2009年6月全国大学英语四级考试真题

Part I Writing (30minutes)

Dictions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the topic of Free Admission to Museums. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below:
1. 越来越多的博物馆免费对外开放的目的是什么？
2. 也会带来一些问题；
3. 你的看法？

Free Admission to Museums

Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)

Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.

How Do You See Diversity?

      As a manager, Tiffany is responsible for interviewing applicants for some of the positions with her company. During one interview, she noticed that the candidate never made direct eye contact. She was puzzled and somewhat disappointed because she liked the individual otherwise.
      He had a perfect résumé and gave good responses to her questions, but the fact that he never looked her in the eye said “untrustworthy,” so she decided to offer the job to her second choice.
      “It wasn't until I attended a diversity workshop that I realized the person we passed over was the perfect person,” Tiffany confesses. What she hadn't known at the time of the interview was that the candidate's “different” behavior was simply a cultural misunderstanding. He was an Asian-American raised in a household where respect for those in authority was shown by averting (避开) your eyes.
      “I was just thrown off by the lack of eye contact; not realizing it was cultural,” Tiffany says. “I missed out, but will not miss that opportunity again.”
      Many of us have had similar encounters with behaviors we perceive as different. As the world becomes smaller and our workplaces more diverse, it is becoming essential to expand our understanding of others and to reexamine some of our false assumptions.
Hire Advantage
      At a time when hiring qualified people is becoming more difficult, employers who can eliminate invalid biases (偏见) from the process have a distinct advantage. My company, Mindsets LLC, helps organizations and individuals see their own blind spots. A real estate recruiter we worked with illustrates the positive difference such training can make.
      “During my Mindsets coaching session, I was taught how to recruit a diversified workforce. I recruited people from different cultures and skill sets. The agents were able to utilize their full potential and experiences to build up the company. When the real estate market began to change, it was because we had a diverse agent pool that we were able to stay in the real estate market much longer than others in the same profession.”
Blinded by Gender
      Dale is an account executive who attended one of my workshops on supervising a diverse workforce. “Through one of the sessions, I discovered my personal bias,” he recalls. “I learned I had not been looking at a person as a whole person, and being open to differences.” In his case, the blindness was not about culture but rather gender.
      “I had a management position open in my department; and the two finalists were a man and a woman. Had I not attended this workshop, I would have automatically assumed the man was the best candidate because the position required quite a bit of extensive travel. My reasoning would have been that even though both candidates were great and could have been successful in the position, I assumed the woman would have wanted to be home with her children and not travel.” Dale's assumptions are another example of the well-intentioned but incorrect thinking that limits an organization's ability to tap into the full potential of a diverse workforce.
      “I learned from the class that instead of imposing my gender biases into the situation, I needed to present the full range of duties, responsibilities and expectations to all candidates and allow them to make an informed decision.” Dale credits the workshop, “because it helped me make decisions based on fairness.”
Year of the Know-It-All
      Doug is another supervisor who attended one of my workshops. He recalls a major lesson learned from his own employee.
      “One of my most embarrassing moments was when I had a Chinese-American employee put in a request to take time off to celebrate Chinese New Year. In my ignorance, I assumed he had his dates wrong, as the first of January had just passed. When I advised him of this, I gave him a long talking-to about turning in requests early with the proper dates.
