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2018年6月大学英语四级考试真题及参考答案（第1套）
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part，you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the importance of writing ability and how to develop it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than180 words.
【参考范文】
No body could deny that writing is one of the basic abilities for men. Put it another way, it is unlikely to imagine human civilization without writing ability.
At the top of the list, if we overlook the significance of writing ability, we will suffer a great difficulty in our daily written communication. In addition to what has been mentioned above, it is advisable for us to attach importance to this ability because writing plays a key in our academic performance. To summarize,writing does carry a positive implication for our life and study.
In view of the great value of writing ability, we should take actions to develop this capability. For my part, initially, we are supposed to keep in mind that reading is the first step of writing, so we should read great books as many as possible, learning from the great works how to write concisely and effectively. Moreover, owing to the fact that practice makes perfect, we should frequently practice writing; for example, we may develop the habit of keeping a diary.
PartⅡ Listening Comprehension ( 25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and then 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 Answer Sheet 1with a single line through the centre.
Questions l and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four 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 Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
【参考答案】暂缺
Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension ( 40 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 list 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 of the words in the bank more than once．
Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
Since the 1940s, southern California has had a reputation for smog. Things are not as bad as they once were but, according to the American Lung Association, Los Angeles is still the worst city in the United States for levels of 26 . Gazing down on the city from the Getty Center, an art museum in the Santa Monica Mountains, one would find the view of the Pacific Ocean blurred by the haze (霾). Nor is the state’s had air 27 to its south. Fresno, in the central valley, comes top of the list in America for year-round pollution. Residents’ hearts and lungs are affected as a 28 .
All of which, combined with California’s reputation as the home of technological 29 , makes the place ideal for developing and testing systems designed to monitor pollution in 30 . And that is just what Aclima, a new firm in San Francisco, has been doing over the past few months. It has been trying out monitoring that are 31 to yield minute-to-minute maps of 32 air pollution. Such stations will also be able to keep an eye on what is happening inside buildings, including offices.
To this end, Aclima has been 33 with Google’s Street View system. Davida Herzl, Aclima’s boss, says they have revealed pollution highs on days when San Francisco’s transit workers went on strike and the city’s 34 were forced to use their cars. Conversely, “cycle to work” days have done their job by 35 pollution lows.
assisted
collaborating
consequence
consumers
creating
detail
domestic
frequently
inhabitants
innovation
intended
outdoor
pollutants
restricted
Sum
【参考答案】
M pollutants .
N restricted .
C consequence .
J innovation .
F detail .
K intended .
L outdoor .
33. B collaborating .
34. I inhabitants .
35. E creating.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
【参考答案】
36-40 KDMGB
41-45 LHFJC
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. 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 Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Living in an urban area with green spaces has a long-lasting positive impact on people's mental well-being, a study has suggested. UK researchers found moving to a green space had a sustained positive effect, unlike pay rises or promotions, which only provided a short-term boost. Co-author Mathew White, from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter, UK, explained that the study showed people living in greener urban areas were displaying fewer signs of depression or anxiety. "There could be a number of reasons,” he said, “for example, people do many things to make themselves happier: they strive for promotion or pay rises, or they get married. But the trouble with all those things is that within six months to a year, people are back to their original baseline levels of well-being. So, these things are not sustainable; they don’t make us happy in the long term. We found that for some lottery（彩票）winners who had won more than ￡500,000 the positive effect was definitely there, but after six months to a year, they were back to the baseline."
Dr. White said his team wanted to see whether living in greener urban areas had a lasting positive effect on people's sense of well-being or whether the effect also disappeared after a period of time. To do this, the team used data from the British Household Panel Survey compiled by the University of Essex.
Explaining what the data revealed, he said: "What you see is that even after three years, mental health is still better, which is unlike many of the other things that we think will make us happy." He observed that people living in green spaces were less stressed, and less stressed people made more sensible decisions and communicated better.
With a growing body of evidence establishing a link between urban green spaces and a positive impact on human well-being, Dr. White said, “There’s growing interest among public policy officials, but the trouble is who funds it. What we really need at a policy level is to decide where the money will come from to help support good quality local green spaces.”
46. According to one study, what do green spaces do to people?
A) Improve their work efficiency.
B) Add to their sustained happiness.
C) Help them build a positive attitude towards life.
D) Lessen their concerns about material well-being.
47. What does Dr. White say people usually do to make themselves happier?
A) Earn more money.
B) Gain fame and popularity.
C) Settle in an urban area.
D) Live in a green environment.
