1、大学英语四级模拟试卷 421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 Man Proposes, God Disposes. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given bellow: 1. 怎样理解 “谋事在人，成事在天 ” 2举例说明 3结论 Man proposes, God Disposes 二、 Part II Rea
2、ding 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 questions 1-7, mark： Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage; N (for N
3、O) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage; NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. 1 Buying a Home To Buy or to Rent According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) , 37 percent of Canadian renters could afford to buy a home. But when
4、 it comes to buying or tenting, age, lifestyle, whether or not youre a parent, even where you live, all play a role. This was among, findings of a late 1990s study by the CMHC, which wanted to know why, in Quebec, so many 25-to 34-year-olds-the so-called Generation X-were tenants rather than homeown
5、ers. At the time, 56 percent of this age group outside Quebec owned their homes, a figure that dropped to 34 percent in Montreal. CMHCs Kim-Anh Lam explained: “When we asked about their priorities, Gen Xers placed housing fifth-after recreational activities, retirement planning, consolidating their
6、jobs, and repaying their debt.“ However, home ownership became a priority once a couple became serious, or the first child arrived. Most experts agree that renting makes sense if youre highly mobile and dont want to be burdened with the slow pace of the buying and selling process, or if you cant or
7、dont want to take on the long-term financial commitments of a mortgage and home maintenance. Renting may be necessary in order to save for the 10 to 20 percent down payment needed to buy a home. Whether you buy or rent your home, you should use no more than 35 percent of your income on housing, incl
8、uding rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance, and repair. Most banks recommend that no more than 30 percent of your income should support a mortgage, and no more than 40 percent should go to a mortgage and other debt. Offer to Purchase Home buyers sometimes get stung because they or their representa
9、tives fail to include important conditions in the offer to Purchase , or, as it is sometimes called, the Agreement of Purchase and Sale. Your offer can be conditional-it is good only on condition that you obtain mortgage financing, or the house passes a home inspection or a termite check. In Homebuy
10、ing Step by Step: a consumer guide and workbook, the CMHC recommends your offer also include: Basic details such as your legal name, the name of the vendor, and the legal and civic address of the property. The purchase price and all financial details included in this should be the amount of the depo
11、sit and any interest to be paid on it. You may also want to spell out the specific amount of penalty should you wish to back out of the deal. The chattel or items in the home which are included in the purchase price. This may include window coverings, appliances, a satellite dish, carpeting, bookcas
12、es, or a backyard swing. Enumerate all of them, and stipulate that everything in the house-all appliances and systems-be in working order at the time of closing of title. Date of closing and taking possession-usually 30 to 60 days from the date of the agreement, but it can be longer. Request for a c
13、urrent land survey of the property. Date and time at which the offer becomes null and void. A 48-hour limit on the sellers response time to your offer is reasonable. For Buyers only A typical real estate transaction often begins when prospective buyers drive by a house that looks appealing, take dow
14、n the name of the real estate agent listed on the sign in the yard, and call that person for an appointment. The only problem, That agent-usually the listing agent-works for a commission paid by the seller, and the agents legal responsibility is to get the best price possible for the current homeown
15、ers, not the prospective buyers. Common sense calls for buyers to be honest about their priorities, preferences, and price range. But since the agents commission comes from the vendor, and since this money is a percentage of the sale price, it is entirely possible that any information the buyers rev
16、eal to the agent-their finances, the top price theyll pay, their reactions to the house-could be used to sweeten the pot for the sellers. Keep in mind, too, that the agent-vendor relationship doesnt change just because you ask an agent to help you find your dream house. The agents services will be f
17、ree to you since his or her fees will be paid by the vendor whose property you eventually buy. Commissions are divided between the listing agent and the agent who brings about the sale. What can buyers do in these situations? They can be aware that agents will be motivated to get the highest price a
18、nd the best terms from the seller s point of view. Also, the higher the price, the bigger the agents commission. Accordingly, buyers should not expect any agent to volunteer information on a houses defects. If an agent says its a “fixer-upper,“ find out exactly what needs fixing up. Buyers should as
19、k specific questions and expect factual answers. But, unless you ask, dont expect the agent to tell you the roof is 25 years old or the fireplaces dont work. Buying a New Home When buying a home thats been around for a while, youre getting a known quantity thats proven how it reacts to winter, summe
20、r, rain, wind, and other circumstances. When buying a newly built home, youre getting something that “hasnt been road-tested, says Alan Fields, coauthor of Your New Home: the Alert Consumers Guide to Buying and Building a Quality Home. So it s important to be careful. He points out the three biggest
21、 mistakes people make when buying a new house: Forgetting to get the “window sticker“ for the house-the written list, similar to that on a new car, of specifications and materials used by the builder. “Deal with a builder whos willing to give you specifics about the construction process,“ advises Fi
22、elds. Failing to cheek out the neighborhood. “People fall in love with how pretty the new home is, and dont ask enough questions about whats going on around them with respect to schools, parks, zoning, traffic flow, and other details.“ Not hiring an independent inspector or engineer to help evaluate
23、 the construction. “People think because its new its not necessary to inspect the home,“ says Fields, “or that the city or county housing inspector will check to ensure quality. Those inspectors are checking to ensure that the home meets the minimum standards-not the highest standards-for health and
24、 safety codes in the area. Just because a home passes a city inspection does not mean you got what you paid for, or what your family deserves.“ 2 According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), 37 percent of Canadian renter could not afford to buy a home. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 3 Whether
25、 you buy or rent your home, you should use 35 percent of your income on housing, including rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance, and repair. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 4 Most banks recommend that no more than 30 percent of your income should support a mortgage, and no more than 40 percent should go to
26、a mortgage and other debt. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 5 Common sense calls for buyers to be honest about their priorities, preferences, and price range. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 6 The agents commission comes from the vendor. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 7 The agents commission is a percentage of the sale price. （
27、A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 8 Alan Fields, co-author of Your New Home: the Alert Consumer s Guide to Buying and Building a Quality Home points out four biggest mistakes people make when buying a new house. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 9 When it comes to buying or renting, _all play a role. 10 Home ownership became
28、 a priority once _. 11 Your offer to purchase a house can be conditional-it is good only on condition that _. 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 about what was said.
