1、大学英语四级综合-43 及答案解析(总分：180.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Unit 3(总题数：4，分数：180.00)Passage OneAfter the close of regular trading yesterday, Turner sold a block of 60 million shares to Goldman Sachs & Co. for $13.07 per share, or 31 cents below the stocks closing price yesterday. Goldman was said by Wall Street sources
2、 to be offering the stock to major investors for $13.15.An outspoken critic of the corporation, Turner remains AOL Time Warners largest individual shareholder, with 45 million shares, and a member of its board of directors. A spokeswoman for Turner referred questions to AOL Time Warner.At his peak T
3、urner owned about 130 million shares, but he lost billions of dollars in wealth and grew bitter after the stock plunged following the merger of America Online and Time Warner in January 2001.Turner, who initially supported the merger, later expressed outrage over revelations that America Online had
4、manipulated its financial results. The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating AOL, and the corporation has acknowledged discovering tens of millions of dollars of overstated revenue.Turner resigned as vice chairman earlier this year and has been spending less of his time on AOL Time War
5、ner matters. He stepped down after achieving his goal of pressuring America Online founder Steve Case to resign as the corporations chairman. Case said he was giving up the post to avoid a bruising public battle for reelection at next weeks annual meeting.In the effort to oust(取代) Case, Turner teame
6、d up with Gordon Crawford, the senior media portfolio manager at Capital Research & Management, the largest institutional shareholder in AOL Time Warner. Capital Research has indicated it will vote against Cases election to remain on the board of directors next week-a position that analysts said sho
7、uld not affect the outcome. Turner, meanwhile, has said he will support the management slate that includes Case and will make Richard D. Parsons the companys chairman and chief executive.Turner, a visionary who started Cable News Network, is in the midst of rolling out a new chain of restaurants, Te
8、ds Montana Grill, featuring bison burgers. He recently moved his residence from Georgia to Florida for estate-planning purposes and is spending time and money on his independent film company, which lost millions of dollars on a lengthy movie about the Civil War.（分数：45.00）(1).From the first three par
9、agraphs, we learn that _（分数：9.00）A.Goldman has made a profit from this transaction of shares with TurnerB.Turner always expresses his dissatisfaction with the corporation openlyC.Goldman bought the block of shares in order to become a member of the boardD.Turner sold a large portion of his shares to
10、 retreat from the media business(2).Turner became extremely angry because _（分数：9.00）A.he had to sell a large portion of his shares to Goldman at a lossB.the merger covered the dissatisfactory financial results of AOLC.American Online was found to have exaggerated its revenueD.he lost billions of dol
11、lars in wealth due to the stocks going low(3).All of the following about Case are true EXCEPT_（分数：9.00）A.he stepped down from the post of the founder of AOLB.he used to be the chairman of AOL Time WarnerC.he had to resign from his post under pressure from Turner and CrawfordD.he will meet with oppos
12、ition from Capital Research to remain on the board(4).The last paragraph shows that_（分数：9.00）A.Turners interest is presently centered on chain restaurantsB.Turner is such a changeable person on business mattersC.Turner will never give up his independent film companyD.Turner is a businessman full of
13、imagination(5).The best title for this passage could be _（分数：9.00）A.Turner Makes a Series of New DecisionsB.Turner Shows His Anger at AOL Time WarnerC.Turner Comes Down from His Peak in BusinessD.Turner Slashes His Financial Stake in AOL Time WarnerPassage TwoSales of new vehicles dropped in Decembe
14、r to the lowest level since the early 1980s, as carmakers turned in a terrible fourth quarter despite aggressive use of incentives. Chrysler showed the worst decline of all, with sales tumbling 53%.Ford, however, still had the best-selling vehicle in the U.S., as its F-Series pickup truck claimed to
15、p honors for the 32nd year in a row, underscoring the enduring popularity of the American pickup even in hard times. The Toyota Camry was the second best-selling vehicle in the U.S., while the Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck came in third, according to preliminary sales figures released by the manu
16、facturers.But overall, passenger cars outsold trucks, sport-utility vehicles and minivans for the first time since 2000, according to George Pipas, sales analyst for Ford Motor Co., as consumers reacted to last years spike in gasoline prices. Truck sales made a modest comeback during the fourth quar
