1997年1月大学英语四级考试试题及参考答案

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 center.

Example: You will hear:
 You will read:
A) 2 hours.
B) 3 hours.
C) 4 hours.
D) 5 hours.
From the conversation we know that the two were talking about some work they will start at 9 o’clock in the morning and have to finish at 2 in the afternoon. Therefore, D) “5 hours” is the correct answer. You should choose [D] on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the center.
Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D]
1. A) Look for a more expensive hotel.
 B) Go to another hotel by bus.
 C) Try to find a quiet place.
 D) Take a walk around the city.
2. A) They’re talking about nice children.
 B) The man has a house for sale.
 C) The woman lives in a nice house.
 D) The man has three children.
3. A) In a hotel.
 B) At a dinner table.
 C) In the street.
 D) At the man’s house.
4. A) Relatives.
 B) Roommates.
 C) Colleagues.
 D) Neighbors.
5. A) 5:00.
 B) 5:15.
 C) 5:30.
 D) 5:45.
6. A) He wants to have more sleep.
 B) His wife doesn’t sleep well.
 C) Women need more sleep than men.
 D) He doesn’t need as much sleep as his wife.
7. A) A student.
 B) A reporter.
 C) A visitor.
 D) A lecturer.
8. A) To the school.
 B) To a friend’s house.
 C) To the post office.
 D) Home.
9. A) He is afraid he won’t be chosen for the trip.
 B) The boss has not decided where to go.
 C) Such a trip is necessary for the company.
 D) It’s not certain whether the trip will take place.
10. A) It was boring.
 B) It was entertaining.
 C) It was touching.
 D) It was encouraging.

Section B
Directions: 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 the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

Passage one
Question 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.
11. A) He wanted to find a place to read his papers.
 B) He wanted to kill time before boarding the plane.
 C) He felt thirsty and wanted some coffee.
 D) He went there to meet his friends.
12. A) Toys for children.
 B) Important documents.
 C) Food and coffee.
 D) Clothes and scientific papers.
13. A) The woman took his case on purpose.
 B) All his papers had been stolen.
 C) He had taken the woman’s case.
 D) The woman played a joke on him.

Passage Two
Questions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.
14. A) The liberation movement of British women.
 B) Rapid economic development in Britain.
 C) Changing attitudes to family life.
 D) Reasons for changes in family life in Britain.
15. A) Because millions of men died in the war.
 B) Because women had proved their worth.
 C) Because women were more skillful than men.
 D) Because factories preferred to employ women.
16. A) The concept of “the family” as a social unit.
 B) The attitudes to birth control.
 C) The attitudes to religion.
 D) The ideas of authority and tradition.

Passage Three
Questions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.
17. A) Those who are themselves spoiled and self-centered.
 B) Those who expected to have several children but could only have one.
 C) Those who like to give expensive jewels to their children.
 D) Those who give birth to their only children when they are below 30.
18. A) Because their parents want them to share the family burden.
 B) Because their parents are too strict with them in their education.
 C) Because they have nobody to play with.
 D) Because their parents want them to grow up as fast as possible.
19. A) Two types of only children.
 B) Parents’ responsibilities.
 C) The necessity of family planning.
 D) The relationship between parents and children.
20. A) They have no sisters or brothers.
 B) They are overprotected by their parents.
 C) Their parents expect too much of them.
 D) Their parents often punish them for minor faults.

Part II Vocabulary and Structure (20 minutes)
Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

