2015年6月大学英语四级考试及答案――模拟题二

1、模拟试题二Part I WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topic: Overseas Study at an Early Age. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below:1. 目前很多父母在子女高中毕业前就送他们出国学习2. 形成这种趋势的原因3. 我对些的看法Oversea Study at an Early AgePart II Readi

2、ng Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer sheet1.The Skys LimitAir travel is a rapidly growing source of greenhouse gases. But it is also an indispensable way of travel. The new A380 Th

3、e double-decker A380, the biggest airliner the world has seen, landed at Heathrow last month to test whether Londons main airport could handle the new 550-seater, due to enter commercial service at the end of this year. It was a proud moment for Britains Rolls-Royce, the makers of the aircrafts Tren

4、t 900 engines. Rolls-Royce says the four Trents on the A380 are as clean and efficient as any jet engine, and produce as much power as 3,500 family cars. A simple calculation shows that the equivalent of more than six cars is needed to fly each passenger.Take the calculation further: flying a fully

5、laden A380 is, in terms of energy, like a 14km (nine-mile) queue of traffic on the road below. And that is just one aircraft. In 20 years, Airbus reckons, 1,500 such planes will be in the air. By then, the total number of airliners is expected to have doubled, to 22,000. The huge airplane alone woul

6、d be pumping out carbon dioxide (CO2) at the same rate as 5 million cars.That may not seem much compared with the 60 million vehicles that pour off assembly lines every yearor the 1 billion vehicles already on the worlds roads. But whereas cars are used roughly for about an hour or so a day, jet air

7、liners are on the move for at least 10 hours a day. And they burn tax-free, highoctane (1) 高能量的) fuel, which dumps hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO2 into the most sensitive part of the atmosphere.Aviation is a relatively small source of the emissions blamed for global warming, but its share is g

8、rowing the fastest. The evidence is strong. As a result, aviation is increasingly attracting the attention of environmentalists and politicians. Amid much controversy, CO2caps (最高限制) and carbon-trading could soon be used to help curb aircraft emissions.Frequent flyers, free ridersAirlines are accuse

9、d of having a free ride in terms of air pollution because they pay no tax on the fuel they use for international flights. Even though todays aircraft are about 70% more efficient than those of 40 years ago, concerns over emissions have grown. Despite booming demand for air travel, many airlines are

10、losing money. Now green campaigners want people to think twice before they fly. The opposing voice is particularly loud in Europe, where low-cost carriers are expanding fast on busy shorthaul (2) 短距离) routes. The European Parliament will vote in July on a proposal to limit aircraft emissions.America

11、 is deeply unhappy at the prospect of its airlines being affected. Sharon Pinkerton, a senior representative of the Federal Aviation Administration insisted, on a visit to Brussels last year, that American carriers should be exempted from the scheme. This sets the scene for another transatlantic avi

12、ation dispute, to add to the two bitter and long-running disputes over subsidies to Europes Airbus and the liberalisation of air traffic between the two continents.The airlines are growing nervous. The big international carriers represented by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) would

13、 rather Europe waited for the deliberations of a United Nations body, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which has set technical, legal and safety rules for more than 50 years. International aviation was excluded from the Kyoto protocol on global warming, but only on condition tha

14、t, by theend of 2007, countries and airlines worked under the umbrella of ICAO to come up with a way of reducing emissions through a trading scheme.Soon after the end of the Second World War the member governments of ICAO agreed that airlines should be free of fuel taxes. Some say this was to outlaw

15、 unilateral taxes that could distort markets, but others reckon it was done to boost the fledgling airline industry emerging from the fighting. The corollary was that aviation, unlike motor traffic and other forms of transport, would pay in a transparent manner for the infrastructure and services it

16、 required-air-traffic management, landing charges, flyover rights and so on. That was supposed to take care of the external costs. But no one in those days thought much about the environment. Counting the cost It was not until 1999 that the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (I

17、PCC) attempted to reduce the effect of aviation on the environment. Transport as a whole was judged to be responsible for about a quarter of the worlds CO2 discharges. That makes it one of the biggest sources, alongside power generation and households, as a source of the gas. Within transport, aviat

18、ion accounts for about 13%. Its contribution to total man-made emissions worldwide is said to be around 3%. So why all the fuss about so little? One reason is that high-altitude emissions are probably disproportionately damaging to the environment. The nitrogen oxides from jet-engine exhausts lead t

19、o the formation of ozone, another greenhouse gas. Contrails (飞行云) are also suspected of enhancing the formation of cirrus clouds, which some scientists think adds to the global warming effect. The IPCC estimated that the overall impact on global warming of aircraft could be between two and four time

