振宇英语/４级真题
will turn out. If he succeeds in curbing costs — a big if — it would be a huge gain for America. Some businesses will benefit but the vast bulk of the savings will be captured by workers, not their employers. L) In the next couple of years the businesses that thrive will be those that are tight with costs, careful of
debt, cautious with cash flow and extremely attentive to what customers want. They will include plenty of names no one has yet heard of.M) Times change, and corporations change with them. In 1955 Time’s Man of the Year was Harlow Curtice,
the boss of GM. His firm was leading America towards “a new economic order”, the magazine wrote. Thanks to men like Curtice, “the bonds of scarcity” had been broken and America was rolling “to an all-time high of prosperity”. Soon, Americans would need to spend “comparatively little time earning a living”. N) Half a century later GM is a typical example of poor management. In March its chief executive was fired
by Time’s current Man of the Year, Mr. Obama. The government now backs up the domestic car industry, lending it money and overseeing its turnaround plans. With luck, this will be short-lived. But there is a danger that Washington will end up micromanaging not only Detroit but also other parts of the economy. And clever as Mr. Obama’s advisers are, history suggests they will be bad at this.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
46. The current recession hit the hotel business as hard as the 9/11 terrorist attack.47. Obama’s plan to limit carbon dioxide emissions will by no means be inexpensive.48. An investment bank cancelled a conference in Las Vegas in order to avoid seeming wasteful.49. America’s recession is the result of a combination of causes.50. There is a hazard that the Obama administration will end up micromanaging America’s economy.51. Because Harlow Curtice’s firm was leading America in creating “a new economic order”, he was named
by Time magazine as Man of the Year in 1955.52. At the worst time, the total value of listed shares in American firms shrank by 57%.53. The cheif executive from a very famous automobile company was fired by Mr. Obama for poor
management.54. The Big Three American carmakers need restructuring to survive because they cannot cope with the
ruinous costs accumulated over the post-war years.55. The author of this report seems to be against too much government interference in the economy.
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 center.
Passage One
Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.
The Gatais used to frown when they received power bills that routinely topped $200. Last September the couple moved into a 1,500-square-foot home in Premier Gardens, a subdivision of 95 “zero-energy homes” (ZEH) just outside town. Now they’re actually eager to see their electricity bills. The grand total over the 10 months they’ve lived in the three-bedroom house: $75. For the past two months they haven’t paid a cent.
ZEH communities are the leading edge of technologies that might someday create houses that produce as much energy as they consume. Premier Gardens is one of a half-dozen subdivisions in California where every home cuts power consumption by 50%, mostly by using low-power appliances and solar panels.
Aside from the panels on the roof, Premier Gardens looks like a community of conventional homes. But
2013年6月大学英语4级考试真题（第2套） - 6振宇英语/４级真题
inside, special windows cut power bills by blocking solar heat in summer and retaining indoor warmth in winter.
The rest of the energy savings comes from the solar units. They don’t just feed the home they serve. If they generate more power than the home is using, the excess flows into the utility’s power grid (电网). The residents are billed by “net metering”: they pay for the amount of power they tap off the grid, less the kilowatts (千瓦) they feed into it. If a home generates more power than it uses, the bill is zero.
That sounds like a bad deal for the power company, but it’s not. Solar homes produce the most power on the hot sunny afternoons when everyone rushes home to turn up the air conditioner. “It helps us lower usage at peak power times,” says solar expert Mike Keesee. “That lets us avoid building costly plants or buying expensive power at peak usage time.”
What’s not to like? Mostly the costs. The special features can add $25,000 or more to the purchase price of a house. Tax breaks bring the cost down, especially in California, but in many states ZEHs can be prohibitively expensive. For the consumer, it’s a matter of paying now for the hardware to save later on the utilities.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
56. Why are the Gatais eager to see their electricity bills now?
A) They want to see how much they have saved. B) They want to cut down their utility expenses.C) They want to know if they are able to pay. D) They want to avoid being overcharged.57. What is special about the ZEH communities?
A) They have created cutting-edge technologies. B) They aim to be self-sufficient in power supply.C) They are subdivided into half a dozen sections. D) They are built in harmony with the environment.58. How are the residents in the ZEH communities billed for electricity use?
A) They are only charged for the amount of power they consume on rainy days.B) They needn’t pay a single cent for their power consumption on sunny days.C) They only pay for the excess power that flows into the utility’s power grid.D) They pay for the electricity from the grid less their home-generated power.59. What does the “net metering” practice mean to the power company?
