ A） inform the students of what is right or wrong. （ B） tell the students which scientific method is valuable. （ C） present valuable religious ideas to students. （ D） familiarize students with means of inqu
28、iry. 44 According to Charles Muscatine, most universities in the U. S. （ A） place less emphasis on technology. （ B） are ready to make informed moral decisions. （ C） attend to societys need for technology. （ D） are the right places for students with high moral standards. 45 In the authors opinion, ed
29、ucation should （ A） be focused on moral courses. （ B） have a religious component. （ C） do away with objectionable doctrines. （ D） try to enhance students moral standards. 45 A psychological issue that began to be discussed in the 1950s was the question of the most appropriate age for second language
30、 learning. The ability of young children to learn language “easily“ had, from time to time, been noted in psychological literature. But in the 1950s it was the view of Penfield, a medical doctor at McGill University in Montreal, which aroused widespread attention. Partly on the basis of his scientif
31、ic work as a surgeon and partly on his personal conviction, Penfield put forward the idea that childhood years offered a biological favorable stage for second language learning, and he recommended that the childhood years should be used more intensively for language training. This viewpoint, shared
32、by a growing number of teachers, specialists, and the general public, demonstrated itself in the introduction of language teaching in the early years of schooling in several countries. The debate on this controversial issue has gone on ever since, and in spite of experimentation, some research, and
33、endless theoretical argumentation, the issue of the best age for language learning has remained unresolved even many years after Penfields challenge had opened up the debate. The need for a more systematic psychological research on language learning was fully recognized and clearly expressed by Carr
34、oll in the 1950s: “ We are fundamentally ignorant of the psychology of language learning. “Carrol believed that educational psychology might provide helpful answers to pedagogy (the study of teaching methods) by carrying out research on specific ques-tions of language learning, for example: “ Should
35、 sounds and meanings be presented at the same time or one after the other?“ “Can meanings be presented just as well by verbal definitions as by pictures and concrete materials?“How can the transfer from speaking and understanding to reading be facilitated?“Under what conditions does the use of nativ
36、e language delay or facilitate learning?“ “When do linguistic explanations facilitate learning?“At what rate can new materials be introduced? “Following up these and similar questions, Carroll and some of his students began to investigate a few of them . One of the most notable inquiries of that tim
37、e was Carrolls own attempt, in collaboration with a professor of Spanish, to develop a new language aptitude test. Around the same time, studies on the social psychology of language learning were initiated by another professor and his students at McGill University in Montreal. From about 1960, in th
38、e context of emerging followers of psycholinguistics, there was a growing interest in studying second language learning from a psychological perspective. 46 Penfields viewpoint was met with much （ A） interest. （ B） controversy. （ C） compliments. （ D） encouragement. 47 According to Paragraph 1 , what
39、 has been unsettled about language learning is （ A） the way of proving Penfields suggestions. （ B） the theoretical value of Penfields argument. （ C） the intensity of language training programs. （ D） the best age for second language learning. 48 Carrolls statement cited in Lines 2-3, Paragraph 2 show
40、s （ A） the absence of a proper understanding in the nature of language learning. （ B） his anxiety over the situation in the studies of language learning. （ C） the necessity for psychological research on language learning. （ D） his promise of what he could offer for psycholinguistic studies. 49 It ca
41、n be inferred from the text that prior to 1960 （ A） only two scientists studied psycholinguistics. （ B） psycholinguistics enjoyed little popularity. （ C） Montreal was the center of psychological studies. （ D） most studies focused on psychology of learning. 50 The text is mainly about （ A） the contri
42、butions of two scientists to psychological studies of language. （ B） the psychological studies on language learning in the 1950s. （ C） Carrolls studies on the hypothesis put forward by Penfield. （ D） the influence of language learning on psychological studies. 50 Dolly was once an awfully lonely she
43、ep. When the famous cloned (of an exact copy of a plant or animal made by taking a cell from it and developing it artificially) animal made headlinesin 1997, she was the only mammal ever to be manufactured from the cell of an adult donor. Since then, the clone ranks have swelled, with mice and cattl
44、e also making their way out of the labs. Last week cloning technology took another step forward when an international biotechnology company announced that it had created a litter of five genetically identical piglets (young pigs), and that it had a pretty good idea of how they could one day be used
45、as organ donors for ailing humans. The idea of turning pigs into tissue factories has been around for at least 30 years. Pigs breed easily and mature quickly, and their organs are roughly the same size.as those of humans, meaning operations can be performed with a relative snap-out, snap-in simplici
46、ty. The problem is, once the donor organ is stitched in place, the body rebels, rejecting it even more violently than it would a human transplant. “ A pig heart transplanted in a person would turn black within minutes, “ says David Ayares, a research director with PPL Therapeutics, the biotech firm
47、that helped clone Dolly and also produced the piglets. What causes pig organs to be rejected so quickly is a sugar molecule on the surface of pig cells that identifies the tissue as unmistakably nonhuman. When the immune system spots this marker, it calls out its defenses. PPL scientists recently su
48、cceeded in finding the gene responsible for the sugar and knocking it out of the nucleus of a pig cell. Their next step would be to extract that nucleus, insert it into a pig ovum, and then into the womb of a host pig. The sugar free piglet that was eventually born could then be cloned over and over
49、 as a source of safe transplant organs. The idea is to arrive at the ideal animal and repeatedly copy it exactly as it is. The cloned piglets PPL introduced to the world last week were created in just this way, though for this first experiment in pig replication the scientists left the sugar genes intact. Despite this recent success, PPL is not likely to be setting up its organ shop anytime soon. Knocking out the key sugar gene solves only the problem of short-term
