Quartz 4

cet4-2023-06-1

34 min read

2023 年 06 月大学英语四级考试真题（第 1 套）

Part I / Writing / (30 minutes)

Directions: Suppose your university is conducting a survey to collect students’ opinions of online classes. You are to write a response to the survey about their advantages and disadvantages, and what improvements can be made. You will have 30 minutes for the task. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.

With the development of the Internet, students now can take online classes in universities. Compared to the past, today’s students obtain an environment that
is more convenient. People are left with free choices to study at any time, which is amazing that no one can imagine those kinds of behaviour in the past. But is it a truly flawless thing?

I suppose that it depends on the different contexts and situations. With the help of Internet, as students on campus, we can access all kinds of courses on different websites such as Youtube and Bilibili etc. Obviously, we can learn these things immediately, acquiring knowledge and enjoying the process of learning. And finally, we master it. Nevertheless, there are too many options for people to choose that people are sometimes overwhelmed by these things.

In conclusion, there are certainly enough choices for people to choose to learn. Looking for a right option is the first significant step forward.

Part II / Listening Comprehension / (25 minutes)

  • 00:00:33 - report 1
  • 00:02:24 - report 2
  • 00:04:46 - report 3
  • 00:07:44 - con 1
  • 00:10:49 - con 2
  • 00:14:31 - long 1
  • 00:17:39 - l 2
  • 00:20:46 - l 3

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 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 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.

  1. A) She was involved in a conflict with bird lovers.
    B) She was charged with mistreating animals.
    C) She was on bad terms with her neighbors.
    D) She was accused of violating a city law.

  2. A) It will take time to solve the rat problem.
    B) All wild animals should be well protected.
    C) The woman was not to blame for the situation.
    D) No one should go unpunished for violating law.

(1) A woman was charged with allegedly violating a Rhode Island city law against feeding wild animals. The 55-year-old woman’s neighbors blame her for making the area’s rat problem worse.
Newly installed cameras captured several rats active in the middle of the day. Neighbors say that it’s even worse during the night.
The woman and her parents, who own the home, told reporters that she’s being charged for feeding birds.
”Who would have known just loving animals gets you that much trouble,” she said.
It is prohibited to feed any wild animals including birds in Rhode Island City. Nevertheless, while the woman’s intention was to feed birds, it is clear that rats were also benefiting.
(2) Anthony Moretti, director of the city administration, said he saw more than 20 rats near the woman’s home. He said it will take months to get the problem under control.

Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.

  1. A) Communicate with astronauts in Mars dune Alpha.
    B) Work in an environment resembling Mars.
    C) Build a Martian habitat in Houston.
    D) Send in applications before Friday.

  2. A) Ready-made food.
    B) Food that is organic.
    C) Food they grow.
    D) Potatoes mostly.

Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.

  1. A) He apologized for scratching an athlete’s gold medal.
    B) He was asked to present a gold medal to Miu Goto.
    C) He bit a softball player’s Olympic gold medal.
    D) He attracted public attention at a media event.

A japanese male apoligized Thursday for buying .

  1. A) Have another picture taken with the Olympic medalist.
    B) Apologize to the International Olympic Committee.
    C) Get the damaged medal repaired.
    D) Pay for the cost of a new medal.

  2. A) Allow no one to touch them.
    B) See them as symbols of honor.
    C) Treat them as treasures.
    D) Keep them in a safe place.

(5) A Japanese mayor apologized Thursday for biting the Olympic gold medal of a softball player. Nagoya mayor Takashi Kawamura had praised athlete, Miu Goto, during a public media event. He asked her to put the medal around his neck. Kawamura then bit into it.
Biting a medal in front of journalists and photographers has become a common pose for Olympic medalists. However, it is only for the winners themselves, not others.

pose: a particular position in which sb stands, sits, etc., especially in order to be painted, drawn or photographed （为画像、拍照等摆的）姿势

He adopted a relaxed pose for the camera.
他摆了个悠闲的姿势拍照。

“I’m really sorry that I hurt the treasure of the gold medalist,” Kawamura told reporters Thursday.
(6) The mayor said the medal was undamaged, though he offered to pay for the cost of a new one.
Goto, however, has accepted the International Olympic Committee’s offer of a replacement, according to Japanese media reports.
The scene broadcast on television prompted thousands of complaints to city hall. (7) Some Olympians said they treat their medals as treasures and that it was disrespectful and unacceptable for Kawamura to bite one.
“I would cry if that happened to me,” said another athlete, Naohisa Takato. “I handle my own gold medal so gently that I would not scratch it.”

