2013年6月大学英语四级考试真题（标准卷）

2013年 6月大学英语四级考试真题（标准卷）

Totalscore: 710 Total time allowed: 125minutes

特注： 2013年 6月大学四级考试采用多题多卷形式，本试卷含两套写作题，考生可以任选其一。

PartI Writing (多题多卷写作题1) (30 minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay. Youshould start your essay with a brief description of the picture and thenexpress your views on the importance of doing small things before undertakingsomething big. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.

PartI Writing (多题多卷写作题 2) (30minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay. Youshould start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then expressyour views on the importance of reading literature. You should write at least120 words but no more than 180 words.

PartII Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)

Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quicklyand answer the questions on Answer Sheet1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices markedA), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the informationgiven in the passage.

CanDigital Textbook Truly Replace the Print Kind?

The shortcomings oftraditional print edition textbooks are obvious: For starters they’re heavy,with the average physics textbook weighing 3.6 pounds. They’re also expensive,especially when you factor in the average college student’s limited budget,typically costing hundreds of dollars every semester.

But the worst part isthat print version of textbooks are constantly undergoing revisions. Manyprofessors require that their students use only the latest versions in theclassroom, essentially rendering older texts unusable. For students, it meansthey’re basically stuck with a four pound paper-weight that they can’t sellback.

Which is why digitaltextbooks, if they live up to their promise, could help ease many of theseshortcomings. But till now, they’ve been something like a mirage（幻影）in the distance, more like a hazy（模糊的）dream than an actualreality. Imagine the promise: Carrying all your textbooks in a 1.3 pound iPad?It sounds almost too good to be true.

But there are a fewpilot schools already making the transition（过渡）overto digital books. Universities like Cornell and Brown have jumped onboard. Andone medical program at the University of California, Irvine, gave their entireclass iPads with which to download textbooks just last year.

But not all were eagerto jump aboard.

“People were tired ofusing the iPad textbook besides using it for reading,” says Kalpit Shah, whowill be going into his second year at Irvine’s medical program this fall. “Theyweren’t using it as a source of communication because they couldn’t read orwrite in it. So a third of the people in my program were using the iPad inclass to take notes, the other third were using laptops and the last third wereusing paper and pencil.”

The reason it hasn’tcaught on yet, he tells me, is that the functionality of e-edition textbooks isincredibly limited, and some students just aren’t motivated to learn new studybehavior.

But a new applicationcalled Inkling might change all that. The company just released an updatedversion last week, and it’ll be utilized in over 50 undergraduate and graduateclassrooms this coming school year.

“Digital textbooks arenot going to catch on,” says Inkling CEO Matt Maclnnis as he’s giving me a demo（演示）over coffee. “What Imean by that is the current perspective of the digital textbook is it’s anexact copy of the print book. There’s Course Smart, etc., these guys who takeany image of the page and put it on a screen. If that’s how we’re definingdigital textbooks, there’s no hope of that becoming a mainstream product.”

He calls Inkling aplatform for publishers to build rich multimedia content from the ground up,with a heavy emphasis on real-world functionality. The traditional textbookmerely serves as a skeleton.

At first glanceInkling is an impressive experience. After swiping（敲击）intothe iPad app (应用软件), which you can get for free here, he opens up a few different types oftextbooks.

Up first is achemistry book. The boot time is pretty fast, and he navigates through (浏览 ) a few chapters before swipinginto a fully rendered 3D molecule that can be spun around to view its variousbuilding blocks. “Publishers give us all of the source media, artwork, videos,”he says, “We help them think through how to actually build something for thisplatform.”

Next he pulls up amusic composition textbook, complete with playable demos. It’s a learningexperience that attacks you from multiple sensory directions. It’s clear whythis would be something a music major would love.

But the most excitingpart about Inkling, to me, is itsnotation（批注）system. Here’s how it works!