      “He patiently waited, then when I was done, he said he would like Chinese New Year off, not the Western New Year. He explained politely that in his culture the new year did not begin January first, and that Chinese New Year, which is tied to the lunar cycle, is one of the most celebrated holidays on the Chinese calendar. Needless to say, I felt very embarrassed in assuming he had his dates mixed up. But I learned a great deal about assumptions, and that the timing of holidays varies considerably from culture to culture.
      “Attending the diversity workshop helped me realize how much I could learn by simply asking questions and creating dialogues with my employees, rather than making assumptions and trying to be a know-it-all,” Doug admits. “The biggest thing I took away from the workshop is learning how to be more ‘inclusive' to differences.”
A Better Bottom Line
      An open mind about diversity not only improves organizations internally, it is profitable as well. These comments from a customer service representative show how an inclusive attitude can improve sales. “Most of my customers speak English as a second language. One of the best things my company has done is to contract with a language service that offers translations over the phone. It wasn't until my boss received Mindsets' training that she was able to understand how important inclusiveness was to customer service. As a result, our customer base has increased.”
      Once we start to see people as individuals, and discard the stereotypes, we can move positively toward inclusiveness for everyone. Diversity is about coming together and taking advantage of our differences and similarities. It is about building better communities and organizations that enhance us as individuals and reinforce our shared humanity.
      When we begin to question our assumptions and challenge what we think we have learned from our past, from the media, peers, family, friends, etc., we begin to realize that some of our conclusions are flawed (有缺陷的) or contrary to our fundamental values. We need to train ourselves to think differently, shift our mindsets and realize that diversity opens doors for all of us, creating opportunities in organizations and communities that benefit everyone.
1. What bothered Tiffany during an interview with her candidate?
A) He just wouldn't look her in the eye.
B) He was slow in answering her questions.
C) His résumé didn't provide the necessary information.
D) His answers to some of her questions were irrelevant.
2. Tiffany's misjudgment about the candidate stemmed from ________.
A) racial stereotypes
B) invalid personal bias
C) cultural ignorance
D) emphasis on physical appearance
3. What is becoming essential in the course of economic globalization according to the author?
A) Hiring qualified technical and management personnel.
B) Increasing understanding of people of other cultures.
C) Constantly updating knowledge and equipment.
D) Expanding domestic and international markets.
4. What kind of organization is Mindsets LLC?
A) A real estate agency.
B) A personnel training company.
C) A cultural exchange organization.
D) A hi-tech company.
5. After one of the workshops, account executive Dale realized that ________.
A) he had hired the wrong person
B) he could have done more for his company
C) he had not managed his workforce well
D) he must get rid of his gender bias
6. What did Dale think of Mindsets LLC's workshop?
A) It was well-intentioned but poorly conducted.
B) It tapped into the executives' full potential.
C) It helped him make fair decisions.
D) It met participants' diverse needs.
7. How did Doug, a supervisor, respond to a Chinese-American employee's request for leave?
A) He told him to get the dates right.
B) He demanded an explanation.
C) He flatly turned it down.
D) He readily approved it.
8. Doug felt when he realized that his assumption was wrong.
9. After attending Mindsets' workshops, the participants came to know the importance of to their business.
10. When we view people as individuals and get rid of stereotypes, we can achieve diversity and benefit from the between us.

Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)

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 decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

11.
A) She expected more people at her party.
B) She enjoys entertaining small children.
C) She threw a surprise party for her friend.
D) She has always enjoyed great popularity.
12.
A) They are not used to living in a cold place.
B) They feel lucky to live in Florida.
C) They are going to have a holiday.
D) They have not booked their air tickets yet.
13.
A) He was pleased to get the medal.
B) He was very courageous.
C) He used to be a firefighter.
D) He was accused of causing a fire.
14.
A) Make a profitable investment.
B) Buy a new washing machine.
C) Get parts for the machine from Japan.
D) Have the old washing machine fixed.
15.
A) He is pleased with his exciting new job.
B) He finds the huge workload unbearable.
C) He finds his office much too big for him.
D) He is not so excited about his new position.
16.
A) The woman is going to hold a big party tomorrow.
B) The man has no idea what the right thing to do is.
C) The woman doesn't know how to get to the party.
D) The man offers to drive the woman to the party.
17.
A) Drawing up a business plan.
B) Discussing a term paper.
C) Finalizing a contract.
D) Reviewing a co-authored article.
18.
A) She ordered some paper.
B) She had the printer repaired.
C) She chatted online with a friend.
D) She filled in an application form.
Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19.
A) His health is getting worse.
B) He can no longer work at sea.
C) His past life upsets him a good deal.
D) He has not got the expected pension.
20.
A) She passed away years ago.
B) She used to work as a model.
C) She has been working at a clinic.
D) She has been seriously ill for years.
21.
A) She has made lots of money as a doctor.
B) She is going to take care of her old dad.
C) She has never got on with her father.
D) She is kind and generous by nature.
22.
A) He dines out with his wife every weekend.
B) He is excellent but looks bad-tempered.
C) He does not care about his appearance.
D) He is not quite popular with his patients.
Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
23.
A) The man has sent the order to the woman by mistake.
B) Some of the telephone systems don't work properly.
C) Some of the packs do not contain any manuals.
D) The quality of the goods is not up to the standard.
24.
A) Send a service engineer to do the repairs.
B) Consult her boss about the best solution.
C) Pass the man's order to the right person.
D) Solve the problem at her company's cost.
25.
A) Ideal.
B) Temporary.
C) Partial.
D) Creative.
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
Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.
26.
A) It is entertaining.
B) It is a costly hobby.
C) It takes lots of time.
D) It requires training.
27.
A) They can harm nearby plants.
B) They may catch some disease.
C) They fight each other for food.
D) They may pollute the environment.
28.
A) Place the food on warmer spots.
B) Use prepared feed mixtures only.
C) Avoid using any contaminated food.
D) Continue the feeding till it gets warm.
Passage Two
Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.
29.
A) He will betray even his best friends.
B) He is able to make up good excuses.
C) He will lie whenever he wants.
D) He tries to achieve his goal at any cost.
30.
A) She made him apologize.
B) She readily forgave him.
C) She broke up with him.
D) She refused to answer his calls.
31.
A) Buy her a new set of tires.
B) Help clean her apartment.
C) Lend her his batteries.
D) Move furniture for her.
Passage Three
Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
32.
A) The atmosphere they live in is rather unreal.
B) Their parents put too much pressure on them.
C) It's hard for them to get along with other kids.
D) They have to live in the shadow of their parents.
33.
A) He always boasts about his rich father.
B) He will grow up to be good for nothing.
C) He has too much to know the value of things.
D) He is too young to manage his inherited property.
34.
A) She wants Amanda to get professional care.
B) She has no experience in raising children.
C) She wants to show off her wealth.
D) She has no time to do it herself.
35.
A) The lifestyle depicted in Hollywood movies.
B) The worship of money, beauty and pleasure.
C) The attention the media focuses on them.
D) The pursuing of perfection in performance.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.
      Around 120 years ago, Ebbinghaus began his study of memory. He (36) on studying how quickly the human mind can remember (37) . One result of his research is known as the total time hypothesis (假设), which simply means the amount you learn (38) on the time you spend trying to learn it. This can be taken as our first rule of learning.
      Although it is usually true that studying for four hours is better than studying for one, there is still the question of how we should use the four hours. For example, is it better to study for four hours (39) or to study for one hour a day for four days in a (40) ? The answer, as you may have (41) , is that it is better to spread out the study times. This (42) , through which we can learn more (43) by dividing our practice time, is known as the distribution of practice effect. Thus,
(44).
      But we're not finished yet. We haven't considered how we should study over very short periods of time.
(45). Should you look at the same word in rapid succession, or look at the word and then have some delay before you look at it again?
(46).

Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 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.
Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.
      Every year in the first week of my English class, some students inform me that writing is too hard. They never write, unless assignments   47   it. They find the writing process   48   and difficult.
       How awful to be able to speak in a language but not to write in it—  49   English, with its rich vocabulary. Being able to speak but not write is like living in an   50   mansion (豪宅) and never leaving one small room. When I meet students who think they can't write, I know as a teacher my   51   is to show them the rest of the rooms. My task is to build fluency while providing the opportunity inherent in any writing activity to   52   the moral and emotional development of my students. One great way to do this is by having students write in a journal in class every day.
      Writing ability is like strength training. Writing needs to be done   53  , just like exercise; just as muscles grow stronger with exercise, writing skills improve quickly with writing practice. I often see a rise in student confidence and   54   after only a few weeks of journal writing.
      Expressing oneself in writing is one of the most important skills I teach to strengthen the whole student. When my students practice journal writing, they are practicing for their future academic, political, and   55   lives. They build skills so that some day they might write a great novel, a piece of sorely needed legislation, or the perfect love letter. Every day that they write in their journals puts them a step   56   to fluency, eloquence (雄辩), and command of language.

