2006年6月17日大学英语四级B卷真题

　　Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

Passage two

　　Educating girls quite possibly yields a higher rate of return than any other investment available in the developing world. Women's education may be unusual territory for economists, but enhancing women's contribution to development is actually as much an economic as a social issue. And economics, with its emphasis on incentives (激励), provides guideposts that point to an explanation for why so many girls are deprived of an education.

　　Parents in low-income countries fail to invest in their daughters because they do not expect them to make an economic contribution to the family: girls grow up only to marry into somebody else's family and bear children. Girls are thus seen as less valuable than boys and art kept at home to do housework while their brothers are sent to school - the prophecy （预言) becomes self- fulfilling, trapping women in a vicious circle (恶性循环) of neglect.

　　An educated mother, on the other hand, has greater earning abilities outside the home and faces an entirely different set of choices. She is likely to have fewer but healthier children and can insist on the development of all her children, ensuring that her daughters are given a fair chance. The education of her daughters then makes it much more likely that the next generation of girls, as well as of boys, will be educated and healthy. The vicious circle is thus transformed into a virtuous circle.

　　Few will dispute that educating women has great social benefits. But it has enormous economic advantages as well. Most obviously, there is the direct effect of education on the wages of female workers. Wages rise by 10 to 20 per cent for each additional year of schooling. Such big returns are impressive by the standard of other available investments, but they are just the beginning. Educating women also has a significant impact on health practices, including family planning.

　　26. The author argues that educating girls in developing countries is

　　A) troublesome C) rewarding

　　B) labor-saving D) expensive

　　27. By saying "... the prophecy becomes self-fulfilling ..." (Lines 45. Para. 2). the author means that

　　A) girls will turn out to be less valuable than boys

　　B) girls will be capable of realizing their own dreams

　　C) girls will eventually find their goals in life beyond reach

　　D) girls will be increasingly discontented with their life at home

　　28. The author believes that a vicious circle can turn into a virtuous circle when

　　A) women care more about education

　　B) girls can gain equal access to education

　　C) a family has fewer but healthier children

　　D) parents can afford their daughters' education

　　29. What does the author say about women's education?

　　A) It deserves greater attention than other social issues.

　　B) It is now given top priority in many developing countries.

　　C) It will yield greater returns than other known investments.

　　D) It has aroused the interest of a growing number of economists.

　　30. 7be passage mainly discusses

　　A) unequal treatment of boys and girls in developing countries

　　B) the potential earning power of well-educated women

　　C) the major contributions of educated women to society

　　D) the economic and social benefits of educating women

Passage Three

　　Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

　　Speeding off in a stolen car, the thief thinks he has got a great catch. But he is in for an unwelcome surprise. The car is fitted with a remote immobiliser (锁止器), and a radio signal from a control centre miles away will ensure that once the thief switches the engine off, he will not be able to start it again.

　　The idea goes like this. A control box fitted to the car contains a mini-cellphone, a micro- processor and memory, and a GPS (全球定位系统) satellite positioning receiver. ff the car is stolen, a coded cellphone signal will tell the control centre to block the vehicle's engine management system and prevent the engine being restarted. daoahngtigong

　　In the UK, a set of technical fixes is already making life harder for car thieves. 'The pattern of vehicle crime has changed,' says Martyn Randall, a security expert. He says it would only take him a few minutes to teach a person how to steal a car, using a bare minimum of tools. But only if the car is more than 10 years old.

　　Modern cars are far tougher to steal, as their engine management computer won't allow them to start unless they receive a unique ID code beamed out by the ignition (点火) key. In the UK, technologies like this have helped achieve a 31% drop in vehicle-related crime since 1997.

　　But determined criminals are still managing to find other ways to steal cars, often by getting bold of the owner's keys. And key theft is responsible for 40% of the thefts of vehicles fitted with a tracking system.

　　If the car travels 100 metres without the driver confirming their ID, the system will send a signal to an operations centre that it has been stolen. The hundred metres minimum avoids false alarms due to inaccuracies in the GPS signal.

　　Staff at the centre will then contact the owner to confirm that the car really is missing, and keep police informed of the vehicle's movements via the car's GPS unit.

　　31. What's the

Passage Four

　　Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

　　Psychiatrists 精神病专家) who work with older parents say that maturity can be an asset in child rearing - older parents are more thoughtful, use less physical discipline and spend more time with their children. But raising kids takes money and energy. Many older parents find themselves balancing their limited financial resources, declining energy and failing health against the growing demands of an active child. Dying and leaving young children is probably the older parents' biggest, and often unspoken, fear. Having late-life children, says an economics professor. often means parents, particularly fathers, "end up retiring much later." For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream.

