2014年6月大学英语四级考试真题及答案(完整版)

　　2014年6月大学英语四级考试真题及答案(完整版)

　　Part I Writing (30 minutes)

　　Directions: For this part, you are allowed30 minutes to write a short essay on the following topic. You should write atleast 120 words but no more than 180 words.

　　Supposea foreign friend of yours is coming to visit your hometown, what is the mostinteresting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?

　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

　　PartII Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)

　　SectionA

　　Directions:In this section, you will hear 8 shortconversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one ormore questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and thequestions 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), anddecide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single linethrough the centre.

　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

　　1.A) See a doctor about her strained shoulder.

　　B) Usea ladder to help her reach the tea.

　　C)Replace the cupboard with a new one.

　　D)Place the tea on a lower shelf next time.

　　2.A) At Mary Johnson’s. C) In an exhibition hall.

　　B) At a painter’s studio. D) Outside an artgallery.

　　3.A) The teacher evaluated lacks teaching experience.

　　B) She does not quite agree with what the mansaid.

　　C) The man had better talk with the studentshimself.

　　D) New students usually cannot offer a fairevaluation.

　　4.A) He helped Doris build up the furniture.

　　B) Doris helped him arrange the furniture.

　　C)Doris fixed up some of the bookshelves.

　　D) Hewas good at assembling bookshelves.

　　5. A) He doesn’t get on with theothers. C) He has beentaken for a fool.

　　B) He doesn’t feel at ease in the firm. D) He has found a better position.

　　6. A) They should finish the work assoon as possible.

　　B) He will continue to work in the garden himself.

　　C) He is tired of doing gardening on weekends.

　　D) They can hire a gardener to do the work.

　　7. A) The man has to get rid of the usedfurniture.

　　B) The man’s apartment is ready for rent.

　　C) The furniture is covered with lots of dust.

　　D) The furniture the man bought is inexpensive.

　　8. A) The man will give the mechanic acall.

　　B) The woman is waiting for a call.

　　C) The woman is doing some repairs.

　　D) The man knows the mechanic very well.

　　Questions 9 to 11 are based on theconversation you have just heard.

　　9. A) She had a job interview to attend.

　　B) She was busy finishing her project.

　　C) She had to attend an important meeting.

　　D) She was in the middle of writing an essay.

　　10. A) Accompany her roommate to theclassroom.

　　B) Hand in her roommate’s application form.

　　C) Submit her roommate’s assignment.

　　D)Help her roommate with her report.

　　11. A) Where Dr. Ellis’s office islocated. C) Directions tothe classroom building.

　　B) When Dr. Ellis leaves his office. D)Dr. Ellis’s schedule for the afternoon.

　　Questions 12 to 15 are based on theconversation you have just heard.

　　12. A) He finds it ratherstressful. C) He can handle it quite well.

　　B) He is thinking of quitting it. D)He has to work extra hours.

　　13. A) The 6:00 one. C)The 7:00 one.

　　B) The 6:30 one. D)The 7:30 one.

　　14. A) It is an awful waste of time.

　　B) He finds it rather unbearable.

　　C) The time on the train is enjoyable.

　　D) It is something difficult to get used to.

　　15. A) Reading newspapers. C)Listening to the daily news.

　　B) Chatting with friends. D)Planning the day’s work.

　　SectionB

　　Directions:In this section, you will hear 3 shortpassages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both thepassage 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 AnswerSheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

　　Passage One

　　Questions 16 to 18 are based on theconversation you have just heard.

　　16. A) Ignore small details whilereading.

　　B) Read at least several chapters at one sitting.

　　C) Develop a habit of reading critically.

　　D) Get key information by reading just once or twice.

　　17. A) Choose one’s own system ofmarking.

　　B) Underline the key words and phrases.

　　C) Make as few marks as possible.

　　D) Highlight details in a red color.

　　18. A) By reading the textbookscarefully again.

　　B) By reviewing only the marked parts.

　　C) By focusing on the notes in the margins.

　　D) By comparing notes with their classmates.

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 19 to 21 are based on theconversation you have just heard.

