1、大学英语四级-99 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)Women are on the verge of outnumbering men in the workforce for the first time, a historic reversal caused by long-term changes in women“s roles and massive job losses for men during this recession. Women held 49.83% of the
2、nation“s 132 million jobs in June and they“re gaining the vast majority of jobs in the few sectors of the economy that are growing, according to the most recent numbers available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That“s a record high for a measure that“s been growing steadily for decades and acce
3、lerating during the recession. At the current pace, women will become a majority of workers in October or November. “Women have struggled long and hard to get to this point,“ says labor economist Heidi Hartmann, president of the Institute for Women“s Policy Research. The change reflects the growing
4、importance of women as wage earners, but it doesn“t show full equality, Hartmann says. On average, women work fewer hours than men, hold more part-time jobs and earn 77% of what men make, she says. Men also still dominate higher-paying executive ranks. Women have been a growing share of the once hea
5、vily male labor force for nearly a century, recording big bumps during epoch-malting events such as World War . This time, the boost came from a severe recession that has been brutal on male-dominated professions such as construction and manufacturing. The only parts of the economy still growingheal
6、th care, education and governmenthave traditionally hired mostly women. That dominance has increased in part because federal stimulus funding directed money to education, health care and state and local governments. The gender transformation is especially remarkable in local government“s 14.6 rail-l
7、ion-person workforce. Cities, schools, water authorities and other local legal power have cut 86,000 men from payrolls during the recessionwhile adding 167,000 women, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Equality in workforce numbers reflects a long-term cultural change, says Maureen Honey,
8、author of Creating Rosie the Riveter, a book about the government“s campaign to persuade women to work outside the home during World War . “The image that the man has to be the breadwinner has changed,“ Honey says.（分数：25.00）(1).What happens to the workforce during this recession?（分数：5.00）A.Women tak
9、e the most jobs in the economy.B.Women outnumber men in few sectors.C.Men become substantially unemployed. .D.Men make up the most profitable sectors.(2).What does Hartmann think of women working fewer hours than men?（分数：5.00）A.It“s one of the reasons why women have to do part-time jobs.B.It“s resul
10、ted from men“s domination of higher-paying jobs.C.It reflects women“s financial importance in their family.D.It reflects women are still regarded as unequal to men.(3).During World War , the women workforce _.（分数：5.00）A.increased sharplyB.decreased suddenlyC.took over the male-dominated professionsD
11、.brought about record-high employment rate(4).The federal stimulus funding is intended to _.（分数：5.00）A.encourage more women to take up a careerB.help women to be confident of their careerC.finance the development of health care, education and governmentsD.enable women to dominate health care, educat
12、ion and governments(5).The passage mainly illustrates the point that _.（分数：5.00）A.equality in workforce number is a cultural issueB.women will soon become a majority of workersC.women should not be restrained inside the homeD.the recession has severely changed the workforceA friend of mine, in respo
13、nse to a conversation we were having about the injustices of life, asked me the question: “Who said life was going to be fair, or that it was even meant to be fair?“ Her question was a good one. It reminded me of something I was taught as a youngsterlife isn“t fair. It“s a disappointment, but it“s a
14、bsolutely true. One of the mistakes many of us make is that we feel sorry for ourselves, or for others, thinking that life should be fair, or that someday it will be. It“s not and it won“t. One of the nice things about surrendering to the fact that life isn“t fair is that it keeps us from feeling so
15、rry for ourselves by encouraging us to do the very best we can with what we have. We know it“s not “life“s job“ to make everything perfect; it“s our own challenge. Surrendering to this fact also keeps us from feeling sorry for others because we are reminded that everyone is dealt a different hand (一
16、手牌); everyone has unique strengths and problems in the process of growing up, facing the reality and making decisions, and everyone has those times that they feel victimized or unfairly treated. The fact that life isn“t fair doesn“t mean we shouldn“t do everything in our power to improve our own liv
17、es or the world as a whole. To the contrary, it suggests that we should. When we don“t recognize or admit that life isn“t fair, we tend to feel pity for others and for ourselves. Pity, of course, is a self-defeating emotion that does nothing for anyone, except to make everyone feel worse than they a
18、lready do. When we do recognize that life isn“t fair, however, we feel sympathy for others and for ourselves. And sympathy is a heartfelt emotion that delivers loving kindness to everyone it touches. The next time you find yourself thinking about the injustices of the world, try reminding yourself o
19、f this very basic fact. You may be surprised that it can push you out of self-pity and into helpful action.（分数：25.00）(1).The author thought of his friend“s question as a good one because _.（分数：5.00）A.he also wanted to know who held such an opinionB.it made him recall something during his childhoodC.