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.

  1. A) She covered its screen with a plastic sheet.
    B) She connected it with her smartphone.
    C) She decorated it with colorful stickers.
    D) She bought some new software for it.

  2. A) It may not be simply blue.
    B) It includes unnatural light.
    C) It is more harmful to young people.
    D) It induces people to fall asleep.

  3. A) He has had much trouble falling asleep.
    B) He has had some sort of health problems.
    C) He has stayed up playing computer games.
    D) He has been burdened with excessive work.

  4. A) Exposure to blue light is the chief cause of obesity.
    B) Sleep may be more important than people assumed.
    C) Sleep may also be negatively affected by natural light.
    D) Overuse of electronic devices may cause heart disease.

M: (8-1) What’s that orange thing on your computer screen?
W: It’s something I bought yesterday. (8-2) It’s a plastic sheet that blocks blue light. I have one that I use to cover my phone screen too.
M: What do you mean by blue light?
W: (9) Blue light includes natural light, but it also includes light that isn’t natural, for example, from computers, phones, televisions and other electronic devices.
M: So blue light is harmful and that’s why you want to block it.
W: It isn’t that simple. Blue light isn’t necessarily bad for us. In fact, we need blue light during the day to be healthy. But too much blue light, especially from electronic devices, can harm our health by weakening our vision and making it harder for us to fall asleep. And poor sleep can cause all sorts of health problems.
M: I’m not so sure that sleep is nearly as important as people always say it is. (10) I haven’t slept enough in months because I have too much work to do, and I feel fine. And it’s the same for most of my friends. Poor sleep might be a problem for older people, but surely young people can handle late nights.

W: Well, (11) the research I’ve read shows that sleep is probably even more important than we thought, and that not having enough sleep can contribute to serious health problems like obesity and heart disease. And all the artificial blue light from electronic devices means we have to try harder to sleep well.
M: Maybe you’re right. I’m on my computer very late most nights, and that’s probably why I don’t sleep enough.

Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

What question were both speakers fed up with when they were kids?

  1. A) What they wanted to be when grown up.
    B) What their favorite cartoon character was.
    C) What they learned from computer games.
    D) What they liked to do most after school.

  2. A) A stock broker.
    B) A pop singer.
    C) A mechanical engineer.
    D) A basketball player.

  3. A) Ambitious
    B) Sensible.
    C) Imaginative.
    D) Practical.

  4. A) Relax their strict control of their kids.
    B) Help their kids understand themselves.
    C) Impose their own dreams on their kids.
    D) Dismiss their high expectations of their kids.

W: As a kid, did you know what job you wanted to do when you grew up?
M: No, I didn’t. (12-1) And I got sick every time adults asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.
W: (12-2)It’s the same with me. And I’m tired of people asking that question of my 10-year-old daughter. (13)My daughter’s stock answers are basketball player, pop singer, mechanical engineer. Adults love that last one, as it’s the perfect mix of the sensible and the ambitious.

When she was much younger, my daughter used to say she wanted to be Queen of the Clouds, which I loved. (14)That’s the kind of goal-setting I like to see in children, springing from their boundless imaginations.

M: Yes, we grown-ups can be tedious and limiting in our need for reality. And we teach a very gloomy image of adulthood—that whatever our children’s future holds, it must be seen within the context of a job.
W: How utterly overwhelming and dull!
M: When people ask my son what he wants to be when he grows up, I have to swallow the urge to say, “Hey, back off my kid’s dreams!”
W: We can’t dismiss the idea that teenagers have to plan to do something after they finish school, and parents are entitled to hope it’s more than simply spending 10 hours a day playing computer games.
M: But asking “What do you want to be?” isn’t going to lead a child to a fulfilled life rather lead to false expectations and a high chance of disappointment.
W: Exactly. (15)We should be helping our kids understand who they are, even if that means letting go of who we think they should be.

