1、大学英语四级模拟试卷 618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 Media and Shopping. You should write at least 120 words according to the outline given below. 1目前许多人通过媒体购物 2媒体购物有利有弊 3我的看法 Media and Shopping 二、 Part II Reading Comprehensi
2、on (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 statem
3、ent contradicts the information given in the passage; NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. 1 Taking Early Retirement May Retire Memory, Too The two economists call their paper “Mental Retirement“, and their argument has interested behavioral researchers. Data from the U
4、nited States, England and 11 other European countries suggest that the earlier people retire, the more quickly their memories decline. The implication, the economists and others say, is that there really seems to be something to the “use it or lose it“ notion if people want to preserve their memorie
5、s and reasoning abilities, they may have to keep active. “Its incredibly interesting and exciting,“ said Laura L. Carstensen, director of the Center on Longevity at Stanford University. “It suggests that work actually provides an important component of the environment that keeps people functioning o
6、ptimally.“ While not everyone is convinced by the new analysis, published recently in The Journal of Economic Perspectives, a number of leading researchers say the study is, at least, a bit of evidence for a hypothesis (假 设 ) that is widely believed but surprisingly difficult to demonstrate. Researc
7、hers repeatedly find that retired people as a group tend to do less well on cognitive tests than people who are still working. But, they note, that could be because people whose memories and thinking skills are declining may be more likely to retire than people whose cognitive skills remain sharp. A
8、nd research has failed to support the premise(假设 ) that mastering things like memory exercises, crossword puzzles and games like Sudoku carry over into real life, improving overall functioning. “If you do crossword puzzles, you get better at crossword puzzles,“ said Lisa Berkman, director of the Cen
9、ter for Population and Development Studies at Harvard. “If you do Sudoku, you get better at Sudoku. You get better at one narrow task. But you dont get better at cognitive (认知的 ) behavior in life.“ The study was possible, explains one of its authors, Robert Willis, a professor of economics at the Un
10、iversity of Michigan, because the National Institute on Aging began a large study in the United States nearly 20 years ago. Called the Health and Retirement Study, it surveys more than 22,000 Americans over age 50 every two years, and administers memory tests. That led European countries to start th
11、eir own surveys, using similar questions so the data would be comparable among countries. Now, Dr. Willis said, Japan and South Korea have begun administering the survey to their populations. China is planning to start doing a survey next year. And India and several countries in Latin America are st
12、arting preliminary work on their own surveys. “This is a new approach that is only possible because of the development of comparable data sets around the world,“ Dr. Willis said. The memory test looks at how well people can recall a list of 10 nouns immediately and 10 minutes after they heard them.
13、A perfect score is 20, meaning all 10 were recalled each time. Those tests were chosen for the surveys because memory generally declines with age, and this decline is associated with diminished (降低的 ) ability to think and reason. People in the United States did best, with an average score of 11. Tho
14、se in Denmark and England were close behind, with scores just above 10. In Italy, the average score was around 7, in France it was 8, and in Spain it was a little more than 6. Examining the data from the various countries, Dr. Willis and his colleague Susann Rohwedder, associate director of the RAND
15、 Center for the Study of Aging in Santa Monica, Calif., noticed that there are large differences in the ages at which people retire. In the United States, England and Denmark, where people retire later, 65 to 70 percent of men were still working when they were in their early 60s. In France and Italy
16、, the figure is 10 to 20 percent, and in Spain it is 38 percent. Economic incentives (鼓励 ) produce the large differences in retirement age, Dr. Rohwedder and Dr. Willis report. Countries with earlier retirement ages have tax policies, pension, disability and other measures that encourage people to l
