2006年6月大学英语四级真题及参考答案

 

PartⅠ Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)

 Section A

 

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what war said. Both the conversation and the question will be spoken only once: After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you maxi read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is, the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

1.A) They enjoyed the party better than the other guests.

 B) They knew none of the other guests at the party.

 C) They didn't think much of the food and drinks.

 D) They went a long way to attend the party.

 

2. A) To the dentist's. C) To the post office.

 B) To the market. D) To the bookstore.

 

3. A) She dislikes Dr. Andrews as much as the new physician.

 B) Dr. Andrews has been promoted for his thoroughness.

C) She disagrees with Dr. Andrews on many occasions.

 D) Dr. Andrews used to keep his patients waiting.

 

4. A) Tom is usually talkative. C) Tom is disliked by his colleagues.

 B) Tom has a very bad temper. D) Tom has dozens of things to attend to.

 

5. A) To find out more about the topic for the seminar.

 B) To make a copy of the schedule for his friend.

 C) To get the seminar schedule for the woman.

 D) To pickup the woman from the library.

 

6. A) The man doesn't want to sell his textbooks to the woman.

 B) The woman has to get the textbooks in other ways.

 　C) The woman has sold her used textbooks to the bookstore.

 　D) The man is going to buy his textbooks from a bookstore.

 

7. A) Give a speech. C) Attend a conference.

 B) Meet his lawyer. D) Make a business trip.

 

8 A) Jessie should know the marketing director better. 　

 B) Jessie is wrong to find fault with her boss.

C) Jessie seems to have a lot on her mind.

 D) Jessie always says what she thinks.

 

9. A) Helen is quiet. C) Helen is sociable.

 B) Helen is talkative. D) Helen is active.

 

10. A) Jimmy is not serious in making decisions.

 B) Jimmy is rich enough to buy a big house.

 C) Jimmy's words are often not reliable.

 D) Jimmy will regret marrying a Frenchwoman.

 

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). Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

 

Passage One

 

Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.

 

11.A) It has done more harm than good in the southern USA.

 B) It was brought to the northern USA by Asian farmers.

 C) It was introduced into the USA to kill harmful weeds.

 D) It can be used by farmers to protect large buildings.

 

12. A) They will become too hard to plough.

 　 B) They will soon be overgrown with kudzu.

 　 C) People will have to rely on kudzu for a living.

 　 D) People will find it hard to protect the soil.

 

13. A) The soil there is not so suitable for the plant.

 B) The factories there have found a good use for it.

C) The farmers there have brought it under control.

  D) The climate there is unfavorable to its growth.

 

Passage Two

 

　　Questions 14 to 17 are based on the passage you have just heard.

 

14. A) The universe as a whole. C) An association of teachers and scholars.

 B) A society of legal professionals. D) A business corporation.　　

 

15. A) Provincial colleges were taken over by larger universities.

 B) Its largest expansion took place during that period.

 C) Small universities combined to form bigger ones.

 　 D) Its role in society went through a dramatic change.

 

16. A) Private donations. C) Government funding.

 　 B) Fees paid by students. D) Grants from corporations.

 

Passage Three

 

　　Questions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.

 

17. A) He was interested in the study of wild animals.

 B) He started the organization Heifer International.

 C) He was wounded in the Spanish civil war.

 　 D) He sold his cows to many countries in the world.

 

18. A) To make plans for the development of poor communities.

 B) To teach people how to use new skills to raise animals.

 C) To help starving families to become self-supporting.

 　 D) To distribute food to the poor around the world.

 

19. A) They should submit a report of their needs and goals.

 B) They should provide food for the local communities.

C) They should offer all baby animals to their poor neighbors.

 D) They should help other families the way they have been helped.

 

20. A) It has helped relieve hunger in some developing countries.

 B) It has improved animal breeding skills all over the world.

 C) It has bridged the gap between the rich and the poor in America.

  D) It has promoted international exchange of farming technology.

 

　　

 

PartⅡ Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)

 

Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions at 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

 

Passage One

 

　　Educating girls quite possibly yields a higher rate of return than any other investment available in the developing world. Women's education may be unusual territory for economists, but enhancing women's contribution to development is actually as much an economic as a social issue. And economics, with its emphasis on incentives (激励), provides guideposts that point to an explanation for why so many girls are deprived of an education.

