2006年12月大学英语四级考试试题及参考答案

Part III Listing Comprehension
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 questions 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 decline 2 which is the best answer. Then marked the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
11.
A)Plan his budget carefully
B)Give her more information.
C)Ask someone else for advice.
D)Buy a gift for his girlfriend.

12.
A)She’ll have some chocolate cake.
B)She’ll take a look at the menu.
C)She’ll go without dessert.
D)She’ll prepare the dinner.

13.
A)The man can speak a foreign language.
B)The woman hopes to improve her English.
C)The woman knows many different languages.
D)The man wishes to visit many more countries.

14.
A)Go to the library.
B)Meet the woman.
C)See Professor Smith.
D)Have a drink in the bar.

15.
A)She isn’t sure when Professor Bloom will be back
B)The man shouldn’t be late for his class.
C)The man can come back sometime later.
D)She can pass on the message for the man.

16.
A)He has a strange personality.
B)He’s got emotional problems.
C)His illness is beyond cure.
D)His behavior is hard to explain.
　　
17.
A)The tickets are more expensive than expected.
B)The tickets are sold in advance at half price.
C)It’s difficult to buy the tickets on the spot.
D)It’s better to the tickets beforehand 3.
18.
A)He turned suddenly and ran into a tree.
B)He was hit by a fallen box from a truck.
C)He drove too fast and crashed into a truck.
D)He was trying to overtake the truck ahead of him.

Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19.
　 A) To go boating on the St. Lawrence River
B) To go sightseeing in Quebec Province
C) To call on a friend in Quebec City
D) To attend a wedding in Montreal

20.
A) Study the map of Quebec Province
B) Find more about Quebec Province
C) Brush up on her French
D) Learn more about the local customs

21.
A) It’s most beautiful in summer
B) It has many historical buildings.
C) It was greatly expanded in the 18th century.
D) It’s the only French-speaking city in Canada.

Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
22.
　 A) It was about a little animal.
B) It took her six years to write.
C) It was adapted from a fairy tale.
D) It was about a little girl and her pet.

23.
A) She knows how to write best-selling novels.
B) She can earn a lot of money by writing for adults.
C) She is able to win enough support from publishers.
D) She can make a living by doing what she likes.

24.
A) The characters.
B) Her ideas.
C) The readers.
D) Her life experiences.

25.
A) She doesn’t really know where they originated 4
B) She mainly drew on stories of ancient saints 5.
C) They popped out of her childhood dreams.
D) They grew out of her long hours of thinking.

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 Answer sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
26:
A)Monitor students’ sleep patterns.
B)Help students concentrate in class.
C)Record students’ weekly performance.
D)Ask students to complete a sleep report.

27:
A)Declining health.
B)Lack of attention.
C)Loss of motivation.
D)Improper behavior.

28:
A)They should make sure their children are always punctual for school.
B)They should ensure their children grow up in a healthy environment.
C)They should help their children accomplish high-quality work.
D)They should see to it that their children have adequate sleep.

Passage Two
Questions 29 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
29:
A)She stopped being a homemaker.
B)She became a famous educator.
C)She became a public figure.
D)She quit driving altogether.

30:
A)A motorist’s speeding.
B)Her running a stop sign.
C)Her lack of driving experience.
D)A motorist’s failure to concentrate.

31:
A)Nervous and unsure of herself.
B)Calm and confident of herself.
C)Courageous and forceful.
D)Distracted 6 and reluctant.

32:
A)More strict training of women drivers.
B)Restrictions 7 on cell phone use while driving.
C)Improved traffic conditions in cities.
D)New regulations to ensure children’s safety.

Passage Three
Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
33:
A)They haven’t devoted 8 as much energy to medicine as to space travel.
B)Three are too many kinds of cold viruses for them to identify.
C)It is not economical to find a cure for each for each type of cold.
D)They believe people can recover without treatment.

