1、大学英语四级模拟试卷 624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 on the topic of Is Offering Seats Compulsory for Young Passengers? You should write at least 120 words according to the outline given below. 1有人认为公交车上年轻人必须给老人让座 2. 有人认为年轻人没有义务给老人让座
2、3你的看法 Is Offering Seats Compulsory for Young Passengers? 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 t
3、he statement agrees with the 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 Taking Care of Parents Also Means Taking Care of Finances Denise Egebrecht needed a break.
4、 It had been three years since her 86-year-old mother, Eleanor Schwartz, moved in with her and her husband in their home in Johnsburg, 111. Mrs. Schwartz has Alzheimers disease (老年痴呆症 ) and has trouble moving around, so Mrs. Egebrecht helps her mother with her shower each day, makes sure shes fed an
5、d takes her on small excursions (远足 ) to the mall in a portable wheelchair. The routine includes occasionally reminding her mother of what day it is and where shes living. Mrs. Egebrecht does all this while also raising her 8-year-old daughter Jaqueline and juggling a full-time job. “My mom took car
6、e of me all of my life,“ says Mrs. Egebrecht. “Of course Im going to take care of her now. Shell live here as long as shes able.“ But money was an issue. For a time, Mrs. Egebrecht was out of work, having lost her job last year. Although her husband was still employed, without her salary she found i
7、t increasingly difficult to pay $180 a week for the adult day care center Mrs. Schwartz attends regularly. Then, through the Family Alliance office in her town, Mrs. Egebrecht heard about a $1,000 “respite care (临时看护 )“ grant sponsored by the Alzheimers Foundation of America (AFA). Intended to give
8、primary caregivers the break they so often need, the grant money must be used to pay for temporary substitute care, said Carol Steinberg, executive vice president of the Alzheimers Foundation. Mrs. Egebrecht applied for and received the grant, which meant her mother could continue to go to the adult
9、 day care center and Mrs. Egebrecht had time to find another job, which she has. Mrs. Egebrecht is one of the growing numbers of Americans facing the financial squeeze that can come from caring for elderly parents. About 30 percent of adult children in the United States contribute financially to the
10、ir parents care, according to the Pew Research Center. On average these children pay $2,400 a year on everything from uncovered medical expenses to making sure the refrigerator is stocked each week. The money often goes to parents who diligently saved all their lives, but in the face of longer life
11、spans and chronic illness, the savings just isnt enough. With all of the overwhelming emotional and medical aspects of caring for elderly parents, its natural to ignore the consequences of spending large amounts of money on them. But so often adult children end up ignoring their own savings and reti
12、rement accounts or, worse, go into debt, because theyre taking care of their parents, says Tim Casserly, a lawyer in Albany who specializes in issues of elderly care. And if you jeopardize (损害 ) your own finances now, you risk putting your children in the same tough spot down the line. One way out o
13、f this bind? Take full advantage of the hundreds of government and nonprofit programs and services geared to the elderly throughout the country. “Theres lots of help out there, but also lots of reasons why families dont use it,“ said Mr. Casserly. Some people may think their parents have too much mo
14、ney to qualify even though many of the programs are available to elderly people with incomes of more than $100,000. Or the parents may be too proud to accept help. Whats more, these services can be difficult and time-consuming to find. And it can be a challenge to deal with the paperwork and red tap
15、e, especially when youre already overwhelmed by the daily demands of taking care of an older parent. To help make the search for help easier, here is expert advice and several resources that will help you find what you need to take care of your aging parents. THE FIRST STEP Have the hard talk. “So o
16、ften I see clients who are in the middle of this situation but know very little about their parents finances,“ said Henni Fisher, a Brooklyn clinical social worker who specializes in geriatrics (老人病学 ). Your parents may be unwilling or unable to give details. Or you may be uncomfortable bringing up
17、the subject. “It isnt easy making the transition from the one being cared for to the one giving the care,“ said Ms. Fisher. But you cant put the conversation off any longer. Reassure your parents that youre not trying to take control away from them. Youre simply trying to make sure that they have ev
