1、大学英语四级 37及答案解析(总分：746.57，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 thirty minutes to write a composition on the top ic whether Schools Will Be Replaced by Computers. You should write no more than 120 words, and base your composition on the outline given in Ch
2、inese below. 1. 有人认为学校会被电脑取代； 2. 也有人持不同意见； 3. 结合自己的经历，谈谈你对这个问题的认识。 （分数：30.00）_二、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：1，分数：71.00)What causes earthquakes? The earth is formed of layers. The surface of the earth, about 100 kilometers thick, is made of large pieces. When they move against each other, an earthquake
3、hap pens. A large movement causes a violent earthquake, but a small movement causes a mild one. Earthquakes last only a few seconds. The rolling movements are called seismic waves. The seismic waves start in one place, called the epicenter, and roll outward. A seismic wave travels around the earth i
4、s a about twenty minutes. Usually, an. earthquake is strong enough to cause damage only near its epicenter. However, epicenters at the bottom of the ocean create huge sea waves as tall as 15 meters. These waves cross the ocean in several hours. Rushing toward land, they destroy small islands and shi
5、ps in their path. When they hit land, they flood coastal areas far from the epicenter of the earthquake. In 1868, a wave reached 4.5 kilometers inland in Peru. In 1896, a wave in Japan killed 27,000 people. After an earthquake happens, people can die from lack of food, water, and medical supplies. T
6、he amount of destruction caused by an earthquake depends on where it happens, what time it happens, and how strong it is. It also depends on types of buildings, soil conditions, and population. Of the 6000 earthquakes in the world each year, only about fifteen cause great damage and many deaths. In
7、1556, an earthquake in northern China killed 830,000 people-the most in history. There was no way to measure its strength. In 1935, scientists started using the Richter Scale to measure seismic waves. A seriously destructive earthquake measures 6.5or higher on the Richter Scale. How can scientists p
8、redict earthquakes? Earthquakes are not just scattered anywhere but happen in certain areas, places where pieces of the earths surface meet. This pattern causes them to shake the same places many times. For example, earthquakes often occur on the west coasts of North and South America, around the Me
9、diterranean Sea, and along the Pacific coast of Asia. Another way to predict earthquakes is to look for changes in the earths surface, like a sudden drop of water level in the ground. Some people say animals can predict earthquakes. Before earthquakes, people have seen chickens sitting in trees, fis
10、h jumping out of the water, snakes leaving their holes, and other animals acting strangely. On February 4, 1975, scientists predicted an earthquake in northeastern China and told people in the earthquake zone to leave the cities. More than a million people moved into the surrounding countryside, int
11、o safe, open fields away from buildings. That afternoon, the ground rolled and shook beneath the peoples feet, In seconds, 90 percent of the buildings in the city of Haicheng were destroyed. The decision to tel1 the people to leave the cities saved 10,000 lives. However, more than a year later, on J
12、uly 28, 1976, the scientists were not so lucky. East of Beijing, Chinese scientists were discussing a possible earthquake. During their meeting, the worst earthquake in modern times hit. Estimates of deaths ranged from 250,000 to 695,000. The earthquake measured 7.9 on the Richter Scale. Earthquakes
13、 often come together with volcanic eruptions. In late 1984, strong earthquakes began shaking the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia every day. On November 14, 1985, it erupted. A nearby river became a sea of mud that buried four towns. This disaster killed more than 2100 people, Mexico City has fre
14、quent earthquakes. An earthquake there on September 19, 1985, measured 8.1 on the Richter Scale and killed 7000 people. Most victims died when buildings fell on them. San Francisco, California, also has frequent earthquakes. However, newer buildings there are built to be safe in earthquakes. Therefo
15、re, when all earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter Scale hit northern California on October 17, 1989, only 67 people were killed. The earthquake hit in the afternoon, when thousands of people were driving home from work. Freeways and bridges broke and fell. Buried under the layers of the Oakland F
16、reeway, people were crushed in their flattened cars. Explosions sounded like thunder as older buildings seemed to burst apart along with the freeways. As the electric power lines broke from the falling bridges and buildings, the sky, covered with huge clouds of black dust, appeared to be filled with
