2000年1月大学英语四级考试试题及参考答案

Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)

Section ADirections:In this section，you will hear 10 short conversations.At the end of each conversation，a question will be asked about what was said .Both the conversation and the question 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.Example: You will hear:You will read: A) At the office.B) In the waiting room.C) At the airport. D) In a restaurant.From the conversation we know that the two were talking about some work they had to finish in the evening.This is most likely to have taken place at the office .Therefore，A) “At the office” is the best answer.You should choose［A］on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the centre.Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D]

1. A) The woman is close friend of the man. B) The woman has been w orking too hard.C) The woman is seeing a doctor. D) The woman is tired of her work.

2. A) This apple pie tastes very good.B) His mother likes the pie very much.C) This pie can't match his mother's. D) His mother can't make apple pies.

3. A) Take a walk.B) Give a performance.C) Listen to the music.D) Dance to the music.

4. A) Read an article on political science.B) Present a different theory to the class.C) Read more than one article. D) Choose a better article to read.

5. A) The woman would understand if she did Mary's job.B) The woman should do the typing for Mary.C) The woman should work as hard as Mary.D) The woman isn't a skillful typist.

6. A) He wants to make an appointment with Mr.Smith.B) He wants to make sure that Mr.Smith will see him.C) He wants to change the time of the appointment.D) He wants the woman to meet him at three o'clock.

7. A) He gets nervous easily. B) He is an inexperienced speaker. C) He is an awful speaker.D) He hasn't prepared his speech well.

8 A) She didn't like the books the man bought.B) There wasn't a large selection at the bookstore.C) The man bought a lot of books.D) She wanted to see what the man bought.

9. A) Buy a ticket for the ten o'clock flight.B) Ask the man to change the ticket for her.C) Go to the airport immediately.D) Switch to a different flight.

10.A) Dr.Lemon is waiting or a patient.B) Dr.Lemon is busy at the moment.C) Dr.Lemon has lost his patience.D) Dr.Lemon has gone out to visit a patient.

Section BDirections: 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Passage OneQuestions 11 to 14 are based on the passage you have just heard.11. A) A car outside the supermarket. B) A car at the bottom of the hill.C) Paul's car.D) The sports car.

12. A) inside the car.B) At the foot of the hill.C) In the garatge.D) In the supermarket.

13.A) The driver of the sports car. B) The two girls inside the car.C) The bus driver.D) Paul.

14. A) Nobody.B) The two girls.C) The man standing nearby. D) The salesman from London.

Passage TwoQuestions 15 to 17 are based on the passage you have just heard.15. A) His friend gave him the wrong key.B) He didn't know where the back door was.C) He couldn't find the key to his mailbox.D) It was too dark to put the key in the lock.

16. A) It was getting dark.B) He was afraid of being blamed by his friend.C) The birds might have flown away.D) His friend would arrive any time.

17. A) He looked silly with only one leg inside the window.B) He knew the policeman would't believe him.C) The torch light made him look very foolish.D) He realised that he had made a mistake.

Passage ThreeQuestions 18 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.18. A) The threat of poisonous desert animals and plants.B) The exhaustion of energy resources.C) The destruction of oil wells.D) The spread of the black powder from the fires.

19. A) The underground oil resources have not been affected.B) Most of the desert animals and plants have managed to survive.C) The oil lakes soon dried up and stopped evaporating.D) The underground water resources have not been polluted.

20. A) To restore the normal production of the oil wells.B) To estimate the losses caused by the fires.C) To remove the oil left in the desert.D) To use the oil left in the oil lakes.

Part IIReading Comprehension(35 minutes)

Directions: There are 4 passages in this part.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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Passage One Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids(小行星)now，one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it，say some scientists.?Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids(流星)that race acros s the night sky.Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don't threaten us.But th ere are also thousads whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.?Buy $ 50 million worth of new telescopes right now.Then spend $ 10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks.By the time we spot a fatal one，the scientists say，we'll have a way to change its course.?Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons.But the cost wouldn't be cheap.?Is it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: 1) How likely the event is; and 2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs.Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once eve ry 500，000 years.Sounds pretty rare-but if one did fall，it would be the end of the world.“If we don't take care of these big asteroids，they'll take care of us，”says one scientist.“It's that simple.”?The cure，though，might be worse than the disease.Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth?“The world has less to fear from doomsday(毁灭性的) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them，” said a New York Times article.

