1、大学英语四级-97 及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：4，分数：100.00)A detailed and thorough research project undertaken by the Open University recently reported that their evidence appears to show that competition between nearby schools does not significantly improve academic standards. Inde
2、ed, their report inclines to the opposite outcome: the exam results may actually decline where competition is fiercest. When the further education sector was “privatized“ a few years ago, competition between colleges became truly fierce, at least in urban areas where potential students could choose
3、between several of them. Colleges appointed highly paid marketing directors and gave them large budgets; some even “bribed“ interested students with promises of hundreds of pounds if they completed certain courses satisfactorily. Fully competitive markets being a philosophical foundation of Britain“
4、s recent governments, it was no surprise to hear claims that many educational developments of the 1990s would move us towards a free market in secondary education-giving youngsters and their parents a free choice of where to study. However, the secondary sector did not become particularly competitiv
5、e while, admittedly, the consumers have been given more information, which is one aspect of a truly free market. It is very rare that two nearby schools with at least some empty places are similar enough to be comparable yet different enough to be rankable; only where that occurs can there be true c
6、ompetition. The Open University research was probably not flawed-but its conclusions are. This is because the team did not really compare areas having true competition (as just defined) with areas that do not. But, let us all breathe a sigh of relief. Secondary schools had started of late to move in
7、 the marketing directionconsidering allocating scarce resources of staff and money to persuading the pupils that their schools are the best in the area. No schools could afford to do that properly, so it is a relief to realize this research tells us we don“t have to. Competition? We haven“t got time
8、 for it! Let“s spend our small budget in teaching and learning, not in competing and marketing.（分数：25.00）(1).It is indicated in the passage that competition between schools results in _.（分数：5.00）A.higher enrollment rateB.lower academic standardC.higher marketing expensesD.privatization of further ed
9、ucation(2).Real competition can happen only when _.（分数：5.00）A.academic standard is improved by the education sectorB.there are comparable schools with different educational qualitiesC.students have different interests in different coursesD.schools of all areas have sufficient budget for their develo
10、pment(3).According to the passage, the free market in secondary education _.（分数：5.00）A.only provides consumers with more informationB.is more competitive than the higher education marketC.means there will be more intensive competition than in collegesD.is a real surprise to Britain“s recent governme
11、nt(4).The author of the passage feels relieved that _.（分数：5.00）A.secondary schools have to market themselvesB.most secondary schools have scarce resources of staff and moneyC.the research proves most secondary schools are the bestD.schools needn“t prove that they are the best(5).What might be the au
12、thor“s attitude towards competitions between nearby schools?（分数：5.00）A.The author is in favor of various kinds of competition.B.The author is indifferent to any competition and its result.C.The author is not certain of the effect of competitions.D.The author is against inter-collegiate competitions.
13、The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare“s time is estimated to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to
14、 the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language, as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms. It is virtually impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have
15、acquired an adequate working knowledge of English in addition to their own language. The purposes for which English is learned and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to define and still more difficult to assess what constitutes an adequate working kn
16、owledge for each situation. The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present-day importance as a world language. Besides serving the infinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of the most important works in science, technology, and other fields are
17、 being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications, international conferences, and the dissemination (传播) of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a language of wider communication f
18、or a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce industry, law and education as well as for international communication and for access
19、to the scientific and technological development in the West.（分数：25.00）(1).There are about 260 million people who can speak _.（分数：5.00）A.English in its regional varietyB.English in its standard varietyC.English as a second languageD.English as a working language(2).According to this passage, the Engl
20、ish language might be used _.（分数：5.00）A.for only one reason that English is becoming an international languageB.mainly by people from the American continent and the European continentC.as an official language in an international conference on the American cultureD.in science and technology as well a
21、s in cultural and historical studies of all countries(3).The author seems to be wondering _.（分数：5.00）A.what makes up one“s adequate working knowledge of EnglishB.why English can serve so many needs of various peopleC.how to relate the technological problems in airport communicationsD.when English be
22、came so widely used(4).“these countries“ (Line 7, Para. 3) most probably refers to _.（分数：5.00）A.the developing countries which used to be coloniesB.the former British colonies which now are developingC.the colonized countries which become as strong as BritainD.the developing countries which are stil
23、l colonized by Britain(5).A common language is necessary for some multi-lingual countries _.（分数：5.00）A.for both internal and international communicationsB.for access to the development in other countriesC.for higher efficiency of the government and better life of the publicD.for wider communications
24、 among colonial nationsEngineering students are supposed to be examples of practicality and rationality, but when it comes to my college education I am an idealist and a fool. In high school I wanted to be an electrical engineer and, of course, any sensible student with my alms would have chosen a c
25、ollege with a large engineering department, famous reputation and lots of good labs and research equipment. But that“s not what I did. I chose to study engineering at a small liberal-arts (文科) university that doesn“t even offer a major in electrical engineering. Obviously, this was not a practical c
26、hoice; I came here for more noble reasons. I wanted a broad education that would provide me with flexibility and a value system to guide me in my career. I wanted to open my eyes and expand my vision by interacting with people who weren“t studying science or engineering. My parents, teachers and oth
27、er adults praised me for such a sensible choice. They told me I was wise and mature beyond my 18 years, and I believed them. I headed off to college sure I was going to have an advantage over those students who went to big engineering “factories“ where they didn“t care if you had values or were flex
28、ible. I was going to be a complete engineer: technical genius and sensitive humanist (人文学者) all in one. Now I“m not so sure. Somewhere along the way my noble ideals crashed into reality, as all noble ideals eventually do. After three years of struggling to balance math, physics and engineering cours
29、es with liberal arts courses, I have learned there are reasons why few engineering students try to reconcile (协调) engineering with liberal-arts courses in college. The reality that has blocked my path to become the typical successful student is that engineering and the liberal arts simply don“t mix
30、as easily as I assumed in high school. Individually they shape a person in very different ways; together they threaten to confuse. The struggle to reconcile the two fields of study is difficult.（分数：25.00）(1).The author chose to study engineering at a small liberal-arts university because he _.（分数：5.
