12月英语四级真题第二套含听力原文

2019年12月英语四级真题第二套(含听力原文）Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to learn Chinese. Please recommend a place to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections: 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 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) The number of nurses has dropped to a record low. B) There is a growing shortage of medical personnel.C) There is discrimination against male nurses.D) The number of male nurses has gone down.2. A) Cultural bias.B) Inadequate pay.C) Educational system.D) Working conditions.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) He fell out of a lifeboat.B) He lost his way on a beach.C) He was almost drowned.D) He enjoyed swimming in the sea.4. A) The beach is a popular tourist resort.B) The emergency services are efficient.C) The beach is a good place to watch the tide.D) The lifeboats patrol the area round the clock.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) It became an online star.B) It broke into an office room.C) It escaped from a local zoo.D) It climbed 25 storeys at one go.6. A) Send it back to the zoo.B) Release it into the wild. C) Return it to its owner.D) Give it a physical checkup.7. A) A raccoon can perform acts no human can.B) A raccoon can climb much higher than a cat.C) The raccoon became as famous as some politicians.D) The raccoon did something no politician could.Section BDirections: 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.8. A) She got a well-paying job in a bank.B) She received a bonus unexpectedly.C She received her first monthly salary.D) She got a pay raise for her performance.9. A) Several years ago.B) Two decades ago.C) Right after graduation.D) Just last month.10. A) He sent a small check to his parents.B) He took a few of his friends to a gym.C) He immediately deposited it in a bank.D) He treated his parents to a nice meal.11. A) Buy some professional clothes.B) Budget her salary carefully.C) Join her colleagues for gym exercise.D) Visit her former university campus.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) He has a difficult decision to make. B) He has been overworked recently.C) He has just quarreled with his girlfriend.D) He has just too many things to attend to.13. A) Give priority to things more urgent.B) Turn to his girlfriend for assistance.C) Think twice before making the decision.D) Seek advice from his family and advisor.14. A) His parents and advisor have different opinions.B) He is not particularly keen on the job offered.C) He lacks the money for his doctoral program.D) His girlfriend does not support his decision.15. A) They need time to make preparations.B) They need to save enough money for it.C) They havent started their careers yet.D) They havent won their parents approval.Section CDirections: 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.16. A) Acquiring information and professional knowledge. B) Using information to understand and solve problems.C) Enriching social and intellectual lives.D) Expressing ideas and opinions freely.17. A) Improving mind-reading strategies.B) Reading classic scientific literature.C) Playing games that challenge ones mind.D) Traveling to different places in the world.18. A) Give others freedom to express themselves.B) Expose themselves to different cultures.C) Discard personal biases and prejudices.D) Participate in debates or discussions.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) The nature of relationships between dogs.B) The reason a great many people love dogs.C) Why dogs can be faithful friends of humans.D) How dogs feel about their bonds with humans.20. A) They have an unusual sense of responsibility.B) They can respond to humans questions.C) They can fall in love just like humans.D) They behave like other animals in many ways.21. A) They have their own joys and sorrows.B) They experience true romantic love.C) They help humans in various ways.D) They stay with one partner for life.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) A cow bone.B) A rare animal. C) A historical site.D) A precious stone.23. A) Measuring it.B) Preserving it.C) Dating it.D) Identifying it.24. A) The site should have been protected.B) The boys family had acted correctly.C) The boy should have called an expert.D) The channel needs to interview the boy.25. A) Search for similar fossils elsewhere. B) Ask the university to reward Jude.C) Conduct a more detailed search.D) Seek additional funds for the search.Part Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: 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.Finally, some good news about airplane travel. If you are on a plane with a sick passenger, you are unlikely to get sick. That is the 26 of a new study that looked at how respiratory viruses 27 on airplanes. Researchers found that only people who were seated in the same row as a passenger with the flu, for exampleor one row in front of or behind that individualhad a high risk of catching the illness. All other passengers had only a very 28 chance of getting sick, according to the findings. Media reports have not necessarily presented 29 information about the risk of getting infected on an airplane in the past. Therefore, these new findings should help airplane passengers to feel less 30 to catching respiratory infections while traveling by air.Prior to the new study, litter was known about the risks of getting 31 infected by common respiratory viruses, such as the flu or common cold, on an airplane, the researchers said. So, to 32 the risks of