英语四级新试题

英语四级新试题

PartIWriting(30minutes)Directions:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteanessayontheimportanceofdevelopingcriticalthinkingskillsinthedigitalage.Youshouldwriteatleast120wordsbutnomorethan180words.PartIIReadingComprehension(40minutes)SectionADirections:Inthissection,thereisapassagewithtenblanks.Youarerequiredtoselectonewordforeachblankfromalistofchoicesgiveninawordbankfollowingthepassage.Readthepassagethroughcarefullybeforemakingyourchoices.Eachchoiceinthebankisidentifiedbyaletter.Youmaynotuseanyofthewordsinthebankmorethanonce.Theriseofsocialmediahasprofoundlytransformedhowwecommunicateandconsumeinformation.Whileitoffers1)______connectionsandaccesstodiverseviewpoints,italsopresentssignificantchallenges.Onemajorconcernisthespreadofmisinformation.Algorithmsoftencreate"filterbubbles,"2)______userstocontentthatreinforcestheirexistingbeliefs.Thiscanlimitexposureto3)______perspectivesanddeepensocietaldivisions.Furthermore,theconstantstreamof4)______updatescanleadtoinformationoverloadandanxiety.Developingdigitalliteracy—theabilitytocritically5)______onlinecontent—hasbecomeanessentialskill.Itinvolvescheckingsources,recognizingbias,andquestioningthe6)______ofinformationbeforesharingit.Educationalinstitutionsareincreasingly7)______theseskillsintotheircurricula.Byfosteringahabitofskepticalinquiry,individualscannavigatethedigitallandscapemore8)______.Theybecomelesssusceptibletomanipulationandbetterequippedtoparticipateininformedpublic9)______.Inanerawherefalsehoodscanspreadrapidly,criticalthinkingisnotjustanacademicexercise;itisavital10)______forahealthydemocracy.A)alternativeB)integratingC)evaluateD)shieldE)debateF)exposingG)globalH)validityI)instantlyJ)componentK)wiselyL)confiningM)superficialN)overwhelmingO)instantSectionBDirections:Inthissection,youaregoingtoreadapassagewithtenstatementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.TheHiddenCostofConvenience:SubscriptionServices[A]Inthelastdecade,thesubscriptioneconomyhasexploded.Fromstreamingentertainmentandsoftwaretomealkitsandrazors,consumersareincreasinglyoptingformonthlyfeesoverone-timepurchases.Thismodeloffersundeniableconvenience:automaticpayments,regulardeliveries,andcuratedcontent.However,theveryfeaturesthatmakesubscriptionsattractivecanalsoleadtofinancialdrainandclutter,bothdigitalandphysical.[B]Theprimaryappealis"setitandforgetit."Usersenjoyuninterruptedaccesswithoutthehassleofrepeatedtransactions.Forbusinesses,subscriptionsprovidepredictablerecurringrevenueandvaluablecustomerdata.Thiswin-winscenariofuelsgrowth.Yet,thepsychologicaleaseofautomaticrenewaloftenleadstoforgottensubscriptions.Arecentsurveyfoundthattheaverageconsumerunderestimatestheirmonthlysubscriptionspendingbyover40%.[C]Thisphenomenonisoftencalled"subscriptioncreep."Smallmonthlyfees,typicallyrangingfrom$5to$15,seeminsignificantinisolation.However,theyaccumulatestealthily.Ausermightsubscribetothreestreamingservices,acloudstorageplan,afitnessapp,andtwomonthlyboxdeliveries.Individuallymanageable,togethertheycanamounttoasubstantialportionofthemonthlybudget,crowdingoutotherfinancialgoals.[D]Beyondthefinancialcost,thereisacognitiveburden.Managingmultipleaccounts—eachwithitsownlogin,paymentdate,andcancellationpolicy—requiresmentalenergy.Theeffortneededtocancelaservice(oftenintentionallymadedifficultbycompanies,apracticeknownas"roachmotel"design)candeterusersfrompruningunusedsubscriptions.Thisleadstoaportfolioofservicesthatarepaidforbutrarelyused.[E]Theclutterextendstothedigitalrealm.Subscription-basedappsandsoftwareupdatescanslowlyconsumedevicestorageandperformance.Moresubtly,theycontributeto"attentionclutter."Withnumerousentertainmentoptionsjustaclickaway,usersmayexperiencedecisionfatigue,spendingmoretimebrowsingthanactuallyenjoyingcontent,aparadoxoftentermedthe"streamingparadox."[F]Physically,subscriptionboxescanleadtomaterialoverload.Theexcitementofasurprisedeliverycanfadewhenitemsarenotneededordon'tmatchpreferences,creatingwasteandguilt.Thiscontradictstheinitialpromiseofcurationandconvenience.