34:
A)They reveal the seriousness of the problem.
B)They indicate how fast the virus spreads.
C)They tell us what kind of medicine to take.
D)They show our body is fighting the virus.

35:
A) It actually does more harm than good.
B) It causes damage to some organs of our body
C) It works better when combined with other remedies.
D) It helps us to recover much sooner.

Section C Compound dictation:
　　You probably have noticed that people express similar ideas in different ways depending on the situation they are in. This is very __36___. All languages have two general levels of __37___: a formal level and an informal level. English is no __38___. The difference in these two levels is the situation in which you use a __39___ level. Formal language is the kind of language you find in textbooks, __40___ books and in business letters. You would also use formal English in compositions and __41___ that you write in school. Informal language is used in conversation with __42___, family members and friends, and when we write __43___ notes or letters to close friends. Formal language is different from informal language in several ways. First, formal language tends to be more polite. ____________44_____________. For example, I might say to a friend or a family member “Close the door, please”, ____________45_____________. Another difference between formal and informal language is some of the vocabulary. ______46________. Let’s say that I really like soccer. If I am talking to my friend, I might say “I am just crazy about soccer”, but if I were talking to my boss, I would probably say “I really enjoy soccer”.



2006-12-23四级短对话原文

11.
　　M: Christmas is round the corner and I’m looking for a gift for my girlfriend. Any suggestions?
　　W: Well, you have to tell me something about your girlfriend first. Also, what’s your budget?
　　Q: What does the woman want the man to do?
　　B. Give her more information.

12.
　　M: What would you like for dessert? I think I’ll have apple pie and ice cream.
　　W: The chocolate cake looks great. But I have to watch my weight, you go ahead and get yours.
　　Q: What will the woman most probably do?
　　C. She’ll go without dessert.

13.
　　W: Having visited so many countries, you must be able to speak several different languages!
　　M: I wish I could. But Japanese and, of course English are the only languages I can speak.
　　Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
　　A. The man can speak a foreign language.

14.
　　M: Prof. Smith asked me to go to his office after class. So it is impossible for me to make it to the bar at 10：00.
　　W: Then it seems we’ll have to meet an hour later at the library.
　　Q: What will the man do first after class?
　　C. See Prof. Smith

15.
　　M: It’s already 11：00 now. Do you mean I ought to wait until Prof. Bloom comes back from class?
　　W: Not really. You can just leave a note. I’ll give it to her later.
　　Q: What does the woman mean?
　　D. She can pass on the message for the man.

16.
　　M: How’s John now? Is he feeling any better?
　　W: Not yet. It still seems impossible to make him smile. Talking to him is really difficult. And he gets upset easily over little things.
　　Q: What do we learn about John from the conversation?
　　B. He’s got emotional problems.

17.
　　M: Do we have to get the opera tickets in advance?
　　W: Certainly! Tickets at the door are usually sold at a higher price.
　　Q: What does the woman imply?
　　D. It’s better to buy the tickets beforehand.

18.
　　M: The taxi driver must have been speeding.
　　W: Well, not really! He crashed into the tree because he was trying not to hit a box that had fallen off the truck ahead of him.
　　Q: What do we learn about the taxi driver?
　　A. He turned suddenly and ran into a tree.

23日四级长对话原文
Conversation One
　　W: Hey, Bob, guess what? I’m going to visit Quebec next summer. I’m invited to go to a friend’s wedding, but while I’m there, I’d also like to do some sightseeing.
　　M: That’s nice, Sherry. But do you mean the province of Quebec or Quebec City?
　　W: I mean the province. My friend’s wedding is in Montreal, so I’m going there first. I’ll stay for 5 days. Is Montreal the capital city of the province?
　　M: Well, many people think so because it’s the biggest city, but it’s not the capital. Quebec City is, but Montreal is great. The Santa Lawrence River runs right through the middle of the city. It’s beautiful in summer.
　　W: Wow, and do you think I can get by in English? My French is okay, but not that good. I know most people there speak French, but can I also use English?
　　M: Well, people speak both French and English there, but you’ll hear French most of the time and all the street signs are in French. In fact, Montreal is the third largest French-speaking city in the world. So you’d better practice your French before you go.
　　W: Good advice, what about Quebec City? I’ll visit a friend from college who lives there now. What’s it like?
　　M: It’s a beautiful city, very old. Many old buildings have been nicely restored. Some of them were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. You’ll love it there.
　　W: Fantastic, I can’t wait to go.
　　19. What’s the woman’s main purpose of visiting Quebec? D. To attend a wedding in Montreal.
　　20. What does the man advise the woman to do before the trip? C. Brush up on her French.
　　21. What does the man say about Quebec City? B. It has many historical buildings.

