1、大学英语四级分类模拟题 349 及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：0，分数：0.00)The increasing Americanization of Japanese life is evident in many ways. One such way is the growing popularity of credit cards. Traditionally, in Japan, cash was the preferred form of payment in all daily purchases. Buy
2、ing things on credit was seen as something to be avoided at all costs. This was especially true among the older generation who were not accustomed to the buy-now-pay-later ethic. On the other hand, Americans are well used to this form of paying for goods and services. Credit cards, along with checks
3、, are relatively safe and easy to use. They are also now considered as a common form of identification, the other form of ID being a driver“s license. In fact, when renting a car in America, a credit card is required as an ID and, in addition, is the preferred form of payment. Many companies will no
4、t even accept cash on car rentals. Credit cards offer Japanese consumers a number of conveniences. Customers can get discounts on certain items. Their names may be entered in lotteries where they can win cash prizes. Perhaps most importantly, though, easy credit is offered to borrowers. Those needin
5、g a loan, especially if they are young, can borrow money easily. These advantages have made credit cards increasingly popular and some of the traditional bias against them is being dispelled, especially among young people, who often have a number of different cards. However, there are definite disad
6、vantages to using credit cards. The availability of easy credit may be one thing, but the high interest rates charged by card companies is quite another. In 2000, there were about 230 million credit cards in use in Japan; there were also about 140,000 bankruptcies. Many people were unable to control
7、 their credit card spending, and as a result, they went into debt. Young people are especially vulnerable to the temptations of having a credit card. They often cannot resist spending money on expensive brand-name clothes, high-tech audio and video equipment, and luxurious trips abroad. It“s easier
8、in stores, restaurants, gas stationsalmost anywhereto pay with a simple piece of plastic rather than carrying cash. We thus lose all sense of the value of money and easily fall into debt. Once this happens it may cost us more than money. Excessive debt due to uncontrolled spending has led to the bre
9、akup of families, divorce, and in some cases even suicide.（分数：10.00）(1).In Japan, buying things on credit was seen as something to be avoided by _.（分数：2.00）A.those who were in debt or bankruptB.people who wished to save for retirementC.young people who are vulnerable to the temptations of having a c
10、redit cardD.the older generation who were not accustomed to the buy-now-pay-later ethic(2).The bad part about having a credit card is that _.（分数：2.00）A.there are no discountsB.the interest rates are higher if the card is newC.those who use credit cards are often regarded as poorD.uncontrolled spendi
11、ng often leads to debt and bankruptcy(3).The most important service credit card companies offer is _.（分数：2.00）A.easy credit to borrowersB.discounts on certain itemsC.lotteries and cash prizesD.ease in obtaining additional cards(4).Why do young people want to have a credit card?（分数：2.00）A.Because the
12、ir parents want them to have one.B.Because they often cannot resist spending on many kinds of things.C.Because they have no cash.D.Because they have excessive debt.(5).One way to avoid debt and bankruptcy is to _.（分数：2.00）A.have a few different kinds of credit cardsB.win cash prizes on lotteriesC.ki
13、ck the uncontrolled spending habitsD.use all the special benefits offered by the cardPaper money is used every day but people do not often think of money as just paper. This is because people agree that it has value, and paper money is supported by the government. People have used paper money for on
14、ly a few hundred years, but what did people do before printed money was invented? In Medieval England, a stick was the official representation of money. The common system that was used involved counting debt on a piece of wood called a “tally stick“. The tally stick was marked with a knife. Each mar
15、k, or tally, indicated an amount of money. The tally stick acted as a contract. No one really knows who invented the tally stick, but King Henry I of England is credited as the first to use the stick in a widespread fashion. In England, the tally stick was used from 1100 to 1826. Marks were made on
16、a tally stick to represent the amount of service or goods that were exchanged. The tally stick was cut in half lengthwise into two parts, and one stick was longer than the other. The person giving services or goods received the longer end of the stick, called the “stock“, and the person paying for t