17、 lightning. Water rushed into the streets from broken pipes and mixed with gas from broken gas lines, causing more explosions. Emergency workers had to cope with medical problems. Everyone worked together to save survivors and comfort victims. The next day, the disaster sites looked terrible. Victim
18、s couldnt find their houses, their cars, or even their streets. Boats were destroyed, and debris covered the surface of the sea. There was no water, no electricity, no telephone, only the smell of garbage floating in melted ice in refrigerators open to the sun, Losses and property. damage from the e
19、arthquake amounted to millions of dollars. Seismology is the study of earthquakes, and a seismologist is a scientist who observes earthquakes. Seismologists have given us valuable knowledge about earthquakes. Their equipment measures the smallest vibration on the surface of the earth. They are tryin
20、g to find ways to use knowledge about earthquakes to save lives and to help solve the worlds energy shortage. The earths natural activity underground creates energy in the form of heat. Geothermal means earth heat. This geothermal energy could be useful. However, if we take natural hot water out of
21、the earth in earthquake zones, we might cause earthquakes. People live in earthquake zones because of natural beauty, productive soil, and large existing centers of population. However, people who live there should expect earthquakes. They should be prepared to protect their lives and property. They
22、 must build safer buildings and roads. Hospitals and electric power stations must be built as far as possible from probable earthquake sites. When an earthquake starts, people must run to open ground or stay in protected areas like doorways or even bathtubs. If seismologists could predict earthquake
23、s, we could save about 20,000 human lives each year. Humans can control many things about nature, but we cannot control earthquakes. （分数：71.00）(1).Today scientists know something about the causes of earthquakes. （分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(2).More people are killed by huge sea waves than by buildings fallin
24、g. （分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(3).The vast majority of the worlds earthquakes are mild. （分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(4).An earthquake in 1989 destroyed the city of Oakland. （分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(5).Seismologists can measure the size of sea waves. （分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(6).Removing water from underground may cause earthqu
25、akes. （分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(7).The passage gives a general description of the earthquakes destruction. （分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(8).The death toll of the earthquake in northern China-the most in history-reached 1. （分数：7.10）填空项 1:_(9).Earthquakes often come together with 1. （分数：7.10）填空项 1:_(10).When an earth
26、quake occurs, people must run to open ground or stay in safe areas llke 1. （分数：7.10）填空项 1:_三、Listening Comprehens(总题数：1，分数：15.00)A.4B.3C.7D.8A.She baked the cake herself.B.She bought it from the shop.C.She wants the man to bake it for her.D.The bakery baked the cake.A.To buy some potatoes.B.To pass
27、him some potatoes.C.To have some potatoes.D.To help him cook some potatoes.A.Jim looks nice in anything.B.Jim doesnt look nice in the new shirt.C.Jim does not look nice in the old shirt.D.He wants Jim to lend him that shirt.A.The rain has stopped.B.She wants to soak her clothes.C.She is looking for
28、her clothes.D.Its raining heavily.A.She will give him something to write.B.She doesnt know who took away his notebook.C.She wants to borrow some paper for him.D.He can borrow a notebook from her.A.She wants to go in another day.B.It will depend on the weather.C.Its a nice day to go to class.D.Some o
29、f them can go swimming.A.He is very surprised to have such a bad weather.B.He doesnt think the train will be late.C.The train is late because of bad weather.D.Nobody will be surprised that the train is late.四、Section B(总题数：2，分数：10.00)A.He has lost his job.B.His design studio has gone out of business
30、.C.His clientele is declining.D.He has got a cut in pay.A.Six months.B.Ten months.C.Two years.D.Five years.A.Tony rather likes his present job.B.Tony has been laid off as of April 30.C.It is very likely for Tony to return to his job in the summer.D.Some other employees have lost their jobs before To
31、ny.A.He is not highly skilled.B.He has had several complaints lodged against him.C.He is not able to get along with other designers.D.He has not been working there very long.A.They may not be able to take their vacation.B.It may snow during their vacation.C.They me going to need more money.D.They ma
32、y miss graduation.A.They are going skiing.B.Their plans include other friends.C.They will drive together.D.Their reservations have been canceled.A.Because of the possibility of bad weather.B.Because of the facultys contracts.C.Because of the summer schedule of classes.D.Because of the date for gradu
