2008年12月英语四级考试真题
Part I Writing （30 minutes）
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled
Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic Bag. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below. 1.一次性塑料袋的使用
2.使用一次性塑料袋带来的问题
3.限制一次性塑料袋的意义
Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic Bag
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Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)
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Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. 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. That’s enough, kids
It was a lovely day at the park and Stella Bianchi was enjoying the sunshine with her two children when a young boy, aged about four, approached her two-year-old son and pushed him to the ground.
“I’d watched him for a little while and my son was the fourth or fifth child he’d shoved,” she says.” I went over to them, picked up my son, turned to the boy and said, firmly, ’No, we don’t push,” What happened next was unexpected.
“The boy’s mother ran toward me from across the park,” Stella says,” I thought she was coming over to apologize, but instead she started shouting at me for disciplining her child, All I did was let him know his behavior was unacceptable. Was I supposed to sit back while her kid did whatever he wanted, hurting other children in the process?”
Getting your own children to play nice is difficult enough. Dealing with other people’s children has become a minefield.
In my house, jumping on the sofa is not allowed. In my sister’s house it’s encouraged.
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For her, it’s about kids being kids: “If you can’t do it at three, when can you do it?”
Each of these philosophies is valid and, it has to be said, my son loves visiting his aunt’s house. But I find myself saying “no” a lot when her kids are over at mine. That’s OK between sisters but becomes dangerous territory when you’re talking to the children of friends or acquaintances.
“Kids aren’t all raised the same,” agrees Professor Naomi White of Monash University.” But there is still an idea that they’re the property of the parent. We see our children as an extension of ourselves, so if you’re saying that my child is behaving inappropriately, then that’s somehow a criticism of me.”
In those circumstances, it’s difficult to know whether to approach the child directly or the parent first. There are two schools of thought.
“I’d go to the child first,” says Andrew Fuller, author of Tricky Kids. Usually a quiet reminder that ’we don’t do that here’ is enough. Kids nave finely tuned antennae (直觉) for how to behave in different settings.”
He points out bringing it up with the parent first may make them feel neglectful, which could cause problems. Of course, approaching the child first can bring its own headaches, too.
This is why White recommends that you approach the parents first. Raise your concerns with the parents if they’re there and ask them to deal with it,” she says.
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Asked how to approach a parent in this situation, psychologist Meredith Fuller answers: “Explain your needs as well as stressing the importance of the friendship. Preface your remarks with something like: ’I know you’ll think I’m silly but in my house I don’t want…’”
When it comes to situations where you’re caring for another child, white is straightforward: “common sense must prevail. If things don’t go well, then have a chat.”
There’re a couple of new grey areas. Physical punishment, once accepted from any adult, is no longer appropriate. “A new set of considerations has come to the fore as part of the debate about how we handle children.”
For Andrew Fuller, the child-centric nature of our society has affected everyone:” The rules are different now from when today’s parents were growing up,” he says, “Adults are scared of saying: ’don’t swear’, or asking a child to stand up on a bus. They’re worried that there will be conflict if they point these things out – either from older children, or their parents.”
He sees it as a loss of the sense of common public good and public courtesy (礼貌), and says that adults suffer form it as much as child.
Meredith Fuller agrees: “A code of conduct is hard to create when you’re living in a world in which everyone is exhausted from overwork and lack of sleep, and a world in which nice people are perceived to finish last.”
“It’s about what I’m doing and what I need,” Andrew Fuller says. ”the days when a
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kid came home from school and said, “I got into trouble”. And dad said, ‘you probably deserved it’. Are over. Now the parents are charging up to the school to have a go at teachers.”
This jumping to our children’s defense is part of what fuels the “walking on eggshells” feeling that surrounds our dealings with other people’s children. You know that if you remonstrate(劝诫) with the child, you’re going to have to deal with the parent. It’s admirable to be protective of our kids, but is it good?
“Children have to learn to negotiate the world on their own, within reasonable boundaries,” White says. “I suspect that it’s only certain sectors of the population doing the running to the school –better –educated parents are probably more likely to be too involved.”
White believes our notions of a more child-centered, it’ a way of talking about treating our children like commodities(商品). We’re centered on them but in ways that reflect positively on us. We treat them as objects whose appearance and achievements are something we can be proud of, rather than serve the best interests of the children.”
One way over-worked, under-resourced parents show commitment to their children is to leap to their defence. Back at the park, Bianchi’ intervention(干预) on her son’ behalf ended in an undignified exchange of insulting words with the other boy’ mother.
As Bianchi approached the park bench where she’d been sitting, other mums came up to her and congratulated her on taking a stand. “Apparently the boy had a longstanding reputation for bad behaviour and his mum for even worse behaviour if he was challenged.”
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Andrew Fuller doesn’t believe that we should be afraid of dealing with other people’s kids. “look at kids that aren’t your own as a potential minefield,” he says. He recommends that we don’t stay silent over inappropriate behaviour, particularly with regular visitors.
1. What did Stella Bianchi expect the young boy’s mother to do when she talked to him?
A) make an apology
B) come over to intervene
C) discipline her own boy
D) take her own boy away
2. What does the author say about dealing with other people’s children?
A) it’s important not to hurt them in any way
B) it’s no use trying to stop their wrongdoing
C) it’s advisable to treat them as one’s own kids
D) it’s possible for one to get into lots of trouble
3. According to professor Naomi white of Monash university, when one’s criticized, their parents will probably feel___________________________
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A) discouraged
B) hurt
C) puzzled
D) overwhelmed
4. What should one do when seeing other people’s kids misbehave according to Andrew fuller?
A) talk to them directly in a mild way
B) complain to their parents politely
C) simply leave them alone
D) punish them lightly
5. Due to the child-centric nature of our society, ______________________
A) parents are worried when their kids swear at them
B) people think it improper to criticize kids in public
C) people are reluctant to point our kids’ wrongdoings
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D) many conflicts arise between parents and their kids
6. In a world where everyone is exhausted from over work and lack of sleep,____________________________
A) it’s easy for people to become impatient
B) it’s difficult to create a code of conduct
C) it’s important to be friendly to everybody
D) it’s hard for people to admire each other
7. How did people use to respond when their kids got into trouble at school?
A) they’d question the teachers
B) they’d charge up to the school
C) they’d tell the kids to clam down
D) They’d put the blame on their kids
8. Professor white believes that the notions of a more child-centred society should be____________________
9. According to professor white, today’s parents treat their children as something
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they___________________
10. Andrew fuller suggests that , when kids behave inappropriately, people should not______________________
Part III Listening Comprehension (35 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 2 with a single line through the centre. 11. A)Only true friendship can last long.
B)Letter writing is going out of style.
C)She keeps in regular touch with her classmates.
D)She has lost contact with most of her old friends.
12. A) A painter. C) A porter.
B) A mechanic. D) A carpenter.