21 Until then, his family _________ from him for six months.
 A) didn’t hear B) hasn’t been hearing
 C) hasn’t heard D) hadn’t heard
22 The conference _________ a full week by the time it ends.
 A) must have lasted B) will have lasted
 C) would last D) has lasted
23 Students or teachers can participate in excursions to lovely beaches around the island at regular _________.
 A) gaps B) rate
 C) length D) intervals
24 Physics is _________ to the science which was called natural philosophy in history.
 A) alike B) equivalent
 C) likely D) uniform
25 There’s a man at the reception desk who seems very angry and I think he means____ trouble.
 A) making B) to make
 C) to have made D) having make
26 After the Arab states won independence, great emphasis was laid on expanding education, with girls as well as boys ___________ to go to school.
 A) to be encouraged B) been encouraged
 C) being encouraged D) be encouraged
27 The new appointment of our president _________ from the very beginning of next semester.
 A) takes effect B) takes part
 C) takes place D) takes turns
28 The president made a _______ speech at the opening ceremony of the sports meeting, which encouraged the sportsmen greatly.
 A) vigorous B) tedious
 C) flat D) harsh
29 It is useful to be able to predict the extent ______ which a price change will affect supply and demand.
 A) from B) with
 C) to D) for
30 Finding a job in such a big company has always been ________ his wildest dreams.
 A) under B) over
 C) above D) beyond
31 It is not easy to learn English well, but if you _______, you will succeed in the end.
 A) hang up B) hang about
 C) hang on D) hang onto
32 It is reported that _________ adopted children want to know who their natural parents are.
 A) the most B) most of
 C) most D) the most of
33 Last year the advertising rate _________ by 20 percent.
 A) raised B) aroused
 C) arose D) rose
34 ________ before we depart the day after tomorrow, we should have a wonderful dinner party.
 A) Had they arrived B) Would they arrive
 C) Were they arriving D) Were they to arrive
35 The strong storm did a lot of damage to the coastal villages: several fishing boats were _____ and many houses collapsed.
 A) wrecked B) spoiled
 C) torn D) injured
36 The little man was __________ one metre fifty high.
 A) almost more than B) hardly more than
 C) nearly more than D) as much as
37 As __________ announced in today’s papers, the Shanghai Export Commodities Fair is also open on Sundays.
 A) being B) is
 C) to be D) been
38 You see the lightning _________ it happens, but you hear the thunder later.
 A) the instant B) for an instant
 C) on the instant D) in an instant
39 The manager lost his __________ just because his secretary was ten minutes late.
 A) mood B) temper
 C) mind D) passion
40 Great as Newton was, many of his ideas ____________ today and are being modified by the work of scientists of our time.
 A) are to challenge B) may be challenged
 C) have been challenged D) are challenging
41 Please be careful when you are drinking coffee in case you __________ the new carpet.
 A) crash B) pollute
 C) spot D) stain
42 I’d rather read than watch television; the programs seem _________ all the time.
 A) to get worse B) to be getting worse
 C) to have got worse D) getting worse
43 Convenience foods which are already prepared for cooking are ________ in grocery stores.
 A) ready B) approachable
 C) probable D) available
44 When I caught him ________ I stopped buying things there and started dealing with another shop.
 A) cheating B) cheat
 C) to cheat D) to be cheating
45 It is important that enough money __________ to fund the project.
 A) be collected B) must be collected
 C) was collected D) can be collected
46 Some old people don’t like pop songs because they can’t ________ so much noise.
 A) resist B) sustain
 C) tolerate D) undergo
47 If only the committee _________ the regulations and put them into effect as soon as possible.
 A) approve B) will approve
 C) can approve D) would approve
48 ______ one time, Manchester was the home of the most productive cotton mills in the world.
 A) On B) By
 C) At D) Of
49 ___________ it or not, his discovery has created a stir in scientific circles.
 A) Believe B) To believe
 C) Believing D) Believed
50 Mr. Morgan can be very sad __________, though in public he is extremely cheerful.
 A) by himself B) in person
 C) in private D) as individual

Part III Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Direction: 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 center.