infection, the study team flew on 10 different 33 in the U.S. during the flu season. The researchers found that passengers sitting within two seats on 34 side of a person infected with flu, as well as those sitting one row in front of or behind this individual, had about an 80 person chance of getting sick. But other passengers were 35 safe from infection. They had a less than 3 percent chance of catching the flu.A) accurate F) explorations K) slimB) conclusion G) flights L) spreadC) directly H) largely M) summitD) either I) nearby N) vividlyE) evaluate J) respond O) venerableSection BDirections: 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.Is Breakfast Really the Most Important Meal of the Day?A Along with old classics like “carrots give you night vision” and “Santa doesnt bring toys to misbehaving children”, one of the most well-worn phrases of tired parents everywhere is that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Many of us grow up believing that skipping breakfast is a serious mistakeeven if only two thirds of adults in the UK eat breakfast regularly, according to the British Dietetic Association, and around three-quarters of Americans.B “The body uses a lot of energy stores for growth and repair through the night,” explains diet specialist Sarah Elder. “Eating a balanced breakfast helps to up our energy, as well as make up for protein and calcium used throughout the night.” But theres widespread disagreement over whether breakfast should keep its top spot in the hierarchy of meals. There have been concerns around the sugar content of cereal and the food industrys involvement in pro-breakfast researchand even one claim from an academic that breakfast is “dangerous”.C Whats the reality? Is breakfast a necessary start to the day or a marketing tactic by cereal companies? The most researched aspect of breakfast (and breakfast-skipping) has been its links to obesity. Scientists have different theories as to why theres a relationship between the two. In one US study that analyzed the health data of 50,000 people over seven years, researchers found that those who made breakfast the largest meal of the day were more likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who ate a large lunch or dinner. The researchers argued that breakfast helps reduce daily calorie intake and improve the quality of our dietsince breakfast foods are often higher in fiber and nutrients.D But as with any study of this kind, it was unclear if that was the causeor if breakfast-skippers were just more likely to be overweight to begin with. To find out, researchers designed a study in which 52 obese women took part in a 12-week weight loss program. All had the same number of calories over the day, but half had breakfast, while the other half did not. What they found was that it wasnt breakfast itself that caused the participants to lose weight: it was changing their normal routine.E If breakfast alone isnt a guarantee of weight loss, why is there a link between obesity and skipping breakfast? Alexandra Johnstone, professor of appetite research at the University of Aberdeen, argues that it may simply be because breakfast-skippers have been found to be less knowledgeable about nutrition and health. “There are a lot of studies on the relationship between breakfast eating and possible health outcomes, but this may be because those who eat breakfast choose to habitually have health-enhancing behaviors such as not smoking and regular exercise,” she says.F A 2016 review of 10 studies looking into the relationship between breakfast and weight management concluded there is “limited evidence” supporting or refuting the argument that breakfast influences weight or food intake, and more evidence is required before breakfast recommendations can be used to help prevent obesity.G Researchers from the University of Surrey and University of Aberdeen are halfway through research looking into the mechanisms behind how the time we eat influences body weight. Early findings suggest that a bigger breakfast is beneficial to weight control. Breakfast has been found to affect more than just weight. Skipping breakfast has been associated with a 27% increased risk of heart disease, a 21% higher risk of type 2 diabetes men, and a 20% higher risk of type 2 diabetes in women. One reason may be breakfasts nutritional valuepartly because cereal is fortified with vitamins. In one study on the breakfast habits of 1,600 young people in the UK, researchers found that the fiber and micronutrient intake was better in those who had breakfast regularly. There have been similar findings in Australia, Brazil, Canada and the US.H Breakfast is also associated with improved brain function, including concentration and language use. A review of 54 studies found that eating breakfast can improve memory, though the effects on other brain functions were inconclusive. However, one of the reviews researchers, Mary Beth Spitznagel, says there is “reasonable” evidence breakfast does improve concentrationthere just needs to be more research. “Looking at studies that tested concentration, the number of studies showing a benefit was exactly the same as the number that found no benefit,” she says. “And no studies found that eating breakfast was bad for concentration.”I Whats most important, some argue, is what we eat for breakfast. High-protein breakfasts have been found particularly effective in reducing food and consumption later in the day, according to research by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. While cereal remains