（上接2011年12月大学英语四级考试真题（一））
Passage Three
Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
33. A) They help us see the important values of a culture.
B) They guide us in handling human relationships.
C) They help us express ourselves more effectively.
D) They are an infinite source of human knowledge.
34. A) Their wording may become different. C) Their origins can no longer be traced.
B) The values they reflect may change. D) They may be misinterpreted occasionally.
35. A) Certain values are shared by a large number of cultures.
B) Some proverbs are assuming more and more importance.
C) Old proverbs are constantly replaced by new ones.
D) Certain values have always been central to a culture.
Section C
Directions: 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 heard. 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 main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.
Our lives are woven together. As much as I enjoy my own (36)______, I no longer imagine I can get through a (37)______day, much less all my life, (38)______on my own. Even if I am on (39)______in the mountains, I am eating food someone else has grown, living in a house someone else has built, wearing clothes someone else has (40)______from cloth woven by others, using (41)______someone else is distributing to my house. (42)______of interdependence is everywhere. We are on this (43)______together.
As I was growing up, (44)______. "Make your own way", "Stand on your own two feet", or my mother's favorite remark when I was face-to-face with consequences of some action: "Now that you've made your bed, lie on it!" Total independence is a dominant theme in our culture. I imagine that (45)______. But the teaching was shaped by our cultural images, and instead I grew up believing that I was supposed to be totally "independent" and consequently became very reluctant to ask for help.
(46)______.
Part Ⅳ Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth)
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. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.
With the world's population estimated to grow from six to nine billion by 2050, researchers, businesses and governments are already dealing with the impact this increase will have on everything from food and water to infrastructure (基础设施) and jobs. Underlying all this (47) will be the demand for energy, which is expected to double over the next 40 years.
Finding the resources to meet this demand in a (48) , sustainable way is the cornerstone (基石) of our nation's energy security, and will be one of the major (49) of the 21st century. Alternative forms of energy—bio-fuels, wind and solar, to name a few—are (50) being funded and developed, and will play a growing (51) in the world's energy supply. But experts say that even when (52) , alternative energy sources will likely meet only about 30% of the world's energy needs by 2050.
For example, even with (53) investments, such as the $93 million for wind energy. development (54) in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, important alternative energy sources such as wind and bio-fuels (55) only about 1% of the market today.
Energy and sustainability experts say the answer to our future energy needs will likely come from lot of (56) —both traditional and alternative.
A) stable I) exactly
B) solutions J) consist
C) significant K) comprise
D) role L) competitions
E) progress M) combined
F) marvelous N) challenges
G) included O) certainly
H) growth
Section B
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.
Passage One
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
Boys' schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music.
Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity(阳刚), the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to conform to a stereotype, a US study says.
Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they had to conform to the "boy code" of hiding their emotions to be a "real man".
The findings of the study go against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.
Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being failed by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticised teachers for failing to recognise that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.
But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boys' learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study's author, Abigail James, of the University of Virginia.
Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with "boy-focused" approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have more acute vision, learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given "hands-on" lessons where they are allowed to walk around. "Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine (女性的) and prefer the modem genre (类型) in which violence and sexism are major themes," James wrote.
Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to conform to a stereotype that men should be "masterful and in charge" in relationships. "In mixed schools, boys feel compelled to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means," the study reported.
57. The author believes that a single-sex school would______.
A) force boys to hide their emotions to be "real men"
B) help to cultivate masculine aggressiveness in boys
C) encourage boys to express their emotions more freely
D) naturally reinforce in boys the traditional image of a man
58. It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys______.
A) perform relatively better C) behave more responsibly
B) grow up more healthily D) receive a better education
59. What does Tony Little say about the British education system?
A) It fails more boys than girls academically.
B) It focuses more on mixed school education.
C) It fails to give boys the attention they need.
D) It places more pressure on boys than on girls.
60. According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is______.
A) teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys
B) boys can focus on their lessons without being distracted
C) boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in
D) teaching can be designed to promote boys' team spirit
61. Which of the following is characteristic of boys according to Abigail James' report?
A) They enjoy being in charge. C) They have sharper vision.
B) They conform to stereotypes. D) They are violent and Sexist.
Passage Two
Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.
It's an annual argument. Do we or do we not go on holiday? My partner says no because the boiler could go, or the roof fall off, and we have no savings to save us. I say you only live once and we work hard and what's the point if you can't go on holiday. The joy of a recession means no argument next year—we just won't go.
Since money is known to be one of the things most likely to bring a relationship to its knees, we should be grateful. For many families the recession means more than not booking a holiday. A YouGov poll of 2,000 people found 22% said they were arguing more with their partners because of concerns about money. What's less clear is whether divorce and separation rates rise in a recession—financial pressures mean couples argue more but make splitting up less affordable. A recent research shows arguments about money were especially damaging to couples. Disputes were characterised by intense verbal(言语上的) aggression, tended to be repeated and not resolved, and made men, more than women, extremely angry.
