1、大学英语四级模拟试卷 594及答案与解析 一、 Part I Writing (30 minutes) 1 For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topic On a Harmonious Dormitory Life. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given be low in Chinese: 1. 宿舍生活有时会出现不和谐的情况 2. 一个和谐宿舍生活的必要性 3. 如何创造和谐的宿舍生活 On
2、a Harmonious Dormitory Life 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 questions 1-7, mark： Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the
3、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 Organic Food Organic farming was among the fastest growing segments of U.S. agriculture during the 1990s. The value of
4、retail sales of organic food was estimated to be $16 billion in 2004. According to the Food Marketing Institute, more than half of Americans now buy organic food at least once a month. Why is organic food becoming so popular? What is Organic Food? In December 2000, the National Organic Standards Boa
5、rd of the U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA)established a national standard for the term “organic“. Organic food, defined by how it cannot be made rather than how it can be made, must be produced without the use of sewer-sludge fertilizers, most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, genetic engine
6、ering(biotechnology), growth hormones, irradiation and antibiotics. A variety of agricultural products can be produced organically, including produce, grains, meat, dairy, eggs, and processed Food products. “Organic“ does not mean “natural“. There .is no legal definition as to what constitutes a “na
7、tural“ food. However, the food industry uses the term “natural“ to indicate that a food has been minimally processed and is preservative-free. Natural foods can include organic foods, but not all natural foods are organic. Only foods labeled “organic“ have been certified as meeting USDA organic stan
8、dards. Organic Farming The phrase “organic farming“ first appeared in Lord Northbournes book Look to the Land, published in 1940. But the truth is, organic farming is the oldest form of agriculture. Be fore the end of World War , farming without the use of petroleum-based chemicals(synthetic fertili
9、zers and pesticides)was the only option for farmers. Technologies developed during the war were found to be useful for agricultural production. For example, the chemical ammonium nitrate, which was used as munitions, became useful as fertilizer, and organophosphates used for nerve gas were later use
10、d as insecticide. These days, farmers are switching to organic agriculture once again, but now with an eco logically based, systematic approach that includes long-term planning, detailed record keeping and major investment in equipment and supplies. Although it is still only a small industry, the nu
11、mber of organic farmers is growing by about 12 percent per year and now stands at more than 12,000 nationwide. Organic Farming in the U.S. Today The USDAs Economic Research Service reports that in 1997, the latest year for which data are available, farmers in 49 states used organic production method
12、s and third-party organic certification Services on 1.35 million acres out of a total of 828 million acres of farmland. Approximately two-thirds of the certified U.S. organic farmland was used for crops, and one-third was used as pasture. Large farms, mostly located in the Midwest and West, produced
13、 processed tomatoes, organic wine grapes and other high-value crops on a commercial scale, whereas numerous small farms, concentrated in the Northeast, specialized in mixed vegetable production for direct marketing to consumers and restaurants. While organic food can be found throughout the country,
14、 California was the leader in production of organic fruits and vegetables in 1997, followed closely by Arizona, Florida, Texas, and Washington in decreasing order of total yield. Farmers and ranchers in 23 states raised a small number of certified organic cows, hogs and sheep. New York, Wisconsin an
15、d Minnesota were the top producers of organic dairy cows. Production: Organic vs. Conventional As you can imagine, organic agricultural practices are quite distinct from those of “conventional“ farming. Conventional farmers: apply chemical fertilizers to the soil to grow their crops spray with insec
16、ticides to protect crops from pests and disease use synthetic herbicides to control weed growth Organic farmers: feed soil and build soil matter with natural fertilizer to grow their crops use insect predators, mating disruption, traps and barriers to protect crops from pests and disease make use of
