2020年12月英语四级真题及答案完整版

Part I writing

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topic“ Changes in the way of Transportation” . You should write at least 120 words but no morethan 180 words.

参考范文：

With the social and economic development, our means oftransportation have changed a lot overthe last few decades, which has brought much convenience to our life.

In the 1970s and 1980s, bicycles were the primary means ofpublic transportation. Families thatowned a bicycle were thought to be in relatively good economic conditions. Because of theimplementation of the reform and opening policy, the economy and people’s living standards wereimproved a lot and travelling by private cars became more and more common in 1990s and 2000s.

And thanks to the information technology, we can now enjoy bike-sharing service and onlineride-hailing service which help to make our journey more economical and flexible.

We have enough reason to believe that our way of transportation could be more and moreeconomically friendly and intelligent.

Part II Listening Comprehension

Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end ofeach news report, you willhear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. Afteryou hear a question. you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B). C) andD). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through she centre.

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

1.A)A deadly fish has been spotted in the Mediterranean waters.

B) Invasive species are driving away certain native species.

C) The Mediterranean is a natural habitat ofDevil Firefish.

D)Many people have been attacked by Devil Firefish.

2.A)It could add to greenhouse emissions.

B)It could disrupt the food chains there.

C)It could pose a threat to other marine species.

D) It could badly pollute the surrounding waters.

C) Spend a few nights on a small island.

D) Sell the pearl he had kept for years.

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

3.A) cars will not be allowed to enter the city.

B) About halfofits city center will be closed to cars.

C) Buses will be the only vehicles allowed on its streets.

D) Pedestrians will have free access to the city.

4.A)The rising air pollution in Paris.

B) The worsening global warming.

C The ever-growing cost ofpetrol.

D) The unbearable traffic noise.

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

5. A)Many ofhis possessions were stolen.

B) His house was burnt down in a fire.

C) His fishing boat got wrecked on a rock.

D) His good luck charm sank into the sea.

6.A) Change his fishing locations.

B) Find a job in a travel agency.

C))Spend a few nights on a small island

D)Sell the pearl he had kept for years

7.A)A New Year museum

B) The largest pearl in the world weighs

C) His monstrous pearl was extremely valuable.

D) His pearl could be displayed in a museum.

Section B

Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end ofeach 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) It boasts a fairly long history.

B) It produces construction materials.

C) It has 75 offices around the world.

D) It has over 50 business partners.

9. A) It has about 50 employees.

B) It was started by his father.

C) It has a family business.

D) It is over 100 years old.

10. A) Shortage ofraw material supply.

B) Legal disputes in many countries.

C) Outdated product design.

D) Loss ofcompetitive edge.

11. A) Conducting a financial analysis for it.

B) Providing training for its staffmembers.

C) Seeking new ways to increase is exports.

D) Introducing innovative marketing strategies.

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

12. A) She is a real expert at house decorations.

B) She is well informed about the design business.

C) She is attracted by the color ofthe sitting room.

D) She is really impressed by the man’s house.

13. A) From his younger brother Greg.

B) From home design magazines.

C) From a construction businessman.

D) From a professional interior designer.

14. A)The effort was worthwhile.

B) The style was fashionable .

C) The cost was affordable.

D)The eft was unexpected.

15.A) She’d like him to talk with Jonathan about a new project.

B)She wants him to share his renovation experience with her

C) She wants to discuss the house decoration budget with him.

D) She’d like to show him around her newly-renovated house.

Section C

Directions: In this section,you will hear three passages. At the end ofeach passage, you will hearthree or four questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear aquestion, you must choose the best answer from the your choices marked A),B),C) and D). Thenmark he 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) Providing routine care for small children.

B) Paying hospital bills for emergency cases.

C) Doing research on ear, nose and throat diseases.

D) Removing objects from patients’ noses and ears.

17. A) Many children like to smell things they find or play with.

B) Many children like to put foreign objects in their mouths.

C) Five-to nine-year-olds are the mos likely to put things in their ears.

D) Children aged one to four a often more curious than older children.

18. A) They tend to act out ofimpulse.

B) They want to attract attentions.

C) They are unaware ofthe potential risks.

D) They are curious about these body parts.

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

19. A) It paid for her English lessons.

B) It gave her a used bicycle.

