1、大学英语四级 256 及答案解析(总分：746.55，做题时间：130 分钟)一、Writing (30 minutes)(总题数：1，分数：30.00)1.For this part, you are allowed to write a composition on the topic The Value of Time. You should write at least 120 words and you should base your composition on the outline. 1时间比金钱更可贵； 2应当珍惜每寸光阴； 3要养成节约时间的好习惯。 （分数：30.00）
2、_二、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：1，分数：71.00)The U. S. Congress Composition of the U. S. Congress The U. S. Congress is the legislative branch of the Federal Government. It is a bicameral (两院制的 ) law-making body of more than 500 members. Its two chambers are respectively called the House of Representative
3、s and the Senate. The American two-house legislature, a product of the compromise between big states and small ones, embodies the American principle of balances and checks. All bills must carry both houses before becoming law. The Membership and Election of Both Chambers The House of Representatives
4、 is the lower house of the bicameral Congress. The membership of the House is distributed among the states according to their different populations. Since 1910, the House has had a permanent membership of 435, with each representative representing about half a million Americans. Under the principle
5、that each state is guaranteed at least one representative, Nevada, a state with a small population, sends only one representative to the House. California has more than 40 Representatives in the House because of its large population. The election of Representatives is organized by the state legislat
6、ure which divides the state into a number of districts known as Congressional districts. Each district, with a population of nearly half a million, elects one Representative to the House. A Representatives term of office is set at two years, but there is no limit to the number of his terms. A new Re
7、presentative can hardly feel easy about his position. Hardly has he begun his work in the Congress when he finds its time for him to seek re-election. The Senate is the upper house of the US Congress. Representation in the Senate is based on the principle of state equality. The Senate is comprised o
8、f 100 Senators, two from each of the fifty states. Senators have been directly elected by voters of their respective states since 1913. Their term of office is six years. A Senator must be at least thirty years of age and a citizen for nine years. Senators with Greater Prestige Generally speaking, S
9、enators are accorded greater prestige than their colleagues in the lower house. Many Representatives aspire to win the election to the Senate. Senators derive their prestige from the following facts. They are less numerous, for there are fewer than one-fourth as many Senators as Representatives, or
10、Congressmen. Elected by the whole state instead of a single congressional district, most Senators represent more constituents than do House members. They are less worried by the problem of seeking re-electives. Whats more, the Senate is vested with special powers which it does not share with the Hou
11、se. It has the power to ratify or deny proposed treaties, nominations proposed by the President. In line with the tradition of “senatorial courtesy,“ the Senate always rejects a nominee who is objected to by a Senator of the state from which he comes. It wont do to neglect the importance of the Sena
12、te in foreign affairs. Without its cooperation and support, the President can hardly take any significant action in foreign relations. A Secretary of State on good terms with the Senators is always important for the President. Foreign countries must try to establish good relations with the US Senate
13、 if they intend to make a bargain with the United States. The Work of the Two Chambers The presiding officer of the Senate is the Vice President who functions as a kind of chairman when the Senate is in session. The chief spokesman of the House is known as the speaker who is the leader of the majori
14、ty party in the House. The Speaker is the most influential figure in the House because he directs his partys forces in legislative battles. Leaders of Both Parties Both parties have their leaders in the Congress, who are known as floor leaders. Floor leaders are elected by their respective party mee
15、tings, the meeting of party members in one of the two houses. Because floor leaders, both majority and minority, hold critical positions in the Congress, they are sometimes invited to the White House for conference with the President. The Operation of the Congress The Congress is a legislative body,
16、 but it relies on its various committees to do preparatory work. The Senate and the House have several dozen standing or special committees to deal with problems of different natures. The seats of the committees are divided between the two parties in proportion to their respective membership in the