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13. A) Look for a place near her office. C) Make inquiries elsewhere.
B) Find a new job down the street. D) Rent the $600 apartment.
14. A) He prefers to wear jeans with a larger waist.
B) He has been extremely busy recently.
C) He has gained some weight lately.
D) He enjoyed going shopping with Jane yesterday.
15. A)The woman possesses a natural for art.
B) Women have a better artistic taste than men.
C) He isn’t good at abstract thinking.
D) He doesn’t like abstract paintings.
16. A) She couldn’t have left her notebook in the library.
B) she may have put her notebook amid the journals.
C) she should have made careful notes while doing reading.
D) she shouldn’t have read his notes without his knowing it.
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17. A)she wants to get some sleep C) she has a literature class to attend
B) she needs time to write a paper D)she is troubled by her sleep problem
18. A)He is confident he will get the job.
B)His chance of getting the job is slim.
C)It isn’t easy to find a qualified sales manager.
D)The interview didn’t go as well as he expected.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. A)He can manage his time more flexibly.
B)He can renew contact with his old friends.
C)He can concentrate on his own projects.
D)He can learn to do administrative work.
20. A)Reading its ads in the newspapers.
B)Calling its personnel department.
C)Contacting its manager.
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D)Searching its website.
21. A)To cut down its production expenses.
B)To solve the problem of staff shortage.
C)To improve its administrative efficiency.
D)To utilize its retired employees’ resources.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
22. A)Buy a tractor.
B)Fix a house.
C)See a piece of property.
D)Sing a business contract.
23. A)It is only forty miles form where they live.
B)It is a small one with a two-bedroom house.
C)It was a large garden with fresh vegetables.
D)It has a large garden with fresh vegetables.
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24. A)Growing potatoes will involve less labor.
B)Its soil may not be very suitable for corn.
C)It may not be big enough for raising corn.
D)Raising potatoes will be more profitable.
25. A)Finances
B)Equipment
C)Labor
D)Profits
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 2 with a single line through the centre. Passage One
Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.
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26 A) To introduce the chief of the city’s police force
B)To comment on a talk by a distinguished guest
C)To address the issue of community security
D)To explain the functions of the city council
27 A)He has distinguished himself in city management
B)He is head of the International Police Force
C)He completed his higher education abroad
D)He holds a master’s degree in criminology
28 A)To coordinate work among police departments
B)To get police officers closer to the local people
C)To help the residents in times of emergency
D)To enable the police to take prompt action
29 A)Popular
B)discouraging
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C)effective
D)controversial
Passage Two
Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
30 A)people differ greatly in their ability to communicate
B)there are numerous languages in existence
C)Most public languages are inherently vague
D)Big gaps exist between private and public languages
31 A)it is a sign of human intelligence
B)in improves with constant practice
C)it is something we are born with
D)it varies from person to person
32 A)how private languages are developed
B)how different languages are related
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C)how people create their languages
D)how children learn to use language
Passage Three
Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
33 A)she was a tailor
B)she was an engineer
C)she was an educator
D)she was a public speaker
34.A)Basing them on science-fiction movies.
B) Including interesting examples in them
C) Adjusting them to different audiences
D) Focusing on the latest progress in space science
35.A) Whether spacemen carry weapons
B) How spacesuits protect spacemen
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C) How NASA trains its spacemen
D) What spacemen cat and drink
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. Crime is increasing world wide. There is every reason to believe the (36)____will continue through the next few decades.
Crime rates have always been high in multicultural, industrialized societies such as the United States, but a new (37) ____has appeared on the world (38)____rapidly rising crime rates in nations that previously reported few(39)____. Street crimes such as robbery, rape (40) ___and auto theft are clearly rising (41)___in eastern European countries such as Hungary and in western European nations such as the united Kingdom.
What is driving this crime (42)____?There are no simple answers. Still，there are certain conditions(43) _______with rising crime increasing heterogeneity (混杂) of populations, greater cultural pluralism, higher immigration, democratization of government,(44)
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_________________________________________________.
These conditions are increasingly observable around the world. For instance, cultures that were previously isolated and homogeneous(同种类的) ,such as Japan, Denmark and Greece (45)_______________________.
Multiculturalism can be a rewarding, enriching experience, but it can also lead to a clash of values. Heterogeneity in societies will be the rule in the twenty-first century, and (46)_______________________
Part IV Reading Comprehension （Reading in Depth） （25 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 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. Question 47-56
A bookless life is an incomplete life. Books influence the depth and breadth of life. They meet the natural______47_____for freedom, for expression, for creativity and beauty of life. Learners, therefore, must have books, and the right type of book, for the satisfaction of their
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need. Readers turn______48_____ to books because their curiosity concerning all manners of things, their eagerness to share in the experiences of others and their need to ____49 _____ from their own limited environment lead them to find in books food for the mind and the spirit. Through their reading they find a deeper significance to life as books acquaint them with life in the world as it was and it is now. They are presented with a __50 _____ of human experiences and come to ___51 ____ other ways of thought and living. And while ____52 ____ their own relationships and responses to life , the readers often find that the ___53__ in their stories are going through similar adjustments, which help to clarify and give significance to their own.
Books provide ___54 ____ material for readers’ imagination to grow. Imagination is a valuable quality and a motivating power, and stimulates achievement. While enriching their imagination, books __55 ____their outlook, develop a fact-finding attitude and train them to use leisure ___56 ___. The social and educational significance of the readers’ books cannot be overestimated in an academic library.
A. Abundant
B. Characters
C. Communicating
D. Completely
E. Derive
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F. Desire
G. Diversity
H. Escape
I. Establishing
J. Narrow
K. Naturally
L. Personnel
M. Properly
N. Respect
O. Widen
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 and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
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Passage One
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
If you are a male and you are reading this ,congratulations: you are a survivor .According to statistics .you are more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer than a woman ,and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Assuming you make it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you will die on average five years before a woman.
There are many reasons for this-typically, men take more risks than woman and are more likely to drink and smoke but perhaps more importantly, men don’t go to the doctor.
“Men aren’t seeing doctors as often as they should, ” says Dr. Gullotta, “This is particularly so for the over-40s,when diseases tend to strike.”
Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those over 45,it should be at least once a year.
Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old ma who had delayed doing anything about his smoker’s cough for a year.
“When I finally saw him it had already spread and he has since died from lung cancer” he says, “Earlier detection and treatment may not have cured him, but it would have prolonged this life”
According to a recent survey, 95%of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group.
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“A lot of men think they are invincible （不可战胜的）”Gullotta says “They only come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and they think” Geez, if it could happen to him.
Then there is the ostrich approach,” some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know, ” says Dr. Ross Cartmill.
“Most men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service their bodies,” Cartmill says .He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be addressed by preventive check-ups.
Regular check-ups for men would inevitably place strain on the public purse, Cartmill says.” But prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases. Besides, the ultimate cost is far greater: it is called premature death.”