17、 crop rotation, mechanical tillage and hand-weeding, as well as cover crops, mulches, flame weeding and other management methods to control weed growth As a last resort, organic farmers may apply certain botanical or other non-synthetic pesticides. How Do I Know if a Food is Organic? Look for the wo
18、rd “organic“ on vegetables or pieces of fruit, or on the sign above the organic produce display. The word “organic“ may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese and other single-ingredient foods. Foods labeled “100 percent organic“ must contain only organic ingredients. Produ
19、cts containing at least 70-percent organic content can be labeled “made with organic ingredients.“ Those foods labeled simply “organic“ must have at least 95-percent organic ingredients, by weight or fluid volume, excluding water and salt. Anyone who knowingly sells or labels a product “organic“ tha
20、t is not produced and handled in accordance with these regulations can face a civil penalty of up to $10,000. Foods grown and processed according to the federal standards will in most cases bear the seal “USDA Organic“. As its use is voluntary, companies may choose not to display the seal. Why Shoul
21、d I Care if a Food is Organic? According to the USDA, organic food production allows farmers to lower input costs, de crease reliance on nonrenewable resources, capture high-value markets and premium prices, and boost farm income. Organic agriculture also has many important environmental benefits: I
22、t promotes sustainability by establishing an ecological balance to prevent soil fertility or pest problems. In the long run, organic farms tend to conserve energy and protect the environment by maintaining ecological harmony. It enhances biodiversity, or the presence of multiple plant and/or animal
23、species. Having a highly diverse genetic pool becomes useful in the future when beneficial characteristics can be tapped. Because organic agriculture utilizes practices such as crop rotations, inter-cropping, symbiotic associations, cover crops and minimum tillage, the length of time that the soil i
24、s exposed to erosive forces is decreased, which minimizes nutrient losses and boosts soil productivity. By not using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, organic agriculture reduces pollution of groundwater. Organic agriculture helps to minimize the greenhouse effect and global warming through its
25、ability to keep carbon in the soil. Why is Organic Food So Expensive? Prices tend to be higher for organic than conventional products. As stated on the Web site of the Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)of the United Nations(UN), certified organic products are generally more expensive than their
26、conventional counterparts because: The organic food supply is limited as compared to demand. Production costs for organic foods are typically higher because of greater labor input and because farmers dont produce enough of a single product to lower the overall cost. Post-harvest handling of relative
27、ly small quantities of organic foods results in higher costs because organic and conventional produce must be separated for processing and transportation. Marketing and the distribution chain for organic products are relatively inefficient, and costs are higher because of relatively small volumes. T
28、he FAO also notes that as the demand for organic food and products increases, technological innovations and economies of scale should reduce costs of production, processing, distribution and marketing for organic produce. Is Organic Food Better than Conventional Food? Organic and conventional food m
29、ust meet the same quality and safety standards. Organic food differs from conventionally produced food simply in the way it is grown, handled and processed. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that it is more nutritious or safer than conventional food. A recently published report indicates th
30、at organic food is less likely to contain pesticide residues than conventional food. Yet, according to the National Research Council, the traces of pesticides left on conventionally grown products are unlikely to cause an increased cancer risk. Also, if fruits and vegetables are properly washed, mos
31、t of the chemicals can be re moved. As for taste, thats up to you to decide what you like best. In general, people tend to find that the fresher a food is, the better it tastes, regardless of how it was produced. 2 The passage is mainly about the differences between conventional and organic farming.
