大学英语四级(2013年12月考试改革适用)模拟试卷144(题后含答案及解析)

大学英语四级（2013年12月考试改革适用）模拟试卷144 (题后含答

案及解析)

题型有：1. Writing 2. Listening Comprehension 3. 4. Reading Comprehension 5. Translation

Part I Writing 1． For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter of appeal calling for student participation in an aid-education project in Western, areas following the outline given below. You should write at least120 words but no more than 180 words.1．市教委组织了一次西部支教的活动，学生会呼吁大学生积极参与2．活动的时间、要求及作用

正确答案： A Call for Participation in an Aid-education ProjectDear fellow schoolmates, Under the sponsorship of the Municipal Education Commission, an aid-education project will be held during the summer vacation. We hereby call for your participation to offer your kind help to students in the poverty-stricken western areas. Students meeting the following requirements are welcome for this project. Firstly, relevant teaching experience in English, Chinese and Math is a must. Secondly, participants should be confident to endure bad climate and poor living condition. This project will be a bridge shortening the distance between people in western areas and metropolitan cities. Our love and devotion will benefit the teenagers there who are thirsty for knowledge. We are looking forward to your sincere support. If interested, please contact the Student Union via emailing student-unionjd@ 163.com. Yours sincerely, The Student Union

Part II Listening Comprehension

Section A

听力原文：W: Excuse me, where can I find the series Hairy Potter? I have been looking for it for about half an hour. M: I’m sorry, Miss. They were sold out yesterday. But you may possibly find it in other bookstores. Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

2．

A．The woman has looked for Harry Potter in several bookstores. B．The woman has found Harry Potter in another bookstore. C．There is no Harry Potter in other bookstores yet. D．Harry Potter may be found in other bookstores.

正确答案：D

解析：女士问哪里能买到《哈利·波特》系列书，她已经找了大概半个小时。男士回答该书昨天已经卖完了，但在其他书店也许还有卖。D与男士说的But后的内容一致，D用的是被动语态，男士用的是主动语态，故选D，同时也可排除C。

听力原文：M: Give us a vodka and orange, please.W: There you are, sir. That’ll be four pounds eighty-five pence, please. Q: What’s the woman’s job?

3．

A．A waitress. B．A cashier. C．A security. D．A secretary.

正确答案：A

解析：男士向女士要一份伏特加酒和橙汁，女士把东西给了他并收取费用。因此，女士应当是服务员，本题选A。

听力原文：W: I hear there is a good Japanese restaurant nearby. Would you like to go there for lunch? M: Yes, but it’s my treat this time. Q: What does the man mean?

4．

A．He wants to pay.

B．He doesn’t want to eat out.

C．He wants to eat somewhere else. D．He doesn’t like Japanese food.

正确答案：A

解析：女士说，她听说附近有一家很好的日本餐馆，并问男士是否愿意去那里吃午饭。男士说“愿意，但这次我请客。”关键要听明白“It’s my treat”(我请客)的意思，由此可知，A“他要付账”正确。

听力原文：M: Excuse me, I am looking for the textbook by Professor Jordan for the Marketing course.W: I am afraid it’s out of stock. You’ll have to order it. And it will take the publisher 3 weeks to send it to us. Q: Where did this conversation most probably take place?

5．

A．At a publishing house. B．At a bookstore. C．At a supermarket.

D．In Professor Jordan’s office.

正确答案：B

解析：男士说，他正在寻找Jordan教授写的市场营销学课本。女士说，恐怕这书已经缺货了，你得预订才行，出版商大概要3周时间才能把它送到我们这里。只要捕捉到关键词和短语textbook，out of stock“断货，脱销”及order“预

订”，就不难判断答案为B。

听力原文：W: I’m afraid we are going to miss the 4 o’clock flight.M: Don’t worry. We can get our tickets changed for this evening. Q: What does the man suggest they should do?

6．

A．Check the timetable. B．Set off earlier.

C．Get on a later flight. D．Cancel the trip.

正确答案：C

解析：女士担心他们会错过4点钟的航班。男士劝解说“别担心，我们可以把机票换成今晚的航班”，C“乘坐晚一点儿的航班”表达的正是此意，故为答案。

听力原文：M: You have been in London for several months. How do you like the city? W: The only thing is the sun never smiles. It’s always grey and unhappy. Q: What doesn’t the woman seem to like about London?

7．

A．The smiling faces. B．The big sunshine.

C．The unhappy residents. D．The weather.

正确答案：D

解析：男士知道女士曾在伦敦待过几个月，问女士对这个城市的印象如何。女士回答说，唯一的印象就是太阳从不露笑脸，天总是灰蒙蒙的。由此可判断，女士不喜欢伦敦的“天气”，D正确。

听力原文：M: I’d love to read a different style of the novel for a change. I’m sickof the books about detective stories. W: Well, let’s go to the library to borrow some romantic stories. Q: What kind of books does the man find boring?

8．

A．Romantic stories. B．Books in the library. C．Love stories. D．Detective stories.

正确答案：D

解析：男士说，我想换个不同风格的小说看看，我厌倦(sick of)读侦探故事书了。问题中的boring与男士说的besick of意思接近，因此，男士觉得无聊的书正是D“侦探故事书”。

听力原文：W: I wish my hair were longer.M: Yes, it’s a pity you had it cut. If only you’d listened to me. Q: What can we learn from the conversation?