A) closer
B) daily
C) emotional
D) enhance
E) enormous

F) especially
G) hinder
H) mission
I) painful
J) performance

K) profession
L) remarkably
M) require
N) sensitive
O) urge

47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
Section B
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 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
      The January fashion show, called FutureFashion, exemplified how far green design has come. Organized by the New York-based nonprofit Earth Pledge, the show inspired many top designers to work with sustainable fabrics for the first time. Several have since made pledges to include organic fabrics in their lines.
      The designers who undertake green fashion still face many challenges. Scott Hahn, cofounder with Gregory of Rogan and Loomstate, which uses all-organic cotton, says high-quality sustainable materials can still be tough to find. “Most designers with existing labels are finding there aren't comparable fabrics that can just replace what you're doing and what your customers are used to,” he says. For example, organic cotton and non-organic cotton are virtually indistinguishable once woven into a dress. But some popular synthetics, like stretch nylon, still have few eco-friendly equivalents.
      Those who do make the switch are finding they have more support. Last year the influential trade show Designers & Agents stopped charging its participation fee for young green entrepreneurs (企业家) who attend its two springtime shows in Los Angeles and New York and gave special recognition to designers whose collections are at least 25% sustainable. It now counts more than 50 green designers, up from fewer than a dozen two years ago. This week Wal-Mart is set to announce a major initiative aimed at helping cotton farmers go organic: it will buy transitional (过渡型的) cotton at higher prices, thus helping to expand the supply of a key sustainable material. “Mainstream is about to occur,” says Hahn.
      Some analysts (分析师) are less sure. Among consumers, only 18% are even aware that ecofashion exists, up from 6% four years ago. Natalie Hormilla, a fashion writer, is an example of the unconverted consumer, when asked if she owned any sustainable clothes, she replied: “Not that I'm aware of.” Like most consumers, she finds little time to shop, and when she does, she's on the hunt for “cute stuff that isn't too expensive.” By her own admission, green just isn't yet on her mind. But—thanks to the combined efforts of designers, retailers and suppliers—one day it will be.
57. What is said about FutureFashion?
A) It inspired many leading designers to start going green.
B) It showed that designers using organic fabrics would go far.
C) It served as an example of how fashion shows should be organized.
D) It convinced the public that fashionable clothes should be made durable.
58. According to Scott Hahn, one big challenge to designers who will go organic is that ________.
A) much more time is needed to finish a dress using sustainable materials
B) they have to create new brands for clothes made of organic materials
C) customers have difficulty telling organic from non-organic materials
D) quality organic replacements for synthetics are not readily available
59. We learn from Paragraph 3 that designers who undertake green fashion ________.
A) can attend various trade shows free
B) are readily recognized by the fashion world
C) can buy organic cotton at favorable prices
D) are gaining more and more support
60. What is Natalie Hormilla's attitude toward ecofashion?
A) She doesn't seem to care about it.
B) She doesn't think it is sustainable.
C) She is doubtful of its practical value.
D) She is very much opposed to the idea.
61. What does the author think of green fashion?
A) Green products will soon go mainstream.
B) It has a very promising future.
C) Consumers have the final say.
D) It will appeal more to young people.
Passage two
Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.
      Scientists have devised a way to determine roughly where a person has lived using a strand (缕) of hair, a technique that could help track the movements of criminal suspects or unidentified murder victims.
      The method relies on measuring how chemical variations in drinking water show up in people's hair.
      “You're what you eat and drink, and that's recorded in you hair,” said Thure Cerling, a geologist at the University of Utah.
      While U.S. diet is relatively identical, water supplies vary. The differences result from weather patterns. The chemical composition of rainfall changes slightly as rain clouds move.
      Most hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water are stable, but traces of both elements are also present as heavier isotopes (同位素). The heaviest rain falls first. As a result, storms that form over the Pacific deliver heavier water to California than to Utah.
      Similar patterns exist throughout the U.S. By measuring the proportion of heavier hydrogen and oxygen isotopes along a strand of hair, scientists can construct a geographic timeline. Each inch of hair corresponds to about two months.
      Cerling's team collected tap water samples from 600 cities and constructed a map of the regional differences. They checked the accuracy of the map by testing 200 hair samples collected from 65 barber shops.
      They were able to accurately place the hair samples in broad regions roughly corresponding to the movement of rain systems.
      “It's not good for pinpointing (精确定位),” Cerling said. “It's good for eliminating many possibilities.”
      Todd Park, a local detective, said the method has helped him learn more about an unidentified woman whose skeleton was found near Great Salt Lake.
      The woman was 5 feet tall. Police recovered 26 bones, a T-shirt and several strands of hair.
      When Park heard about the research, he gave the hair samples to the researchers. Chemical testing showed that over the two years before her death, she moved about every two months.
      She stayed in the Northwest, although the test could not be more specific than somewhere between eastern Oregon and western Wyoming.
      “It's still a substantial area,” Park said. “But it narrows it way down for me.”
62. What is the scientists' new discovery?
A) One's hair growth has to do with the amount of water they drink.
B) A person's hair may reveal where they have lived.
C) Hair analysis accurately identifies criminal suspects.
D) The chemical composition of hair varies from person to person.
63. What does the author mean by “You're what you eat and drink” (Line 1, Para. 3)?
A) Food and drink affect one's personality development.
B) Food and drink preferences vary with individuals.
C) Food and drink leave traces in one's body tissues.
D) Food and drink are indispensable to one's existence.
64. What is said about the rainfall in America's West?
A) There is much more rainfall in California than in Utah.
B) The water it delivers becomes lighter when it moves inland.
C) Its chemical composition is less stable than in other areas.
D) It gathers more light isotopes as it moves eastward.
65. What did Cerling's team produce in their research?
A) A map showing the regional differences of tap water.
B) A collection of hair samples from various barber shops.
C) A method to measure the amount of water in human hair.
D) A chart illustrating the movement of the rain system.
66. What is the practical value of Cerling's research?
A) It helps analyze the quality of water in different regions.
B) It helps the police determine where a crime is committed.
C) It helps the police narrow down possibilities in detective work.
D) It helps identify the drinking habits of the person under investigation.