When you purchase aused print book, it comes with its previous owner’s highlights and notes in themargins. It uses the experience of someone who already went through the classto help improve your reading (how much you trust each notation is obviously upto you).

But with lnkling, youcan highlight a piece of content and make notes. Here’s where things getinteresting, though: If a particularly important passage is highlighted bymultiple lnkling users, that information is stored on the cloud and is availablefor anyone reading the same textbook to come across. That means users haveaccess to notes from not only their classmates and Facebook friends, but anyonewho purchased the book across the country. The best comments are then sorteddemocratically by a voting system, meaning that your social learning experienceis shared with the best and brightest thinkers.

As a bonus, professorscan even chime in (插话) on discussions. They’ll be able to answer the questions of students who arein their class directly via the interactive book.

Of course, Inklingaddresses several of the other shortcomings in traditional print as well.Textbook versions are constanly updated, motivating publishers by minimizingproduction costs (the big ones like McGraw-Hill are already onboard).Furthermore, students will be able to purchase sections of the text instead ofbuying the whole thing, with individual chapters costing as little as $2.99.

There are, however,challenges.

“It takes efforts tobuild each book,” Maclnnis tells me. And it’s clear why.

Each interactivetextbook is a media-heavy experience built from the ground up, and you can tellthat it takes a respectable amount of manpower to put together each one.

For now the app isalso iPad-exclusive, and though a few of these educational institutions aregiving the hardware away for free, for other students who don’t have such aluxury it’s an added layer of cost — and an expensive one at that.

But this much isclear. The traditional textbook model is and has been broken for quite sometime. Whether digitally interactive ones like Inkling actually take off or notremains to be seen, and we probably won’t have a definite answer for the nextfew years.

However the solutionto any problem begins with a step in a direction. And at least for now, thathazy mirage in the distance? A little moretangible (可触摸的 ), a little less of a dream.

1.The biggest problem with traditional print textbooks is that _____.

A) A) they are not reusedonce a new edition comes out

B)they cost hundreds of dollars every semester

C)they are too heavy to carry around

D)they take a longer time to revise

2.What does the author say about digital textbooks?

A)It’s not likely they will replace traditional textbooks.

B)They haven’t fixed all the shortcomings of print books.

C)Very few of them are available in the market.

D)Many people still have difficulty using them.

3.According to Kalpit Shah, some students still use paper and pencil because_____.

A)they find it troublesome to take notes with an iPad

B)they are unwilling to change their study behavior

C)they have get tired of reading on the iPad

D)they are not used to reading on the screen

4.Inkling CEO Matt Maclnnis explains that the problem with Course Smart’s currentdigital textbooks is that _____.

A)they have to be revised repeatedly

B)they are inconvenient to use in class

C)they are different from most mainstream products

D)they are no more than print versions put on a screen

5.Matt Maclnnis describes the updated version of lnkling as _____.

A)a good example of the mainstream products

B)a marvelous product of many creative ideas

C)a platform for building multimedia content

D)a mere skeleton of traditional textbooks

6.The author is most excited about lnkling’s notation system because one can _____. A) share his learning experiencewith the best and brightest thinkers

B)participate in discussions with classmates and Facebook friends

C)vote for the best learners democratically

D)store information on the cloud

7.One additional advantage of the interactive digital textbook is that_____.

A)students can switch to different discussions at any point

B)students can download relevant critical comments

C)professors can join in students’ online discussions

D)professors can give prompt feedback to students’ homework

8.One of the challenges to build an interactive digital textbook from the groundup is that is takes a great deal of _____.

9.One problem for students to replace traditional textbooks with interactivedigital ones is the high ______ of the hardware.

10.According to the author, whether digital textbooks will catch on still_____.

PartIII Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 longconversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will beasked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will bespoken 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 isthe best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

11.A) Children should be taught to be more careful.

B) Children shouldn’tdrink so much orange juice.

C) There is no needfor the man to make such a fuss.