31、00）A.intended to be a sensible student with noble idealsB.wanted to be an example of practicality and rationalityC.intended to be a combination of engineer and humanistD.wanted to coordinate engineering with liberal-arts courses in college(2).According to the author, by interacting with people who s
32、tudy liberal arts, engineering students can _.（分数：5.00）A.broaden their horizonsB.become noble idealistsC.receive guidance in their careersD.balance engineering and the liberal arts(3).In the eyes of the author, a successful engineering student is expected _.（分数：5.00）A.to be imaginative with a value
33、system to guide himB.to be a technical genius with a wide visionC.to have an excellent academic recordD.to be wise and mature(4).The author“s experience shows that he was _.（分数：5.00）A.creativeB.irrationalC.ambitiousD.unrealistic(5).The word “they“ in “together they threaten to confuse.“ (Line 3, Par
34、a. 5) refers to _.（分数：5.00）A.practicality and rationalityB.engineering and the liberal artsC.reality and noble idealsD.flexibility and a value systemThe National Trust in Britain plays an increasingly important part in the preservation for public enjoyment of the best that is left unspoiled of the B
35、ritish countryside. Although the Trust has received practical and moral support from the Government, it is not a rich Government department. It is a charity which depends for its existence on voluntary support from members of the public. The attention of the public was first drawn to the dangers thr
36、eatening the great old houses and castles of Britain by the death of Lord Lothian, who left his great seventeenth-century house to the Trust together with the 4,500-acre park and estate surrounding it. This gift attracted wide publicity and started the Trust“s “Country House Scheme“. Under this sche
37、me, with the help of the Government and the general public, the Trust has been able to save and open to the public about one hundred and fifty of these old houses. Last year about one and three quarters of a million people paid to visit these historic houses, usually at a very small charge. In addit
38、ion to country houses and open spaces the Trust now owns some examples of ancient wind and water mills, nature reserves, five hundred and forty farms and nearly two thousand five hundred cottages or small village houses, as well as some complete villages. In these villages no one is allowed to build
39、, develop or disturb the old village environment in any way and all the houses are maintained in their original sixteenth-century style. Over four hundred thousand acres of coastline, woodland, and hill country are protected by the Trust and no development or disturbances of any kind are permitted.
40、The public has free access to these areas and is only asked to respect the peace, beauty and wildlife. So it is that over the past eighty years the Trust has become a big and important organization and an essential and respected part of national life, preserving all that is of great natural beauty a
41、nd of historical significance not only for future generations of Britons but also for the millions of tourists who each year invade Britain in search of a great historic and cultural heritage.（分数：25.00）(1).The National Trust is _.（分数：5.00）A.a rich government departmentB.a charity supported mainly by
42、 the publicC.a group of areas of great natural beautyD.an organization supported by public taxes(2).The “Country House Scheme“ was started _.（分数：5.00）A.with the founding of the National TrustB.as the first project of the National TrustC.after Lord Lothian“s donationD.to protect Lord Lothian“s house(
43、3).Land protected by the National Trust _.（分数：5.00）A.can be developed and modernizedB.includes naturally and historically valuable sitesC.consists of country houses and nature reservesD.is primarily for tourists to Britain(4).The word “invade“ in the last paragraph is used to emphasize that _.（分数：5.
44、00）A.the British do not like touristsB.tourists to Britain are unfriendlyC.tourists come to Britain in large numbersD.Britain is attacked by masses of tourists(5).The main purpose of this passage is to _.（分数：5.00）A.inform the readers about the National TrustB.promote the National Trust“s membershipC
45、.make people aware of the natural beauty of BritainD.let the general public share the views of the National Trust大学英语四级-97 答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：4，分数：100.00)A detailed and thorough research project undertaken by the Open University recently reported that their evidence
46、 appears to show that competition between nearby schools does not significantly improve academic standards. Indeed, their report inclines to the opposite outcome: the exam results may actually decline where competition is fiercest. When the further education sector was “privatized“ a few years ago,
47、competition between colleges became truly fierce, at least in urban areas where potential students could choose between several of them. Colleges appointed highly paid marketing directors and gave them large budgets; some even “bribed“ interested students with promises of hundreds of pounds if they
48、completed certain courses satisfactorily. Fully competitive markets being a philosophical foundation of Britain“s recent governments, it was no surprise to hear claims that many educational developments of the 1990s would move us towards a free market in secondary education-giving youngsters and the
49、ir parents a free choice of where to study. However, the secondary sector did not become particularly competitive while, admittedly, the consumers have been given more information, which is one aspect of a truly free market. It is very rare that two nearby schools with at least some empty places are similar enough to be comparable yet different enough to be rankable; only where that occurs can there be true competition. The Open University research was probably not flawed-but its conclusions are