　　19. A) The sleep a person needs variesfrom day to day.

　　B) The amount of sleep for each person is similar.

　　C) One can get by with a couple of hours of sleep.

　　D) Everybody needs some sleep for survival.

　　20. A) It is a made-up story. C) It is arare exception.

　　B) It is beyond cure. D)It is due to an accident.

　　21. A) His extraordinary physicalcondition.

　　B)His mother’s injury just before his birth.

　　C)The unique surroundings of his living place.

　　D)The rest he got from sitting in a rocking chair.

　　Passage Three

　　Questions 22 to 25 are based on theconversation you have just heard.

　　22. A) She invested in stocks and shareson Wall Street.

　　B) She learned to write for financial newspapers.

　　C) She developed a strong interest in finance.

　　D) She tenderly looked after her sick mother.

　　23. A) She made a wise investment inreal estate.

　　B) She sold the restaurant with a substantial profit.

　　C) She got 1.5 million dollars from her ex-husband.

　　D) She inherited a big fortune from her father.

　　24. A) She was extremely mean with her money.

　　B) She was dishonest in business dealings.

　　C) She frequently ill-treated heremployees.

　　D) She abused animals including her pet dog.

　　25. A) She made a big fortune from wiseinvestment.

　　B) She built a hospital with her mother’s money.

　　C) She made huge donations to charities.

　　D) She carried on her family’s tradition.

　　SectionC

　　Direction: In the section, you will hear a passagethree times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listencarefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time,you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have justheard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should checkwhat you have written.

　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

　　Amongthe kinds of social gestures most significant for second-language teachers arethose which are (26)______ in form but different in meaning in the twocultures. For example, a Colombian who wants someone to (27)______ him oftensignals with a hand movement in which all the fingers of one hand, cupped,point downward as they move rapidly (28)_______. Speakers or English have asimilar gesture through the hand may not be cupped and the fingers may be heldmore loosely, but for them the gesture means goodbye or go away, quite the (29)______of the Colombian gesture. Again, in Colombian, a speaker of English would haveto know that when he (30)________ height he most choose between differentgestures depending on whether he is (31)_______ a human being or an animal. Ifhe keeps the palm of the hand (32)_________ the floor, as he would in his ownculture when making known the height of a child, for example, he will verylikely be greeted by laughter, in Colombia this gesture is (33)_________ forthe description of animals. In order to describe human beings he should keepthe palm of his hand (34)_________ to the floor. Substitutions of one gesturefor the other often create not only humorous but also (35)________ moment. Inboth of the examples above, speakers from two different cultures have the samegesture, physically, but its meaning differs sharply.

　　Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)

　　Section A

　　Directions:In this section, there is a passage withten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list ofchoices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage throughcarefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified bya letter. Please mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may notuse any of the words in the bank more than once.

　　Questions 36 to 45 are based onthe following passage.

　　Global warming is a trend towardwarmer conditions around the world. Part of the warming is natural; we haveexperienced a 20,000 -year -long warming as the last ice age ended and the ice 36 away.However, we have already reached temperatures that are in 37 withother minimum-ice periods, so continued warming is likely not natural. We are 38 toa predicted worldwide increase in temperatures 39 between 1℃ and 6℃over the next 100 years. The warming will be more 40 in some areas, less in others, and some placesmay even cool off. Likewise, the 41 of this warming will be very differentdepending on where you are—coastal areas mustworry about rising sea levels, while Siberia and northern Canada may becomemore habitable (宜居的)and 42 for humans than these areas are now.

　　The fact remains, however, that it willlikely get warmer, on 43 , everywhere. Scientists are in generalagreement that the warmer conditions we have been experiencing are at least inpart the result of a human-induced global warming trend. Some scientists 44 thatthe changes we are seeing fall within the range of random (无规律的) variation—someyears are cold, others warm, and we have just had an unremarkable string ofwarm years 45 —but that is becomingan increasingly rare interpretation in the face of continued and increasingwarm conditions.

　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

　　A) appealing I) melted

　　B) average J) persist

　　C) contributing K) ranging

　　D) dramatic L)recently

　　E) frequently M) resolved

　　F) impact N) sensible

　　G) line O) shock

　　H) maintain

　　SectionB

　　Directions: In this section, you are going toread a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement containsinformation given in one of the paragraphs Identify the paragraph from whichthe information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Eachparagraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.

