1、大学英语四级模拟试卷 814及答案与解析 一、 Part I Writing (30 minutes) 1 My View on Smoking Bans in Schools 1有些大学提出校园禁烟令 2有人认为 ，而有人认为 3我的看法 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 at
2、tached 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 contradicts the information given in the passage; NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. 1 Will We Run Out of Water?
3、Picture a “ghost ship“ sinking into the sand, left to rot on dry land by a receding sea. Then imagine dust storms sweeping up toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers from the dry seabed and spewing them across towns and villages. Seem like a scene from a movie about the end of the world? For peopl
4、e living near the Aral sea (咸海 ) in Central Asia, its all too real. Thirty years ago, government planners diverted the rivers that flow into the sea in order to irrigate ( provide water for ) farmland. As a result, the sea has shrunk to half its original size, stranding (使搁浅 ) ships on dry land. The
5、 seawater has tripled in salt content and become polluted, killing all 24 native species of fish. Similar large-scale efforts to redirect water in other parts of the world have also ended in ecological crisis, according to numerous environmental groups. But many countries continue to build massive d
6、ams and irrigation systems, even though such projects can create more problems than they fix. Why? People in many parts of the world are desperate for water, and more people will need more water in the next century. “Growing populations will worsen problems with water,“ says Peter H. Gleick, an envi
7、ronmental scientist at the Pacific Institute for studies in Development, Environment, and Security, a research organization in California. He fears that by the year 2025, as many as one-third of the worlds projected (预测的 ) 8.3 billion people will suffer from water shortages. WHERE WATER GOES Only 2.
8、5 percent of all water on Earth is freshwater, water suitable for drinking and growing food, says Sandra Postel, director of the Global Water Policy Project in Amherst, Mass. Two-thirds of this freshwater is locked in glaciers (冰山 ) and ice caps (冰盖 ). In fact, only a tiny percentage of freshwater i
9、s part of the water cycle, in which water evaporates and rises into the atmosphere, then condenses and falls back to Earth as precipitation (rain or snow). Some precipitation runs off land to lakes and oceans, and some becomes groundwater, water that seeps into the earth. Much of this renewable fres
10、hwater ends up in remote places like the Amazon river basin in Brazil, where few people live. In fact, the worlds population has access to only 12,500 cubic kilometers of freshwater-about the amount of water in Lake Superior(苏必利尔湖 ). And people use half of this amount already. “If water demand conti
11、nues to climb rapidly,“ says Postel, “there will be severe shortages and damage to the aquatic (水的 ) environment.“ CLOSE TO HOME Water woes (灾难 ) may seem remote to people living in rich countries like the United States. But Americans could face serious water shortages, too especially in areas that
12、rely oil groundwater. Groundwater accumulates in aquifers (地下蓄水层 ),layers of sand and gravel that lie between soil and bedrock. (For every liter of surface water, more than 90 liters are hidden underground. ) Although the United States has large aquifers, farmers, ranchers, and cities are tapping ma
13、ny of them for water faster than nature can replenish(补充 ) it. In northwest Texas, for example, overpumping has shrunk groundwater supplies by 25 percent, according to Postel. Americans may face even more urgent problems from pollution. Drinking water in the United States is generally safe and meets
14、 high standards. Nevertheless, one in five Americans every day unknowingly drinks tap water contaminated with bacteria and chemical wastes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In Milwaukee, 400,000 people fell ill in 1993 after drinking tap water tainted with cryptosporidium (隐孢子虫 ) ,a
15、 microbe (微生物 ) that causes fever, diarrhea (腹泻 ) and vomiting. THE SOURCE Where so contaminants come from? In developing countries, people dump raw (未经处理的 ) sewage (污水 ) into the same streams and rivers from which they draw water for drinking and cooking; about 250 million people a year get sick fr
16、om water borne (饮水传染的 ) diseases. In developed countries, manufacturers use 100,000 chemical compounds to make a wide range of products. Toxic chemicals pollute water when released untreated into rivers and lakes. ( Certain compounds, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (多氯化联二苯 ), or PCBs, have been b
17、anned in the United States. ) But almost everyone contributes to water pollution. People often pour household cleaners, car antifreeze, and paint thinners (稀释剂 ) down the drain; all of these contain hazardous chemicals. Scientists studying water in the San Francisco Bay reported in 1996 that 70 perc
