1、2012年 12月大学英语四级真题试卷（第 2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 (Unemployment rate in 2010). Please give a brief description of the chart first and then make
2、comments 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
3、questions 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 Should Sugar Be Regulated like Alcohol and Tobacco? S
4、ugar poses enough health risks that it should be considered a controlled substance just like alcohol and tobacco, argue a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In an opinion piece called “The Toxic (毒性的 ) Truth About Sugar“published Feb. 1 in Nature, Robert Lus
5、tig, Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis argue that its wrong to consider sugar just “ empty calories. “ They write: “ There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose (果糖 ) can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other
6、chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills slowly. “ Almost everyones heard of or personally experienced the well-known sugar high, so perhaps the comparison between sugar and alcohol or tobacco shouldnt come as a surprise. But its doubtful that Americans will look favorably upon r
7、egulating their favorite vice. Were a nation thats sweet on sugar: the average US adult downs 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association, and surveys have found that teens swallow 34 teaspoons. To counter our consumption, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and con
8、trolling sales to kids under 17. Already, 17% of US children and teens are obese (肥胖的 ), and across the world the sugar intake (摄入 ) has increased three times in the past 50 years. The increase has helped create a global obesity plague that contributes to 35 million annual deaths worldwide from noni
9、nfectious diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Linda Matzigkeit, a senior vice president at Childrens Healthcare, said “ We have to do something about this or our country is in danger. Its not good if your state has the second-highest obesity rate. Obese children turn into obese ad
10、ults. “ “ There are good calories and bad calories, just as there are good fats and bad fats, good amino acids (氨基酸 ) and bad amino acids,“ Lustig, director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health program at UCSF, said in a statement. “But sugar is toxic beyond its calories. “ The food in
11、dustry tries to imply that “ a calorie is a calorie,“ says Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. “ But this and other research suggests there is something different about sugar,“ says Brownell. The UCSF report emphasizes the metabolic (新陈代谢的 ) ef
12、fects of sugar. Excess sugar can alter metabolism, raise blood pressure, affect the signaling of hormones and damage the liver outcomes that sound suspiciously similar to what can happen after a person drinks too much alcohol. Schmidt, co-chair of UCSFs Community Engagement and Health Policy program
13、, noted on CNN: “ When you think about it, this actually makes a lot of sense. Alcohol, after all, is simply made from sugar. Where does vodka come from? Sugar. “ But there are also other areas of impact that researchers have investigated: the effect of sugar on the brain and how liquid calories are
14、 interpreted differently by the body than solids. Research has suggested that sugar activates the same reward pathways in the brain as traditional drugs of abuse like morphine or heroin. No one is claiming the effect of sugar is quite that strong, but, says Brownell, “ it helps confirm what people t
15、ell you sometimes, that they hunger for sugar and have withdrawal symptoms when they stop eating it. “ Theres also something particularly tricky about sugary drinks. “ When calories come in liquids, the body doesnt feel as full,“ says Brownell. “ People are getting more of their calories than ever b
16、efore from sugared drinks. “ Other countries, including France, Greece and Denmark, impose soda taxes, and the concept is being considered in at least 20 US cities and states. Last summer, Philadelphia came close to passing a 2-cents-per-ounce soda tax. The Rudd Center has been a strong advocate of
17、a more modest 1 -cent-per-ounce tax. But at least one study, from 2010, has raised doubts that soda taxes would result in significant weight loss: apparently people who are determined to eat and drink unhealthily will find ways to do it. Teens no surprise are good at finding ways to get the things t
18、hey cant have, so state policies banning all sugar-sweetened drinks from public schools and providing only water, milk or 100% fruit juices havent had the intended effect of steering kids away from drinking sugared drinks: the average teen consumes about 300 calories per day thats nearly 15% of his
19、daily calories in sweetened drinks, and the food and drink industry is only too happy to feed this need. Ultimately, regulating sugar will prove particularly tricky because it goes beyond health concerns; sugar, for so many people, is love. A plate of cut-up vegetables just doesnt pack the same emot
20、ional punch as a tin of home-made chocolate chip cookies (饼干 ) , which is why I took my daughter out for a cupcake and not an apple as an after-school treat today. We dont do that regularly its the first time this school year, actually and thats what made it special. As a society, could we ever reac
21、h the point where wed think apples not a cupcake are something to get excited over? Says Brindis, one of the reports authors and director of UCSFs Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies: “ We recognize that there are cultural and celebratory aspects of sugar. Changing these patterns is ve
22、ry complicated. “ For inroads (进展 ) to be made, say the authors in their statement, people have to be better educated about the hazards of sugar and agree that somethings got to change: Many of the interventions (干预 ) that have reduced alcohol and tobacco consumption can be models for addressing the
23、 sugar problem, such as imposing special sales taxes, controlling access, and tightening licensing requirements on vending machines (自动售货机 ) and snack-bars that sell high sugar products in schools and workplaces. “ Were not talking prohibition,“ Schmidt said. “ Were not advocating a major imposition
24、 of the government into peoples lives. Were talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated dose. What we want is to actually increase peoples choices by making foods that arent loaded with sugar comparatively easier and
25、cheaper to get. “ 2 Why do some researchers think sugar should be considered “a controlled substance“ ? （ A） It contains nothing but empty calories. （ B） It is as harmful as morphine and heroin. （ C） It works the same way as alcohol and tobacco in the human body. （ D） Excessive intake of sugar resul