57.Why does the author congratulate his male readers at the beginning of the passage?
A. They are more likely to survive serious diseases today.
B. Their average life span has been considerably extended.
C. They have lived long enough to read this article.
D. They are sure to enjoy a longer and happier live.
58.What does the author state is the most important reason men die five years earlier on average than women?
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A. men drink and smoke much more than women
B. men don’t seek medical care as often as women
C. men aren’t as cautions as women in face of danger
D. men are more likely to suffer from fatal diseases
59. Which of the following best completes the sentence “Geez, if it could happen to him…’(line2,para,8)?
A. it could happen to me, too
B. I should avoid playing golf
C. I should consider myself lucky
D. it would be a big misfortune
60what does Dr. Ross Cartmill mean by “the ostrich approach”(line q para.9)
A. a casual attitude towards one’s health conditions
B. a new therapy for certain psychological problems
C. refusal to get medical treatment for fear of the pain involved
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D. unwillingness to find out about one’s disease because of fear
61. What does Cartmill say about regular check-ups for men?
A.They may increase public expenses
B.They will save money in the long run
C.They may cause psychological strains on men
D.They will enable men to live as long as women
Passage Two
Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.
High-quality customer service is preached(宣扬) by many ,but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done
Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a retail store, but instead will alert their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers-and anyone who will listen.
Store managers are often the last to hear complaints, and often find out only when their regular customers decide t frequent their competitors, according to a study jointly conducted by Verde group and Wharton school
“Storytelling hurts retailers and entertains consumers,” said Paula Courtney, President
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of the Verde group.” the store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement.”
On average, every unhappy customer will complain to at least four other, and will no longer visit the specific store for every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative reviews. The resulting “snowball effect” can be disastrous to retailers.
According to the research, shoppers who purchased clothing encountered the most problems. ranked second and third were grocery and electronics customers.
The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered (塞满了的) shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople.
During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting（业余兼职的）local police to work as parking attendants. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty parking spaces. This guidance eliminated the need for customers to circle the parking lot endlessly, and avoided confrontation between those eyeing the same parking space.
Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store layouts, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions.
Most importantly, salespeople should be diplomatic and polite with angry customers.
“Retailers who’re responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than
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those who aren’t so friendly.” said Professor Stephen Hoch. “Maybe something as simple as a greeter at the store entrance would help.”
Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filing complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答
62. Why are store managers often the last to hear complaints?
A Most customers won’t bother to complain even if they have had unhappy experiences.
B Customers would rather relate their unhappy experiences to people around them.
C Few customers believe the service will be improved.
D Customers have no easy access to store managers.
63. What does Paula Courtney imply by saying “ … the shopper must also find a replacement” (Line 2, Para. 4)?
A New customers are bound to replace old ones.
B It is not likely the shopper can find the same products in other stores.
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C Most stores provide the same
D Not complaining to the manager causes the shopper some trouble too.
64. Shop owners often hire moonlighting police as parking attendants so that shoppers_____
A can stay longer browsing in the store
B won’t have trouble parking their cars
C won’t have any worries about security
D can find their cars easily after shopping
65. What contributes most to smoothing over issues with customers?
A Manners of the salespeople
B Hiring of efficient employees
C Huge supply of goods for sale
D Design of the store layout.
66. To achieve better shopping experiences, customers are advised to _________.
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A exert pressure on stores to improve their service
B settle their disputes with stores in a diplomatic way
C voice their dissatisfaction to store managers directly
D shop around and make comparisons between stores
Part V 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] on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. Playing organized sports is such a common experience in the United States that many children and teenagers that them for granted. This is especially true__67__children from families and communities that have the resources needed to organize and__68__sports programs and make sure that there is easy__69__to participation opportunities. Children in low-income families and poor communities are__70__likely to take organized youth sports for granted because they often__71__the resources needed to pay for participation__72__, equipment, and transportation to practices and games__73__ their communities do not have resources to build and__74__sports fields and facilities.
Organized youth sports__75__appeared during the early 20th century in the United States and other wealthy nations. They were originally developed__76__some educators and
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developmental experts__77__that the behavior and character of children
were__78__influenced by their social surrounding and everyday experiences. This__79__many people to believe that if you could organize the experiences of children in__80__ways, you could influence the kinds of adults that those children would become.
This belief that the social__81__influenced a person’s overall development was very__82__to people interested in progress and reform in the United States__83__the beginning of the 20th century. It caused them to think about__84__they might control the experiences of children to__85__responsible and productive adults. They believed strongly that democracy depended on responsibility and that a__86__capitalist economy depended on the productivity of worker.
67. A. among B. within C. on D. towards
68. A. spread B. speed C. spur D. sponsor
69. A. access B. entrance C. chance D. route
70 A. little B. less C. more D. much
71. A. shrink B. tighten C. limit D. lack
72. A. bill B accounts C. fees D. fare
73. A. so B. as C. and D. but
74. A. maintain B. sustain C. contain D. entertain
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75.A. last B. first C. later D. finally
76.A. before B. while C. until D. when
77.A. realized B. recalled C. expected D. exhibited
78.A. specifically B. excessively C. strongly D. exactly
79. A. moved B. conducted C. put D. led
80. A. precise B. precious C. particular D. peculiar
81.A. engagement B. environment C. state D. status
82.A. encouraging B. disappointing C. upsetting D. surprising
83.A. for B. with C. over D. at
84.A. what B. how C. whatever D. however
85.A. multiply B. manufacture C. produce D. provide
86.A. growing B. breeding C. raising D. flying
Part Ⅵ Translation (5 minutes)
Directions: Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given in
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brackets. 87.Medical researchers are painfully aware that there are many problems______________(他们至今还没有答案)
88.______________________ (大多数父母所关心的) is providing the best education possible for their children.
89.You’d better take a sweater with you_____________________________________________ (以防天气变冷)
90.Throught the project, many people have received training
and__________________________ (决定自己创业)
91.The anti-virus agent was not known___________________________________(直到一名医生偶然发现了它)
2008年12月大学英语四级考试答案详解
Part I Writing
Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic Bags
There was a time when disposable plastic bags obtained great popularity among people on the rungs of social ladder, for they definitely brought convenience to people who went shopping at supermarkets or department stores. Yet, recently, there is a growing voice against the wide use of disposable plastic bags.
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The voice arises from several problems caused by such plastic bags. To begin with, as it is not easy to decompose, disposable plastic bags may pollute our environment for a relatively long time. Worse still, it poses tremendous harm to people's health. In such a society with quick pace of life, it is not uncommon for people to have instant food wrapped in disposable plastic bags. Logically, people will absorb some poisonous chemical material while enjoying such convenience.
