2015年6月大学英语四级考试真题(第2套)

2015年6月大学英语四级考试真题及答案（第2套）

Part I Writing (30 minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay based on the picture below. You should

start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then comment on parents' role in their children's growth. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

\"Good news mom! I was accepted to the college of your choice.\"

Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes) Section A

Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each

conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。 1. A) The woman should go on playing chess. B) He is willing to play chess with the woman. C) The woman has good reason to quit the game. D) He will give the woman some tips on the game. 2. A) She would like to resume contact with Sally. B) The man can forward the mail to Mary. C) She can call Mary to take care of the mail. D) Mary probably knows Sally's new address. 3. A) He did not attend today’s class. B) His notes are not easy to read.

C) His handwriting has a unique style. D) He is very pleased to be able to help.

4. A) The new restaurant is a perfect place for dating. B) The new restaurant caught her fancy immediately. C) The man has good taste in choosing the restaurant. D) The man had better choose another restaurant. 5. A) He will help the woman put things away. B) He has been waiting for the winter sale.

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C) He has been looking forward to spring. D) He will clean the woman's boots for spring. 6. A) The woman often works overtime at weekends. B) The man often lends books to the woman. C) The man appreciates the woman's help. D) The woman is rather forgetful. 7. A) Take a sightseeing trip. B) Go to work on foot.

C) Start work earlier than usual.

D) Take a walk when the weather is nice.

8. A) Temporary closing has disturbed the airport’s operation. B) The plane is going to land at another airport. C) All flights have been delayed due to bad weather.

D) The airport’s management is in real need of improvement.

Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

9. A) It specializes in safety from leaks. B) It is headquartered in London. C) It has a chemical processing plant. D) It has a partnership with LCP. 10. A) He is a safety inspector. B) He is Mr. Grand’s friend. C) He is a chemist. D) He is a salesman. 11. A) The public relations officer. B) Head of the personnel department. C) Mr. Grand’s personal assistant. D) Director of the safety department. 12. A) Send a comprehensive description of their work. B) Provide details of their products and services. C) Leave a message for Mr. Grand. D) Wait for Mr. Grand to call back.

Questions 13 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 13. A) She listened to recordings of many European orchestras. B) She read a lot about European musicians and their music. C) She dreamed of working and living in a European country. D) She learned playing the violin from a famous French musician. 14. A) She was a pupil of a famous European violinist. B) She gave her first performance with her father. C) She became a professional violinist at fifteen. D) She began taking violin lessons as a small child. 15. A) It was the chance of a lifetime. B) It was a great challenge to her.

C) It gave her a chance to explore the city. D) It helped her learn classical French music.

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 Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

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Passage One

Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard. 16. A) There are mysterious stories behind his works. B) His personal history is little known. C) His works have no match worldwide.

D) There are many misunderstandings about him. 17. A) He once worked in a well-known acting company. B) He moved to Stratford-on-Avon in his childhood. C) He failed to go beyond grammar school. D) He was a member of the town council. 18. A) People of his time had little interest in him. B) His works were adapted beyond recognition.

C) Possible sources of clues about him were lost in a fire. D) Writers of his time had no means to protect their works.

Passage Two

Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard. 19. A) Theft. B) Air crash. C) Cheating. D) Road accidents. 20. A) Learn the local customs. B) Have the right documents. C) Book tickets well in advance. D) Make hotel reservations. 21. A) Contact your agent. B) Use official transport. C) Get a lift if possible. D) Have a friend meet you.

Passage Three

Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard. 22. A) Cut down production cost. B) Refine the taste of his goods. C) Sell inexpensive products. D) Specialise in gold ornaments. 23. A) At a meeting of top British businesspeople. B) During a local sales promotion campaign. C) During a live television interview. D) At a national press conference. 24. A) Discouraged. B) Distressed. C) Puzzled. D) Insulted. 25. A) He is not laughed at, that laughs at himself first. B) There should be a limit to one’s sense of humour. C) He who never learns from the past is bound to fail. D) The words of some businesspeople are just rubbish.

