1、大学英语四级模拟试卷 491及答案与解析 一、 Part I Writing (30 minutes) 1 For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below in Chinese: 假设你是张涛，一位应届毕业生，想到美国去读研究生。你需要向美国校方写一封信，信的内容是询问读研究生的 入学要求、学费、奖学金和住宿条件等。 二、 Part II Reading Comprehension
2、(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 NO) if the statement
3、 contradicts the information given in the passage; NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. 1 Robot Cars to Do Battle in Desert Race When 15 competitors lined up in Nevada last year for the U.S. Defense Departments first million-dollar robot race, hopes were high. The chall
4、enge: to drive a vehicle without a human driver or remote control some 150 miles (241 kilometers) through the Mojave Desert. But those hopes quickly went up in a cloud of dust as most robots barely managed to get off the starting line. The best performer, a modified Humvee built by engineers at Penn
5、sylvanias Carnegie Mellon University, traveled 7 miles (11 kilometers ) before breaking down. To robot devotees(热爱者 ), however, it was a minor hiccup. No surprise, then, that 43 teams showed up to try out for this years race, dubbed (被称作 ) the Grand Challenge. For the past week, teams ranging from g
6、arage enthusiasts to well-funded university engineers have been fine-tuning their machines at qualifying rounds here at the California Speedway in Fontana, California. (Watch the robots in action in our exclusive video. ) Twenty-three finalists were announced Thursday for Saturdays Grand Challenge.
7、The 175-mile (282-kilometer) course starts and finishes in Primm, Nevada. The race promises to be even tougher than last years run. But 18 months is an eternity in the robotics world, and the technology has vastly improved. Organizers believe several teams have a real shot of finishing the race in l
8、ess than ten hours to earn the grand prize of two million U.S. dollars. “When the first team out of the chute (斜道 )-Mojavaton, a small team out of Coloradomade it successfully around the 2.2 mile (3.5-kilometer) qualification course, I knew right there and then that we had something special,“ said R
9、on Kurjanowicz, the chief of staff for the Pentagons Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is sponsoring the race. Unknown Course The aim of the Grand Challenge, Defense Department officials say, is to spur development of autonomous ground vehicles that can operate in dangerous en
10、vironments, such as war zones, keeping soldiers out of harms way. A U.S. Congress mandate (训令 ) requires that one-third of military ground vehicles drive themselves by 2015, but the technology to meet that mandate does not yet exist. So the government looked to enterprising teams to develop the tech
11、nology for driverless vehicles, sweetening its offer with the two-million-dollar purse. None of the 23 teams knows what lies ahead for this years race. DAP, PA wont reveal the exact route until two hours before the start of the race on Saturday. But the obstacles on the Fontana qualification course-
12、including a steel-enforced tunnel that wipes out a vehicles global positioning systemare made to resemble the rugged, real-life conditions that the vehicles will have to navigate. The vehicles use sensors such as lasers, cameras, and radar to help them avoid obstacles such as rocks and cliffs. The c
13、omputers brain has to figure out how to resolve unexpected conflicts, like a boulder sitting in the middle of the road. “Think about all the decisions that you and I have to make when we drive from our house to the store,“ Kurjanowicz said. “These vehicles have to do the same thing, without a driver
14、.“ Among the top contenders in Saturdays race is TerraMax, a massive truck originally built by the Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Truck Corporation for the U.S. Marine Corps. In last years race, TerraMax managed to go only 1.2 miles (2 kilometers). Team leader Gary Schmiedel expects to do much better this
15、year. He pointed to the new all-wheel steering feature on the truck as an important addition. “We can move this large, 15-ton (13.5-metric ton) payload vehicle in a turn thats equivalent to that of a Humvee, “ he said. Ghostrider The resources of teams like TerraMax or Carnegie Mellon University, wh
16、ich has two vehicles in the race this year, are a far cry from those of some of the other competitors, including inventors, electricians, and even a high school team. One entry, from a Southern California team of engineers, racers, and hot-fodders, is called It Came From the Garage. It has a beer ke