Accordingly, owing to the above harms, it will benefit humans greatly, if we spare no effort to ban the use of disposable plastic bags. The threats from such plastic material will gradually and eventually vanish and perish. And the manufacturing of new substitute products of this kind of bags can also create more job opportunities and promote economy development positively.
Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)
1． A 根据题干信息定位到文章第三段中Stella的话的后半部分：“I thought she was coming over to apologise”，题干中expect一词与原文的thought构成同义替换，故答案选[A]本题的难点在于定位。
2． D 根据题干信息dealing with other people's children定位到文章第四段第二句话，原文使用了比喻的修辞手法，minefield意为“雷区”，而“雷区”这一比喻的本义是“遇到麻烦”，因此[D]选项正确。本题考查的重点是考生对词汇的掌握和对简单比喻修辞手法的理解。
3． B 根据题干中大写的人名和大学名，快速定位到文章第七段第一句话。根据题干其他的信息可知，本题需要找到表示态度的词语，原文中的对应信息为“somehow a criticism of me”，故选[B]。[A]选项 discouraged表示“沮丧的”，[B]选项hurt表示“受伤的”，[C]选项puzzled表示“迷
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惑的”，[D]选项 overwhelmed表示“使不知所措的”。本题考查对词汇的掌握。
4． A 根据题干中的人名快速定位到文章第九段Fuller所说的话：“I'd go to the child first．．．Usually a quiet reminder．．．is enough”，[A]选项与其构成同义替换，即directly对应go to the child first，mild(温和的)对应quiet，故选[A]。
5． C 根据题干中的child-centric nature定位于文章第十六段，该段最后一句话与[C]选项构成同义替换，即reluctant(不情愿的)对应原文中的worried和conflict，而point out wrong doings对应point these things out，故选[C]。[A]选项为“孩子骂他们时，他们会感到焦虑”，而原文是说他们害怕对孩子说“不要骂人”，原文举这个例子旨在说明父母管教孩子时存在顾虑，注意swear at sb．意为“咒骂某人”。 [D]选项为“父母和孩子之间产生了很多冲突”，但原文是说父母害怕产生矛盾，意思不同，故排除。
6． B 根据题干信息定位到文章第十八段第二句：“A code of conduct is hard to create when you're living in a world in which everyone is exhausted from overwork and lack of sleep”。原文句序与题干句序刚好相反，因此对应的答案信息为A code of conduct is hard to create，故选[B]。原文与答案之间只做了简单的同义替换，原文的hard与选项的difficult均表示“困难的”意思，其他部分的信息选项与原文完全一致。
7． D 根据题干信息定位到文章第十九段。题干中的use(d) to对应原文中的the day when，其他部分与原文基本相同，故答案信息为“You probably deserved it”(你活该)，对应[D]选项“他们会责怪孩子”。本题考查固定搭配。
8． challenged
根据题干中的人名定位到文章第二十二段第一句，空格前的信息与原文信息完全一致，故直接填
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入 challenged。
9． can be proud of
根据空格前的关键词parents treat their children as以及出题顺序原则，定位到文章第二十三段最后一句话：“We treat them as objects whose appearance and achievements are something we can be proud of”，故填入can be proud of。
10．stay silent
根据题干信息定位到原文最后一句：“He recommends that we don't stay silent over inappropriate behaviour，particularly with regular visitors”。题干句序与原文句序不一样，但空格前有一个否定词，我们可以直接在原文中寻找否定词，故填入stay silent。
Part Ⅲ Listening Comprehension
Section A
11．D 替换题。针对男士“I hadn't heard from him forages”(我好久没有收到他的信了)，女士说“I've been out of touch with most of my old friends\"(我也跟许多老朋友失去了联系)。hear from sb．表示“接到某人的信、电话等”；drop sb．a line表示“给某人写信”；out of touch with sb．表示“失去联系”，与答案中的lost contact with sb．构成同义替换。所以[D]是正确答案。
12．A 场景题。四个选项都是职业，符合场景题的选项特征，本题询问对话人的职业。场景题的解题关键就是场景所对应的线索词。本题根据男士所说的color和house，以及女士所说的window frames和 walls，可以判断男士为油漆丁。所以[A]是正确答案。
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13．C 建议题。女士想找500美元以下的房子，男士提建议说“Have you inquired the apartment complex down the street”(你有没有去街角的公寓楼看看出租信息)。所以[C]是正确答案。
14．C 替换题。本题考查语义替换。针对女士对a pair of jeans样式的提问，男士说“much like my other ones except with a larger waist”(跟以前的一样，只不过腰围大一些)。之后男士又说“I guess I haven't spent much time exercising lately”(我想我最近没有好好做运动)。根据以上信息，不难推理出男士最近长胖了。gain weight表示“增肥”，也可以使用短语put on weight进行表达。所以[C]是正确答案。
15．D 替换题。本题考查语义替换。女士说非常欣赏那些抽象的油画，男生说“I guess it's something I haven't acquired a taste for yet．”(我想我还不具备欣赏这种油画的品味)，可见男士不太欣赏那些抽象的油画。所以[D]是正确答案。
启示：注意本题的提问方式“What does the man imply?”这种提问方式还可以使用infer进行表述，即“What can we infer from the conversation?”此类题不能基于对话的内容直接回答，而是需要对对话的内容进行进一步推理后才能找到正确答案。这种题目在近年的四级考试短对话中每年必考一道，希望大家引起重视。
16．B 建议题。根据女士提出寻找blue notebook的问题，男士直接提出解决方案“Did you check that pile of journals you've borrowed from the library the other day?”(你有没有检查前几天从图书馆借回来的那堆学术期刊)。所以[B]是正确答案。
17．A but题。男士邀请女士喝杯咖啡，女士说“I'd love to，but I'm exhausted．I was up till 3 this morning writing a paper for my literature class．”(我非常愿意，但是我很疲倦，为了写我的文学课的论文，我一直熬到凌晨三点)。在听录音时我们应该重点关注but后的内容。所以[A]是正
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确答案。
18．B 替换题。本题考查语义替换。女士问男士面试的情况，男士回答有二十人竞聘销售经理的职位，之后说“And finally it was down to 3 of us，but the other two seemed better qualified．”(最后只剩下了我们三个人，但是他们都比我更胜任这份工作)。所以[B]是正确答案，slim意为“渺茫的”。
19．A 主题题。考查对话开头。女士询问男士(Simon)的退休生活如何，男士说“Well，not so bad”(还不错，挺好的)，之后又说“I have been spending more time with my family．”(我可以拿出更多的时间跟家人在一起)。所以[A]是正确答案。
20．D 细节题。针对女士对整个方案操作流程的询问，男士回答“Instead of hiring temporary staff，the company advertises posts on its website that retired employees like myself can access．”(公司不再雇用临时员工，而是在公司网站上刊登针对退休员工的职位招聘信息)。所以[D]是正确答案。