D) Timmy should learnto do things in the right way.

12.A) Fitness training. B) The new job offer.

C) Computerprogramming. D) Directorship of the club.

13.A) He needs to buy a new sweater. B) He has got to save on fuel bills.

C) The fuel price hasskyrocketed. D) The heating system doesn’t work.

14.A) Committing theft. B) Taking pictures.

C) Windowshopping. D) Posing for the camera.

15.A) She is taking some medicine. B) She has not seen a doctor yet.

C) She does not trustthe man’s advice. D) She has almostrecovered from the cough.

16.A) Pamela’s report is not finished as scheduled.

B) Pamela has a habitof doing things in a hurry.

C) Pamela is not goodat writing research papers.

D) Pamela’s mistakescould have been avoided.

17.A) In the left-luggage office. B) At the hotel reception.

C) In a hotelroom. D) At an airport.

18.A) She was an excellent student at college. B) She works in theentertainment business.

C) She is fond oftelling stories in her speech. D) She isgood at conveying her message.

Questions 19 to 21 are based onthe conversation you have just heard.

19.A) Arranging the woman’s appointment with Mr. Romero.

B) Fixing the time forthe designer’s latest fashion show.

C) Talking about animportant gathering on Tuesday.

D) Preparing for thefilming on Monday morning.

20.A) Her travel to Japan.

B) The awardsceremony.

C) The properhairstyle for her new role.

D) When to start themakeup session.

21.A) He is Mr. Romero’s agent.

B) He is anentertainment journalist.

C) He is the woman’sassistant.

D) He is a famousmovie star.

Questions 22 to 25 are based onthe conversation you have just heard.

22.A) Make an appointment for an interview.

B) Send in an applicationletter.

C) Fill in anapplication form.

D) Make a briefself-introduction on the phone.

23.A) Someone having a college degree in advertising.

B) Someone experiencedin business management.

C) Someone ready totake on more responsibilities.

D) Someone willing towork beyond regular hours.

24.A) Travel opportunities.

B) Handsome pay.

C) Prospects forpromotion.

D) Flexible workinghours.

25.A) It depends on the working hours.

B) It’s about 500pound a week.

C) It will be set bythe Human Resources.

D) It is to benegotiated.

Section B

Directions: In this section you will hear 3short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Boththe passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear aquestion, 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 onthe passage you have just heard.

26.A) To give customers a wider range of choices.

B) To make shopperssee as many items as possible.

C) To supply as manyvarieties of goods as it can.

D) To give space formore profitable products.

27.A) On the top shelves.

B) On the bottomshelves.

C) On easilyaccessible shelves.

D) On clearly markedshelves.

28.A) Many of them buy things on impulse.

B) A few of them arefathers with babies.

C) A majority of themare young couples.

D) Over 60% of themmake shopping lists.

29.A) Sales assistants promoting high margin goods.

B) Sales assistantsfollowing customers around.

C) Customers competingfor good bargains.

D) Customers losingall sense of time.

Passage Two

Questions 30 to 32 are based onthe passage you have just heard.

30.A) Teaching mathematics at a school.

B) Doing research inan institute.

C) Studying for acollege degree.

D) Working in ahigh-tech company.

31.A) He studied the designs of various choices.

B) He did experimentsto different materials.

C) He bought an alarmclock with a pig face.

D) He asked differentpeople for their opinions.

32.A) Its automatic mechanism.

B) Its manufacturingpattern.

C) Its way of wakingpeople up.

D) Its funny-lookingpig face.

Questions 33 to 35 are based onthe passage you have just heard.

33.A) It’s often caused by a change of circumstances.

B) It usually doesn’trequire any special attention.

C) It usually appearsall of a sudden.

D) It usually lastsfor several years.

34.A) They can’t mix well with others.

B) They emotionallyreceive their friends.

C) They dependseverely on family members.

D) They share similarinterests with friends.

35.A) They lack consistent support from peers.