17、he service or goods received the shorter end. Once the stick was cut, it could not be altered. When put together, the two halves fit perfectly together. Medieval England was not the only country to use the tally stick system. In 1960, Belgian scientist Jean de Heinzelin de Braucourt discovered an ex
18、tremely old tally stick made of baboon bone in Africa. At first, he determined the stick to be between about 8,000 to 10,000 years old. This surprised many people because it proved that the tally stick system had been in use for much longer than everyone had previously thought. Further research has
19、shown that this stick is actually much older: now, scientists believe it is 20,000 years old. The tally stick system may no longer be in use today, but its influence is still apparent. People still make contracts and people still borrow and lend money. People still trust that “things“whether they ar
20、e sticks, paper, or coinshave value. The next time paper money is used, just remember: it is only paper!（分数：10.00）(1).According to the passage, what makes money valuable?（分数：2.00）A.People who use it.B.Gold that people find.C.Inventions.D.Agreement.(2).Who was responsible for making the tally stick s
21、ystem so popular!（分数：2.00）A.Henry I.B.No one really knows.C.Money borrowers.D.Jean de Heinzelin de Braucourt.(3).In England, the tally stick was useful for _.（分数：2.00）A.deciding debt and creditB.cutting goods in halfC.discovering the origins of African tally sticksD.designing tally sticks made of ba
22、boon bone(4).Why were many people surprised about the tally stick in Africa?（分数：2.00）A.The material it was made from had never been seen before.B.It was much older than previously thought.C.It was cut sideways instead of lengthwise.D.Money did not exist in Africa then.(5).Which of the following stat
23、ements is true?（分数：2.00）A.English tally sticks have more marks than African ones.B.Tally sticks are a practical tool in use today.C.The current representation of money is in the form of paper.D.Many models for money have been cut short.Abby Subark is a mother of two kids from Boston. “For my kids, I
24、“m nervous. I don“t know if they“ll be able to achieve their American dream.“ She may be right. More than hard work or education, the best way to get rich in America is to be born rich. It is the case that somebody who is in the upper third of income, with poor scores, at the bottom on tests when th
25、ey are in eighth grade, is more likely to go to college and finish college than a poor kid with the top scores. That“s what the working person“s children are up against. The Economic Policy Institute finds it would take a poor couple with 2 children 9 or 10 generations to achieve middle class status
26、. That“s about 200 years. The typical feature of American opportunity has always been the ability to do better than your parents. But compared with similar developed countries, the United States ranks fifth out of six for so-called intergenerational mobility (变动). If you look at the mechanisms (机制)
27、for upward mobility that were so readily available 50 years ago, they are becoming out of reach, like plentiful factory jobs with good wages and affordable education and health care. White families are twice as likely as blacks to be upwardly mobile. For most people in America today, where you end u
28、p depends on where you start . If you started in the middle-income class, about 40 to 45 percent of what you are making right now is due to the fact that your parents were in the middle-income class. The rest is up to you. But for the millions of people who find themselves below the poverty line and
29、 the millions more who are the working poor, their starting point for the American dream leaves them painfully far away from the middle class.（分数：10.00）(1).Why is Abby Subark nervous?（分数：2.00）A.Her kids don“t want to catch up with other kids in achievements.B.Her kids don“t want to achieve success a
30、t all.C.Her kids can only achieve success through hard work and education.D.Her family is not rich enough to help her kids achieve their goals.(2).Which of the statements is NOT true according to the passage?（分数：2.00）A.People used to have more opportunities for upward mobility.B.A great many poor pe
31、ople can hardly realize their American dream.C.You can make all your dreams come true in America if born rich.D.Rich kids are more likely to go to college than poor kids.(3).The sentence “where you end up depends on where you start“ (Line2, Para.5) most probably means _.（分数：2.00）A.your starting poin
32、t cannot determine your destinationB.only a high goal can ensure successC.your birth has nothing to do with your fateD.your family lays solid foundation for your future achievement(4).What can we infer from the last passage?（分数：2.00）A.Poverty causes people much pain.B.People below the poverty line c
33、an never be in the middle class.C.Lower starting point makes it hard for people to realize their dream.D.Poor people“s starting point is too low.(5).The writer of the passage is trying to tell us that _.（分数：2.00）A.how the middle class came about in the U.S.B.it“s hard for poor Americans to realize t