21．D 细节题。考查对话结尾。文中男士说到“Well，I still have all my old contacts at work，so I know who to contact to get something done．\"(在工作上我的老熟人都在，所以我知道该找谁来解决问题)。所以[D]是正确答案。
启示：在处理长对话题目时：需要关注顺序原则，即文章的出题顺序一般与文章的展开顺序相吻合。
在此基础之上，还需要关注对话双方回答的内容，而非提问的内容。
22．C 细节题。考查文章开头及but。女士问要去哪里，男士说“A farm．It's just down this
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road．It's a small place，but at least it would be our own．”(一个农场，就在这条路的尽头。虽然比较小，但是至少它将属于我们)。所以[C]是正确答案。
23．B 细节题。考查but。针对女士的提问，男士回答“A small one，two bedrooms，but it needs to be fixed up a little．”(有一个两居室的小房子，但是还需要维修一下才能使用)。所以[B]是正确答案。
24．C 细节题。男士说“Well，it really isn't big enough for com．I thought we might try to raise a crop of potatoes．” (这个农场的面积确实不够种植玉米，我想我们只能种土豆了)。所以[C]是正确答案。
25．A 细节题。考查对话结尾及but。女士说“Yes，we are，but the money．Do we have enough to get started? It seems like a dream．”(是啊，我们可以辛勤工作，但是问题在于钱。我们有足够的钱开始运作吗?这听上去就像是一场梦)。所以[A]是正确答案。
Section B
26．A 细节题。考查文章开头。文章开头提到“it is my privilege to introduce to you today--Mr．Robert Washington--chief of our city's police force．”(今天，我很荣幸向大家介绍市警察局局长罗伯特·华盛顿先生)。所以[A]是正确答案。
27．D 细节题。考查转折关系however。文中提到“However，you may not know that he also holds a master's degree in criminology”(但是大家可能并不知道，华盛顿先生取得了犯罪学的硕士学位)。所以[D]是正确答案。
28．B 细节题。考查强调信息first。文中提到“Mr．Washington first introduced the
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Community Policing Program eight years ago．The idea behind the program is to get police officers out of their cars and into our neighborhoods where they can talk directly to merchants and residents about the real dynamics of our city．” (华盛顿先生早在八年前就引入了社区警务项目，这个项目是为了让警察们从车里走入社区，与商贩、居民直接沟通)。所以[B]是正确答案。
29．C 细节题。考查文章结尾。文中结尾处提到“And the program seems to be working．Crime is down and our citizens report that they feel more secure．”(看上去社区警务项目起到了一定的作用，城市的犯罪率降低并且市民们反映他们更有安全感)。所以[C]是正确答案。
30．B 细节题。考查文章开头。文中开头提到“There are between 3,000 and 6,000 public languages in the world． And we must add approximately 6 billion private languages since each one of us necessarily has one． Considering these facts，the possibilities for breakdowns in communication seem infinite in number．”(全世界有3000到6000种公共语言。由于每人都有属于自己的一种语言，所以还需要再增加60亿种个人语言。考虑到这些因素，我们沟通的障碍将会永无止境)。所以[B]是正确答案。
31．C 细节题。考查因果关系because。文中提到“Because young children can make sentences they have never heard before，Chomsky suggested that human infants are born with the ability to learn language．”(由于小孩可以独立使用单词造句，乔姆斯基指出婴儿天生具备学习语言的能力)。所以[C]是正确答案。
32．D 细节题。考查文章的结尾。文中结尾提到“This theory explains the potential that human infants have for learning language but it does not really explain how children come to use language in particular ways．”(这个理论阐明了婴儿有学习语言的潜能，但没有解释婴儿是通过何种方式掌握语言的)。所以[D]是正确答案。
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33．B 细节题。考查文章开头。文中开头提到“Higginbotham，who grew up in Chicago，and became an engineer before joining NASA”(希金博特姆出生于芝加哥，在进入美国国家航空航天局之前是一名工程师)。所以[B]是正确答案。
34．C 细节题。考查因果关系because。文中提到“Each speech is different，because she tailors her remarks to each audience．”(因为希金博特姆对每次的听众都能做到“量体裁衣”，所以她的每一次演讲都是不同的)。所以[C]是正确答案。
35．A 细节题。文中提到“Do spacemen carry weapons in case they encounter enemies in space?”(宇航员为了抵御太空中的敌人，是否需要佩戴武器)。所以[A]是正确答案。
Section C
36． trend
根据定冠词the及后面的动词continue，不难判断出本空需要填入一个名词，结合语义大致可以推断出填入的名词应表示“趋势”。
37．phenomenon
本空单词拼写较难。
38．scene
39．offenses
空格前的few修饰可数名词，所以空格中填入名词的复数形式。
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40．murder
根据robbery，rape…，and auto theft这个平行并列结构可知，本空需要填入名词的单数形式。
41．particularly
42．explosion
根据语法结构判断本空需要填入一个名词。
43．associated
考查常用搭配associated with。
44．changing national borders，greater economic growth，and the lack of accepted social ideas of right and wrong
45．are now facing the sort of cultural variety that has been common in America for most of its history
46．failure to recognize and plan for such diversity can lead to serious crime problems
Part IV Reading Comprehension (ReadinginDepth)
Section A
47．F 本空应该填入名词。根据后一句“因此，学习者必须拥有书本，而且应该是恰当的书本，
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以满足他们的需要”可以判断，本句应该是“人们对书本有天然的需要”，故填入[F]desire。
48．K 空格前为动词turn，空格后为介词to，turn to是固定搭配，所以中间分隔的单词应该是副词。选项中有三个副词，根据意思应填入[K]naturally，意思为“读者自然会转向书本”。
49．H 根据空格前后的介词判断应该填入动词构成不定式。结合下文意思，应填入[H]escape，escape from是固定搭配，意为“逃离”。整句话的意思为“他们与他人分享经验的渴望，以及他们逃离自身有限环境的需要，指引他们到书本中寻找思想和灵魂的食粮”。
50．G 空格前为不定冠词a，应填入名词。空格后有连词and，表示并列关系，因此要填入的名词的意思应根据and后的表达来判断。and后有other ways(其他形式)，故空格处应填入[G]diversity(多样化)。
51．N 空格处应填入动词构成不定式，并和后面的宾语构成搭配。动词中只有[N]respect(尊敬)符合句意。本句的意思为“他们会看到人类经验的多样性，并开始尊重其他思维方式和生活方式”。