Section C

Direction: In the 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 with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

Looking at the basic biological systems, the world is not doing very well. Yet economic indicators show the world is __26__. Despite a slow start at the beginning of the eighties, global economic output increased by more

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than a fifth during the __27__. The economy grew, trade increased, and millions of new jobs were created. How can biological indicators show the _ 28__ of economic indicators?

The answer is that the economic indicators have a basic fault: they show no difference between resource uses that __29__ progress and those uses that will hurt it. The main measure of economic progress is the gross national product (GNP), __30__, this totals the value of all goods and services produced and subtracts loss in value of factories and equipment. Developed a half-century ago, GNP helped __31__ a common way among countries of measuring change in economic output. For some time, this seemed to work __32__ well, but serious weaknesses are now appearing. As indicated earlier, GNP includes loss in value of factories and equipment, but it does not __33__ the loss of natural resources, including nonrenewable resources such as oil or renewable resources such as forests.

This basic fault can produce a __34__ sense of national economic health. According to GNP, for example, countries that overcut forests actually do better than those that preserve their forests. The trees cut down are counted as income but no subtraction is made for __35__ the forests.

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 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.

Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.

The U.S. Department of Education is making efforts to ensure that all students have equal access to a quality education. Today it is __36__ the launch of the Excellent Educators for All Initiative. The initiative will help states and school districts support great educators for the students who need them most.

\"All children are __37__ to a high-quality education regardless of their race, zip code or family income. It is __38__ important that we provide teachers and principals the support they need to help students reach their full __39__,\" U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. \"Despite the excellent work and deep __40__ of our nation’s teachers and principals, students in high-poverty, high-minority schools are unfairly treated across our country. We have to do better. Local leaders and educators will __41__ their own creative solutions, but we must work together to __42__ our focus on how to better recruit, support and __43__ effective teachers and principals for all students, especially the kids who need them most.\"

Today’s announcement is another important step forward in improving access to a quality education, a __44__ of President Obama's year of action. Later today, Secretary Duncan will lead a roundtable discussion with principals and school teachers from across the country about the __45__ of working in high-need schools and how to adopt promising practices for supporting great educators in these schools. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

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A) announcing B) beneficial C) challenges D) commitment E) component F) contests G) critically H) develop I) distributing J) enhance K) entitled L) potential M) properly N) qualified O) retain

Section B

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.

The Changes Facing Fast Food

[A] Fast-food firms have to be a thick-skinned bunch. Health experts regularly criticise them severely for selling food that makes people fat. Critics even complain that McDonald’s, whose logo symbolises calorie excess, should not have been allowed to sponsor the World Cup. These are things fast-food firms have learnt to cope with. But not perhaps for much longer. The burger business faces more pressure from regulators at a time when it is already adapting strategies in response to shifts in the global economy.

[B] Fast food was once thought to be recession-proof. When consumers need to cut spending, the logic goes, cheap meals like Big Macs and Whoppers become even more attractive. Such \"trading down\" proved true for much of the latest recession, when fast-food companies picked up customers who could no longer afford to eat at casual restaurants. Traffic was boosted in America, the home of fast food, with discounts and promotions, such as $1 menus and cheap combination meals.

[C] As a result, fast-food chains have weathered the recession better than their more expensive competitors. In 2009 sales at full-service restaurants in America fell by more than 6%, but total sales remained about the same at fast-food chains. In some markets, such as Japan, France and Britain, total spending on fast food increased. Same-store sales in America at McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food company, did not decline throughout the downturn. Panera Bread, an American fast-food chain known for its fresh ingredients, performed well, too, because it offers higher-quality food at lower prices than restaurants.

[D] But not all fast-food companies have been as fortunate. Many, such as Burger King, have seen sales fall. In a severe recession, while some people trade down to fast food, many others eat at home more frequently to save money. David Palmer, an analyst at UBS, a bank, says smaller fast-food chains in America, such as Jack in the Box and Carl’s Jr., have been hit particularly hard in this downturn because they are competing with the global giant McDonald's, which increased spending on advertising by more than 7% last year as others cut back. [E] Some fast-food companies also sacrificed their own profits by trying to give customers better value. During the recession companies set prices low, hoping that once they had tempted customers through the door they would be persuaded to order more expensive items. But in many cases that strategy did not work. Last year Burger King franchisees（特许经营人）sued（起诉）the company over its double-cheeseburger promotion, claiming it was unfair for them to be required to sell these for $ 1 when they cost $1.10 to make. In May a judge ruled in favour of Burger King. Nevertheless, the company may still be cursing its decision to promote cheap choices over more expensive ones because items on its \"value menu\" now account for around 20% of all sales, up from 12% last October.

