1、2012年 12月大学英语四级真题试卷（第 1套）及答案与解析 一、 Part I Writing (30 minutes) 1 For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Education Pays based on the statistics provided in the chart below (Weekly earnings in 2010). Please give a brief description of the chart first and then make co
2、mments on it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words. Education Pays 二、 Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions attached to the passage. For q
3、uestions 1-7, mark： Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage; N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage; NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. 1 The Magician The revolution that Steve Jobs led is onl
4、y just beginning When it came to putting on a show, nobody else in the computer industry, or any other industry for that matter, could match Steve Jobs. His product launches, at which he would stand alone on a black stage and produce as if by magic an “incredible“ new electronic gadget (小器具 ) in fro
5、nt of an amazed crowd, were the performances of a master showman. All computers do is fetch and work with numbers, he once explained, but do it fast enough and “ the results appear to be magic“. Mr Jobs, who died recently aged 56, spent his life packaging that magic into elegantly designed, easy-to-
6、use products. The reaction to his death, with people leaving candles and flowers outside Apple stores and politicians singing praises on the internet, is proof that Mr Jobs had become something much more significant than just a clever money-maker. He stood out in three ways as a technologist, as a c
7、orporate (公司的 ) leader and as somebody who was able to make people love what had previously been impersonal, functional gadgets. Strangely, it is this last quality that may have the deepest effect on the way people live. The era of personal technology is in many ways just beginning. As a technologis
8、t, Mr Jobs was different because he was not an engineer and that was his great strength. Instead he was keenly interested in product design and aesthetics (美学 ), and in making advanced technology simple to use. He repeatedly took an existing but half-formed idea the mouse-driven computer, the digita
9、l music player, the smartphone, the tablet computer (平板电脑 ) and showed the rest of the industry how to do it properly. Rival firms competed with each other to follow where he led. In the process he brought about great changes in computing, music, telecoms and the news business that were painful for
10、existing firms but welcomed by millions of consumers. Within the wider business world, a man who liked to see himself as a hippy (嬉皮士 ) , permanently in revolt against big companies, ended up being hailed by many of those corporate giants as one of the greatest chief executives of his time. That was
11、 partly due to his talents: showmanship, strategic vision, an astonishing attention to detail and a dictatorial management style which many bosses must have envied. But most of all it was the extraordinary trajectory (轨迹 ) of his life. His fall from grace in the 1980s, followed by his return to Appl
12、e in 1996 after a period in the wilderness, is an inspiration to any businessperson whose career has taken a turn for the worse. The way in which Mr Jobs revived the failing company he had co-founded and turned it into the worlds biggest tech firm (biggter even than Bill Gatess Microsoft, the compan
13、y that had outsmarted Apple so dramatically in the 1980s) , sounds like something from a Hollywood movie. But what was perhaps most astonishing about Mr Jobs was the absolute loyalty he managed to inspire in customers. Many Apple users feel themselves to be part of a community, with Mr Jobs as its l
14、eader. And there was indeed a personal link. Apples products were designed to accord with the bosss tastes and to meet his extremely high standards. Every iPhone or MacBook has his finger-prints all over it. His great achievement was to combine an emotional spark with computer technology, and make t
15、he resulting product feel personal. And that is what put Mr Jobs on the right side of history, as technological innovation (创新 ) has moved into consumer electronics over the past decade. As our special report in this issue (printed before Mr Jobss death) explains, innovation used to spill over from
16、military and corporate laboratories to the consumer market, but lately this process has gone into reverse. Many peoples homes now have more powerful, and more flexible, devices than their offices do; consumer gadgets and online services are smarter and easier to use than most companies systems. Fami