52．I 本题考查非谓语动词。由于主句成分完整，所以空格应该填入非谓语动词，并与空格后的名词词组构成动宾结构。选项中有两个-ing形式的非谓语动词，从意思上判断应该填入[I]establishing(建立)，指“在建立他们自己和生活的关系以及对生活的回应时”。
53．B 本空应填入从句的主语，故应选择名词。根据空格后的stories判断填入的名词应该与故事有关联，所以应填入[B]character(角色)。本句的意思为“读者往往发现故事中的角色会经历相似的调整，有助于他们理清和寻求自身的意义”。
54．A 本空应填入形容词，修饰material。正确答案为[A]abundant(充足的)。本句的意思为“书本提供充足的材料让读者展开想象”。
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55．O 本空应填入动词。根据下文的宾语outlook(视野)，应填入[O]widen(拓宽)。
56．M 空格前为名词leisure(空闲时间)，该句结构完整，因此应填入副词。根据句意，应填入[M]properly (恰当地)。整句话的意思为“当他们有了丰富的想象力的时候，书本会拓宽他们的视野，培养一种寻找事实的态度，并训练他们恰当地利用空闲时间”。
Section B
Passage One
57．A 推理题。定位到文章第一段，文章第一段讲述了男性往往比女性更容易患病早亡，并列举了一些数据。因此如果男性读者能够读到第一段，便是有幸躲过严重疾病的人。对应的正确答案为[A]，即因为他们现在更有可能在经历了严重的疾病之后活下来。[B]和[D]选项错误在于文章并没有提及寿命的延长；[C]为强干扰性选项，错在仅重复了文章首句的字面意思，而没有深入理解作者的意图。
58．B 细节题。定位到文章第二段最后一句话。原文中的more importantly对应题干中的most important reason。本题考查的是对比关系，答案选[B]“男人不像女人一样频繁地求助于医疗”。文章第二段提到men take more risks than women and are more likely to drink and smoke，但是注意本题问的是the most important reason，由破折号及其后的but perhaps more importantly，可以轻松排除[A]和[C]；而选项 [D]的内容在原文中与题干内容是并列关系，而非因果关系。
59．A 推理题。本题考查对句子隐含意思的理解。根据原文的意思，可以判断本句是条件关系，因此可以判断“如果会在他身上发生”，后面省略的应该是“也会在我身上发生”，故[A]选项为正确答案。该题属于四级阅读中并不多见的把句子补充完整的考法，其实质是考查考生对句子意思的推断性理解。
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60．D 语义题。根据题干信息定位到原文第九段。语义题的做法是根据相邻的句子判断所考查单词、词组或句子的意思。ostrich approach后面的句子对这个词组进行了解释，[D]选项与其构成同义替换，即原文中的scared of对应选项中的fear，would rather not know对应unwillingness to find out(不愿意发现)，所以选[D]。
61．B 细节题。对应文章最后一段。[B]选项与原文最后一段中Cart mill的话构成了同义替换，即save money对应cheaper。[A]选项与原文意思相反；[C]选项中psychological(心理的)一词原文并未提及； [D]选项根据原文意思无法推出。该题考查的是转折关系，四级考查转折关系时，答案往往出现在转折词之后。
Passage Two
62．B 细节题。本题考查因果关系。根据题干信息定位到文章第三段，而答案出现在文章第二段，原文的二、三段构成了一组因果关系。正确答案为[B]“人们宁愿向身边的人提及他们的不愉快经历”，其中，“身边的人”对应原文中的“朋友、亲戚、同事和陌生人”。[A]选项意思与原文相反；[C]和[D]选项均为原文没有提及的信息。
63．D 推理题。题干明确指出了本题的定位点在第四段第二行。原句意思为“顾客也必须去寻找相应的替代”。前半句说“商店失去了顾客”，所以前后分句分别从商店和顾客的角度指出了不投诉的后果。题目的难点在于对replacement指代内容的理解。[A]选项的错误在于认为replacement所指的内容是顾客，原文中顾客是施动者，即顾客去寻找替代，而[A]选项中顾客变成了受动者，即被替代的对象，因此指代错误。[B]和[C]选项错在原文只谈及了顾客要找相应的替代，但是并没有指出究竟是否能找到，所以[B]和[C]无法从原文推出。
64．B 细节题。定位到文章第八段第一句话：…some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting local police to work as parking attendants”，因此答案为[B]选项“不
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再有停车的麻烦”。本题只要定位准确，[A]、[C]、[D]选项可以直接排除。
65．A 细节题。题干中有最高级most，对应原文倒数第三段的more importantly。原文的信息为diplomatic(世故的，练达的)和polite(礼貌的)，[A]选项中的manners正好归纳了这两个单词，所以答案选[A]。本题与64题考查的都是定位能力。
66．C 细节题。定位到文章最后一段，题干信息better shopping experience与原文中的improved shopping experience对应。答案为[C]选项“直接向商店经理提出不满”，对应原文中的filing complaint to the retailer。 [A]选项中的exert pressure(施加压力)原文中无对应信息；[B]选项对应倒数第三段，为非定位点信息；[D]选项原文并未提及。
Part V Cloze
67．A 介词题。此句的大意是“来自拥有资源……的家庭和社区的孩子尤其如此”，所以选[A]among，表示“在……之间”。
68．D 词义辨析题。spread意为“散布”；speed作动词时意为“迅速前进”；spur意为“激励”；sponsor意为“发起，资助”。空格和organize是并列关系，该句意为“来自拥有资源用以组织和资助体育运动计划的家庭和社区的孩子尤其如此”，所以选[D]。
69．A 词义辨析题。本题四个选项都可以与to搭配，access to意为“(进入、使用、观看等的)权利”；entrance to意为“入口”；chance to意为“机会”，；route to意为“路线”。此题依然是在67、68题的长句里；69题所在句子的大意为“(这些资源)可以保证更容易拥有参与的机会”。chance虽然也指“机会”，但用法为the chance to do sth．，所以选[A]。
70．B 逻辑关系题。前句讲到拥有资源的孩子更容易参与organized sports，而本句提到
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low-income families (低收入家庭)的情况，因此作者是在作比较，即和富裕家庭的孩子比起来，贫困家庭的孩子参与到 organized sports当中的可能性更小。空格后为likely“很可能的”，选项中表示“少”的有[A]little和[B] less，这里需要用比较级，故选[B]。
71．D 词义辨析题。shrink意为“缩小”；tighten意为“变紧”；limit意为“限制”；lack意为“缺少”。此句提到低收入家庭的资源拥有情况，根据文意，与富裕家庭相比，低收人家庭缺乏相应的资源，所以选[D]。
72．C 词义辨析题。bill多指账单；accounts指账户；fare多指车费、路费；fee指各种费用。文中指的是参加各种活动的费用，故应选[C]。
73．C 逻辑关系题。解这一题的关键是理解空格前后句的关系，空格前是说低收入家庭没有足够资源支持孩子参与organized sports，空格后说community(社区)也没有建设和维修体育设施和场地的资源，空格前后是并列关系，所以选[C]。
74．A 词义辨析题。四个选项属于同根词，都包含词根-tain。maintain意为“维修，保养”；contain意为“包含”；sustain意为“承受”；entertain意为“使娱乐；招待”。此句意为“社区也没有建设和维修体育设施和场地的资源”，故选[A]。
75．B 逻辑关系题。第二段开始讲述organized youth sports的相关历史，本句指出其出现的时间和地点，而且句中出现了during the early 20th century，比较四个选项，first最合适，故选[B]。
76．D 连词题。根据文意，这里应填入表“当……时”的词。when和while都有“当……时”的意思，区别如下：while只能表示某一段时间，不能表示某一点时间；when既可以表示某一点时间，也可以表示某一段时间。在用when引导的时间状语从句中，谓语动词可以是延续性的，也可以是非延续性的，可与主句中的谓语动词同时发生，也可在其后发生；而在用while引导的时间状语从句中，
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谓语动词只能是延续性的，而且也只能与主句中的谓语动词同时发生或存在。while一词引导的时间状语从句多用进行时态，而when引导的时间状语从句多用一般时态。故本题应选when。
77．A 词义辨析题。realize意为“意识到”；recall意为“回忆起”；expect意为“期待”；exhibit意为“展示”。此句意为“教育学家和发展专家意识到孩子的行为和性格会受到社会环境和日常经历的极大影响”，故选[A]。
78．C 词义辨析题。文章中讲到小时候的经历对于孩子成长有很大影响，故应该选[C]。specifically意为“明确地，具体地”；excessively意为“过度地，过分地”；exactly意为“完全地；恰好地”。
79．D 词义辨析题。move意为“推动，促使”；conduct意为“指挥”；put意为“放”；lead意为“引导，导致”。此句意为“这导致很多人认为，如果他们可以以特别的方式安排孩子的经历，就可以影响孩子变成什么样的大人”，故选[D]。
