2009年12月英语四级考试模拟训练及答案(一)

　　Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　26. Where was Thorpe’s athletic talent discovered?

　　C)。【解析】四个选项都是表示地点的状语，由此可以推测，本题的内容可能跟某件事情发生的地点有关。

　　早在Thorpe还在Carlisle Indian School上学的时候(had his education at the Carlisle Indian School)，他的体育教练(athletic coach)就发现了他卓越的运动才能(splendid athlete)，并鼓励他专心从事运动(concentrate on sports)。故正确答案为C)。

　　27. How did American people receive Thorpe when he came back from Stockholm in 1912?

　　B)。【解析】四个选项都是They开头，都是对待某人的态度，由此可以推测，本题的内容可能是关于一些人怎么对待某个人的。 当Thorpe 1912年从Stockholm回来的时候，美国人民为他举行了游行(parades)和庆祝(celebration)。故正确答案为B)。

　　28. Why were Thorpe’s medals taken away from him?

　　D)。【解析】四个选项都是Because开头的，由此可以推测，本题的内容是关于某件事情发生的原因。按照当时的规则，参加奥林匹克运动会的运动员必须是业余选手(an amateur)，Thorpe曾经是职业选手(professional athlete)，这并不符合规定，所以他的奖牌被收回(taken away)。故正确答案为D)。

　　Passage Two

　　About three hundred words in the English language come from the names of people. Many of these words are technical words. When there is a new invention of discovery, a new word may be coined after the inventor or scientist.

　　It is interesting to observe how many common English words have found their way into the language from the names of people. For example, “sandwich”, you may eat everyday. Lord Sandwich who lived from 1718 to 1792 used to sit at the gambling table eating slices of bread with meat in between. This kind of eating tastes delicious.(29)As the Lord was the only one among his friends who ate bread in that way, his friends began to call the“bread-Sandwich”for fun. Later on the word became part of the English language.

　　The word “boycott” means to refuse to have anything to do with somebody or something. This word is another example. The word comes from a man called Captain Boycott. He was a land agent in 1880 and he collected rents and taxes for an English landowner in Ireland.(30)But the Captain was a very harsh man. He treated his poor tenants very badly. His tenants decided not to speak to him at all. (31)Eventually word got back to the landowner and the Captain was removed. The word “boycott” became popular and was used by everyone to mean the kind of treatment that was received by Captain Boycott.

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

　　29. Who coined the word “sandwich”?

　　【解析】C)。四个选项都是关于人物的词，由此可以推测，本题内容与人物有关。 由于Lord Sandwich是他的朋友里面唯一一个那样吃面包的人(only one among his friends who ate bread in that way)，他的朋友们开始叫这种食物“bread-Sandwich”(Sandwich面包)。可见最初使用sandwich这个词的人是Lord Sandwich的朋友们。

　　30. What didn’t the tenants like?

　　【解析】B)。四个选项中有两个是不定式，有两个是人物身份，由此可以推测，本题的内容可能与人物的态度有关系。佃农们都不喜欢Boycott，因为他对待佃农的态度很差(treated his poor tenants very badly)，佃农们于是决定不和他说话(not to speak to him)。故正确答案为B)。