29、 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） The man enjoys traveling by car. （ B） The man lives far from the subway. （ C）
30、 The man is good at driving. （ D） The man used to own a car. （ A） Tony should continue taking the course. （ B） She approves of Tonys decision. （ C） Tony can choose another science course. （ D） She cant meet Tony so early in the morning （ A） They will be replaced by on-line education expands. （ B） Th
31、ey will attract fewer kids as on-line education expands. （ C） They will continue to exist along with on-line education. （ D） They will limit their teaching to certain subjects only. （ A） Most students would like to work for a newspaper. （ B） Most students find a job by reading advertisement. （ C） Mo
32、st students find it hard to get a job after they graduate. （ D） Most students dont want jobs advertisement in the newspapers. （ A） Move the washing machine to the basement. （ B） Turn the basement into a workshop. （ C） Repair the washing machine. （ D） Finish his assignment. （ A） Some students at the
33、back cannot hear the professor. （ B） The professor has changed his reading assignment. （ C） Some of the students are not on the professors list. （ D） The professor has brought extra copies of his assignment. （ A） Talking about sports. （ B） Writhing up local news. （ C） Reading newspapers. （ D） Puttin
34、g up advertisements. （ A） They shouldnt change their plan. （ B） Theyd better change their mind. （ C） The tennis game wont last long. （ D） Weather forecasts are not reliable. （ A） How much its accuracy has improved recently. （ B） How reliable long-range forecasts are. （ C） How difficult it takes to m
35、ake a good forecast. （ D） How the current forecast causes troubles. （ A） The amount of rain. （ B） The wind direction. （ C） The amount of frost. （ D） The temperature. （ A） Forecasting machines stop functioning in hot weather. （ B） The weather patterns are more changeable in the autumn. （ C） Professio
36、nal predictors are on vacation in autumn. （ D） The forecasting center may mess up the data in autumn. （ A） A new English Language examination testing four different skills. （ B） An examination testing Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. （ C） A new Business English examination having three cert
37、ificates at three different levels. （ D） A new Business English examination testing certain business knowledge and skills. （ A） Knowledge of general business English. （ B） Knowledge of special business English in particular jobs. （ C） Knowledge of general English in all industries. （ D） Knowledge of
38、 culture in English-speaking countries. （ A） It is the same every year. （ B） A mark over 70% will pass. （ C） It is the same for every exam. （ D） A mark over 60% will pass. （ A） Because he went to Lake Placid two hundred miles away. （ B） Because he discussed philosophy with his friends in a coffee ho
39、use. （ C） Because now he is a college student and he can do whatever he likes. （ D） Because he had a lot of homework to do and a party to go. Section B Directions: 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 ques
40、tions 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） Children dont get enough education in safety. （ B） Children are keen on dangerous games. （ C） The playgrounds are in poor condition. （ D） The playgrounds are ov
41、ercrowded. （ A） They should help maintain the equipment. （ B） They should keep a watchful eye on their children. （ C） They should stop their children from climbing ladders. （ D） They should teach their children how to use the equipment. （ A） They tend to stay within shouting or running distance of t
42、heir parents. （ B） They should be aware of the potential risks in the playground. （ C） They may panic in front of high playground equipment. （ D） They can be creative when they feel secure. （ A） Because they have a driving license. （ B） Because they have received special training. （ C） Because the t
43、raffic conditions in London are good. （ D） Because the traffic system of the city is not very complex. （ A） Two to four months. （ B） About three weeks. （ C） At least half a year. （ D） Two years or more. （ A） Government officers are hard to please. （ B） The learner has to go through several tough tes
44、ts. （ C） The learner usually fails several times before he passes it. （ D） The driving test usually lasts two months. （ A） American economy. （ B） American agriculture. （ C） American industry. （ D） American GDP. （ A） 0.7 percent. （ B） 0.9 percent. （ C） 20 percent. （ D） 80 percent. （ A） Because of the
45、 application of new technology and methods. （ B） Because of the decrease of government payments. （ C） Because of the increase in agriculture export. （ D） Because of Canadas dependence on agricultural import. （ A） Canada, Japan and Mexico. （ B） Canada, Mexico and the European Union. （ C） Japan, the E
46、uropean Union and Asia. （ D） Japan, Latin America and Asia. 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 fil
47、l 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 When I was at school, my【 B1】 _was to
48、be a pilot in the Air Force. But my【 B2】_wasnt good enough, so I had to give up the idea. I went to university and studies【 B3】_. I wanted to stay on there and do【 B4】 _but my father died at about that time so I thought Id better get a job and earn my living. I started working in an engineering firm
49、. I【 B5】 _to stay in that job for a long time, but then they【 B6】 _a new managing director. I didnt get on with him, so I resigned and applied for a job with another engineering company. I would certainly have accepted the job if they had offered it to me, but on my way to the【 B7】 _I met a friend who was working for a travel【 B8】 _. He offered me a job in Spain and Ive always liked Spain, so I took it. I worked in the travel agency for two