17、g (小桶 ) stuck on the back and an on-off switch that says “brain.“ “Most of the schools and organizations were up against arc just accessorizing conventional vehicles,“ said team leader Chris “C.J.“ Pedersen, a former actor. “Our vehicle is a custom-built, 2lst-century hot rod, complete with hood sco
18、op and exhaust coming off the side.“ Anthony Levandowski, a robotics builder from Berkeley, California, is back with Ghostrider, the only motorcycle robot in the qualifications, Studded with sensors and computers, it toppled (翻倒 ) over after 3 feet (1 meter) in last years race. Levandowski, who had
19、to postpone his graduate studies when he couldnt find a faculty advisor who believed it would be possible to build the motorcycle robot, says his vehicle has some distinct advantages. “Were smaller and go a lot more places,“ he said while tinkering with the robot before another trial nm. “Were also
20、a lot less expensive. This bike costs as much as a tire or a wheel of some of these other guys machines.“ Smart Money Neither Ghostrider nor It Came From the Garage made the final cut at this weeks qualifying races. However, another crowd-pleaser, Cajunbot-or the Ragin Cajun-a converted all-terrain
21、vehicle developed by a team from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette, did. The smart money in Saturdays race may be on Stanley, a converted Volkswagen Touareg made by a team at Californias Stanford University. It was the only vehicle that didnt hit an obstacle in the trial runs. Even if none of
22、 the vehicles finishes the race this year, DARPAs Kurjanowicz said, the event has succeeded in galvanizing robotics developers and pushing the creation of new technologies. “The beauty &the Grand Challenge is that it doesnt tell people how to solve the problem,“ he said. “The community has come up w
23、ith its own elegant solutions.“ 2 The passage mainly describes the advantages arid disadvantages of robot car races. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 3 Last years robot race in Nevada was a great success. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 4 It is a surprise that up to 3 teams came for this years race called the Grand Chal
24、lenge. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 5 The Pentagons Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency( DAP, PA ) is sponsoring the race. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 6 The aim of the Grand Challenge is to spur development of autonomous ground vehicles. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 7 Ghostrider and It Came From the Garage both m
25、ade the final cut at this weeks qualifying races. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 8 TerraMax will finish the race and win the grand prize of two million U.S. dollars. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 9 The Obstacles on the Fontana qualification course are made to resemble the _. 10 The only motorcycle robot in the quali
26、fications is _. 11 The only vehicle that didnt hit an obstacle in the trial runs is _. 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. Both the conversation
27、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） They want to go downtown. （ B） He wants to go to the park, but she doesnt. （ C） He doesnt know where
28、 to park the car. （ D） He wants to find out where the park is. （ A） Company and customer. （ B） Repairman and customer. （ C） Teacher and students parent. （ D） Wife and husband, （ A） She didnt like working in a company. （ B） She disliked machines. （ C） She was not good at doing business. （ D） She didn
29、t like accounting. （ A） He has some money to buy a new car. （ B） He fails in borrowing enough money from the woman. （ C） He will spend much money on his house. （ D） He wants to buy a new house and a new ear. （ A） He had much trouble with his pronunciation. （ B） He began studying English too early. （
30、 C） No one can understand him. （ D） He knew nothing about English. （ A） Frustrated. （ B） Joyful （ C） Excited. （ D） Sorry. （ A） He doesnt like that kind of food. （ B） The woman can do some cooking herself. （ C） He doesnt intend to buy them. （ D） The woman should stop looking at him. （ A） Mrs. Fisher
31、wants to go abroad. （ B） Mrs. Fisher is in hospital. （ C） Mrs. Fisher has no family. （ D） There are three people in Mrs. Fishers family. （ A） The effect of the atmosphere on rainfall. （ B） How conditions on earth support life. （ C） How water originated on earth. （ D） A new estimate of the age of ear
32、th. （ A） The surface of the ocean is expanding. （ B） Volcanic activity is increasing. （ C） The surface of earth contains tons of cosmic dust. （ D） Thousands of comets arc colliding with earths atmosphere. （ A） They are found under the oceans. （ B） They were most active when earth was first formed. （