21. What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?A) They are heavenly bodies different in composition.B) They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.C) There are more asteroids than meteoroids.D) Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.

22. What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth? A) It is very unlikely but the danger exists.B) Such a collision might occur once every 25 years.C) Collisions of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected.D) It's still too early to say whether such a collision might occur.

23. What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the course of asteroids?A) It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem.B) It may create more problems than it might solve.C) It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very unlikely.D) Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.

24. We can conclude from the passage that ________.A) while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the worldB) asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near futureC) the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikely to happen inour lifetimeD) workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth

25. Which of the following best describes the author's tone in this passage?A) Optimistic B) Critical C) Objective D) Arbitrary

Passage Two Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:Believe it or not，optical illusion (错觉) can cut highway crashes.Japan is a case in point.It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nea rly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion.Bent stripes，called chevrons (人字形)painted on the roads make drivers think that they are d riving faster than they really are，and thus drivers slow down.Now the American Association Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington D.C.is planning to rep eat Japan's success.Starting next year,the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes.Excessive speed plays a major role role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic accidents,according to the foundation .To help reduce those accidents，the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed - related hazards are the greatest - curves，exit slopes，traffic c ircles，and bridges.Some studies suggest that straight，horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half.However，traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bar.Chevrons，scientists say，not only give drivers the impress ion that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane sppea r to be narrower.The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed and the number of traffic accidents.

26. The passage mainly discusses ________ .A) a new way of highway speed controlB) a new pattern for painting highwaysC) a new approach to training driversD) a new type of optical illusion

27. On roads painted with chevrons drivers tend to feel that ________ .A) they should avoid speed - related hazardsB) they are driving in the wrong laneC) they should slow down their speedD) they are approaching the speed limit

28. The advantage of chevrons over straight，horizontal bars is that the former ________ .A) can keep drivers awakeB) can cut road accidents in halfC) will have a longer effect on driversD) will look more attractive

29. The American Association Foundation for Traffic Safety plans to ________ .A) try out the Japanese method in certain areasB) change the road signs across the countryC) replace straight，horizontal bars with chevronsD) repeat the Japanese road patterns

30. What does the author say about straight，horizontal bars painted across roads?A) They are falling out of use in the United States.B) They tend to be ignored by drivers in a short period of time.C) They are applicable only on broad roads.D) They cannot be applied successfully to traffic circles.

Passage ThreeQuestions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:Amtrak(美国铁路客运公司)was experiencing a downswing in ridership (客运量)along the lines comprising its rail system.Of major concern t o Amtrak and its advertising agency DDB Needham，were the long - distance wester n routes where ridership had been declining significantly.At one time，trains w ere the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the west.Trains were fast，ver，'luxurious，and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at the time.However，times change and the automolile became America's standard of convenience.Also，air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances .Therefore，the task for DDB Needham was to encourage consumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order t o change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trains would be consid ered for travel in the west.Two portions of the total market were targeted: 1) anxious fliers - those concermed with safety，relaxation，and cleanliness and 2) travel - lovers - those viewing themselves as relaxed，casual，and interested in the travel ecperience as part of their vacation.The agency then developed a campaign that focused on travel experiences such as freedom，escape，relaxation，and enjoyment of the great western outdoors.It stressed experiences gained by u sing the trains and portrayed western train trips as wonderful adventures.Adver tisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along s ome of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains(Empire Builder，etc.).These ads were strategically placed among family - oriented TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order t o most effectively reach target audiences.Resultswere impressive.The Empire Bu ilder.Which was focused on in one ad.enjoyed a 15 percent increase in profits on its Chicago to Seattle route.

31. What's the author's purpose in writing this passage?A) To show the inability of trains to compete with planes with respect to speed and convenience.B) To stress the influence of the automobile on America's standard of convenience.C) To emphasize the function of travel agencies in market promotion.D) To illustrate the important role of persuasive communiation in changing consumer attitudes.