34、heir American dreamC.wealth and social status have little to do with family backgroundD.upward mobility in America is never easyKodak“s decision to file for bankruptcy protection is a sad, though not unexpected turning point for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumer photography and
35、dominated the film market for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to the digital revolution. Although many attribute Kodak“s downfall to “complacency,“ that explanation doesn“t acknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself. Decades ago, Kodak anticipated that digital photo
36、graphy would overtake filmand in fact, Kodak invented the first digital camera in 1975but in a fateful decision, the company chose to shelf its new discovery to focus on its traditional film business. It wasn“t that Kodak was blind to the future, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at Harvard Busine
37、ss School, but rather that it failed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time the company realized its mistake, it was too late. Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt, and spent a lot of money trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies
38、 have a difficult time switching to new markets because there is a temptation to put existing assets into the new businesses. Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necess
39、ary to fully embrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important to them. Now their history has become a liability. Kodak“s downfall over the last several decades was dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded 90% of the market for photographic film and 85% of the mar
40、ker for cameras. But the 1980s brought new competition from Japanese film company Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lower prices for film and photo supplies. Kodak“s decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was a major miscalculation. The bid we
41、nt instead to Fuji, which exploited it., sponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace.（分数：10.00）(1).What do we learn about Kodak?（分数：2.00）A.It went bankrupt all of a sudden.B.It“s approaching its downfall.C.It initiated the digital revolution in the film industry.D.It is playing the do
42、minant role in the film market.(2).Why does the author mention Kodak“s invention of the first digital camera?（分数：2.00）A.To show its early attempt to reinvent itself.B.To show its effort to overcome complacency.C.To show its quick adaptation to the digital revolution.D.To show its will to compete wit
43、h Japan“s Fuji Photo.(3).Why do large companies have difficulty switching to new markets?（分数：2.00）A.They find it costly to give up their existing assets.B.They tend to be slow in confronting new challenges.C.They are deeply stuck in their sad past.D.They tend to put existing assets into the new busi
44、nesses.(4).What does the author say Kodak“s history has become?（分数：2.00）A.A burden.B.A mirror.C.A joke.D.A challenge.(5).What was Kodak“s fatal mistake?（分数：2.00）A.Its blind faith in traditional photography.B.Its failure to see Fuji Photo“s emergence.C.Its refusal to sponsor the 1984 Olympics.D.Its o
45、verconfidence in its corporate culture.Of all the lessons taught by the financial crisis, the most personal has been that Americans aren“t so good at money-management. We take out home loans we can“t afford. We run up sky-high credit-card debt. We don“t save nearly enough for retirement. In response
46、, supporters of financial-literacy education are moving with renewed enthusiasm. School districts in states such as New Jersey and Illinois are adding money-management courses to their curriculums. The Treasury and Education departments are sending lesson plans to high schools and encouraging studen
47、ts to compete in the National Financial Capability Challenge that begins in March. Students with top scores on that exam will receive certificatesbut chances for long-term benefits are slim. As it turns out, there is little evidence that traditional efforts to boost financial know-how help students
48、make better decisions outside the classroom. Even as the financial-literacy movement has gained steam over the past decade, scores have been falling on tests that measure how well students learn about things such as budgeting, credit cards, insurance and investments. A recent survey of college stude
49、nts conducted for the Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy found that students who“d had a personal-finance or money management course in high school scored no better than those who hadn“t. “We need to figure out how to do this the right way,“ says Lewis Mandell, a professor at the University of Washington who after 15 years of studying financial-literacy programs has come to the conclusion that current methods don“t work. A growing number of researchers and educators agree that a more radical approach is needed. They advocate starting f