　　Henry Metcalf. a 54-year-old journalist, knows it takes money to raise kids. But he's also worried that his energy will give out first. Sure, he can still ride bikes with his athletic fifth grader, but he's learned that young at heart doesn't mean young. Lately he's been taking afternoon naps (午睡) daohang to keep up his energy. "My body is aging," says Metcalf. "You can't get away from that."

　　Often, older parents hear the ticking of another kind of biological clock. Therapists who work with middle-aged and older parents say fears about aging are nothing to laugh at. "They worry they'll be mistaken for grandparents, or that they'll need help getting up out of those little chairs in nursery school," says Joann Galst, a New York psychologist. But at the core of those little fears there is often a much bigger one: "that they won't be alive long enough to support and protect their child," she says.

　　Many late-life parents, though, say their children came at just the right time. After marrying late and undergoing years of fertilily (受孕) treatment, Marilyn Nolen and her husband. Randy, had twins. "We both wanted children," says Marilyn, who was 55 when she gave birth. The twins have given the couple what they desired for years, "a sense of family." Kids of older dads are often smarter, happier and more sociable because their fathers are more involved in their lives. 'The dads are older, more mature," says Dr. Silber, "and more ready to focus on parenting."

　　36. Why do psychiatrists regard maturity as an asset in child rearing?

　　A) Older parents are often better prepared financially.

　　B) Older parents can take better care of their children.

　　C) Older parents are usually more experienced in bringing up their children.

　　D) Older parents can better balance their resources against children's demands.

　　37. What does the author mean by saying "For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream" (Lines 7-8, Para. 1)?

　　A) They are reluctant to retire when they reach their retirement age.

　　B) They can't obtain the retirement benefits they have dreamed of.

　　C) They can't get full pension unless they work some extra years.

　　D) They have to go on working beyond their retirement age.

　　38. The author gives the example of Henry Metcalf to show that

　　A) older parents should exercise more to keep up with their athletic children

　　B) many people are young in spirit despite their advanced age

　　C) older parents tend to be concerned about their aging bodies

　　D) taking afternoon naps is a good way to maintain energy

　　39. What's the biggest fear of older parents according to New York psychologist Joan Galst?

　　A) Approaching of death. C) Being laughed at by other people.

　　B) Slowing down of their pace of life. D) Being mistaken for grandparents.

　　40. What do we learn about Marilyn and Randy Nolen?

　　A) They thought they were an example of successful fertility treatment.

　　B) Not until they reached middle age did they think of having children.

　　C) Not until they had the twins did they feel they had formed a family.

　　D) They believed that children born of older parents would be smarter.

Part III Vocabulary (20 minutes)

　　Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences it: this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose cite ONE answer that best completes the sentence. Then mark the Corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

　　4l. People's expectations about the future may have more influence on their sense of well-being than their state does.

　　A) current C) modern

　　B) initial D) primitive

　　42. After working all day, he was so tired that he was in no to go to the party with us.

　　A) taste C) sense

　　B) mood D) emotion

　　43. There is already clear to show that plants and animals are being affected by climate change.

　　 A) witness C) identity

　　B) certification D) evidence

　　44. Many women still feel that they are being by a male culture, particularly in the professional services sector.

　　A) held back C) held on

　　B) held forth D) held out

　　45. The findings paint a unique picture of the shopping habits of customers, plus their motivation and

　　A) privileges C) possessions

　　B) possibilities D) preferences

　　46. It's good to know that quite a few popular English expressions actually from the Bible.

　　A) acquire C) derive

　　B) obtain D) result

　　47. Tom, did it ever to you that you would be punished for cheating on exams?

　　A) happen C) reflect

　　B) occur D) strike

　　48. In the US, 88 percent of smokers had started before they were 18, despite the fact that it is to sell

　　cigarettes to anyone under that age.

　　A) liable C) irrational

　　B) liberal D) illegal

　　49. According to the key witnesses, a peculiarly big nose is the criminal's most memorable facial

　　A) feature C) spot

　　B) hint D) signature

　　50. Brarll's constitution the military use of nuclear energy.

　　A) withdraws C) interrupts

　　B) forbids D) objects

　　51. Some people argue that the death does not necessarily reduce the number of murders.

　　A) plot C) penalty

　　B) practice D) pattern

　　52. Many personnel managers say it is getting harder and harder to honest applicants from the growing number of dishonest ones.

　　A) distinguish C) dissolve

　　B) disguise D) discount

　　53. A study shows that students living in non-smoking dorms are less likely to the habit of smoking.

　　A) make up C) draw up

　　B) turn up D) pickup

　　54. Almost all job applicants are determined to leave a good on a potential employer.

　　A) illusion C) impression

　　B) reputation D) reflection

　　55. A special feature of education at MIT is the opportunity for students and faculty to together

　　in research activities.