 

　　Parents in low-income countries fail to invest in their daughters because they do not expect them to make an economic contribution to the family: girls grow up only to marry into somebody else's family and bear children. Girls are thus seen as less valuable than boys and art kept at home to do housework while their brothers are sent to school - the prophecy（预言) becomes self- fulfilling, trapping women in a vicious circle (恶性循环) of neglect.

 

　　An educated mother, on the other hand, has greater earning abilities outside the home and faces an entirely different set of choices. She is likely to have fewer but healthier children and can insist on the development of all her children, ensuring that her daughters are given a fair chance. The education of her daughters then makes it much more likely that the next generation of girls, as well as of boys, will be educated and healthy. The vicious circle is thus transformed into a virtuous circle.

 

　　Few will dispute that educating women has great social benefits. But it has enormous economic advantages as well. Most obviously, there is the direct effect of education on the wages of female workers. Wages rise by 10 to 20 per cent for each additional year of schooling. Such big returns are impressive by the standard of other available investments, but they are just the beginning. Educating women also has a significant impact on health practices, including family planning.

 

21. The author argues that educating girls in developing countries is ____.

 

A) rewarding　 C) expensive 

　 B) troublesome　 D) labor-saving

 

22. By saying "... the prophecy becomes self-fulfilling ..." (Lines 45. Para. 2), the author means that ____.

 

　 A) girls will eventually find their goals in life beyond reach

 B) girls will be increasingly discontented with their life at home

 C) girls will be capable of realizing their own dreams

 D) girls will turn out to be less valuable than boys

 

23. The author believes that a vicious circle can turn into a virtuous circle when ___.

 

A) women care more about education

 B) parents can afford their daughters' education

 C) girls can gain equal access to education

 D) a family has fewer but healthier children

 

24. What does the author say about women's education?

 A) It has aroused the interest of a growing number of economists.

 B) It will yield greater returns than other known investments.

 C) It is now given top priority in many developing countries.

 D) It deserves greater attention than other social issues.

 

25. The passage mainly discusses ____.

 　A) unequal treatment of boys and girls in developing countries

 　B) the major contributions of educated women to society

 C) the economic and social benefits of educating women

 D) the potential earning power of well-educated women

 

Passage Two

 

　　Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

 

　　Psychiatrists ( 精神病专家) who work with older parents say that maturity can be an asset in child rearing - older parents are more thoughtful, use less physical discipline and spend more time with their children. But raising kids takes money and energy. Many older parents find themselves balancing their limited financial resources, declining energy and failing health against the growing demands of an active child. Dying and leaving young children is probably the older parents' biggest, and often unspoken, fear. Having late-life children, says an economics professor, often means parents, particularly fathers, "end up retiring much later." For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream.

 

　　Henry Metcalf, a 54-year-old journalist, knows it takes money to raise kids. But he's also worried that his energy will give out first. Sure, he can still ride bikes with his athletic fifth grader, but he's learned that young at heart doesn't mean young. Lately he's been taking afternoon naps (午睡) to keep up his energy. "My body is aging," says Metcalf. "You can't get away from that."

 

　　Often, older parents hear the ticking of another kind of biological clock. Therapists who work with middle-aged and older parents say fears about aging are nothing to laugh at. "They worry they'll be mistaken for grandparents, or that they'll need help getting up out of those little chairs in nursery school," says Joann Galst, a New York psychologist. But at the core of those little fears there is often a much bigger one: "that they won't be alive long enough to support and protect their child," she says.

 

　　Many late-life parents, though, say their children came at just the right time. After marrying late and undergoing years of fertility (受孕) treatment, Marilyn Nolen and her husband. Randy, had twins. "We both wanted children," says Marilyn, who was 55 when she gave birth. The twins have given the couple what they desired for years, "a sense of family."

 

Kids of older dads are often smarter, happier and more sociable because their fathers are more involved in their lives. 'The dads are older, more mature," says Dr. Silber, "and more ready to focus on parenting."

 

26. Why do psychiatrists regard maturity as an asset in child rearing?

 

A) Older parents can better balance their resources against children's demands.