33、 C） Their emissions created earths atmosphere. （ D） Their fumes are mostly water in the state nfs gas. （ A） The early history of bookbinding. （ B） How old books become valuable. （ C） Economical ways to protect old books. （ D） Why some books decay. （ A） They are often handled improperly by readers. （
34、 B） The paper is destroyed by chemicals. （ C） The ink used in printing damages the paper. （ D） The glue used in the binding loses its strength. （ A） They are difficult to read. （ B） They are slowly falling apart. （ C） They were not made from wood pulp. （ D） They should be stored in a cold place. （ A
35、） Get some books for the man to look at. （ B） Ask the man to look over her notes. （ C） Continue her research in the library. （ D） Find more information on how books are preserved. Section B Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some qu
36、estions. 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） The Black Plague. （ B） Enemy of Humanity. （ C） Common Animal pests. （ D） Causes of World Hunger. （ A） They eat or spoil cr
37、ops. （ B） They destroy dams and buildings. （ C） They attack birds and animals. （ D） They carry diseases. （ A） In India. （ B） In Europe. （ C） Throughout the world. （ D） Both A and B. （ A） The island of Guam. （ B） Yokoi Shoichis marriage. （ C） The battles on Guam during World War lt. （ D） A Japanese s
38、oldier who hid on Guam. （ A） They met Yokoi Shoichi when he arrived. （ B） They went to a department store to meet him. （ C） They saw a display of Shoichis clothing and equipment. （ D） They attended Yokoi Shoichis wedding. （ A） Because he hated the war. （ B） Because he felt shame and dishonor. （ C） B
39、ecause he wanted to stay away from his friends and foes alike. （ D） Because he didnt know that Japan had lost the war. （ A） The writer enjoys sleeping very much. （ B） The writer doesnt like money at all. （ C） Bill Gates does not know how to enjoy himself. （ D） Mental well-being is the most important
40、 thing. （ A） Material life. （ B） Sports life. （ C） Spiritual life. （ D） Working life. （ A） It is very commercial. （ B） It is very noisy. （ C） It is very insecure. （ D） It is very unfriendly. （ A） Importance of A Good Nights Sleep （ B） The Best Things Money Cannot Buy （ C） Taking Good Care of Oneself
41、 （ D） How to Enjoy Life Thoroughly 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
42、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 Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the greatest【 B1】 _who ever liv
43、ed. He thought that people could be free when they wrote music. Before his time, music was composed for a special【 B2】 _. Often it was church music. Or, music was written to【 B3】 _at parties and concerts. Beethoven was born in Germany in 1770. He was a very musical child. The boy learned to play the
44、【 B4】 _and piano, but he was not happy at home. His mother died when he was in his teens. After that, his father was often drunk and【 B5】 _. Beethoven became a【 B6】_in a rich family. His students mother was very kind to the young teacher. She helped him meet many famous【 B7】 _One of them was Mozart.
45、 He said, “That boy will give the world something worth listening to.“ When Beethoven was in his twenties, he began to go deaf. The deafness changed his behaviors. He became【 B8】 _and moody.【 B9】 _ Beethoven died when he was 57 years old.【 B10】 _【 B11】 _. 37 【 B1】 38 【 B2】 39 【 B3】 40 【 B4】 41 【 B5】
46、 42 【 B6】 43 【 B7】 44 【 B8】 45 【 B9】 46 【 B10】 47 【 B11】 Section B Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice. 47 Justice in
47、society must include both a fair trial to the accused and the selection of an appropriate punishment for those proven guilty. Because justice is regarded as one form of equality, we find in its earlier expressions the idea of a punishment equal to the crime. Recorded in the Old Testament is the expr
48、ession “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth“. That is, the individual who has done wrong has committed an offense against society. To make up for this offense, society must get just. This can be done only by inflicting an equal injury upon him. It is illustrated when we demand the death penal
49、ty for a person who has committed murder. And this philosophy of punishment was supported by the German idealist Hegel. He believed that society owed it to the criminal to administer a punishment equal to the crime he had committed. To the murderer nothing less than giving up his own life will pay his debt. Modern jurists have tried to replace retributive justice with the notion of corrective justice. The aim of the