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[F] Analysts expect the fast-food industry to grow modestly this year. But the downturn is making companies rethink their strategies. Many are now introducing higher-priced items to entice（引诱）consumers away from $1 specials. KFC, a division of Yum! Brands, which also owns Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, has launched a chicken sandwich that costs around $5. And in May Burger King introduced barbecue（烧烤）pork ribs at $7 for eight.

[G] Companies are also trying to get customers to buy new and more items, including drinks. McDonald’s started selling better coffee as a challenge to Starbucks. Its \"McCafé\" line now accounts for an estimated 6% of sales in America. Starbucks has sold rights to its Seattle’s Best coffee brand to Burger King, which will start selling it later this year.

[H] As fast-food companies shift from \"super size\" to \"more buyshey need to keep customer traffic high throughout the day. Many see breakfast as a big opportunity, and not just for fatty food. McDonald's will start selling porridge（粥）in America next year. Breakfast has the potential to be very profitable, says Sara senator of Bernstein, a research firm, because the margins can be high. Fast-food companies are also adding midday and late-night snacks, such as blended drinks and wraps. The idea is that by having a greater range of things on the menu, \"we can sell to consumers products they want all day,\" says Rick Carucci, the chief financial officer of Yum! Brands.

[I] But what about those growing waistlines? So far, fast-food firms have cleverly avoided government regulation. By providing healthy options, like salads and low-calorie sandwiches, they have at least given the impression of doing something about helping to fight obesity（肥胖症）. These offerings are not necessarily loss-leaders, as they broaden the appeal of outlets to groups of diners that include some people who don’t want to eat a burger. But customers cannot be forced to order salads instead of fries.

[J] In the future, simply offering a healthy option may not be good enough. ‘‘Every packaged-food and restaurant company I know is concerned about regulation right now,\" says Mr. Palmer of UBS. America’s health-reform bill, which Congress passed this year, requires restaurant chains with 20 or more outlets to put the calorie-content of items they serve on the menu. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which tracked the effects on Starbucks of a similar calorie-posting law in New York City in 2007, found that the average calorie-count per transaction fell 6% and revenue increased 3% at Starbucks stores where a Dunkin Donuts outlet was nearby—a sign, it is said, that menu-labeling could favour chains that have more healthy offerings.

[K] In order to avoid other legislation in America and elsewhere, fast-food companies will have to continue innovating（创新）.Walt Riker of McDonald’s claims the change it has made in its menu means it offers more healthy items than it did a few years ago. \"We probably sell more vegetables, more milk, more salads, more apples than any restaurant business in the world,\" he says. But the recent proposal by a county in California to ban McDonald’s from including toys in its high-calorie \"Happy Meals\children to unhealthy food, suggests there is a lot more left to do. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

46. Some people propose laws be made to stop McDonald’s from attaching toys to its food specials for children. 47. Fast-food firms may not be able to cope with pressures from food regulation in the near future. 48. Burger King will start to sell Seattle’s Best coffee to increase sales.

49. Some fast-food firms provide healthy food to give the impression they are helping to tackle the obesity problem.

50. During the recession, many customers turned to fast food to save money. 51. Many people eat out less often to save money in times of recession.

52. During the recession, Burger King's promotional strategy of offering low-priced items often proved ineffective.

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53. Fast-food restaurants can make a lot of money by selling breakfast.

54. Many fast-food companies now expect to increase their revenue by introducing higher-priced items.

55. A newly-passed law asks big fast-food chains to specify the calorie count of what they serve on the menu.

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 56 to 60are based on the following passage.

