1998年1月大学英语四级考试试题及参考答案

Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)

Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

Example:
You will hear:
You will read:
A) 2 hours.
B) 3 hours.
C) 4 hours.
D) 5 hours.

From the conversation we know that the two were talking about some work they will start at 9 o’clock in the morning and have to finish at 2 in the afternoon. Therefore, D) “5 hours” is the correct answer. You should choose [D] on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the center.
Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D]

1.
A) The man wants to attend tomorrow’s show.
B) There aren’t any tickets left for tonight’s show.
C) There aren’t any tickets left for tomorrow’s show.
D) The man doesn’t want to attend tomorrow’s show.

2.
A) Detective stories.
B) Stories about jail escapes.
C) Love stories.
D) Stories about royal families.

3.
A) It was a long lecture, but easy to understand.
B) It was not as easy as she had thought.
C) It was as difficult as she had expected.
D) It was interesting and easy to follow.

4.
A) To put him through to the director.
B) To have a talk with the director about his work.
C) To arrange an appointment for him with the director.
D) To go and see if the director can meet him right now.

5.
A) Margaret wanted to return some magazines to the woman.
B) Margaret wanted to lend some magazines to the woman.
C) Margaret wanted to borrow some magazines from the woman.
D) Margaret wanted to get some magazines back from the woman.

6.
A) He doesn’t care much about it.
B) He enjoys it very much.
C) He doesn’t mind even though it’s tedious.
D) He hates working overtime.

7.
A) The woman doesn’t think it exciting to travel by air.
B) They’ll stay at home during the holidays.
C) They are offered some plane tickets for their holidays.
D) They’ll be flying somewhere for their vacation.

8.
A) Something went wrong with the bus.
B) She took somebody to hospital.
C) Something prevented her from catching the bus.
D) She came on foot instead of taking a bus.

9.
A) Do her homework.
B) Clean the backyard.
C) Wash clothes.
D) Enjoy the beautiful day.

10.
A) The man is looking for a place to live in.
B) The man has a house for rent.
C) The woman is a secretary.
D) The two speakers are old friends.

Section B Compound Dictation
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. Then listen to the passage again. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from S1 to S7 with the exact works you have just heard. For blanks numbered from S8 to S10 you are required to fill in the missing information. You can either use the exact works 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.

　　Very few people can get college degree before 11, but Michael was an exception. He started high school when he was 5, finish in just nine months. He became the (S1) ___________ youngest college graduate when he was 10 years and 4 months old, earning an (S2) _____________ degree. Now at 11 Michael’s working on a master’s degree in (S3) ___________ intelligence.

　　But Michael’s (S4) ___________ hasn’t always come easy. (S5) _________ his intelligence. He still lacks important life (S6) ________________.

　　In one class, he had to struggle to understand (S7) ____________ novels, because, he says, “I’ve never been in love before.”

　　Another challenge was his size. (S8)________________________________.
He likes computers so much (S9) ________________________________________.
He wants to make robots do all the heavy tasks. (S10) __________________________.

Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Direction: There are 4 passages in this part. 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

Passage One
Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage:

　　In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child’s acquisition（学会）of each new skill-the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child: This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.

　　Patents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters. Others are sever over times of coming home at night or punctuality for meals. In general, the controls imposed represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child’s own happiness.

　　As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality（道德）. Also, parents should realize that “example is better than precept”. If they are not sincere and do not practise what they preach（说教）, their children may grow confused, and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled.

　　A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents’ principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment.

11. Eagerly watching the child’s acquisition of new skills _________.
A) should be avoided
B) is universal among parents
C) sets up dangerous states of worry in the child
D) will make him lose interest in learning new things

12. In the process of children’s learning new skills parents ______.
A) should encourage them to read before they know the meaning of the words they read
B) should not expect too much of them
C) should achieve a balance between pushing them too hard and leaving them on their own
D) should create as many learning opportunities as possible

13. The second paragraph mainly tells us that __________.
A) parents should be strict with their children
B) parental controls reflect only the needs of the parents and the values of the community
C) parental restrictions vary, and are not always enforced for the benefit of the children alone
D) parents vary in their strictness towards their children according to the situation

14. The word “precept” (Line 3, Para.3) probably means “_________”.
A) idea
B) punishment
C) behavior
D) instruction

15. In moral matters, parents should __________.
A) observe the rules themselves
B) be aware of the marked difference between adults and children
C) forbid things which have no foundation in morality
D) consistently ensure the security of their children

Passage Two
Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage:

