2009年12月英语四级考试模拟训练附答案

2009 年 12 月英语四级考试模拟训练附答案Part I Writing (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled “How to Conduct Patriotic Education Among the Youth of Today”. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below in Chinese:1. 我国爱国主义教育的现状;2. 爱国主义教育的重要意义;3. 如何在青少年中开展爱国主义教育?Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Work-life balance: Ways to restore harmony and reduce stressFinding work-life balance in todays frenetically (疯狂) paced world is no simple task.Spend more time at work than at home, and you miss out on a rewarding personal life. Then again, when you face challenges in your personal life, such as caring for an aging parent or coping with marital problems, concentrating on your job can be difficult.Whether the problem is too much focus on work or too little, when your work life and your personal life feel out of balance, stress along with its harmful effects is the result.The good news is that you can take control of your work-life balance and give yourself the time to do the things that are most important to you. The first step is to recognize how the world of work has changed. Then you can evaluate your relationship to work and apply some specific strategies for striking a healthier balance.How work invades your personal lifeThere was a time when employees showed up for work Monday through Friday and worked eight- to nine-hour days. The boundaries between work and home were fairly clear then. But the world has changed and, unfortunately, the boundaries have blurred for many workers. Heres why:Global economy. As more skilled workers enter the global labor market and companies outsource or move more jobs to reduce labor costs, people feel pressured to work longer and produce more just to protect their jobs.International business. Work continues around the world 24 hours a day for some people. If you work in an international organization, you might be on call around the clock for troubleshooting or consulting.Advanced communication technology. Many people now have the ability to work anywhere from their home, from their car and even on vacation. And some managers expect this.Longer hours. Employers commonly ask employees to work longer hours than theyre scheduled. Often, overtime is mandatory (强制性的). If you hope to move up the career ladder, you may find yourself regularly working more than 40 hours a week to achieve and exceed expectations.Changes in family roles. Todays married worker is typically part of a dual-career couple, which makes it difficult to find time to meet commitments to family, friends and community.Married to your workIt can be tempting to rack up the hours at work especially if youre trying to earn a promotion or some extra money for a childs education or a dream vacation. For others, working more hours feels necessary in order to manage the workload.But if youre spending most of your time at work, your home life will likely pay the price. Consider the pros and cons of working extra hours on your work-life balance:Fatigue. Your ability to think and your eye-hand coordination decrease when youre tired. This means youre less productive and may make more mistakes. These mistakes can lead to injury or rework and negatively impact your professional reputation.Family. You may miss out on important events, such as your childs first bike ride, your fathers 60th birthday or your high-school reunion. Missing out on important milestones may harm relationships with your loved ones.Friends. Trusted friends are a key part of your support system. But if youre spending time at the office instead of with them, youll find it difficult to nurture those friendships.Expectations. If you regularly work extra hours, you may be given more responsibility. This could create a never-ending and increasing cycle, causing more concerns and challenges.Sometimes working overtime is important. If you work for a company that requires mandatory overtime, you wont be able to avoid it, but you can learn to manage it. Most importantly, say no when youre too tired, when its affecting your health or when you have crucial family obligations.Striking the best work-life balanceFor most people, juggling (巧妙处理) the demands of career and personal life is an ongoing challenge. With so many demands on your time from overtime to family obligations it can feel difficult to strike this balance. The goal is to make time for the activities that are the most important to you.Here are some ideas to help you find the balance thats best for you:Learn to say no. Whether its a co-worker asking you to spearhead (充当先锋) an extra project or your childs teacher asking you to manage the class play, remember that its OK to respectfully say no. When you quit doing the things you only do out of guilt or a false sense of obligation, youll make more room in your life for the activities that are meaningful to you and bring you joy.Leave work at work. Make a conscious decision to separate work time from personal time. When with your family, for instance, turn off your cell phone and put away your laptop computer.Manage your time. Organize household tasks efficiently. Do one or two loads of laundry every day, rather than saving it all for your day off. A weekly family calendar of important dates and a daily list of to-dos will help you avoid deadline panic. If your employer offers a course in time management, sign up for it.Get enough sleep. Theres nothing as stressful and potentially dangerous as working when youre sleep-deprived. Not only is your productivity affected, but also you can make costly mistakes. You may then have to work even more hours to make up for these