1、国家公共英语四级（综合）练习试卷 29及答案与解析 Part B Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D . Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. 0 The changing profile of a city in the United States is apparent in the shifting definitions used by the United States Bur
2、eau of the Census. In 1870 the census officially distinguished the nations “urban“ from its “rural“ population for the first time. “Urban population“ was defined as persons living in towns of 8,000 inhabitants or more. But after 1900 it meant persons living in incorporated places having 2,500 or mor
3、e inhabitants. Then, in 1950 the Census Bureau radically changed its definition of “urban“ to take account of the new vagueness of city boundaries. In addition to persons living in incorporated units of 2,500 or more, the census now included those who lived in unincorporated units of that size, and
4、also all persons living in the densely settled urban fringe, including both incorporated and unincorporated areas located around cities of 50,000 inhabitants or more. Each such unit, conceived as an integrated economic and social unit with a large population nucleus, was named a Standard Metropolita
5、n Statistical Area (SMSA). Each SMSA would contain at least (a) one central city with 50,000 inhabitants or more or (b) two cities having shared boundaries and constituting, for general economic and social purposes, a single community with a combined population of at least 50,000, the smaller of whi
6、ch must have a population of at least 15,000. Such an area included the county in which the central city is located, and adjacent counties that are found to be metropolitan in character and economically and socially integrated with the county of the central city. By 1970, about two-third of the popu
7、lation of the United States was living in these urbanized areas, and of that figure more than half were living outside the central cities. With the Census Bureau and the United States government used the term SMSA (by 1969 there were 233 of them), social scientists were also using new terms to descr
8、ibe the elusive, vaguely defined areas reaching out from what used to be simple “towns“ and “cities“. A host of terms came into use: “metropolitan regions“, “polynucleared population groups“, “metropolitan clusters“, and so on. 1 What does the passage mainly discuss? （ A） How cities in the United St
9、ates began and developed. （ B） Solutions to overcrowding in cities. （ C） The changing definition of an urban area. （ D） How the United States Census Bureau conducts a census. 2 Prior to 1900, how many inhabitants would a town have to have before being defined as urban? （ A） 2,500 （ B） 8,000 （ C） 15,
10、000 （ D） 50,000 3 According to the passage, why did the Census Bureau revise the definition of urban in 1950? （ A） City borders had become less distinct. （ B） Cities had undergone radical social change. （ C） Elected officials could not agree on an acceptable definition. （ D） New businesses had reloc
11、ated to large cities. 4 Which of the following is NOT true of an SMSA? （ A） It has a population of at least 50,000. （ B） It can include a citys outlying regions. （ C） It can include unincorporated regions. （ D） It consists of at least two cities. 5 By 1970, what proportion of the population in the U
12、nited States did NOT live in an SMSA? （ A） 3/4 （ B） 2/3 （ C） 1/2 （ D） 1/3 5 Boston is a tiny place. Even when inner urban suburbs such as Cambridge, Brookline, Somerville, and Chelsea are included, Greater Boston is still unusually small in scale for a major population center. That gives Boston much
13、 of its special flavor. Unfortunately, during times of great prosperity it also creates special challenges. Perhaps the most pressing of these challenges is housing. As the Phoenixs special package on housing shows, the apartment shortage in Greater Boston has reached crisis proportions. Since the m
14、id 1990s, rents have gone up by 50 percent or more in some neighborhoods. And even at these grossly inflated prices, apartments are still nearly impossible to come by. Nevertheless, some modest steps can be taken. Its the old not-in-my-backyard syndrome: everyone knows theres a housing shortage, but
15、 no one wants to see new housing come into his or her own neighborhood. Such opposition can be eased by involving local residents in planning for new housing. The lesson is that bottom-up solutions invariably work better than top-down edicts. Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern Universit
16、y, and MIT have taken major steps toward building housing for their students on their own campuses. During the 1960s and 70s, student housing spread into neighborhoods such as the Fenway (near Northeastern) and Audubon Circle (near BU). Students kept such neighborhoods alive during those difficult y
17、ears. But as neighborhoods become able to “thrive on their own“ , universities should be encouraged, wherever possible, to pull back, thus opening up neighborhood housing to long-term residents. In his State of the City address in January, Mayor Tom Menino identified the housing crisis as his number
