1、大学英语四级模拟试卷 674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 Should the Rich Show off Their Wealth? You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below. 1现在富人炫富正成为一种 社会现象 2人们对此现象看法不一 3我认为 Should the Rich Show off Th
2、eir Wealth? 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 information give
3、n 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 When It Comes to Water, We are All Maya Now Its possible that the impressive Maya civilization with mastery of mathematics, farming, wa
4、ter management, pyramid building and city planning was undone by summer rain. Not enough summer rain. Undone, in fact, by exactly the kind of rainfall changes, we ourselves are starting to experience small shifts in rainfall that persist, and end up having an outsized impact. The Maya dominated the
5、Yucatan Peninsula for 600 years, and their settlement and civilization there spanned more than 1,000 years. And yet the great Maya cities collapsed and were abandoned to the jungle over a period of between 100 and 200 years. What happened is the subject of wide scholarly debates although drought (干旱
6、 ) has often been argued as the major source of the Mayas termination, a long-lasting and damaging drought. The debates have lacked hard data, until last week. In the journal Science, weve now got a graph showing the rainfall over the Yucatan, during the last 200 years of Maya dominance from the yea
7、r 800 to the year 1000. Actually, its not quite a graph of rainfall: Its a graph of each years difference from the typical rainfall. The years 810 to 815 were pretty wet 10 percent more rainfall than usual. The years 820 to 840 were harsh not a single year of even average rainfall, and decades of ye
8、ars with 30 percent less rainfall than usual. Whats so striking is that the periods of drought were relatively short, often broken by brief good rain, and the actual fall-off in rainfall seems relatively modest 20 to 40 percent less than usual in the dry periods. In fact, over a period of 200 years,
9、 there are only a couple deep troughs (波谷 ) reaching to 40 percent less than usual. Could the Mayas have been undone by that kind of shift in rainfall over 100 or 150 years? We think the disastrous collapse of a civilization requires an equally disastrous cause. But what if our expectation of water
10、availability is so fixed that we lose track of it? What if small shifts in rainfall can have a surprisingly dramatic impact? “ Perhaps,“ write the papers authors, “ the impact of these droughts was rather modest despite the large associated environmental and societal disruptions. “ The detailed pict
11、ure of Maya rainfall is the work of two climate scientists, Martin Medina-Elizalde and Eelco Rohling, and they analyzed lakebed substances that revealed the rainfall. Their conclusions are remarkably detailed Medina-Elizalde and Rohling were able to tease out the difference between the rainy season
12、rainfall of the summers and the drier season rainfall of the winters. They found that it was the summer rainfall that fell off and that much of the fall-off may have been due to fewer hurricanes (飓风 ), or hurricanes of reduced intensity. We tend to be pretty confident in our ability to see and measu
13、re whats going on around us, to understand it, and to adjust. Its not certain what happened to the Maya but one thing is true: They had sophisticated systems for accessing groundwater and for collecting, storing, and distributing rainwater. Like our own systems, the Maya systems were elaborate and f
14、ixed in place. When the rain failed to appear in the quantities they had become used to, they didnt have the flexibility to adapt their water system to serve the millions of people who relied on it. They had built a civilization assuming a certain quantity of water, and when 20 or 30 percent less wa
15、ter appeared consistently, their entire way of life, perhaps especially food cultivation, became unsustainable. The authors themselves note, somewhat dryly, that the variations in rainfall they found during the period when Maya civilization disintegrated “ are not far outside the range of those prec
16、eding this time interval, when the Maya civilization flourished. “ That is, the amount of rain, and the variation in that rain, wasnt too different between dominance and destruction. Heres the amazing thing. Were not actually much better off than the Mayas except for having a wealth of data to track
17、 our own vulnerability. Last year, rainfall in Houston, Texas, was 55 percent less than usual. How will Houston get along if that persists for a couple years? And then theres the story of Perth, Australia. Perth is the first western city to confront the possibility of truly running out of water. The
