2013年12月英语四级考试真题与答案

Question 1

M: After high school, I’d like to go to college and major in business administration.

W: But I’d rather spend my college days finding out how children learn.

Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

Question 2

W: Is everything ready for the conference?

M: The only thing left to do is set up the microphones and speakers. They'll be here in a few minutes.

Q: What preparations have yet to be made?

Question 3

W: Is it almost time to go home now? I'm so tired. I can hardly see straight.

M: Just a few more minutes, then we can go.

Q: What is the woman’s problem?

Question 4

W: I'm not sure what I’m in a mood for. Ice-cream or sandwiches? They are both really good here.

M: The movie starts in an hour. And we still have to get there and park. So just make a decision.

Q: What does the man mean?

Question 5

W: Tom said he would come to repair our solar heater when he has time.

M: He often says he is willing to help, but he never seems to have time.

Q: What does the man imply about Tom?

Question 6

W: So you know that Sam turns down the job offered by the travel agency.

M: Yes. The hours were convenient. But if he had accepted it, he wouldn’t be able to make ends meet.

Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

Question 7

M: Could you tell me a bit about the business your company is doing?

W: We mainly deal with large volume buyers from western countries and our products have been well received.

Q: What business is the woman’s company doing?

Question 8

W: Yesterday I made reservations for my trip to Miami next month.

M: You must really be looking forward to it. You haven’t had any time off for at least two years.

Q: What is the woman going to do?

【答案】

1.D  The woman is going to major in child education.

2.B  The sound equipment has to be set up.

3.A  She is exhausted 1.

4.C  The woman should order her food quickly.

5. B  He doesn’t keep his promises.

6.C  The pay offer by the travel agency is too low.

7.A  International trade.

8.D  Take a vacation.

【点评】

本次四级短对话无论从对话内容还是从题目本身来看，整体难度相对简单，和往年该部分相类似，话题覆盖日常生活（生活琐事、看电影、旅游等）、校园生活、商务工作（会议、求职等）。例如，对话2、6、7均涉及商务工作话题；对话3、4、5、8均涉及日常生活话题；对话1则为校园生活话题。主要考查事实细节和推理判断，其中，事实细节题比重相对较大，这对于广大考生来说是有利的。主要难词生词有：solar heater“太阳能热水器”，travel agency“旅行社”，make ends meet“收支相抵”，make reservations for“预订，预约”，what I'm in a mood for“我想吃什么”等，理解好生难单词对整个听力内容的把握大有裨益，所以考生平时应多积累一些词汇和常用表达。

【四级听力长对话原文1】

 M: Excuse me, I need some information about some of the towns near here.

W: What would you like to know?

M: Well, first, I'd like directions to go to Norwalk. I believe there is an interesting museum there. It isn't far, is it?

W: No, not at all. Norwalk is about eighteen miles east of here on Route 7. And you're right. It's a wonderful little museum.

M: Oh good. Now what about Amitsville? I have some friends. I'd like to visit there and I also want to get to Newton. They are near each other, aren't they?

W: Hmm... well, they are actually in opposite directions. Amitsville is northeast. It's about thirty five miles northeast of here.

M: Huh-uh, thirty five miles northeast. And how about Newton?

W: Well, Newton is in the other direction. It's southwest, so it isn't really very close to Amitsville at all and it's a long drive. It's about fifty five miles southwest from here and the road is not at all straight.

M: Fifty five miles southwest! Well, maybe I won't go there this time.

W: I'd recommend visiting Westfield or Great Town. They are both very close. Westfield is just seven miles west of here and Great Town is about five miles south. They are really pretty little towns with lots of old houses and beautiful tree-lined streets.

M: I see. Seven miles west to Westfield and five miles south to Great Town. Good. Well, I think that's all the information I need for a while. Thank you. You've been very helpful.

W: You're welcome, sir. I hope you enjoy your stay.

Q9: What does the man know about Norwalk?

Q10: What does the woman say about Amitsville and Newton?

Q11: What do we learn about Westfield and Great Town?

【答案】

9. B) It has an interesting museum.

10. A) They are in opposite directions.

11. C) They have lots of old houses.

【点评】

该对话属于比较常见“问路”话题。因此考生在考试中听到开头一两句之后可以在草稿纸上画一个东西南北的方位箭头图，中心点是男士所在的地方。这样听到后面介绍其它景点时，可以立刻在相应方位把地名缩写和距离数字很快记下。避免听到很多不同地名和数字时候头脑一片混乱。

三个问题都是考查事实细节。但没有考查Norwalk，Amitsville and Newton，Westfield and Great Town这几个地方的具体距离及位置，因此题目比较容易。因此该话题备考一方面有意识记下数字和方位以防万一考查具体点，另一方面要注意理解对话的中出现的一些中心句。如“…they are actually in opposite directions.”