17、Congress. But the committee chairman is always a member of the majority party who has been in the Senate or the House without interruption for longer than anybody else on the committee. The custom is known as “seniority rule.“ Most proposed laws in the Congress are known as bills. All bills introduc
18、ed during a two-year congressional term are designated “HR“ in the House and “S“ in the Senate, with consecutive (连续的) numbers assigned in order in which they are introduced in each house. After this, the bills are referred to the relevant committees for further study. To assess the bill at its true
19、 worth, the relevant committee usually organizes its sub-committee to conduct detailed study. There is no doubt that the sub-committee will study the literal sense of the bill. But it also holds meetings with the citizens who want to state their opinions about the bill. These meetings are commonly k
20、nown as hearings. The purpose of the sub-committee in holding these hearings is to obtain information on the bill before it. The sub-committee may summon people to appear at the hearings and to testify. After finishing study of the bill, the sub-committee will report the result to the full committee
21、. The committee chairman then has a choice between two things. He can send the bill to the house for further consideration. He can also pigeonhole (搁置), or kill it by putting it aside and not reporting it. For this reason, a committee chairman is regarded as an important person in the Congress. It w
22、ont do to neglect him. Some Important Committees in the Two Chambers There are some important committees in the Senate and the House. The Budget Committee are to recommend policy guidelines each fiscal (财政的) year to aid Congress in considering the annual Federal budget. The Appropriation Committee i
23、n both houses of the Congress study the demand for money from the President and aid Congress in appropriating a sum of money to finance a program suggested by the President. The Foreign Relations Committees study American foreign policies and examine American foreign treaties before giving their opi
24、nions to Congress for reference. The Ways and Means Committee is a standing committee of the House of Representatives. It has the exclusive power to study bills for raising revenue. It also considers the problems concerning taxes and tariffs. In simple language, its work is to explore the sources of
25、 money for the expenditures of the Federal Government. The Investigating Committee is to exercise a fact-finding role as an aid to the law-making process. Anyone who refuses to testify before it may be punished by law. The Investigating Committee is something like an information agency of the Congre
26、ss. It is also a Watchdog Committee, for it oversees the work of the Administration. Its investigations reach every level and department of the government. The last but most important committee is the Rules Committee. It is a committee of the House. It picks out only those bills it likes and sends t
27、hem to Congressmen for their consideration. （分数：71.00）(1).The passage gives a general description of the composition and operation of the U.S Congress.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(2).Two chambers of the U.S. Congress are the House of Representatives and the Senate.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(3).The number of Represe
28、ntatives of California is more than that of Nevada because of its larger area.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(4).The House of Representatives has the power to ratify or deny proposed treaties, nominations proposed by the Vice President.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(5).Though floor leaders hold critical positions, they ar
29、e seldom invited to the White House for conference with the President.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(6).As a legislative body, the Congress relies on its various committees to do preparatory work.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(7).The most important committee is the Rule Committee.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(8).The U.S Congress i
30、s a_ body of more than 500 members.（分数：7.10）_(9)._on good terms with the Senators is always important for the President.（分数：7.10）_(10)._ is something like an information agency of the Congress.（分数：7.10）_三、Listening Comprehens(总题数：1，分数：15.00)A.On a plane.B.On a bus.C.On a train.D.In a taxi.A.He likes
31、 to go with her.B.He has no time.C.He doesnt feel well.D.He doesnt like the evening party.A.15 minutes.B.20 minutes.C.10 minutesD.25 minutes.A.It was quite warm.B.It was very cold.C.It was mildly cold.D.It was below zero.A.She has mistaken it for his dog.B.He has a nice dog.C.They never go out.D.The
32、y enjoy staying at home.A.Mow the lawn.B.Wash the car.C.Exercise in the sun.D.None of these.A.She paid by check.B.She decided not to make the purchase.C.She paid by credit card.D.She left without paying.A.Doctor and patient.B.Passenger and bus driver.C.Teacher and student.D.Customer and merchant.四、S