Passage One
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage:
 Statuses are marvelous human inventions that enable us to get along with one another and to determine where we “fit” in society. As we go about our everyday lives, we mentally attempt to place people in terms of their statuses. For example, we must judge whether the person in the library is a reader or a librarian, whether the telephone caller is a friend or a salesman, whether the unfamiliar person on our property is thief or a meter reader, and so on.
 The statuses we assume often vary with the people we encounter, and change throughout life. Most of us can, at very high speed, assume the statuses that various situations require. Much of social interaction consists of identifying and selecting among appropriate statuses and allowing other people to assume their statuses in relation to us. This means that we fit our actions to those of other people based on a constant mental process of appraisal and interpretation. Although some of us find the task more difficult than others, most of us perform it rather effortlessly.
 A status has been compared to ready-made clothes. Within certain limits, the buyer can choose style and fabric. But an American is not free to choose the costume（服装）of a Chinese peasant or that of a Hindu prince. We must choose from among the clothing presented by our society. Furthermore, our choice is limited to a size that will fit, as well as by our pocketbook（钱包）. Having made a choice within these limits we can have certain alterations made, but apart from minor adjustments, we tend to be limited to what the stores have on their racks. Statuses too come ready made, and the range of choice among them is limited.
51. In the first paragraph, the writer tells us that statuses can help us ________.
 A) determine whether a person is fit for a certain job
 B) behave appropriately in relation to other people
 C) protect ourselves in unfamiliar situations
 D) make friends with other people
52. According to the writer, people often assume different statuses ________.
 A) in order to identify themselves with others
 B) in order to better identify others
 C) as their mental processes change
 D) as the situation changes
53. The word “appraisal” (Line 5, Para.2) most probably means “__________”.
 A) involvement
 B) appreciation
 C) assessment
 D) presentation
54. In the last sentence of the second paragraph, the pronoun “it” refers to “________”.
 A) fitting our actions to those of other people appropriately
 B) identification of other people’s statuses
 C) selecting one’s own statuses
 D) constant mental process
55. By saying that “an American is not free to choose the costume of a Chinese peasant or that of a Hindu prince” (Line 2-3, Para.3), the writer means ________.
 A) different people have different styles of clothes
 B) ready-made clothes may need alterations
 C) statuses come ready made just like clothes
 D) our choice of statuses is limited

Passage Two
Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage:
 Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I also explain that there’s big difference between “being a writer” and writing. In most cases these individuals are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at a typewriter. “You’ve got to want to write,” I say to them, “not want to be a writer.”
 The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded. When I left a 20-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard to become a freelance writer（自由撰稿者）, I had no prospects at all. What I did have was a friend who found me my room in a New York apartment building. It didn’t even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom. I immediately bought a used manual type writer and felt like a genuine writer.
 After a year or so, however, I still hadn’t gotten a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a story that barely made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write. I had dreamed about it for years. I wasn’t going to be one of those people who die wondering, What if? I would keep putting my dream to the test-even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the Shadowland of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.
56. The passage is meant to _________.
 A) warn young people of the hardships that a successful writer has to experience
 B) advise young people to give up their idea of becoming a professional writer
 C) show young people it’s unrealistic for a writer to pursue wealth and fame
 D) encourage young people to pursue a writing career
57. What can be concluded from the passage?
 A) Genuine writers often find their work interesting and rewarding.
 B) A writer’s success depends on luck rather than on effort.
 C) Famous writers usually live in poverty and isolation.
 D) The chances for a writer to become successful are small.
58. Why did the author begin to doubt himself after the first year of his writing career?
 A) He wasn’t able to produce a single book.
 B) He hadn’t seen a change for the better.
 C) He wasn’t able to have a rest for a whole years.
 D) He found his dream would never come true.
59. “…People who die wondering, What if?” (Line 3, Para.3) refers to “those __________”.
 A) who think too much of the dark side of life
 B) who regret giving up their career halfway
 C) who think a lot without making a decision
 D) who are full of imagination even upon death
60. “Shadowland” in the last sentence refers to _______.
 A) the wonderland one often dreams about
 B) the bright future that one is looking forward to
 C) the state of uncertainty before one’s final goal is reached
 D) a world that exists only in one’s imagination

