2003年英语专四四级真题详解

2003年真题详解

TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2003)-GRADE FOUR-
PART I DICTATION
Listen to the following passage．
Altogether the passage will be read to you four times．
During the first reading,
which will be done at normal speed,
listen and try to understand the meaning．
For the second and third readings，
the passage will be read sentence by sentence，
or phrase by phrase， with intervals of 15 seconds．
The last reading will be done at normal speed again
and during this time you should check your work．
You will then be given 2 minutes
to check through your work once more.
Please write the whole passage on ANSWER SHEET ONE．
Now listen to the passage.
SALMON
Every year millions of salmon swim from the ocean
into the mouths of the rivers
and then steadily out of the rivers.
Passing through waters,
around the rocks and waterfalls,
the fish finally reach their original streams or lakes.
They dig up nests in the river bed
and lay their eggs.
Then, exhausted by their journey, the parents salmon die.
They have finished the task
that the nature has given them.
Months or years later,
the young fish start their trip to the ocean.
They live in the salt water from two to seven years,
until they too are ready to swim back to reproduce.
Their life cycle helps man provide himself
with a basic food-fish.
When the adult salmon gather at the river mouths
for the annual trip of the rivers,
they are in the best possible condition.
And nearly every harbour has its salmon fishing fleet
ready to catch thousands for markets.
SALMON
Every year millions of salmon swim from the ocean
SALMON
Every year millions of salmon swim from the ocean
into the mouths of the rivers and then steadily out of the rivers.
into the mouths of the rivers and then steadily out of the rivers.
Passing through waters, around the rocks and waterfalls,
Passing through waters, around the rocks and waterfalls,
the fish finally reach their original streams or lakes.
the fish finally reach their original streams or lakes.
They dig up nests in the river bed and lay their eggs.
They dig up nests in the river bed and lay their eggs.
Then, exhausted by their journey, the parents salmon die.
Then, exhausted by their journey, the parents salmon die.
They have finished the task that the nature has given them.
They have finished the task that the nature has given them.
Months or years later,the young fish start their trip to the ocean.
Months or years later,the young fish start their trip to the ocean.
They live in the salt water from two to seven years,
They live in the salt water from two to seven years,
until they too are ready to swim back to reproduce.
until they too are ready to swim back to reproduce.
Their life cycle helps man provide himself with a basic food-fish.
Their life cycle helps man provide himself with a basic food-fish.
When the adult salmon gather at the river mouths for the annual trip of the rivers,
When the adult salmon gather at the river mouths for the annual trip of the rivers,
they are in the best possible condition.
they are in the best possible condition.
And nearly every harbour has its salmon fishing fleet
And nearly every harbour has its salmon fishing fleet
ready to catch thousands for markets.
ready to catch thousands for markets.
SALMON
Every year millions of salmon swim from the ocean
into the mouths of the rivers
and then steadily out of the rivers.
Passing through waters,
around the rocks and waterfalls,
the fish finally reach their original streams or lakes.
They dig up nests in the river bed
and lay their eggs.
Then, exhausted by their journey, the parents salmon die.
They have finished the task
that the nature has given them.
Months or years later,
the young fish start their trip to the ocean.
They live in the salt water from two to seven years,
until they too are ready to swim back to reproduce.
Their life cycle helps man
provide himself with a basic food-fish.
When the adult salmon gather at the river mouths
for the annual trip of the rivers,
they are in the best possible condition.
And nearly every harbour has its salmon fishing fleet
ready to catch thousands for markets.
Now you have 2 minutes to check through your work.
That is the end of the Part I Dictation.
PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSION
In Sections A，B and C you will hear everything ONCE ONLY.
Listen carefully
and then answer the questions that follow．
Mark the correct answer to each question on your answer sheet．
SECTION A CONVERSATIONS
In this section you will hear several conversations．
Listen to the conversations carefully
and then answer the questions that follow．
Questions 1 to 3 are based on the following conversation.
At the end of the conversation，
you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions．
Now, listen to the conversation.
W: Do you enjoy your work?
M: Well, I'm still conscious of time when I work.
W. What do you mean?
M. I still have this nine-to-five attitude toward work.
When five o'clock comes around,
I get up and go home.
W: I'm sorry to hear that,
but work doesn't have to mean drudgery any more.
Indeed, work has changed dramatically for the better.
M: How about the old saying
"we work to live, not live to work?"
W. Well, although money is an important factor,
people now want to live fulfilling lives with meaningful jobs,
rather than to simply earn a living.
M: But it's hard for me to feel that way.
W: I think your attitude towards work
needs a radical change.
Since the industrial revolution,
we have made work our enemy.
Now it doesn't have to be that way.
M: It's really interesting to hear all this,
but doing work does not mean
watching an exciting movie.
You've still got to
go through the nuts and bolts of your work.