9．

A．The man didn’t want the woman to have her hair cut. B．The woman followed the man’s advice. C．The woman is wearing long hair now.

D．The man didn’t care if the woman had her hair cut.

正确答案：A

解析：女士希望自己的头发能更长。男士表示赞同，并说“可惜你剪短了头发(it’s a pity…)。如果你听我的话就好了(If only．．．)。”由此可判断，男士不想女士剪掉头发，故选A。

听力原文：M:[9]The Republican Party in America is opposing stem cell research. I find it hard to believe that in this day and age, someone would do that.W: Stem cell research sounds pretty impressive, I’ll admit. But just what is it?M: Well, a stem cell is a special type of cell. It is a general cell that, when it divides, can become any specific type of cell.W: You mean, a stem cell can become a heart cell? Or a brain cell or a kidney cell?M: That’s about it. Stem cells are a part of the body’s maintenance and repair system. When they divide, they can become any cell type.W: I guess there would be some tremendous medical advantages in that sort of research.M: You’ve said a mouthful. Recently, scientists were able to help a man who lost a jawbone from cancer. They recreated bone material for his jaw from stem cells. What it means is that since the new bone was created out of the person’s own cells, there was no problem with rejection because the DNA was the same.W: I bet the person was delighted. Why would anyone oppose that sort of research? It would seem to have endless potential to benefit the human race.M: I agree, but there are people who think we should not interfere with nature and manipulate “what is not natural”.W: It is easier to hold such a narrow view if you’re not in a position to need the benefits of the research. If you’re missing a jawbone because of cancer, you probably support the research.9. What is the man’s attitude toward the stem cell research?10. What do we learn about a stem cell?11. Why do some people oppose stem cell research according to the man?

10．

A．Supportive. B．Opposed. C．Pessimistic. D．Neutral.

正确答案：A

解析：对话开头，男士说，美国众议院反对干细胞研究，时至今日，竟然还有人这么做真是令人难以置信。说明男士自己是支持干细胞研究的，故选A。

11．

A．It has no difference from other cells. B．It can only become a certain type of cell. C．It can’t become a kidney cell. D．It maintains and repairs the body.

正确答案：D 解析：男士说干细胞是人体养护系统的一部分，由此可推断干细胞具有养护身体的功能，D中的maintains and repairs是将对话中的名词转换成动词，意思相同，故选D。

12．

A．They don’t know about the benefits of the research. B．The research goes against their religious beliefs. C．The research costs too much money.

D．They insist that the research is against nature.

正确答案：D 解析：女士问有人反对干细胞研究的原因，男士回答说有些人认为这样做等于干预自然，人为操控“非自然的东西”。故选D。

听力原文：M: I’m sorry I’m late, Rose.W: That’s all right, Vic. My house isn’t that easy to find. Many of my friends have trouble finding the way when they come for the first time. But you know, you wouldn’t have gotten lost if you had a “smart” car. M: A smart car? I have never heard of that before. What’s a smart car? W: I just read a magazine article about some new technology that can make a car smart. One device is a computerized map display and a synthesized voice, you must enter the address where you want to go, and the voice tells you how to get there, street by street. M: Hey, that’s just like my brother. He never gets lost, and he’s always telling me the best route. So what else will a smart car be able to do? W: Well, the article said that they will be equipped with radar warning systems that will warn drivers if they’re getting too close to other cars with an alarm signal, and they will even put on the brakes if the drivers don’t. M: Tell me, Rose, will these cars be smart enough to fill themselves up with gas? W: Not that I know of. Why do you ask? M: Well, I’m not late because I got lost—[15]I’m late because I ran out of gas on the way over here.12. What do we learn about a “smart” car according to the woman?13. What can be inferred about the man’s brother?14. What will radar warning systems do for drivers according to the conversation?15. Why was the man late?

13．

A．It uses new technology. B．It is installed with a robot. C．It is as clever as human. D．It can talk with people.

正确答案：A

解析：女士说在杂志上看到一篇文章说某项新技术能把小汽车变成智能型，A是对话中new technology的原词再现，故选A。

14．

A．He does the work of making maps. B．He is reliable on giving directions. C．He is a Geographic specialist.

D．He knows more than a computerized map.

正确答案：B

解析：男士说指路设备就像他哥哥，他哥哥从不迷路，并且总是能够告诉他最佳路线，据此推断他哥哥是指路方面的可靠人士，故选B。

15．

A．They will tell drivers the accident on the road ahead. B．They will remind drivers if there is only a little oil left. C．They will help drivers sheer off in the opposite direction. D．They will give an alarm if drivers get too close to other cars.

正确答案：D 解析：女士说文章中谈到汽车还会安装雷达报警系统，如果司机与其他车靠得太近，系统就会发出报警信号警告司机，故选D。

16．

A．He couldn’t find the way. B．His car ran out of oil. C．He came at rush hour. D．His watch was slow.