80．C 词义辨析题。precise意为“精确的”；precious意为“珍贵的”；particular意为“特别的”；peculiar意为“奇怪的”。此句意为“这导致很多人认为，如果他们可以以特别的方式安排孩子的经历，就可以影响孩子变成什么样的大人”，故选[C]。
81．B 词义辨析题。engagement意为“订婚；约会”；environment意为“环境”；state意为“状态”；status意为“地位”。根据前文：“…of children were 78 influenced by their social surroundings…”，本空应选择 surroundings的同义词，故选[B]。
82．A 词义辨析题。encouraging意为“令人鼓舞的”；disappointing意为“令人失望的”；upsetting意为“令人苦恼的”；surprising意为“令人惊讶的”。文章最后一段讲的是，由于人们发现成长环境对孩子成人后有很大影响，所以那些对进步和改革感兴趣的人便开始思考如何通过控制孩
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子的经历去塑造有责任感、有生产力的成年人，他们认为责任感和生产力对于发展民主社会和资本主义经济大有益处。由此可见，这一发现应该是令人鼓舞的，所以选[A]。
83．D 介词题。此处the beginning of 20th century是一个时间点，故选[D]at。
84．B 连词题。此句意为“它(指人们发现社会环境对人的全面发展有影响)，促使那些人去思考如何通过控制孩子的经历去塑造有责任感、有生产力的成年人”，故选[B]。
85．C 词义辨析题。multiply意为“繁殖”；manufacture意为“加工，制造”；produce意为“生产，创造”； provide意为“提供”。根据句意，应选[C]。produce的这种用法还可以参看2008年6月四级完形填空中的一句：Universities have always aimed to produce men and women with judgment and wisdom．
86．A 词义辨析题。growing意为“发展的”；breeding是名词，意为“饲养”；raising也是名词，意为“养育”； flying意为“飞行的”。根据句意，应选[A]，这里指“……不断发展的资本主义经济依靠的是工人的生产力”。
Part VI Translation
87．to which they have not found solutions so far
本题考点在于以下三点：(1)problems之后应使用定语从句，引导词用which，介词to提前；(2)中文“还没有”需要用增译法，即增加find一词，注意答题时应使用过去分词形式found；(3)中文的“答案”需要转译为solutions。
88．What most parents concern
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本题较难，考点在于主语从句的使用。根据题干后半部分的英文，可推断句子缺少主语，而“大多数父母所关心的”译成英文后包含动词，所以应使用主语从句。
89．in case/lest it turns cold
本题较难，考点在于“以防”概念的表达，其实这是一个表示“反面目的”的目的状语从句，使用in case或 lest引导皆可。如果考生对写作复习得比较全面，本题应该可以顺利完成。
90．decided/determined/resolved to launch/run their own business
本题较简单，考点在于中文概念“创业”的表达，应为launch/run one's own business。
91．until a doctor discovered/found it by chance/accidentally
本题考点在于以下两点：(1)表示“直到……”用until；(2)中文中的“偶然”用by chance或者accidentally表达。
2008年12月英语四级考试听力原文
Section A
11. M: I just received an email from one of my former classmates. I was surprised, I hadn't heard from him for ages.
W: Well, I've been out of touch with most of my old friends, only one or two still drop me a line occasionally.
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Q: What does the woman mean?
12. M: If you can make up your mind about the color, I can start on the outside of your house early next week.
W: Well, right now I think I want white for the window frames and yellow for the walls. But I'll let you know tomorrow.
Q: Who is the woman talking to?
13. W: Excuse me. Do you have any apartments available for under 500 dollars a month? I need to move in next week when my new job starts.
M: The only vacant one I have is 600 dollars. Have you inquired the apartment complex down the street?
Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?
14. W: You bought a pair of jeans yesterday, didn't you? What are they like?
M: Oh, they are pretty much like my other ones except with a larger waist. I guess I haven't spent much time exercising lately.
Q: What can we infer from the conversation about the man?
15. W: I really like those abstract paintings we saw yesterday. What do you think?
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M: I guess it's something I haven't acquired a taste for yet.
Q: What does the man imply?
16. W: You haven't seen a blue notebook, have you? I hope I didn't leave it in the reading room.
M: Did you check that pile of journals you've borrowed fiord the library the other day?
Q: What is the man trying to say to the woman?
17. M: How about joining me for a cup of coffee?
W: I'd love to, but I'm exhausted. I was up till 3 this morning writing a paper for my literature class.
Q: Why does the woman decline the man's invitation?
18. W: You had a job interview yesterday, didn't you? How did it go?
M: Not too bad, I guess. There were about 20 candidates competing for the sales manager's job. And finally it was down to 3 of us, but the other two seemed better qualified.
Q: What does the man imply?
Conversation One
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W: Simon, how does it feel to be retired?
M: Well, not so bad.
W: How have you been spending your time?
M: I've been spending more time with my family. I've also travelled a bit, you know, off season when everywhere is less crowded and hotels cost less.
W: Great.
M: You know I haven't stopped work completely,
W: Yes, could you tell us more about this?
M: I'm on a scheme that's called phased retirement. I had a six-month break from work, after that I could apply for project work with the company I used to work for.
W: How does the scheme work?