48. What does Dr. White try to find out about living in a greener urban area?
A) How it affects different people.
B) How strong its effect is.
C) How long its positive effect lasts.
D) How it benefits physically
49. What did Dr. White research reveal about people living in a green environment?
A) Their stress was more apparent than real.
B) Their decisions required less deliberation.
C) Their memories were greatly strengthened.
D) Their communication with others improved.
50. According to Dr. White, what should the government do to build more green spaces in cities?
A) Find financial support.
B) Improve urban planning.
C) Involve local residents in the effort.
D) Raise public awareness of the issue.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
You probably know about the Titanic, but it was actually just one of three state-of-the-art (最先进的) ocean ships back in the day. The Olympic class ships were built by the Harland & Wolff ship makers in Northern Ireland for the White Star Line company. The Olympic class included the Olympic, the Britannic and the Titanic, What you may not know is that the Titanic wasn’t even the flagship of this class. All in all, the Olympic class ships were marvels of sea engineering, but they seemed cursed to suffer disastrous fates.
The Olympic launched first in 1910, followed by the Titanic in 1911, and lastly the Britannic in 1914. The ships had nine decks, and Whits Star Line decided to focus on making them the most luxurious ships on the water.
Stretching 269.13 meters, the Olympic class ships were wonders of naval technology, and everyone thought that they would continue to be so for quite some time. However, all suffered terrible accidents on the open seas, The Olympic got wrecked before the Titanic did, but it was the only one to survive and maintain a successful career of 24 years. The Titanic was the first to sink after famously hitting a huge iceberg in 1912. Following this disaster, the Britannic hit a naval mine in 1916 and subsequently sank as well.
Each ship was coal-powered by several boilers constantly kept running by exhausted crews below deck. Most recognizable of the ship designs are the ship’s smoke stacks, but the fourth stack was actually just artistic in nature and served no functional purpose. While two of these ships sank, they were all designed with double hulls（船体）believed to make them “unsinkable”, perhaps a mistaken idea that led to the Titanic’s and the Britannic’s tragic end.
The Olympic suffered two crashes with other ships and went on to serve as a hospital ship and troop transport in World WarⅠ. Eventually, she was taken out of service in 1935, ending the era of the luxurious Olympic class ocean liners.
51.What does the passage say about the three Olympic class ships?
A)They performed marvelously on the sea.
B)They could all break the ice in their way.
C)They all experienced terrible misfortunes.
D)They were models of modern engineering.
52.What did White Star Line have in mind when it purchased the three ships?
A)Their capacity of sailing across all waters.
B)The utmost comfort passengers could enjoy.
C)Their ability to survive disasters of any kind.
D)The long voyages they were able to undertake.
53.What is said about the fourth stack of the ships?
A)It was a mere piece of decoration.
B)It was the work of a famous artist.
C)It was designed to let out extra smoke.
D)It was easily identifiable from afar.
54.What might have led to the tragic end of the Titanic and the Britannic?
A)Their unscientific designs.
B)Their captains’ misjudgment.
C)The assumption that they were built with the latest technology.
D)The belief that they could never sink with a double-layer body.
55.What happened to the ship Olympic in the end?
A)She was used to carry troops.
B)She was converted into a hospital ship.
C)She was sunk in World WarⅠ.
D)She was retired after her naval service.
【参考答案】
46-50 BACDA
51-55 CBADD
Part IV Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
过去，乘飞机出行对大多数中国人来说是难以想象的。如今随着经济的发展和生活水平的提高，越来越多的中 国人包括许多农民和外出务工人员都能乘飞机出行。他们可以乘飞机到达所有大城市，还有许多城市也在筹建 机场。航空服务不断改进，而且经常会有特价机票。所年来，节假日期间选择飞机外出旅游的人不断增加。
【参考译文】
In the past, it was unimaginable to travel by plane for most Chinese. With the development of economy and the improvement of living standards, an increasing number of Chinese people, including many farmers and migrant workers, can travel by air. They can fly to all major cities, and we can see lots of cities are preparing to build airports. Airline services have been improved constantly and discounted tickets are often available. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of people choosing to travel by air during the holidays.