【长对话2原文】

M: Err 2... Sandra, I've finished with Mr. Gartner now. Do you think you could pop through in bringing me up-to-date on their arrangements for the Italian trip?

W: Certainly, Mr. Wilkinson. I'll bring everything with me.

M: Right, take a seat. Now my first meeting is when?

W: Your first meeting is on Monday the 21st at 9a.m. with Dr. Gucci of Bancos en Piedra in Milan.

M: OK, so can I fly out early Monday morning?

W: Well, there is a flight to Lenarty Airport which leaves at six thirty London time and gets in at eight thirty Italian time.

M: Yeah, but that only leaves me thirty minutes to clear customs in getting to the city center and it means I have to check in by five thirty, which means leaving home at about four fifteen.

W: I'm afraid so.

M: Hmm... not so keen on that. What's the program for the rest of that day?

W: It's quite full, I'm afraid. At eleven, you're seeing Gianni Riva at Megastar and then you'll have a lunch engagement 3 with Gavin from the Chamber 4 of Commerce at one.

M: Where's that?

W: You're meeting him at his office and then he's taking you somewhere.

M: Good, that sounds fine. What about the afternoon?

W: Well, at three thirty, you're seeing our sales representative there and then you're free till evening.

M: I see. I seem to remember that I'm having a dinner with someone from Bergamo.

W: That's right. And Mr. Betty from SAP Industries at eight.

Q12: What would the man like the woman to do?

Q13: At what time is Mr. Wilkinson going to leave home for the airport?

Q14: Who is Mr. Wilkinson going to have a lunch with on Monday?

Q15: What is most probably the woman's job?

【答案】

12. B) Inform him of the arrangements for his trip in Italy.

13. D) About 4:15.

14. D) Gavin from the Chamber of Commerce.

15. C) Secretary.

【点评】

 该对话属于商务场合老板与秘书间有关“日程安排”常见的对话。抓住这一主题，第一题和第四题的答案就显而易见了。同时对于对话中何时何地与何人的相关日程要多加留意，第三题和第四题分别考查了时间和人物的细节题。因此预测可能出现较多时间和人物的话题，注意可以随手简单记一下。对于人名拼写不要纠结，首字母缩写自己能辨认即可。

Part III Listening Comprehension

 Passage 1

Donna Fredrick’s served with the Peace Corps 5 for two years in Brazil. She joined the Peace Corps after she graduated from the college because she wanted to do something to help other people. She had been brought up on a farm, so the Peace Corps assigned her to an agricultural project. Before she went to Brazil, she studied Portuguese 6 for three months. She also learnt a great deal about its history and culture. During her two years with the Peace Corps, Donna lived in a village in northeast Brazil. That part of Brazil is very dry and farming is often difficult there. Donna helped the people of the village to organise 7 an irrigation project, and she also advised them on planting crops that didn’t require much water. When Donna returned to the States, she couldn’t settle down. She tried several jobs, but they seemed very boring to her. She couldn’t get Brazil out of her mind. Finally, one day she got on a plane and went back to Brazil. She wasn’t sure what she’s going to do. She just wanted to be there. After a few weeks, Donna found a job as an English teacher, teaching five classes a day. Like most of the teachers, she doesn’t make much money. She shares a small apartment with another teacher. And she makes a little extra money by sending stories to newspapers in the States. Eventually she wants to quit teaching and work as a full-time 8 journalist.

Question 16

Why did Donna join the Peace Corps after she graduated from college?

Question 17

What was Donna assigned to do in Brazil?

Question 18

Why did Donna go back to Brazil once again?

Question 19

How did Donna make extra money to support herself?

答案：

16. A  She had a desire to help others.

17. B  Work on an agricultural project.

18. D  She could not get the country out of her mind.

19. B  By writing stories for American newspaper.

【点评】

本篇短文主要讲述了Donna Fredrick的职业发展，大学毕业之后加入和平队（the Peace Corps），参加农业项目，两年的时间她住在巴西的东北部，开展灌溉项目，帮助当地居民种植无需很多水的农作物。回到美国之后尝试了几个工作，但仍心心念念巴西。最终回到巴西任英语老师，同时兼职给美国报纸写文章，来赚取额外的生活费。最后Donna想辞去教师工作专心做全职记者。

本篇文章基本上没有生僻的词汇，以叙述为主；不知道Peace Corps的意思不会影响做题，只需将其定义为一个组织名，中间涉及的Brazil，Portuguese也都是大家较熟悉的单词。四个题目都是考查考生对事实细节的抓取能力。