33、ection B(总题数：2，分数：10.00)A.Two.B.Three.C.Five.D.Seventeen.A.A drivers license.B.A permission slip.C.A registration card.D.Nothing.A.Next quarter.B.Friday at nine oclock.C.Friday afternoon.D.Later the same day.A.That he is majoring in mathematics.B.That he has never taken a chemistry course.C.That he
34、is a freshman.D.That he does not like his advisor.A.A present for her mother.B.A present for a friend.C.A present for her father.D.A present for her brother.A.There isnt a place to put pictures.B.Its too big and heavy.C.She doesnt like the color.D.Its of poor quality.A.She helps her mother with hous
35、ework.B.She does a part-time job.C.She borrows it from a friend.D.She saves it out of her allowance.A.A black wallet.B.A brown belt.C.A tie.D.A hat.A.It would be a great success.B.There was not hope of success.C.They would try their best to make it.D.They said nothing about it.A.They froze and store
36、d a cats brain for about 203 days.B.They froze and stored a human beings brain for 203 days.C.They froze and stored the dead body of Dr. James Hedford.D.They tried to find the cure for the disease which had killed the scientist.A.Heart.B.Lung.C.Liver.D.Brain.A.A horse.B.Money.C.The judge.D.The stabl
37、e.A.He decided the case from the appearances of the prince and the beggar.B.He beat the beggar violently.C.He took the prince and the beggar to the stable next morning and asked them to recognize the horse.D.He rejected the case.A.Because he hated the beggar.B.Because the horse recognized the prince
38、 as its owner.C.Because he thought the prince was rich and therefore should own a horse.D.No reason at all.A.Unbelieving.B.Doubtful.C.Admiring.D.Negative.A.Pleasing.B.Careful.C.Wonderful.D.Suitable.A.Egypt, Greece and Rome.B.The Mediterranean.C.Its highway for trade and diplomacy.D.All the lands on
39、the shores of the Mediterranean.A.Ten decades.B.A quarter of century.C.One decade.D.One-tenth of year.A.171 kilometres an hour.B.10 kilometres an hour.C.65 metres an hour.D.Some 17 kilometres an hour.六、Section C(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Last year Google announced deals with five of the worlds top universities
40、, including Harvard and Oxford, to scan much of the contents of their libraries into the Internet. The idea was to make millions of important but previously (36) 1texts available to researchers everywhere with a few clicks of the mouse. The head of Oxford Universitys library service said the project
41、 could turn out to be almost as important as the.(37) 2of the printing press. Google (38) 3claimed its motives were purely altruistic, the realization of a longstanding dream for the groups (39) 4 founders Sergey Page and Larry Brin whod worked on a digital library project during their student days.
42、 But from the start Googles plan met opposition. The latest sign of this is a letter to Google from the American (40) 5of University Presses which represents (41) 6academic publishers. The organization wants (42) 7on sixteen issues, claiming the book scanning scheme appears to involve systematic inf
43、ringement of copyright on a massive (43) 8. Other opposition has come from France, where there are fears that the Google project will enhance of the dominance of the English language and Anglo-Saxon ways of thinking. (44) 9. Supporters of the Google scheme say copyright is protected (45) 10, and (46
44、) 11. （分数：10.00）填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_填空项 1:_七、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：2，分数：355.00)We all admire the beautiful blue of a clear sky or the superb contrast between the brilliant white of the clouds and the skyblue between them. This colour, however, is
45、not natural in the atmosphere; it is an optical effect(光学效应). When light encounters a cloud of small particles, it is diffused. This may be illustrated by a familiar example. When sunlight enters a darkened room through a gap in the blinds, it will appear as a brilliant ray of light. This is because
46、 there are tiny particles of dust suspended in the air. These, although normally invisible, catch and diffuse any strong light shining on them. The same effect can be seen in the sky when broken clouds hide the sun. Thus we can see that diffusion occurs owing to all sorts of impurities in the atmosp
47、here. This explains all the delightfully varied shades of colour seen at different times of the day. White light is a mixture of all the colours of the rainbow or spectrum (光谱) , which, as Isaac Newton proved, can be separated by a prism. In order, they are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and they are all to be found in the solar spectrum. Red light has the longest wavelength and violet the shortest but diffused approximately sixteen times more strongly than red. The size of the particles is important. Impurities such as dust and wate