　　A) specialize C) consist

　　B) participate D) involve

　　56. Although they lost their jobs, savings and unemployment benefits allow the couple to

　　their comfortable home.

　　A) come in for C) look forward to

　　B) catch up with D) hold on to

　　57. Although many experts agree that more children are overweight, there is debate over the best ways to

　　the problem.

　　A) relate C) file

　　B) tackle D) attach

　　58. An important factor in determining how well you perform in an examination is the of your mind.

　　A) state C) situation

　　B) case D) circumstance

　　59. Research shows that there is no relationship between how much a person earns and whether he feels good about life.

　　A) successive C)significant

　　B) subsequent D) sincere

　　60. Sadly, as spending on private gardens has , spending on public parks has generally declined. A) heightened C) flown

　　B) lifted D) soared

　　61. Lung cancer, like some other cancers, often doesn't produce until it is too late and has spread beyond the chest to the brain, liver or bones.

　　A) trails C) symptoms

　　B) therapies D) symbols

　　62. With the increasing unemployment rate, workers who are 50 to 60 years old are usually the first to be

　　A) laid off C) laid out

　　B) laid aside D) laid up

　　63. The physical differences between men and women can be directly to our basic n as hunters and child-bearers.

　　A) pursued C) switched

　　B) traced D) followed

　　64. It is clear that the dog has a much greater of its brain devoted to smell than is the case with humans.

　　A) composition C) percent

　　B) compound D) proportion

　　65. American college students are increasingly with credit card debt and the consequences can be rather serious.

　　A) boosted C) discharged

　　B) burdened D) dominated

　　66. Numerous studies already link the first meal of the day to better classroom

　　A) performance C) behavior

　　B)

Part IV Cloze (15 minutes)

　　Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are jour choices marked A). B). C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

　　The part of the environmental movement that draws my firm's attention is the design of cities. buildings and products. When we designed America's first so-called "green" office building in New York two decades 7L_, we felt very alone. But today, thousands of people come to green building conferences, and the 72 that buildings can be good for people and the environment will be increasingly influential in years to 73 .

　　Back in 1984 we discovered that most manufactured products for decoration weren't designed for 74 use. The "energy-efficient" sealed commercial buildings constructed after the 1970s energy crisis 75 indoor air quality problems caused by materials such as paint, wall covering and carpet. So far 20 years. we've been focusing on these materials 76 to the molecules, looking for ways to make them 77 for people and the planet.

　　Home builders can now use materials-such as paints that release significantly _78_ amounts of organic compounds -that don't 79 the quality of the air, water, or soil. Ultimately. 80_, our basic design strategy is focused not simply on being "less bad" but on creating 81 healthful materials that can be either safely returned to the soil _82_ reused by industry again and again. As a matter of _83, the world's largest carpet manufacturer has already _ 84_"_ a carpet that is fully and safely recyclable (可循环用的).

　　Look at it this way: No one __85 out to create a building that destroys the planet. But our current industrial systems are } 86 causing these conditions, whether we like it or not. So 87_ of simply trying to reduce the damage, we are _88_ a positive approach. We're giving people high-quality, healthful products and an opportunity to make choices that have a 89 effect on the world. It's not just the building industry, either. 90_ cities are taking these environmentally positive approaches to design, planning and building. Portland, Seattle and Boston have said they want to be green cities. Chicago wants to be the greenest city in the world.

　　71. A) ago C) before B) off D) away

　　72. A) practice C) idea B) outlook D) scheme

　　73. A) go C) arrive B) come D) continue

　　74. A) indoor C) relevant B) inward D) flexible

　　75. A) displayed C) exhibited B) discovered D) revealed

　　76. A) back C) next B) down D) near

　　77. A) comfortable C) safe B) cautious D) stable

　　78. A) reduced C) descended B) revised D) delayed

　　79. A) deny C) dissolve B) depress D) destroy

　　80. A) besides C) anyhow B) however D) anyway

　　81. A)partially C) completely B) exactly D) superficially

　　82.A)or C) but B)and D) nor

　　83. A) interest C) principle B) fact D) course

　　84. A) sketched C) researched B) constructed D) developed

　　85. A) starts C) looks B) pulls D) makes

　　86. A) basically C) traditionally B) originally D) inevitably

　　87. A) because C) instead B) out D) regardless

　　88. A) adjusting C) adopting B) admitting D) adapting

　　89. A) functional C) precious B) beneficial D) sensible

　　90. A) Entire C) Full B) Total D) Complete

　　2006年6月17日四级考试作文

　　Part V. Writing (30 minutes)

　　Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a poster recruiting volunteers. You should write at Least 120 words following the outline given below :

　　1．校学生会将组织一次暑假志愿者活动，现招募志愿者

　　2．本次志愿者活动的目的、活动安排等

　　3．报名条件及联系方式

　　Volunteers Needed