Passage 2

Results of a recent Harry 9’s poll 10 on free time showed that the average work week for many Americans is 50 hours. With the time spent eating, sleeping and taking care of the household duties, there’s little time left for leisure activities for many Americans. However, having free time to relax and pursue hobbies is important. People need time away from the pressures of study or work to relax and enjoy time with friends and family. In different countries free time is spent in different ways. The results of a Harry’s poll showed that reading was the most popular spare time activity in the US. This was followed by watching TV. In a UK survey on leisure time activities, watching TV and videos was the most popular. Listening to the radio came second. In a similar survey conducted in Japan, the most popular free time activity was eating out. The second most popular activity was driving. There were also differences in the most popular outdoor pursuits 12 between the three countries. The most popular outdoor activity for Americans was gardening. In the UK, it was going to the pub. In Japan, going to bars ranked eighth in popularity 13 and gardening ranked ninth. Although people around the world may enjoy doing similar things in their free time, there’s evidence to suggest that these interests are changing. In the US, for example, the popularity of computer activities is increasing. Many more people in the States are spending their free time surfing the web, emailing friends or playing games online.

Question 20

What is the recent Harry's poll about?

Question 21

What was the most popular leisure activity in the US?

Question 22

What was the most popular outdoor pursuit 11 in the UK?

 答案：

20. C  Time spent on leisure activities.

21. A  Reading.

22. C  Going to the pub.

【点评】

本篇短文围绕休闲娱乐活动展开，是大家熟悉的话题。Harry最近一次民意调查结果表明许多美国人没有多少时间用于休闲活动。但是人们需要一些休息时间来调节学习工作压力。接着文章举例子说明不同国家的休闲活动不同。美国最流行的休闲活动是阅读，而在英国是看电视，在日本是外出吃饭；而且这三国最流行的户外活动也有所不同。最后指出虽然全世界的人们有着相似的休闲活动，但是有证据表明这些兴趣正在改变。

本篇难度不大，题目都是考查学生对于原文事实细节的理解，第二个题目是问美国最流行的娱乐活动，而第三个题目是问英国最流行的户外活动，考生要区别开来，避免混淆。其中关注下几个单词：poll民意测验；household家庭的；leisure空闲；popularity流行；pursuit追求；outdoor户外的；spare多余的。 

On March 13th, while on duty Charles Mclaughlin, a very careless driver employed by the company Lummis was involved in another accident. The accident occurred in Riverside California. Not paying attention to his driving, Mclaughlin turned right on main street and 33rd street and hit Volkswagen rabbit. This caused minor 14 damage to his truck and serious damage to the car. On the basis of the police report, the Lummis accident committee correctly determined 15 that Mclaughlin had been quite careless. As a result of the committee’s conclusion, the branch manager Mr. David Rossi reported that he had talked with Mclaughlin about his extremely poor driving record. Further evidence of Mclaughlin's irresponsibility occurred on May 6th when he was returning from his shift. That day he ran into a roll-up door at the Lummis facility in Valero, causing significant damage to the door. Damage to the truck, however, was minor. Finally, on June 7th, Mclaughlin once again demonstrated his carelessness by knocking down several mail boxes near the edge of the company’s parking lot. There was damage to the mailboxes and minor damage to the truck. Mr. David Rossi stated that he had spoken with Mclaughlin on several occasions about his driving record. He added that he had warned Mclaughlin that three preventable accidents in one year could lead to his discharge, as indeed it should.

23. What did the Lummis accident committee find out about the accident that occurred on March 13th?

24. What did Mclaughlin do on June 7th near the edge of the company’s parking lot?

25. What is most probably going to happen to Mclaughlin?

23. 答案：D) Mclaughlin's carelessness resulted in the collision.

24. 答案：B) He knocked down several mailboxes.

25. 答案：A) He will lose his job.

【点评】

本篇短文主要讲了Charles Mclaughlin一年之内因粗心大意所发生的三次交通事故。

第一次：时间：3月13日；经过：Mclaughlin驾驶货车在主大街第33大街向右拐弯撞上一辆小轿车。原因：Mclaughlin粗心大意；造成的后果：卡车轻微受损，小轿车严重损坏；

第二次：时间：5月6日；经过：Mclaughlin在换班的时候驾驶货车撞到一个卷帘门；原因：Mclaughlin不负责任，粗心；造成的后果：卷帘门严重损坏，卡车受损；

第三次：时间：6月7日；经过：Mclaughlin驾驶货车在公司停车场附近撞翻了几个邮筒；原因：Mclaughlin粗心大意；造成的后果：邮筒严重受损，卡车轻微受损。

本篇文章是听力第三篇短文，难度不大。文章虽然出现了一些人名和地名，但是同学们不需要知道它们是什么意思，人名地名不会作为考察点放在题目中，同学们需要重点分辨的是这三次事故发生的时间，题目重点考察同学对短文信息细节的抓取能力。但是其中有几个短语和单词需要关注一下：pay attention to 注意；重视；run into 撞上；撞到；roll-up door 卷帘门；knock down 撞翻；parking lot 停车场；mailbox 邮箱，邮筒；preventable 可预防的；as的用法。理解了这些词的意思，对本篇听力的整体理解基本就没有什么障碍了。