20、like his friend, he also thought life was unfairD.he learned something from the question as a youngster(2).Surrendering to the fact that life isn“t fair will _.（分数：5.00）A.keep us from malting everything perfectB.keep us from doing everything in our powerC.make us face challenges in the life bravelyD
21、.make us know it“s our duty to perfect things(3).The second paragraph of the passage mainly discusses _.（分数：5.00）A.it“s nice to accept the injustice of lifeB.it“s nice to surrender to the lifeC.we should not surrender to the lifeD.we should not feel sorry for ourselves(4).In the last paragraph, “thi
22、s very basic fact“ refers to the fact that _.（分数：5.00）A.you should not pity for othersB.life isn“t and .won“t be fairC.sympathy is a heartfelt emotionD.pity is a self-defeating emotion(5).From the passage, we can learn that the author“s attitude to life is _.（分数：5.00）A.positiveB.negativeC.self-pityD
23、.indifferentCostlysometimes abusivecredit cards are bleeding millions of borrowers who didn“t know what they were getting into. The bottom-feeding cardsfor people with damaged creditoffer you a decent interest rate on credit lines “up to“ $3,000. When the card arrives, however, your line might be on
24、ly $250. And then come the fees! They“re charged to your tiny credit line, leaving you almost nothing to spend. Two better-known card issuers with a big loan business are Capital One and HSBC“s Orchard Bank. They charge lower upfront fees than other cards do. But if you fall behind, it“s tough. Cap
25、One“s penalty rate is currently 28.15 percent. Orchard Bank doesn“t disclose its penalty rate online and wouldn“t tell you what it is. Cap One has a reputation for issuing multiple cards to people who bump up against their credit limits. That gives them two cards, with two low limits, to overspend.
26、Lenders have figured out many ways of extracting fees. There“s “universal default“, where a late payment on one card can trigger high penalty rates on every card you own. There“s the “endless late fee“, where your payments never catch up with the new penalties you“re charged. There“s “two-cycle bill
27、ing“too complicated to explain here, but which amounts to charging interest on balances that you“ve already paid. And “ retroactive (追溯的) price hikes,“ where banks impose higher rates on old balances as well as new ones. These practices startle consumers who think such high fees and interest rates m
28、ust be against the law. But the Supreme Court effectively deregulated credit card rates 30 years ago, and 10 years ago it deregulated the size of the fees a bank could charge. Prior to fee deregulation, late fees hovered between $13 and $15, says Robert McKinley of CardW, which tracks the business.
29、Now they run from $30 to $40. “It“s out of control,“ he says. “Banks know they“ve pushed this too far.“ This year, however, the new Congress started holding hearings. Suddenly Citi dropped universal default and JPMorgan Chase ended two-cycle billing. But those are just gestures. Without fee caps or
30、laws restricting the usually high rate of interest, we“re in the bankers“ hands.（分数：25.00）(1).The bottom-feeding cards are issued to people who _.（分数：5.00）A.has a low incomeB.expects a low interest rateC.has a bad reputation in repaymentD.is thoughtless when using credit cards(2).What does the autho
31、r think about the “multiple cards“ practice of Cap One?（分数：5.00）A.The bank may have more bad debts.B.The bank may become more popular.C.Borrowers may have their credit limits increased.D.Borrowers may fall into a multiple-penalty trap.(3).What do consumers never expect, according to the passage?（分数：
32、5.00）A.The higher rates now can affect balances in the past.B.Lenders can figure out so many ways to extract fees.C.They can borrow from the banks easily.D.They have to pay both fees and interest.(4).The word “deregulate“ (Line 3, Para. 5) can best be replaced by _.（分数：5.00）A.impose rules onB.lift t
33、he control onC.rule againstD.specify(5).According to the author, what Citi and JPMorgan Chase did showed that they were _.（分数：5.00）A.reflectiveB.irresponsibleC.insincereD.compromisingNearly 5,000 people below the age of 21 die because of excessive alcohol consumption each year. Oddly, this has trigg
34、ered a new movement to lower the drinking age. In America, young people can vote, drive, marry, divorce, hunt and go to war before alcohol is legally allowed to touch their lips. Many states once set their minimum drinking-age at 18. But in 1984 Ronald Reagan oversaw the passage of the “21 law“, whi
