2003年12月英语四级真题及答案

2003 年 12 月英语四级真题及答案 Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes) Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre. Example: You will hear: You will read: A) At the office. B) In the waiting room. C) At the airport. D) In a restaurant. From the conversation we know that the two were talking about some work they had to finish in the evening. This conversation is most likely to have taken place at the office. Therefore, A) "At the office" is the best answer. You should choose [A] on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the centre. Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] ID] 1.A) The man could buy a shirt of a different color. B) The size of the shirt is all right for the man. C) The size the man wants will arrive soon. D) The man could come some time later. 2.A) The woman is watching an exciting film with the man. B) The woman can’t take a photo of the man. C) The woman is running toward the lake. D) The woman is filming the lake. 3.A) It’s quiet in the restaurant. B) The price is high in the restaurant. C) The restaurant serves good food. D) The restaurant is too far from their school. 4.A) At a booking office. B) In a Hong Kong hotel. C) On a busy street. D) At an airport. 5.A) The woman has been complaining too much. B) The woman’s headache will go away by itself. C) The woman should have seen the doctor earlier. D) The woman should confirm her appointment with the doctor. 6.A) Help the woman move the items. B) Hurry to Mr.Johnson’s office. C) Help move things to Mr.Johnson’s office. D) Put off his appointment with Mr.Johnson. 7.A) The man should not dream of being a superstar. B) The man didn’t practice hard enough. C) The man should find a new partner. D) The man should not give up. 8.A) There is no more left. B) It doesn’t appeal to her. C) It’s incredibly delicious. D) She has already tasted it. 9.A) The man is usually the last to hand in his test paper. B) The man has made a mess of his midterm exam. C) The man has bad study habits. D) The man is a diligent student. 10.A) The man will drive the woman to school. B) The man has finished his assignment. C) The man is willing to help the woman. D) The man is losing patience with the woman. Section B Passage One Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard. 11.A) The art of saying thank you. B) The secret of staying pretty. C) The importance of good manners. D) The difference between elegance and good manners. 12.A) They were nicer and gentler. B) They paid more attention to their appearance. C) They were willing to spend more money on clothes. D) They were more aware of changes in fashion. 13.A) By decorating our homes. B) By being kind and generous. C) By wearing fashionable clothes. D) By putting on a little make-up. Passage Two Questions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard. 14.A) Children don’t get enough education in safety. B) Children are keen on dangerous games. C) The playgrounds are in poor condition. D) The playgrounds are overcrowded. 15.A) They should help maintain the equipment. B) They should keep a watchful eye on their children. C) They should stop their children from climbing ladders. D) They should teach their children how to use the equipment. 16.A) They tend to stay within shouting or running distance of their parents. B) They should be aware of the porential risks in the playground. C) They may panic in front of high playground equipment. D) They can be creative when they feel secure. Passage There Questions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.] 17.A) It takes skill. B) It pays well. C) It’s full-time job. D) It’s admired worldwide. 18.A) A mother with a baby in her arms. B) A woman whose bag is hanging in front. C) A lone female with a handbag at her right side. D) An old lady carrying a handbag on the left. 19.A) The back pocket of his tight trousers. B) The top pocket of his jacket. C) A side pocket of his jacket. D) A side pocket of his trousers. 20.A) Theater lobbies with uniformed security guards. B) Clothing stores where people are relaxed and off guard. C) Airports where people carry a lot of luggage. D) Hotels and restaurants in southeast London. Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes) Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre. Passage One Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage. I'm usually fairly skeptical about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago. While any of these statements might be true, they are practically impossible to prove scientifically. Still, I was struck by a report which concluded that today's children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children ages 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago. Why are America's kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasing physical isolation -- brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community, among other things -- and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place. Given that we can't turn the clock back, adults can still do plenty to help the next generation cope. At the top of the list is nurturing ( 培育 ) a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect individuals against stress. To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your family will thank you later. They will have more time for face-to-face relationships, and they will get more sleep. Limit the amount of virtual (虚拟的) violence your children are exposed to. It's not just video games and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news. Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended Harvard or Yale. Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you cope with your own anxieties and provide a good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. But it doesn't have to ruin your life. 21. The author thinks that the conclusions of any research about people's state of mind are______. A) surprising B) confusing C) illogical D) questionable 22. What does the author mean when he says, "we can't turn the clock back" (Line 1, Para. 3)? A) It's impossible to slow down the pace of change. B) The social reality children are facing cannot be changed. C) Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten. D) It's impossible to forget the past. 23. According to an analysis, compared with normal children today, children treated as mentally ill 50 years ago____. A) were less isolated physically B) were probably less self-centered C) probably suffered less from anxiety D) were considered less individualistic 24. The first and most important thing parents should do to help their children is ____. A) to provide them with a safer environment B) to lower their expectations for them C) to get them more involved socially D) to set a good model for them to follow 25. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage? A) Anxiety, though unavoidable, can be coped with. B) Children's anxiety has been enormously exaggerated. C) Children's anxiety can be eliminated with more parental care. D) Anxiety, if properly controlled, may help children become mature. Passage Two Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage. It is easier to negotiate initial salary requirement because once you are inside, the organizational constraints ( 约 束 ) influence wage increases. One thing, however, is certain: your chances of getting the raise you feel you deserve are less if you don't at least ask for it. Men tend to ask for more, and they get more, and this holds true with other resources, not just pay increases. Consider Beth's story: I did not get what I wanted when I did not ask for it. We had cubicle ( 小隔间 ) offices and window offices. I sat in the cubicles with several male colleagues. One by one they were moved into window offices, while I remained in the cubicles, several males who were hired after me also went to offices. One in particular told me he was next in line for an office and that it had been part of his negotiations for the job. I guess they thought me content to stay in the cubicles since I did not voice my opinion either way. It would be nice if we all received automatic pay increases equal to our merit, but "nice" isn't a quality attributed to most organizations. If you feel you deserve a significant raise in pay, you'll probably have to ask for it.