18、 circumstance in Perth in 2012 is startlingly similar to that in the Yucatan Peninsula in 912. Perth has seen average rainfall drop 20 percent over the last 25 years. Water collected by its reservoirs fell by 75 percent over that same period. Why? Because the reservoirs were built assuming a certain
19、 amount and location of rainfall. As one Perth official put it, “All of a sudden, it looked like wed built our reservoirs in the wrong place. “ For a chilling bar graph of what it looks like when a city looks water disaster in the eye, nothing matches the simple chart Perths water utility has put up
20、 online. The crisis Perth confronted in the late 1990s, and avoided, was identical to that faced by Maya water managers except Perth got the leadership and vision to fix its water problems. Most super-sized modern cities would be in a similar crisis if their long-term water availability suddenly dro
21、pped 20 percent not to say 30 or 40 percent. Our city water systems have no better adaptability than those of the Maya. Indeed, during the cruel 10-year drought in Australia, many big reservoirs were down to 30 or 20 or 10 percent capacity there is nothing more threatening than a city-sized reservoi
22、r that is 80 percent empty. The lesson of the Maya and the lesson of Perth are the same. Our water assumptions are just that: assumptions. We should be building city water cultures that have flexibility, multiple sources, the ability to re-use water, the ability to conserve. Real strategic thinking
23、about water isnt about a new water treatment plant, or a plan to replace aging water mains. Its about knowing what youll do if youre suddenly faced with a 10 or 20 percent loss of available water, permanently. Being ready for that kind of shift would change how we all think about water from factory
24、managers to dads doing the dishes. In fact, we are all Maya. 2 What is the reason for the author to mention Mayas rainfall changes? （ A） He conducted a research on the topic. （ B） He read an article concerning the topic. （ C） He used the topic to alarm readers. （ D） He cited it as an example for arg
25、ument. 3 What is revealed in the graph published in the journal Science？ （ A） The development and rediscovery of Maya civilization. （ B） The dominance of civilization in Yucatan Peninsula. （ C） Mayas sophisticated farming and city planning. （ D） Mayas annual difference from the typical rainfall. 4 W
26、hat discovery is considered so striking in the graph of rainfall over Yucatan? （ A） Drought periods were relatively short. （ B） There has been no snow for 200 years. （ C） Occasional floods happened. （ D） The rainfall witnessed an annual decline. 5 It was found that the great decline of summer rainfa
27、ll in Maya may result from_. （ A） the increasing heat from the sun （ B） fewer and weaker hurricanes （ C） more acid air in the atmosphere （ D） environmental and social destructions 6 Why did the Mayas fail to adapt to the quantity change of rainfalls? （ A） Their water management systems were ineffici
28、ent. （ B） They lacked flexibility to adapt their water system. （ C） Their number of citizen was too large to be well served. （ D） They had unrealistic expectations for more rainfalls. 7 According to the author, in which aspect are we better off than the Mayas? （ A） We master new technology for water
29、 cleaning. （ B） We own complicated machines to dig deep wells. （ C） We are more talented and independent than Mayas. （ D） We have sufficient data to reflect our rainfall deficiency. 8 What happened to the city of Perth, Australia over the last 25 years? （ A） Half of its land turned to desert. （ B） I
30、ts population exploded twice. （ C） Its average rainfall dropped 20 percent. （ D） Two of its major rivers were poisoned. 9 A 20 percent drop in the long-term water availability would induce a huge crisis for_ 10 According to the author, our knowledge and understanding about water are just_ 11 We shou
31、ld know what steps to take if suddenly faced with a 10 or 20 percent permanent loss of_ 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
32、 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 wants to go to the movies. （ B） Shell go to the coffee shop. . （ C） She is very busy tonight. （
33、 D） She is a quiet person. （ A） The man booked a single room. （ B） The woman made a mistake. （ C） The single rooms are fully booked. （ D） The double rooms are not available. （ A） The man didnt pass the scholarship examination. （ B） The womans application didnt impress the board. （ C） The woman neede
