1、大学英语四级（ 2013年 12月考试改革适用）模拟试卷 81及答案与解析 一、 Part I Writing 1 For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay. You should start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then express your views on the independence of young people in modern society. You should write at least
2、 120 words but no more than 180 words. “When youve finished saving for my education, dont forget to start saving for my retirement.“ Section A （ A） By seeking information from the interviewers. （ B） By acting out the role again and again at home. （ C） By playing an active role in the interview. （ D）
3、 By working hard to understand the role. （ A） He is always optimistic about everything. （ B） He is extremely careful in his diet. （ C） He sees his doctor as soon as he falls ill. （ D） He takes a lot of exercise every day. （ A） The man is interviewing the woman for a job. （ B） The two speakers first
4、met each other eight years ago. （ C） The two speakers once taught in the same college. （ D） The woman is qualified for her job as a teacher. （ A） Walk the dog every one week or two. （ B） Try to overcome her own depression. （ C） Be at ease with her pet dog. （ D） Bring her pet dog to the countryside.
5、（ A） She is hosting a radio program. （ B） She is at an interview for a job. （ C） She is interviewing the man. （ D） She works as an engineer. （ A） People will feel happy when daydreaming. （ B） People should not daydream at any time. （ C） Daydreaming does more good than harm for most people. （ D） Hard
6、 work is the key to accomplishing goals. （ A） The man has a job related to dress design. （ B） Both of the speakers went to the Oscar ceremony. （ C） Stars had a chance to show off at the ceremony. （ D） The man was involved in the ceremony. （ A） He was stuck in heavy traffic. （ B） He was away from hom
7、e a little late. （ C） He gave aid to a man in need of help. （ D） He got involved in a serious accident. （ A） He is proficient in driving. （ B） He is kind and learned. （ C） He knows a shortcut to the museum. （ D） He is an inexperienced taxi driver. （ A） It is famous for its collection of paintings. （
8、 B） It is likely to close at 6:00. （ C） It is the landmark of the city. （ D） It is a place the tourists must visit. （ A） It is cheaper than other restaurants. （ B） The portions are smaller than other restaurants. （ C） Its decoration is very good. （ D） The service is fabulous. （ A） There is no taxi a
9、round the museum. （ B） There is a pedestrian street in front of the museum. （ C） There is no bus station by the museum. （ D） There is a subway station just outside the museum. （ A） His car is broken down. （ B） He is caught in an accident. （ C） His car is parked in a no-parking area. （ D） His car ran
10、 a red light. （ A） It is covered by branches. （ B） It is too far to be seen. （ C） It cant be seen in a car. （ D） Its color is not so bright. （ A） Go to the lecture on the history of the English language. （ B） Accept the coupons for a free burger. （ C） Return 150 dollars to the man. （ D） Give the man
11、 a ticket and tow his car away. Section B （ A） More and more teens smoke cigars. （ B） More teens are trying to quit smoking. （ C） The number of teenage smokers has increased by 11%. （ D） The overall number of teenage smokers has increased to 51 %. （ A） It is quite expensive and requires the teens to
12、 save their allowance. （ B） It can be purchased one at a time so it can be afforded by the teens. （ C） There are only fruit flavored cigars available at the market. （ D） Most teens buy cigars because of peer affection. （ A） The flavor makes the cigars more poisonous. （ B） The government hasnt realiz
13、ed the seriousness. （ C） The children are unconscious of its harm to health. （ D） The number of teenage smokers keeps growing. （ A） The cigar association has taken some actions. （ B） Teens have been taught cigars are less poisonous than cigarettes. （ C） The attempts to stop teens from smoking cigars
14、 are effective. （ D） There is no special restriction on the sales of flavored cigars. （ A） They are afraid of facing the conflicts. （ B） They always meet some trouble in work. （ C） They feel hungry when they are angry. （ D） They dont want to express their anger directly. （ A） It may lead to some hea
15、lth problems. （ B） It is not an effective way to deal with anger. （ C） It may result in some mental problems. （ D） It may make people angrier. （ A） Choose some different foods to eat. （ B） Try to take a more balanced diet. （ C） Learn some tools and strategies to deal with anger. （ D） Learn to deal w
16、ith our life with more pleasure. （ A） It is a new kind of cell phone battery. （ B） It is a kind of material which uses body heat to charge a battery. （ C） It is a device that could generate electricity from body movement. （ D） It is a device that collects body static electricity. （ A） It still requi
17、res further improvement. （ B） It is a little complex to charge a cell phone with the material. （ C） It can produce the power needed by an iPhone. （ D） It is a little expensive to manufacture this material. （ A） It will be an essential accessory for MP3 player. （ B） It could be used to produce cold-p