　　The End of the Book?

　　[A] Amazon, by far the largestbookseller in the country, reported on May 19 that it is now selling more booksin its electronic Kindle format than in the old paper-and-ink format. That isremarkable, considering that the Kindle has only been around for four years.E-books now account for 14 percent of all book sales in the country and areincreasing far faster than overall book sales. E-book sales are up 146 percentover last year, while hardback sales increased 6 percent and paperbacksdecreased 8 percent.

　　[B]Does this spell the doom of the physical book? Certainly not immediately, andperhaps not at all. What it does mean is that the book business will go througha transformation in the next decade or so more profound than any it has seensince Gutenberg introduced printing from moveable type in the 1450s.

　　[C]Physical books will surely become much rarer in the marketplace. Mass marketpaperbacks, which have been declining for years anyway, will probablydisappear, as will hardbacks for mysteries, thrillers, “romance fiction,” etc.Such books, which only rarely end up in permanent collections, either privateor public, will probably only be available as e-books within a few years.Hardback and trade paperbacks for “serious” nonfiction and fiction will surelylast longer. Perhaps it will become the mark of an author to reckon with thathe or she is still published in hard copy.

　　[D]As for children’s books, who knows? Children’s books are like dog food in thatthe purchasers are not the consumers, so the market (and the marketing) isinherently strange.

　　[E]For clues to the book’s future, let’s look at some examples of technologicalchange and see what happened to the old technology.

　　[F]One technology replaces another only because the new technology is better,cheaper, or both. The greater the difference, the sooner and more thoroughlythe new technology replaces the old. Printing with moveable type on paperdramatically reduced the cost of producing a book compared with theold-fashioned ones handwritten on vellum, which comes from sheepskin. A Bible—tobe sure, a long book—required vellum made from 300 sheepskins and countlessman-hours of labor. Before printing arrived, a Bible cost more than amiddle-class house. There were perhaps 50,000 books in all of Europe in 1450.By 1500 there were 10 million.

　　[G]But while printing quickly caused the hand written book to die out, handwritinglingered on (继续存在) wellinto the 16th century. Very special books are still occasionally produced onvellum, but they are one-of-a-kind show pieces.

　　[H]Sometimesa new technology doesn’t drive the old one out, but only parts of it whileforcing the rest to evolve. The movies were widely predicted to drive livetheater out of the marketplace, but they didn’t, because theater turned out tohave qualities movies could not reproduce. Equally, TV was supposed to replacemovies but, again, did not.

　　[I]Movies did, however, fatally impact some parts of live theater. And while TVdidn’t kill movies, it did kill second-rate pictures, shorts, and cartoons.

　　[J]Nor did TV kill radio. Comedy and drama shows (“Jack Benny,” “Amos and Andy,”“The Shadow”) all migrated to television. But because you can’t drive a car andwatch television at the same time, rush hour became radio’s prime, while music,talk, and news radio greatly enlarged their audiences. Radio is today a verydifferent business than in the late 1940s and a much larger one.

　　[K]Sometimes old technology lingers for centuries because of its symbolic power.Mounted cavalry (骑兵) replacedthe chariot (二轮战车) onthe battlefield around 1000 BC. But chariots maintained their place in paradesand triumphs right up until the end of the Roman Empire 1,500 years later. Thesword hasn’t had a military function for a hundred years, but is still part ofan officer’s full-dress uniform, precisely because a sword always symbolized“an officer and a gentleman.”

　　[L]Sometimes new technology is a little cranky(不稳定的)at first. Television repairman was a common occupation in the 1950s, for instance.And so the old technology remains as a backup. Steamships captured the NorthAtlantic passenger business from sail in the 1840s because of its much greaterspeed. But steamships didn’t lose their sails until the 1880s, because earlymarine engines had a nasty habit of breaking down. Until ships became largeenough (and engines small enough) to mount two engines side by side, theyneeded to keep sails. (The high cost of steam and the lesser need for speedkept the majority of the world’s ocean freight moving by sail until the earlyyears of the 20th century.)