32. It can be inferred from the passage that the drop in Amtrak ridership was due to the fact that ________ .A) trains were not suitable for short distance passenger transportationB) trains were not the fastest and most convenient form of transportationC) trains were not as fast and convenient as they used to beD) trains could not compete with planes in terms of luxury and convenience

33. To encourage consumers to travel by train，DDB Needham emphasized ________ .A) the freedom and convenience provided on trainsB) the practical aspests of travelC) the adventurous aspects of train tripsD) the safety and cleanliness of train trips

34. The train ads were placed among family - oriented TV programs involving nature and America because ________ .A) they could focus on meaningful travel experiencesB) they could increase the effectiveness of the TV programsC) their profits could be increased by some 15 percentD) most travel - lovers and nervous fliers were believed to be among the audiences

35. According to the passage，the Empire Builder enjoyed an increase in ridership and profits because ________ .A) the attractiveness of its name and route was effectively advertisedB) it provided an exciting travel experienceC) its passengers could enjoy the great western outdoorsD) it was widely advertised in newspapers and magazines in Chicago and Seattle

Passage Four Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:Why does cream go bad faster than butter? Some researchers think they the answer，and it comes down to the structure of the food，not its chemical composition - a finding that could help rid some processed foods of chemical preservatives.C ream and butter contain pretty much the same substances，so why cream should sou r muchfaster has been a mystery.Both are emulsions - tiny globules(小球)of one liquid evenly distributed throughout another.The difference lies in what's in the globules and what's in the surrounding liquid，says Brocklehurst，who led the investigation.In cream，fatty globules and what's in the surround ing liquid，says Brocklehurst，who led the investigation.In cream，fatty globul es drift about in a sea of water.In butter，globules of a watery solution are l ocked away in a sea of fat.The bacteria which make the food go bad prefer to li ve in the watery regions of the mixture.”This means that in cream，the bacteria are free to grow throughout the mixture，”he says.When the situation is revers ed，the bacteria are locked away in compartments (密封仓) buried deep in the sea of fat.Trapped in this way，individual colonies cannot spread and rapidly run out of nutrients.They also slowly poison themselves with their wast e products.”In butter，you get a self - limiting system which stops the bacteri a growing，”says Brocklehurst.The researchers are already working with food com panies keen to see if their products can be made resistant to bacterial attack t hrough alterations to the food's structure.Brocklehurst believes it will be pos sible to make the emulsions used in salad cream，for instance，more like that in butter.The key will be to do this while keeping the salad cream liquid and not turning it into a solid lump.

36. The significance of Brocklehurst's research is that ________ .A) it suggested a way to keep some foods fresh without preservativesB) it discovered tiny globules in both cream and butterC) it revealed the secret of how bacteria multiply in cream and butterD) it found that cream and butter share the same chemical composition

37. According to the researchers.cream sours faster than butter because bacteria ________ .A) are more evenly distributed in creamB) multiply more easily in cream than is butterC) live on less fat in cream than in butterD) produce less waste in cream t han in butter

38. According to Brocklehurst，we can keep cream fresh by ________ .A) removing its fatB) killing the bacteriaC) reducing its water content D) altering its structure

39. The word“colonies”(Line 2，Para.4) refers to ________ .A) tiny globulesB) watery regionsC) bacteria communities D) little compartments

40. Commercial application of the research finding will be possible if salad cream can be made resistant to bacterial attack ________ .A) by varying its chemical composition B) by turning it into a solid lumpC) while keeping its structure unchanged D) while retaining its liquid form

Part IIIVocabulary(20 minutes)

Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part.For each sentence there are four choices marked A)，B)，C) and D) .Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence.Then mark the corresponding letter on the Anwer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

41. She ought to stop work；she has a headache because she ______ too long.A) has been readingB) had readC) is reading D) read

42. Niagara Falls is a great tourist ______ drawing millions of visitors every year.A) attentionB) attraction C) appointment D) arrangement

43. I don't mind ______ the decision as long as it is not too late.A) you to delay making B) your delaying makingC) your delaying to makeD) you delay to make

44. The hopes goals，fears and desires widely ______ between men and women，between the rich and the poor.A) alter B) shift C) transfer D) vary