18、roof cloth. （ C） It could be used in some emergency cases. （ D） It could be used as a lighter or a heater in urgency. Section C 26 Demand is soaring for short courses, from drumming to shoe-making, among people seeking a portfolio careerand its good news for colleges and universities. “Initially, I【
19、 B1】 _a short course because I wanted a pair of fitted knee-length【 B2】 _and had difficulty finding any to fit, so I thought I would try making some,“ Baughan explains. “The more Im learning, the more I think I would like to change my career【 B3】 _.“ Baughan believes the current【 B4】 _climate means
20、its a good idea to have a variety of skills in different areasit should make you more【 B5】 _. Its not just creative subjects that are growing in popularity. So, too, are marketing and commercial courses. There is a【 B6】 _in demand for business-related courses from people who want to start selling th
21、eir products online and running a business in the evenings and weekends. Experts say this kind of short course is often as popular among those just looking for a hobby. Thats the【 B7】 _for lawyer Sam Ross, 27, who has just spent 199 on a ten-week course in songwriting at the Institute of Contemporar
22、y Music in Kilburn, north London. “I have been working as a lawyer and wanted to find some time to work on my hobby,“ he explains. Hes not about to【 B8】_the law, but is enjoying involvement in both worlds. “The legal market is so【 B9】 _and the job requires a lot of time and attention,“ Ross adds. “I
23、 still wanted to try and【 B10】 _a hobby that has fallen by the wayside with a course. “ 27 【 B1】 28 【 B2】 29 【 B3】 30 【 B4】 31 【 B5】 32 【 B6】 33 【 B7】 34 【 B8】 35 【 B9】 36 【 B10】 Section A 36 Thanksgiving is Americas national holiday for giving thanks to God. Thanksgiving Day has a special【 C1】 _for
24、 Americans because it is traced back to that group of people who were among the first to come to the New World in search of freedom. In 1620, 102 sea weary(疲倦的 )Pilgrims landed on the peninsula of Cape Cod. Their ship, the Mayflower, had【 C2】 _to go to Virginia, but it made its landfall far to the n
25、orth. After some weeks of【 C3】 _they decided not to make the trip to Virginia but to remain where they were. But when they stepped ashore in this【 C4】_alien world, they were totally isolated from any outside【 C5】 _and knew no means of livelihood. And the greater trouble is that in the woods live Ind
26、ians, some of whom were【 C6】 _This added to the hardship of daily life. But the vast【 C7】_of forests gave them a hope. In this way, the nations forefathers not only【 C8】_the first severe winter, but also saw the first harvest of crops in the next autumn. Their Indian friends were also invited to joi
27、n their festival. This story is told every year to young children in schools as Thanksgiving Day(the fourth Thursday of November) 【 C9】 _ Today, in US Thanksgiving Day is celebrated by many Americans whose roots do not stem from Britain. Now it is marked by families gathering together to enjoy a【 C1
28、0】_dinner for roast turkey, and to tell the things for which they are thankful. A)approaches F)intended K)stretches B)appropriate G)interfered L)structure C)assistance H)justified M)survived D)exploring I)normally N)traditional E)hostile J)significance O)utterly 37 【 C1】 38 【 C2】 39 【 C3】 40 【 C4】 4
29、1 【 C5】 42 【 C6】 43 【 C7】 44 【 C8】 45 【 C9】 46 【 C10】 Section B 46 Preparing for More Expensive Degrees in England A)Balancing a tight budget is one of the most difficult aspects of being a student. A recent survey from the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers found that mo
30、ney issues are the most critical concerns for young researchers in Europe, ahead of working conditions, training, and supervision. B)Starting in 2012, money is likely to become an even more important concern for students as universities in England are allowed to charge undergraduates up to 9 000 per
31、 year in tuition fees as a way of dealing with government funding cuts. Thats a nearly threefold increase from the current fees, which are capped at 3 375. C)The funding cuts are set to affect postgraduate education, too, with most English universities expected to increase postgraduate tuition to co
32、ver any remaining shortfall. Just how severe the changes will be for postgraduates is uncertain, but many experts advise caution. “All universities are trying to encourage students to think more seriously about how theyre going to manage,“ says Sheila King, financial support coordinator at Cardiff U
33、niversity in Wales. So, what do students need to know about the changes? Details and debt D)The details are complicated. Universities in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales will be allowed to raise tuition to the same extent as in England, but in those places the new fees will apply only to studen