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 bespoken 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.

  1. A) Set up company branches.
    B) Improve its infrastructure.
    C) Introduce iPhones into its markets.
    D) Promote Internet-ready phones.

  2. A) They cater to Africans’ needs.
    B) They are more expensive models.
    C) They are more powerful and capable.
    D) They boast the longest battery life.

  3. A) A large touchscreen.
    B) An old-school keypad.
    C) A voice-response device.
    D) A digitally-designed system.

Greater Internet access correlates directly with improved health care, education and economic development. People living in rural areas, however, lag behind in online use, which limits their access to government services, banking and job opportunities.

[This challenge] [is] [nowhere] [clearer than in Africa].

Nowhere is this challenge clearer than in Africa. Most Africans live in rural areas that are tough to wire for Internet access.

~ sb/sth up (to sth) |~ sb/sth to sth to connect sb/sth to a piece of equipment 将…连接到（某设备）
In the test, volunteers were wired up to brain monitors.
在测试中，志愿参与者被连接到脑监测器上。

(16) Now, some phone companies are trying to introduce Internet-ready phones into African markets.
**Certain companies have started selling simple smartphones for only 40, well out of reach for many people.

These devices are powered by software from the giant electronics company, KaiOS Technologies Limited. Most companies are trying to make phones ever more powerful and capable. But KaiOS went the other way.

(17) It made every effort to keep the essential capabilities of smartphones, but strip out costs and preserve battery life for people who likely have inadequate access to electricity.

To remove some integral piece, element, or aspect of something. A noun or pronoun can be used between “strip” and “out.”
We had to strip out the power supply entirely as it had been corroded, so it will cost you a bit of money to replace that.
Let’s just strip all this old plumbing out and fit in a completely new system.
If you strip this clause out of the amendment, it ends up having very little real-world impact.

The KaiOS devices offer an alternative to the more expensive models that remain out of reach of many Africans and contribute to the digital divide. (18) The body of KaiOS phones is as basic as it gets. Instead of a touchscreen, they’re controlled with an old-school keypad. They’re designed for 3G networks because 4G coverage doesn’t reach two thirds of Africa’s customers. In total, KaiOS phones are made from about 390 worth of stuff.

Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.

  1. A) It ensured sustainable economic growth.
    B) It was strongly opposed by manufacturers.
    C) It was cheaper than using fossil fuel plastic.
    D) It satisfied consumer demands on the whole.

  2. A) The capacity to mass produce it.
    B) The U.S.federal government’s regulations.
    C) A boom in market demand for clear plastic bottles.
    D) A rapid increase in U.S.petroleum chemical production.

  3. A) Require companies to use 30%of new plastic.
    B) Increase the supply of new plastic in the market.
    C) Reduce the amount of plastic pollution in local areas.
    D) Take measures to promote the use of recycled plastic.

(19) For years, using recycled plastic to make plastic products was cheap. By contrast, fossil fuel plastic was more expensive. Thus this sustainable option was an economic option too.

But now it is cheaper for major manufacturers to use new plastic.

According to one recent business report, recycled plastic now costs an extra $72 a tonne compared with newly-made plastic. This may be because of consumer demands. They are pushing for more recycled plastics in new products. (20) Meanwhile, new plastic is becoming cheaper. This is because of a boom in petroleum chemical production from the U.S. The price increase of recycled plastic could cost sustainable manufacturers an extra $250 million a year.

Smaller manufacturers may also be forced to use new plastic to reduce costs. Makers of clear plastic bottles may also opt for new fossil-fuel based plastic to save money.

Plastic packaging makers are being pressured to use more recycled plastic. This is done in hopes of reducing the enormous amount of plastic pollution in the oceans.

(21) The UK government plans to tax companies which don’t use at least 30% recycled plastic in their products. Additionally, the government is planning to increase the quantity of recycled plastic in the market.

This could mean incentives for new recycling plants. Additionally, recycling facilities may be improved at a local council level and recycled plastic could be imported.

This would help increase the amount of recycled plastic in circulation.

Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.