Kim Stephenson, an occupational psychologist, believes money is such a big deal because of what it symbolises, which may be different things to men and women. "People can say the same things about money but have different ideas of what it's for," he explains. "They'll say it's to save, to spend, for security, for freedom, to show someone you love them." He says men are more likely to see money as a way of buying status and of showing their parents that they've achieved something.
"The biggest problem is that couples assume each other knows what's going on with their finances, but they don't. There seems to be more of a taboo (禁忌) about talking about money than about death. But you both need to know what you're doing, who's paying what into the joint account and how much you keep separately. In a healthy relationship, you don't have to agree about money, but you have to talk about it."
62. What does the author say about vacationing?
A) People enjoy it all the more during a recession.
B) Few people can afford it without working hard.
C) It makes all the hard work worthwhile.
D) It is the chief cause of family disputes.
63. What does the author mean by saying "money is known...to bring a relationship to its knees" (Line 1, Para. 2)?
A) Money is considered to be the root of all evils.
B) Some people sacrifice their dignity for money.
C) Few people can resist the temptation of money.
D) Disputes over money may ruin a relationship.
64. The YouGov poll of 2,000 people indicates that in a recession______.
A) conflicts between couples tend to rise
B) it is more expensive for couples to split up
C) couples show more concern for each other
D) divorce and separation rates increase
65. What does Kim Stephenson believe?
A) Money is often a symbol of a person's status.
B) Money means a great deal to both men and women.
C) Men and women spend money on different things.
D) Men and women view money in different ways.
66. The author suggests at the end of the passage that couples should______.
A) put their money together instead of keeping it separately
B) make efforts to reach agreement on their family budgets
C) discuss money matters to maintain a healthy relationship
D) avoid arguing about money matters to remain romantic
Part Ⅴ Cloze
Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage.
Employers fear they will be unable to recruit students with the skills they need as the economic recovery kicks in, a new survey (67) .
Nearly half of the organisations told researchers they were already struggling to find (68) with skills in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), (69) even more companies expect to experience (70) of employees with STEM skills in the next three years.
The Confederation of British Industry (71) 694 businesses and organisations across the public and (72) sectors, which together employ 2.4 million people.
Half are (73) they will not be able to fill graduate posts in the coming years, while a third said they would not be able to (74) enough employees with the right A-level skills.
" (75) we move further into recovery and businesses plan (76) growth, the demand for people with high-quality skills and qualifications will (77) ," said Richard Lambert, Director General, CBI. "Firms say it is already hard to find people with the right (78) or engineering skills. The new government must make it a top (79) to encourage more young people to study science-related (80) ."
The survey found that young people would improve their job prospects (81) they studied business, maths, English and physics or chemistry at A-level. The A-levels that employers (82) least are psychology and sociology. And while many employers don't insist on a (83) degree subject, a third prefer to hire those with a STEM-related subject.
The research (84) worries about the lack of progress in improving basic skills in the UK (85) . Half of the employers expressed worries about employees' basic literacy and numeracy (计算) skills, while the biggest problem is with IT skills, (86) two-thirds reported concerns.
67. A) submits C) launches B) reveals D) generates
68. A) audience C) partners B) officials D) staff
69. A) while C) for B) because D) although
70. A) exits C) absences B) shortages D) departures
71. A) surveyed C) exposed B) searched D) exploited
72. A) collective C) personal B) private D) civil
73. A) confronted C) concerned B) conformed D) confused
74. A) bind C) transfer B) attain D) recruit
75. A) Lest C) Before B) Unless D) As
76. A) with C) on B) for D) by
77. A) dominate C) enforce B) stretch D) intensify
78. A) creative C) narrative B) technical D) physical
79. A) priority C) challenge B) option D) judgment
80. A) procedures C) thoughts B) academies D) subjects
81. A) until C) whereas B) since D) if
82. A) rate C) order B) discuss D) observe
83. A) typical C) positive B) particular D) general
84. A) highlighted C) focused B) prescribed D) touched
85. A) masses C) faculty B) workforce D) communities
86. A) what C) where B) whom D) why
Part Ⅵ Translation
Directions: Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets.
87. Charity groups organized various activities to__________.(为地震幸存者筹款).
88. Linda__________(不可能收到我的电子邮件); otherwise, she would have replied.
89. It's my mother__________(一直在鼓励我不要灰心) when I have difficulties in my studies.
90. The publishing house has to__________(考虑这部小说的受欢迎程度).
91. It is absolutely wrong to__________(仅仅以金钱来定义幸福).
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