17、liar consumer products are being adopted by businesses, government and the armed forces. Companies are employing in-house versions of Facebook and creating their own “app stores“ to deliver software to employees. Doctors use tablet computers for their work in hospitals. Meanwhile, the number of cons
18、umers hungry for such gadgets continues to swell. Apples products are now being snapped up in Delhi and Dalian just as in Dublin and Dallas. Mr Jobs had a reputation as a control freak (怪人 ) , and his critics complained that the products and systems he designed were closed and inflexible, in the nam
19、e of greater ease of use. Yet he also empowered millions of people by giving them access to cutting-edge technology. His insistence on putting users first, and focusing on elegance and simplicity, has become deep-rooted in his own company, and is spreading to rival firms too. It is no longer just at
20、 Apple that designers ask: “ What would Steve Jobs do?“ The gap between Apple and other tech firms is now likely to narrow. This weeks announcement of a new iPhone by a management team led by Tim Cook, who replaced Mr Jobs as chief executive in August, was generally regarded as competent but uninspi
21、ring. Without Mr Jobs to shower his star dust on the event, it felt like just another product launch from just another technology firm. At the recent unveiling of a tablet computer by Jeff Bezos of Amazon, whose company is doing the best job of following Apples lead in combining hardware, software,
22、content and services in an easy-to-use bundle, there were several attacks at Apple. But by doing his best to imitate Mr Jobs, Mr Bezos also flattered (抬举 ) him. With Mr Jobs gone, Apple is just one of many technology firms trying to arouse his uncontrollable spirit in new products. Mr Jobs was said
23、by an engineer in the early years of Apple to emit a “ reality distortion (扭曲 ) field“ , such were his powers of persuasion. But in the end he created a reality of his own, channelling the magic of computing into products that reshaped entire industries. The man who said in his youth (hat he wanted
24、to “put a ding in the universe“ did just that. 2 We learn from the first paragraph that nobody could match Steve Jobs in_. （ A） intelligence （ B） showmanship （ C） magic power （ D） persuasion skills 3 What did Steve Jobs do that most deeply affected peoples way of life? （ A） He invented lots of funct
25、ional gadgets. （ B） He kept improving computer technology. （ C） He started the era of personal technology. （ D） He established a new style of leadership. 4 Where did Mr Jobss great strength lie? （ A） His profound insight about consumers needs in general. （ B） His keen interest in designing elegant a
26、nd user-friendly gadgets. （ C） His firm determination to win in the competition against his rivals. （ D） His rich knowledge as a computer scientist and electronic engineer. 5 Many corporate giants saw Steve Jobs as_. （ A） one of the greatest chief executives of his time （ B） a dictator in the contem
27、porary business world （ C） an unbeatable rival in the computer industry （ D） the most admirable hippy in todays world 6 For those who have suffered failures in business, Steve Jobss life experience serves as_. （ A） a symbol （ B） a standard （ C） an ideal （ D） an inspiration 7 What was the most astoni
28、shing part of Mr Jobss success? （ A） He turned a failing company into a profitable business. （ B） He set up personal links with many of his customers. （ C） He commanded absolute loyalty from Apple users. （ D） He left his fingerprints all over Apple products. 8 What is mentioned in this issues specia
29、l report about innovation nowadays? （ A） It benefits civilians more than the military. （ B） New products are first used in the military. （ C） Many new ideas first appear on the internet. （ D） It originates in the consumer market. 9 In spite of the user-friendliness of Apple products, critics complai
30、ned that they were_. 10 Amazon, by having hardware, software, content and services_in an easy-to-use bundle, did the best job in following Apples lead. 11 By channelling the magic of computing into products, Steve Jobs had succeeded in_. Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short c
31、onversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A, B,
32、C and D, and decide which is the best answer. （ A） He needs another week for the painting. （ B） The painting was completed just in time. （ C） The building wont open until next week. （ D） His artistic work has been well received. （ A） Go camping. （ B） Decorate his house. （ C） Rent a tent. （ D） Organi