  1. A) It studies dreams.
    B) It rents a place for nap-takers.
    C) It is a hotel for business people.
    D) It is a nap research institute.

  2. A) To find out creative people’s work performance.
    B) To see how many people can go without napping.
    C) To understand the obvious importance of napping.
    D) To feel how difficult it is to get his idea across.

  3. A) They decline due to pointless meetings.
    B) They depend on his ability to concentrate.
    C) They enable him to enjoy a creative career.
    D) They are affected by the overuse of social media.

  4. A) Some bosses associate napping with laziness.
    B) Many office workers nap during work hours.
    C) Some bosses can concentrate without napping.
    D) Many of his friends daydream in the office.

(22) At the Dreamery, a business in Manhattan, naps are for sale. A 45-minute session in a darkened enclosure with peace and quiet costs $25. To be clear, this institution is no hotel. This is a nap joint. It sells the idea of the nap as much as the nap itself.

session: [C] a period of time that is spent doing a particular activity 一场；一节；一段时间
a photo/recording/training, etc. session
拍照、录音、训练等时段
The course is made up of 12 two-hour sessions.
这门课总共上 12 次，每次两小时。

(23) Is a nap worth $25? The answer is obviously yes. Here, at this point in the argument, it’s traditional for me to bring up all the studies that show the benefits of napping. But do you really need experts to tell you that? Just look at the world around you at 2:30 in the afternoon.

work from / at home ( = do your work at home instead of at a company office )

I’ve been working from home for more than 10 years. (24) And the quality and quantity of work I can do emerges directly from my ability to concentrate. I don’t understand how people have creative careers without napping. Every day at about 1 p.m., everyone faces the same choice: sleep until 2 p.m. and then work until 5, or daydream and drift around social media and attend pointless meetings until 7 p.m.

(25) The friends I have who still work in offices inform me their bosses insist that they take the second option, and that napping is associated with laziness. I genuinely find it odd. For if you nap properly, it’s like waking up from a full night’s sleep and you can double your day’s worth of concentration.

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.

You probably haven’t taken the time to think of all the work that went into creating the shirt on your back. I mean, how hard it could be to create fabric and  26  sew it into a shirt shape. Don’t machines do all that? Well, creating fabric from cotton, which is the most  27  abundant clothing material, is actually a process that involves a lot of water, 2, 700 liters per shirt to be  28  exact.

to be exact: — used to indicate that a statement is accurate and specific准确地说；确切地说
that afternoon, June 22, to be exact
那天下午，准确地说，是6月22日
They had many children—seven, to be exact.
他们有很多孩子，确切来说是七个。
He came a long way—from Nome, Alaska, to be exact—to attend the wedding.
他远道而来，确切地说是从阿拉斯加的诺姆来参加婚礼。
⇒ Main Entry: 1 exact

Take a look at the video below from National Geographic for some more mind-blowing.  29  about cotton clothing production.

Clean water is  30  becoming one of the most sought-after resources in the world. Given how large the  31  and cotton industries are, they take up a lot of our fresh water demands across the world, according to The Huffington Post. The video from National Geographic was created to spread  32  of how environmentally harmful cotton is. But the situation can be made better. Through better water management and farming practices, water usage in cotton production can be cut down by .  33  40 percent.

Called “Better Cotton”, this environmentally conscious product will save millions of liters of water a year simply from  35  the demands of cotton production. Cotton doesn’t have to go, since it is, after all, one of the most useful cash crops across the globe. However, as water supplies  35  reducing, farmers and consumers need to be more conscious of the effect that these products have on the environment as a whole.

A) abstractsI) nearly
B) abundantJ) reckoning
C) awarenessK) reducing
D) conscienceL) sew
E) exactM) shrink
F) increasinglyN) statistics
G) intenseO) textile
H) mend

Section B

Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. 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.

The spoken web

A) We’re growing more used to chatting to our computers, phones and smart speakers through voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana. Blind and partially sighted people have been using text-to-speech converters for decades.

B) Out of these assistants, Siri is the most well-known. The assistant uses voice inquiries and a natural-language user interface (界面)to answer questions. The software adapts to users’ individual language usages, searches, and preferences, with continuing use.