　　A good modern newspaper is an extraordinary piece of reading. It is remarkable first for what it contains: the range of news from local crime to international politics, from sport to business to fashion to science, and the range of comment and special features（特写）as well, from editorial page to feature articles and interviews to criticism of books, art, theatre and music. A newspaper is even more remarkable for the way one reads it: never completely, never straight through, but always by jumping from here to there, in and not glancing at one piece, reading another article all the way through, reading just a few paragraphs of the next. A good modern newspaper offers variety to attract many different readers, but far more than nay one reader is interested in. What brings this variety together in one place is its topicality（时事性）, its immediate relation to what is happening in your world and your locality now. but immediacy and the speed of production that goes with it mean also that much of what papers in a newspaper has no more than transient（短暂的）value. For all these reasons, no two people really read the same paper: what each person does is to put together out of the pages of that day’s paper, his own selection and sequence, his own newspaper. For all these reasons, reading newspapers efficiently, which means getting what you want from them without missing things you need but without wasting time, demands skill and self-awareness as you modify and apply the techniques of reading.

16. A modern newspaper is remarkable for all the following except its _________.
A) wide coverage
B) uniform style
C) speed in reporting news
D) popularity

17. According to the passage, the reason why no two people really read the “same” newspaper is that ________.
A) people scan for the news they are interested in
B) different people prefer different newspapers
C) people are rarely interested in the same kind of news
D) people have different views about what a good newspaper is

18. It can be conclude from the passage that newspaper readers ________.
A) apply reading techniques skillfully
B) jump from one newspaper to another
C) appreciate the variety of a newspaper
D) usually read a newspaper selectively

19. A good newspaper offers “a variety” to readers because _________.
A) it tries to serve different readers
B) it has to cover things that happen in a certain locality
C) readers are difficult to please
D) readers like to read different newspapers

20. The best title for this passage would be “__________”.
A) The Importance of Newspaper Topicality
B) The Characteristics of a Good Newspaper
C) The Variety of a Good Newspaper
D) Some Suggestions on How to Read a Newspaper

Passage Three
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

　　American society is not nap（午睡）friendly. In fact, says David Dinges, a sleep specialist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. “There’s even a prohibition against admitting we need sleep.” Nobody wants to be caught napping or found asleep at work. To quote proverb: “Some sleep five hours, nature requires seven, laziness nine and wickedness eleven.”

　　Wrong. The way not to fall asleep at work is to take naps when you need them. “We have to totally change our attitude toward napping”, says Dr. William Dement of Stanford University, the godfather of sleep research.

　　Last year a national commission led by Dement identified an “American sleep debt” which one member said was as important as the national debt, the commission was concerned about the dangers of sleepiness: people causing industrial accidents or falling asleep while driving. This may be why we have a new sleep policy in the White House. According to recent reports, president Clinton is trying to take a half-hour snooze（打瞌睡）every afternoon.

　　About 60 percent of American adults nap when given the opportunity. We seem to have “a midafternoon quiet phase” also called “a secondary sleep gate.” Sleeping 15 minutes to two hours in the early afternoon can reduce stress and make us refreshed. Clearly, we were born to nap.

　　We Superstars of Snooze don’t nap to replace lost shut-eye or to prepare for a night shift. Rather, we “snack” on sleep, whenever, wherever and at whatever time we feel like it. I myself have napped in buses, cars, planes and on boats; on floors and beds; and in libraries, offices and museums.

21. It is commonly accepted in American society that too much sleep is _______.
A) unreasonable
B) criminal
C) harmful
D) costly

22. The research done by the Dement commission shows that Americans ________.
A) don’t like to take naps
B) are terribly worried about their national debt
C) sleep less than is good for them
D) have caused many industrial and traffic accidents

23. The purpose of this article is to ___________.
A) warn us of the wickedness of napping
B) explain the danger of sleepiness
C) discuss the side effects of napping
D) convince the reader of the necessity of napping

24. The “American sleep debt” (Line 1, Para.3) is the result of _________.
A) the traditional misconception the Americans have about sleep
B) the new sleep policy of the Clinton Administration
C) the rapid development of American industry
D) the Americans’ worry about the danger of sleepiness

25. The second sentence of the last paragraph tells us that it is __________.
A) preferable to have a sound sleep before a night shift
B) good practice to eat something light before we go to bed
C) essential to make up for cost sleep
D) natural to take a nap whenever we feel the need for it

Passage Four
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

　　Violin prodigies（神童）, I learned, have come in distinct waves from distinct regions. Most of the great performers if the late 19th and early 20th centuries were born and brought up in Russia and Eastern Europe. I asked Isaac Stern, one of the world’s greatest violinists the reason for this phenomenon. “It is very clear,” he told me. “They were all Jews（犹太人）and Jews at the time were severely oppressed and ill-treated in that part of the world. They were not allowed into the professional fields, but they were allowed to achieve excellence on a concert stage.” As a result, every Jewish parent’s dream was to have a child in the music school because it was a passport to the West.