18、-one priority, and named a respected legislator, Charlotte Richie, as his housing czar. In a recently published interview, Boston Redevelopment Authority head Tom O Brien spoke of the need to preserve the diversity of Bostons neighborhoods, and identified the citys residential character as one of it
19、s saving graces. Yet the city has been missing in action. At the very least. Menino should make a concerted effort to ease the housing shortage in neighborhoods where the problem is particularly acute. More important, Menino has to realize that he cannot deal with housing as an “in box“ mayor, takin
20、g on an issue here, an issue there as they come up. He should work with officials in surrounding communities and convene a housing summit to consider a wide range of ideas. 6 The author thinks that Boston is a tiny place, because _. （ A） it has a small population （ B） it covers a small piece of land
21、 （ C） it is unusually small in scale for a major population center （ D） few people know about this city 7 The author has suggested the following solutions to the housing crisis, EXCEPT _. （ A） involving grassroots （ B） back to campus （ C） improving transportation （ D） governmental efforts 8 What doe
22、s the author mean by “not-in-my-backyard syndrome ? （ A） You can do whatever you like so long as you dont bother me. （ B） It is none of my business, and I dont care about it. （ C） No new houses should be built in my backyard. （ D） It is the mayors decision and I have no word in it. 9 The authors att
23、itude towards the government is _. （ A） hopeful （ B） disappointed （ C） sarcastic （ D） bitter 10 The authors suggestion to the Mayor is _. （ A） to sit in his office and listen to reports （ B） to visit those bothered by lack of housing and listen to their complaints （ C） to hold a meeting attended by
24、high officials in his government and listen to their advice （ D） to meet the mayors of nearby cities and listen to their opinions 10 Not too many decades ago it seemed “obvious“ both to the general public and to sociologists that modern society has changed peoples natural relations, loosened their r
25、esponsibilities to kin and neighbors, and substituted in their place superficial relationships with passing acquaintances. However, in recent years a growing body of research has revealed that the “obvious“ is not true. It seems that if you are a city resident, you typically know a smaller proportio
26、n of your neighbors than you do if you are a resident of a smaller community. But, for the most part, this fact has few significant consequences. It does not necessarily follow that if you know few of your neighbors you will know no one else. Even in very large cities, people maintain close social t
27、ies within small, private social worlds. Indeed, the number and quality of meaningful relationships do not differ between more and less urban people. Smalltown residents are more involved with kin that are big-city residents. Yet city dwellers compensate by developing friendships with people who sha
28、re similar interests and activities. Urbanism may produce a different style of life, but the quality of life does not differ between town and city. Nor are residents of large communities any likelier to display psychological symptoms of stress or alienation, a feeling of not belonging, than are resi
29、dents of smaller communities. However, city dwellers do worry more about crime, and this leads them to a distrust of strangers. These findings do not imply that urbanism makes little or no difference. If neighbors are strangers to one another, they are less likely to sweep the sidewalk of an elderly
30、 couple living next door or keep an eye out for size and its social heterogeneity. For instance, sociologists have found much evidence that the size of more likely than their small-town counterparts to have a cosmopolitan outlook, to display less responsibility to traditional kinship roles, to vote
31、for leftist political candidates, and to be tolerant of nontraditional religious groups, unpopular political groups, and so-called undesirables. Everything considered, heterogeneity and unusual behavior seem to be outcomes of large population size. 11 Which of the following statements best describes
32、 the organization of the first paragraph? （ A） Two contrasting views are presented. （ B） An argument is examined and possible solutions given. （ C） Research results concerning the quality of urban life are presented in order of time. （ D） A detailed description of the difference between urban and sm
33、all-town life is given. 12 According to the passage, it was once a common belief that urban residents _. （ A） did not have the same interests as their neighbors （ B） could not develop long-standing relationships （ C） tended to be associated with bad behavior （ D） usually had more friends 13 One of t