45. Corn originated in the New World and thus was not known in Europe until Columbus found it ______ in Cuba.A) being cultivated B) been cultivated C) having cultivated D) cultivating

46. The sale usually takes place outside the house,with the audience _____ on benches，chairs or boxes.A) having seated B) seating C) seatedD) having been seated

47. This kind of glasses manufactured by experienced craftsmen ______ comfortably.A) is wornB) wears C) wearingD) are worn

48. Some diseases are _____ by certain water animals.A) transplanted B) transformed C) transported D) transmitted

49. Wouldn't you rather your child _______ to bed early?A) goB) wentC) would goD) goes

50. Although Anne is happy with her success she wonders _____ will happen to her private life.A) that B) what C) itD) this

51. The words of his old teacher left a _____ impression on his mind.He is still influenced by them.A) long B) livelyC) lastingD) liberal

52. Mike's uncle insists ______ in this hotel.A) staying not B) not to stayC) that he would not stayD) that he not stay

53. We agreed to accept ______ they thought was the best tourist guide.A) whatever B) whomever C) whicheverD) whoever

54. It is our ______ policy that we will achieve unity through peaceful means.A) consistentB) continuousC) considerate D) continual

55. Between 1974 and 1997，the number of overseas visitors expanded ______ 27%.A) byB) forC) toD) in

56. Although many people view conflict as bad，conflict is sometimes useful it forces people to test the relative merits of their attitudes are behaviors.A) by which B) to which C) in that D) so that

57. He is ______ about his chances of winning a gold medal in the Olympics next year.A) optimisticB) optional C) outstanding D) obvious

58. Sometimes I wish I ______ in a different time and a different place.A) be livingB) were livingC) would liveD) would have lived

59. The director was critical ______ the way we were doing the work.A) atB) inC) of D) with

60. In a sudden ______ of anger，the man tore up everything within reach.A) attackB) burst C) split D) blast

61. ______ she realized it was too late to go home.A) No sooner it grew dark thanB) Hardly did it grow dark thatC) Scarcely had it grown dark thanD) It was not until dark that

62. In Britain people ______ four million tons of potatoes every year.A) swallow B) disposeC) consumeD) exhaust

63. I'd ______ his reputation with other farmers and business people in the community，and then make a decision about whether or not to approve a loan.A) take into accountB) account for C) make up for D) make out

64.It is essential that these application forms ______ back as early as possible.A) must be sent B) will be sent C) are sent D) be sent

65. She cooked the meat for a long time so as to make it ______ enough to eat.A) mild B) slightC) light D) tender

66. We take our skin for granted until it is burned ______ repair.A) beyondB) forC) withoutD) under

67. The computer revolution may ewll change society as ______ as did the Industrial Revolution.A) certainlyB) insignificantlyC) fundamentallyD) comparatively

68. ______ in this way，the situation doesn't seem so disappointing.A) To look atB) Looking atC) Looked atD) To be looked at

69. A lot of ants are always invading my kitchen.They are a thorough ______ .A) nuisance B) troubleC) worryD) anxiety

70. Some women ______ a good salary in a job instead of staying home，but they decided not to work for the sake of the family.A) must makeB) should have made C) would make D) could have made

Part IV Cloze (15 min utes)

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，the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

In a telephone survey of more than 2，000 adults，21% said they believed the sun revolved (旋转)around the earth.An ___71___ 7% did not know which revolved around ___72___ I have no doubt that ___73___ all o f these people were ___74___ in school that the earth revolves arou n d the sun ___75___ may even have written it ___76___ at est.But they never ___77___ their incorrect mental models of planetary (行星的) ___78___ because their every day observations didn't support ___79___ their teachers told them: People see the sun “moving ___80___ the sky as morning turns to night，and the earth seems stationary (静止的) ___81___ that is happening.Students can learn the right answers ___82___ heart in class，and yet never combined them ___83___ their working models of the world.The objectively correct answer the professor accepts and the ___84___ personal understanding of the world Can ___85___side by side，each unaffected by the other.Outside of class，the student continues to use the ___86___ mod el be cause it has always worked well ___87___ that circumstance.Unless professors address ___88___ errors in students' personal models of the world，students are not ___89___ to replace them with the ___90___ one.