If you think a high-factor sunscreen（防晒霜）keeps you safe from harmful rays, you may be wrong. Research in this week's Nature shows that while factor 50 reduces the number of melanomas（黑瘤）and delays their occurrence, it can't prevent them. Melanomas are the most aggressive skin cancers. You have a higher risk if you have red or blond hair, fair skin, blue or green eyes, or sunburn easily, or if a close relative has had one. Melanomas are more common if you have periodic intense exposure to the sun. Other skin cancers are increasingly likely with long-term exposure.

There is continuing debate as to how effective sunscreen is in reducing melanomas一the evidence is weaker than it is for preventing other types of skin cancer. A 2011 Australian study of 1,621 people found that people randomly selected to apply sunscreen daily had half the rate of melanomas of people who used cream as needed. A second study, comparing 1,167 people with melanomas to 1,101 who didn’t have the cancer, found that using sunscreen routinely, alongside other protection such as hats, long sleeves or staying in the shade, did give some protection. This study said other forms of sun protection — not sunscreen — seemed most beneficial. The study relied on people remembering what they had done over each decade of their lives, so it’s not entirely reliable. But it seems reasonable to think sunscreen gives people a false sense of security in the sun.

Many people also don't use sunscreen properly — applying insufficient amounts, failing to reapply after a couple of hours and staying in the sun too long. It is sunburn that is most worrying — recent research shows five episodes of sunburn in the teenage years increases the risk of all skin cancers.

The good news is that a combination of sunscreen and covering up can reduce melanoma rates, as shown by Australian figures from their slip-slop-slap campaign. So if there is a heat wave this summer, it would be best for us, too, to slip on a shirt, slop on（抹上）sunscreen and slap on a hat. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

56. What is people's common expectation of a high-factor sunscreen? A) It will delay the occurrence of skin cancer. B) It will protect them from sunburn. C) It will keep their skin smooth and fair. D) It will work for people of any skin color. 57. What does the research in Nature say about a high-factor sunscreen? A) It is ineffective in preventing melanomas. B) It is ineffective in case of intense sunlight. C) It is ineffective with long-term exposure. D) It is ineffective for people with fair skin.

58. What do we learn from the 2011 Australian study of 1,621 people? A) Sunscreen should be applied alongside other protection measures. B) High-risk people benefit the most from the application of sunscreen. C) Irregular application of sunscreen does women more harm than good. D) Daily application of sunscreen helps reduce the incidence of melanomas. 59. What does the author say about the second Australian study?

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A) It misleads people to rely on sunscreen for protection. B) It helps people to select the most effective sunscreen. C) It is not based on direct observation of the subjects. D) It confirms the results of the first Australian study.

60. What does the author suggest to reduce melanoma rates? A) Using both covering up and sunscreen. B) Staying in the shade whenever possible. C) Using covering up instead of sunscreen. D) Applying the right amount of sunscreen.

Passage Two

Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

Across the rich world, well-educated people increasingly work longer than the less-skilled. Some 65% of American men aged 62-74 with a professional degree are in the workforce, compared with 32% of men with only a high-school certificate. This gap is part of a deepening divide between the well-educated well-off and the unskilled poor. Rapid technological advance has raised the incomes of the highly skilled while squeezing those of the unskilled. The consequences, for individuals and society, are profound.

The world is facing an astonishing rise in the number of old people, and they will live longer than ever before. Over the next 20 years the global population of those aged 65 or more will almost double, from 600 million to 1.1 billion. The experience of the 20th century, when greater longevity（长寿）translated into more years in retirement rather than more years at work, has persuaded many observers that this shift will lead to slower economic growth, while the swelling ranks of pensioners will create government budget problems.

But the notion of a sharp division between the working young and the idle old misses a new trend, the growing gap between the skilled and the unskilled. Employment rates are falling among younger unskilled people, whereas older skilled folk are working longer. The divide is most extreme in America, where well- educated baby-boomers（二战后生育高峰期出生的美国人）are putting off retirement while many less- skilled younger people have dropped out of the workforce.

