子集2018年6月英语四级真题及答案第一套

2018

年

6

月英语四 级真题及答案第一套

Part I

Writing (30 minutes)

Directions:

For

this

part,

you

are

allowed

30

minutes

to

write

a

short

essay

on

the

importance of reading ability and how to develop it. You should write at least 120

words but no more than 180 words.

Part

Ⅱ

Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each

news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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).

Then

mark

the

corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.

1.

A) The return of a bottled message to its owner’s daughter.

B)

A New Hampshire man’s joke with friends on his wife.

C)

A father’s message for his daughter.

D)

The history of a century-old motel.

2.

A) She wanted to show gratitude for his kindness.

B)

She wanted to honor her father’s promise.

C)

She had been asked by her father to do so.

D)

She was excited to see her father’s handwriting.

Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.

3.

A) People were concerned about the number of bees.

B)

Several cases of Zika disease had been identified.

C)

Two million bees were infected with disease.

D)

Zika virus had destroyed some bee farms.

4. A) It apologized to its customers.

C) It lost a huge stock of bees.

B) It was forced to kill its bees.

D) It lost 2.5 million dollars.

Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.

5.

A) It stayed in the air for about two hours.

B)

It took off and landed on a football field.

C)

It proved to be of high commercial value.

D)

It made a series of sharp turns in the sky.

6.

A) Engineering problems.

B)

The air pollution it produced.

C)

Inadequate funding.

D)

The opposition from the military.

7.

A) It uses the latest aviation technology.

B)

It flies faster than a commercial jet.

C)

It is a safer means of transportation.

D)

It is more environmentally friendly.

Section B

Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of

each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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).

Then

mark

the

corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

8. A) It seems a depressing topic.

C) It has little impact on our daily life.

B) It sounds quite alarming.

D) It is getting more serious these days.

9. A) The man doesn’t understand Span

ish.

C)

They

don’t

want

something

too

noisy.

B) The woman doesn’t really like dancing.

D)

They

can’t

make

it

to

the

theatre

in time.

10. A) It would be more fun without Mr. Whitehead hosting.

B)

It has too many acts to hold the audience’s attention.

C)

It is the most amusing show he has ever watched.

D)

It is a show inappropriate for a night of charity.

11. A) Watch a comedy.

C) Book the tickets online.

B) Go and see the dance.

D) See a film with the man.

Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

12. A) Most of her schoolmates are younger than she is.

B)

She simply has no idea what school to transfer to.

C)

There are too many activities for her to cope with.

D)

She worries she won't fit in as a transfer student.

13. A) Seek advice from senior students.

C)

Participate

in

after-school

activities.

B) Pick up some meaningful hobbies. D) Look into what the school offers.

14. A) Give her help whenever she needs it. C) Find her accommodation on campus.

B) Accept her as a transfer student.

D) Introduce her to her roommates.

15. A) She has interests similar to Mr. Lee’s.

C)

She

has

chosen

the

major

Catherine has.

B) She has become friends with Catherine.

D) She has just transferred to the

college.

Section C

Directions:

In

this

section,

you

will

hear

three

passages.

At

the

end

of

each

passage,

you will hear three or four 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). Then mark the corresponding letter on

Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.

16. A) To investigate how being overweight impacts on health.

B)

To find out which physical drive is the most powerful.

C)

To discover what most mice like to eat.

D)

To determine what feelings mice have.

17. A) When they are hungry.

B)

When they are thirsty.

C)

When they smell food.

D)

When they want company.

18. A) They search for food in groups.

B)

They are overweight when food is plenty.

C)

They prefer to be with other mice.

D)

They enjoy the company of other animals.

Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.

19. A) Its construction started before World War I.

B)

Its construction cost more than $$40 billion.

C)

It is efficiently used for transport.

D)

It is one of the best in the world.

20. A) To improve transportation in the countryside.

B)

To move troops quickly from place to place.

C)

To enable people to travel at a higher speed.

D)

To speed up the transportation of goods.

21. A) In the 1970s.

C) In the 1950s.

B) In the 1960s.

D) In the 1940s.

Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.

22. A) Chatting while driving.

C) Driving under age.

B) Messaging while driving. D) Speeding on highways.