34、he consequences of urban life is that impersonal relationships among neighbors _. （ A） disrupt peoples natural relations （ B） make them worry about crime （ C） cause them not to show concern for one another （ D） cause them to be suspicious of each other 14 It can be inferred from the passage that the
35、 bigger a community is, _. （ A） the better its quality of life （ B） the more similar its interests are （ C） the more tolerant and open-minded it is （ D） the likelier it is to display psychological symptoms of stress 15 What is the passage mainly about? （ A） Similarities in the interpersonal relation
36、ships between urbanites and small-town dwellers. （ B） Advantages of living in big cities as compared with living in small towns. （ C） The positive role that urbanism plays in modern life. （ D） The strong feeling of alienation of city inhabitants. 15 Some cities grow very large because of two importa
37、nt reasons. First, there may be important natural resources like wood, gas, oil, rivers or harbors near or in the city. Natural resources like wood or oil can be brought to the city and made into products to sell. Other resources, like rivers or harbors help to send the citys products to other place
38、s to be sold. Second, the city may be located in a place where roads and rivers come together. This makes these cities good places to buy and sell goods. Houston is a city that grew large because it has two important natural resources. They are oil and a good harbor. The oil can be brought to Housto
39、n, made into different products, and shipped out of the harbor to other parts of the world. Chicago is a city that grew very large because of its location at a place where roads, railways, and airways meet. In Chicago, goods can be brought together from all over the country and bought and sold. Then
40、 the goods can be loaded into trucks, trains or planes and sent to wherever they are needed. Because of Chicagos location, many people live and work there. 16 Some cities grow large because of _. （ A） natural resources （ B） convenient traffic （ C） population growth （ D） A and B 17 Houston grows larg
41、er because of _. （ A） traffic （ B） oil （ C） a good harbor （ D） B and C 18 Chicago develops thanks to its good _. （ A） location （ B） weather （ C） harbor （ D） A and B 19 Which resource can be brought to the city and made into products to sell? （ A） Wood. （ B） Oil. （ C） River. （ D） A or B 20 Which reso
42、urce can help to send the citys products to other places to be sold? （ A） Oil. （ B） River. （ C） Wood. （ D） Water. Part D Directions: Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written clearly on ANSWER SHEET 2. 20 【 B1】 Swede
43、n has got a population of only 8 million, but it is a large country with an area of 450,000 square kilometers.【 B2】 There are frontiers with Norway to the west and Finland to the east and the distance from the southern to northern coasts is very long. In 1977, the Swedish king was Charles XVI and th
44、e Prime Minister was Mr. Fielding. 【 B3】 Sweden is neutral and is not a member of the European Economic Community (EEC). Its last war was from 1813 to 1814 when its army under the first Bemadotte king of Sweden was at the battle of Leipzig against Napoleon. 【 B4】 Swedens principal trading partners a
45、re Germany and Great Britain. Her main exports are machinery, paper, cars and iron and steel. In 1971, machinery was 26% and cars 10% of her exports, and exports were greater than imports by 2,000 million crowns. Between 1963 and 1971 there was an increase of 61% in industrial production. Sweden is
46、a wealthy country. Taxes are high but her people are very well-off. With Denmark and Norway, Sweden has got her own airline, SAS. Her air force is very strong and she has got her own SAAB fighters.【 B5】 Sweden is famous for the Nobel Prize, for the films of Ingmar Bergman, for the plays of Strindber
47、g, and for Volvo cars. Stockholm is one of the loveliest cities in the world. 一、 Section IV Writing (35 minutes) 26 The people from the Mars cannot understand why the people on the Earth should crowd themselves in cities. You are invited to write an article to tell three advantages of city life. The
48、y are: 1) The city provides people with a background to learn and study; 2) It provides people with a stage to demonstrate their capability and; 3) It is a place where one seldom feels dull. You should write 160 -200 words on ANSWER SHEET 国家公共英语四级（综合）练习试卷 29答案与解析 Part B Directions: Read the followin
49、g four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D . Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. 【知识模块】 City 1 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 本题为主旨推理题。本篇的主要内容是阐述对城市地区所下的不断变化的定义。 【知识模块】 City 2 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 本题为细节判断题。根据本篇第一段最后两句话可以得出答案。 【知识模块】 City 3 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 本题为逻辑推理题。第二段第一句明确阐述了为什么美国人口普查事务办公室要对城区的定义进行修改的原因。 【知识模块】 City 4 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 本题为细节判断题。从第三段第一句起作者就开始阐述这一问题。 【知识模块】 City 5 【正确答案】 D 【试 题解析】 本题为细节判断题。从第三段最后一句可以看出答案。 【知识模块】 City 【知识模块】 City 6 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 分析第一段可以发现，作者所谓的 “波士顿是个小地方 ”是指它的占地与