Conversation Two
　　M: Hi, Ms. Rowling. How old were you when you started to write, and what was your first book?
　　W: I wrote my first finished story when I was about 6. It was about a small animal, a rabbit I mean, and I’ve been writing ever since.
　　M: Why did you choose to be an author?
　　W: If someone asked me how to achieve happiness, step one would be finding out what you love doing most and step two would be finding someone to pay you to do it. I consider myself very lucky indeed to be able to support myself by writing.
　　M: Do you have any plans to write books for adults?
　　W: My first two novels were for adults. I suppose I might write another one, but I never really imagine a target audience when I’m writing. The ideas come first, so it really depends on the idea that grabs 9 me next!
　　M: Where did the ideas for the Harry 10 Potter books come from?
　　W: I’ve no idea where ideas come from and I hope I never find out, it would spoil my excitement if it turned out I just have a funny little wrinkle 11 on the surface of my brain which makes me think about invisible train platforms.
　　M: How do you come up with the names of your characters?
　　W: I invented some of the names in the Harry books, but I also collect strange names. I’ve gotten them from medieval 12 saints, maps, dictionaries, plants, war memorials, and people I’ve met!
　　M: Oh, you are really resourceful.
　　22. What do we learn from the conversation about Ms. Rowling’s first book? A. It was about a little animal.
　　23. Why does Ms. Rowling consider herself very luck? D. She can make a living by doing what she likes.
　　24. What dictates 13 Ms. Rowling’s writing? B. Her ideas.
　　25. According to Ms. Rowling, where did she get the ideas for the Harry Potter books? A. She doesn’t really know where they originated.

2006-12-23四级听力文章原文
Passage one
　　Reducing the amount of sleep students get at night has a direct impact on their performance at school during the day. According to classroom teachers, elementary and middle school students who stay up late exhibit more learning and attention problems. This has been shown by Brown Medical School and Bradley Hospital research. In the study, teachers were not told the amount of sleep students received when completing weekly performance reports. Yet they rated the students who have received eight hours or less as having the most trouble recalling old material, learning new lessons, and completing high quality work. Teachers also reported that these students had more difficulty paying attention. The experiment is the first to ask teachers to report on the effects of sleep deficiency 14 in children. ‘Just staying up late can cause increased academic difficulty and attention problems for otherwise healthy while functioning kids’, said G. F., the study’s lead author. So the results provide professionals and parents with a clear message: when a child is having learning and attention problems, the issue of sleep has to be taken into consideration. ‘If we don’t ask about sleep and try to improve sleep patterns in kids’ struggling academically, then we aren’t doing our job’, F said. For parents, he said, the message is simple. Getting kids to bed on time is as important as getting them to school on time.
　　26. What were teachers told to do in the experiment? C. Record students’ weekly performance.
　　27. According to the experiment, what problem can insufficient 15 sleep cause in students? B. Lack of attention.
　　28. What message did the researcher intend to convey to parents? D. They should see to it that their children have adequate sleep.