C) Some think voice could soon take over from typing and clicking as the main way to interact online. But what are the challenges of moving to “the spoken web”?

D) What use is written online content if you can’t read? That is the situation facing illiterate (不识字的)African farmers. They are often denied crucial information the web offers many others. With a literacy rate in some parts of Africa at only 22.6%, farmers are often “underpaid for their produce because they might be unaware of the prevailing prices,” says Francis Dittoh, a researcher behind Mr Meteo, a speech-based weather information service.

E) “The most frequently heard complaint is about rainfall predictions,” says Mr Dittoh, who lives in Tamale, northern Ghana. “They tell us the methods their forefathers used to predict the weather don’t seem to work as well these days. “This is down to climate change, he believes. Yet knowing when it’s going to rain is vital for farmers wanting to sow seeds, irrigate crops or take their animals out to the fields to feed on grass.

F) Mr Dittoh says the idea of converting online weather reports into speech came from the farmers themselves, after a workshop in the village of Guabuligah. “They came up with this,” he says. Mr Meteo takes the online weather forecast, converts it to a short recording in the appropriate language and makes it available on a basic phone. Farmers ring up to receive the information. The local language Dagbani is spoken by 1. 2 million people but is not served by any online translation applications. The service was designed to be cheap and easy to run, says Mr Dittoh. He plans to begin field tests this month, working with Tamale’s Savanna Agricultural Research Institute.

one-in-five = 1/5

G) The spoken web could also help the one-in-five adults in Europe and the U.S. with poor reading skills. But building the spoken web-web-to-voice and voice-to-web-isn’t straightforward. For software to understand pizza is served at Italian restaurants is easy. To cover multiple domains and to be able to have a conversation with users on every single topic is still a long way off.

H) So although many computer assistants can answer simple questions about the weather and play music for us, anything resembling a wide-ranging human conversation is decades away. Artificial intelligence just isn’t smart enough yet. Even turning your voice into text — automatic speech recognition — is one of the hardest problems to solve, as there are as many ways to pronounce things as there are people on the planet.

I) Siri has often been praised for its ability to interpret our casual language and deliver very specific and accurate results, sometimes even providing additional information. But it is still somewhat restricted, particularly when the language moves away from stiffer commands into more human interactions. In one example, the phrase “Send a text to Jason, Clint, Sam, and Lee saying we’re having dinner at Silver Cloud restaurant” was interpreted as sending a message to Jason only, containing the text “Clint Sam and Lee saying we’re having dinner at Silver Cloud restaurant”. It has also been noted that Siri lacks a proper editing function, as saying “Edit message to say: we’re at Silver Cloud restaurant and you should come find us”generates “Clint Sam and Lee saying we’re having dinner at Silver Cloud restaurant to say we’re at Silver Cloud restaurant and you should come find us”.

J) Using voice interaction feels far more intimate than surfing the net the old-fashioned way. This is intentional as the informal tone of the assistant helps create an emotional attachment. But if something speaks, it must also listen. Our phones are always near us and they are collecting data about us all the time. This has already raised privacy concerns. The American Civil Liberties Union has stated that digital assistants create a threat to privacy from hackers. Some people have other concerns. They worry assistants will one day be used to deliver advertising directly to us.

K) But digital voices need more personality to make them popular. Robots are not yet witty, Siri is boring. The benefits of using voice instead of tapping fingers obviously. depend on the context. Doctors completing online forms about their patients by speech, for example, can dictate 150 words a minute, three times faster than typing on a keyboard. This enables them to spend less time on administration and more time with patients.

L) Last year, speech recognition company nuance helped a doctors’ surgery in Dukinfield, near Manchester, set up a speech system for the practice’s six doctors. Now they can dictate notes on a patient’s health condition and treatment and a smart assistant automatically enters the information into the right fields on a web form. Previously, the doctors made voice recordings that were then transcribed by secretaries — a process that was costly and likely to cause delays. The new system means letters to patients now have more detail.

