考试吧恩波：2008年12月四级预测试卷及解析(五)

　　Passage Two

　　I had just gone to bed after a very hard day when the phone rang. It was an eccentric farmer. I had never met him before although I had often heard people talk about him. He seemed quite hysterical and he had been talking for a minute or so before I understood anything. Even then all I could make out was that someone called Milly had had a very bad accident. I hadn’t the slightest idea who she was but I obviously had to go.

　　It had been snowing heavily that day and I didn’t know the way. I had been driving for at least an hour when I finally found his place. He was standing there, waiting for me. It seemed Milly had already died.“She meant more to me than anyone…even my own wife!” he said. I could see that he had been crying. I assumed a terrible tragedy had taken place with the overtones of a possible scandal. I must admit I was even more shocked when he told me he had put her in the barn.“I wouldn’t leave her out in the cold!”he said.

　　Milly had clearly been a secret sweetheart of his. I was about to tell him he could not expect me to cover anything up when he opened the barn door and pointed his torch at a motionless shaps on the straw.“She was such a good cow! I wouldn’t let anyone but a doctor touch her!”he said, and burst into tears again.

　　Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　29. Why did the speaker say that she obviously had to go?

　　30. What was the weather like that day?

　　31. Who did the speaker think Milly was when she saw the farmer?

　　Passage Three

　　What does the word “library”mean to you?Do you think a library is a large, silent room containing hundreds of books? It may surprise you to learn that there are other kinds of libraries. Most libraries do lend books, but some also lend art, music, and even toys!

　　In some libraries, you can borrow an excellent reproduction of a famous painting for your home for several weeks. Then, you can return it and bring another one home.

　　This is also true for records. You may choose your favorite record and take it home. There you may listen to it as often as you like. Later you may return it and try something else.

　　Toy-lending is a new idea in libraries. In a toy library children’s toys and games are classified by age groups just as books usually are. Children may play with anything in the library, and instead of demanding silence, toy libraries encourage children to make noise! Toy libraries not only provide toys and games for children, but also give them a place to come and meet and play with other children.

　　Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　32. What are some of the things that you can borrow from an art library?

　　33. What is toy-lending?

　　34. In what kind of library can children make as much noise as they want?

　　35. Apart from toys and games, what else do toy libraries provide for children?

　　Section C

　　The automobile has many advantages. Above all, it (36) offers people freedom to go where they want when they want to. To most people, cars are also personal (37) fantasy machines that serve as (38) symbols of power, success, speed, excitement, and (39) adventure. In (40) addition, much of the world’s economy is built on producing vehicles and supplying roads, services, and repairs of vehicles. Half of the world’s paychecks are (41) auto-related.

　　In spite of their advantages, motor vehicles have many harmful effects on human lives and on air, water, land and wildlife resources. Though we (42) tend to deny it, (43) riding in cars is one of the most dangerous things we do in our daily lives.

　　Every year, (44) cars and trucks worldwide kill an average of 250,000 people, and they injure or permanently disable ten million more. (45) Half of the world’s people will be involved in an auto accident at sometime in their lives.

　　Motor vehicles are the largest sources of air pollution, producing a haze of smog over the world’s cities. (46)In some countries, they produce at least 50% of the countries-air pollution.

　　Part ⅣReading Comprehension (Reading in Depth)

　　Section A

　　47. L 该空内容要求与后面的man-made对应，并且二者由both…and连接。

　　48. G 根据语法结构要求，该空要求填入一个副词，根据上下文意思应该选择once。

　　49. I 该空应填入动词，根据上下文应选择fed，意思为“供养了(一个从事经商的民族)”。

　　50. O 根据上下文应该选择“trees”。There were trees in plenty.(那儿生长着大量的树木。)

　　51. H 根据上下文，应该填入surrounded。

　　52. A “send moisture into the air”意思是“将水分送往空中”。

　　53. F “…the roots trap minerals”意思是“树根可以留住矿物质”。

　　54. J exploit在此意思为“开发”。

　　55. B 选择cycle构成water cycle(水的循环)。

　　56. D the rhythm of life意思为“生活的节奏”。