正确答案：B

解析：对话末尾，男士指出，自己迟到并不是因为迷路了，而是因为半路没油了，故选B。

Section B

听力原文： Culture can and should play a role in bringing people together, even those with very different world views. Culture can undoubtedly change individual lives. Beyond that though, it can help to solve tough social and economic problems; to raise understanding between people and nations; and to encourage solutions to some of the major international challenges we all face. With the pressing economic, social and environmental issues which face the international community,[17]the Edinburgh International Culture Summit will create a much needed and rare opportunity to look at the role of culture in government and

governments in culture. It creates a significant new platform to think about key issues such as how Ministries of Culture, and their equivalents, can encourage the right environment for helping culture in all its forms to develop and grow. The summit also provides an opportunity for Ministers, and other key figures in the international world of culture, to think about, and discuss together,[18]how cultural policy in countries across the world can be enriched by the sharing of international best practice and co-operation. This unique gathering is similar with the Edinburgh International Festival, perhaps the greatest cul-tural festival in the world. One of the great strengths of the Festival is the vast number of international talent that it attracts and shows in Scotland’s historic capital city. This background, artistic and physical, will stimulate discussion and serve also as a reminder that culture is richer when it goes beyond national boundaries and serves as a force to connect people around the world.16. What can culture do according to the passage?17. What do we know about the Edinburgh International Culture Summit?18. What will the Ministers of Culture discuss in the summit?19. What do we know about the Edinburgh International Festival?

17．

A．Resolve tough social and economic problems. B．Raise the major international challenges. C．Collect different world views together. D．Encourage people to seek happiness.

正确答案：A

解析：短文提到，文化毫无疑问会改变个人生活，除此以外，它能帮助解决棘手的社会和经济问题。A中的Resolve与短文中的solve同义，故为答案。

18．

A．It will help to look at the role of governments in culture. B．It will create a new platform to protect environment. C．It will help society to develop and grow.

D．It will solve the pressing economic, social and environmental issues.

正确答案：A 解析：短文提到，爱丁堡国际文化峰会将会创造一个非常必要和少有的机会去看看文化在中的作用和在文化中的作用。A属于后者，故为答案。

19．

A．Think about how to connect people around the world. B．To attract large number of international talent together. C．Discuss how cultural policy can be enriched. D．To share ideas of tackling cultural problems.

正确答案：C 解析：短文提到，该峰会为各国文化和其他在国际文化中的关键人物提

供机会，使他们能够考虑和一起讨论如何丰富全世界范围内各国的文化。故可见C“讨论如何丰富文化”正确。

20．

A．It is organized by Scotland’s government. B．It strengthens friendships among nations.. C．It may be the greatest cultural festival. D．It is a unique gathering in the world.

正确答案：C

解析：短文提到，爱丁堡国际艺术节可能是世界上最大的文化节。故选C。

听力原文： I am not only a painter, but a student of art. Sometimes,[20]I don’t quite understand why a piece of art is so popular, or why it means what it does to people. Such was the case when I first thought about American Gothic, Grant Wood’s famous painting of two farmers. American Gothic was inspired by a trip that Wood made in 1930. He saw a house that was built in the 1870s or 1880s, and he was very attracted to its strong design. He then made a quick sketch, went back to his studio, and began his painting immediately. In addition to his sketch made that year, he used an 10 photograph to help him. The painting was strongly criticized by people who thought it made fun of simple farmers. 1 admit, I once thought the same thing. To me, great paintings are ones that try to understand people, not to laugh at them. And I didn’t like American Gothic. When I saw the painting in person,[22]I recognized the strength in the faces of the farmers. I started to see that the artist was expressing the strength of simple American farmers. This is why so many people see the painting as a symbol of the US.20. What seems to be difficult for the speaker to understand?21. Why did some people dislike American Gothic?22. What did the speaker see when she saw the painting in person?

21．

A．How to paint something.

B．Who the painter Grand Wood was. C．Why a painting is popular.

D．Simple farmers’ living in America.

正确答案：C

解析：录音开头提到，我有时会不明白“为什么某一幅艺术作品会如此受欢迎，或者说为什么……”，故C为答案。

22．

A．Because the design was too strong.

B．Because the painting looked like a photograph. C．Because the painting was too simple.

D．Because the painting seemed to laugh at farmers.

正确答案：D

解析：录音提到，该画作受到了一些人的强烈批评，他们认为该画是在取笑纯朴的美国农民，D中的laugh at与录音中的made fun of意思相近，故D为正确答案。

23．

A．The painting was making fun of people. B．The painting was a symbol of the US.

C．The painting expressed an understanding of people. D．The painting showed the strength of American farmers.

正确答案：D

解析：录音末尾提到，“我”在看该画时，看到了农民脸上的力量，并意识到画家是在表达美国纯朴农民的特征，故D为正确答案。

听力原文： All languages are equal from a linguistic point of view. It is wrong to judge the value of one against another. But when it comes to investing time, money and effort in the learning of languages, practical factors inevitably come into play. Politicians, taxpayers, parents and learners all want to be able to invest in those languages where their efforts and resources are going to prove most effective for their particular needs. There is no denying the importance of English as a common means of communication across the world. But an analysis of global language trends was a timely warning against this pride in the predominance of English worldwide. It predicted that the competitive advantage of English will decline and that[24]monolin: gual English speakers, unable to tap into the multilingual environments enjoyed by others, would face a gloomy economic future. A wide range of languages are needed to exploit the benefits of the single market and keep improving trade between peoples worldwide. Even when others have a high level of proficiency in English, this does not mean that their languages can be ignored.[25]In order to develop relations between countries_and individuals based on mutual respect and trust, as well as to do business effectively, there is a need for an understanding of the social, political, and technical systems of a country, as well as the countless aspects of daily life that are important to that nation’s identity and culture.23. What do we know about the value of languages from a linguistic point of view?24. What does the speaker say about monolingual English speakers?25. Why do we need to understand various aspects of a country?