a firm favorite among breakfast consumers in the UK and US, a recent investigation into the sugar content of “adult” breakfast cereals found that some cereals contain more than three quarters of the recommended daily amount of free sugars in each portion, and sugar was the second or third highest ingredient in cereals.J But some research suggests if were going to eat sugary foods, its best to do it early. One recruited 200 obese adults to take part in a 16-week-long diet, where half added dessert to their breakfast, and half didnt. Those who added dessert lost an average of 40 pounds morehowever, the study was unable to show the long-term effects. A review of 54 studies found that there is no consensus yet on what type of breakfast is healthier, and concluded that the type of breakfast doesnt matter as much as simply eating something.K While theres no conclusive evidence on exactly what we should be eating and when, the consensus is that we should listen to our own bodies and eat when were hungry. “Breakfast is most important for people who are hungry when they wake up,” Johnstone says. Every body starts the day differentlyand those individual differences need to be researched more closely, Spitznagel says. “A balanced breakfast is really helpful, but getting regular meals throughout the day is more important to leave blood sugar stable through the day, which helps control weight and hunger levels,” says Elder, “Breakfast isnt the only meal we should be getting right.”36. According to one professor, obesity is related to a lack of basic awareness of nutrition and health.37. Some scientists claim that people should consume the right kind of food at breakfast.38. Opinions differ as to whether breakfast is the most important meal of the day.39. It has been found that not eating breakfast is related to the incidence of certain diseases in some countries.40. Researchers found it was a change in eating habits rather than breakfast itself that induced weight loss.41. To keep oneself healthy, eating breakfast is more important than choosing what to eat.42. It is widely considered wrong not to eat breakfast.43. More research is needed to prove that breakfast is related to weight loss or food intake.44. People who priorities breakfasts tend to have lower calorie but higher nutritional intake.45. Many studies reveal that eating breakfast helps people memories and concentrate.Section CDirections: 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 OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Textbooks represent an 11 billion dollar industry, up from $8 billion in 2014. Textbook publisher Pearson is the largest publisherof any kindin the world.It costs about $1 million to create a new textbook. A freshman textbook will have dozens of contributors, from subject-matter experts through graphic and layout artists to expert reviewers and classroom testers. Textbook publishers connect professors, instructors and students in ways that alternatives, such as Open E-Textbooks and Open Educational Resources, simply do not. This connection happens not only by means of collaborative development, review and testing, but also at conferences where faculty regularly decide on their textbooks and curricula for the coming year.It is true that textbook publishers have recently reported losses, largely due to students renting or buying used print textbooks. But this can be chalked up to the exorbitant cost of their bookswhich has increased over 1,000 percent since 1977. A reshuffling of the textbook industry may well be in order. But this does not mean the end of the textbook itself.While they may not be as dynamic as an iPad, textbooks are not passive or lifeless. For example, over the centuries, they have simulated dialogue in a number of ways. From 1800 to the present day, textbooks have done this by posing questions for students to answer inductively. That means students are asked to use their individual experience to come up with answers to general questions. Todays psychology texts, for example, ask: “How much of your personality do you think you inherited?” while ones in physics say: “How can you predict where the ball you tossed will land?”Experts observe that “textbooks come in layers, something like an onion.” For the active learner, engaging with a textbook can be an interactive experience: Readers proceed at their own pace. They “customize” their books by engaging with different layers and linkages. Highlighting, Post-It notes, dog-ears and other techniques allow for further customization that students value in print books over digital forms of books.46. What does the passage say about open educational resources?A) They contribute to teaching as much as to learning.B) They dont profit as much as traditional textbooks do.C) They cant connect professors and students as textbooks do.D) They compete fiercely for customers with textbook producers.47. What is the main cause of the publishers losses?A) Failure to meet student need.B) Industry restructuringC) Emergence of e-books.D) Falling sales.48. What does the textbook industry need to do?A) Reform its structures.B) Cut its retail prices.C) Find replacements for printed textbooks.D) Change its business strategy periodically.49. What are students expected to do in the learning process?A) Think carefully before answering each question.B) Ask questions based on their own understanding.C) Answer questions using their personal experience.D) Give answers showing their respective personality.50. What do experts say about students using textbooks?A)