B) They doubt theirown popularity.

C) They were bornpsychologically weak.

D) They focus too muchattention on themselves.

Section C

Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passageis 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 theblanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. Forblanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missinginformation. For these blanks you can either use the exact words you have justheard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally when the passageis read for the third time, you should check what you have written.

There was a time whenany personal information that was gathered about us was typed on a piece ofpaper and (36) ________ away in a file cabinet. It could remain there for yearsand, often (37) ________, never reach the outside world.

Things have done acomplete about-face since then. (38) ________ for the change has been theastonishingly (39) ________ development in recent years of the computer. Today,any data that is

(40) ________ about usin one place or another — and for one reason or another — can be stored in acomputer bank. It can then be easily passed to other computer banks. They areowned by (41) ________ and by private businesses and corporations, lending (42)________, direct mailing and telemarketing firms, credit bureaus, credit cardcompanies, and government (43) ________ at the local, state, and federal level.

A growing number ofAmericans are seeing the accumulation and distribution of computerized date asa frightening invasion of their privacy. (44) ___________ _________________________________________________________as the computer becomes increasingly efficient, easier to operate, and lesscostly to purchase and maintain. In 1970, a national survey showed that (45)___________________________________________________ _________________. Sevenyears later, 47 percent expressed the same worry. (46) ____________ ________________________________________________________.

PartIV Reading Comprehension (Reading inDepth) (25 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are requiredto select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bankfollowing the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making yourchoices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark thecorresponding letter for each item on AnswerSheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of thewords in the bank more than once.

Questions 47 to 56 are based onthe following passage.

Walking, if you do itvigorously enough, is the overall best exercise for regular physical activity.It requires no equipment, everyone knows how to do it and it carries the 47 risk of injury. The human body is designed towalk. You can walk in parks or along a river or in your neighborhood. To get 48 benefit from walking, aim for 45 minutes aday, an average of five days a week.

Strength training isanother important 49 ofphysical activity. Its purpose is to build and 50 boneand muscle mass, both of which shrink with age. In general, you will want to dostrength training two or three days a week, 51 recovery days between sessions.

Finally, flexibilityand balance training are 52 importantas the body ages. Aches and pains are high on the list of complaints in oldage. The result of constant muscle tension and stiffness of joints, many ofthem are 53 , and simple flexibility training can 54 these by making muscles stronger and keepingjoints lubricated (润滑). Some of this you do whenever you stretch. If you watch dogs and cats, you’llget an idea of how natural it is. The general 55 is simple: whenever the body has been in oneposition for a while, it is good to 56 stretch it in an opposite position.

A) allowing F) helping K)prevent

B) avoidable G) increasingly L) principle

C) briefly H) lowest M) provoke

D) component I) maintain N) seriously

E) determined J) maximum O) topic

Section B

Directions:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by somequestions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choicesmarked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 57 to 61 are based onthe following passage.

Junk food iseverywhere. We’re eating way too much of it. Most of us know what we’re doingand yet we do it anyway.

So here’s a suggestionoffered by two researchers at the Rand Corporation: Why not take a lesson fromalcohol control policies and apply them to where food is sold and how it’sdisplayed?

“Many policy measuresto control obesity（肥胖症）assumethat people consciously and rationally choose what and how much they eat andtherefore focus on providing information and more access to healthier foods,”note the two researchers.

“In contrast,” theresearchers continue, “many regulations that don’t assume people make rationalchoices have been successfully applied to control alcohol, a substance — likefood — of which immoderate consumption leads to serious health problems.”

The researchreferences studies of people’s behavior with food and alcohol and results ofalcohol restrictions, and then lists five regulations that the researchersthink might be promising if applied to junk foods. Among them:

Density restrictions:licenses to sell alcohol aren’t handed out unplanned to all comers but are allotted（分配）based on the number ofplaces in an area that already sell alcohol. These make alcohol less easy toget and reduce the number of psychological cues to drink.