Passage two
　　P. P never wanted to be a national public figure. All she wanted to be was a mother and a homemaker. But her life was turned upside down when a motorist distracted by his cell phone, ran a stop sign and crashed into the side of her car. The impact killed her two-year-old daughter. Four months later, P. reluctantly but courageously 16 decided 17 to try to educate the public and to fight for laws to ban drivers from using cell phones while a car is moving. She wanted to save other children from what happened to her daughter. In her first speech, P. got off to a shaky start. She was visibly trembling and her voice was soft and uncertain. But as she got into her speech, a dramatic transformation 18 took place. She stopped shaking and spoke 1 with a strong voice. For the rest of her talk, she was a forceful and compelling speaker. She wanted everyone in the audience to know what she knew without having to learn it from a personal tragedy. Many in the audience were moved to tears, and to action. In subsequent 19 presentations, P. gained reputation as a highly effective speaker. Her appearance on a talk show was broadcast three times transmitting her message to over 14,000,000 people. Her campaign increased public awareness 20 of the problem and prompted over 300 cities and several states to consider restrictions on cell phone use.
　　29. What was the significant change in P. P.’s life?C. She became a public figure.
　　30. What had led to P.’s personal tragedy?D. A motorist’s failure to concentrate.
　　31. How did P. feel when she began her first speech?A. Nervous and unsure of herself.
　　32. What could be expected as a result of P.’s efforts?B. Restrictions on cell phone use while driving.

Passage 3
　　Many people catch a cold in the springtime or fall. It makes us wonder if scientists can send a man to the moon, why can’t they find a cure for the common cold? The answer is easy. There’re actually hundreds of kinds of cold viruses out there. You never know which one you will get, so there isn’t a cure for each one. When a virus attacks your body, your body works hard to get rid of it. Blood rushes to your nose and causes a blockage 21 in it. You feel terrible because you can’t breathe well. But your body is actually eating the virus. Your temperature rises and you get a fever. But the heat of your body is killing 22 the virus. You also have a running nose to stop the virus from getting to your cells. You may feel miserable 23 but actually your wonderful body is doing everything it can to kill the cold. Different people have different remedies for colds. In the United States and some other countries, for example, people might eat chicken soup to feel better. Some people take hot baths and drink warm liquids. Other people take medicines to relieve various symptoms of colds. There’s one interesting thing to note. Some scientists say taking medicines when you have a cold is actually bad for you. The virus stays in you longer because your body doesn’t develop a way to fight it and kill it.
　　33. According to the passage, why haven’t the scientists find a cure for the common cold? B. There are too many kinds of cold viruses for them to identify.
　　34. What does the speaker say about the symptoms of the common cold? D. They show our body is fighting the virus.
　　35. What do some scientists say about taking medicines for the common cold according to the passage? A. It actually does more harm than good.

2006-12-23四级听写原文
　　You probably have noticed that people express similar ideas in different ways, depending on the situations they are in. This is very natural. All languages have two general levels of usage 24 – a formal level and an informal level. English is no exception. The difference in these two levels is the situation in which you use a particular level. Formal language is the kind of language you find in textbooks, reference 25 books and in business letters. You would also use formal English in compositions and essays that you write in school. Informal language is used in conversation with colleagues, family members and friends, and when we write personal notes or letters to close friends.
　　Formal language is different from informal language in several ways. First, formal language tends to be more polite. What we may find interesting is that it usually takes more words to be polite. For example, I might say to a friend or a family member “Close the door, please.” But to a stranger, I probably would say, “Would you mind closing the door?” Another difference between formal and informal language is some of the vocabulary. There are bound to be some words and phrases that belong in formal language and others that are informal. Let’s say that I really like soccer. If I am talking to my friend, I might say, “I am just crazy about soccer.” But if I were talking to my boss, I would probably say, “I really enjoy soccer.”
　　36. natural
　　37. usage
　　38. exception
　　39. particular
　　40. reference
　　41. essays
　　42. colleagues
　　43. personal
　　44. What we may find interesting is that it usually takes more words to be polite.
　　45. But to a stranger, I probably would say, “Would you mind closing the door?”
　　46. There are bound to be some words and phrases that belong in formal language and others that are informal