C) It delivered her daily necessities.

D) It provided her with physical therapy.

20. A) Expanding bike-riding lessons.

B) Asking local people for donations.

C) Providing free public transport.

D) Offering walking tours to visitors.

21.A) It is a language school.

B) It is a charity organization.

C)It is a counseling center.

D) It is a sports club.

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

22.A) How mice imitate human behavior a space.

B) How low gravity affects the human body.

C) How mice interact in a new environment.

D) How animals deal with lack ofgravity.

23.A)They were not use to the low-gravity cnvironment.

B)They found it difficult to figure out where they were.

C) They found the space in the cage too small to stay in.

D) They were not sensitive to the changed environment.

24.A) They tried every thing possible to escape from the cage.

B) They continued to behave as they did in the beginning.

C) They already felt at home in the new environment.

D) They had found a lot more activities to engage in.

25.A) They repeated their activities every day.

B) They behaved as ifthey were on Earth.

C) They begin to eat less after some time.

D) They changed their routines in space.

听力原文：

Listening Comprehension

Section A

News report 1

A poisonous fish which has a sting strong enough to kill a human is invading the Mediterranean,warned scientists. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (UICN) has raisedconcerns after the poisonous fish was spotted in the waters around Turkey, Cyprus and the easternMediterranean.Native to the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, the potentially deadly fish haspoisonous hooks and a painful sting capable of killing people.Although fatalities are rare, the stingscan cause extreme pain and stop people breathing. The fish,often known as Devil Fire fish, is ahighly invasive species.And environmentalists fear its arrival could endanger other types of marinelife.After being spotted in the Mediterranean,a marine scientist says,"The fish is spreading,and that'sa cause for concern."

Q1: What is reported in the news?

Q2: What is the environmentalists' concern ofthe spread ofDevil Firefish in the Mediterranean?

News report 2

[Q3]Almost half the centre of Paris will be accessible only by foot or bicycle this Sunday tomark World Car-Free Day.[Q4]This is in response to rising air pollution that made Paris the mostpolluted city in the world for a brief time.Mayor Anne Hidalgo promoted the first World Car FreeDay last year.Hidalgo also has supported a Paris Breathes Day. On the first Sunday ofevery month,

Paris clears traffic from eight lanes of the main road.About400 miles of streets will be closed tocars.It is expected to bring significant reduction in pollution levels."Last year's car-free day showed a40% drop in pollution levels in some parts of the city, according to an independent air pollutionmonitor", reports the Guardian,"and some levels dropped by50%in the city centre.'

Q3: What will happen on World Car Free Day in Paris?

Q4:What motivated the mayor ofParis to promote the first World Car Free Day in her city?

News report 3

A Philippine fisherman was feeling down on his luck when a house fire forced him to clear outhis possessions and change locations. Then,a good luck charm that he had kept under his bedchanged his life.The unidentified man had fished out a giant pearl from the ocean when his anchorgot stuck on the rock while sailing offa coastal island in the Philippines ten years ago.When he wasforced to sell it, the shocked tourist agent at Puerto Princesca told him that the 77-pound giant pearlthat he had kept hidden in his rundown wooden house was the biggest pearl in the world, which wasvalued at f76 million.The pearl ofAllah, which is currently on display in a New York museum,onlyweighs 14 pounds.That is five times smaller than the pearl that the fisher man just handed in.Themonstrous pearl, measured at1foot wide and 2.2 feet long, is going to be verified by local experts andinternational authorities before hopefully going on display to attract more tourists in the little town.

O5: What happened to the Philippine fisherman one day?

Q6: What was the fisherman forced to do?

Q7:What did the fisherman learn from the tourist agent?

Section B

Long conversation 1

WOMAN: Mr. Smith, It’ s a pleasure meeting you!

Man: Nice to meet you, too. What can I do for you?

WOMAN: Well, I’ m here to show you what our firm can do for you. Astro Consultants has branchesin over fifty countries, offering different business services. We’ re a global company with 75 years ofhistory. And our clients include some ofthe world’ s largest companies【8】 .

MAN: Thank you, Mrs. Houston. I know Astro Consultants is a famous company. But you said youwould show me what you could do for me. Well. What exactly can your firm do for my company?