Similarly, theresearchers say, being presented with junk food stimulates our desire to eatit. So why not limit the density of food outlets, particularly ones that sellfood rich in empty calories? And why not limit sale of food in places thataren’t primarily food stores?

Display and salesrestrictions: California has a rule prohibiting alcohol displays near the cashregisters in gas stations, and in most places you can’t buy alcohol atdrive-through facilities. At supermarkets, food companies pay to have theirwares in places where they’re easily seen. One could remove junk food to theback of the store and ban them from the shelves at checkout lines. The othermeasures include restricting portion sizes, taxing and prohibiting specialprice deals for junk foods, and placing warning labels on the products.

57.What does the author say about junk food?

A) People should beeducated not to eat too much.

B) It is widelyconsumed despite its ill reputation.

C) Its temptation istoo strong for people to resist.

D) It causes more harmthan is generally realized.

58.What do the Rand researchers think of many of the policy measures to controlobesity?

A) They should beimplemented effectively.

B) They providemisleading information.

C) They are based onwrong assumptions.

D) They help peoplemake rational choices.

59.Why do policymakers of alcohol control place density restrictions?

A) Few people are ableto resist alcohol’s temptations.

B) There are alreadytoo many stores selling alcohol.

C) Drinking strongalcohol can cause social problems.

D) Easy access leadsto customers’ over-consumption.

60.What is the purpose of California’s rule about alcohol display in gas stations?

A) To effectivelylimit the density of alcohol outlets.

B) To help drivers togive up the habit of drinking.

C) To prevent possibletraffic jams in nearby areas.

D) To get alcohol outof drivers’ immediate sight.

61.What is the general guideline the Rand researchers suggest about junk foodcontrol?

A) Guiding people tomake rational choices about food.

B) Enhancing people’sawareness of their own health.

C) Borrowing ideasfrom alcohol control measures.

D) Resorting toeconomic, legal and psychological means.

Passage Two

Questions 62 to 66 are based onthe following passage.

Kodak’s decision tofile for bankruptcy（破产）protectionis a sad, though not unexpected, turning point for a leading Americancorporation that pioneered consumer photography and dominated the film marketfor decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to the digital revolution.

Although many attributeKodak’s downfall to “complacency(自满),” that explanation doesn’t acknow-ledge the lengths to which the company wentto reinvent itself. Decades ago, Kodak anticipated that digital photographywould overtake film — and in fact, Kodak invented the first digital camera in1975 — but in a fateful decision, the company chose to shelf its new discoveryto focus on its traditional film business.

It wasn’t that Kodakwas blind to the future, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at HarvardBusiness School, but rather that it failed to execute on a strategy to confrontit. By the time the company realized its mistake, it was too late.

Kodak is an example ofa firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt, and spent a lot ofmoney trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have a difficulttime switching into new markets because there is a temptation to put existingassets into the new businesses.

Although Kodakanticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate（企业的） culture was toorooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary tofully embrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history wasso important to them. Now their history has become a liability.

Kodak’s downfall overthe last several decades was dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded 90% ofthe market for photographic film and 85% of the market for cameras. But the1980s brought new competition from Japanese film company Fuji Photo, which underminedKodak by offering lower prices for film and photo supplies. Kodak’s decisionnot to pursue the role of official film for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was amajor miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploited itssponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace.

62.What do we learn about Kodak?

A) It went bankruptall of a sudden.

B) It is approachingits downfall.

C) It initiated thedigital revolution in the film industry.

D) It is playing adominant role in the film market.

63.Why does the author mention Kodak’s invention of the first digital camera?

A) To show its earlyattempt to reinvent itself.

B) To show its effortto overcome complacency.

C) To show its quickadaptation to the digital revolution.

D) To show its will tocompete with Japan’s Fuji photo.

64.Why do large companies have difficulty switching to new markets?