Policy is partly responsible. Many European governments have abandoned policies that used to encourage people to retire early. Rising life expectancy（预期寿命）, combined with the replacement of generous defined-benefit pension plans with less generous defined-contribution ones, means that even the better-off must work longer to have a comfortable retirement. But the changing nature of work also plays a big role. Pay has risen sharply for the highly educated, and those people continue to reap rich rewards into old age because these days the educated elderly are more productive than the preceding generation. Technological change may well reinforce that shift: the skills that complement computers, from management knowhow to creativity, do not necessarily decline with age.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

61. What is happening in the workforce in rich countries? A) Younger people are replacing the elderly. B) Well-educated people tend to work longer. C) Unemployment rates are rising year after year.

D) People with no college degree do not easily find work.

62. What has helped deepen the divide between the well-off and the poor? A) Longer life expectancies.

B) A rapid technological advance. C) Profound changes in the workforce. D) A growing number of the well-educated.

63. What do many observers predict in view of the experience of the 20th century?

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A) Economic growth will slow down. B) Government budgets will increase.

C) More people will try to pursue higher education. D) There will be more competition in the job market.

64. What is the result of policy changes in European countries? A) Unskilled workers may choose to retire early. B) More people have to receive in-service training.

C) Even wealthy people must work longer to live comfortably in retirement. D) People may be able to enjoy generous defined-benefits from pension plans. 65. What is characteristic of work in the 21st century? A) Computers will do more complicated work. B) More will be taken by the educated young. C) Most jobs to be done will be creative ones. D) Skills are highly valued regardless of age.

Part Ⅳ Translation (30 minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You

should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.

中国是世界上最古老的文明之一。构成现代世界基础的许多元素都起源于中国。中国现在拥有世界上发展最快的经济，并正经历着一次新的工业革命。中国还启动了雄心勃勃的太空探索计划，其中包括到2020年建成一个太空站。目前，中国是世界最大的出口国之一，并正在吸引大量外国投资。同时，它也在海外投资数十亿美元。2011年，中国超越日本成为世界第二大经济体。 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

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听力原文

Part II Listening Comprehension Section A

1. W: I’m going to give up playing chess. I lost again today. M: Just because you lost? Is that any reason to quit? Q: What does the man imply?

2. M: Do you know Sally’s new address? She’s got some mail here, and I’d like to forward it to her. W: Well, we’ve not been in touch for quite a while. Let’s see. Mary should know it. Q: What does the woman mean?

3. W: I missed classes this morning. Could you please lend me your notes? M: My notes? You’ve never see my handwriting, have you? Q: What does the man imply?

4. M: I’m taking my girlfriend to the fancy new restaurant for her birthday tonight. W: I went there last weekend, I found it rather disappointing. Q: What does the woman mean?

5. W: Winter is over at last. Time to put away my gloves and boots. M: I’ve been waiting for this for months. Q: What does the man mean?

6. W: Thank you for bringing the books back.

M: I thought you need them over the weekend. Many thanks for letting me use them. Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

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7. W: Are you working flexible hours?

M: No, I’m not. The weather today is so nice, so I decided to walk to work, and that meant I had to leave an hour earlier than usual.

Q: What did the man decided to do?

8. W: Our plane has been circling for a long time. Why the delay?

M: The airport is closed for a while this morning, and things are still not back to normal. Q: What does the man mean?

Conversation One

W: Morning, this is TGC!

M: Good morning, Walter Barry here, calling from London. Could I speak to Mr. Grand, please? W: Who’s calling, please?

M: Walter Barry, from London. W: What is it about, please?

M: Well, I understand that your company has a chemical processing plant. My own company LCP, Liquid Control Products, is a leader in safety from leaks in the field of chemical processing. I’d like to speak to Mr. Grand to discuss ways in which we could help TGC to protect itself from such problems and save money at the same time. W: Yes, I see. Well, Mr. Grand is not available just now. M: Can you tell me when I could reach him?

W: He’s very busy for the next few days. Then he’ll be away in New York. So it’s difficult to give you a time. M: Could I speak to someone else, perhaps? W: Who, in particular?

M: A colleague, for example?

W: You are speaking to his personal assistance. I can deal with calls for Mr. Grand. M: Yes, well, could I ring him tomorrow?

W: No, I’m sorry, he won’t be free tomorrow. Listen, let me suggest something. You send us details of your products and services, together with references from other companies. And then we’ll contact you. M: Yes, that’s very kind of you. I have your address. W: Very good, Mr…?