　　[M]Then there is the fireplace. Central heating was present in every upper-andmiddle-class home by the second half of the 19th century. But functioningfireplaces remain to this day a powerful selling point in a house orapartment. I suspect the reason is a deep-rooted love of the fire. Fire was oneof the earliest major technological advances for humankind, providing heat, protection,and cooked food (which is much easier to cat and digest). Human control of firegoes back far enough (over a million years) that evolution could have produceda genetic leaning towards fire as a central aspect of human life.

　　[N] Books—especiallybooks the average person could afford—haven’t been around long enough toproduce evolutionary change in humans. But they have a powerful hold on manypeople nonetheless, a hold extending far beyond their literary content. Attheir best, they are works of art and there is a tactile(触觉的)pleasure in booksnecessarily lost in e-book versions. The ability to quickly thumb through pagesis also lost. And a room with books in it induces, at least in some, a feelingnot dissimilar to that of a fire in the fireplace on a cold winter’s night.

　　[O] Forthese reasons I think physical books will have a longer existence as acommercial product than some currently predict. Like swords, books havesymbolic power. Like fireplaces, they induce a sense of comfort and warmth.And, perhaps, similar to sails, they make a useful back-up for when the lightsgo out.

　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

　　46.Authors still published in printed versions will be considered important ones.

　　47.Some people are still in favor of printed books because of the sense of touchthey can provide.

　　48.The radio business has changed greatly and now attracts more listeners.

　　49.Contrary to many people’s prediction of its death, the film industry survived.

　　50.Remarkable changes have taken place in the book business.

　　51.Old technology sometimes continues to exist because of its reliability.

　　52.The increase of e-book sales will force the book business to make changes notseen for centuries.

　　53.A new technology is unlikely to take the place of an old one without a clearadvantage.

　　54.Paperbacks of popular literature are more likely to be replaced by e-books.

　　55.A house with a fireplace has a stronger appeal to buyers.

　　Section C

　　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 56 to 60are based onthe following passage.

　　The question ofwhether our government should promote science and technology or the liberalarts in higher education isn’t an either/or proposition(命题)，althoughthe current emphasis on preparing young Americans for STEM(science,technology, engineering, maths)-related fields canmake it seem that way.

　　The latestcongressional report acknowledges the critical importance of technical training,but also asserts that the study of the humanities(人文学科)and social sciences must remaincentral components of America’s educational system at all levels. Both are criticalto producing citizens who can participate effectively in our democraticsociety, become innovative(创新的)leaders,and benefit from the spiritual enrichment that the reflection on the greatideas of mankind over time provides.

　　Parents and studentswho have invested heavily in higher education worry about graduates’ jobprospects as technological advances and changes in domestic and global marketstransform professions in ways that reduce wages and cut jobs. Under thesecircumstances, it’s natural to look for what may appear to be the most“practical” way out of the problem “Major in a subject designed to get you ajob” seems the obvious answer to some, though this ignores the fact that manydisciplines in the humanities characterized as “soft” often, in fact, lead toemployment and success in the long run. Indeed, according to surveys, employershave expressed a preference for students who have received a broadly-basededucation that has taught them to write well, think critically, researchcreatively, and communicate easily.

　　Moreover, studentsshould be prepared not just for their first job, but for their 4th and 5thjobs, as there’s little reason to doubt that people entering the workforcetoday will be called upon to play many different roles over the course of theircareers. The ones who will do the best in this new environment will be thosewhose educations have prepared them to be flexible. The ability to draw uponevery available tool and insight—picked up from science, arts, andtechnology—to solve the problems of the future, and take advantage of theopportunities that present themselves, will be helpful to them and the UnitedStates.

　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

　　56.What does the latest congressional report suggest?

　　A)STEM-related subjects help students find jobs in the information society.

　　B)The humanities and STEM subjects should be given equal importance.

　　C)The liberal arts in higher education help enrich students’ spiritual life.

　　D)Higher education should be adjusted to the practical needs of society.

　　57.What is the main concern of students when they choose a major?