33、ation.A.He might lose his financial aid.B.He doesnt want to attend summer classes.C.He had already missed too many.D.Hes afraid he might not graduate.A.Because he wanted to be a great actor.B.Because he wanted to be a playwright.C.Because he was too poor to live on.D.Because he wanted to take care o
34、f horses.A.On foot.B.Riding horses.C.By carriage.D.Riding donkeys.A.When he was taking care of horses.B.When he was given an opportunity to play a part on the stage.C.When he began play-writing.D.When he had written many plays.A.Seasonal variations in nature.B.How intelligence changes with the chang
35、e of seasons.C.How we can improve our intelligence.D.Why summer is the best season for vacation.A.Summer.B.Winter.C.Fall.D.Spring.A.All people are less intelligent in summer than in the other seasons of the year.B.Heat has no effect on peoples mental abilities.C.People living near the equator are th
36、e most intelligent.D.Both climate and temperature exert impact on peoples intelligence.A.At low latitudes.B.At mid-latitudes.C.At high latitudes.D.At high altitudes.A.Latitude.B.Longitude.C.Sea.D.Mountain.A.Brazil.B.Argentina.C.Chile.D.Ecuador.六、Section C(总题数：1，分数：10.00)The young man was a French (3
37、6) 1, the son of one of the richest and most important (37) 2 of France. He had heard about the revolution taking place in America. He wanted to go and help. He was only eighteen years old. He was tall, handsome, and a familiar (38) 3 in the high society of Paris. His family tried to stop him. They
38、asked the King of France to throw him into jail in order to stop him, but the young had already (39) 4 his own ship and (40) 5 some young friends to go with him. He (41) 6 and came to America. The young man was the Marquis de Lafayette. Upon his arrival, he (42) 7 that no one knew him here. He had b
39、een (43) 8 that he would be an officer in the American army, (44) 9. He could not go back to France. Instead, he offered to serve as a volunteerwithout pay. Congress accepted. Later Lafayette met Washington. (45) 10. Lafayette became Washingtons personal aide. Once toward the end of the war, (46) 11
40、. Lafayette asked Congress for new uniforms. Congress had no money with which to buy uniforms. Using his own personal credit, Lafayette went to the merchants of Baltimore and, at his own expense, a new uniform for each man two thousand in all. In this way, his men were able to go on fighting. （分数：10
41、.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)Professor Smith recently persuaded 35 people, 23 of them women, to keep a diary of all their absent-minded actions for a fortnight. When he came to analyze their embarrassing lapse
42、s (差错) in a scientific report, he was surprised to find that nearly all of them fell into a few groupings. Nor did the lapses appear to be entirely random(随机的). One of the women, for instance, on leaving her house for work one morning threw her dog her earrings and tried to fix a dog biscuit on her
43、ear. “The explanation for this is that the brain is like a computer, explains the professor. “People programme themselves to do certain activities regularly. It was the womans custom every morning to throw her dog two biscuits and then put on her earrings. But somehow the action got reversed in the
44、programme.“ About one in twenty of the incidents the volunteers reported were these “programme assembly failures.“ Altogether the volunteers logged 433 unintentional actions that they found themselves doing - an average of twelve each. There appear to be peak periods in the day when we are at our za
45、niest (荒谬可笑的). These are two hours some time between eight a. m. and noon, between four and six p. m. with a smaller peak between eight and ten p.m. “Among men the peak seems to be when a changeover in brain programmes occurs, as for instance between going to and from work.“ Women on average reporte
46、d slightly more lapses - 12.5 compared with 10.9 for men - probably because they were more reliable reporters. A startling finding of the research is that the absent-minded activity is a hazard of doing things in which we are skilled. Normally, you would expect that skill reduces the number of error
47、s we make. But trying to avoid silly slips by concentrating more could make things a lot worse - even dangerous. （分数：177.50）(1).In his study Professor Smith asked the subjects_.（分数：35.50）A.to keep track of people who tend to forget thingsB.to report their embarrassing lapses at randomC.to analyze th
48、eir awkward experiences scientificallyD.to keep a record of what they did unintentionally(2).Professor Smith discovered that_.（分数：35.50）A.certain patterns can be identified in the recorded incidentsB.many people were too embarrassed to admit their absent-mindednessC.men tend to be more absent-minded than womenD.absent-mindedness is an excusable human weakness(3).“Programme assembly failures“( Line 6, Para. 2) refers to the phenomenon that people_.（分数：35.50）A.often fail to programme their rou