17、ter, in part because fuel prices had dropped and truck buyers had better access to credit than buyers of more fuel-efficient passenger vehicles, automakers say.The collapse of the new-car market in the second half of 2008 translates to pain all around. Every major carmaker, with the exception of Sub
18、aru, reported a sales decline in 2008, including luxury manufacturers Mercedes-Benz and BMW-once considered invulnerable (不会受到伤害的) to a recession.Even the new sales king, Toyota, saw its crown tarnished (暗淡). Despite heavy advertising, Toyotas December sales slid 37.5%, and yearly sales were down 15
19、.7%. Honda also reported a 34.7% decline in December but a modest 8.2% decrease for the year.A dark year is now over, but automakers dont yet see the dawn. Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., says he expects sales in the first quarter of 2009 to be similar to those in the fourth quart
20、er of 2008-dreadful. While the outlook remains too uncertain for any consensus (共识) to emerge on full-year 2009 sales, carmakers are hoping to see some signs of life this spring. “We could see year-over-year comparisons improve starting in April 2009 because the market really collapsed in April 2008
21、,“ says Rebecca Lindland, an analyst with Global Insight in Lexington, Mass.（分数：45.00）(1).What does the author mean by saying “., with sales tumbling 53%“? (Line 3 Par（分数：9.00）A.1)A. Chryslers sales dropped by 53%.B. Chryslers sales only increased by 53%.C. Chrysler decreased to 53% of the previous
22、sales.D. Chryslers sales decreased by 47%.(2).What can we learn about vehicle sales in U.S. in 2008 from the passage?（分数：9.00）A.Trucks sold better than passenger cars.B.Fords F-Series pickup truck sold best.C.Trucks sales declined in the fourth quarter.D.Mercedes-Benz and BMWs new cars sold better.(
23、3).What has happened about the sales of Honda in 2008?（分数：9.00）A.Its sale had declined 15.7 for the year.B.Its sale has decreased to 8.2% in December.C.Its sale has dropped by 34.7% for the year.D.Its sale has decreased 8.2% in the whole year.(4).Why does Rebecca Lindland say the situation should st
24、art improving in April 2009?（分数：9.00）A.Because the sales decline took place in April 2008.B.Because the world economy will recover slowly in April 2009.C.Because the recession of the economy will be gone in April 2009.D.Because the government has taken a series of measures to improve the economy.(5)
25、.What can be concluded from the passage?（分数：9.00）A.The car sales market is a little depressed.B.The car sales market is in the downturn.C.The economic crisis took place in 2008 all over the world.D.The economic crisis has greatly influenced carmakers.Passage ThreeToday, more and more people are usin
26、g credit cards instead of money to buy the things they need. Almost anyone who has a steady income and a continuous work record can apply for a credit card.If you have a credit card, you can buy a car, eat a dinner, take a trip, and even get a haircut by charging the cost to your account. In this wa
27、y you can pay for purchases a month or two later, without any extra charge. Or you may choose to spread out your payments over several months and pay only part of the total amount each month. If you do this, the credit card company or the bank who sponsors the credit card will add a small service ch
28、arge to your total bill. This is very convenient for the customer. With the credit card in your wallet or purse, you dont have to carry much cash. This saves your trips to the bank to cash checks or withdraw cash. Also if you carry credit cards instead of a lot of cash, you dont have to be concerned
29、 about losing your money through carelessness or theft. The card user only has to worry about paying the final bill. This of course can be a problem if you charge more than you can pay for.Credit cards are big business. Americans spend $16 billion a year on cards and there are already 590 million of
30、 them in circulation Many banks sponsor their own credit card companies and issue cards free to their customers. Other credit card companies charge their member annual dues. The stores that accept credit cards must pay a small fee to the credit card company-a percentage of the purchase price of the
31、merchandise or service. In turn, the credit card company promptly pays the store for the merchandise or service. Credit card companies make a profit from the fees they charge the store and also from the fees collected from customers who pay for their charges in monthly installments. However, credit
32、card companies sometimes have problems collecting overdue payments from unreliable customers. Also the use of stolen, lost, or counterfeit(伪造的) credit cards by criminals has become a big headache for the credit card company that is responsible for the goods and services illegally charged to its cust
33、omers account.（分数：45.00）(1).According to the author, which of the following statements is NOT true?（分数：9.00）A.With a credit card you can pay for purchases two months later.B.With a credit card you can charge the cost to your account.C.With a credit card you dont have to be worded about a thief.D.Wit