　　A)Their interest in relevant subjects.

　　B)The academic value of the courses.

　　C)The quality of education to receive.

　　D)Their chances of getting a good job.

　　58.What does the author say about the so called soft subjects?

　　A)The benefit students in their future life.

　　B)They broaden students’ range of interests.

　　C)They improve students’ communication skills.

　　D)They are essential to students’ healthy growth.

　　59.What kind of job applicants do employers look for?

　　A)Those who have a strong sense of responsibility.

　　B)Those who are good at solving practical problems.

　　C)Those who are likely to become innovative leaders.

　　D)Those who have received a well-rounded education.

　　60.What advice does the author give to college students?

　　A)Seize opportunities to tap their potential.

　　B)Try to take a variety of practical courses.

　　C)Prepare themselves for different job options.

　　D)Adopt a flexible approach to solving problems.

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 61 to 65 are based onthe following passage.

　　Energy independence.It has a nice ring to it. Doesn’t it? If you think so, you’re not alone, becauseenergy independence has been the dream of American president for decades, andnever more so than in the past few years, when the most recent oil price shockhas been partly responsible for kicking off the great recession.

　　“Energy independence”and its rhetorical (修辞的)companion “energy security” are, however, slippery concepts that are rarelythough through. What is it we want independence from, exactly?

　　Most people wouldprobably say that they want to be independent from imported oil. But there arereasons that we buy all that old from elsewhere.

　　The first reason isthat we need it to keep our economy running. Yes, there is a trickle(涓涓细流)of biofuel(生物燃料)available, and moremay become available, but most biofuels cause economic waste and environmental destruction.

　　Second, Americans havebasically decided that they don’t really want to produce all their own oil.They value the environmental quality they preserve over their oil imports fromabroad. Vast areas of the United States are off-limits to oil exploration andproduction in the name of environmental protection. To what extent areAmericans really willing to endure the environmental impacts of domestic energyproduction in order to cut back imports?

　　Third, there arebenefits to trade. It allows for economic efficiency, and when we buy thingsfrom places that have lower production costs than we do, we benefit. Andalthough you don’t read about this much, the United States is also a largeexporter of oil products, selling about 2 million barrels of petroleum productsper day to about 90 countries.

　　There is no questionthat the United States imports a great deal of energy and, in fact, relies onthat steady flow to maintain its economy. When that flow is interrupted, wefeel the pain in short supplies and higher prices, At the same time, we derivemassive economic benefits when we buy the most affordable energy on the worldmarket and when we engage in energy trade around the world.

　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

　　61.What does the author say about energy independence for America?

　　A)It sounds very attractive. C) Itwill bring oil prices down.

　　B)It ensures national security. D) Ithas long been everyone’s dream.

　　62.What does the author think of biofuels?

　　A)They keep America’s economy running healthily.

　　B)They prove to be a good alternative to petroleum.

　　C)They do not provide a sustainable energy supply.

　　D)They cause serious damage to the environment.

　　63.Why does America rely heavily on oil imports?

　　A)It wants to expand its storage of crude oil.

　　B)Its own oil reserves are quickly running out.

　　C)It wants to keep its own environment intact.

　　D)Its own oil production falls short of demand.

　　64.What does the author say about oil trade?

　　A)It proves profitable to both sides. C) It makes for economic prosperity.

　　B)It improves economic efficiency. D)It saves the cost of oil exploration.

　　65.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

　　A)To justify America’s dependence on oil imports.

　　B)To arouse Americans’ awareness of the energy crisis.

　　C)To stress the importance of energy conservation.

　　D)To explain the increase of international oil trade.

　　Part Ⅳ Translation (30 minutes)

　　Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage fromChinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.

　　为了促进教育公平，中国已投入360亿元，用于改善农村地区教育设施和中强中西部地区农村义务教育(compulsory education)。这些资金用于改善教学设施、购买书籍，使16万多所中小学受益。资金还用于购置音乐和绘画器材。现在农村和山区的儿童可以与沿海城市的儿童一样上音乐和绘画课。一些为接受更好教育而转往城市上学的学生如今又回到了本地农村学校就读。

　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。