M: Barry. Walter Barry, from LCP in London.

W: Right, Mr. Barry. We look forward to hearing from you. M: Thank you, goodbye. W: Bye.

Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard 9. What do we learn about the woman’s company? 10. What do we learn about the man?

11. What’s the woman’s position in her company? 12. What does the woman suggest the man do?

Conversation 2

M: Miss Yamada, did you ever think that you would find yourself living and working in the western world? W: No, not really, although I’ve always listened to recordings of great orchestras from Europe. M: So you enjoyed classical music even when you were very young? W: Oh, yes. I was an only child.

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M: You were born in 1955, is that right?

W: Yes, I began violin lessons at school when I was 6. M: As young as that, did you like it? W: Oh, yes, very much.

M: When did you first play on your own? I mean, when did you give your first perforMce?

W: I think I was 8…? No, Nine. I just had my birthday a week before, and my father had bought me a new violin. I played a small piece at the school concert.

M: Did you know then that you would become a professional violinist?

W: Yes, I think so. I enjoy playing the violin very much, and I didn’t mind practicing, sometimes three or four hours a day.

M: And when did you first come to Europe?

W: I was very lucky. When I was fifteen, I won a scholarship to a college in Paris. That was for a three-year course.

M: How did your parents feel about that?

W: I think they were pleased and worried at the same time. It was the chance of a lifetime. But of course I would be thousands of miles from home. Anyway, I studied in Paris for three years and then went back to Tokyo. Questions 13 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard 13. What do we know about the woman before she went to Europe? 14. What does the woman say about her music experience? 15. What does the woman say about her study in Paris?

Passage One

What makes a person famous? This is a mystery that many people have carefully thought about. All kinds of myths surround the lives of well-known people.

Most people are familiar with the works of William Shakespeare, one of the greatest English writers of the 16th and 17th centuries. Yet how many know Shakespeare the person, the man behind the works?

After centuries of research, scholars are still trying to discover Shakespeare's personal history. It is not easily found in his writings. Authors of the time could not protect their works. An acting company, for example, could change a play if they wanted to. Nowadays, writers have copyrights that protect their work.

Many myths arose about Shakespeare. Some said he had no formal education. Others believe that he began his career by tending the horses of wealthy men. All of these myths are interesting, but are they true? Probably not. Shakespeare's father was a respected man in Stratford-on-Avon, a member of the town council. He sent young William to grammar school. Most people of Elizabethan times did not continue beyond grammar school; so, Shakespeare did have, at least, an average education.

Some parts of Shakespeare's life will always remain unknown. The Great London Fire of l666 burned many important documents that could have been a source of clues. We will always be left with many questions and few facts.

Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard. 16. What does the speaker say about William Shakespeare? 17. What do we learn about Shakespeare's father?

18. Why does the speaker say parts of Shakespeare's life will remain a mystery?

Passage Two

Wherever you go and for whatever reason, it’s important to be safe. While the majority of people you meet in travelling are short to be friendly and welcoming, they are dangerous. First being the most common.

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Just as in your home country. Do not expect everyone you meet to be friendly and helpful. It’s important top repaired for your trip in advance and to take precautions while you are travelling. As you prepare for your trip, make sure your have the right paperwork. You don’t want to get to your destination, only to find you have the wrong visa, or worse, that your passport isn’t valid anymore. Also, make sure you travel with proper medical insurance. So that if you sick or injured during your travels, you will be able to get treatment. If you want to drive all year abroad, make sure you have a international driver’s license.

When you get to your destination, use official transport. Always go to bus and taxi stands, don’t except rights from strangers who offer you a lift. If there isn’t a meter in the taxi, agree on the price before you get in. If you prefer to stay in cheap hotels while travelling, make sure you can lock the door of your room from the inside. Finally, bear in mind to simile. It’s the friendly and the most sincere form of communication. And it sure to be understood in any part of the world。

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

19. What ismentioned as a most common danger when people go travellingabroad? 20. What isthe most important thing to do when you prepare for your tripabroad? 21. Whatdoes the speaker suggest you do when you arrive at yourdestination?