　　Another element in the emergence of prodigies, I found, is a society that values excellence in a certain field to nurture（培育）talent. Nowadays, the most nurturing societies seem to be in the Far East. “In Japan, a most competitive society, with stronger discipline than ours,” says Isaac Stem, children are ready to test their limits every day in many fields, including music. When Western music came to Japan after World War II, that music not only became part of their daily lives, but it became a discipline as well. The Koreans and Chinese as we know, are just as highly motivated as the Japanese.

　　That’s a good thing, because even prodigies must work hard. Next to hard work, biological inheritance plays an important role in the making of a prodigy .J. S. Bach, for example, was the top of several generations of musicians, and four of his sons had significant careers in music.

26. Jewish parents in Eastern Europe longed for their children to attend music school because _________.
A) it would allow them access to a better life in the West
B) Jewish children are born with excellent musical talent
C) they wanted their children to enter into the professional field
D) it would enable the family to get better treatment in their own country

27. Nurturing societies as mentioned in the passage refer to societies that, _________.
A) enforce strong discipline on students who want to achieve excellence
B) treasure talent and provide opportunities for its full development
C) encourage people to compete with each other
D) promise talented children high positions

28. Japan is described in the passage as a country that attaches importance to _________.
A) all-round development
B) the learning of Western music
C) strict training of children
D) variety in academic studies

29. Which of the following contributes to the emergence of musical prodigies according to the passage?
A) A natural gift.
B) Extensive knowledge of music.
C) Very early training.
D) A prejudice-free society.

30. Which of the following titles best summarises the main idea of the passage?
A) Jewish Contribution to Music.
B) Training of Musicians in the World
C) Music and Society
D) The Making of Prodigies

Part III Vocabulary and Structure (20 minutes)
Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

31 Although punctual himself, the professor was quite ________ used late for his lecture.
A) to have students
B) for students’ being
C) for students to be
D) to students’ being

32 You should have been more patient ________ that customer; I’m sure that selling him the watch was a possibility.
A) of
B) with
C) for
D) at

33 Neither of the young men who had applied for a position in the university _______.
A) has been accepted
B) have been accepted
C) was accepted
D) were accepted

34 This box is too heavy, ________ give me a hand?
A) would you mind
B) would you please
C) will you like to
D) will you please to

35 __________ he works hard, I don’t mind when he finishes the experiment.
A) As soon as
B) As well as
C) So far as
D) So long as

36 As early as 1647 Ohio made a decision that free, tax-supported schools must be established in every town __________ 50 households or more.
A) having
B) to have
C) to have had
D) having had

37 People appreciate __________ with him because he has a good sense of humor.
A) to work
B) to have worked
C) working
D) having worked

38 The man was put in the soft-padded cell lest he _______ himself.
A) injure
B) had injured
C) injured
D) would injure

39 We love peace, yet we are not the kind of people to yield ________ any military threat.
A) up
B) to
C) in
D) at

40 Although he knew little about the large amount of work done in the field, he succeeded __________ other more well-informed experimenters failed.
A) which
B) that
C) what
D) where

41 If tap water were as dangerous as some people think, ________ would be getting sick.
A) a lot of more us
B) more a lot of us
C) a lot of us more
D) a lot more of us

42 Living in the central Australian desert has its problems. _________ obtaining water is not the least.
A) for which
B) to which
C) of which
D) in which

43 Which sport has the most expenses _______ training equipment, players’ personal equipment and uniforms?
A) in place of
B) in terms of
C) by means of
D) by way of

44 They are going to have the serviceman _________ an electric fan in the office tomorrow.
A) install
B) to install
C) to be installed
D) installed

45 I’m sure he is up to the job __________ he would give his mind to it.
A) if only
B) in case
C) until
D) unless

46 The car _______ halfway for no reason.
A) broke off
B) broke down
C) broke up
D) broke out

47 The newcomers found it impossible to ______ themselves to the climate sufficiently to make permanent homes in the new country.
A) suit
B) adapt
C) regulate
D) coordinate

48 A __________ to this problem is expected to be found before long.
A) result
B) response
C) settlement
D) solution

49 You have nothing to __________ by refusing to listen to our advice.
A) gain
B) grasp
C) seize
D) earn

50 As a result of careless washing the jacket ________ to a child’s size.
A) compressed
B) shrank
C) dropped
D) decreased

51 He hoped the firm would _________ him to the Paris branch.
A) exchange
B) transmit
C) transfer
D) remove

52 Having decided to rent a flat, we __________ contacting all the accommodation agencies in the city.
A) set about
B) set down
C) set out
D) set up