20、s that of their CO2 emissions alone, though there is no scientific consensus about the size of this multiplier.Naturally, the airlines choose to measure the greenhouse gases they produce in the way that casts them in the best light a trick they deploy on safety statistics, too. For instance, over ha

21、lf of aircraft accidents occur around take-off and landing. So accidents per passenger-mile compare very favourably with other means of transport. But at least one study has shown that, if accidents are measured per journey instead, aircraft are the second-most dangerous way of travelling, after mot

22、orcycles.Likewise on greenhouse gases. IATA says an aircrafts fuel consumption is about the same as that of a family car, at 3.5 litres per 100 passenger-kilometres. So CO2 emissions are similar. But that is true only if the aircraft is full and the cars passenger seats are empty. And even then, a j

23、umbo jet flying from London to Sydney would be like nearly 400 Volkswagen Polos each travelling just over 16,000kmthe average distance a European drives in a year. In other words, although cars and aircraft discharge roughly the same amount of CO2for each passenger-kilometre, the aircraft travel an

24、awful lot farther. Waiting to landCrowded airports compound the problem. Busy runways at places such as Heathrow mean aeroplanes have to circle wastefully. The possibility of being held up ensures that pilots carry extra fuel, thereby increasing the aircrafts weight and, hence, its consumption of fu

25、el. Other small changes could further save fuel and avoid carbon emissions: aircraft could be towed everywhere on the ground by electric vehicles. Consumers, too, can take a stand by voluntarily offsetting the carbon emissions associated with flying by paying, for instance, to have trees planted.Thi

26、s week IATA said the net loss of the worlds airlines in the past six years would amount to almost $44 billion. Carriers have been hit by terrorism, war, recession, the respiratory disease SAILS and soaring oil prices. There were hopes the industry could make a small profit in 2007, but having to pay

27、 for environmental costs could change that. Yet global warming is not something that airlines, or any other industry, can shake off for ever. Sooner or later, aviation will have to shoulder the burden it imposes on the planet.1. This passage is mainly about how the development of airline industry ha

28、s affected the environment through its greenhouse gases emission.2. It is predicted that in 20 years, the huge airplanes alone would be pumping out carbon dioxide at the same rate as 5 million cars.3. The author compares the effect of airliners on the environment and that of the cars and concluded t

29、hat the effect ofthe former is less because the number of airplanes is much smaller than that of the cars.4. In the past, aviation industry was the smallest source of greenhouse gases emission and thus did not attract peoples attention.5. Many airlines are having less profit today although there are

30、 more demand for air travel. 6. America is proposing an alternative plan to solve the problem of emission from airliners.7. The airlines are mom and more nervous, and they want the problem be considered by IATA, a United Nations body.8. _as a whole was judged to be responsible for about a quarter of

31、 the worlds carbon dioxide discharges.9. Although aviation accounts for only 3% of the total man-made emission, its_ are believed to be disproportionately damaging to the environment.10. During the past six years, airline industry has been hit by terrorism, war, _which made the industry suffer a tot

32、al loss of $44 billion.Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth)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 be

33、fore making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item 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. The American Revolution was not a revolution in the se

34、nse of a radical or total change. It was not a sudden and (47) overturning of the political and social framework, such as later occurred in France and Russia, (48) both were already independent nations. Significant changes were ushered in, (49) they were not breathtaking. What happened was accelerat

35、ed (50) rather than outright revolution. During the conflict, people went on working and praying, marrying and playing. Most of them were not (51) disturbed by the actual fighting, and many of the more isolated communities scarcely knew that a war was on.Americas War of Independence heralded the bir

36、th of three modem nations. One was Canada, which (52) its first large influx of English-speaking population from the thousands of loyalists who fled there from the United States; (53) was Australia, which became a penal colony now that America was no longer (54) for prisoners and debtors; the third

37、newcomerthe United States based itself squarely on republican principles.Yet even the political overturn was not so (55) as one might suppose. In some states, notably Connecticut and Rhode Island, the war largely ratified a colonial self-rule already existing. British officials, everywhere ousted, w

38、ere (56) by a home-grown governing class, which promptly sought a local substitute for king and parliament.A) violentB) seriouslyC) revolutionaryD) evolutionE) anotherF) andG) replacedH) repelledI) otherJ) receivedK) butL) severeM) availableN) whenO) revolutionSection BDirections: There are 2 passag

39、es 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 OneA study of fa

40、cts and figures on development demonstrates that China has made remarkable social progress in a range of significant areas in the last 45 years.China feeds and clothes 22 percent of the worlds population with only seven percent of the worlds farmland. The necessities of life food, clothing, goods fo