23. A) A gadget to hold a phone on the steering wheel.

B)

A gadget to charge the phone in a car.

C)

A device to control the speed of a vehicle.

D)

A device to ensure people drive with both hands.

24. A) The car keeps flashing its headlights.

C) They are alerted with a light

and a sound.

B) The car slows down gradually to a halt.

D) They get a warning on their smart

phone.

25. A) Installing a camera.

B) Using a connected app.

C) Checking their emails.

D) Keeping a daily record.

Part

Ⅲ

Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, there is a passage 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 item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not

use any of the words in the bank more than once.

An

office

tower

on

Miller

Street

in

Manchester

is

completely

covered

in

solar

panels.

They are used to create some of the energy used by the insurance company inside.

When the tower was first 26 in

1962,

it

was

covered

with

thin

square

stones.

These

small

square

stones

became

a

problem

for

the

building

and

continued

to

fall

off

the

face for 40 years until a major renovation was

27 .During

this

renovation

the

building’s owners,

CIS,

28

the

solar

panel

company,

agreed

to

cover

the

entire

building

in

solar

panels.

In

2004,

the

completed

CIS

tower

became

Europe’s largest

29

of

vertical

solar

panels.

A

vertical

solar

project

on

such

a large 30

has never been repeated ng a skyscraper with solar panels

had never been done before, and the CIS tower was chosen as one of the “10 best

green energy projects”. For a long time after

this renovation

project, it

was

the

tallest building in the United Kingdom, but it was

31overtaken by the Millbank

buildings like this aren’t32

cost-efficient

for

the investor, but

it does produce much less pollution than that caused by energy

33through

fossil fuels. As solar panels get

34

,the

world

is

likely

to

see

more

skyscrapers

covered

in

solar

panels,

collecting

energy

much

like

trees

do.

Imagine

a world where building the tallest skyscraper wasn’t a race of

35

,

but

rather one to collect the most solar energy.

A) cheaper

I) eventually

B) cleaner

C) collection

D) competed

E) constructed

F) consulted

G) dimension

H) discovered

Section B

J) height

K) necessarily

L) production

M) range

N) scale

O) undertaken

Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements

attached

to

it.

Each

statement

contains

information

given

in

one

of

the

paragraphs.

Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a

paragraph

more

than

once.

Each

paragraph

is marked with a

letter. Answer the

questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.

Some College Students Are Angry That They Have to Pay to Do Their Homework

A)

Digital

learning

systems

now

charge

students

for

access

codes

needed

to

complete

coursework,

take

quizzes,

and

turn

in

homework.

As

universities

go

digital,

students

are complaining of a new hit to their finances that’s replacing –

and sometimes

joining

–

expensive textbooks: pricey online access codes that are required to

complete coursework and submit assignments.

B)

The

codes

–

which

typically

range

in

price

from

$$80

to

$$155

per

course

–

give

students

online

access

to

systems

developed

by

education

companies

like

McGraw

Hill

and

Pearson.

These

companies,

which

long

reaped

big

profits

as

textbook

publishers,

have boasted that their new online offerings, when pushed to students through

universities they partner with, represent the future of the industry.

C)

But

critics

say

the

digital

access

codes

represent

the

same

profit-seeking

ethos

(

观念

) of the textbook business, and are even harder for students to opt out of.

While

they

could

once

buy

second-hand

textbooks,

or

share

copies

with

friends,

the

digital systems are essentially impossible to avoid.

D)

“

When we talk about the access code we see it as the new face of the textbook

monopoly

(

垄断

),

a

new

way

to

lock

students

around

this

system,

”

said

Ethan

Senack,

the higher education advocate for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, to

BuzzFeed

News.

“Rather

than

$$250

(for

a

print

textbook)

you’re

paying

$$120,”

said

Senack. “But because it’s all

digital it eliminates the used book market and

eliminates any sharing and because homework and tests are through an access code,

it eliminates any ability to opt out.”

E)

Sarina Harpet, a 19-year-old student at Virginia Tech, was faced with a tough

dilemma when she first started college in 2015

–

pay rent or pay to turn in her

chemistry

homework.