53 The relationship between employers and employees has been studied ________.
A) originally
B) extremely
C) violently
D) intensively

54 __________ their differences. The couple were developing an obvious and genuine affection for each other.
A) But for
B) For all
C) Above all
D) Except for

55 One day I _________ a newspaper article about the retirement of an English professor at a nearby state college.
A) came across
B) came about
C) came after
D) came at

56 She was complaining that the doctor was ________ too much for the treatment he was giving her.
A) expending
B) offering
C) costing
D) charging

57 The manager spoke highly of such _______ as loyalty, courage and truthfulness shown by his employees.
A) virtues
B) features
C) properties
D) characteristics

58 Since the matter was extremely _______, we dealt with it immediately.
A) tough
B) tense
C) urgent
D) instant

59 You don’t have to be in such a hurry, I would rather you _______ on business first.
A) would go
B) will go
C) went
D) have gone

60 When I try to understand ________ that prevents so many Americans from being as happy as one might expect, it seems to me that there are two causes.
A) why it does
B) what it does
C) what it is
D) why it is

Part IV 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

　　During recent years we have heard much about “race”: how this race does certain things and that race believes certain things and so on. Yet, the ___61___ phenomenon of race consists of a few surface indications.

　　We judge race usually ___62___ the colouring of the skin: a white race, a brown race, a yellow race and a black race. But ___63___ you were to remove the skin you could not ___64___ anything about the race to which the individual belonged. There is ___65___ in physical structure, the brain or the internal organs to ___66___ a difference.

　　There are four types of blood. ___67___ types are found in every race, and no type is distinct to any race. Human brains are the ___68___. No scientists could examine a brain and tell you the race to which the individual belonged. Brains will ___69___ in size, but this occurs within every race. ___70___ does size have anything to do with intelligence. The largest brain ___71___ examined belonged to a person of weak ___72___. On the other hand, some of our most distinguished, people have had ___73___ brains.

　　Mental tests which are reasonably ___74___ show no differences in intelligence between races. High and low test results both can be recorded by different members of any race. ___75___ equal educational advantages, there will be no difference in average standings, either on account of race or geographical location.
Individuals of every race ___76___ civilization to go backward or forward. Training and education can change the response of a group of people ___77___ enable them to behave in a ___78___ way.

　　The behavior and ideals of people change according to circumstances, but they can always go back or go on to something new ___79___ is better and higher than anything ___80___ the past.

61. A) complete B) full C) total D) whole
62. A) in B) from C) at D) on
63. A) since B) if C) as D) while
64. A) speak B) talk C) tell D) mention
65. A) something B) everything C) nothing D) anything
66. A) display B) indicate C) demonstrate D) appear
67. A) All B) Most C) No D) Some
68. A) same B) identical C) similar D) alike
69. A) remain B) increase C) decrease D) vary
70. A) Only B) Or C) Nor D) So
71. A) ever B) then C) never D) once
72. A) health B) body C) mind D) thought
73. A) big B) small C) minor D) major
74. A) true B) exact C) certain D) accurate
75. A) Provided B) Concerning C) Given D) Following
76. A) make B) cause C) move D) turn
77. A) and B) but C) though D) so
78. A) ordinary B) peculiar C) usual D) common
79. A) that B) what C) whichever D) whatever
80. A) for B) to C) within D) in

Part V Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on the topic Harmfulness of Fake Commodities. You should write at least 100 words and you should base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese) below:

1. 目前社会上有不少假冒伪劣商品（fake commodities）。为什么会有这种现象？
2. 举例说明假冒伪劣商品对消费者个人、社会等的危害。

Harmfulness of Fake Commodities

参考答案：
1. B 2. C 3. B 4. C 5. D 6. B 7. D 8. A 9. C 10. A
11. B 12. C 13. C 14. D 15. A 16. B 17. C 18. D 19. A 20. B
21. A 22. C 23. D 24. A 25. D 26. A 27. B 28. C 29. A 30. D
31. D 32. B 33. C 34. B 35. D 36. A 37. D 38. C 39. B 40. A
41. A 42. B 43. B 44. D 45. A 46. B 47. C 48. A 49. D 50. B
51. A 52. D 53. A 54. C 55. C 56. C 57. D 58. B 59. B 60. C
61. C 62. B 63. A 64. A 65. D 66. C 67. 68. 69. 70.
71. A 72. C 73. B 74. D 75. C 76. B 77. A 78. D 79. A 80. D
S1. world’s S2.architectural S3. artificial S4. success
S5. Despite S6.experiences S7. romantic
S8. High school physical education was difficult because all of the equipment was too big for the then five-year-old student.
S9. that in graduate school he was studying how to make them think like people.
S10. Michael is smart, but he is like every other kid.