34、d to try for the scholarship next year. （ D） The competition for scholarship was not very keen. （ A） The woman should explain it three times. （ B） The woman should be confident in herself. （ C） The woman is stupid in learning biology. （ D） The woman is making little progress everyday. （ A） She has n
35、o interest in basketball match. （ B） She prefers basketball to volleyball. （ C） She likes watching violent sports. （ D） She is a volleyball fan. （ A） The man usually does morning exercise. （ B） The woman does exercise with the man. （ C） The man needs to do exercise. （ D） The woman lacks exercise. （
36、A） She has gone to the stadium for mens 100m race. （ B） She will go to the stadium for the mens 400m relay. （ C） She will take part in the womens 400m relay. （ D） She will be on time for the womens 400m relay. （ A） She mistook the class party date. （ B） She was two hours late for the party. （ C） She
37、 missed the class party. （ D） She didnt enjoy the class party. （ A） Whether the large order is from a regular client. （ B） Whether they had the goods in stock. （ C） Whether the goods can be delivered in time. （ D） Whether the customer can get the special prices. （ A） Its more convenient to keep the
38、details for each client. （ B） Its good for the environment. （ C） Its cleaner and safer than using paper files. （ D） Its easy to take on business trip. （ A） Finish writing a sales report for the boss. （ B） Solve the complaint from a client. （ C） Get ready for the work next morning. （ D） Check informa
39、tion on computer files. （ A） HR is a better choice than an agency. （ B） An agency will be familiar with the employees. （ C） HR people are more professional. （ D） An agency is much too expensive. （ A） It costs too much. （ B） It is too far from the airport. （ C） The traffic is heavy there. （ D） There
40、is no office available. （ A） They might open the branch office. （ B） They might sign another three contracts. （ C） They might work for foreign countries. （ D） They might market their new products. （ A） In the TV programs. （ B） Through the embassy. （ C） Through business magazine. （ D） On the Internet
41、. 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 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）
42、The grassy Mall area. （ B） A large building. （ C） The African elephant. （ D） A rare natural reserve. （ A） Watch short movies about the elephant. （ B） Hear sounds of the natural environment. （ C） Listen to a lecture about the elephant. （ D） Wonder at the amazement of the natural world. （ A） Examples
43、of dinosaurs. （ B） Samples of insects. （ C） Remains of live birds. （ D） Shows of sea animals. （ A） A daily morning program in Washington. （ B） An aired program for high school students. （ C） A competitive show for parents and children. （ D） An academic show covering all kinds of subjects. （ A） To co
44、mpete with other broadcasts. （ B） To change the routine programs. （ C） To work out efficient teaching method. （ D） To show some excellent students. （ A） Its time-consuming. （ B） Its depressing if they fail. （ C） Its honorable to win. （ D） Its exciting and competitive. （ A） Physical appearance. （ B）
45、Mental health. （ C） Body language. （ D） Social behavior. （ A） It is controlled by the brain activity. （ B） It is decisive in evaluating potential threat. （ C） It is believed to narrow the physical gap. （ D） It is important for interacting with people. （ A） Work harder to find out the threat. （ B） St
46、op working because of the fear. （ C） Try hard to regulate emotions. （ D） Act positively to react to danger. （ A） Consider different situations. （ B） Take eye contact into account. （ C） Respond positively to the situation. （ D） Pay attention to facial expression. Section C Directions: In this section
47、, 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 from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbe
48、red 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 Because so many people in their teens and early 20s are increasingly socializingaccessible to each other every minute of the day via ce
49、ll phone, instant messaging and social-networking websites there are a host of new questions that need to be【 B1】_in schools, in the workplace and at home. Chief among them: How much work can “super-socializing“ students or employees really【 B2】 _if they are holding multiple conversations with friends via text-messaging, or are【 B3】 _ checking Facebook? Some argue they can accomplish a great【 B4】 _: This generation has a gift for multitasking, and because the
