2009年6月英语四级真题

　　Section B

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

　　Passage One

　　Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.

　　The January fashion show , called FutureFashion , exemplified how far green design has come. Organized by the New York-based nonprofit Earth Pledge , the show inspired many top designers to work with sustainable fabrics for the first time . Several have since made pledges to include organic fabrics in their lines.

　　The designers who undertake green fashion still face many challenges . Scott Hahn , cofounder with Gregory of Rogan and Loomstate , which uses all-organic cotton , says high-quality sustainable materials can still be tough to fine . “Most designers with existing labels are finding there aren’t comparable fabrics that can just replace what you’re doing and shat your customers are used to ,” he says . For example , organic cotton and non-organic cotton are virtually indistinguishable once woven into a dress . But some popular synthetics , like stretch nylon , still have few eco-friendly equivalents.

　　Those who do make the switch are finding they have more support . Last year the influential trade show Designers & Agents stopped charging its participation fee for young green entrepreneurs(企业家) who attend its two springtime shows in Los Angeles and New York and gave special recognition to designers whose collections are at least 25% sustainable . It now counts more than 50 green designers , up from fewer than a dozen two years ago . This week Wal-Mart is set to announce a major initiative aimed at helping cotton farmers go organic: it will buy transitional(过渡型的) cotton at higher prices , thus helping to expand the supply of a key sustainable material . “Mainstream is about to occur ,” says Hahn .

　　Some analysts(分析师) are less sure . Among consumers, only 18%are even aware that ecofashion exists , up from 6% four years ago . Natalie Hormilla , a fashion writer , is an example of the unconverted consumer , When asked if she owned any sustainable clothes , she replied : “Not that I’m aware of .” Like most consumers , she finds little time to shop , and when she does, she’s on the hunt for “cute stuff that isn’t too expensive .” By her own admission , green just isn’t yet on her mind . But –thanks to the combined efforts of designers, retailers and suppliers –one day it will be .

　　57. What is said about FutureFashion ?

　　A) It inspired many leading designers to start going green .

　　B) It showed that designers using organic fabrics would go far .

　　C) It served as an example of how fashion shows should be organized.

　　D) It convinced the public that fashionable clothes should be made durable.

　　58. According to Scott Hahn , one big challenge to designers who will go organic is that______________.

　　A) much more time is needed to finish a dress using sustainable materials .

　　B) they have to create new brands for clothes made of organic materials .

　　C) customers have difficulty telling organic from non-organic materials .

　　D) quality organic replacements for synthetics are not readily available .

　　59. We learn from Paragraph 3 that designers who undertake green fashion______________.

　　A) can attend various trade shows free .

　　B) are readily recognized by the fashion world

　　C) can buy organic cotton at favorable prices .

　　D) are gaining more and more support .

　　60. What is Natalie Hormilla’s attitude toward ecofashion?

　　A)She doesn’t seem to care about it .　 C) She is doubtful of its practical value.

　　B)She doesn’t think it is sustainable　　D)She is very much opposed to the idea

　　61. What does the author think of green fashion?

　　A) Green products will soon go mainstream .

　　B) It has a very promising future .

　　C) Consumers have the final say .

　　D) It will appeal more to young people .

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage .

　　Scientists have devised a way to determine roughly where a person has lived using a strand(缕) of hair , a technique that could help track the movements of criminal suspects or unidentified murder victims .

　　The method relies on measuring how chemical variations in drinking water show up in people’s hair.

　　“You’re what you eat and drink , and that’s recorded in you hair,” said Thure Cerling, a geologist at the University of Utah .

　　While U.S diet is relatively identical , water supplies vary . The differences result from weather patterns . The chemical composition of rainfall changes slightly as raid clouds move .

　　Most hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water are stable , but traces of both elements are also present as heavier isotopes (同位素) . The heaviest raid falls first .As a result , storms that form over the Pacific deliver heavier water to California than to Utah .

　　Similar patterns exist throughout the U.S. By measuring the proportion of heavier hydrogen and oxygen isotopes along a strand of hair , scientists can construct a geographic timeline . Each inch of hair corresponds to about two months.

　　Cerling’s team collected tap water samples from 600 cities and constructed a mop of the regional differences . They checked the accuracy of the map by testing 200 hair samples collected from 65 barber shops .

　　They were able to accurately place the hair samples in broad regions roughly corresponding to the movement of raid systems .

　　“It’s not good for pinpointing (精确定位),” Cerling said . “It’s good for eliminating many possibilities .”

　　Todd Park ,a local detective , said the method has helped him learn more about an unidentified woman whose skeleton was found near Great Salt Lake .

　　The woman was 5 feet tall. Police recovered 26 bones ,a T-shirt and several strands of hair .

　　When Park heard about the research , he gave the hair samples to the researchers. Chemical testing showed that over the two years before her death , she moved about every two months .

　　She stayed in the Northwest ,although the test could not be more specific than somewhere between eastern Oregon and western Wyoming .

　　“It’s still a substantial area ,” Park said “But it narrows it way down for me .”

　　62. What is the scientists’ new discovery?

　　A) One’s hair growth has to do with the amount of water they drink .

　　B) A person’s hair may reveal where they have lived .

　　C) Hair analysis accurately identifies criminal suspects.

　　D) The chemical composition of hair varies from person to person .

　　63.What does the author mean by “You’re what you eat and drink”(Line 1, Para.3)?

　　A) Food and drink affect one’s personality development.

　　B) Food and drink preferences vary with individuals .

　　C) Food and drink leave traces in one’s body tissues.

　　D) Food and drink are indispensable to one’s existence.

　　64. What is said about the rainfall in America’s West?

　　A) There is much more rainfall in California than in Utah.

　　B) The water it delivers becomes lighter when it moves inland .

　　C) Its chemical composition is less stable than in other areas.

　　D) It gathers more light isotopes as it moves eastward .

　　65. What did Cerling’s team produce in their research ?

　　A) A map showing the regional differences of tap water .

　　B) A collection of hair samples from various barber shops.

　　C) A method to measure the amount of water in human hair.

　　D) A chart illustrating the movement of the rain system .

　　66. What is the practical value of Cerling’s research ?

　　A) It helps analyze the quality of water in different regions.

　　B) It helps the police determine where a crime is committed .

　　C) It helps the police narrow down possibilities in detective work.

　　D) It helps identify the drinking habits of the person under investigation .