24．

A．All languages have equal values.

B．Some languages need more efforts to learn. C．Some languages are certainly more important.

D．English is the most important language worldwide.

正确答案：A 解析：短文一开头提到，从语言学的角度来看，所有语言的价值都是一样的，

故A为正确答案。

25．

A．They predominate the English world.

B．They are unable to adapt to the competitive world. C．They invest more time in learning a foreign language. D．They may face a depressing economic future.

正确答案：D

解析：短文提到，仅会说英语的人不能够融人多语言的环境，他们将会面临暗淡的经济前途。D的depressing是对原文gloomy的同义替换，语义一致，故选D。

26．

A．To do business effectively. B．To meet others’ requirement. C．To improve linguistic skills.

D．To promote proficiency in English.

正确答案：A 解析：短文末尾提到，为了在互相尊重和信任的基础上来发展国与国之间和个人之间的关系以及有效地经商，我们需要了解一个国家的社会、政治和技术系统。题干问及的various aspects(各个方面)其实是对社会、政治和技术系统的概括，可知答案为A，有效地经商是原文提到的因素之一。

Section C

A degree from a college or university is often a key that opens doors of【B1】______—doors to a better job and a better life. Without a college degree, many jobs are simply not【B2】_____. Just as the name states, community colleges are local. So, they are easy to get to. Suppose you are 【B3】_____ attending college in the United States. But perhaps you might not be ready for a university with a four-year program. About 88,000 international students have found a【B4】_____. They are attending US community colleges. Such colleges are sometimes called【B5】_____ colleges. They offer two years of education above the secondary, or high school level. At the end of their study program, they receive a document of【B6】_____called a certificate. Other students work toward an associate degree in traditional【B7】_____subjects like science or history. Some students with associate degrees【B8】_____to attend a four-year college or university. They have only two years of study left before they receive a bachelor’s degree. Many【B9】_____experts agree that saving money is a good reason to consider a community college. The American Association of Community Colleges says a public two-year college【B10】_____an average of $3,000 a year. A student at a four-year public college may pay more than $8,500 a year for classes and user fees.

27． 【B1】

正确答案：opportunity

解析：空格位于介词of后，故空格处应填入名词性成分。opportunity意为“机遇”。注意该词中有两个p，辅音字母的双写是常出现的考点。

28． 【B2】

正确答案：available

解析：空格位于系动词are后，故此处应填入表语成分。available意为“可得到的”，句意为“没有大学学历，许多工作都不能做”。

29． 【B3】

正确答案：thinking about

解析：空格前是are，空格后是动名词短语attending college，句子缺少完整的谓语成分。think about此处意为“考虑，盘算”，注意think后要加-ing。

30． 【B4】

正确答案：solution

解析：空格位于不定冠词a后，故应填入可数名词的单数形式。solution意为“解决方法”。

31． 【B5】

正确答案：junior

解析：空格处应填入名词college的修饰成分，作句子主语Such colleges的补语。junior意为“初级的”。

32． 【B6】

正确答案：completion

解析：空格位于介词of后，故应填入名词成分。completion为动词complete“完成”的名词形式。

33． 【B7】

正确答案：academic

解析：空格前是形容词traditional，空格后是名词subjects，故此处也应是subjects的修饰成分，academic此处为形容词，意为“学术的”。

34． 【B8】

正确答案：move on 解析：空格所在句缺少谓语，根据上下文的时态可知，本句应为一般现在时。move on意为“继续前进”。

35． 【B9】

正确答案：educational

解析：空格前是形容词Many，空格后是名词experts，故此处应为形容词或分词，修饰experts。educational为education的形容词形式，意为“教育的，有关教育的”。

36． 【B10】

正确答案：costs

解析：空格位于宾语从句中，该从句缺少谓语动词，根据上下文可知，从句应为一般现在时。cost意为“花费”，注意从句的主语是a……college，是第三人称单数，故cost要加-s。

Part III Reading Comprehension

Section A

If you’re in charge of Christmas dinner, with all its interconnected tasks and challenges of timing— when to preheat the oven, whether to put the potatoes in before the eggs—why not write down every【C1】_____that needs doing, in order, then do them, checking them off as you go? That can be very helpful. The Checklist Manifesto, written by the journalist and doctor Atul Gawande, shows the importance of checklist when hospital doctors are【C2】_____to tick off items on checklists as they carry out routine but critical procedures. In one trial, the rate of infections from intravenous(静脉内的)drips fell from 11% of all patients to zero【C3】_____because staff were compelled to work through a checklist of no-brainer items, such as【C4】_____their hands. A more recent study, which included UK hospitals, suggested that wider use of checklists might【C5】_____40% of deaths during treatment. Unlike in medicine, the【C6】_____uses of checklists in everyday life—a list for holiday packing, for instance, aren’t usually matters of life and death. The idea of making a checklist is so stupidly obvious that it seems impossible it could have so【C7】_____an effect. But the truth is that all life, not just medicine, is【C8】_____complex; if highly trained intensive-care specialists can forget a【C9】_____step, it’s sure that anyone might. Besides, the step-by-step structure of checklists can narrow your【C10】_____to the next action. All you have to remember is to “do the next right thing”. Then the next, and the next.A)potential B)required C)crucial D)subjectE)vast F)action G)washing H)preventI)simply J)increasingly K)focus

