2023年12月英语四级真题及答案资料.doc

2023年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案详解
　　Part I Writing (30 minutes)
　　Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled How Should Parents Help Children to Be Independent? You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below.
　　1. 目前不少父母为孩子包办一切
　　2. 为了让孩子独立, 父母应当……
How Should Parents Help Children to Be Independent?
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　　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.
A Grassroots Remedy
　　Most of us spend our lives seeking the natural world. To this end, we walk the dog, play golf, go fishing, sit in the garden, drink outside rather than inside the pub, have a picnic, live in the suburbs, go to the seaside, buy a weekend place in the country. The most popular leisure activity in Britain is going for a walk. And when joggers (慢跑者) jog, they don’t run the streets. Every one of them instinctively heads to the park or the river. It is my profound belief that not only do we all need nature, but we all seek nature, whether we know we are doing so or not.
　　But despite this, our children are growing up nature-deprived (丧失). I spent my boyhood climbing trees on Streatham Common, South London. These days, children are robbed of these ancient freedoms, due to problems like crime, traffic, the loss of the open spaces and odd new perceptions about what is best for children, that is to say, things that can be bought, rather than things that can be found.
　　The truth is to be found elsewhere. A study in the US: families had moved to better housing and the children were assessed for ADHD—attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (多动症). Those whose accommodation had more natural views showed an improvement of 19%; those who had the same improvement in material surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%.
　　A study in Sweden indicated that kindergarten children who could play in a natural environment had less illness and greater physical ability than children used only to a normal playground. A US study suggested that when a school gave children access to a natural environment, academic levels were raised across the entire school.
　　Another study found that children play differently in a natural environment. In playgrounds, children create a hierarchy (等级) based on physical abilities, with the tough ones taking the lead. But when a grassy area was planted with bushes, the children got much more into fantasy play, and the social hierarchy was now based on imagination and creativity.
　　Most bullying (恃强凌弱) is found in schools where there is a tarmac (柏油碎石) playground; the least bullying is in a natural area that the children are encouraged to explore. This reminds me unpleasantly of Sunnyhill School in Streatham, with its harsh tarmac, where I used to hang about in corners fantasising about wildlife.
　　But children are frequently discouraged from involvement with natural spaces, for health and safety reasons, for fear that they might get dirty or that they might cause damage. So, instead, the damage is done to the children themselves: not to their bodies but to their souls.
　　One of the great problems of modern childhood is ADHD, now increasingly and expensively treated with drugs. Yet one study after another indicates that contact with nature gives huge benefits to ADHD children. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places.
　　The life of old people is measurably better when they have access to nature. The increasing emphasis for the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. And study after study finds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality.
　　In wider and more difficult areas of life, there is evidence to indicate that natural surroundings improve all kinds of things. Even problems with crime and aggressive behaviour are reduced when there is contact with the natural world.
　　Dr William Bird, researcher from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, states in his study, “A natural environment can reduce violent behaviour because its restorative process helps reduce anger and impulsive behaviour.” Wild places need encouraging for this reason, no matter how small their contribution.
　　We tend to look on nature conservation as some kind of favour that human beings are granting to the natural world. The error here is far too deep: not only do humans need nature for themselves, but the very idea that humanity and the natural world are separable things is profoundly damaging.
　　Human beings are a species of mammals (哺乳动物). For seven million years they lived on the planet as part of nature. Our ancestral selves miss the natural world and long for contact with non-human life. Anyone who has patted a dog, stroked a cat, sat under a tree with a pint of beer, given or received a bunch of flowers or chosen to walk through the park on a nice day, understands that.
　　We need the wild world. It is essential to our well-being, our health, our happiness. Without the wild world we are not more but less civilised. Without other living things around us we are less than human.
　　Five ways to find harmony with the natural world
　　Walk: Break the rhythm of permanently being under a roof. Get off a stop earlier, make a circuit of the park at lunchtime, walk the child to and from school, get a dog, feel yourself moving in moving air, look, listen, absorb.
　　Sit: Take a moment, every now and then, to be still in an open space. In the garden, anywhere that’s not in the office, anywhere out of the house, away from the routine. Sit under a tree, look at water, feel refreshed, ever so slightly renewed.
　　Drink: The best way to enjoy the natural world is by yourself; the second best way is in company. Take a drink outside with a good person, a good gathering: talk with the sun and the wind with birdsong for background.
　　Learn: Expand your boundaries. Learn five species of bird, five butterflies, five trees, five bird songs. That way, you see and hear more: and your mind responds gratefully to the greater amount of wildness in your life.
　　Travel: The places you always wanted to visit: by the seaside, in the country, in the hills. Take a weekend break, a day-trip, get out there and do it: for the scenery, for the way through the woods, for the birds, for the bees. Go somewhere special and bring specialness home. It lasts forever, after all.
　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
　　1. What is the author’s profound belief?
　　[A] People instinctively seek nature in different ways.
　　[B] People should spend most of their lives in the wild.
　　[C] People have quite different perceptions of nature.
　　[D] People must make more efforts to study nature.
　　2. What does the author say people prefer for their children nowadays?
　　[A] Personal freedom.
　　[B] Things that are natural.
　　[C] Urban surroundings.
　　[D] Things that are purchased.
　　3. What does a study in Sweden show?
　　[A] The natural environment can help children learn better.
　　[B] More access to nature makes children less likely to fall ill.
　　[C] A good playground helps kids develop their physical abilities.
　　[D] Natural views can prevent children from developing ADHD.
　　4. Children who have chances to explore natural areas ________.
　　[A] tend to develop a strong love for science
　　[B] are more likely to fantasise about wildlife
　　[C] tend to be physically tougher in adulthood
　　[D] are less likely to be involved in bullying
　　5. What does the author suggest we do to help children with ADHD?
　　[A] Find more effective drugs for them.