WOMAN: We advise businesses on all matters, from market analysis to legal issues. Anything abusiness like yours could meet. Our firm offers expert advice. Could I ask you, Mr. Smith, to tell mea little about your company and the challenges you face? That way, I could better respond as to howwe can help you.

Man: OK, sure. This is a family business started by my grandfather in 1950. We employ just over100 people. We manufacture an export stone for buildings and other constructions. Our clientsusually want a special kind ofstone cut in a special design. And that’ s what we do in our factory 【9】.

Our main challenge is that our national currency is rising, and we’ re losing competitive advantagesto stone produces in India【10】 .

WOMAN: I see. That’ s very interesting. I will suggest that you let us first conduct a financialanalysis ofyour company, together with the analysis ofyour competitors in India. 【11】 That way, wecould offer the best advice on different ways forward for you.

Q8: What do we learn about the woman’ s company?

Q9: What does the man say about his own company?

Q10: What is the main problem with the man’ s company?

Q11: What does the woman suggest doing to help the man’ s company?

Long conversation 2

Woman: Wow, congratulations, Simon! The place looks absolutely amazing!Man: Really? You think so?

W: Of course. I love it. It looks like you had a professional interior designer. But you didn’ t, didyou?

M: No. I did it all by myself with a little help from my brother, Greg. He ’ s actually in theconstruction business, which was really helpful.

W: Honestly, I’ m impressed! I know I can probably repaint the walls in my house over a weekend orsomething, but not a full renovation. Where did you get your ideas? I wouldn’ t know where tostart.[12]

M: Well, for a while now, I’ ve been regularly buying home design magazines. Every now and then,I’ d saved the pictures I liked. Believe it or not, I have a full notebook ofmagazine pages. [13] Sinceby overall style was quite minimal, I thought and hoped a whole renovation wouldn’ t be too difficult.

And sure enough, with Greg’ s help, it was very achievable.

W: Wasn’ t it expensive? I have imagined a project like this could be.

M: Actually, it was surprisingly affordable. I managed to sell a lot of my old furniture and put thatextra money towards the new material. [14] Greg was also able to get some discount materials from arecent project he was working on as well.

W: Great! Ifyou don’ t mind, I’ d like to pick your brain a bit more. Johansson and I are thinking ofrenovating our sitting room, not the whole house, not yet anyway. And we’ d love to get someinspiration from your experience. [15] Are you free to come over for a coffee early next week?

Q12: What do we learn about the woman from the conversation?

Q13: Where did the man get his ideas for the project?）

Q14: What did the man say about the project he recently completed?

Q15: Why does the woman invite the man to her house next week?

Section C

Passage 1

Removing foreign objects from ears and noses costs England almost E3m year , a studysuggests.[Q16]Children were responsible for the vast majority of cases-95% of objects removedfrom noses and 85%from ears.Every year, an average of1,218nose and2,479ear removals took placebetween 2010 and 2016. According to England's Hospital Episode Statistics, children aged one tofour were the most likely to need help from doctors fora foreign object in their nose.Five to nine yearold come to the hospital with something in their ear the most. Jewelry items accounted for up to 40%of cases in both the ears and noses of children. Paper and plastic toys were the items removed nextmost from noses. Cotton buds and pencils were also found in ears.[Q17]

According to the study, the occurrence of foreign objects in children is generally attributed tocuriosity Children have an impulse to explore their noses and ears. This results in the accidentalentry of foreign objects.[Q18]Any ear, nose and throat surgeon has many weird stories aboutwonderful objects found in the noses and ears of children and adults.Batteries can pose a particulardanger.In all cases, prevention is better than cure. This is why many toys contain warnings aboutsmall parts. Recognizing problems early and seeking medical attention is important.

Q16:What does England spend an annual E3m on?

Q17:What do we learn from England's Hospital Episode Statistics?

Q18:What is generally believed to account for children putting things in their ears or noses?

Passage 2

Good morning, I’ d like to talk to you about my charity ReBicycle. But before that, let meintroduce someone. This is Leila Rahimi. She was so scared when she first moved to New Zeal-andthat she struggled to leave the house and would spend days working up the courage to walk to thesupermarket for basic supplies. After a few months of being quite down and unhappy, she wasnvited to join a local bike club. At this time, ReBicycle got involved and gave Leila a second-handbicycle.[Q19] In weeks, her depression had begun to ease as she cycled. The bicycle totally changedher life, giving her hope and a true feeling offreedom.