M) Using voice also makes sense when you’re doing other things with your hands. Think about when you’re cooking, and you just want to know what the next step in the recipe is. Your hands are covered with oil; you’re not going to get on the iPad, so it’s a lot more natural to talk. And speech obviously makes sense when you’re driving. In the U.S., 29%of drivers admit they surf behind the wheel, according to insurance firm State Farm. This is up from 13% in 2009. No wonder using mobile phones while driving causes more crashes a year than drink driving, says the U.S. National Safety Council.

  1. According to Francis Dittoh, their speech-based weather information service was meant to be inexpensive and easy to use.
  2. Using voice instead of typing enables doctors to spend more time taking care of patients.
  3. It is extremely difficult to convert voice into text because of different pronunciations.
  4. African farmers unable to read often don’t have access to important information conveyed online.
  5. Some phone users worry advertisers will take advantage of voice assistants to send ads directly to them.
  6. The spoken web is helpful when one’s hands are occupied.
  7. Some people believe online interaction would soon depend mainly on voice.
  8. Setting up a spoken web is by no means an easy task.
  9. Weather information is extremely important to farmers.
  10. Some people are concerned about privacy because their phones are constantly collecting their personal information.

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.

The United States is facing a housing crisis: Affordable housing is inadequate, while luxury homes abound (充裕), and homelessness remains a persistent problem. Despite this, popular culture and the housing industry market happiness as living with both more space and more amenities (便利设施). Big houses are adverted as a reward for hard work and diligence, turning housing from a basic necessity into a luxury.

This is reflected in our homes. The average single-family home built in the United States before 1970 was less than 1,500 square feet in size. By 2016, the average size of a new, single-family home was 2,422 square feet. What’s more, homes built in the 2000s were more likely than earlier models to have more of all types of spaces: bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, recreation rooms and garages.

There are consequences of living big. As middle-class houses have grown larger, two things have happened. First, large houses take time to maintain, so cleaners and other low-wage service workers are required to keep these houses in order. Second, once-public spaces, where people from diverse backgrounds used to come together, have increasingly become privatized, leading to a reduction in the number of public facilities available to all, and a reduced quality of life for many. Take swimming pools. While in 1950, only 2,500 U.S. families owned pools, by 1999 this number was 4 million. At the same time, public municipal pools were often closed, leaving low-income people nowhere to swim.

The trend for bigger housing thus poses ethical questions. Should Americans accept a system in which the middle and upper classes enjoy a luxurious lifestyle, using the low-wage labor of others? Are we willing to accept a system in which an increase in amenities purchased by the affluent means a reduction in amenities for the poor?

I believe neither is acceptable. We must change the way we think: living well does not need to mean having more private spaces; instead, it could mean having more public spaces. A better goal than building bigger houses for some is to create more publicly accessible spaces and amenities for all.

  1. What are big houses promoted to be in the United States?
    A) A luxury for the homeless.
    B) A reward for industriousness.
    C) An abundant source of comforts.
    D) An absolute necessity for happiness.

  2. What is one of the consequences of living big?
    A) Many Americans’ quality of life has become lower.
    B) People from diverse backgrounds no longer socialize.
    C) People no longer have access to public swimming pools.
    D) Many Americans’ private life has been negatively affected.

  3. What questions arises from living big?
    A) Questions related to moral principles.
    B) Questions having to do with labor cost.
    C) Questions about what lifestyle to promote.
    D) Questions concerning housing development.

  4. What kind of social system does the author think is unacceptable?
    A) One in which the wealthy exploit the low-wage laborers building their houses.
    B) One in which the rich purchase amenities at an increasingly unjustifiable price.
    C) One in which the upper classes deprive the lower classes of affordable housing.
    D) One in which the affluent enjoy a more comfortable life at the expense of the poor.

  5. What does the author advocate for people to live well?
    A) Finding ways to turn private spaces into public ones.
    B) Building more houses affordable to those less affluent.
    C) More public spaces created for everyone to enjoy.
    D) All amenities made accessible to the rich and the poor alike.

Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

Most of us in the entrepreneurial community are blessed — or cursed — with higher-than-average ambition. Ambitious people strongly desire accomplishments and are willing to take more risks and spend more effort to get them.

Overall, this is a positive quality, especially for people trying to build their own businesses. Apparently, if you’re more naturally driven to set goals, you are more likely to succeed

Actually, this isn’t always the case. In fact, in some cases, extreme ambition may end up doing more harm than good.