41、r everyday use are now within reach of the majority of the Chinese people. Nutrition has improved greatly for both urban and rural residents.The Chinese government has taken a series of measures to eliminate or reduce poverty, bringing down the number of poor in the rural population from 250 million

42、 in 1978 to only 80 million in 1994, even though this was a period in which Chinas population increased by over 100 million.The per capita living area in cities and towns increased from 3.6 square meters in 1978 to 7.5 square meters in 1993. In rural areas the per capita housing has reached 20.8 squ

43、are meters.Educational developments have liberated millions of Chinese people from ignorance and illiteracy. In 1986 China instituted nine years of compulsory schooling, with the result that by 1993 school enrolment had reached 97.7 percent. Today, illiteracy among young and middle-aged people has d

44、ropped to only seven percent.The state is taking measures to keep its labor force fully employed. In recent years the urban unemployment rate has remained between two and three percent. China has put strict controls on industrial pollution in an effort to improve the overall urban environment. Ecolo

45、gical methods of farming are being promoted and afforestation is being speeded up. In 1993 the countrys forest coverage was 13.9 percent and 766 nature reserves covered a total of 661, 800 square kilometers.China is working toward the goal of health care for everyone by the year 2000. In 1993 there

46、were two hospital beds for every 833 people and two doctors for every 1,266 people. By now the immunization of children has reached 85 percent, and increased efforts are being made to monitor and control AIDS and venereal diseases.57. What is an appropriate title for this passage?A Fast Economic Dev

47、elopment in China. B Social Development in China.C The Current Chinese Society. D Peoples View on Chinas Reform.58. Which of the following statements is NOT correct?A Chinese people account for 22 percent of the worlds total population.B The arable land in China constitutes seven percent of that of

48、the world.C Most Chinese people now can easily buy the necessities of life.D Urban residents can eat nutritiously, but rural residents cannot.59. What is mentioned as a difficulty of poverty elimination efforts by the passage?A Slow economic development. B Vast area of land.C Huge population increas

49、e. D Natural disaster.60. Which of the following statements is NOT true?A Educational developments have set millions of Chinese people free.B After 1986, every child in China must receive an education of at least nine years.C Nowadays, only 7% of young and middle-aged people cannot read or write.D T

50、here is compulsory education for children now.61. Which of the following is mentioned as an example of achievements in health care?A Increasing budget and attention. B Preferential tax policy and incentives.C Decreasing mortality rate and medicine price. D Ratio of hospital beds to patient.Passage T

51、woI have certainly seen lots of changes in my lifetime! I look around my home and see mod cons that I could never have dreamed of 50 or 60 years ago. I spent the early part of childhood in a cottage without running water or electricity and yet these days, I feel paralyzed if there is a power cut for

52、 even just an hour or two! So, I have changed too. Things that I couldnt even imagine in the past now seem quite normal.Businessmen can travel from London to New York in three hours and lots of people exceed the seventy-mile-per-hour speed limit on motorways. A person of 75 is not old these days. A

53、serious illness does not mean certain death because there have been so many advances in medical science. We no longer need to be afraid of contracting diseases like polio or smallpox. I can speak to my son in Australia from my own sitting room here in Manchester, watch athletes running a race on the

54、 other side of the world without moving from my own home and I can even do my shopping while I sit here in an armchair. I never need to worry about food going bad in the warm weather and, at the flick of a switch, I can have a hot meal in a couple of minutes. So, it seems, the quality of life has gr

55、eatly improved since my own childhood.Im not convinced, however, that people are happier today than they were 50 years ago. We are certainly materially better off than we were but most people still seem to be weighed down by problems. My daughter and her family are a good illustration. They have a s

56、pacious, comfortable home with every labor-saving device you can think of. Theres a washing machine, a clothes dryer, a food processor, a vacuum cleaner and all sorts of other household items which are designed to save time but it seems to me that my daughter and her husband just spend all that save

57、d time working! They never relax and are always complaining of being tired and stressed.62. What is the passage mainly about?A How life has improved. B How life has become worse.C A comparison of life now and that in the past. D Memory of life in the past.63. Which of the following statements is NOT

58、 correct?A People can travel faster nowadays.B In the past, a 75-year-old person is considered old.C Now a person will die if he suffers from a serious illness.D At present we will no longer be helpless victims of diseases like polio or smallpox.64. What does the word contracting (Line 4, Para. 2) mean?A Infecting. B Acquiring. C Shrinking. D Entering into an agreement.65. Which of the following is NOT an example given by the author to demonstrate the convenience of _ modern life?A Quick food. B Easy shopping. C Internet. D TV shows.66. According to the author,