To date, ReBicycle has donated more than 200 bikes to those in need, and is now expandingbike-riding lessons as demand soars.[Q20] With a bike, you can travel farther but for almost no cost.

The three hours a day that used to spend on walking to and from English language lessons has beenreduced to just one hour. Our bike-riding lessons are so successful that we are urgently looking formore volunteers. [Q21] Learning to ride a bike is almost always more difficult as an adult, and thiscan take days and weeks, rather than hours. So, if any of you have some free time during theweekend, please come join us at Re Bicycle and make a difference in someone’ s life.

Q19: What did Re Bicycle do to help Leila Rahimi?

Q20: What is Re Bicycle doing to help those in need?

Q21: What do we learn from the passage about the Re Bicycle?

Passage 3

Thanks to the International Space Station we know quite a bit about the effects of low gravityon the human body, but NASA scientists want to learn more. To that end, they have been studyinghow other species deal with low gravity, specifically focusing on mice（ 22） . The results are bothinteresting and humorous.

The scientists first send some mice in a specially designed cage to the International SpaceStation. The cage allowed them to study the behavior ofthe mice remotely from Earth via video. Asyou noticed in the video, the mice definitely seem uncomfortable at the beginning ofthe experiment.They move around clumsily, drifting within the small confines ofthe cage and do their best to figureout which way is up, but without success. (23) However, it’ s not long before the mice begin to catchon. They adapt remarkably well to their new environment and even using the lack ofgravity to theiradvantage as they push themselves around the cage.

That’ s when things really get wild. The 11th day ofthe experiment shows the mice are not justdealing with the gravity change but actually seem to be enjoying it. (24) Several of the mice areobserved running around the cage walls.

The scientists wanted to see whether the mice would continue doing the same kinds ofactivitiesthey were observed doing on Earth. The study showed that the mice kept much of their routinesintact, including cleaning themselves and eating when hungry. (25)

Q22 What do Nasa scientists want to learn about?

Q23 What does the passage say about the mice at the beginning ofthe experiment?

Q24 What was observed about the mice on the 11th day ofthe experiment?

Q25 What did the scientists find about the mice from the experiment?

Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)

Section A（ 第 1 套）

Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ton blanks. You are required toword for each blank from a list ofchoices given in a word bankselectfollowingonethepassage Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choicein the bank is identified by a letter:Please mark the corresponding letter for each itemon Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any ofthewords in the bank more than once.

When my son completes a task, I can’t help but praise him. It’s only natural to give praisewhere praise is due,right? But is there such a thing as too much praise?According to psychologistKatherine Phillip, children don’t benefit from 26 praise as much as we’d like to think.“Parentsoften praise, believing they are building their child’s self-confidence.However,over-praising canhave a 27 effect,” says Phillip.“When we use the same praise 28 , it may become empty and no29 longer valued by the child. It can also become an expectation that anything they do must bewith praise.This may lead to the child avoiding taking risks due to fear of 30 their parents.”

Docs this mean we should do away with all the praise? Phillip says no,“The key to healthy praiseis 1o focus on the process rather than the 31 it is the recognition of a child’s attempt, or theprocess in which they achieved something, that is essential,”she says, “Parents should encouragetheir child to take the risks needed to learn and grow.”So how do we break the32 ofpraise we’re all so accustomed to? Phillip says it’s important to34 saying how great someone between “person praise”and “process raise”.“Person praise isis. It’s a form personal approval. Process praise s acknowledgement of the efforts te person has just35 . Children who receive person praise are more likely to feel shame after losing,” says Phillip.

A) choose

E) exhausting

I ) pattern

M) separately

B) constant

F) experienced

J) plural

N) simply

C) disappointing

G) negative

K) repeatedly

O) undertaken

D) distinguish

H) outcome

L) rewarded

答案：

26.B 27.G 28.K 29.L 30.C 31.H 32.I 33.D 34.N 35.O

Section B

Poverty is a story about us, not them

[A] Too often still we think we know the poverty looks like. It's the way we've been taught, theimages we’ve been forced-fed decades. The chronically homeless. The undocumented immigrant.