18、ent of the pollutants could be traced to household waste. Farmers have been criticized for overusing herbicides and pesticides, chemicals that kill weeds and insects but insects but that pollute water as well. Farmers also use nitrates, nitrogen-rich fertilizer that helps plants grow but that can wr
19、eak havoc (大破坏 ) on the environment. Nitrates are swept away by surface runoff to lakes and seas. Too many nitrates “over-enrich“ these bodies of water, encouraging the buildup of algae, or microscopic plants that live on the surface of the water. Algae deprive the water of oxygen that fish need to
20、survive, at times choking off life in an entire body of water. WHATS THE SOLUTION? Water expert Gleick advocates conservation and local solutions to water-related problems; governments, for instance, would be better off building small-scale dams rather than huge and disruptive projects like the one
21、that mined the Aral Sea. “More than 1 billion people worldwide dont have access to basic clean drinking water,“ says Gleick. “There has to be a strong push on the part of everyone-governments and ordinary people-to make sure we have a resource so fundamental to life.“ 2 That the huge water projects
22、have diverted the rivers causes the Aral Sea to shrink. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 3 The construction of massive dams and irrigation projects do more good than harm. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 4 The chief causes of water shortage are population growth and water pollution. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 5 The problems
23、Americans face concerning water are ground water shrinkage and tap water pollution. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 6 According to the passage all water pollutants come from household waste. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 7 The people living in the United States will not be faced with water shortages. （ A） Y （ B） N （
24、C） NG 8 Water expert Gleick has come up with the best solution to water-related problems. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 9 According to Peter H. Gleick, by the year 2025, as many as _ of the worlds people will suffer from water shortages. 10 Two-thirds of the freshwater on Earth is locked in _. 11 In develop
25、ed countries, before toxic chemicals are released into rivers and lakes; they should be treated in order to avoid _. 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 wa
26、s 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 mans appointment has been put off. （ B） The man has to fill in som
27、e forms. （ C） The man is sure to return tomorrow. （ D） The man is not ready for his appointment. （ A） She isnt having much trouble. （ B） She understood the reading yesterday. （ C） She understands very little. （ D） She is good at intensive reading. （ A） She would go to a party. （ B） She would work ov
28、ertime. （ C） She would work early in the morning. （ D） She would go home immediately after work. （ A） He thinks his boss is terrible. （ B） He thinks his boss is frank. （ C） He thinks his boss is rude. （ D） He thinks his boss is always wrong. （ A） The woman should get on the plane. （ B） The plane wil
29、l land at nine-thirty. （ C） The woman need not worry. （ D） The announcer should try not to sound nervous. （ A） Its not easy to get a taxi. （ B） Its easier to get to the railway station. （ C） They have to ask Paul to drive the taxi. （ D） They do not have to ask Paul to drive them. （ A） They are sure
30、to finish the project in June. （ B） They are sure to finish the project in October. （ C） They are sure to finish the project in March. （ D） They are sure to finish the project in July. （ A） His summer job didnt pay well. （ B） He didnt save much of his salary. （ C） He spent his savings on summer hous
31、ing. （ D） If he earned more money, he could save money. （ A） They show great respect to their parents. （ B） They always do what their parents ask them to do. （ C） They are very close to their parents. （ D） They often disregard their parents opinions. （ A） Because her parents do not force her to do w
32、hat she doesnt want to do. （ B） Because her parents allow her to study in England. （ C） Because her parents support her financially. （ D） Because her parents allow her to live on her own. （ A） He loves his family very much. （ B） He gets along well with his parents. （ C） His parents do not give him m
33、uch freedom. （ D） He does not have much in common with his parents. （ A） Because it isnt closed. （ B） Because the students have to pass all examinations before entering it. （ C） Because there is no examination before they are accepted as students. （ D） Because its door is open. （ A） At the airport.