L)normallyM)gradual N)request O)shaking

37． 【C1】

正确答案：F

解析：此处需填入名词。此处表示每一步要做的事，文章末尾action属于语义复现，放在此处符合文意，故选action。

38． 【C2】

正确答案：B

解析：此处需填入与are构成谓语动词。此处表示医生在进行医疗操作时，会边做边在清单上打勾，与下一句中的compelled语义相近，属于硬性规定。由此可知他们是“被要求”的，故选required。

39． 【C3】

正确答案：I

解析：此处需填入副词。空前是果，空后because引导原因，副词词库中，simply多用来加强语气，simply because．．．表示“仅仅是因为……”，故选simply。

40． 【C4】

正确答案：G

解析：此处需填入现在分词。医护人员常做的动作是“洗手”，属于无需动脑子的简单事情，由此可知washing正确。

41． 【C5】

正确答案：H 解析：此处需填入原形动词。此处讲广泛运用清单的好处，根据空后的40％ of deaths可知应该是能够“预防”医疗过程中40%的死亡，动词词库中只有prevent符合文意。

42． 【C6】

正确答案：A

解析：此处需填入形容词。破折号后举了度假需要用到清单的例子，这属于日常生活中可能用到清单的一方面，形容词词库中，potential最符合文意。

43． 【C7】

正确答案：E

解析：此处需填入形容词，修饰an effect，表示影响、效果或作用的大小程度。形容词词库中，只有vast可以修饰effect，表示“巨大的影响”。该句前半句说列清单并不是高明的事情(so stupidly obvious)，此处自然应该是说“似乎不可能有这么大的作用”，vast正合适。

44． 【C8】

正确答案：J 解析：此处需填入副词。complex表示“复杂的”，副词词库中，只有increasingly一词符合语境，表示“越来越复杂”。

45． 【C9】

正确答案：C 解析：此处需填入形容词。该词修饰step，形容词词库中crucial可以修饰它，表示“关键步骤”。如此，也凸显出列清单的重要性，符合语境。此处意思与第2段中的critical相近，故选crucial。

46． 【C10】

正确答案：K 解析：此处需填入名词。此处表示列清单有助于把注意力集中到下一步行动上，focus符合文意。

Section B

What Your iPad Knows About YouA)You’ve finally finished the book your co-worker recommended, so what to read next? If it is 5 a.m., chances are that you’re reaching for a romance novel—especially if you’re in Texas or Georgia. By early morning, thrillers might start to look more appealing. And if Philip K. Dick is your favorite author, books about beer are probably more up your taste than anything about wine or liquor.B)These are some of the insights from Scribd Inc. and Oyster, two startups that offer unlimited e-book rentals for a monthly subscription fee. Scribd, Oyster and Entitle Books—which just launched in December—are tracking reader behavior in hopes of figuring out recommendations of exactly what you’ll want to pick up next.C)About 50% of the U.S. population owns a dedicated e-reader, according to a Pew Research study released last month. In addition, 28% read an e-book last year, up from 23% the previous year. The services are expanding. Scribd, a San Francisco-based site that started selling monthly e-book subscriptions last October, announced this month that its app is available on Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Kindle Paperwhite. After running exclusively on Apple’s operating system, New York-based Oyster plans to expand to Android later this year. And Entitle is considering adding an all-you-can-read feature to complement its current “book of the month”-style subscription service. Subscription services are popular because they

“reduce the emotional burden” of purchasing, says Julie Haddon, Scribd vice president of marketing. Buying a book creates pressure to finish and get your money’s worth, she adds. In addition, people might try to save money by buying a cheaper book instead of the one they really want.D)Brian Konash, 34, who works at Web startup Squarespace in Manhattan, joined Oyster two months ago because it didn’t cause the buyers’ sense of guilty he experienced when purchasing Kiridle e-books. “You’ve already paid for the service, so you can read as much as you want,” he says. “With other models, there’s that little financial bite each time you want to buy a book and you worry that it’s going to be worthless.” Mr. Konash, who has been picking books based on the site’s suggestions, predicts he’ll read up to 10 more books a year beyond his usual 25.E)An all-access subscription “lowers the activation energy for reading,” says Oyster CEO Eric Stromberg. Reading often has a high “activation energy” because there’s a time gap between wanting to read a book and then actually getting your hands on it, he says. “When you can order a book and instantly get it on your tablet, you can hear about the book and then read it right there,” says Willem van Lancker, Oyster’s chief product officer.F)”From the publishing perspective, the biggest problem is how to get people to care about a new book,” says Otis Chandler, CEO of Goodreads, a site where people share what they’re reading and post recommendations. Goodreads, which was acquired by Amazon in March, uses an algorithm(运算法则)that recommends books that users with similar taste have enjoyed.G)Oyster and Scribd ask readers to rate books, what they call an “active signal.” They also track “passive signals,” such as the percentage of a book that a reader finishes and the click rate, or how many people who are shown a book click through to learn more. The companies use that information among other factors to recommend books. Active signals represent what we wish we read, while passive signals are more honest, says Jared Friedman, Scribd chief technology officer. A lot of people give a 5-star rating to “The Great Gatsby,” while they read greedily, but don’t necessarily rate, thrillers like “The Da Vinci Code,” for example.H)Other findings: Self-help might be a popular market, yet only about 20% of people who start such a book finish it. More than 80% of people who crack the pages of a mystery novel will find out who did it. People read through biographies at 20 pages per hour, while they read at three times that speed for erotica(色情作品). And higher “acceleration factor”—or how much readers speed up as they get closer to finishing—correlates with higher average rating for a book. One of the highest acceleration factors comes from Kurt Vonnegut’s “Cat’s Cradle,” which readers start speeding through at the halfway mark, Mr. Friedman says. All three companies allow users to hide their reading behavior from other customers, but users can’t opt out of their behavior being collected by the company itself. Entitle, however, says it keeps track of browsing and download information only.I)Personalized recommendations drive 10 times more browsing traffic than lists based on themes such as “globe-trotting memoirs” or “bad role models” that copy racks at the front of bookstores, Scribd’s Mr. Friedman says. The company is interested in combining algorithms with lists to create a list of best sellers that someone would, based on past reading behavior, find interesting. Another possible approach is to suggest different books or genres depending on time of day to