The urban poor, usually personified as a woman of color, the"welfare queen" politicians still toooften reference.

[B] But as income inequality rises to record levels in the United States, even in the midst ofa recordeconomic expansions,.those familiar images are outdated, hurtful and counterproductive to focusingattention on solutions and building ladders ofopportunity.

IC] Today 's faces of inequality and lack of opportunity look like all of us. It's Anna Landre, adisabled Georgetown University student fighting to keep health benefits that allow-her the freedomto live her life lt's Tiffanie Standard, a counselor for young women ofcolor in Philadelphia who wantto be tech entrepreneurs — but who must work multiple jobs to stay afloat.It's Ken Outlaw, a welderin rural North Carolina whose dream of going back to school at a local community college wasdashed by Hurricane Florence-just one ofthe extreme weather events that have tipped the balance forstruggling Americans across the nation,

[D] If these arc the central characters of our story about poverty. what layers of perceptions, myths,and realities must we unearth to find meaningful solutions and support? In pursuit of revealing thiscomplicated reality,Mothering Justice, led by women of color, went last year to the state capital inLansing, Michigan, to lobby on issues that affect working mothers.One of the Mothering Justiceorganizers went to the office of a state representative to talk about the lack of affordable childcare -the vestiges (痕迹)) of a system that expected mothers to stay home with their children while theirhusbands worked, A legislative staffer dismissed the activist’s concerns, telling her“my husband tookcare ofthat-l stayed home.”

[E] That comment, says Mothering Justice director Danielle Atkinson., "was meant to shame" andrelied on the familiar trope that a woman of color concemed about income inequality and programsthat promote mobility must by definition be a single mom, probably with multiple kids.,In thiscase.Mothering Justice activist happened to be married.And in most cases in the America of 2019,the images that come to mind when we hear the words poverty or income inequality fail miserably inreflecting a complicated reality: poverty touches virtually all of us. The face of income inequality,for all but a very few ofus, is the one we each see in the mirror.

[F] How many of us are poor in the U.S.? It depends on who you ask. According to the CensusBureau,38 million people in the U.S. are living below the official poverty thresholds,Taking intoaccount economic need beyond that absolute measure,the Institute for Policy Studies found that 140million peoplc are poor or low-income. That's almost halfthe U.S population.

[G] Whatever the measure,within that massive group, poverty is extremely diverse.We know thatsome people are more affected than others, like children, the elderly, people with disabilities, andpeople ofcolor.

[H] But the fact that 4 in 10 Americans can't come up with $400 in an emergency is a commonlycited statistic for good reason:economic instability stretches across race, gender, and geography.Iteven reaches into the middle classes, as real wages have stagnated (不增 长) for all but the verywealthy and temporary spells offinancial instability are not uncommon.

[I] Negative images remain of who is living in poverty as well as what is needed to move out of it.The big American myth is that you can pull yourself up by your own effort and change a badsituation into a good one. The reality is that finding opportunity without help from families,friends.schools， , and community is virtually impossible.And the playing field is nothing close to level.

[J] The Frame Works institute, a research group that focuses on public framing ofissues,has studiedwhat sustains stereotypes and narratives of poverty in the United Kingdom."People view economicsuccess and well being in life as product of choice, willpower, drive, grit, and gumption,"says NatKendall-Taylor, CEO of Frame Works. “When we see people who are struggling.” he says, thoseassumptions “lead us to the perception that people in poverty are lazy. they don’t care, and theyhaven 't made the right decisions.”

[K] Does this sound familiar? Similar ideas surround poverty in the U.S.And these assumptionswreak havoc on reality."When people enter into that pattern of thinking," says Kendall-Taylor," it 'scognitively comfortable to make sense ofissues ofpoverty in that way. It creates a kind ofcognitiveblindness - all of the factors external to a person 's drive and choices that they've made becomeinvisible and fade from view.”

Those external factors include the difficulties accompanying low-wage work ot struetualdiscrimination based on race,gender, or ability. Assumptions get worse when people who are pooruse government benefits to help them survive. There is a great tension between "the poor" andthose who are receiving what has become a dirty word:"welfare."According to the General Social Survey, 7l percent ofrespondents believe the contry is spending toolittle on a"welfare":37 percent believe we are spending too much,

[N] "Poverty has been interchangeable with people of color - specifically black women and blackmothers," says Atkinson of Mothering Justice. It's true that black mothers are more affected bypoverty than many other groups,yet they are disproportionately the face of poverty.For example，Americans routinely overestimate the share ofblack recipients ofpublic assistance programs.