34、（ B） By plane. （ C） Taking the air. （ D） On radio and TV. （ A） Four. （ B） Eight. （ C） Three. （ D） Five. （ A） In four or five years. （ B） In one year. （ C） In three or four years. （ D） In 36 weeks. Section B Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you
35、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） Miss Straus. （ B） Mabel Bird. （ C） Isidor Straus. （ D） Mabel Birds servant. （ A） To get into the lifeboat
36、. （ B） To stay with her husband. （ C） To be close to her husband. （ D） To stand arm in arm on the deck with her husband. （ A） Her best friend. （ B） Her hearts true companion. （ C） Always a comfort to her soul. （ D） All of the above. （ A） She wanted to put the children first into the lifeboat. （ B） S
37、he could not bear to leave her husband. （ C） She helped her servant to get into the boat. （ D） She was too old to put her foot on the edge of the boat. （ A） Their social roles are rigidly determined. （ B） Most boys would like to follow their fathers professions. （ C） Boys like to play with their fat
38、hers and girls with their mothers. （ D） They like challenging activities. （ A） Toys have changed so much over the centuries. （ B） The technique in toy-making has remained unchanged. （ C） The technique in toy-making has changed a lot. （ D） Toys have remained basically the same over the centuries. （ A
39、） The progress of toys follow a direct line of rising. （ B） Toys also appeal greatly to adults. （ C） Toys are not characterized by technological progress. （ D） Toys reflect the pace of social progress. （ A） 3 6 months of monthly salary （ B） 13% of salary （ C） $10 （ D） Not mentioned Section C Directi
40、ons: 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 from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just hea
41、rd. 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 35 The entertainment profession, or “show business“, attracts many young people. 【 B1】_, only very few can hope to bec
42、ome famous and 【 B2】 _ Talent is not enough, because show business is as 【 B3】 _ as any other business. A 【 B4】 _ must change his “act“ in order to 【 B5】 _ the taste of the moment. This is true for actors, dancers and 【 B6】 _, but perhaps most of all for singers. A pop singer must either give the pu
43、blic what they already want, or he must find a new way of singing that will attract their attention. Even when he has 【 B7】 _, and his records are sold everywhere, he cannot 【 B8】 _. Then he must work harder than ever to stay popular, 【 B9】 _. The life of a successful pop singer is not at all easy.
44、He can only relax when he is alone, 【 B10】 _. The fans are the most important people in the world for the singer. They buy his records, they go to his concerts, and they make him rich and famous but they can be very annoying, too. Sometimes their enthusiasm gets to be hysterical. 【 B11】 _. Many sing
45、ers have been forced to hide. A pop singer has to spend a lot of money on clothes, because he must always look smart, or, at any rate, different. 35 【 B1】 36 【 B2】 37 【 B3】 38 【 B4】 39 【 B5】 40 【 B6】 41 【 B7】 42 【 B8】 43 【 B9】 44 【 B10】 45 【 B11】 Section A Directions: In this section, there is a pas
46、sage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each
47、item with a single line through the center. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. 45 To call something “marginal“ means it is not very good. Farmers have their own way to【 S1】 _marginal land: It is the last to be planted under good conditions, and has the【 S2】_to be avoided un
48、der poor conditions. Low【 S3】 _soil is not the only reason land could be considered marginal. It might be in an area where rainfall is【 S4】 _or where a hillside might rise too steeply(陡峭地 ). There are uses for marginal land, however. Most often it is used as grassland. Grasses provide excellent【 S5】
49、 _for grazing(吃草 )animals like cattle, sheep and goats. Grass seed can be bought from a foreign supplier or【 S6】 _grasses can be used. However, using marginal land for grazing is not a simple issue. There is a【 S7】 _of overgrazing. Cattle can damage the crops by eating down to the roots. Also, the weight of the animals crushes the soil and can make it too hard for growing. A(n)【 S8】 _way to reduce the h
