2012年6月份英语四级标准模拟试题及答案详解

1、2012年6月份英语四级标准模拟试题及答案详解Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topic To Be Civilized Tourists. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below in Chinese:1. 随着旅游人数增多，游客不文明现象突增2. 分析此现象造成的不良影响3. 提倡大家做文明游客To Be

2、 Civilized Tourists_Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1.For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. For

3、 questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.BiodiversityGenerally speaking, the greatest degree of species diversity is found in the warm tropical habitats (the natural homes of plants or animals) nearest the equator. Diversity is lower in the Earths temperate z

4、ones, and lowest in the polar regions, a phenomenon known as the latitudinal gradient (纬度倾斜度) of biodiversity. And the species richness of land ecosystems (生态系统) also decreases at higher elevations.High amounts of annual rainfall also correlate to richer diversity in land habitats, with the highest

5、concentration of different species found in the tropical rainforests. The most diverse marine ecosystems are located on the oceans continental shelves, although deep-sea habitats also demonstrate significant species richness.Rainforests And Coral ReefsScience has yet to explain the remarkable degree

6、 of species diversity found in tropical rainforests and coral reefs. The answers to this ecological mystery involve both the origins of diversity through evolution and the maintenance of species diversity.Tropical rainforests cover approximately 9 million square kilometers a decrease of about 45% si

7、nce mans arrival. Although they account for only about 6% of the worlds land surface, these highly diverse ecosystems contain over half of all living species. Some researchers place that figure as high as 90%, based on estimates of the number of microorganisms and insects believed to populate the ra

8、inforests. Likewise, approximately one quarter of marine species are thought to reside on the oceans coral reefs.Sadly, man is cutting and burning the worlds rainforests at a rate of approximately 100,000 square kilometers annually. As Edward Wilson explains, this amounts to the destruction of an ar

9、ea of rainforest equal to the size of a football field every second. He conservatively estimates that between 0. 2% and 0. 3% of rainforest species that is 4,000 to 6,000 individual species are lost each year from deforestation alone. This is 10,000 times the rate of natural extinction which occurre

10、d before human intervention. The problem is so severe that, in 1990, the independent Science Advisory Board of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency named habitat loss and species extinction as two of the worlds most critical environmental problems. Threats To BiodiversityThe threats to biodiver

11、sity are myriad (无数的), but most are the direct or indirect result of human activity.Population growth and migration, overexploitation, and the lack of sustainable resource consumption policies continue to stress sensitive ecosystems. Some of the highest rates of growth are occurring in the Earths sp

12、ecies-rich tropical regions. For example, 75 million people already inhabit the rainforests of the Upper Amazonia and Guyana Shield in South America, the Congo Basin in Africa, and the New Guinea/Melanesian Islands between Asia and Australia, and their populations are continuing to expand at nearly

13、250% of the world average.The destruction of natural habitats to accommodate population growth and migration is the single largest factor in the loss of species and even entire ecosystems. In the continental United States alone, 98% of virgin forests and 51% of natural wetlands have been destroyed.

14、However, lesser human intrusions, such as the removal of a single native population or the introduction of a non-native species can also severely disrupt the functioning of natural ecosystems, due to the complex nature of their interrelationships and processes.Human activity also produces pollution

15、and contamination which can affect all levels of biodiversity. Poisonous substances released into our air and water not only impact regional ecosystems, but can extend their harmful effects beyond state and national borders, as in the case of acid rain. Continued discharge of other substances into t

16、he atmosphere, though not necessarily poisonous, leads to the ozone depletion in the stratosphere and increased penetration of ultraviolet radiation to the land and ocean.Scientists have identified the “greenhouse effects”, where increased levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases capture h

17、eat within the Earths atmosphere. This climatic global warming is of particular concern in the cold temperate and polar regions, where possible climatic shifts could leave behind entire ranges of plant and animal species. Because climatic changes would be most severe near the poles, entire Arctic an

18、d Antarctic ecosystems could be threatened with extinction.Carbon released from the burning of fossil fuels and natural habitats is a key cause of global warming. According to a 1992 report by the U. S. Office of Technology Assessment, the burning of tropical forests outside the United States accoun

19、ted for approximately 25% of all carbon released into the atmosphere during the preceding decade.Global climate changes can alter the environment and disrupt ecosystems, resulting in loss of species and populations that are unable to either migrate or adapt to new ecological conditions. The ultimate

20、 effects of these climate changes are unknown but risk potentially serious consequences for humans as well as other species.Certainly over millions of years species adapted to alternative climatic warming and cooling, the expansion or shrinkage of continental shelves and the invasion of new competit

21、ors and parasites. Those that could not change became extinct, but at such a relatively slow rate that other better-adapted species evolved to replace them. In the midst of endless turnover, the balance of life was sustained. But now the velocity of change is too great for life to handle, and the ba

22、lance has been disturbed. It has reached dangerously high levels within a single human life span, merely a tick in geological time. Humanity is creating a radical new environment too quickly to allow the species to adjust. Species need thousands or millions of years to assemble complex genetic adapt

23、ations. Most of life is consequently at risk. We are at risk.1. The lower the latitude and altitude are, the higher the degree of species diversity on land can always be found.2. The area of tropical rainforests has decreased by 45% or so since mans arrival. 3. Tropical rainforests are home to all l

24、and-living plant and animal species on Earth. 4. According to Edward Wilson, mans cutting and burning alone makes annual loss of thousands of individual rainforest species. 5. The fastest growth of threats caused by human activity to biodiversity is usually happening in species-rich tropical regions

25、. 6. The vast majority of virgin forests and about half of natural wetlands have been destroyed in the continental US. 7. Entire Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems are threatened with extinction, for climatic changes are most severe near the poles. 1. Y N NG2. Y N NG3. Y N NG4. Y N NG5. Y N NG6. Y N NG