26、ts in liver toxicity and various diseases, 3 What might be Americans attitude towards government regulation of sugar consumption? （ A） Ehusiastic. （ B） Indifferent. （ C） Disapproving. （ D） Supportive. 4 What is a consequence of excessive sugar intake worldwide? （ A） It contributes to 35 million noni
27、nfectious disease-related deaths a year. （ B） It has increased the death toll nearly three times in the past 50 years. （ C） It contributes to the rise of prices of sugar and sugary foods. （ D） It has increased the global obesity rate to some 17 percent. 5 The food industry tries to relieve the publi
28、c worry about sugar intake by suggesting that_. （ A） sugar is no more than a source of energy （ B） sugar is not harmful like alcohol or tobacco （ C） the hazard of sugar to the body is exaggerated （ D） the consumption of sugar is easily controllable 6 According to Brownell, liquid sugar_. （ A） is esp
29、ecially attractive to young children （ B） is much easier and quicker to absorb than solid sugar （ C） effectively stimulates peoples appetite （ D） increases your calorie intake without your knowing it 7 What does the author think of the practice of imposing sugar taxes? （ A） It will harm the food and
30、 drink industry. （ B） It is unlikely to yield the intended effect. （ C） It is likely to alter peoples eating habits. （ D） It can steer kids away from sugary foods. 8 Regulating sugar will prove tricky because_. （ A） people consume sugar in large quantities （ B） nothing has been found to replace suga
31、r （ C） sugar may convey a sense of love （ D） many foods will become tasteless 9 In order to reduce sugar consumption, education should be conducted to raise peoples awareness of its_. 10 To address the sugar problem, the author suggests that the licensing requirements on vending machines and snack-b
32、ars selling high sugar products be_. 11 A gentle way to steer people away from sugar is to make inexpensive, low-sugar foods_. Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked abo
33、ut 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, C and D, and decide which is the best answer. （ A） Find a shortcut to the park. （ B） Buy some roses from the ma
34、rket. （ C） Plant trees in the east end of town. （ D） Go to the park to enjoy the flowers. （ A） She has been invited to give a talk. （ B） She is going to meet the man at 9:30. （ C） She cannot attend the presentation. （ D） She cannot work because of her toothache. （ A） He is a very successful business
35、man. （ B） He has changed his business strategy. （ C） He is making plans to expand his operation. （ D） He was twenty when he took over the company. （ A） She has every confidence in Susan. （ B） She has not read the news on the Net. （ C） She is a little bit surprised at the news. （ D） She is not as bri
36、ght and diligent as Susan. （ A） It is more comfortable and convenient to take a bus. （ B） It is worth the money taking a train to Miami. （ C） It is not always cheaper going by bus. （ D） It is faster to go to Miami by train. （ A） Antiques can improve their image. （ B） Preservation of antiques is impo
37、rtant. （ C） The old furniture should be replaced. （ D） They should move into a new office. （ A） All roads were closed because of the flood. （ B） The man stayed at the lab the whole night. （ C） The man got home late due to the storm. （ D） The storm continued until midnight. （ A） Many children feel bo
38、red when left alone. （ B） The womans sons might enjoy team sports. （ C） The womans kids can play soccer with his son. （ D） Children should play sports at least once a week. （ A） Make phone calls to promote sales. （ B） Arrange business negotiations. （ C） Handle complaints from customers. （ D） Take or
39、ders over the phone. （ A） They had different business strategies. （ B） Customers often mistook one for the other. （ C） Conflicts between them could not be properly solved. （ D） Customers questions could not be answered on the same day. （ A） They each take a week. （ B） They like to spend it together.
40、 （ C） They have to take it by turns. （ D） They are given two weeks each. （ A） At a road crossing. （ B） Outside a police station. （ C） Near a school. （ D） In front of a kindergarten. （ A） He drove too fast to read it. （ B） He did not notice it. （ C） It says 45 miles an hour. （ D） It is not clearly vi
41、sible. （ A） It should have been renewed two months ago. （ B） It actually belongs to somebody else. （ C） It is no longer valid. （ D） It is not genuine. （ A） He got a ticket. （ B） He was fined $35. （ C） He had his drivers license canceled. （ D） He had to do two weeks community service. Section B Direc
42、tions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, 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） A package of idea
43、s formally presented. （ B） A short presentation clearly delivered. （ C） A natural and spontaneous style of speech. （ D） A clever use of visual aids in presentation. （ A） The skillful use of gestures and facial expressions. （ B） Differences in style between writing and speaking. （ C） Different prefer
44、ences of audiences. （ D） The importance of preparation. （ A） The differences between American and Asian cultures. （ B） The significance of cross-cultural communication. （ C） The increasing importance of public speaking. （ D） The key to becoming a good speaker. （ A） By comparing his performance with
45、others. （ B） By being repeatedly corrected by adults. （ C） By observing what their teachers do. （ D） By being given constant praise. （ A） The best students are usually smart by nature. （ B） It is only natural for children to make errors. （ C） Children cannot detect their own mistakes. （ D） All child
46、ren should have equal opportunities. （ A） It is favorable to knowledge accumulation. （ B） It is beneficial to independent children. （ C） It is unhealthy to students upbringing. （ D） It is unhelpful to students learning. （ A） They care more about an items price than its use. （ B） They grab whatever t
47、hey think is a good bargain. （ C） They become excited as if they had never been there. （ D） They behave as if their memories have failed totally. （ A） Those with a VIP card. （ B） Those with 15 items or less. （ C） Those needing assistance. （ D） Those paying in cash. （ A） Go back and pick up more item
48、s. （ B） Take out some unwanted purchases. （ C） Change the items they have picked up. （ D） Calculate the total cost of the groceries. （ A） It calls for carefulness. （ B） It requires tolerance. （ C） It needs a good knowledge of math. （ D） It involves communication skills. Section C Directions: In this
49、 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 43 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 Time is,