71. A) excessiveB) extraC) additional D) added

72. A) what B) whichC) thatD) other

73. A) virtuallyB) remarkablyC) ideally D) preferably

74. A) learned B) suggestedC) taught D) advised

75. A) thoseB) theseC) who D) they

76. A) onB) with C) underD) for

77. A) formedB) altered C) believedD) thought

78. A) operationB) position C) motion D) location

79. A) how B) whichC) thatD) what

80. A) aroundB) acrossC) on D) above

81. A) sinceB) soC) whileD) for

82. A) toB) byC) in D) with

83. A) with B) into C) to D) along

84. A) adult's B) teacher'sC) scientist's D) student's

85. A) existB) occurC) survive D) maintain

86. A) private B) individualC) personalD) own

87. A) inB) with C) on D) for

88. A) general B) natural C) similar D) specific

89. A) obliged B) likelyC) probableD) partial

90. A) perfect B) betterC) reasonable D) correct

Part VWriting(30 minutes)

Directions: For this part，you are allowed thiety minutes to write a com position on the topic How I Finance my College Education.You should write at least 100 words，and base your composition on the outlide (given in Chinese) below:

1, 上大学的费用(tuition and fees)可以通过多种途径解决。2, 那种途径适合我(说明理由)

How I Finance My College Education

2000年1月大学英语四级考试参考答案

Part I Listening Comprehension

Section A1.C) The woman is seeing a doctor. 2.A) This apple pie tastes very good. 3.D) Dance to the music.4.C) Read more than one article.5.A) The woman would understand if she did Mary's job.6.B) He wants to make sure that Mr.Smith will see him. 7.B) He is an inexperienced speaker. 8.C) The man bought a lot of books. 9.D) Switch to a different flight. 10.B) Dr.Lemon is busy at the moment.

Section B 11.C) Paul's car12.D) In the supermarket13.A) The driver of the sports car14.A) Nobody15.A) His friend gave him the wrong key16.B) He was afraid of being blamed by his friend17.B) He knew the policeman would't believe him18.D) The spread of the black powder from the fires19.D) The underground water resources have not been polluted20.C) To remove the oil left in the desert

Part II Reading Comprehension

21.B) They are heavenly bodies similar in nature 22.A) It is very unlikely but the danger exists23.B) It may create more problems than it might solve 24.D) workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth25.C) Objective26.A) a new way of highway speed control 27.C) they should slow down their speed28.C) will have a longer effect on drivers 29.A) try out the Japanese method in certain areas30.B) They tend to be ignored by drivers in a short period of time31.D) To illustrate the important role of persuasive communiation in changing consumer attitudes 32.B) trains were not the fastest and most convenient form of transportation 33.C) the adventurous aspects of train trips34.D) most travel - lovers and nervous fliers were believed to be among the audiences35.A) the attractiveness of its name and route was effectively advertised36.A) it suggested a way to keep some foods fresh without preservatives37.B) multiply more easily in cream than is butter 38.D) altering its structure39.C) bacteria communities40.D) while retaining its liquid form

Part III Vocabulary and Structure

41.A) has been reading42.B) attraction 43.B) your delaying making 44.D) vary 45.A) being cultivated46.C) seated 47.B) wears 48.D) transmitted 49.B) went 50.B) what51.C) lasting 52.D) that he not stay 53.D) whoever 54.D) continual 55.A) by56.C) in that 57.A) optimistic 58.B) were living 59.C) of 60.B) burst 61.D) It was not until dark that 62.C) consume 63.A) take into account 64.D) be sent 65.D) tender66.A) beyond 67.C) fundamentally68.C) Looked at 69.A) nuisance 70.D) could have made

Part IV Cloze

71.C) additional 72.B) which 73.A) virtually 74.C) taught 75.D) they76.A) on 77.B) altered 78.C) motion 79.D) what 80.B) across81.C) while 82.B) with 83.A) with84.D) student's 85.A) exist86.C) personal87.A) general 88.D) specific 89.B) likely 90.D) correct

Part V Writing（略）