W: While there are still dull and humble jobs,
workers now have more choices
and are no longer tied to a job for life.
M. That's true.
W: And work has become
more intellectually challenging for more people,
allowing them to think, learn, develop new skills,
and find a sense of purpose and identity.
Questions 4 to 6 are based on the following conversation．
At the end of the conversation,
you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions．
Now, listen to the conversation.
M: Which do you prefer, city or country life?
W: It's a fifty-fifty choice
and it largely depends on the individual.
But the bottom line
is that each life
has its own advantages and disadvantages.
M: You're right there.
Generally speaking,
people in the city are better paid.
And according to the latest study,
an income difference between the city
and the country is three to one.
Isn't that alarming!
W: Living in the country incurs fewer expenses,
although the costs of transportation are much higher.
M: I think that philosophy is the root of the difference.
In the city, people want to "do it all in one day".
In the country,
people don't expect to get it all done in one day.
Country folks tend to plan more
because planning is required just to survive.
W: In the country,
you mind your own business without being unfriendly.
And there are fewer restrictions on what you can do,
whether or not there is a law about it.
Many laws on the books are not enforced.
M: Also, there is no real crime to speak of.
Any petty crime is usually committed
by the local school kids and is nothing serious.
W: But the city continues to be a magnet,
drawing people from the country,
rather than the other way around.
Questions 7 to 10 are based on the following conversation．
At the end of the conversation, you will be given
20 seconds to answer the questions．
Now, listen to the conversation.
W: What kind of fast food do you normally eat?
M: Burgers, sandwiches,
sometimes I like a pizza or kebabs.
W: Oh, right. And how often do you eat fast food:
every day, more than once a week
or less than once a week?
M: Monday to Friday when I'm working
but not usually at the weekends.
W: And what time of day do you eat fast food?
M: Well, at work as I said, at lunch time.
For example, when I go out,
I get a hamburger or a sandwich.
W: Oh, right. Do you only eat it as a main meal
or do you snack between meals?
M: No, only as a main meal, lunch or in the evening.
W: And what do you think of fast food?
Which statements do you think are true?
"It's convenient"?
M: Oh, definitely.
That's sort of the main reason that I eat it.
W: Right. How about "It tastes good"?
M: Yeah, but not as good as food like in a good restaurant.
But it's not bad.
W: "It's good for you"?
M: No. Sort of eating quickly and standing up is bad for me.
The food isn't very good.
There are not enough greens.
W: How about "It's an expensive way of eating"?
What do you think of that?
M: Oh, yes, it is.
But you're paying for the convenience, the speed of it.
I certainly think that it's cheaper than cooking your own food.
SECTION B PASSAGES
In this section，you will hear several passages．
Listen to the passages carefully
and then answer the questions that follow．
Questions 11 to 13 are based on the following passage．
At the end of the passage,
you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions．
Now, listen to the passage.
Love can be seen everywhere.
Yet surprisingly,
love has been the subject of less scientific research
than other emotions, such as anger and fear.
The reason for this is twofold.
First, love is a very complex emotion,
difficult to describe and measure.
Secondly, extreme love is generally not a problem;
thus less medical attention has been paid to it.
Love is an enduring, strong, positive attraction
and feeling for another person or thing.
But it also involves feelings of
caring, protection, excitement,and tenderness.
Sometimes it is easier to think
in terms of different kinds of love:
"puppy" love, romantic love, brotherly love, and so forth.
Though they differ in some respects,
they share one important characteristic:
a strong positive feeling toward another.
Our feelings toward other people are often complex.
We may love someone and,
at the same time, be angry with him.
Or we may love someone,
even though we are jealous of him.
We might love someone and,
at the same time,
hate for specific reasons.
Like love, hate can be a very strong emotion.
The question is often asked,
"Is it bad to hate?" Usually hate does not help us;
it makes us feel unhappy
and do things that may hurt others.
However, sometimes it may be necessary
to hate and hurt someone
in order to protect loved ones.
Questions 14 to 16 are based on the following talk．
At the end of the talk, you will be given
15 seconds to answer the questions．
Now, listen to the talk.
You might think that most of the patients at sleep clinics
are being treated for sleeplessness,
commonly referred to as insomnia,
but that is not the case.
The majority of sleep-clinic patients
suffer from disorders of excessive sleep
or "hypersomnia". While most insomniacs somehow manage
to drag themselves through the day
and function at acceptable,
although not optimal, levels.
This is not so for people who suffer from hypersomnia.
They are incapacitated by irresistible
urges to sleep during the day,
often in inappropriate situations-at business meetings,
in supermarkets, or at parties. Even more dangerous
is their failure to remain awake when driving
or operating machines.
Falling asleep in such situations
could obviously be life-threatening.
Many hypersomnia suffer from narcolepsy,
for which the primary symptom is excessive daytime sleepiness.