take advantage of what the company knows about time-based preferences.J)The algorithm doesn’t just analyze behavior signals, but “reads” through a book’s text to pull out different topics, genres and subjects, says Bryan Batten, chief executive of Entitle. There’s also a patent-pending(申请专利中的)service called “if these books had a baby,” where users can input two books and find a third with similar themes. For example, the “baby” of Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22” and Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” is Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov” but the product of “Catch-22” and Steve Jobs biography is a book called “Dealers of Lightning,” about engineers at Xerox Corp.K)Entitle operates on a tiered model: two books for $9.99 a month(the most popular plan), three for $14.99, and so on. For customers, the upside is being able to keep the e-books, even if they cancel the service. The services, of course, compete with the library. But libraries have had limited e-book offerings and there are often waits for the books. Robert Wolven, co-chair of the American Library Association’s Digital Content Working Group, says demand has increased significantly in the past 18 months. He says he doesn’t see the startups as a threat.L)While libraries’ budget for e-books has been growing, licensing restrictions mean that popular titles often aren’t available, says Laura Girmscheid, research manager for the trade publication Library Journal, which recently released its fourth annual report on e-books in libraries. This, combined with holds on e-books, is the largest hurdle preventing people from using library e-books more. “It’s just not convenient for instant access,” Ms. Girmscheid says.

47． Subscribers can’t stop e-book provider from collecting information about their reading behavior.

正确答案：H

解析：根据collecting information和reading behavior可以定位到H段。该段倒数第2句表示上述三家电子书租阅企业允许用户向其他用户隐藏自己的阅读行为，可是用户却无法不让这些公司收集他们的阅读行为。题目的Subscribers和e-book provider对应原文的users和All three companies，而can’t stop．．．from与原文的can’t opt out of属于同义表达，故确定出处在H段。

48． Due to the time gap between wanting to read a book and actually starting reading, people need high activation energy to read a paper book.

正确答案：E

解析：根据关键词time gap和high activation可快速定位到E段。该段第2句指出，阅读需要很强的“激发能量”，因为读者想读某书和真正着手去读它之间存在时间差。本题将原文的原因状语从句转化为Due to引导的状语，意思与原文一致，故确定出处为E段。

49． The biggest problem for publication is how to raise reader’s interests in a new book.

正确答案：F

解析：根据the biggest problem及publication可定位至F段首句。该句表示从出版的角度来看，最大的问题是如何让人们关注某本新书，其中的get people to care about意即引起读者兴趣，本题表述与之一致。故本题出处在F段。

50． Passive signals, like click rates, are more honest indications of reading behavior.

正确答案：G

解析：根据Passive signals和click rates可以定位到G段。该段介绍了读者阅读的主动信号和被动信号，其中第2句举例说明了哪些属于“被动信号”，第4句则表明在图书推荐方面，被动信号提供的信息更为真实。本题是对这两句的概括总结，故可确定出处为G段。

51． Some e-book rental websites track subscriber’s reading behavior so as to offer proper book recommendations.

正确答案：B 解析：根据e-book rental websites，track…reading behavior及recommendations可定位至B段。该段第2句提到Scribd，Oyster和Entitle Books这三家公司在追踪读者的阅读习惯，希望借此为读者做出精准的推荐。题目中的so as to对应原文表期望目的的in hopes of，整句与原文表达意思一致，故确定出处为B段。

52． Subscribers of Entitle can keep e-books they have bought even after they cancel the service.

正确答案：K

解析：根据Entitle，keep e-books以及cancel the service可定位至K段。该段介绍Entitle分级运营模式，其中第2句表示，对于消费者而言，这种模式的好处在于即使取消了服务也能继续保存电子书。本题与原句语义一致，故确定K段为本题出处。

53． Inconvenience for instant access to popular e-books prevents people from using library e-books.

正确答案：L

解析：本题有关图书馆的电子书情况，全文只有最后两段提到相关内容。根据Inconvenience for instantaccess可定位到L段。该段最后两句提到图书馆“常常拿不到热门书籍”和“获取有延误”成为阻碍人们利用图书馆电子书的最大障碍。题目对这两点原因进行了概括总结，故可确定L段为本题出处。

． About four-fifth readers of self-help books fail to complete their reading.