听力原文
Part II Listening Comprehension
News Report One
A Message in a bottle sent out to sea by a New Hampshire man more than five decades ago was found 1,500 miles away and has been returned to his daughter. The long lost message was discovered by Clint Buffington of Utah while he was vacationing. Buffington says he found a soda bottle half buried in the sand that looked like it had been there since the beginning of time. The note inside the bottles said, “return to 419 Ocean Street and receive a reward of $150 from Richard and Tina Pierce, owners of the Beach comber motel.” The motel was owned by the parents of Paula Pierce in 1960. Her father had written the note as a joke and had thrown it into the Atlantic Ocean. Buffington flew to New Hampshire to deliver the message to Paula Pierce. She held up to her father’s promise giving Buffington that reward, but the biggest reward is the message in a bottle finding its way back home.
Q1. What is the news report mainly about?
Q2. Why did Pollard Pearce give Clint Buffington the reward?
News Report Two
Millions of bees have died in South Carolina during aerial insect spraying operations that were carried out to combat the Zika virus. The insect spraying over the weekend left more than 2 million bees dead on the spot in Dorchester County South Carolina, where four travel-related cases of Zika disease have been confirmed in the area. Most of the deaths came from flower town bee farm, a company in Summer-ville that sells bees and honey products, Juanita Stanley who owns the company said the farm looks like it’s been destroyed, the farm lost about 2.5 million bees. Dorchester County officials apologized for the accidental mass killing of bees. Dorchester County is aware that some beekeepers in the area that was sprayed on Sunday lost their bee colonies. County Manager Jason Ward said in a statement: I’m not pleased that so many bees were killed.
Q3. Why was spraying operations carried out in Dorchester County.
Q4. Why does the news reports say about flower town bee farm.
News Report Three
The world’s largest aircraft has taken to the skies for the first time. The Air-Lander 10 spent nearly two hours in the air, having taken off from Cardington airfield in Bedfordshire. During its flight, it reached 3000 feet and performed a series of gentle turns all over a safe area. The aircraft is massive as long as a football field and as tall as six double decker buses and capable of flying for up to five days. It was first developed for the U.S.government as a long-range spy aircraft but was abandoned following budget cutbacks. The aircraft cost 25 million pounds and can carry heavier loads than huge jet planes while also producing less noise and emitting less pollution. The makers believe it’s the future of aircraft and one day we’ll be using them to go places. But there’s still a long way to go. The air lander will need to have two hundred hours flying time before being allowed to fly by the Aviation Administration. If it passes though we can hope we’ll all get some extra leg room.
Q5. What do we learn about the first flight of the Air-Lander 10?
Q6. What caused the U.S. government to abandon the Air-Lander 10 as a spy aircraft?
Q7. What is the advantage of Air-Lander 10 over huge jet planes?
Section B
Conversation One
M:Do you feel like going out tonight?
W:Yeah, why not? We haven’t been out for ages.
M:What a shame. Well, there is a film about climate change. Does it sound good to you?
W:No, not really. It doesn’t really appeal to me. What is it about? Just climate change?
M:I think it’s about how climate change affects everyday life. I wonder how they make it entertaining.
W:Well, it sounds really awful. It’s an important subject, I agree. But I’m not in the mood for anything depressing. What else is on?
M:There’s a Spanish Dance Festival.
W:Oh, I love dance. That sounds really interesting.
M:Apparently, it’s absolutely brilliant. Let’s see what it says in the paper,“Anna Gomez leads in an exciting production of the great Spanish love story, Carmen.”
W:OK, then what time is it on?
M:At 7:30. Well, that’s no good. We haven’t got enough time to get there. Is there anything else?
M:There is a comedy special on.
W: Where’s it on? It’s at the City Theatre. It’s a charity comedy night with lots of different acts. It looks pretty good. The critic in the local papers says it’s the funniest thing he’s ever seen. It says here Roger Whitehead is an amazing host to a night of foreign performances.
W: Emm...I’m not keen on him. He’s not very funny.
M:Are you sure you fancy going out tonight? You’re not very enthusiastic.
W:Perhaps you’re right. OK. Let’s go see the dance. But tomorrow, not tonight.
M: Great. I’ll book the tickets online.
Q8.What does the woman think of climate change?
Q9.Why did the speakers give up going to the Spanish Dance Festival tonight?
Q10.What does the critic say about the comedy performed at the City Theatre?
Q11.What does the woman decide to do tomorrow?
Conversation Two
W:Good morning, Mr. Lee. May I have a minute of your time?
M:Sure, Catherine. What can I do for you?
W:I’m quite anxious about transferring over to your college. I’m afraid I won’t fit in.
M:Don’t worry, Catherine. It’s completely normal for you to be nervous about transferring schools. This happens to many transfer students.
W:Yes, I know, but I’m younger than most of the students in my year. And that worries me a lot.