33、ze a party. （ A） She talked with Mr. Wright on the phone. （ B） She is about to call Mr. Wrights secretary. （ C） She will see Mr. Wright at lunch time. （ D） She failed to reach Mr. Wright. （ A） He is actually very hardworking. （ B） He has difficulty finishing his project. （ C） He needs to spend more
34、time in the lab. （ D） He seldom tells the truth about himself. （ A） Rules restricting smoking. （ B） Ways to quit smoking. （ C） Smokershealth problems. （ D） Hazards of passive smoking. （ A） He is out of town all morning. （ B） He is tied up in family matters. （ C） He has been writing a report. （ D） He
35、 has got meetings to attend. （ A） He is not easy-going. （ B） He is the speakers boss. （ C） He is not at home this weekend. （ D） He seldom invites people to his home. （ A） Take a break. （ B） Refuel his car. （ C） Ask the way. （ D） Have a cup of coffee. （ A） They are as good as historical films. （ B） T
36、hey give youngsters a thrill. （ C） They have greatly improved. （ D） They are better than comics on film. （ A） The effects were very good. （ B） The acting was just so-so. （ C） The plot was too complicated. （ D） The characters were lifelike. （ A） They triumphed ultimately over evil in the battle. （ B）
37、 They played the same role in War of the Worlds. （ C） They are popular figures among young people. （ D） They are two leading characters in the film. （ A） It is scheduled on Thursday night. （ B） It is supposed to last nine weeks. （ C） It takes place once a week. （ D） It usually starts at six. （ A） To
38、 make good use of her spare time in the evening. （ B） To meet the requirements of her in-service training. （ C） To improve her driving skills as quickly as possible. （ D） To get some basic knowledge about car maintenance. （ A） Participate in group discussions. （ B） Take turns to make presentations.
39、（ C） Listen to the teachers explanation. （ D） Answer the teachers questions. （ A） Most of them are female. （ B） Some have a part-time job. （ C） They plan to buy a new car. （ D） A few of them are old chaps. Section B Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each pass
40、age, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. （ A） Priority of students academic achievements. （ B） Equal education opportunities to all children.
41、（ C） Social equality between teachers and students. （ D） Respect for students individuality. （ A） Efficient. （ B） Complicated. （ C） Lengthy. （ D） Democratic. （ A） To help them acquire hands-on experience. （ B） To try to cut down its operational expenses. （ C） To provide part-time jobs for needy stud
42、ents. （ D） To enable them to learn to take responsibility. （ A） The best way to work through a finger maze. （ B） Individuals doing better in front of an audience. （ C） Researchers having contributed greatly to psychology. （ D） Improvements on the classification of human behavior. （ A） When you feel
43、encouraged by the audience. （ B） When you try to figure out a confusing game. （ C） When you already know how to do something. （ D） When you complete with other people in a group. （ A） Practicing constantly. （ B） Working by oneself. （ C） Learning by doing. （ D） Using proven methods. （ A） She is not g
44、ood at making friends. （ B） She is not well off. （ C） She enjoys company. （ D） She likes to go to concerts alone. （ A） Their similar social status. （ B） Their interdependence. （ C） Their common interest. （ D） Their identical character. （ A） Invite Pat to a live concert. （ B） Buy some gifts for Pats
45、kids. （ C） Help take care of Pats kids. （ D） Pay for Pats season tickets. （ A） It can develop between people with a big difference in income. （ B） It can be maintained among people of different age groups. （ C） It cannot last long without similar family background. （ D） It cannot be sustained when f
46、riends move far apart. Section C Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 4
47、3 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the 36 Americans today have different eating habits than they had in the past. The
48、re is a wide【 B1】 _of food available. They have a broader【 B2】 _of nutrition (营养 ), so they buy more fresh fruit and【 B3】 _than ever before. At the same time, Americans【 B4】 _increasing quantities of sweets and sodas. Statistics show that the way people live【 B5】 _the way they eat. American lifestyl
49、es have changed. There are now growing numbers of people who live alone,【 B6】 _parents and children, and double-income families. These changing lifestyles are【 B7】 _for the increasing number of people who must【 B8】_meals or sometimes simply go without them. Many Americans have less time than ever before to spend preparing food.【 B9】 _. Moreover, Americans eat out nearly four times a week on average. It is easy to study the amounts and kinds of fo