A) They find it costlyto give up their existing assets.

B) They tend to beslow in confronting new challenges.

C) They are unwillingto invest in new technology.

D) They are deeplystuck in their glorious past.

65.What does the author say Kodak’s history has become?

A) A burden.

B) A mirror.

C) A joke.

D) A challenge.

66.What was Kodak’s fatal mistake?

A) Its blind faith intraditional photography.

B) Its failure to seeFuji photo’s emergence.

C) Its refusal tosponsor the 1984 Olympics.

D) Its overconfidencein its corporate culture.

PartV Cloze (15 minutes)

Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there arefour choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should choose the ONE that best fitsinto the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Whether you think you needdaytime rest or not, picking up a nap（午睡）habitis a smart, healthy move. The Mayo Clinic says naps 67 relaxation, better mood and alertness, and asharper working 68 . A 2008British study found that compared to getting more nighttime sleep, a mid-daynap was the best way to cope 69 themid-afternoon sleepiness.

According to the Harvard Health Letter, several studieshave shown that people 70 newinformation better when they take a nap shortly after learning it. And, most 71 ,a 2007 study of nearly 24,000 Greek adults in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that people who napped 72 had a 37 percent reduced risk of dying 73 heart disease compared to people who didn’tnap.

Of course, napping isn’t 74 for everyone. If you’re suffering frominability to sleep, naps that are too long or taken too late in the day can 75 with your ability to fall or stay asleep atnight.

But for most, naps canmake you feel sharper and happier. Naps provide different benefits 76 onhow long they are. A 20-minute nap will boost alertness and concentration; a90-minute snooze（小睡）can 77 creativity.

According to prevention.com, you 78 a natural dip in body temperature 79 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. A short nap at this time canboost alertness 80 severalhours and, for most people, shouldn’t 81 being able to fall asleep at night.

Pick a dark, cozy place that’snot too warm or too chilly. prevention.com 82 snapping on the couch instead of in bed, soyou’re less 83 tosnooze for too long.

Surprisingly, the best place totake a nap may be a hammock（吊床）ifyou have one. A Swiss study 84 lastyear found that people fell asleep faster and had deeper sleep when they nappedin a hammock than in a bed. That same rocking 85 that puts babies to sleep works 86 forgrown-ups, too.

67.A) enforce B) promote C) operate D) support

68.A) feeling B) frame C) sense D) mind

69.A) with B) aside C) about D) upon

70.A) remark B) consider C)remember D) concern

71.A) reportedly B) incredibly C) constantly D) frankly

72.A) regularly B) enormously C) heavily D) strongly

73.A) off B) under C) against D) from

74.A) exact B) correct C) right D) precise

75.A) influence B) eliminate C) compete D)interfere

76.A) focusing B) depending C) relying D) basing

77.A) enlarge B) engage C) enhance D) enlighten

78.A) explore B) experience C) exercise D) execute

79.A) between B) amidst C) among D) besides

80.A) of B) beyond C) during D) for

81.A) produce B) dispose C) affect D) hasten

82.A) illustrates B) decides C) predicts D) recommends

83.A) inclined B) involved C) adopted D) attracted

84.A) pronounced B) published C) discovered D) cultivated

85.A) mood B) model C) motion D) motive

86.A) wonders B) passions C) mystery D) pleasure

PartVI Translation (5 minutes)

Directions: Complete the sentences bytranslating into English the Chinese given in brackets. Please write youtranslation on Answer Sheet 2.

87.Although only in her teens, my sister is looking forward to _________________（独自去海外学习).

88.It’s true that we are not always going to succeed in our ventures,_______________（即使我们投入时间和金钱 ).

89.The old couple hoped that their son ________________（将不辜负他们的期望).

90.So badly _________________(他在车祸中受伤 )that he had to stayin the hospital for a whole year.

91.Nowadays, some people still have trouble ________________（从网上获取信息).