17、eave the work force at younger ages. The researchers find a straight-line relationship between the percentage of people in a country who are working at age 60 to 64 and their performance on memory tests. The longer people in a country keep working, the better, as a group, they do on the tests when t
18、hey are in their early 60s. The study cannot point to what aspect of work might help people retain their memories. Nor does it reveal whether different kinds of work might be associated with different effects on memory tests. And, as Dr. Berkman notes, it has nothing to say about the consequences of
19、 staying in a physically demanding job that might lead to disabilities. “There has to be an out for people who face physical disabilities if they continue,“ she said. And of course not all work is mentally stimulating. But, Dr. Willis said, work has other aspects that might be operating. “There is e
20、vidence that social skills and personality skills getting up in the morning, dealing with people, knowing the value of being prompt and trustworthy are also important,“ he said. “They go hand in hand with the work environment.“ But Hugh Hendrie, an emeritus (荣誉退休的 ) psychology professor at Indiana U
21、niversity School of Medicine, is not convinced by the papers conclusions. “Its a nice approach, a very good study,“ he said. But, he said, there are many differences among countries besides retirement ages. The connections do not prove causation. They also, he added, do not prove that there is a cli
22、nical significance to the changes in scores on memory tests. All true, said Richard Suzman, associate director for behavioral and social research at the National Institute on Aging. Nonetheless, he said, “its a strong finding; its a big effect.“ If work does help maintain cognitive functioning, it w
23、ill be important to find out what aspect of work is doing that, Dr. Suzman said. “Is it the social engagement and interaction or the cognitive component of work, or is it the aerobic component of work?“ he asked. “Or is it the absence of what happens when you retire, which could be increased TV watc
24、hing?“ “Its quite convincing, but its not the complete story,“ Dr. Suzman said. “This is an opening shot. But its got to be followed up.“ 2 What does data from America and some European countries show? （ A） Stopping working will do people good mentally. （ B） Those taking early retire tend to live a
25、better life. （ C） Retirement has an influence on peoples memories. （ D） Being active is the only way to preserve memory. 3 Whats the opinion of many leading researchers on the new analysis? （ A） It is very persuasive as well as easily understood. （ B） It proves a widely-believed hypothesis in a sens
26、e. （ C） It overestimates the importance of elderly worker. （ D） It is extremely difficult to make it clear to people. 4 Lisa Berkman suggested that doing crossword puzzles_. （ A） was a mere creational activity in peoples life （ B） could affect peoples cognitive behaviors indirectly （ C） helped retir
27、ed people keep their memories sharp （ D） didnt necessarily improve peoples cognitive skills 5 According to Professor Robert Willis, the study was only possible when_. （ A） new types of memory tests had been created （ B） the study was led by the United States （ C） it gained financial support from ric
28、h countries （ D） the data were comparable among countries 6 How many Spanish men were still working in their early 60s? （ A） Seventy percent. （ B） Thirty-eight percent. （ C） Twenty percent. （ D） Six-five percent. 7 According to Dr. Rohwedder and Dr. Willis, in some countries, people retire early bec
29、ause of_. （ A） economic incentives （ B） culture and tradition （ C） poor physical conditions （ D） short life span 8 Dr. Berkman notes that the study fails to reveal_. （ A） what kind of work helps maintain cognitive functioning （ B） different effects of different kinds of work on memory （ C） the resul
30、ts of keeping doing demanding physical work （ D） the relationship between work and memory preserving 9 Dr. Willis indicated that_which are in close association with the work environment are also important in preserving peoples memories. 10 Though Hugh Hendrie said the study was a nice and good one,
31、he is not_by its conclusions. 11 According to Richard Suzman, it is of great significance to see what aspect of work is helping 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 ab
32、out 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） The man shouldnt attend the exam. （ B） Only a doctor can te
