1、2008年12月英语四级考试真题Part I Writing （30 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic Bag. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below.1.一次性塑料袋的使用2.使用一次性塑料袋带来的问题3.限制一次性塑料袋的意义Limiting the Use o
2、f Disposable Plastic BagPart 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.
3、 For questions 8 -10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage. Thats enough, kidsIt was a lovely day at the park and Stella Bianchi was enjoying the sunshine with her two children when a young boy, aged about four, approached her two-year-old son and pushed him to the ground
4、.“Id watched him for a little while and my son was the fourth or fifth child hed shoved,” she says.” I went over to them, picked up my son, turned to the boy and said, firmly, No, we dont push,” What happened next was unexpected.“The boys mother ran toward me from across the park,” Stella says,” I t
5、hought she was coming over to apologize, but instead she started shouting at me for disciplining her child, All I did was let him know his behavior was unacceptable. Was I supposed to sit back while her kid did whatever he wanted, hurting other children in the process?”Getting your own children to p
6、lay nice is difficult enough. Dealing with other peoples children has become a minefield.In my house, jumping on the sofa is not allowed. In my sisters house its encouraged. For her, its about kids being kids: “If you cant do it at three, when can you do it?”Each of these philosophies is valid and,
7、it has to be said, my son loves visiting his aunts house. But I find myself saying “no” a lot when her kids are over at mine. Thats OK between sisters but becomes dangerous territory when youre talking to the children of friends or acquaintances.“Kids arent all raised the same,” agrees Professor Nao
8、mi White of Monash University.” But there is still an idea that theyre the property of the parent. We see our children as an extension of ourselves, so if youre saying that my child is behaving inappropriately, then thats somehow a criticism of me.”In those circumstances, its difficult to know wheth
9、er to approach the child directly or the parent first. There are two schools of thought.“Id go to the child first,” says Andrew Fuller, author of Tricky Kids. Usually a quiet reminder that we dont do that here is enough. Kids nave finely tuned antennae (直觉) for how to behave in different settings.”H
10、e points out bringing it up with the parent first may make them feel neglectful, which could cause problems. Of course, approaching the child first can bring its own headaches, too.This is why White recommends that you approach the parents first. Raise your concerns with the parents if theyre there
11、and ask them to deal with it,” she says. Asked how to approach a parent in this situation, psychologist Meredith Fuller answers: “Explain your needs as well as stressing the importance of the friendship. Preface your remarks with something like: I know youll think Im silly but in my house I dont wan
12、t”When it comes to situations where youre caring for another child, white is straightforward: “common sense must prevail. If things dont go well, then have a chat.”Therere a couple of new grey areas. Physical punishment, once accepted from any adult, is no longer appropriate. “A new set of considera
13、tions has come to the fore as part of the debate about how we handle children.”For Andrew Fuller, the child-centric nature of our society has affected everyone:” The rules are different now from when todays parents were growing up,” he says, “Adults are scared of saying: dont swear, or asking a chil
14、d to stand up on a bus. Theyre worried that there will be conflict if they point these things out either from older children, or their parents.”He sees it as a loss of the sense of common public good and public courtesy (礼貌), and says that adults suffer form it as much as child.Meredith Fuller agree
15、s: “A code of conduct is hard to create when youre living in a world in which everyone is exhausted from overwork and lack of sleep, and a world in which nice people are perceived to finish last.”“Its about what Im doing and what I need,” Andrew Fuller says. ”the days when a kid came home from schoo
16、l and said, “I got into trouble”. And dad said, you probably deserved it. Are over. Now the parents are charging up to the school to have a go at teachers.”This jumping to our childrens defense is part of what fuels the “walking on eggshells” feeling that surrounds our dealings with other peoples ch
17、ildren. You know that if you remonstrate(劝诫) with the child, youre going to have to deal with the parent. Its admirable to be protective of our kids, but is it good?“Children have to learn to negotiate the world on their own, within reasonable boundaries,” White says. “I suspect that its only certai
18、n sectors of the population doing the running to the school better educated parents are probably more likely to be too involved.”White believes our notions of a more child-centered, it a way of talking about treating our children like commodities(商品). Were centered on them but in ways that reflect p
19、ositively on us. We treat them as objects whose appearance and achievements are something we can be proud of, rather than serve the best interests of the children.”One way over-worked, under-resourced parents show commitment to their children is to leap to their defence. Back at the park, Bianchi in
20、tervention(干预) on her son behalf ended in an undignified exchange of insulting words with the other boy mother.As Bianchi approached the park bench where shed been sitting, other mums came up to her and congratulated her on taking a stand. “Apparently the boy had a longstanding reputation for bad be
21、haviour and his mum for even worse behaviour if he was challenged.”Andrew Fuller doesnt believe that we should be afraid of dealing with other peoples kids. “look at kids that arent your own as a potential minefield,” he says. He recommends that we dont stay silent over inappropriate behaviour, part
22、icularly with regular visitors.1. What did Stella Bianchi expect the young boys mother to do when she talked to him?A) make an apologyB) come over to interveneC) discipline her own boyD) take her own boy away2. What does the author say about dealing with other peoples children?A) its important not t