　　[B] Provide more green spaces for them.
　　[C] Place them under more personal care.
　　[D] Engage them in more meaningful activities.
　　6. In what way do elderly people benefit from their contact with nature?
　　[A] They look on life optimistically. [C] They are able to live longer.
　　[B] They enjoy a life of better quality. [D] They become good-humoured.
　　7. Dr William Bird suggests in his study that ________.
　　[A] humanity and nature are complementary to each other
　　[B] wild places may induce impulsive behaviour in people
　　[C] access to nature contributes to the reduction of violence
　　[D] it takes a long time to restore nature once damaged
　　8. It is extremely harmful to think that humanity and the natural world can be________________________.
　　9. The author believes that we would not be so civilised without ________________________.
　　10. The five suggestions the author gives at the end of the passage are meant to encourage people to seek _________________ with the natural world.
　　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.
　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
　　11. [A] The man should visit the museums. [C] The beach resort is a good choice.
　　　 [B] She can’t stand the hot weather. [D] She enjoys staying in Washington.
　　12. [A] Her new responsibilities in the company.
　　[B] What her job prospects are.
　　[C] What the customers’ feedback is.
　　[D] The director’s opinion of her work.
　　13. [A] Combine her training with dieting.
　　[B] Repeat the training every three days.
　　[C] Avoid excessive physical training.
　　[D] Include weightlifting in the program.
　　14. [A] When she will return home.
　　[B] Whether she can go by herself.
　　[C] Whether she can travel by air.
　　[D] When she will completely recover.
　　15. [A] The woman knows how to deal with the police.
　　[B] The woman had been fined many times before.
　　[C] The woman had violated traffic regulations.
　　[D] The woman is good at finding excuses.
　　16. [A] Switch off the refrigerator for a while.
　　[B] Have someone repair the refrigerator.
　　[C] Ask the man to fix the refrigerator.
　　[D] Buy a refrigerator of better quality.
　　17. [A] He owns a piece of land in the downtown area.
　　[B] He has got enough money to buy a house.
　　[C] He can finally do what he has dreamed of.
　　[D] He is moving into a bigger apartment.
　　18. [A] She is black and blue all over.
　　[B] She has to go to see a doctor.
　　[C] She stayed away from work for a few days.
　　[D] She got hurt in an accident yesterday.
　　Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
　　19. [A] She was a bank manager.
　　[B] She was a victim of the robbery.
　　[C] She was a defence lawyer.
　　[D] She was a witness to the crime.
　　20. [A] A tall man with dark hair and a moustache.
　　[B] A youth with a distinguishing mark on his face.
　　[C] A thirty-year-old guy wearing a light sweater.
　　[D] A medium-sized young man carrying a gun.
　　21. [A] Identify the suspect from pictures. [C] Have her photo taken for their files.
　　[B] Go upstairs to sign some document. [D] Verify the record of what she had said.
　　Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
　　22. [A] By reading a newspaper ad. [C] By listening to the morning news.
　　[B] By seeing a commercial on TV. [D] By calling an employment service.
　　23. [A] She could improve her foreign languages.
　　[B] She could work close to her family.
　　[C] She could travel overseas frequently.
　　[D] She could use her previous experiences.
　　24. [A] Taking management courses. [C] Working as a secretary.
　　[B] Teaching English at a university. [D] Studying for a degree in French.
　　25. [A] Prepare for an interview in a couple of days.
　　[B] Read the advertisement again for more details.
　　[C] Send in a written application as soon as possible.
　　[D] Get to know the candidates on the short list.
　　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.
　　注意： 此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
　　Passage One
　　Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.
　　26. [A] They cannot see the firefighters because of the smoke.
　　[B] They do not realize the danger they are in.
　　[C] They cannot hear the firefighters for the noise.
　　[D] They mistake the firefighters for monsters.
　　27. [A] He travels all over America to help put out fires.
　　[B] He often teaches children what to do during a fire.
　　[C] He teaches Spanish in a San Francisco community.
　　[D] He provides oxygen masks to children free of charge.
　　28. [A] He saved the life of his brother choking on food.
　　[B] He rescued a student from a big fire.
　　[C] He is very good at public speaking.
　　[D] He gives informative talks to young children.
　　29. [A] Firefighters play an important role in America.
　　[B] Kids should learn not to be afraid of monsters.
　　[C] Carelessness can result in tragedies.
　　[D] Informative speeches can save lives.
　　Passage Two
　　Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
　　30. [A] To satisfy the needs of their family.
　　[B] To fully realize their potential.
　　[C] To make money for early retirement.
　　[D] To gain a sense of their personal worth.
　　31. [A] They may have to continue to work in old age.
　　[B] They may regret the time they wasted.
　　[C] They may have nobody to depend on in the future.
　　[D] They may have fewer job opportunities.
　　32. [A] Making wise use of your time.
　　[B] Enjoying yourself while you can.
　　[C] Saving as much as you can.
　　[D] Working hard and playing hard.
　　Passage Three
　　Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
　　33. [A] Hardworking students being accused of cheating.
　　[B] Boy students being often treated as law-breakers.
　　[C] Innocent people being suspected groundlessly.
　　[D] Junior employees being made to work overtime.
　　34. [A] Forbidding students to take food out of the restaurant.
　　[B] Requesting customers to pay before taking the food.
　　[C] Asking customers to leave their bags on the counters.
　　[D] Allowing only two students to enter at a time.
　　35. [A] He was taken to the manager. [C] He was asked to leave.
　　[B] He was closely watched.