Passage 3

The British are supposed to be famous for laughing at themselves, but even their sense of humour has a limit, as the British retailer Gerald Ratner found out to his cost. When Ratner took over his father's chain of 130 jewelry shops in 1984, he introduced a very clear company policy. He decided that his shops should sell down market products at the lowest possible prices. It was a great success. The British public loved his cheap gold earrings and his tasteless silver ornaments. By 1991, Ratner's company had 2,400 shops and it was worth over 680 million pounds. But in April of that year, Gerald Ratner made a big mistake. At a big meeting of top British businesspeople, he suited up and explained the secret of his success. People say \"How can we sell our goods for such a low price?\" I say \"Because they are absolute rubbish.\" His audience roared with laughter. But the British newspapers and the British public were not so amused. People felt insulted and stayed away from Ratner's shops. Sales fell and 6 months after his speech, Ratner's share price had fallen by 42%. The following year, things got worse and Gerald Ratner was forced to resign. By the end of 1992, he lost his company, his career and his house. Even worse, 25,000 of his employees had lost their jobs. It had been a very expensive joke. Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.

22. What did Gerald Ratner decide to do when he took over his father's shops? 23. On what occasion did Gerald Ratner explained the secret of his success? 24. How did people feel when they leaned of Gerald Ratner's remarks? 25. What does the story of Gerald Ratner suggest?

Section C

Looking at the basic biology systems, the world is not doing very well. Yet economic indicators show the world is prospering. Despite a slow start at the beginning of the eighties, global economic output increased by more than a fifth during the decade. The economy grew, trade increased, and millions of new jobs were created. How can biological indicators show the opposite of economic indicators?

The answer is that the economic indicators have a basic fault: they show no difference between resources uses that sustain progress and those uses that will hurt it. The main measure of economic progress is the gross national product (GNP). In simple terms, this totals the value of all goods and services produced and subtracts loss in value of factories and equipment. Developed a half-century ago, GNP helped establish a common way among countries of measuring change in economic output. For some time, this seemed to work reasonably well, but

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serious weakness are now appearing. As indicated earlier, GNP includes loss in value of factories and equipment, but it does not take into account the loss of natural resources, including nonrenewable resources such as oil or renewable resources such as forests.

This basic fault can produce a misleading sense of national economic health. According to GNP, for example, countries that overcut forest actually do better than those that preserve their forest. The trees cut down are counted as income but no subtraction is made for using up the forests.

参考答案

【作文范文】

There are several possible reasons accountable for this phenomenon. To begin with, family in growing numbers has only one child; therefore, parents oftentimes focus all their attentions on that child and exert much pressure on him or her. Moreover, numerous parents intend to realize their unfulfilled dreams by letting their children learn what they failed to learn and apply for the college by which they failed to be accepted, because they have become richer and they believe that they have the power to make what they wanted and want come true now. For instance, my uncle used to be a poor man and his dream that one day he would become a violinist was broken because of lack of money. But he made a fortune by selling coals, and then forced his son, my younger brother to practice playing violin. My brother was a huge fan of sports, but now he has to play violin everyday unwillingly and offer quarrels with their parents.

To sum up, it is unreasonable for parents to control their children’s life. In order to help them grow happily and healthily, parents are supposed to communicate with their kids about what they are really interested in. Meanwhile, it is about time that parents let their kids make their own choices. Only in these ways will children grow in a psychologically happy environment and realize their own dreams.

1-8: ADBDCCBA 9-12: CDCB 13-15: ADA 16-18: BDC 19-21: ABB 22-25: CADB

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26. prospering 27. decade 28. opposite 29. sustain

30. In simple terms 31. establish 32. reasonably

33. take into account 34. misleading 35. using up

36-45: AKGLD HJOEC 46-55: KAGIB DEHFJ 56-65: BADCA BBACD

Translation

China is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Many elements that make up the foundation of the

modern world originated in China. China now is the world's fastest growing economy, and is experiencing a new industrial revolution. China has also launched an ambitious space exploration program which includes a space station in 2020. At present, China is the world's largest exporter, and is attracting a lot of foreign investment. At the same time, it is also investing billions of dollars abroad. In 2011, China overtook Japan to become the world's second largest economy.