A) More pressure at peak time. B) Less profits in the short term. C) Increased electricity output. D) Reduced operational costs.60. The author believes that buying a house in a ZEH community ________.
A) is but a dream for average consumers B) gives the owner substantial tax benefits C) is a worthy investment in the long run D) contributes to environmental protection
Passage Two
Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.
Romantic love has clear evolutionary roots but our views about what makes an ideal romantic relationship can be swayed by the society we live in. So says psychologist Maureen O’Sullivan from the University of San Francisco. She suggests that humans have always tried to strengthen the pair-bond to maximise (使最大化) reproductive success.
Many societies throughout history and around the world today have cultivated strong pressures to stay married. In those where ties to family and community are strong, lifelong marriages can be promoted by practices such as the cultural prohibition of divorce and arranged marriages that are seen as a contract between two families, not just two individuals. In modern western societies, however, the focus on individuality and independence means that people are less concerned about conforming to (遵守) the dictates of family and culture. In the absence of societal pressures to maintain pair-bonds, O’Sullivan suggests that romantic love has increasingly come to be seen as the factor that should determine who we stay with and for how long. “That’s
2013年6月大学英语4级考试真题（第2套） - 7振宇英语/４级真题
why historically we see an increase in romantic love as a basis for forming long-term relationships,” she says.
According to O’Sullivan culture also shapes the sorts of feelings we expect to have, and actually do experience, when in love. Although the negative emotions associated with romantic love — fear of loss, disappointment and jealousy — are fairly consistent across cultures, the positive feelings can vary. “If you ask Japanese students to list the positive attributes they expect in a romantic partner, they rate highly things like loyalty, commitment and devotion,” says O’Sullivan. “If you ask American college women, they expect everything under the sun: in addition to being committed, partners have to be amusing, funny and a friend.”
We judge a potential partner according to our specific cultural expectations about what romantic love should feel like. If you believe that you have found true romance, and your culture tells you that this is what a long-term relationship should be based on, there is less need to rely on social or family pressures to keep couples together. O’Sullivan argues.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
61. What does the author say about people’s views of an ideal romantic relationship?
A) They vary from culture to culture. B) They ensure the reproductive success. C) They reflect the evolutionary process. D) They are influenced by psychologists.62. We can infer from the passage that strong family and community ties _________.
A) largely rely on marriage contracts B) can contribute to stable marriages C) often run counter to romantic love D) make divorces virtually unacceptable63. Without social pressures to keep pair-bonds, romantic love _________.
A) will be a substitute for marriage in human relationshipsB) plays a key role in maintaining long-term relationshipsC) is likely to replace the dictates of family and societyD) is a way to develop individuality and independence
64. O’Sullivan believes that when people from different cultures fall in love, _________.
A) they expect different things from their partner
B) they tend to exaggerate each other’s positive qualitiesC) they often fail to see each other’s negative qualitiesD) they lay more emphasis on commitment and devotion65. We can conclude from the passage that _________.
A) cultural differences often tear apart a family built on romantic loveB) marriages arc hard to sustain without social or family pressures
C) romantic love is becoming increasingly important in family relationshipsD) romantic love tends to yield where family or social pressures are strong
Part IV Translation (30minutes)
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.