Part V Cloze (15 minutes)

Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

      Kimiyuki Suda should be a perfect customer for Japan's car-makers. He's a young, successful executive at an Internet-services company in Tokyo and has plenty of disposable   67  . He used to own Toyota's Hilux Surf, a sport utility vehicle. But now he uses   68   subways and trains. “It's not inconvenient at all,” he says.   69  , “having a car is so 20th century.”
      Suda reflects a worrisome   70   in Japan; the automobile is losing its emotional appeal,   71   among the young, who prefer to spend their money on the latest electronic devices.   72   mini-cars and luxury foreign brands are still popular, everything in between is   73  . Last year sales fell 6.7 percent, 7.6 percent   74   you don't count the mini-car market. There have been   75   one-year drops in other nations: sales in Germany fell 9 percent in 2007   76   a tax increase. But experts say Japan is   77   in that sales have been decreasing steadily   78   time. Since 1990, yearly new-car sales have fallen from 7.8 million to 5.4 million units in 2007.
      Alarmed by this state of   79  , the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA)   80   a comprehensive study of the market in 2006. It found that a   81   wealth gap, demographic (人口结构的) changes and   82   lack of interest in cars led Japanese to hold their   83   longer, replace their cars with smaller ones   84   give up car ownership altogether. JAMA   85   a further sales decline of 1.2 percent this year. Some experts believe that if the trend continues for much longer, further consolidation (合并) in the automotive sector is   86  .

67.	A) profit	B) payment
67.	C) income	D) budget
68.	A) mostly	B) partially
68.	C) occasionally	D) rarely
69.	A) Therefore	B) Besides
69.	C) Otherwise	D) Consequently
70.	A) drift	B) tide
70.	C) current	D) trend
71.	A) remarkably	B) essentially
71.	C) specially	D) particularly
72.	A) While	B) Because
72.	C) When	D) Since
73.	A) surging	B) stretching
73.	C) slipping	D) shaking
74.	A) unless	B) if
74.	C) as	D) after
75.	A) lower	B) slighter
75.	C) broader	D) larger
76.	A) liable to	B) in terms of
76.	C) thanks to	D) in view of
77.	A) unique	B) similar
77.	C) mysterious	D) strange
78.	A) over	B) against
78.	C) on	D) behind
79.	A) mess	B) boom
79.	C) growth	D) decay
80.	A) proceeded	B) relieved
80.	C) launched	D) revised
81.	A) quickening	B) widening
81.	C) strengthening	D) lengthening
82.	A) average	B) massive
82.	C) abundant	D) general
83.	A) labels	B) cycles
83.	C) vehicles	D) devices
84.	A) or	B) until
84.	C) but	D) then
85.	A) concludes	B) predicts
85.	C) reckons	D) prescribes
86.	A) distant	B) likely
86.	C) temporary	D) immediate

Part VI Translation (15 minutes)

Directions: Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets. Please write your translation on Answer Sheet 2.
87. Soon after he transferred to the new school, Ali found that he had (很难跟上班里的同学) in math and English.
88. If she had returned an hour earlier, Mary (就不会被大雨淋了).
89. It is said that those who are stressed or working overtime are (更有可能增加体重).
90. (很多人所没有意识到的) is that Simon is a lover of sports, and football in particular.
91.The study shows that the poor functioning of the human body is (与缺乏锻炼密切相关).