32、 （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 3 Natural foods make up a small part of organic foods. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 4 Organic agriculture has become a big industry as more and more farmers are Switching to it. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 5 Arizona produces more organic fruits and vegetables than Florida. （ A） Y （ B） N （
33、C） NG 6 Under no circumstances may organic farmers use any pesticides, including botanical pesticides. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 7 According to the FAO, as the demand for organic food and products increases, prices will be lower for organic products than conventional products. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 8 As
34、 scientific evidence suggests, organic food is more nutritious and safer than conventional food. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 9 Organic agriculture helps to minimize the greenhouse effect and global warming through its ability to _. 10 The products labeled “made with organic ingredients“ must contain at le
35、ast organic content _. 11 Most of the foods grown and processed according to the federal standards will bear the seal _. 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 wha
36、t 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） She hopes that they will take some of the paintings away. （ B） She
37、 hasnt gone to see that exhibit yet. （ C） She prefers to go to the art gallery rather than study. （ D） She doesnt want to see the exhibit. （ A） Go cross the bridge. （ B） Repeat the experiment. （ C） Come to the bridge game. （ D） Wait and see what will happen. （ A） One. （ B） Two. （ C） Three. （ D） Four
38、. （ A） Studying is more interesting so hell study seriously at school. （ B） Studying at school is no more interesting than work. （ C） He hopes to get a job soon. （ D） Work is preferable. （ A） Bob is very good at running, （ B） Bob works as a guard. （ C） Bob never skips the professors class. （ D） Bob
39、is very smart. （ A） The neighbors probably wont turn clown the music. （ B） The man should move to another place. （ C） The man should listen to some light music. （ D） She doesnt think the music is so loud. （ A） The man will probably go to the movie. （ B） The woman will have a test. （ C） The man will
40、have to sit for an exam. （ D） The woman wishes she could go to class with the man. （ A） A holiday. （ B） An accident. （ C） Luck. （ D） Work. （ A） Shes impressed with the ticket sellers. （ B） Shes pleased about the mans purchase. （ C） Shes uncertain about the change in plans. （ D） Shes resigned to the
41、situation. （ A） By writing a personal check. （ B） By changing them to their personal account. （ C） By paying in cash. （ D） By using a store credit card. （ A） Stay where he is. （ B） Go home to telephone the order. （ C） Try to get the tickets elsewhere. （ D） Return after lunch. （ A） She has seen a doc
42、tor recently. （ B） Shes concerned about medical care. （ C） Shes unable to attend the study session. （ D） She mentions the need for some medical tests. （ A） To suggest changes in the tuition fees. （ B） To improve the study skills of university students. （ C） To give people the opportunity to speak wi
43、th a politician. （ D） To discuss graduation requirements for political science majors. （ A） Preparing for an important test. （ B） Funding for university education. （ C） Winning the confidence of voters. （ D） Graduate school application procedures. （ A） Suggest a topic for a research paper. （ B） Tell
44、 her what to Study for the history test. （ C） Write a favorable letter of recommendation. （ D） Advise her about how to run an election campaign. 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 q
45、uestions 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） It was an independent country. （ B） It belonged to India. （ C） It was one of the British colonies. （ D） It was a small island in the Pacific Ocean. （ A） The
46、design of stamps. （ B） The color of stamps. （ C） The words on many stamps. （ D） The size of the stamps. （ A） Because it was misprinted a hundred years ago. （ B） Because it is rare and old. （ C） Because few collectors have it. （ D） Because it was made in British colonies. （ A） Examine whether these c
47、hildren were healthy. （ B） Find out whether their mothers had smoked. （ C） Find why these children suffered breathing problems and lung disease. （ D） Look into the effect that mothers smoking had on their children. （ A） John is more likely to develop lung cancer. （ B） Mary is more likely to develop
48、lung cancer. （ C） John and Mary have the same chance to develop cancer. （ D） Neither John nor Mary has the chance to develop cancer. （ A） Warn us of the danger of smoking before children. （ B） Warn people with breathing problems not to smoke. （ C） Warn us that mothers who smoke may affect their chil
49、drens health. （ D） Warn us that fathers who smoke may affect their children as mothers. （ A） Childrens IQ and TV. （ B） The whole amount of time children spend watching TV. （ C） The effect TV has on learning. （ D） The amount of time the average child spends watching TV. （ A） Full of violence. （ B） Quiet and non-interactive. （ C） Noisy but non-interactive. （ D） Involving no intellectually stimulation. （ A） It is compared with an operating light. （ B） It is compared with a game. （ C） It is compared with a brain drain machine.