[G]Tocombatthesehiddencosts,financialexpertsrecommendconductingaregular"subscriptionaudit."Thisinvolveslistingeveryactivesubscription,assessingitsusageandvalue,andcancelingthosethatnolongerserveapurpose.Usingasinglededicatedcreditcardforallsubscriptionscanmaketrackingeasier.[H]Furthermore,consumersareadvisedtobeintentionalaboutnewsubscriptions.Adoptinga"one-in,one-out"rule—cancelinganoldservicebeforeaddinganewone—canpreventcreep.Readingthefineprintregardingcancellationproceduresandfreetrialsiscrucial.[I]Ultimately,subscriptionservicesaretools.Theirvaluedependsonconsciousconsumption.Theconveniencetheyofferisreal,butitcomeswiththeresponsibilityofactivemanagement.Bystayingawareofthecumulativecostsandclutter,consumerscanenjoythebenefitsofthesubscriptionmodelwithoutfallingvictimtoitsstealthydrawbacks.[J]Thetrendisunlikelytoreverse.Asmoreindustriesadoptthismodel,fromcarstoclothing,individualvigilancebecomesincreasinglyimportant.Thekeyistoshiftfromapassive"subscriber"mindsettoanactive"manager"ofone'spersonalsubscriptionecosystem.1.Theautomaticrenewalfeatureofsubscriptions,whileconvenient,frequentlycausespeopletoforgetwhattheyarepayingfor.2.Havingtoomanyentertainmentchoicesavailablethroughsubscriptionscanmakeitharderforpeopletodecidewhattowatch.3.Itissuggestedthatpeopleshouldcancelanexistingserviceiftheywanttosignupforanewone.4.Thedifficultyofcancelingasubscriptionissometimesadeliberatedesignbycompanies.5.Thesubscriptionbusinessmodelisattractivetocompaniespartlybecauseitensuresasteadyincomeflow.6.Theaveragepersonspendssignificantlymoreonsubscriptionspermonththantheythinktheydo.7.Theauthorbelievesthattobenefitfromsubscriptions,usersneedtoproactivelycontrolthemratherthanjustpassivelypay.8.Subscriptionboxesmayresultinunwanteditemsandafeelingofwastefulness.9.Expertsproposeusingaspecificbankcardsolelyforsubscriptionpaymentstosimplifymonitoring.10.Smallmonthlyfeesforvariousservicescanadduptoasumthataffectsone'sabilitytosavemoneyforotherpurposes.SectionCDirections:Thereare2passagesinthissection.Eachpassageisfollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.ForeachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).Youshoulddecideonthebestchoice.PassageOneQuestions1to5arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Intherealmofurbanplanning,theconceptofthe"15-minutecity"hasgainedconsiderabletraction.Theidea,pioneeredbyProfessorCarlosMoreno,issimpleyetrevolutionary:allessentialservices—housing,work,food,health,education,andleisure—shouldbeaccessiblewithina15-minutewalkorbikeridefromanypointinthecity.Thismodelaimstoreducerelianceoncars,lowercarbonemissions,promotehealthierlifestyles,andstrengthencommunitybondsbyencouraginglocalinteraction.Proponentsarguethatthe15-minutecityisadirectresponsetotheproblemsofmodernurbansprawl:longcommutes,trafficcongestion,airpollution,andsocialisolation.Bycreatingdecentralized,multi-functionalneighborhoods,citiescanbecomemoreresilientandequitable.Paris,underMayorAnneHidalgo,hasbeenaleadingadopter,implementingmeasureslikeconvertingstreetstobikelanes,creatingmoregreenspaces,andsupportinglocalshops.However,theconceptfacescriticismandskepticism.Somecriticsviewitasoverlyrestrictive,potentiallylimitingpersonalmobilityandfreedomofchoice.Othersraiseconcernsaboutgentrification;improvingneighborhoodamenitiescouldincreasepropertyvalues,potentiallydisplacinglower-incomeresidents.Therearealsopracticalchallengesinretrofittingexistingcar-centriccities,whichrequiresignificantinvestmentandpoliticalwill.Despitethechallenges,thecorephilosophyofthe15-minutecity—prioritizinghuman-scaledesignovervehicularconvenience—resonateswithgrowingdemandsforsustainabilityandqualityoflife.Itrepresentsashiftfromcityplanningfocusedonefficiencyforcarstoplanningfocusedonwell-beingforpeople.Itssuccessdependsnotonrigidlyenforcingatimelimit,butonfosteringdiverse,vibrant,andself-sufficientlocalcommunities.1.Whatistheprimarygoalofthe"15-minutecity"model?A)Toexpandurbanareastoaccommodatemorepopulation.B)Tocentralizeallmajorservicesinacity'sdowntowncore.C)Toensuredailynecessitiesarereachablewithinashortwalkorbikeride.D)Toeliminatetheuseofprivatevehiclescompletely.2.Whatproblemisthe"15-minutecity"modelNOTdirectlydesignedtoaddressaccordingtothepassage?A)Socialisolation.B)Airpollution.C)Highhousingcosts.D)Longcommutingtimes.3.WhatmeasurehasParistakentoimplementtheconcept?A)Banningallcarsfromthecitycenter.B)Offeringfinancialincentivesforpeopletomovedowntown.C)Buildingmorelargeshoppingmallsinsuburbs.D)Transformingstreetsintobicyclepaths.4.Whatisamajorconcernraisedbycriticsofthe"15-minutecity"?A)Itmayleadtoadecreaseinpropertyvaluesinimprovedneighborhoods.B)Itmightrestrictwherepeoplecanchoosetogo.C)Itcouldresultinashortageoflocaljobs.D)Itrequirestoomuchtechnologicalinnovation.5.Whatdoestheauthorsuggestiskeytothesuccessofthe"15-minutecity"?A)Strictlyenforcingthe15-minutetravelrule.B)Creatingindependentandlivelyneighborhoodcommunities.C)Securingmassivefundingfrominternationalorganizations.D)Focusingprimarilyonreducingtrafficspeedlimits.PassageTwoQuestions6to10arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Biomimicry,thepracticeofdrawinginspirationfromnaturetosolvehumanproblems,ismovingfromanicheconcepttoamainstreamdesignprinciple.Engineers,architects,andmaterialscientistsareincreasinglylookingtothebiologicalworldforelegantandefficientsolutionsevolvedovermillionsofyears.OnefamousexampleistheShinkansenbullettraininJapan.Engineersfacedaproblem:thetrainproducedaloudsonicboomwhenexitingtunnels,causingdisturbance.Theleadengineer,anavidbirdwatcher,redesignedthetrain'snosetomimictheshapeofakingfisher'sbeak,whichallowsthebirdtodiveintowaterwithminimalsplash.Thisredesignsignificantlyreducednoiseandimprovedspeedandenergyefficiency.Anotherareaofinnovationisinmaterials.Themicroscopicstructureoflotusleaves,whichcauseswatertobeadupandrolloff,takingdirtwithit,hasinspiredself-cleaningcoatingsforbuildingsandfabrics.Similarly,studyingthestrongyetlightweightstructureofbirdbonesandspidersilkhasledtoadvancesincompositematerialsforaerospaceandconstruction.Proponentsofbiomimicryarguethatitofferssustainablesolutions.Natureoperatesonasystemofclosedloops,usingsunlightasitsprimaryenergysourceandcreatingnowaste.Byemulatingtheseprinciples,humandesigncanreduceenvironmentalimpact.Forinstance,passivecoolingsystemsinbuildingsmodeledaftertermitemoundsmaintainconstanttemperatureswithoutmechanicalairconditioning.However,criticscautionthatbiomimicryisnotapanacea.Simplycopyingaformdoesnotguaranteesuccess;theunderlyingprinciplesmustbedeeplyunderstood.Furthermore,biologicalsolutionsareadaptedtospecificecologicalcontextsandmaynotscaledirectlytohumansystems.Thefieldrequiresinterdisciplinarycollaborationbetweenbiologistsanddesigners.Despitethesehurdles,biomimicryrepresentsapowerfulshiftinperspective,encouragingustoseenaturenotasaresourcetobeextracted,butasamentorofferingtimelesslessonsinresilienceandefficiency.6.Whatisthemainideaofbiomimicryasdescribedinthepassage?A)Itisthestudyofbiologyforacademicpurposes.B)Itistheuseofnaturalmaterialsinmanufacturing.C)Itistheimitationofnature'smodelstoaddressengineeringchallenges.D)Itistheprocessofdomesticatingwildanimalsforhumanuse.7.HowwastheproblemoftheShinkansentrain'snoisesolved?A)Byusingsound-absorbingmaterialsinsidethetunnels.B)Byslowingdownthetrainbeforeitentersatunnel.C)Bychangingthefrontshapeofthetrainbasedonabird'sbeak.D)Byschedulingfewertrainsduringnighttime.8.Whatqualityoflotusleaveshasbeenutilizedinhumanapplications?A)Theirbeautifulappearance.B)Theirabilitytocleanthemselvesthroughastructuralfeature.C)Theirstrongresistancetowind.D)Theirefficientphotosynthesisprocess.9.Whatadvantageofbiomimicryishighlightedregardingsustainability?A)Italwaysleadstocheaperproductioncosts.B)Ithelpsavoidpatentinfringementissues.C)Itcanleadtodesignsthatminimizewasteandenergyuse.D)Itmakesproductsmoreattractivetoconsumers.10.Whatisalimitationofbiomimicrymentionedbycritics?A)Itistooexpensive