正确答案：H

解析：根据关键词self-help books可以定位到H，文章只有该段提及自助图书。该段首句表明选择自助类书籍的读者，只有20％的人会把书读完。本题是对原文的正话反说，两者意思相同，故可确定H段为本题出处。

55． When purchasing paper books, people might give up the one they want and choose a cheaper one in order to save money.

正确答案：C

解析：根据purchasing,cheaper以及save money可定位到C段。该段后半部分分析了订阅服务盛行的原因，并在最后一句表示，人们可能会为了省钱而买一本比较便宜的书，而不是买他们真正想读的书。题目的purchasing对应原文的buying，而might give up…and choose则对应原文的instead of…可确定本题出处在C段。

56． Personalized recommendations are more efficient in boosting book’s browsing rates than traditional best-sale lists based on different themes.

正确答案：I

解析：根据personalized recommendations，browsing rates，lists和themes可定位到I段首句。陔句指出，个性化推荐产生的浏览量是按主题分类的排行榜的10倍，题目的more efficient是对drive 10 times的概括，故确定I段为本题出处。

Section C

Coca-Cola has always been more focused on its economic bottom line than on global warming, but when the company lost a profitable operating license in India because of a serious water shortage there in 2004, things began to change. Today, after a decade of increasing damage to Coke’s balance sheet as global droughts dried up the water needed to produce its soda, the company has embraced the idea of climate change as an economically disruptive force. “Increased droughts, more unpredictable variability, 100-year floods every two years,” said Jeffrey Seabright, Coke’s vice president for environment and water resources, listing the problems that he said were also disrupting the company’s supply of sugar cane and sugar beets(甜菜). “When we look at our most essential ingredients, we see those events as threats.” Coke reflects a growing view among American business leaders and mainstream economists who see global warming as a force that contributes to lower GDP’s, higher food and commodity costs, broken supply chains and increased financial risk. Their position is at striking odds with the longstanding argument, advanced by the coal industry and others, that policies to curb carbon emissions are more economically harmful than the impacts of climate change. In Washington, the World Bank president, Jim Yong Kim, has put climate change at the center of the bank’s mission, citing global warming as chief contributor to rising global poverty rates and falling GDP’s in developing nations. In Europe, the Organization for Economic Cooperation

and Development, the Paris-based club of 34 industrialized nations, has begun to warn of the steep costs of increased carbon pollution. Nike, which has more than 700 factories in 49 countries, many in Southeast Asia, is also speaking out because of extreme weather that is disrupting its supply chain. In 2008, floods temporarily shut down four Nike factories in Thailand, and the company remains concerned about rising droughts in regions that produce cotton, which the company uses in its athletic clothes. Both Nike and Coke are responding internally: Coke uses water-conservation technologies and Nike is using more synthetic material that is less dependent on weather conditions. At Davos and in global capitals, the companies are also lobbying governments to enact environmentally friendly policies.

57． Why did Coca-Cola lose the operating license in India in 2004? A．Its operating license was overdue.

B．It only focused on its economic bottom line. C．India was lack of water resources.

D．It decided to fight against climate change.

正确答案：C 解析：本题询问可口可乐公司失去在印度的营业执照的原因。题干所问与第1句中when the company lost．．．in India一致，故该句because of后的内容即为本题答案。C中的lack of water resources“缺乏水资源”与原文中的serious water shortage“严重的水资源短缺”意思一致，故为答案。

58． What can be regarded as a threat according to Jeffrey Seabright? A．The loss of profitable operating licenses.

B．Natural disaster harmful to supply of ingredients. C．Mainstream view towards global warming. D．Inadequate supply of sugar cane.

正确答案：B

解析：该段末提到Jeffrey Seabright将those events看作是threats，而根据上文内容可知，those events指代那些会影响可口可乐公司供应链的环境问题(problems that…were also disrupting the company’s supplyof…)，故B“危害原料供应的自然灾害”为正确答案。

59． How does the coal industry feel about the policies to curb carbon emissions?

A．They are helpful in helping the industry.

B．They are effective in protecting the environment. C．They contribute to low productivity in the industry. D．They have a negative impact on economy.

正确答案：D

解析：该句提到煤炭及其他行业的观点与主流的观点截然相反(at striking odds with)，这些行业认为遏制碳排放的本身对经济造成的伤害更甚于气候变化，由此可推断出“遏制碳排放的对经济有负面影响”，故D为答案。

60． What does Jim Yong Kim say about the climate change? A．It makes contribution to rising GDPs in developing countries. B．It is a dominate reason for the climbing global poverty rates. C．The World Bank has sent trade mission to deal with it. D．The cost of controlling it has been increased.

正确答案：B 解析：由该句citing后的内容可知，世行行长Jim Yong Kim把全球变暖看作是导致全球贫困率上升及发展中国家GDP下降的首要因素，B所述与前者相符，故为本题答案。

61． What actions does Nike take to tackle the problem? A．Using more man-made materials. B．Reducing carbon emissions.

C．Enacting environmentally friendly policies. D．Applying water-conservation technologies.