Passage Three
Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage:
 It is everyone agrees, a huge task that the child performs when he learns to speak, and the fact that he does so in so short a period of time challenges explanation.
 Language learning begins with listening. Individual children vary greatly in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking, and late starters are often long listeners. Most children will “obey” spoken instructions some time before they can speak, though the word obey is hardly accurate as a description of the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises.
 Any attempt to trace the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves out as particularly indicative of delight, distress, sociability, and so on. But since these cannot be said to show the baby’s intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyments, and that by six months they are able to add new sounds to their repertoire（能发出的全部声音）. This self-imitation leads on to deliberate（有意识的）imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech.
61. By “…challenges explanation” (Line 2, Para.1) the author means that ________.
 A) no explanation is necessary for such an obvious phenomenon
 B) no explanation has been made up to now
 C) it’s no easy job to provide an adequate explanation
 D) it’s high time that an explanation was provided
62. The third paragraph is mainly about ______.
 A) the development of babies’ early forms of language
 B) the difficulties of babies in learning to speak
 C) babies’ strong desire to communicate
 D) babies’ intention to communicate
63. The author’s purpose in writing the second paragraph is to show that children ______.
 A) usually obey without asking questions
 B) are passive in the process of learning to speak
 C) are born cooperative
 D) learn to speak by listening
64. From the passage we learn that _______.
 A) early starters can learn to speak within only six months
 B) children show a strong desire to communicate by making noises
 C) imitation plays an important role in learning to speak
 D) children have various difficulties in learning to speak
65. The best for this passage would be ______.
 A) How Babies Learn to Speak
 B) Early Forms of Language
 C) A Huge Task for Children
 D) Noise Making and Language Learning

Passage Four
Questions 66 to 70 are based on the following passage:
 Psychologists take opposing views of how external rewards, from warm praise to cold cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and their consequences, argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Cognitive（认知学派的）researchers, who study various aspects of mental life, maintain that rewards often destroy creativity by encouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others.
 The latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. But the careful use of small monetary（金钱的）rewards sparks creativity in grade-school children, suggesting that properly presented inducements（刺激）indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
 “If kids know they’re working for a reward and can focus on a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity,” says Robert Eisenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark. “But it’s easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much anticipation for rewards.”
 A teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Eisenberger holds. As an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore failing grades.
  In earlier grades, the use of so-called token economies, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims.
66. Psychologists are divided with regard to their attitudes toward ______.
 A) the choice between spiritual encouragement and monetary rewards
 B) the amount of monetary rewards for student’ creativity
 C) the study of relationship between actions and their consequences
 D) the effects of external rewards on students’ performance
67. What is the response of many educators to external rewards for their students?
 A) They have no doubts about them.
 B) They have doubts about them.
 C) They approve of them.
 D) They avoid talking about them.
68. Which of the following can best raise students’ creativity according to Robert Eisenberger?
 A) Assigning them tasks they have not dealt with before.
 B) Assigning them tasks which require inventiveness.
 C) Giving them rewards they really deserve.
 D) Giving them rewards they anticipate.
69. It can be inferred from the passage that major universities are trying to tighten their grading standards because they believe ______.
 A) rewarding poor performance may kill the creativity of students
 B) punishment is more effective than rewarding
 C) failing uninspired students helps improve their overall academic standards
 D) discouraging the students’ anticipation for easy rewards is a matter of urgency
70. The phrase “token economies” (Line 1, Para.5) probably refers to ________.
 A) ways to develop economy
 B) systems of rewarding students
 C) approaches to solving problems
 D) methods of improving performance

参考答案：

1. C  2. B  3. A  4. D  5. B 6. D  7. A  8. C  9. D  10. C
11. B 12. D 13. C 14. D 15. A 16. A 17. B 18. B 19. A 20. C
21. D 22. B 23. D 24. B 25. B 26. C 27. A 28. A 29. C 30. D
31. C 32. C 33. D 34. D 35. A 36. B 37. B 38. A 39. B 40. C
41. D 42. B 43. D 44. A 45. A 46. C 47. D 48. C 49. A 50. C
51. B 52. D 53. C 54. A 55. D 56. A 57. D 58. B 59. B 60. C
61. C 62. A 63. D 64. C 65. A 66. D 67. B 68. C 69. A 70. B
71. 1930 - 1934 (or -1935) / from 1930 to 1934.
72. (The introduction of) Driving tests and pedestrian crossings.
73. exceeds the speed limits / breaks speeding laws
74. Speed limits reduce accidents.
75. The increase in traffic density.

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