Though not apparent in childhood,
this symptom most often appears for the first time
during the teen years and continues through a person's life.
The sleep attacks may occur as many as fifteen to twenty times
during the courses of the day
and last for periods from fifteen minutes up to two hours.
What can be done to help those suffering from narcolepsy?
There are certain drugs that can help,
and specialists suggest voluntary napping
to decrease the frequency of such sleep attacks.
Questions 17 to 20 are based on the following passage．
At the end of the passage,
you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions．
Now, listen to the passage.
It was fifty years ago
when the economist Milton Friedman
proposed School Choice Programs to improve American education.
Today, about 36,000 students are served by vouchers.
The programs are in the city of Washington D. C.,
and three of the fifty states:
Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin.
The number of students will grow
with 14,000 new vouchers just approved by lawmakers in Ohio.
And Utah will offer a voucher program for disabled students.
A few states offer tax credits or other forms of support
to help parents pay for private schools.
One objection to vouchers has to do with the fact
that most private schools are religious.
The Constitution separates government and religion.
Voucher critics argue
that the use of public money for religious schools
is unconstitutional. Opponents of vouchers suggest
public schools should get more money
so all children can attend good schools near their home.
Yet some people think all families
should be offered vouchers, not just poor ones.
Milton Friedman and his wife
started the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation
to work for school choice with the goal to improve,
through competition, the quality of education for all.
Milton Friedman had his ninety-third birthday on Sunday.
The Nobel Prize-winning economist
has been talking to reporters about
the fiftieth anniversary of his proposal.
Mr. Friedman told Education Week
that he thinks fifty years from now,
all students will be served by school vouchers.
SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST
In this section, you will hear several news items.
Listen to them carefully
and then answer the questions that follow.
Questions 21 and 22 are based on the following news．
At the end of the news item，you will be given
10 seconds to answer the questions．
Now listen to the news.
The UN resolution calls for greater international intelligence
and law enforcement cooperation,
and it requires states to change their banking laws
in order to place the global network of terrorism financiers.
It makes providing funds for terror activities a criminal offence
and would freeze bank accounts of those who sponsor terrorism.
Questions 23 and 24 are based on the following news．
At the end of the news item，you will be given
10 seconds to answer the questions．
Now listen to the news.
A police spokesman said
the devices were made safe by explosive experts
in the Ardoyne district,
where a woman was shot in the leg
and 13 police officers
were injured during a second successive night of violence.
Northern Ireland's police chief had earlier
called on community leaders
to work together to end the violence.
The violence has erupted sporadically
throughout a summer of sectarian tension in Northern Belfast.
Questions 25 is based on the following news．
At the end of the news item，you will be given
5 seconds to answer the question．
Now listen to the news.
Airlines are being hit with huge increases
to insure their planes after the terrorist attacks
in the United States. Goshawk Insurance Holdings
which insures aircraft around the world,
said rates have soared as much as tenfold
since the September 11th terror attacks.
Airlines around the world
have cut services and dismissed staff
as their business has plunged in the week of the crisis.
They are also struggling with increased security costs.
Questions 26 and 27 are based on the following news．
At the end of the news item，you will be given
10 seconds to answer the questions．
Now listen to the news.
A Pakistan leader
said the resumption of the trial of eight foreign aid workers
accused of preaching Christianity in Afghanistan
has been put off until Sunday.
He had met earlier Saturday
with eight workers, two Americans, two Australians
and four Germans.
They insisted they were in Afghanistan
to help the poor, not to convert them.
The penalty for these captured eight workers
could range from expulsion
to a jail term and death sentence.
Questions 28 is based on the following news．
At the end of the news item，you will be given
5 seconds to answer the question．
Now listen to the news.
On the 20th anniversary of the first official report on AIDS,
the head of the United Nations AIDS programme
warns that the deadly diseases
may only be at the early stages
in many parts of the world.
Doctor Peo said the disease
has already reached staggering proportions
since first being identified in 1981.
58 million people world-wide have contracted the HIV virus,
which causes AIDS
while 22 million have died from related illnesses.
The UN estimates the world HIV-positive population at 36 million,
including 25 million in sub-Sahara Africa.
International officials warned
the disease would have disasters
political, social and economical consequences
in many developing countries.
Questions 29 and 30 are based on the following news．
At the end of the news item，you will be given
10 seconds to answer the questions．
Now listen to the news.
H. G. Wells, a pioneer of science fiction
wrote a story in which a man
was blown into the fourth dimension
by a laboratory explosion.
When he returned to normal surroundings,
he found his heart was now on the right-hand side of his body
instead of the left.
In fact, some people
do have their internal organs ordered this way,
but their problems are due to genetics.
The genes responsible
have been discovered by researchers in the United States
who reported their findings
in the latest edition for the journal
Nature Genetics.
This is the end of Listening Comprehension.
　　