 B) Older parents are usually more experienced in bringing up their children.

 　　C) Older parents are often better prepared financially.

 　　D) Older parents can take better care of their children.　　

 

27. What does the author mean by saying "For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream" (Lines 7-8, Para. 1)?

 

A) They have to go on working beyond their retirement age.

 B) They can't get full pension unless they work some extra years.

 C) They can't obtain the retirement benefits they have dreamed of.

 D) They are reluctant to retire when they reach their retirement age.

 28. The author gives the example of Henry Metcalf to show that ____.

 

A) many people are young in spirit despite their advanced age

 B) taking afternoon naps is a good way to maintain energy

 C) older parents tend to be concerned about their aging bodies

 D) older parents should exercise more to keep up with their athletic children

 

29. What's the biggest fear of older parents according to New York psychologist Joan Galst?

 　　A) Being laughed at by other people. C) Being mistaken for grandparents.

 　　B) Slowing down of their pace of life. D) Approaching of death.

 

30. What do we learn about Marilyn and Randy Nolen?

 　　A) They thought they were an example of successful fertility treatment.

 　　B) Not until they had the twins did they feel they had formed a family.

 　　C) They believed that children born of older parents would be smarter.

 D) Not until they reached middle age did they think of having children.

 

Passage Three

 

　 Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

 

　　Interest in pursuing international careers has soared in recent years. enhanced by chronic (长久的 ) personnel shortages that are causing companies to search beyond their home borders for talent.

 

　　Professionals seek career experience outside of their home countries for a variety of reasons. They may feel the need to recharge their batteries with a new challenge. They may want a position with more responsibility that encourages creativity and initiative. Or they may wish to expose their children to another culture, and the opportunity to learn a second language.

 

　　When applying for a job, one usually has to submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV). The two terms generally mean the same thing: a one- or two-page document describing one's educational qualifications and professional experience. However, guidelines for preparing a r6sum6 are constantly changing. The best advice is to find out what is appropriate regarding the corporate (公司) culture, the country culture, and the culture of the person making the hiring decision. The challenge will be to embrace two or more cultures in one document. The following list is a good place to start.

 

　　● "Educational requirements differ from country to country. In almost every case of 'cross- border' job hunting, just stating the title of your degree will not bean adequate description. Provide the reader with details about your studies and any related experience. "

 

　　● Pay attention to the resume format you use-chronological or reverse-chronological order. Chronological order means listing your 'oldest' work experience first. Reverse-chronological order means listing your current or most recent experience first. Most countries have preferences about which format is most acceptable. If you find no specific guidelines, the general preference is for the reverse-chronological format. "

 

　　● If you are submitting your resume in English, find out if the recipient （收件人) uses British English or American English because there are variations between the two versions. For example, university education is often referred to as 'tertiary education' in the United Kingdom, but this term is almost never used in the United States. A reader who is unfamiliar with these variations may assume that your resume contains errors.

 

31. Companies are hiring more foreign employees because_______ .

 

A) they have difficulty finding qualified personnel at home

 B) they find foreign employees are usually more talented

 C) they need original ideas from employees hired overseas

D) they want to expand their business beyond home borders

 

32. The author believes that an individual who applies to work overseas ____.

 　　A) is usually creative and full of initiative

 B) aims to improve his foreign language skills

 C) seeks either his own or his children's development

 　　D) is dissatisfied with his own life at home

 

33. When it comes to resume writing, it is best to ____.

 A) know the employer's personal likes and dislikes

 B) follow appropriate guidelines for job hunting

 C) learn about the company's hiring process

 D) take cultural factors into consideration

 

34. When writing about qualifications, applicants are advised to ____.

 　　A) provide a detailed description of their study and work experiences

 　B) give the title of the university degree they have earned at home

 C) highlight their keen interest in pursuing a 'cross-border' career

 D) stress their academic potential to impress the decision maker

 

35. According to the author's last piece of advice, the applicants should be aware of ____.

A) the recipient's preference with regard to the format

 　B) the different educational systems in the US and the UK

 　C) the differences between the varieties of English

 D) the distinctive features of American and British cultures