[O] In reality, most people will experience some form of financial hardship at some point in theirlives. Indeed, people tend to dip in and out of poverty,perhaps due to unexpected obstacles likelosing a job,or when hours ofa low-wage job fluctuate.

[P] Something each ofus can do is to treat each other with the dignity and sympathy that is deservedand to understand deeply that the issue ofpoverty touches all ofus.

答案：

36.[E] That comment,says Mothering Justice director Danielle Atkinson,"was meant to shame"

37.[H] But the fact that 4 in 10 Americans can't come up with $400 in an emergency is a commonlycited statistic for good reason: economic instability stretches across race,gender ,and geography.

38.[M]According to the General Social Survey,71 percent ofrespondents believe the country is spending too little on"assistance to the poor. "

39.[J] The Frame Works Institute,a research group that focuses on public framing of issues,hasstudied what sustains stereo types and narratives ofpoverty in the United Kingdom

40.[D] lf these are the central characters of our story about poverty,what layers ofperceptions,myths,and realities must we unearth to find meaningful solutions and support?

41.[F] How many ofus are poor in the U.S.?

42.[N]“Poverty has been interchangeable with people ofcolor - specifically black women and” blackmothers, "says Atkinson ofMothering Justice.

43.[1]Negative images remain ofwho is living in poverty as well as what is needed to move out ofit.

44.[E] That comment,says Mothering Justice director Dan-ielle Atkinson,"was meant to shame"

45.[L] Those external factors include the difficulties accompanying low-wage work or structuraldiscrimination based on race,gender,or ability.

Section C

Passage One

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

Boredom has,paradoxically, become quite interesting to academics lately.In early May.London's Boring Conference celebrated seven years ofdelighting in dullness.At this event.people flocked to talks about weather, traffic jams and vending-machine sounds.,among other sleep-inducing topics What, exactly, is everybody studying? One widely accepted definition of boredom i

s "the distasteful experience of wanting, but being unable. to engage in satisfying activity."But how can you quantify a person's boredom level and compare it with someone else’ s?In1986, psychologists introduced the Boredom Proneness Scale, designed to measure anindividual’s overall tendency to feel bored By contrast, the Mulitidimensional StateBoredom scale,developed in 2008, measures a person’s feelings ofboredom in a given situation.

Boredom has been linked to behavior issues including inattentive driving.mindlesssnacking.excessive drinking,and and addictive gambling.In fact, many ofus would choose pain overboredom.

One team of psychologists discovered that two-thirds of men and a quarter of women would ratherself-administer electric shocks than sit alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes.

Researching this phenomenon, another team asked volunteers to watch boring.sad, orncutar films,during which they could self-administer elccrie shocks, The bored volunteersshocked themselves more and harder than the sad or neutral ones did.

But boredom isn't all bad. By encouraging self-reflection and daydreaming.it can spur activity.An early study gave participants abundant time to complete problem-solving and word-association exercises.Once all the obvious answers were exhausted, participants gave more and moreincentive answers to combat boredom: A British study took these findings one step further,asking subjects to complete a creative challenge (coming up with a list of alternative uses for a household item).One group of subjects did a boring activity first. while the others wentstraight to the creative task.Those whose boredom pumps had been primed were more productive.

In our always connected world,boredom may be a hard-to-define state,but it is a fertileone,Watch paint dry or water boil, or at least put away our smart phone for a while,and you mightunlock your next big idea.

46. When are people likely to experience boredom, according to an accepted psychologicaldefinition?

A) When they don’t have the chance to do what they want.

B) When they don’t enjoy the materials they are studying.

C) When they experience something unpleasant.

D) When they engage in some routine activities.

47. What does the author say boredom can lead to?

A) Determination

B) Mental deterioration

C) Concentration

D) Harmful conduct

48. What is the findings ofone team ofpsychologists in their experiment?

A) Volunteers prefer watching a boring movie to sitting alone deliberating.