33、ll the man what to do. （ C） The man should ask his instructors opinion. （ D） The instructor wont let the man take the final exam. （ A） Bob didnt hear the alarm. （ B） Bob is too tired to study any more. （ C） He had often advised Bob to study. （ D） He told Bob not to study late at night. （ A） She can
34、help him with it easily. （ B） They can start working on it now. （ C） Shes not sure how to do it. （ D） It will take a long time. （ A） By keeping the problems by herself. （ B） By going directly to the boss with her problems. （ C） By telling her bosss mother about the problems. （ D） By letting her moth
35、er speak to the boss about her problems. （ A） A rest for a few days. （ B） An operation. （ C） Special medicine for his illness. （ D） A treatment. （ A） Have dinner in the cafe. （ B） Try to get a job in the cafe. （ C） Find out when the cafe opens. （ D） Meet her in the cafe this evening. （ A） She strong
36、ly disagrees with the man. . （ B） She knows neither Steven nor his father at all. （ C） She also admires Stevens relationship with his father. （ D） She also has a close relationship with her daughter now. （ A） He regrets that he did not take it. （ B） Its difficult. （ C） Its interesting and easy. （ D）
37、 He doesnt like the subject. （ A） Play tennis. （ B） Return to his hometown. （ C） Join the woman for dinner. （ D） Go to a coffee shop with the woman. （ A） She doesnt drink coffee. （ B） She has a plane to catch. （ C） She has to go to a lesson. （ D） She doesnt like the man. （ A） He will postpone the tr
38、ip. （ B） He will take tennis lessons. （ C） He will marry the woman. （ D） He will cook dinner for the woman. （ A） He wants to become a cook. （ B） He hopes to go on to graduate school. （ C） He wants to travel around the world. （ D） Hed like to work at a hotel. （ A） History. （ B） French. （ C） Computer
39、Science. （ D） Hotel Management. （ A） She has a part-time job. （ B） She received a scholarship. （ C） Her parents pay for it. （ D） She is working as a tourist guide. （ A） At a bakery. （ B） In a library. （ C） At a restaurant. （ D） At a travel agency. Section B Directions: In this section, you will hear
40、 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） They cant afford them. （ B） They prefer apartments. （
41、C） Big houses are usually built in the countryside. （ D） They think small houses are more comfortable to live in. （ A） Many people have quit their old houses to build new ones. （ B） Many older people sell their houses after their children leave. （ C） Many old houses in the bad part of the town are n
42、ot inhabited. （ D） Many young people have moved into comfortable apartments. （ A） They have to furnish their own houses. （ B） They have to do their own maintenance. （ C） They will find it difficult to make the rest of the payment. （ D） They will find it difficult to dispose of their old-style furnit
43、ure. （ A） She has always lived in America. （ B） She visited America three years ago. （ C） She has been in America for three years. （ D） She has come to America to do research on advertising. （ A） The advertisements there were well designed. （ B） The advertisements there were creative and necessary.
44、（ C） She found the advertisements there difficult to understand. （ D） There were far more advertisements there than she had expected. （ A） Be more careful about what they advertise. （ B） Advertise more for their products. （ C） Spend less money on advertising. （ D） Use new advertising techniques. （ A
45、） He made money by buying and selling farms. （ B） He made a study of many farms before buying. （ C） He had the money to buy the best farm in the country. （ D） He wanted to buy the oldest farm near where he lived. （ A） It was in a good position. （ B） It was next to the highway. （ C） It was behind a n
46、ice garden. （ D） It was of good market value. （ A） He wanted to keep the farm as it was. （ B） He was eager to become a farm owner. （ C） He hoped to enlarge the forest on the farm. （ D） He was afraid the owner might change his mind. （ A） To own a farm. （ B） To satisfy his needs. （ C） To be free from
47、worries. （ D） To live in the countryside. 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 nu
48、mbered 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 Hello and welcome to this weeks edition of Tell Me More
49、the program where you ask the questions and we provide the answers. And weve had a wide【 B1】_of questions from you this week. And the subject weve picked for you this week in【 B2】 _to your many letters is the production of postage stamps. And as【 B3】 _, weve been doing our homework on the subject. So who designs the postage stamps that we stick on our letters? Well, in Australia the design of postage stamps is in the hands of Australia Post. In Britain, its the Royal Ma