M:Well, you may be the only younger one in your year, but you know, we have a lot of after-school activities you can join in. And so, this way you’ll be able to meet new friends of different age groups.
W:That’s nice. I love games and hobby groups.
M:I’m sure you do. So you’ll be just fine. Don’t worry so much and try to make the most of what we have on offer here. Also, remember that you can come to me anytime of the day if you need help.
W:Thanks so much. I definitely feel better now. As a matter of fact, I’ve already contacted one of the girls who’d be living in the same house as me and she seemed really nice. I guess living on campus I’ll have a chance to have a closer circle of friends since we’ll be living together.
M:All students are very friendly with new arrivals. Let me check who would be living with you in your flat. OK. There are Hannah, Kelly and Bree. Bree is also a new student here like you. I’m sure you two will have more to share with each other.
Q12.Why does Catherine feel anxious?
Q13.What does Mr. Lee encourage Catherine to do?
Q14.What does Mr. Lee promise to do for Catherine?
Q15.What do we learn about Catherine’s schoolmate Bree?
Section C
Passage One
Have you ever felt like you would do just about anything to satisfy your hunger? A new study in mice may help to explain why hunger can feel like such a powerful motivating force. In the study, researchers found that hunger outweighed other physical drives including fear, thirst and social needs to determine which feeling won out. The researchers did a series of experiments.
In one experiment, the mice were both hungry and thirsty. When given the choice of either eating food or drinking water, the mice went for the food the researchers found. However, when the mice were well-fed but thirsty they opted to drink according to the study.
The second experiment meant to pit the mice’s hunger against their fear. Hungry mice were placed in a cage that had certain Fox centered areas and other places that smelled safer. In other words, not like an animal that could eat them but also had food. It turned out that when the mice were hungry they ventured into the unsafe areas for food. But when the mice were well-fed they stayed in areas of the cage that were considered safe. Hunger also outweighed the mice’s social needs, the researchers found. Mice are usually social animals and prefer to be in the company of other mice according to the study. When the mice were hungry they opted to leave the company of other mice to go get food.
Q16. What is the researchers’ purpose in carrying out the Su’s experiments with mice?
Q17. In what circumstances do mice venture into unsafe areas?
Q18. What is said about mice at the end of the passage?
Passage Two
The United States has one of the best highway systems in the world. Interstate highways connect just about every large and mid-sized city in the country. Did you ever wonder why such a complete system of excellent roads exists? For an answer, you would have to go back to the early 1920s. In those years just after World War I, the military wanted to build an American highway system for national defense. Such a system could if necessary move troops quickly from one area to another. It could also get people out of cities in danger of being bombed, so-called roads of national importance were designated, but they were mostly small country roads. In 1944 Congress passed a bill to upgrade the system but did not fund the plan right away. In the 1950s, the plan began to become a reality. Over 25 billion dollars was appropriated by Congress and construction began on about 40,000 miles of new roads. The idea was to connect the new system to existing expressways and freeways. And though the system was built mostly to make car travel easier, defense was not forgotten. For instance, highway overpasses had to be high enough to allow trailers carrying military missiles to pass under them. By 1974, this system was mostly completed a few additional roads would come later. Quick and easy travel between all parts of the country was now possible.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
Q19. What does the speaker say about the American highway system?
Q20. What was the original purpose of building a highway system?
Q21. When was the interstate highway system mostly completed?
Passage Three
Texting while driving was listed as a major cause of road deaths among young Americans back in 2013. A recent study said that 40 percent of American teens claimed to have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger. This sounds like a widespread disease but it’s one that technology may now help to cure. T.J. Evert, a 20-year-old inventor, has come up with a novel solution that could easily put texting drivers on notice. It’s called Smart Wheel and it’s designed to fit over the steering wheel of most standard vehicles to track whether or not the driver has two hands on the wheel at all times. Evert’s invention warns the drivers with a light and a sound when they hold the wheel with one hand only. But as soon as they place the other hand back on the wheel the light turns back to green and the sound stops. It also watches for what’s called “close by hands”where both hands are close together near the top of the wheel, so the driver can type with both thumbs and drive at the same time. All the data smart wheel collects is also sent to a connected app, so any parents who install smart wheel can keep track of the teen’s driving habits. If they try to remove or damage the cover, that’s reported as well.
Q22. What is a major cause of road deaths among young Americans?
Q23. What is Smart Wheel?
Q24. What happens if the driver has one hand on the wheel?
Q25. How do parents keep track of their teen’s driving habits?
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