She

told

BuzzFeed

News

that

her

freshman

chemistry

class

required her to use Connect, a system provided by McGraw Hill where students can

submit

homework,

take

exams

and

track

their

grades.

But

the

code

to

access

the

program

cost

$$120

–

a

big

sum

for

Harper,

who

had

already

put

down

$$450

for

textbooks,

and

had rent day approaching.

F)

She decided to wait for her next work-study paycheck, which was typically

$$150-$$200, to pay for the code. She knew that her chemistry grade may take a dive

as

a

result.

“It’s

a

balancing

act,”

she

said.

“Can

I

really

afford

these

access

codes now?” She didn’t hand in her first two assignments for chemistry, which

started her out in the class with a failing grade.

G)

The

access

codes

may

be

another

financial

headache

for

students,

but

for

textbook

businesses, they're the future. McGraw Hill, which controls 21% of the higher

education market, reported in March that its digital content sales exceeded print

sales

for

the

first

time

in

2015.

The

company

said

that

45%

of

its

$$140

million

revenue

in 2015 “was derived from digital products.”

H)

A Pearson spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that “digital materials are less

expensive

and

a

good

inv

estment”

that

offer

new

features,

like

audio

texts,

personalized

knowledge

checks

and

expert

videos.

Its

digital

course

materials

save

students up to 60% compared to traditional printed textbooks, the company added.

McGraw Hill didn’t respond to a request

for comment, but its CEO David Levin told

the Financial Times in August that “in higher education, the era of the printed

textbook is now over.”

I)

The textbook industry insists the online systems represent a better deal for

students. “These digital products aren’t just mechanisms for students to submit

homework,

they

offer

all

kinds

of

features,”

David

Anderson,

the

executive

director

of

higher

education

with

the

Association

of

American

Publishers,

told

BuzzFeed

News.

“It helps students understand in a way that you can’t do with print homework

assignments.”

J)

David Hunt, an associate professor in sociology at Augusta University, which

has rolled out digital textbooks across its math and psychology departments, told

BuzzFeed

News

that

he

understands

the

utility

of

using

systems

that

require

access

codes.

But

he

doesn’t

require

his

students

to

buy

access

to

a

learning

program

that

controls

the

class

assignments.

“I

try

to

make

things

as

inexpensive

as

possible,”

said Hunt, who uses free digital textbooks for his classes but designs his own

curriculum.

“The

online

systems

may

make

my

life

a

lot

easier

but

I

feel

like

I’m

giving up control. The discussions are the things where my expertise can benefit

the students most.”

K)

A

20-year-old

junior

at

Georgia

Southern

University

told

BuzzFeed

News

that

she

normally spends $$500

–

$$600 on access codes for class. In one case, the professor

didn't

require

students

to

buy

a

textbook,

just

an

access

code

to

turn

in

homework.

This year she said she spent $$900 on access cod

es to books and programs. “That's

two

months

of

rent,”

she

said.

“You

can’t

sell

any

of

it

back.

With

a

traditional

textbook

you

can

sell

it

for

$$30

–$$50

and

that

helps

to

pay

for

your

new

semester’s

books. With an access code, you’re out of that money.”

L)

Benjamin

Wolverton,

a

19-year-old

student

at

the

University

of

South

Carolina,

told BuzzFeed News that “it’s ridiculous that after paying tens of thousands in

tuition

we

have

to

pay

for

all

these

access

codes

to

do

our

homework.”

Many

of

the

access codes

he’s purchased have been required simply to complete homework or

quizzes.

“Often

it’s

only

10%

of

your

grade

in

class.”

he

said.

“You’re

paying

so much money for something that hardly affects your grade

–

but if you didn’t

have it, it would affect your grade enough. It would be bad to start out at a B or

C.” Wolverton said he spent $$500 on access codes for digital books and programs

this semester.

M)

Harper,

a

poultry

(

家禽

)

science

major,

is

taking

chemistry

again

this

year

and

had to buy a new

access code to

hand

in

her

homework.

She rented

her economics

and statistics

textbooks

for

about

$$20

each.

But

her

access

codes

for

homework,

which

can't

be

rented

or bought second-hand, were her most expensive purchases: $$120 and $$85.