mistakes.Communicate clearly. Limit time-consuming misunderstandings by communicating clearly and listening carefully. Take notes if necessary.Nurture yourself. Set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy, such as walking, working out or listening to music.Set aside one night each week for recreation. Take the phone off the hook, power down the computer and turn off the TV. Discover activities you can do with your partner, family or friends, such as playing golf, fishing or canoeing. Making time for activities you enjoy will rejuvenate (使年轻) you.Remember, striking a work-life balance isnt a one-shot deal. Creating balance in your life is a continuous process. Balance doesnt mean doing everything. Examine your priorities and set boundaries. Be firm in what you can and cannot do. Only you can restore harmony to your lifestyle.1. What will happen if your work life and personal life feel out of balance?A) You will have little time to finish your work.B) You may feel stress, which will affect you negatively.C) You will have a lot of time to share with your family.D) You will never balance the combination of life and work.2. The boundaries between work and home have blurred for the following reasons, EXCEPT _.A) global economy B) changes in family rolesC) advanced communication technology D) high divorce rate3. What will happen if youre spending most of your time at work?A) You will lose both health and wealth. B) You will be hated by your loved ones.C) You will lose all your friends. D) You may be given more responsibility.4. According to the passage, youd better say no to mandatory overtime when _.A) you get bored with the work B) you are not interested in the workC) you cant get additional allowance D) you have crucial family obligations5. What does the underlined sentence mean?A) You should do the things people ask you to do without feeling guilty.B) You shouldnt do the things people ask you to do if you dont want to.C) To do things people ask you to do can bring you a lot of joy.D) To do things for yourself is more meaningful than to do things for others.6. What will NOT happen if you dont get enough sleep?A) You will feel stressed while working. B) You will have no sense of exhaustion.C) You can make costly mistakes. D) You will have low productivity.7. What does the real balance mean according to the author?A) Examining priorities and deciding what is the most important to you.B) Doing everything you want to do whether you can do it or not.C) Saying yes to everybody in order to maintain good relationships.D) Being firm that working overtime will strike a work-life balance.8. Spend more time at work than at home, and you wont have enough time to enjoy your _.9. You have slow responses and your eye-hand coordination decreases when youre _.10. You can save a lot of time and avoid misunderstandings if you communicate clearly and _.Part III Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes) Section ADirections: 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 11 to 20 are based on the following passage.Major retailers and car manufacturers have slashed (削减) their marketing budgets in the six months to October, 2008, as the financial crisis has taken its toll, while supermarkets have 11 advertising spending in a battle to prove that they offer the most 12 prices.According to new research undertaken for The Daily Telegraph by Nielsen Media Research, in the six months to September 30, 2008, Marks however, it is coming to a boil now with the publication of an article in the current issue of American Scientist arguing that “calls to direct conservation funding to the worlds biodiversity hot spots may be bad investment advice.” “The hot-spot concept has grown so popular in recent years within the larger conservation community that it now risks eclipsing all other approaches,” write the authors of the paper. “The officers and directors of all too many foundations, non-governmental organizations and international agencies have been seduced by the simplicity of the hot spot idea,” they go on. “We worry that the initially appealing idea of getting the most species per unit area is, in fact, a thoroughly misleading strategy.”But hot spots have their ardent defenders, notably Dr. Norman Myers and Dr. Russell Mittermeier. Dr. Myers says hot spots have been successful at attracting attention and financing for conservation in tropical countries. “And that has been good,” he said. “No one is suggesting that one invest solely in hot spots, but if you want to avoid extinctions, you have to invest in them.”26. The best title for this passage would be _.A) A Debate on Preserving Hot Spots B) An Introduction to Hot SpotsC) Hot Spots vs. Cold Spots D) How to Finance Hot Spots27. Hot spots occupy a small percentage of the earths land surface with _.A) a third of all plants B) many major animal groups living in cold spotsC) rich biological diversity D) many rare species living in cold spots28. Critics of hot spots hold the opinion that _.A) hot spots are always as important as cold spotsB) it is unwise to invest largely in hot spotsC) governments should choose the best time to invest in hot spotsD) the hot-spot approach is a misleading strategy from the very beginning29. According to Dr. Norman Myers, _.A) protecting and investing in hot spots can save species from extinctionB) conservation efforts should not center on hot spotsC) governments should invest most in cold spotsD) the hot-spot approach now is not as good as it was in the past30. What is the writers attitude towards the hot-spot approach?A) Critical. B) Neutral. C) Supportive. D) Doubtful.Part IV Cloze (15 