35、ch requires states to set 21 as the minimum drinking-age or risk losing 10% of their highway funds. Now campaigners want to move it back. In the past, states have been too financially timid to challenge the 21 law. But calls for change are growing louder. Two local judges in South Carolina recently
36、ruled that banning 18-to 20-year-olds from drinking or possessing alcohol is unconstitutional. Public officials, including the former attorney general of South Dakota, have called the 21 law a failure. The about-face of Morris Chafetz, a doctor who served on the commission that recommended increasin
37、g the drinking-age to 21, has also raised eyebrows. This week he called it the most regrettable decision of his career. Supporters of existing status, including the organisation Mothers Against Drunk Driving, say that the law has helped avoid thousands of deaths. But doubters point out that other co
38、untries, like Canada, have seen similar declines, even though their drinking-age is 18. They also argue that barring young people from drinking does not stop them from consuming alcohol: it just makes them drink more quickly. John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont, is part
39、 of the Amethyst Initiative, a group of educators who are pushing for 18-year-olds to be allowed to drink. “Those who have graduated from high school, have a clean record and completed an alcohol-education programme should qualify for a drinking licence,“ he says, “in the same way that people who go
40、 to driving school receive a licence to operate a vehicle.“ This is not the first time that Americans have desired a change in alcohol policy during a period of economic distress. Franklin Roosevelt lifted prohibition in 1933 amid the trouble of a depression.（分数：25.00）(1).All the U.S. state governme
41、nts used to follow the “21 law“ because _.（分数：5.00）A.its passage was supervised by Reagan personallyB.most citizens believed that it was reasonableC.they couldn“t afford to take the financial riskD.it took much time and money to get a law passed(2).What is Morris Chafetz“s attitude towards the “21 l
42、aw“ now?（分数：5.00）A.He demands that the law not be changed.B.He supports lowering the drinking age.C.He regrets that few people support the law.D.He is surprised by the judges“ ruling.(3).In Canada, where the drinking age is 18, _.（分数：5.00）A.young people want to begin drinking at a lower ageB.people
43、are increasingly doubtful about the “18 law“C.fewer and fewer people support the “18 law“D.fewer young people die from drunk driving(4).John McCardell suggests that _.（分数：5.00）A.18-year-olds should learn for a license before they can drinkB.a drinking school should be opened for high school students
44、C.one should get a license before they can drinkD.any 18-year-olds should be qualified to drink(5).What did Franklin Roosevelt do during the 1933 depression?（分数：5.00）A.He lifted the trouble of a depression.B.He changed the alcohol policy.C.He decided to ban alcohol.D.He desired a change in alcohol p
45、olicy.大学英语四级-99 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)Women are on the verge of outnumbering men in the workforce for the first time, a historic reversal caused by long-term changes in women“s roles and massive job losses for men during this recession. Women held 49.83% of
46、 the nation“s 132 million jobs in June and they“re gaining the vast majority of jobs in the few sectors of the economy that are growing, according to the most recent numbers available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That“s a record high for a measure that“s been growing steadily for decades and
47、 accelerating during the recession. At the current pace, women will become a majority of workers in October or November. “Women have struggled long and hard to get to this point,“ says labor economist Heidi Hartmann, president of the Institute for Women“s Policy Research. The change reflects the gro
48、wing importance of women as wage earners, but it doesn“t show full equality, Hartmann says. On average, women work fewer hours than men, hold more part-time jobs and earn 77% of what men make, she says. Men also still dominate higher-paying executive ranks. Women have been a growing share of the onc
49、e heavily male labor force for nearly a century, recording big bumps during epoch-malting events such as World War . This time, the boost came from a severe recession that has been brutal on male-dominated professions such as construction and manufacturing. The only parts of the economy still growinghealth care, education and governmenthave traditionally hired mostly women. That dominance has increased in part because federal stimulus funding directed money to education, health care and state and local g
