2011年12月英语四级冲刺预测试题及答案(7)

　　Section C

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.

　　Today we are going to practice evaluating the main tool used when addressing groups — the (36) _________. There are three main elements that combine to create either a positive or negative (37) _________ for listeners. They can (38) _________ in a voice that is pleasing to listen to and can be used effectively, or they can create a voice that doesn’t hold the attention, or even worse causes an (39) _________ reaction. The three elements are volume, pitch and pace.

　　When talking about volume, keep in mind that a good speaker will adjust to the size of both the room and the audience. Of course, with an (40) _________ device like a microphone, the speaker can use a (41) _________ tone. But speakers should not be (42) _________ on it. A good speaker can speak loudly without shouting.

　　The second element — pitch — is related to the highness and lowness of the sounds. High pitches are for most people more difficult to listen to, so in general, the speaker should use the lower (43) _________ of the voice. (44) ___________________________________________________________________.

　　The third element, pace — this is how fast or slow words and sounds are articulated — should also be varied. (45) ___________________________________________________________________. Pauses ought to be used to signal transitions or create anticipation. It can be very effective when moving from one topic to another (46) ___________________________________________________________________. 　

　　Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)

　　Section A

　　Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.

　　Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.

　　Perhaps like most Americans you have some extra pounds to shed. You may even have tried a fad (时尚) diet or two, but found yourself right back where you 47 . The key to weight loss is regular 48 activity. And surprisingly, you don’t have to give up eating or make the gym your second home to see long-term, 49 effects.

　　Your body needs a certain amount of energy to maintain basic 50 such as breathing, blood circulation and digestion. The energy required to keep your organs functioning is referred to as the resting or basal metabolic rate. Any time you are active, 51 energy is required. It is obtained from glycogen (糖原) and fat stored in the blood, liver, and muscles. The key to losing weight is to draw on the fat rather than on the carbohydrate reserves.

　　Which of the two energy sources you use depends on the intensity and 52 of your activity. The higher the intensity, the more your body will pull from the stored carbohydrates. The lower the intensity, the 53 your body will rely on fat as its fuel.

　　Aerobic exercise is most 54 for weight loss. When you perform aerobic activities you 55 contract large muscle groups such as your legs and arms. Walking, running, rollerblading, swimming, dancing, and jumping jacks are all forms of aerobic activity. Surprisingly, if your aerobic activity is low to moderately intense and of long duration, you will burn more fat than if you had 56 in a short burst of high-intensity exercise. In short, a brisk 30-minute walk will burn fat while a 100-yard sprint will burn glycogen.

　　Section B

　　Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

　　Passage One

　　Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.

　　The warming of the Arctic is releasing a new wave of banned toxic chemicals that had been trapped in the ice and cold water, scientists have discovered.

　　The researchers warn that the amount of the poisons stored in the polar region is unknown and their release could “undermine global efforts to reduce environmental and human exposure to them.”

　　The chemicals leaking out as temperatures rise include DDT, lindane, chlordane, PCBs and HCBs. All of these persistent organic pollutants (Pops) are banned under the 2004 Stockholm Convention.

　　Pops can cause cancers and birth defects and take a very long time to degrade (降解), meaning they can be transported for long distances and accumulate over time.

　　Over past decades, the low temperatures in the Arctic trapped volatile (易挥发的) Pops in ice and cold water. But scientists in Canada and Norway have now discovered that global warming is freeing the Pops once again.

　　They examined measurements of Pops in the air between 1993 and 2009 at the Zeppelin research station in Svalbaard and Alert weather station in northern Canada. After allowing for the decline in global emissions of Pops, the team showed that the toxic chemicals are being remobilised by rising temperatures and the retreat of the sea ice, which exposes more water to the Sun. For example, air concentrations of PCBs and HCBs have shown a rising trend from about 2004 onwards.

　　Hayley Hung, a member of Environment Canada and of the team, said its work provided the first evidence of the releasing of Pops in the Arctic. “But this is the beginning of a story,” she said. “The next step is to find out how much is in the Arctic, how much will leak out and how quickly.” With the exception of lindane, there was little existing knowledge of the scale of the Pops stored in high latitude (纬度) regions.

　　The fate of the frozen Pops depends on the speed of warming in the Arctic — it is currently heating up much more quickly than lower latitudes — as well as how the chemicals interact with snow and rain. Pops accumulate in fats and are therefore concentrated up the food chain, but Hung cautions that food chains themselves in the Arctic may be altered by climate change.