M: Well, it's a trial at the moment. Instead of hiring temporary staff, the company advertises posts on its website that retired employees like myself can access.
W: What sort of works advertised?
M: Well, all sorts of things, really. Administrative work and more specialized work, the sort of thing 1 can do. Some of the projects can last five or six months, and others can just be
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a couple of days. I can decide more or less when to work, so I can manage my own time.
W: I can see it's good for you. What does your company get out of this?
M: Well, I still have all my old contacts at work, so I know who to contact to get something done. The company gets flexibility, too. Once the job's over, that's it. I'm not on their books any more.
19. Why does Simon find his retired life enjoyable?
20. How does Simon get to know about the company's available posts?
21. Why does the company adopt the phased retirement scheme?
Conversation Two
W: Oh, where are we going?
M: I want to show you something.
W: I know, but what is it?
M: A farm. It's just down this road. It's a small place, but at least it would be our own,
W: A farm? How can we afford to buy a farm?
M: It isn't very large, only 40 acres. We wouldn't have to pay very much right now.
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W: Is there a house on the place?
M: A small one, two bedrooms, but it needs to be fixed up a little. I can do the job myself.
W: OK. Is there enough space for a kitchen garden?
M: There is about half ah acre around the house. That's plenty of space.
W: Then we can grow our own fresh vegetables. And maybe keep a few chickens, couldn't we?
M: Yes, and we can probably grow a lot of our own food.
W: What are you thinking about growing, if we do take this place?
M: Well, it really isn't big enough for corn. I thought we might try to raise a crop of potatoes.
W: Potatoes? There are a lot of work.
M: We are used to hard work, aren't we?
W: Yes, we are, but the money. Do we have enough to get started? It seems like a dream.
M: I think we've saved enough. We can pay a little on the farm and maybe put a few dollars down on the tractor, too.
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22. What are the speakers going to do at the time of the conversation?
23. What does the man say about the farm?
24. Why does the man intend to grow potatoes rather than com on the farm?
25. What is the woman's greatest concern about the man's plan?
Section B
Passage One
Members of the city council and distinguished guests, it is my privilege to introduce to you today--Mr. Robert Washington--chief of our city's police force. He'll address us on the subject of the Community Policing Program. Most of you know that Mr. Washington has a distinguished record as head of our police force for more than ten years. However, you may not know that he also holds a master's degree in criminology and studied abroad for a year with the international police force, which deals with crimes around the world. Mr. Washington first introduced the Community Policing Program eight years ago. The idea behind the program is to get police officers out of their cars and into our neighborhoods where they can talk directly to merchants and residents about the real dynamics of our city. These officers do more than make arrests. They try to find ways to help solve the problems that contribute to crime in the first place. Often, that means hooking people up with services offered by other city agencies such as schools, hospitals, housing, drug treatment centers. And the program seems to be working. Crime is down and our citizens report that they feel more secure. Today, Mr. Washington is going to tell us more about this program. Now let's welcome Mr. Robert
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Washington.
26. What is the purpose of the speaker's remarks?
27. What does the speaker say about Mr. Robert Washington?
28. What is the idea behind the Community Policing Program?
29. How has the Community Policing Program turned out to be?
Passage Two
There are between 3,000 and 6,000 public languages in the world. And we must add approximately 6 billion private languages since each one of us necessarily has one. Considering these facts, the possibilities for breakdowns in communication seem infinite in number. However, we do communicate successfully from time to time. And we do learn to speak languages. But learning to speak languages seems to be a very mysterious process. For a long time, people thought that we learned language only by imitation and association. For example, a baby touches a hot pot and starts to cry. The mother says, \"Hot! Hot!\" And the baby, when it stops crying, imitates the mother and says \"Hot! Hot!'; However, Noam Chomsky, a famous expert in language, pointed out that although children do learn some words by imitation and association, they also combine words to make meaningful sentences in ways that are unique, unlearned and creative. Because young children can make sentences they have never heard before, Chomsky suggested that human infants are born-with the ability to learn language. Chomsky. meant that underneath all the differences between public and private languages, there is a universal language mechanism that makes it possible for us
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as infants to learn any language in the world. This theory explains the potential that human infants have for learning language, but it does not really explain how children come to use language in particular ways.
30. Why does the speaker say there are great possibilities for communication breakdowns?
31. What is Chomsky's viewpoint on the ability to learn language?
32. What does Chomsky's theory fail to explain according to the speaker?
Passage Three
When US spacewoman Joan Higginbotham is not flying and working in space, she might be found somewhere on earth giving a speech. Higginbotham, who grew up in Chicago, and became an engineer before joining NASA, that is, the National Air and Space Administration, gives about a dozen speeches a year. Each speech is different, because she tailors her remarks to each audience. Through interviews and emails, she finds out in advance her listeners' educational level and what information they want to know~ On the subject of space walks, for example, audiences vary in their interests and how much complexity they can comprehend. To elementary school children, Higginbotham may discuss a problem that many kids want to know about. \"How do spacemen in a spacesuit eat, drink and go to the bathroom?\" Her answer is, \"The spacesuit is really a small spacecraft with room for food and water containers and a waste collection system.\" To a high school audience, she might satisfy a curiosity that often arises in her pre-speech interviews with students who obviously have seen many science fiction movies. \"Do spacemen carry weapons in case they encounter
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enemies in space?\" Her answer is, \"No!\" To scientists, she might provide technical details on such topics as the design of spacesuit that protects spacemen from the deadly temperature extremes of space. Just as elaborate preparation is required for success in space, Higginbotham says that it's important for speakers to learn as much as possible about their listeners before a speech because every audience is different.
33. What did Joan Higginbotham do before joining NASA?
34. How does Higginbotham prepare her speeches on space walks?
35. What does the high school audience want to know about space travel?
Section C
Crime is increasing worldwide. There is every reason to believe the trend will continue through the next few decades.
Crime rates have always been high in multicultural industrialized societies such as the United States, but a new phenomenon has appeared on the world scene---rapidly rising crime rates in nations that previously reported few offenses. Street crimes such as robbery, rape, murder, and auto theft are clearly rising, particularly in eastern European countries such as Hungary and in western European nations such as the United Kingdom.
What is driving this crime explosion? There are no simple answers. Still, there're certain conditions associated with rising crime: increasing heterogeneity of populations, greater cultural pluralism, higher immigration, democratization of governments, changing national
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borders, greater economic growth, and the lack of accepted social ideas of right and wrong.
These conditions are increasing observable around the world. For instance, cultures that were previously isolated and homogeneous such as Japan, Denmark, and Greece, are now facing the sort of cultural variety that has been common in America for most of its history. Multiculturalism can be a rewarding, enriching experience, but it can also lead to a clash of values. Heterogeneity in societies will be the rule in the twenty-first century, and failure to recognize and plan for such diversity can lead to serious crime problems.
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