23、o hurt them in any wayB) its no use trying to stop their wrongdoingC) its advisable to treat them as ones own kidsD) its possible for one to get into lots of trouble3. According to professor Naomi white of Monash university, when ones kids are criticized, their parents will probably feel_A) discoura
24、gedB) hurtC) puzzledD) overwhelmed4. What should one do when seeing other peoples kids misbehave according to Andrew fuller?A) talk to them directly in a mild wayB) complain to their parents politelyC) simply leave them aloneD) punish them lightly5. Due to the child-centric nature of our society, _A
25、) parents are worried when their kids swear at themB) people think it improper to criticize kids in publicC) people are reluctant to point our kids wrongdoingsD) many conflicts arise between parents and their kids6. In a world where everyone is exhausted from over work and lack of sleep,_A) its easy
26、 for people to become impatientB) its difficult to create a code of conductC) its important to be friendly to everybodyD) its hard for people to admire each other7. How did people use to respond when their kids got into trouble at school?A) theyd question the teachersB) theyd charge up to the school
27、C) theyd tell the kids to clam downD) Theyd put the blame on their kids8. Professor white believes that the notions of a more child-centred society should be_9. According to professor white, todays parents treat their children as something they_10. Andrew fuller suggests that , when kids behave inap
28、propriately, people should not_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 what was said. Both the conversation and the que
29、stions 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 line through the centre.11. A)Only true friendshi
30、p can last long.B)Letter writing is going out of style.C)She keeps in regular touch with her classmates.D)She has lost contact with most of her old friends.12. A) A painter. C) A porter. B) A mechanic. D) A carpenter.13. A) Look for a place near her office. C) Make inquiries elsewhere. B) Find a new
31、 job down the street. D) Rent the $600 apartment.14. A) He prefers to wear jeans with a larger waist. B) He has been extremely busy recently. C) He has gained some weight lately. D) He enjoyed going shopping with Jane yesterday.15. A)The woman possesses a natural for art. B) Women have a better arti
32、stic taste than men. C) He isnt good at abstract thinking. D) He doesnt like abstract paintings.16. A) She couldnt have left her notebook in the library. B) she may have put her notebook amid the journals. C) she should have made careful notes while doing reading. D) she shouldnt have read his notes
33、 without his knowing it.17. A)she wants to get some sleep C) she has a literature class to attend B) she needs time to write a paper D)she is troubled by her sleep problem18. A)He is confident he will get the job. B)His chance of getting the job is slim. C)It isnt easy to find a qualified sales mana
34、ger. D)The interview didnt go as well as he expected.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A)He can manage his time more flexibly. B)He can renew contact with his old friends. C)He can concentrate on his own projects. D)He can learn to do administrative work.20. A)
35、Reading its ads in the newspapers. B)Calling its personnel department. C)Contacting its manager. D)Searching its website.21. A)To cut down its production expenses. B)To solve the problem of staff shortage. C)To improve its administrative efficiency. D)To utilize its retired employees resources.Quest
36、ions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A)Buy a tractor. B)Fix a house. C)See a piece of property. D)Sing a business contract.23. A)It is only forty miles form where they live. B)It is a small one with a two-bedroom house. C)It was a large garden with fresh vegetables. D)
37、It has a large garden with fresh vegetables.24. A)Growing potatoes will involve less labor. B)Its soil may not be very suitable for corn. C)It may not be big enough for raising corn. D)Raising potatoes will be more profitable.25. A)Finances B)Equipment C)Labor D)ProfitsSection BDirections: In this s
38、ection, 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
39、Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26 A) To introduce the chief of the citys police force B)To comment on a talk by a distinguished guest C)To address the issue of community security D)To explain the functio
40、ns of the city council27 A)He has distinguished himself in city management B)He is head of the International Police Force C)He completed his higher education abroad D)He holds a masters degree in criminology28 A)To coordinate work among police departments B)To get police officers closer to the local
41、 people C)To help the residents in times of emergency D)To enable the police to take prompt action29 A)Popular B)discouraging C)effective D)controversialPassage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30 A)people differ greatly in their ability to communicate B)there are n
42、umerous languages in existence C)Most public languages are inherently vague D)Big gaps exist between private and public languages31 A)it is a sign of human intelligence B)in improves with constant practice C)it is something we are born with D)it varies from person to person32 A)how private languages
43、 are developed B)how different languages are related C)how people create their languages D)how children learn to use languagePassage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33 A)she was a tailor B)she was an engineer C)she was an educator D)she was a public speaker34.A)B
44、asing them on science-fiction movies.B) Including interesting examples in themC) Adjusting them to different audiencesD) Focusing on the latest progress in space science35.A) Whether spacemen carry weaponsB) How spacesuits protect spacemenC) How NASA trains its spacemenD) What spacemen cat and drink
45、Section CDirections: In this section, 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 y
46、ou have just heard. For blanks 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.Crime is increasing world wide. There is every reason to believe the (36)_will continue through the next few decades.Crime rates have always been high in multicultural,