正确答案：A

解析：文中最后两段均提到Nike，其中最后一段提到该公司应对环境问题所采取的措施。该段第1句末提到，Nike更多地使用人工合成的材料(synthetic material)，A中的man-made与synthetic意思相近，故A为本题答案。

The British government recently announced a proposal to introduce health care access fees for migrants and long-term visitors this year. The fees would affect some foreign students, who would for the first time have to pay for medical cover while in Britain. The proposal is part of an immigration bill now going through Parliament and does not expressly target students. But concerns are being voiced that it would set up yet another obstacle for international access to the British education system—one of the most prestigious in the world. “As a matter of principle, the charge is unfortunate and unfair,” said Dominic Scott, chief executive of the UK Council for International Student Affairs. Foreign students who need to apply for visas—those from countries outside the European Union—will have to pay 150 pounds per year of study when they are issued their visa, according to the plan laid out by the Department of Health. The proposed charge is relatively minor compared with tuition and other costs that for a foreign student in Britain can easily reach ￡20,000 a year. Critics of the plan concede that it is unlikely, by itself, to turn many away. Still, they warn that it will add to a cumulative message that is increasingly unwelcoming. It comes during a controversial campaign for tighter immigration curbs and less than two years after the government eliminated a visa track, known as Tier-1(post-study work), that allowed newly graduated foreigners to

stay in Britain to work. “Tier-1 was the hammer blow, but it’s just possible that people will see this as one unpleasant thing after another,” Mr. Scott said. Daniel Stevens, the international students’ officer at the National Union of Students, the country’s largest student union, agreed: “You will see a shift in the attitude of international students toward other countries,” he said. Daniel Obst, deputy vice president of the Institute of International Education, said he thought it highly unlikely that the fee would cut the number of students going to Britain. Still, “every time you have a new regulation, there is concern,” he said. “You have to deal with the perceptions issue.”

62． What result will the new proposal most probably bring according to the first paragraph?

A．The policy will give a bad impression on potential overseas students. B．The reputation of British education system will be destroyed.

C．British universities will set up another obstacle for foreign students. D．International students can’t voice their opinions any more.

正确答案：A 解析：本题询问新提案可能带来的后果。该段最后一句提到，人们普遍担忧，该提案会为想到英国留学的国际学生又增设一道障碍(set up…another obstacle)，由此推断，该提案对外国学生赴英留学造成负面影响，故A“给潜在的外国留学生留下坏印象”是合理的推断。

63． What is the impact of the new plan on students from outside the European Union?

A．They will get a better medical care than before. B．Their cost of studying in the UK will increase.

C．It will be more difficult for them to apply for a visa. D．They will receive a more unfair treatment on campus.

正确答案：B

解析：该句提到，对于来自非欧盟国家的学生来说，他们每学年需多交150英镑，故B“他们在英留学的花费会增多”是对原文意思的概括。故为答案。

． According to critics, the new plan proposed by the Department of Health ______.

A．will turn many foreign students away from the UK

B．conveys another unwelcoming message to foreign students C．is unlikely to pass in Parliament

D．is increasingly welcomed by most foreign students

正确答案：B

解析：该部分提到，批评者承认，该提案本身不大可能打消多数外国学生赴英求学的念头。不过该提案传递出了一个愈加强烈的信息，那就是英国日益加剧

的不欢迎态度，故可见B“再次传达了一种不欢迎外国学生的信息”为正确答案。

65． What do we know about Tier-1(post-study work)visa from the passage? A．It aimed to tighten the immigration policy. B．It helped to eliminate illegal immigrations.

C．It allowed foreign students to pursuit further study. D．It has been cancelled by the UK government.

正确答案：D

解析：该句提到了“Tier-l(毕业工作)”的相关内容，指出该签证允许应届留学生留在英国工作，但该签证在两年前已被取消，故D“英国已取消该签证”为正确答案。

66． As to proposing a new regulation, what suggestion does Daniel Obst make? A．Changing the public attitude towards a new regulation. B．Ignoring the concerns a new regulation causes. C．Cutting down the number of new regulations.

D．Dealing with the perceptions issue a new regulation causes.

正确答案：D

解析：该段最后一句提到，Daniel Obst认为每当一条新规出台，都会引起人们的忧虑，所以必须去处理percep-tions issue“有关解读的问题”，言下之义，Daniel Obst建议应该处理好新规引发出来的解读问题，由此可知D为正确答案。

Part Ⅳ Translation

67． 元宵节(the Lantern Festival)是中国的传统节日。正月十五庆祝元宵节，这一天也标志着春节庆祝活动的结束。据说早在汉朝(the Han Dynasty)，元宵节就已成为重大节日。在这一天，人们会与家人团聚，吃一顿丰盛的晚餐。在中国许多地方，公园会有壮观的花灯展览。晚上全家人会出门赏灯和猜灯谜(riddle)。猜灯谜既有趣又充满智慧，老少皆宜，是一项人们喜闻乐见的娱乐活动。

正确答案： The Lantern Festival is a traditional festival in China. People celebrate it on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and it also marks the end of the Spring Festival celebrations. It is said that as early as the Han Dynasty, it had become a festival with great significance. On this day, people gather with their family and enjoy a big dinner. In many places of China, there are usually grand lantern shows in parks. In the evening, the whole family goes out to watch the lanterns and guess lantern riddles. As guessing lantern riddles is interesting and full of wisdom, it has become a beloved entertaining game suitable for all ages.