N)

She still remembers the sting of her first experience skipping an assignment

due to the high prices. “We don’t really have a missed assignment policy,” she

said. “If you miss it, you just miss it. I just got zeros on a couple of first

assignments.

I

managed

to

pull

everything

back

up.

But

as

a

scared

freshman

looking

at their grades, it’s not fun.”

36.

A student’s yearly expenses on access codes may amount to their rent for two

months.

37. The

online

access

codes

may

be

seen

as

a

way

to

tie

the

students

to

the

digital

system.

38. If a student takes a course again, they may have to buy a new access code to

submit their assignments.

39. McGraw

Hill

accounts

for

over

one-fifth

of

the

market

share

of

college

textbooks.

40. Many

traditional

textbook

publishers

are

now

offering

online

digital

products,

which they believe will be the future of the publishing business.

41. One student complained that they now had to pay for access codes in addition

to the high tuition.

42. Digital materials can cost students less than half the price of traditional

printed books according to a publisher.

43. One student decided not to buy her access code until she received the pay for

her part-time job.

44. Online systems may deprive teachers of opportunities to make the best use of

their expertise for their students.

45. Digital access codes are criticized because they are profit-driven just like

the textbook business.

Section C

Directions: There are 2

passages in

this

section. Each passage is

followed by some

questions

or

unfinished

statements.

For

each

of

them

there

are

four

choices

marked

A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding

letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

Losing your ability to think and remember is pretty scary. We know the risk of

dementia (

痴呆症

) increases with age. But if you have memory slips, you probably

needn

’

t worry. There are pretty clear differences between signs of dementia and

age-related memory loss.

After age 50, it’s quite common to have trouble remembering the names of people,

places and things quickly, says Dr. Kirk Daffner of Brigham and Women’s Hospital

in Boston.

The

brain

ages

just

like

the

rest

of

the

body.

Certain

parts

shrink,

especially

areas

in the brain

that

are important to learning,

memory and

planning. Changes in brain

cells can affect communication between different regions of the brain. And blood

flow can be reduced as blood vessels narrow.

Forgetting

the

name

of

an

actor

in

a

favorite

movie,

for

example,

is

nothing

to

worry

about. But if you forget the plot of the movie or don't remember even seeing it,

that's far more concerning, Daffner says.

When

you

forget

entire

experience,

he

says,

that’s

“a

red

flag

that

somethin

g

more

serious may be involved.” Forgetting how to operate a familiar object like a

microwave

oven,

or

forgetting

how

to

drive

to

the

house

of

a

friend

you’ve

visited

many times before can also be signs of something going wrong.

But even then, Daffner says, people shouldn

’

t panic. There are many things that

can cause confusion and memory loss, including health problems like temporary

stoppage

of

breathing

during

sleep,

high

blood

pressure,

or

depression,

as

well

as

medications (

药物

) like antidepressants.

Y

ou

don’t

have

to

figure

this

out

on

your

own.

Daffner

suggests

going

to

your

doctor

to check on medications, health problems and other issues that could be affecting

memory.

And

the

best

defense

against

memory

loss

is

to

try

to

prevent

it

by

building

up your brain

’

s cognitive (

认知的

) reserve, Daffner says.

“

Read

books,

go

to

movies,

take

on

new

hobbies

or

activities

that

force

one

to

think

in

novel

ways,”

he

says.

In

other

words,

keep

your

brain

busy

and

working.

And

also

get physically active,

because exercise is a known brain booster.

46.

Why does the author say that one needn’t be concerned about memory slips?

A)

Not all of them are symptoms of dementia.

B)

They occur only among certain groups of people.

C)

Not all of them are related to one’s age.

D)

They are quite common among fifty-year-olds.

47. What happens as we become aged according to the passage?

A)

Our interaction skills deteriorate.

B)

Some parts of our brain stop functioning.

C)

Communication within our brain weakens.

D)

Our whole brain starts shrinking.

48. Which memory-related symptom should people take seriously?

A)

Totally forgetting how to do one’s daily routines.

B)

Inability to recall details of one’s life experiences.

C)

Failure to remember the names of movies or actors.

D)

Occasionally confusing the addresses of one’s friends.

49. What should people do when signs of serious memory loss show up?

A)

Check the brain’s cognitive reserve.