minutes)Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage.Two million years ago, just as the Earths primitive apemen were evolving into big-brained humans, a pair of supernovae explosions occurred near Earth. Our planet was buffeted (冲击) with blasts of radiation with 31 effects. “These supernovae would 32 away our protective ozone layer,” said Dr Narciso Benitez of Johns Hopkins University. Earth lost its protection 33 ultraviolet light. All sorts of mutational (突变) damage to animals DNA would have occurred. New species could have emerged 34 . It is possible that Homo sapiens (智人) may have been one of these.The likely 35 of a supernovas radiation led scientists in the past 36 that one may have affected 37 on Earth. Benitez now believes that 38 two supernovae occurred near Earth two million years ago: The first would have blasted space free 39 interstellar particles; and the second would have struck Earth at full force, 40 its ozone layer.Observations of space around our Sun have revealed that, 41 the rest of the galaxy, space near us has little interstellar gas in it. “ 42 it is missing much of its dust and gas just as if a supernova 43 it out,” added Maz-Apellniz. 44 , our tiny corner of the galaxy appears to have been swept clean by a supernova brush about two million years ago; and intriguingly, at just this time, a set of extinctions known as the Pliocene (上新世) / Pleistocene (更新世 ) extinctions is also known 45 .It was also around this time that mankinds direct ancestor, Homo erectus, the species 46 to be the first true human being, appeared in Africa and Asia after 47 more primitive ape-like creatures. These beings may have been some of the lucky few who were able to 48 advantage of conditions in these hazardous, radioactive 49 . This triumph only occurred thanks to this celestial (上天的 ) 50 , however.31. A) devastate B) devastating C) devastated D) devastation32. A) blow B) have blown C) blew D) be blowing33. A) in B) on C) against D) to34. A) as a result of B) as a result C) the end result D) from the result of35. A) compact B) contact C) intact D) impact36. A) speculate B) speculating C) to speculate D) speculated37. A) evolution B) revolution C) resolution D) solution38. A) at least B) at most C) at first D) at last39. A) with B) without C) at D) of40. A) destroyed B) to destroy C) destroying D) destroy41. A) unlikely B) likely C) unlike D) dislike42. A) Definitely B) Obviously C) Eventually D) Essentially43. A) would clean B) cleaned C) have cleaned D) had cleaned44. A) In word B) In words C) In other words D) In a word45. A) to occur B) to have occurred C) occurring D) have occurred46. A) considered B) was considered C) considering D) being considered47. A) placing B) replacing C) being placed D) being replaced48. A) get B) gain C) win D) take49. A) reasons B) results C) spaces D) times50. A) invention B) intervention C) convention D) creationPart V Translation (5 minutes)Directions: Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets.51. Dont get involved in love games too early. _ (要是该怎么办) you suffer from failure in love?52. That car _(尽给我添麻烦 ) ever since I bought it.53. _ (努力不吸入 ) the vapor, Thomas turned his head.54. But for his wifes encouragement, he _ (就不能发明那个机器).55. It _ (直到得到有关当局的批准) that we can start the job.Part I WritingOne possible version:How to Conduct Patriotic Education Among the Youth of TodayThese years have seen a widespread neglect of patriotic education in our society. According to some official reports, many patriotic education centers have been closed down or kept open to the public for other more profitable purposes, while many of our national heroes have given way to todays pop stars in youths minds. If this current is allowed to run its course, I am afraid, things are bound to turn for the worse, with less and less sense of patriotism left in the youth.The significance of patriotic education to our society can be seen from the following perspectives: Patriotic education can make youth more aware of the glorious history and culture of our nation, thus building up their sense of pride as Chinese. Furthermore, patriotic education helps youth value todays hard-earned life so as to hold dearer their golden chances of enriching themselves with knowledge in peace.So the most pressing issue for us now is how to effectively instill patriotism in the youth of today. In my opinion, the first step should be focused upon giving fuller play to the potential of patriotic education centers instead of running them for the purpose of making money. Then, greater efforts must be made to integrate patriotic education into the curriculums throughout a students education. In short, where there is effective patriotic education of youth, there is a greater enhancement of national cohesion.Part II Reading Comprehension(Skimming and Scanning)1. B)。参见第三段“Whether the problem is too much focus on work or too little, when your work life and your personal life feel out of balance, stress along with its harmful effects is the result.”可知，当你生活和工作的平衡被打乱的时候，你就会感到压力，这种压力会给你带来不好的影响。2. D)。参见 How work invades your personal life 小标题下列举的打乱生活和工作平衡的内容可知，A)、B)、C) 三个选项的内容与文章相符，唯有 D)在文章中没有提及。3. D)。参见 Married to your work 小标题下列举的过度工作可能给自己和家人或朋友带来的影响可知，文章提到了过度工作会使你疲劳并导致效率低下;过度工作还会占用你与家人和朋友团聚的时间而使亲情、友情受到影响;过度工作还会使你深陷工作泥潭以至于你肩上的担子越压越重。A)、B)、C) 三个选项在一定程度上改变了文章的含义，只有 D)与原文内容相符。4. D)。参见 Married to your work 小标题下“Most importantly, say no when youre too tired, when its affecting your health or when you have crucial family obligations.”一句可知，当你遇到如下三种情况的时候要对加班说 “不”：太累了;影响到你的健康;有至关重要的家事。5. B)。参见 Striking the best work-life balance 小标题下画线一句可知，作者是在建议大家学会说“不”，当别人让你帮助做某事的时候，你如果不想做，