26、7. Y N NG8. Acid rain is one of the poisonous substances which not only extends its harmful effects beyond state and national borders, but impacts _.9. Loss of species and populations failure to migrate or to adapt to new ecological conditions can be caused by _.10. Over millions of years the speed

27、of less-adapted species that were replaced by other better-adapted ones were _.Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about

28、what was said. Both the conversation and the questions 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 Answer Sheet 2 with a single l

29、ine through the centre.11. A Both speakers think half of the staff are efficient. B The woman has a favorable opinion of the staff. C Neither of them has a favorable opinion of the staff. D The woman is a restaurant manager herself.12. A In a bike parking lot. B At a bike repair shop. C In a bike sh

30、owroom. D In a bike factory. 13. A Shop for new clothes. B Lose some weight. C Have his jeans altered. D Wear clothes that fit more tightly.14. A Paul should take over his uncles business now. B He doesnt agree with the womans remarks. C Paul should stay another year for his studies. D He felt upset

31、 by Pauls hasty decision.15. A Go cross the bridge.B Repeat the experiment. C Come to the bridge game.D Wait and see what will happen.16. A It wasnt good investment. B It should have lasted longer. C The man should buy new parts for it. D The man wont be able to get it repaired.17. A Nick repaired i

32、t himself. B Nick now works in a garage. C Nick had his motorcycle fixed. D Nick wasted his money.18. A He wishes to have more courses like it. B He finds it hard to follow the teacher. C He wishes the teacher would talk more. D He doesnt like the teachers accent.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the

33、conversation you have just heard.19. A The mans pay raise. B A career ladder for the man. C The mans education. D A new chance for everyone to be promoted.20. A Three years. B Four years. C Five years. D Six years.21. A The person who has the strong will. B The person who has attended the adult scho

34、ol. C The person who can pass the test of arithmetic. D The person who can work at computers quickly after a two-day training.22. A The man is eager to attend the training. B The man is not very interested in this chance for promotion. C The man has been training for computer work since last year. D

35、 The man is not confident in his chance to be promoted to the Grade 7.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A To see his tutor for help. B To help the woman with her report. C To find some materials for his essay. D To read books on the effect of smoking by parents

36、 on their children.24. A The computer doesnt work properly. B Peter is writing an essay on environment. C Mary is much better than Peter in using computers. D Peter is taking a computer class which is helpful.25. A Standing in the queue. B Waiting for a free computer. C Asking his tutor to recommend

37、 him some books. D Using the computer to find the needed information.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

38、 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 OneQuestions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A Remember the entire trade route. B Know the making of products. C R

39、eceive certain special training. D Deal with a lot of difficulties.27. A Because it was made up of different routes. B Because silk trading became less popular. C Because sea travel provided easier routes. D Because people needed fewer foreign goods.28. A Because people learned from one another. B B

40、ecause people shared each others beliefs. C Because people traded goods along the route. D Because people earned their living by traveling.Passage TwoQuestions 29 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.29. A They worry about school. B They dislike living with their parents. C They have t

41、o be locked in to avoid troubles. D They quarrel a lot with other family members.30. A They dont want to make family decisions. B They dont want to share family responsibility. C They dont want to go boating with their family. D They dont want to cause trouble in their families.31. A They give their

42、 children more freedom. B They care less about their childrens life. C They are much stricter with their children. D They go to clubs more often with their children.32. A Negotiation in family. B Education in family. C Harmony in family. D Teenage trouble in family.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 ar

43、e based on the passage you have just heard.33. A Because Amery was fond of games.B Because Amery was of similar size. C Because Amery was good at sports.D Because Amery looked like an animal.34. A Because he was laughed at by other boys. B Because he pushed Amery hard and hurt him. C Because he play

44、ed a joke on an outstanding athlete. D Because Amery turned out to be in the same grade.35. A The writer could run faster than Amery. B The writer liked playing on boys of all sizes. C Amery was a student in Grade Four. D Amery forgave the writer for his rude behavior.Section CDirections: In this se

45、ction, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is 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 the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks

46、numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written. Sixteen-

47、year-old Michael Viscardsi of San Diego won first prize in the Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology. He showed (36) _ to a nineteen-century math problem. Michael has been (37) _ by his mother, who has a doctorate in neuroscience. He also worked on his project with a profe

48、ssor at a university.The National Center for Education Statistics did its (38) _ research on home-schooling in 2003. Researchers (39) _ that more than one million American students learned at home. That was more than two percent of the school-age population. Michael Viscardsi, for example, has been

49、taught mostly at home, but with (40) _ math classes at a local university. The researchers asked parents why they home-schooled their children. Thirty-one percent said the most important reason was (41) about the environment of the local schools. Thirty percent said it was to provide (42) _ instruct

50、ion. Sixteen percent said they were not satisfied with the quality of the (43) _ in the local schools. (44)_.An education expert said much of this increase was in cities with histories of racial tension. Also, (45) _. Critics of home-schooling say children need to attend school to help them learn so

51、cial skills. They also say that home-schooled children do not get a very good education. Still, (46) _. Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)Section A Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a li

52、st of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any

53、of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage. Money doesnt buy happiness, and now theres a study to prove it. Australian researchers found that people in well-off Sydney are among the most miserable in the country, while those in some of the 47 areas

54、are much more satisfied with their lives. “Only at very, very high levels does money actually have any impact to act as a buffer (起缓冲作用的物),” said Deakin University researcher Liz Eckerman. “Money doesnt actually buy happiness and thats what was shown very 48 for the nearly 23,000 people weve 49 so far,” she told ABC r