34、h the credit card you dont have to worry about your final bill.(2).Why are more and more people using credit cards?（分数：9.00）A.Because they are becoming richer and richer.B.Because everyone can apply for the credit card.C.Because it is cheap to buy goods by using a credit card.D.Because it is conveni
35、ent for them to buy goods.(3).In the passage, “Credit cards are big business“ (Line 1, Par（分数：9.00）A.3 )means that_A. credit card banks earn a lot of moneyB. credit cards are sold at a high priceC. every customer has bought a credit cardD. customers must pay a lot of money to the credit card compani
36、es(4).The credit card companies have difficulties in _（分数：9.00）A.charging goods and services to their customers accountB.gathering overdue paymentsC.finding the owners of lost credit cardsD.selling their cards(5).The main purpose of this passage is _（分数：9.00）A.to promote the sale of credit cardsB.to
37、 persuade you not to buy credit cardsC.to explain credit card economyD.to give you some instructions on how to use the credit cardPassage FourLike everyone else at eBays San Jose, Calif., campus, John Donahoe sits in a cubicle (隔间). Though this is one of the Internet companys oldest commonplaces, th
38、e companys 6-ft. 5-in. new CEO really does use the tiny space as his office.Tough love is a very fitting description for the Chicago natives eBay tenure so far. In the nine months since assuming the top job, the former Dartmouth basketball player, 48, has shown a penchant for shaking things up. In O
39、ctober he acquired three companies on the same day that he laid off 10% of eBays 16,000 workers worldwide.Although youd think that eBays flagship marketplace business, a site where people go to buy and sell stuff, would flourish in a downturn, it has stopped growing. Its still unclear how badly the
40、credit crisis and buying slowdown will affect an e-commerce value site like eBay, which does half its business outside the U.S. During the 2001 recession, eBays marketplace continued to thrive because of its Web dominance and discounted goods. Whitman at the time even crowed that “eBay is to some ex
41、tent recession-proof.“Today that statement seems wishful thinking. In the third quarter, for the first time, transactions on eBays marketplace fell 1%, to $14.3 billion, froma year ago. The strength and popularity of Googles search, Amazons sales and the sheer number of other Web retail sites have e
42、roded eBays dominance, making it harder to compete with the same business model that steered the firm through its first 10 years of jaw-dropping growth. Three years ago, eBay boasted 30% more traffic than Amazon, but today its 84.5 million active users scarcely best Amazons 81 million customers. The
43、 troubled economy and weakness in eBays core business contributed to a 60% drop in market value this year. Amazons market cap topped eBays for the first time last summer. “EBay used to own all the on and off ramps, and now its just another highway,“ says Scot Wingo, chief executive of Channel Adviso
44、r, a consultancy that works with online retailers. “They have to figure out how to reorient the eBay brand to mean more than auctions and learn to become a leader again./（分数：45.00）(1).According to the first paragraph, we can learn that _（分数：9.00）A.everyone in eBay works in a tiny spaceB.its common f
45、or people to work in a cubicleC.Internet companies have a similar traditionD.John Donahoe is the first CEO ofeBay(2).Based on the second paragraph, the Dartmouth basketball player is interested in_（分数：9.00）A.laying off the personnelB.shaking things upC.acquiring companiesD.assuming the top job(3).Ac
46、cording to the passage, we can know that eBay _（分数：9.00）A.is always recession-proofB.is losing its credibilityC.will continue to thrive in the downtumD.is a site where we can trade with others(4).Why does the eBays marketplace fell compared with one year ago?（分数：9.00）A.Because Google, Amazon and oth
47、er retail sites take the eBays dominance.B.Because the business mode of eBay makes it lack of competitiveness.C.Because the strength and popularity of eBay is decreasing gradually.D.Because the credit crisis affects eBay badly.(5).What does the Scot Wingo mean by saying “eBay used to own all the on
48、and off ramps, and now its just another highway“?（分数：9.00）A.EBay has to reorient the eBay brand to mean more than auctions.B.EBay should learn to change old business mode into new one.C.EBay has been ranking the first position in the past time.D.EBay will surely recover its economy from the recessio
49、n.大学英语四级综合-43 答案解析(总分：180.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Unit 3(总题数：4，分数：180.00)Passage OneAfter the close of regular trading yesterday, Turner sold a block of 60 million shares to Goldman Sachs & Co. for $13.07 per share, or 31 cents below the stocks closing price yesterday. Goldman was said by Wall Street sources to be offering the stock to major investors for $13.15.An outspoken critic of the corporation, Turner remains AOL Time Warners largest individual shareholder, with 45 million shares, and a membe