　　57. What have the researchers discovered in the Arctic?

　　A) The ice and cold water in the region contain banned toxic chemicals.

　　B) Poisons stored in the region are leaking out due to global warming.

　　C) The amount of toxic chemicals in the region could destroy all mankind.

　　D) The ecosystem in the region has been changed by rising temperatures.

　　58. What do we learn about Pops from the passage?

　　A) They pose a threat to marine life and humans.

　　B) They are substances that are easily degraded.

　　C) They can be found only in the polar region.

　　D) They will decrease in number if moving in the air.

　　59. By “the toxic chemicals are being remobilised” (Line 3, Para. 6), the author means that the Pops .

　　A) are taking in the form of ice or water

　　B) are becoming more and more poisonous

　　C) are able to move easily and quickly in the water

　　D) are no longer trapped in the ice and cold water

　　60. According to Hayley Hung, the scientists need to figure out .

　　A) the harm the Pops will do to human beings

　　B) why the Pops have been trapped in the ice

　　C) the scale of the Pops stored in the Arctic

　　D) how to eliminate the banned toxic chemicals

　　61. What is said about the warming in the Arctic?

　　A) Human activities have sped it up. C) It is affected by the release of the Pops.

　　B) It may change the food chains. D) It happened earlier than other regions.

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.

　　If you haven’t heard or seen anything about road rage in the last few months, you’ve probably been avoiding the media. There have been countless stories about this new and scary phenomenon, considered a type of aggressive driving. If you drive, you have more than likely encountered aggressive driving.

　　While drunk driving remains a critical problem, the facts about aggressive driving are surely as disturbing. For instance, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 41,907 people died on the highways last year. Of those fatalities, the agency estimates that about two-thirds were caused at least in part by aggressive driving behavior.

　　Why is this phenomenon occurring more than ever now, and why is it something that seemed almost nonexistent a few short years ago? Experts have several theories, and all are probably partially correct. One suggestion is sheer overcrowding. In the last decade, the number of cars on the roads has increased by over 11%, and the number of miles driven has increased by 35%. Meanwhile, the number of new road miles has only increased by 1%. That means more cars in the same amount of space; and the problem is magnified in urban areas.

　　Also, people have less time and more things to do. With people working and trying to fit extra chores (琐事) and activities into the day, stress levels have never been higher. Stress creates anxiety, which leads to short tempers. These factors, when combined in certain situations, can spell road rage.

　　You may think you are the last person who would drive aggressively, but you might be surprised. For instance, have you ever yelled out loud at a slower driver, honked (按喇叭) long and hard at another car, or sped up to keep another driver from passing? If you recognize yourself in any of these situations, watch out!

　　Whether you are getting angry at other drivers or if another driver is visibly upset with you, there are things you can do to avoid major confrontations. If you are susceptible (受影响的) to road rage, the key is to discharge your emotion in a healthy way. If you are the target of another driver’s rage, do everything possible to get away from the other driver safely, including avoiding eye contact and getting out of their way.

　　62. What do we learn from the first paragraph?

　　A) The media coined the term “Road Rage” only a few months ago.

　　B) People have been raged by media reports and want to avoid them.

　　C) People not interested in the media know little about recent happenings.

　　D) Road rage has received much media coverage in the last few months.

　　63. According to NHTSA, last year on the highways .

　　A) approximately two thirds of drivers were killed by road rage

　　B) road rage remained the No.1 killer and took 41,907 people’s lives

　　C) more people were killed by aggressive driving than by drunk driving

　　D) drunk driving was a problem more serious than aggressive driving

　　64. Which of the following is not mentioned as a cause of aggressive driving?

　　A) Drivers’ stress and anxiety. C) Increasing number of cars.

　　B) Rush hour traffic. D) Overcrowded roads.

　　65. According to the passage, aggressive driving is characterized by .

　　A) driving at full speed C) talking while driving

　　B) yelling at another driver D) sounding the horn when passing

　　66. The last paragraph is intended to .

　　A) tell people how to cope with road rage

　　B) inform people how aggressive drivers could be

　　C) tell people how to control themselves when angry

　　D) warn people against eye contact with another driver

　　相关推荐：

　　2011年12月英语四级冲刺预测试题及答案汇总

　　12月17日考后首发2011年12月四六级真题及答案 

　　2011年12月英语四级模拟题及答案详解汇总

　　2011年12月英语四级作文模板、预测及指导专题