阴阳（Yin and Yang），源自古代中国人的自然观。古人观察到自然界中存在着各种对立（antagonistic）、但又彼此相关联的大自然现象，于是，古人以哲学的思维方式，归纳出“阴阳”的概念。早在春秋战国时代（the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period）《，易经》（Book of Changes）和《道德经》（Tao Te Ching）都对阴阳有过相关论述，并将阴阳上升为理论。阴阳理论已经渗透(penetrate)到中国传统文化的方方面面，包括宗教、哲学、历法、中医、书法、建筑、占卜（divination）等，成为中国人哲学和文化观念根深蒂固的渊源(deep-rooted origin)。
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2013年6月大学英语4级考试真题（第2套） - 8振宇英语/４级真题
答案详解与译文划线点评
Part I Writing
扫一扫看视频
【写作提示】
这是一篇看图作文。从图画的内容我们可以看出话题是文学阅读的重要性。作文可分为三段：第一段
简单描绘图画的内容；第二段论述为什么说文学阅读很重要，并指出具体原因，阐述文学阅读的好处；第三段再次强调自己的观点，指出要多阅读文学作品。
【写作范文】The Importance of Reading LiteratureAs is humorously portrayed in the cartoon, a teacher is 【范文翻译】 文学阅读的重要性就像漫画中幽默描绘的那样，有个老handing a literature book to a student, asking the student to “just 师递给学生一本文学书，让学生“就当作read it as if you are reading a long text message.” Obviously, 看一条长短信”。很明显，这幅图告诉了我this picture tells us the importance of reading literature.There are two reasons why we should read literature books. 们文学阅读的重要性。我们为什么应该读文学书有两个原因。First, the beautiful words and sentences can make us relax and 首先，这些美丽的文字和句子可以让我们ease our tiredness. What’s more, literature is acknowledged 放松，并减轻疲劳。而且，文学是大家公as the most precious relics of human civilization and wisdom. 认的人类文明和智慧的遗产。几乎所有重Nearly all important life skills can be learned by reading 要的生活技能都可以通过文学书籍学到，literature books which are important in most jobs, let alone our 这些技能对大多数工作都很重要，更别说personal lives. So read as many literary works as possible.个人生活了。所以要尽可能多读文学作品。In short, literature is indispensable in our life. Facing the 简单地说，文学在我们生活中是必不coming challenges in the future, we need to equip us with more 可少的。面对未来即将来临的挑战，我们literature knowledge.需要具备更多的文学知识。 【范文亮点词汇】
1. portray v. 描绘 5. acknowledge v. 承认 7. relic n. 遗物 9. indispensable adj. 必不可少的 2. long text message 长短信6. precious adj. 宝贵的8. let alone 更别说10. equip v. 装备3. obviously adv. 显而易见 4. ease one’s tiredness 缓解疲劳 2013年6月大学英语4级考试真题（第2套） - 9振宇英语/４级真题
Part II Listening Comprehension
Section A) The woman is the manager’s secretary.B) The man found himself in a wrong place.C) The man is the manager’s business associate.D) The woman was putting up a sign on the wall.1. W: What are you doing here, Sir? Didn’t you see the private sign over there? M: I’m sorry. I didn’t notice it when I came in. I’m looking for the manager’s office. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? A) He needs more time for the report. B) He needs help to interpret the data. C) He is sorry not to have helped the woman. D) He does not have sufficient data to go on. 2. W: Mike, what’s the problem? You’ve known from month the report is due today. M: I know, but I’m afraid I need another few days. The data is hard to interpret than I expected. Q: What does the man mean? A) A friend from New York.B) A message from Tony. C) A postal delivery.D) A change in the weather.3. W: Excuse me, Tony. Has my parcel from New York arrived? M: Unfortunately, it’s been delayed due to the bad weather. Q: What is the woman waiting for? A) She is not available until the end of next week. B) She is not a reliable source of information. C) She does not like taking exams. D) She does not like psychology. 4. W: Pam said we won’t have the psychology test until the end of next week. M: Ellen, you should know better than to take Pam’s words for anything. Q: What does the man imply about Pam? A) 女士是经理的秘书。B) 男士发现自己走错地方了。C) 男士是经理的商务伙伴。D) 女士在墙上张贴标志。扫一扫看视频
【解析】B。细节题。对话中女士质问男士来这里干什么？难道没有看到那边写有“私人地方”的标志吗？男士表示抱歉，说自己进来时没注意，他想要找经理办公室，由此可知男士发现自己走错了地方，故答案为B。A) 这份报告他需要更多的时间。B) 他需要帮助来解释数据。C) 他很遗憾没能帮助女士。D) 他没有足够的数据继续做了。【解析】A。推理题。女士问男士是怎么回事，他早就知道今天要交报告了，男士说他知道，接着通过but转折表示他还需要几天时间来完成报告，因为数据比他预想的更难理解。故选A。A) 一位来自纽约的朋友。B) 来自托尼的信息。C) 一份邮件的投递。D) 天气变化。【解析】C。细节题。女士问男士从纽约寄来给她的包裹到了没，男士回答说很不幸，由于天气不好耽搁了，由此可知女士在等她的包裹。C选项中的A postal delivery相当于对话中的parcel，故选C。A) 她要到下周末才有时间。B) 她不是一个可靠的信息来源。C) 她不喜欢参加考试。D) 她不喜欢心理学。【解析】B。推理题。女士说听帕姆说下周末才会进行心理学考试，男士说应该明白不能拿帕姆的话当回事的，也就是暗示帕姆说的话不可靠，故B选项符合题意。在这个对话中要理解两个词组，not…until表示“直到……才”，know better than to do sth.表示“明白事理而不至于做某事”。 2013年6月大学英语4级考试真题（第2套） - 10