34、ts coming from the rest of the United Kingdom. For example, Scottish students do not currently pay tuition and will not be expected to do so after 2012unless they attend universities in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. E)A further inequity is that under EU regulations, universities must charge s
35、tudents from the rest of the European Union the same amount as home students. This means that fees for EU students will be heavily subsidized(补贴 )by universities in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales(but not England), while English students in these three countries will pay more than EU students
36、attending the same universities. F)Whatever the tuition bill, full-time undergraduates in England will have to either pay up front or apply for a loan from the government, which they need not begin paying back until they have completed their degree and are earning more than 21 000 per year. Full-tim
37、e undergraduates can apply, in addition, for a maintenance loan to contribute to accommodation, food, and travel costs. Part-time students will be able to apply for a tuition loan but not a maintenance loan. G)The main concern of career advisers and student-support workers is the substantial debt th
38、at most students in England will face after graduation. For a standard 3-year degree charged at 9 000 per yearscience courses are among the most expensive to runthe average debt from student loans, including maintenance, is expected to be around 43 000. The British Medical Association estimates that
39、 medical students could graduate more than 70 000 in debt. The benefits of part-time work H)One way of dealing with the new financial burden would be to work part time. According to the 2010 Sodexo University Lifestyle Survey, more than one-quarter of all undergraduate students in the United Kingdom
40、 worked part time during their studies that yeara percentage that is now expected to rise. For those doing a second undergraduate degree, a job may be the only option, as they will not be eligible for government loans. I)Juggling part-time work and studies can be toughbut a job or paid internship ca
41、n have benefits beyond the financial. “There is a recognition and a demand for students to be as employable as possible when they finish their degree, and part of that is gaining relevant work experience,“ King says. “My internships helped me during my masters as I had already had 3 months of experi
42、ence using different equipment and writing a lab book,“ says Mike Stock, who began a Ph. D. in geology this year after doing internships with the Atomic Weapons Establishment, the international oil and natural gas company Petro-Canada, and a research assistantship at the University of Southampton. P
43、lanning for postgraduate studies J)Ongoing uncertainty over the impact of the funding cuts means that many universities havent yet set their postgraduate charges for 2012. According to a recent National Survey of UK Tuition Fees, the average cost of a taught masters degree program across 147 UK high
44、er education institutions rose 24% in just 1 year, from 4 989 in 2010-2011 to the current 6 184. The fee is expected to increase even more dramatically in 2012. “Ultimately, the decision on postgraduate fees will depend on calculations about what they need to do to survive as a university,“ says a U
45、niversity of Southampton Student Services representative who prefers not to be named. K)In the United Kingdom, approximately 19 000 Ph. D. s are partly or fully funded by the research councils. Universities and industry partners also offer funded postgraduate positions and a range of bursaries(助学金 )
46、, scholarships, and awards. However, many universities are now unsure how many positions they will be able to support in 2012. This could leave some Ph. D. students struggling for funding, since the government does not provide loans to support postgraduate study. One view held by careers specialists
47、 is that an increasingly competitive job market, paired with difficult economic times, might encourage more students to pursue postgraduate degrees. “If there are fewer funding opportunities available for postgraduate study and more applicants, each available position will become very competitive,“
48、says the Southampton University Student Services representative. L)This makes it all the more important for aspiring postgraduate students to seek funding early, especially if they have financial commitments such as a mortgage(抵押 )or a family. One approach is to apply for funding as broadly as possi
49、ble. “After my undergraduate degree in mathematics, I was awarded a 4 000 scholarship from the Society for Underwater Technology,“ says Graeme MacGilchrist, who began a Master of Science in oceanography this year. As UK students brace for tough times, the key message from career advisers and student representatives is that students can ease the situation by starting to plan now. “We cant do anything about the level of fees, but we can d