One major side effect of excessive ambition is the tendency to focus too determinedly on one particular vision or end goal. This is problematic because it hinders your ability to adapt to new circumstances, which is vital if you want to be a successful entrepreneur. If a new competitor emerges to threaten your business, you may need to change direction, even if that means straying from your original vision. If you have too much ambition, you’ll find this hard, if not impossible.

Few people are successful when they try to build their first brand. Unfortunately, for the most ambitious entrepreneurs, a failure is seen as disastrous, and impossible to recover from.

It’s a clear departure from the intended plan toward the intended goal. For people with limited ambition, however, failure is viewed as something closer to reality. Remember, failure is inevitable, and every failure you survive is a learning experience.

Ambitious people tend to be more materialistically successful than their non-ambitious counterparts. However, they’re only slightly happier than their less-ambitious counterparts, and tend to live significantly shorter lives. This implies that even though ambitious people are more likely to achieve conventional “success,” such success means nothing for their health and happiness — and if you don’t have health and happiness, what else could possibly matter?

Clearly, some amount of ambition is good for your motivation. Without any ambition, you wouldn’t start your own business, set or achieve goals and get far in life. But an excess of ambition can also be dangerous, putting you at risk of burnout, stubbornness and even a shorter life.

  1. What does the author think of most entrepreneurs?
    A) They are more willing to risk their own lives.
    B) They are more ambitious than ordinary people.
    C) They achieve greater nonconventional success.
    D) They have more positive qualities than most of us.

  2. What does the author imply by saying “this isn’t always the case” (Line l, Para.3)? 看到暗示直接选文章不存在的
    A) Ambitious people may not have a greater chance of success.
    B) Ambitious people may not have more positive qualities.
    C) Entrepreneurs’ ambition does as much good as harm.
    D) Entrepreneurs are more naturally driven to success.

  3. What does the author say is of extreme importance for one to become a successful entrepreneur?
    A) Holding on to one’s original vision.
    B) Being able to adapt to new situations.
    C) Focusing determinedly on one particular goal.
    D) Avoiding radical change in one’s career direction.

  4. How do the most ambitious entrepreneurs regard failure in their endeavor?
    A) It will awaken them to reality.
    B) It is a lesson they have to learn.
    C) It means the end of their career.
    D) It will result in a slow recovery.

  5. What does the author advise us to do concerning ambition?
    A) Distinguish between conventional success and our life goal.
    B) Follow the example of the most ambitious entrepreneurs.
    C) Avoid taking unnecessary risks when starting a business.
    D) Prioritize health and happiness over material success.

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.

中国越来越重视终身教育，发展继续教育是构建终身教育体系的有效途径。高校作为人才培养的基地，拥有先进的教学理念和优越的教学资源，理应成为继续教育的办学主体。因此，近年来许多高校适应社会需求，加强与用人单位沟通，努力探索一条符合中国国情的继续教育发展新路，以使继续教育在国家发展战略中发挥更大的作用。

China has been increasingly focused on the education of a life time. (it is a mistake)
China is paying more and more attention to the lifelong education.
Chinas is attaching more and more importance to the education of a life time.

Developing continuing education is a useful way of constructing the lifelong education system.
Developing continuing education is an effective way to build a lifelong education system.

As centers for talent training, universities have advanced teaching ideas and rich educational resources, so they should play an important role in continuing education.

~~Thus, in recent years, many colleges adjust to the needs of societies, emphasizing more to the agency of people using. ~~

Thus, in recent years, many universities have adapted to social needs and strengthened communication with employers.
Thus, in recent years, many universities have adapted to the needs of society and strengthened the communication with employers.
Thus, in recent years, many universities have adapted to the needs of society, emphasizing the communication with employers.

struggling to search for a road of continuing education which matches the current China’s situation.
Striving to explore a road of continuing education which matches the current China’s situation.

Thus, in recent years, many universities have adapted to the needs of society and strengthened the communication with employers, striving to explore a road of continuing education which matches the current China’s situation, so that it can let continuing education play a more important role in developing nation’s strategies.

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