18、erything they need and that you understand everything they want. During this conversation, or series of conversations, be sure to ask about one of the largest expenses for older people: assisted living or nursing home facilities. Do your parents have long-term care insurance that can help with this
19、exceptionally great expense? If they dont, should they get it? (For more information, see our previous article “Getting Insurance for Ones Frailest Years.“) THE DOCUMENTS Youll also want to make sure your parents have the proper paperwork in place. In an emergency, youll need legal authority to act
20、on your parents behalf. Make sure your parents have signed a durable power of attorney authorizing you or some other trustworthy person to take over financial decisions including signing checks and paying bills on their behalf. And keep in mind these other necessary documents: A durable power of att
21、orney for health care (also called a health care proxy) authorizing someone to make medical decisions when your parents cannot; and a living will outlining your parents wishes if life support is needed. These forms may be available at your local senior center. Or, a lawyer who focuses on elderly iss
22、ues can answer questions and help put this paperwork in place. To find one near you, go to the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (www.naela.org). (If you live in New York State you may need a lawyers help sorting out a new 12-page complex power of attorney form, advises Mr. Casserly.) HIRING A
23、N OUTSIDER Many families find relief when they hire a geriatric care manager. These consultants, which can cost anywhere from $50 to $200 an hour, will assess your parents situation, offer counseling and help you find the local services you need. So vital are these new professionals that my colleagu
24、e Lesley Alderman will be devoting next weeks Patient Money column to tips on finding the right care manager for your parents situation. 2 In the recent three years, Denise Egebrecht has been busy_. （ A） looking after her sick baby daughter （ B） helping her husband with the housework （ C） taking car
25、e of her sick elderly mother （ D） looking for a better job to support the family 3 According to Carol Steinberg, executive vice president of AFA, Mrs. Egebrecht can use the grant to_. （ A） have a luxurious holiday （ B） get day care for her mother （ C） finance her job-seeking （ D） cure her mothers di
26、sease 4 We learn from the Pew Research Center that one third of American adult children_. （ A） have parents with no savings and pensions （ B） ignore the emotional needs of their parents （ C） cant afford the daily and medical expenses （ D） spend their own money on their parents care 5 What often happ
27、ens to adult children taking care of their parents according to Tim Casserly? （ A） They dont prepare enough for their own future. （ B） They attach great importance to their own savings. （ C） They inevitably ignore their childrens needs. （ D） They become experts in issues of elderly care. 6 What did
28、Mr. Casserly imply about many American families? （ A） They have saved enough so as to take care of the elderly. （ B） They dont turn to government and nonprofit programs and services. （ C） They dont trust the programs supported by the local government. （ D） They know nothing about projects and servic
29、es for the elderly. 7 What problem do many adult children have according to Henni Fisher? （ A） They are incapable of taking over their parents finances. （ B） They exhaust themselves taking care of their parents. （ C） They find it hard to persuade their parents to accept help. （ D） They dont know how
30、 much money their parents have. 8 According to the passage, “Getting Insurance for Ones Frailest Years“ contains information on_. （ A） communication with old parents （ B） expenditure of the elderly （ C） long-term care insurance （ D） necessary home facilities 9 A parent-signed durable power of attorn
31、ey grants an adult child power to make_as the parents agent. 10 New York States adult children are suggested to turn to_when having difficulty getting the paperwork. 11 Consultants specializing in elderly care issues give many families_with their counseling and help. Section A Directions: In this se
32、ction, 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 and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read