B) Many volunteers choose to hurt themselves rather than endure boredom.

C) Male volunteers arc more immune to the effects ofboredom than females.

D) Many volunteers are unable to resist boredom longer than fifteen minutes .

49. Why does the author say boredom isn’t all bad?

A) It stimulates memorization.

B) It may promote creative thinking.

C) It allows time for relaxation.

D) It may facilitate independent learning.

50. What does the author suggests one do when faced with a challenging problem?

A) stop idling and think big.

B) Unlock one’s smart phone.

C) Look around oneselffor stimulation.

D) Allow oneselfsome time to be bored.

Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

Forests in countries like Brazil and the Congo get a lot of attention from environmentalists, and it iseasy to see why. South America and sub-Saharan Africa are experiencing deforestation on anenormous scale: every year almost s million hectares are lost. But forests are also changing in richWestern countries They are growing larger, both in the sense that they occupy more and that the teesin them and bigger. What is going on?

Forests are spreading in almost all Western countries, with fastest growth in places that historicallyhad rather few tress. In 1990 28% ofSpain was forested; now the proportion is 37%. In both Greeceand Italy, the growth was from 26% to 32%over the same period. Forests are gradually taking more and in America and Australia. Perhaps mosastonishing is the trend in Ireland. Roughly 1% of that country was forested when it becameindependent in 1922. Forests cover 11% of the land, and the governments wants to push theproportion to 18% by the 2040s.

Two things are fertilizing this growth. The first is the abandonment of farmland, especially in high,dry places where nothing grows terribly well. When farmers give up trying to earn a living fromfarming or herding trees simply move in.The second is governments policy and subsidy. Throughouthistory, governments have protected and promoted forests for diverse reasons, ranging from the needfor wooden warships to a desire to promote suburban house-building. Nowadays forests areincreasingly welcome because they suck in carbon pollution from the air. The justifications change;the desire for more trees remains constant,The greening ofthe West does not delight everyone. Farmers complain that land is being taken out ofuse by generously subsidized tree plantations. Parts of Spain and Portugal suffer from terrible forestfires. Others simply dislike the appearance offorests planted in neat rows. They will have to get usedto the trees, however. The growth of Western forests seems almost as unstoppable as deforestationelsewhere.

51. What is catching environmentalists’ attention nowadays?

A) Rich countries are stripping poor ones oftheir resources.

B) Forests are fast shrinking in many developing countries.

C) Forests are eating away the fertile farmland worldwide.

D) Rich countries are doing little to address deforestation.

52. Which countries have the fastest forest growth?

A)Those that brave newly achieved independence.

B) Those that at have the greatest demand for timber

C)Those that used to have the lowest forest coverage.

D) Those that provide enormous government subsidies.

53. What has encouraged forest growth historically?

A)The government’s advocacy.

B)The use ofwood for fuel.

C) The favorable climate.

D) The green movement.

. What account for our increasing desire for forests?

A) Their unique scenic beauty.

B) Their use as fruit plantation.

C) Their capability ofimproving air quality.

D) Their stable supply ofbuilding materials.

55. What docs the author conclude about the prospects offorestation?

A) Deserts in sub-Saharan Africa will diminish gradually.

B) It will play a more and more important role in people’s lives.

C) Forest destruction in the developing world will quickly slow down.

D) Developed and developing countries are moving in opposite directionPart IV Translation

生活在中国不同地区的人们饮食多种多样。 北方人主要吃面食， 南方多吃米饭。 在沿海地区， 海鲜和淡水水产品在人们饮食中占有相当大的比例， 而在其他地区人们的饮食中， 肉类和奶制品更为常见。 四川、 湖南等省份的居民普遍爱吃辛辣食物， 而江苏和浙江人更喜欢甜食。 然而， 因为烹饪方式各异， 同类食物的味道可能会有所不同。

【参考译文】

People in different parts ofChina have a variety ofdiets. In the north the staple food is pasta,while in the south rice. In coastal areas, seafood and freshwater products make up a large part ofthelocal diet, while in other areas, meat and dairy products are more common on the table. People inSichuan, Hunan and other provinces generally prefer spicy food, while people in Jiangsu andZhejiang prefer sweet food. However, due to different cooking methods, similar foods may tastedifferent from one another.