-
2014
年
12
月大学
英语四级考试真题及答案
(
第一套
)<
/p>
Passage One
Questions 56 to 60 are based on the
following passage.
The
rise
of
the
Internet
has
been
one
of
the
most
transformative
developments in
human
history, comparable
in
impact
to
the
invention of
the
printing
press
and
the
telegraph.
Over
two
billion
people
worldwide
now
have
access
to
vastly
more
information
than
ever
before,
and
can
communicate
with
each other instantly ,
often using Web-connected mobile devices they
carry
everywhere. But the Internet's
tremendous impact has only just begun.
adoption
of
the
Internet
is
driving
one
of
the
most
exciting
social,
cultural,
and
political
transformations
in
history,
and
unlike
earlier
periods
of
change,
this
time
the
effects
are
fully
global,
Schmidt
and
Cohen
write
in their new book The New Digital Age.
Perhaps the
most
profound
changes
will
come
when
the
five
billion
people
worldwide who
currently lack Internet access get online. The
authors do an
excellent job of
examining the implications of the Internet
revolution for
individuals,
governments, and institutions like the news media.
But if the
book has one major
shortcoming, it's that authors don't spend enough
time
applying a critical eye to the
role of Internet businesses in these weeping
changes.
In
their book,
the
authors
provide the
most
authoritative
volume
to
date
that
describes
—
and more
importantly predicts
—
how the
Internet will shape
our lives in the
coming decades. They paint a picture of a world in
which
individuals, companies,
institutions, and governments must deal with two
realities, one physical, and one
virtual.
At
the
core
of
the
book
is
the
idea
that
is
neutral,
but
people
aren't.
beyond
the
now
familiar
optimist
vs.
pessimist
dichotomy
(
对立观点
)
that
has
characterized
many
recent
debates
about
whether
the
rise
of
the
Internet
will
ultimately
be
good
or
bad
for
society.
In
an
interview
with
TIME
earlier
this
week, Cohen said although he and his
co-author are optimistic about many
aspects of
the
Internet,
they're
also realistic
about
the risks
and dangers
that lie ahead when the next five
billion people come online, particularly
with respect to personal privacy and
state surveillance
(
监视
).
56. In what way is the rise of the
Internet similar to the invention of the
printing press and the telegraph
A) It transforms human
history.
B) It facilitates
daily communication.
C) It
is adopted by all humanity.
D) It revolutionizes people's thinking.
57. How do Schmidt and
Cohen describe the effects of the Internet
A) They are immeasurable.
B) They are worldwide.
C) They are
unpredictable.
D) They are
contaminating.
58. In what
respect is the book The New Digital Age considered
inadequate
A) It fails to
recognize the impact of the Internet
technology.
B) It fails to
look into the social implications of the
Internet.
C) It lacks an
objective evaluation of the role of Internet
businesses.
D) It does not
address the technical aspects of Internet
communication.
59. What will
the future be like when everybody gets online
A) People will be living in
two different realities.
B)
People will have equal access to
information.
C) People don't
have to travel to see the world
D) People don't have to communicate
face to face.
60. What
does the passage say about the authors of The New
Digital Age
A) They leave
many questions unanswered concerning the
Internet.
B) They are
optimistic about the future of the Internet
revolution.
C) They have
explored the unknown territories of the virtual
world.
D) They don't take
sides in analyzing the effects of the
Internet.
Passage
Two
In 1950, a young man
would have found it much easier than it is today
to
get and keep a job in the auto
industry.
And in that year
die average
autoworker
could
meet
monthly
mortgage
(
抵押贷款
)
payments
on
an
average
home
with
just percent
of
his
take-home
pay.
Today
a
similar
mortgage
would
claim
more
than twice that share of his monthly earnings.
Other members of the
autoworker's family, however might be less
inclined
to tried the present for the
past. His retired parents would certainly have
had less economic, security back then.
Throughout much of the 1960s, more
than
a quarter of men and women and women age 65 and
older lived below the
poverty level,
compared to less than 10 percent in 2010.
In most states, his wife
could not have taken out a loan or a card in her
own name. In 42 states, a homemaker had
no legal claim on the earnings of
her
husband. And nowhere did a wife have legal
protection against family
violence.
Most
black
workers
would
not
want
to
return
to
a
time
when,
on
average
they
earned 40 percent
less than their white counterparts
(
职位相当的
人
),
white
racially
restrictive
agreements
largely
prevented
them from buying into the
suburban
neighborhoods
being
built
for
white
working-class families.
Today,
new
problems
have
emerged
in
the
process
of
resolving
old
ones,
but
the
solution is not to go back to the past. Some
people may long for an era
when divorce
was still hard to come by. The spread of no -fault
divorce has
reduced
the
bargaining power of
whichever spouse is
more interested
in
continuing the relationship. And the
breakup of such marriages has caused
pain for many families.
The growing diversity
of
family
life
comes
with
new possibilities
as well
as new challenges.
According to a recent poll, more than 80 percent
of
Americans believe that their current
family is as close as the one in which
they grew up, or closer. Finding ways
to improve the life of the remaining
20
percent seems more realistic than trying to
restore an imaginary golden
age.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡
2
上作答。
61. What do we learn about American
autoworkers in 1950
A) They
had less job security than they do
today.
B) It was not too
difficult for them to buy a house.
C) Their earnings were worth twice as
much as today.
D) They were
better off than workers in other industries.
62. What does the author
about retired people today
A) They invariably long to return to
the golden past.
B) They do
not depend so much on social welfare.
C) They feel more secure economically
than in the past.
D) They
are usually unwilling to live with their children.
63.
Why
couldn't
black
workers
buy
a
house
in
a
white
suburban
neighborhood
A)
They lacked the means of transportation.
B) They were subjected to
racial inequality.
C) They
were afraid to break the law.
D) They were too poor to afford it.
64 What is the result of
no-fault divorce
A) Divorce
is easier to obtain.
B)
Domestic violence is lessened.