33、the four choices marked A, B, C and D, and decide which is the best answer. （ A） He hasnt been hard on her. （ B） He always finds fault with her. （ C） He wont revenge himself on her. （ D） He will change his attitude to her. （ A） Go over the list. （ B） Go for an outing. （ C） Go shopping for his mum. （
34、 D） List everything his mum needs. （ A） They cater chiefly to tourists. （ B） They are busy all the year round. （ C） They stay closed until summer comes. （ D） They provide quality service to their customers. （ A） The yard of their old house. （ B） The room they are going to move into. （ C） The quality
35、 of the furniture they bought. （ D） The feeling they have of their neighborhood. （ A） The man had the car repaired. （ B） The speakers car has to be replaced. （ C） The couple were involved in an accident. （ D） The speakers car was stolen and the man found it. （ A） She bought the skirt on her birthday
36、. （ B） It was a wedding gift from her friends. （ C） She thanked the man for buying her the skirt. （ D） Her boyfriend presented it to her as a gift. （ A） The rent is too high. （ B） He doesnt like the suburbs. （ C） He cant afford the high taxes. （ D） Its too expensive to hire taxies. （ A） All rooms ar
37、e taken. （ B） There is just a single room. （ C） There are only double rooms. （ D） Many spare rooms are available. （ A） A project about an actress. （ B） A project about a movie director. （ C） A project about a movie. （ D） A project about Europe. （ A） Going to the cinema. （ B） Conducting an opinion po
38、ll. （ C） Doing an Internet search. （ D） Reading a magazine. （ A） Her mother. （ B） An actress. （ C） Her roommate. （ D） Her classmate. （ A） The rock-climbing training involves a lot of preparation. （ B） Rock-climbing is safe if you are experienced enough. （ C） The woman is not excited about the first
39、class in rock-climbing. （ D） The speakers will take a climbing trip in the early spring when the ice breaks. （ A） One is safe if he is very careful. （ B） Hi-tech safety equipment ensures ones safety. （ C） A lot of people do rock-climbing and they are OK. （ D） There are no dangerous places nearby to
40、do rock-climbing. （ A） She can make a lot of friends. （ B） She can work more efficiently. （ C） She can learn mental discipline. （ D） She can get more familiar with the man. （ A） He might join the class. （ B） He will join the class if the woman does. （ C） He still thinks it unworthy to join the class
41、. （ D） He will tell the woman once he has made a decision. Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 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 questions will be
42、 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） He told no one about his disease. （ B） He worked hard to pay for his medication. （ C） He depended on the nurses in his final days. （ D） He had stayed in the hospital since h
43、e fell ill. （ A） She wanted to obey her mother. （ B） She found no one willing to listen to her. （ C） She thought it was shameful to have AIDS. （ D） She was afraid of being looked down upon. （ A） To remember her father. （ B） To draw peoples attention to AIDS. （ C） To show how little people knew about
44、 AIDS. （ D） To tell people about the sufferings of her father. （ A） She felt tired of taking care of patients. （ B） She had suffered a lot of mental pressure. （ C） She needed the right time to look after her children. （ D） She wanted to earn more money to support her family. （ A） They look like peop
45、le raising pigs. （ B） They look down upon cleaners. （ C） They never do their work carefully. （ D） They always make a mess in their offices. （ A） Light-hearted because of her fellow workers. （ B） Happy because the building is fully lit. （ C） Tired because of the heavy workload. （ D） Bored because tim
46、e passed slowly. （ A） Enjoy family happiness. （ B） Switch to another field. （ C） Start his own business. （ D） Build a house of his own. （ A） He planned to sell it to one of his customers. （ B） He planned to send it to the carpenter as a gift. （ C） He planned to fill it with his favorites. （ D） He pl
47、anned to send it to his partner. （ A） It was of low quality. （ B） It was perfect in workmanship and materials. （ C） It did not satisfy the contractor. （ D） It was the best of all the houses he had built. （ A） We should focus on the future life. （ B） We should react to life rather than act. （ C） We s
48、hould build our houses in life. （ D） We should always do our best. 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
49、 to fill 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 One feature of newfound wealth in the developing world has been the embrace of Western luxury labels. But since the global economy【 B1】 _apart, the rich classes have【 B2】 _ their spending on Chan
