1、公共英语四级真题 2010年 09月及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、BSection Liste(总题数：1，分数：20.00)1.120 略（分数：20.00）填空项 1:_二、BSection Use o(总题数：1，分数：20.00)Directions :Read the following text. Choose the best word or phrase for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C, or D on ANSWER SHEET 1.In 1942, the HMS Edinburgh was sun
2、k in the Barents Sea. It was on its U(21) /U back to Britain with ninety-one boxes of Russian gold. U(22) /U thirty-nine years it lay there, too deep for divers to U(23) /U. No one was allowed to explode it, either, since the bodies of sixty of the crew also lay in the U(24) /U. Then, in 1981, an ex
3、-diver called Jessop decided to try using new diving techniques. U(25) /U he could not afford to finance the U(26) /U which was going to cost four million pounds, he had to look for people who were U(27) /U to take the risk. U(28) /U, they were not even sure the gold was going to be there! First a S
4、cottish diving company, then a German shipping company agreed to join in the retrieval U(29) /U. Not long after that, Jessop U(30) /U a fourth company to take a U(31) /U. Since the gold was the U(32) /U of the British and the Soviet governments, they both hoped to make a U(33) /U, too! The biggest p
5、roblem was how to get U(34) /U the gold. Fortunately, they were able to examine the Edinburghs sister ship, the HMS Belfast, to U(35) /U out the exact location of the bomb room, U(36) /U the gold was stored.They knew it was to be an extremely difficult and dangerous undertaking. To reach the gold, t
6、hey would have to cut a large square U(37) /U the body of the ship, go through the empty fuel tank and down to the bomb room. After twenty-eight dives, they U(38) /U to find the first bar. Everyone worked U(39) /U the clock, helping to clean and stack the gold, U(40) /U as to finish the job as quick
7、ly as possible.（分数：20.00）A.roadB.pathC.wayD.passageA.DuringB.ForC.AtD.SinceA.findB.discoverC.diveD.reachA.wreckB.ruinC.relicD.wasteA.AlthoughB.UnlessC.AsD.IfA.researchB.operationC.movementD.searchA.willingB.lucklyC.committedD.engagedA.All in allB.In additionC.In caseD.After allA.assignmentB.temptati
8、onC.attemptD.commissionA.introducedB.persuadedC.associatedD.stimulatedA.chanceB.lookC.measureD.choiceA.businessB.estateC.obligationD.propertyA.profitB.benefitC.successD.welfareA.aboutB.aroundC.toD.fromA.getB.takeC.workD.tryA.whichB.whereC.hereD.thereA.onB.inC.amongD.alongA.managedB.achievedC.succeed
9、edD.fulfilledA.beforeB.byC.withD.roundA.thatB.muchC.farD.so三、BSection Readi(总题数：4，分数：20.00)BPart A/BDirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.BText 1/BCompetition for admission to the countrys top priv
10、ate schools has always been tough, but this year Elisabeth realized it had reached a new level. Her wake-up call came when a man called the Dalton School in Manhattan, where Elisabeth is admissions director, and inquired about the age cutoff for their kindergarten program. After providing the inform
11、ation, she asked about the age of his child. The man paused for an uncomfortably long time before answering. “Well, we dont have a child yet. Were trying to figure out when to conceive a child so the birthday is not a problem. “Worries are spreading from Manhattan to the rest of the country. Precise
12、 current data on private schools are unavailable, but interviews with representatives of independent schools all told the same story: an oversupply of applicants, higher rejection rates. “We have people calling us for spots two years down the road,“ said Marilyn of the Seven Hills School in Cincinna
13、ti. “We have grandparents calling for pregnant daughters. “ Public opinion polls indicate that Americans No. 1 concern is education. Now that the long economic boom has given parents more disposable income, many are turning to private schools, even at price tags of well over $10,000 a year. “Were ge
14、tting applicants from a broader area geographically than we ever have in the past,“ said Betsy of the Latin School of Chicago, which experienced a 20 percent increase in applications this year.The problem for the applicants is that while demand has increased, supply has not. “Every year, there are a
15、 few children who do not find places, but this year, for the first time that I know of, there are a significant number without places,“ said Elisabeth.So what can parents do to give their 4-year-old an edge? Schools know there is no easy way to pick a class when children are so young. Many schools g
16、ive preference to children of their graduates. Some make the choice by drawing lots. But most rely on a mix of subjective and objective measures: tests that at best identify developmental maturity and cognitive potential, interviews with parents and observation of applicants in classroom settings. T
17、hey also want a diverse mix. Children may end up on a waiting list simply because their birthdays fall at the wrong time of year, or because too many applicants were boys.The worst thing a patent can do is to pressure preschoolers to perform-for example, by pushing them to read or do math exercises
18、before theyre ready. Instead, the experts say, parents should take a breath and look for alternatives. Another year in preschool may be all thats needed.（分数：5.00）(1).From this text we learn that it is（分数：1.00）A.harder to make a choice between public and private schools.B.harder to go to private scho
19、ols this year than before.C.more difficult to go to public schools than to private schools.D.as difficult to go to private schools this year as before.(2).The sentence“ We have people, down the road“ (Line 4, Paragraph 2)probably means（分数：1.00）A.we have people calling us for parking space two years
20、ahead of time.B.people called us for permission to use the places two years ago.C.we received calls from people down the road two years ago.D.people called us for school vacancies two years in advance.(3).The text indicates that private schools are very selective because they（分数：1.00）A.have no relia
21、ble methods to pick students for a class.B.want a good mixture of boys and girls for classes.C.encounter more demand than they can cope with.D.prefer to enroll children of their relatives.(4).From the text, we can infer that the author（分数：1.00）A.favors the idea of putting children on a waiting list.
22、B.agrees to test preschoolers cognitive potentials.C.thinks children should be better prepared academicallyD.disapproves of the undue pressure on preschoolers.(5).Which of the following can serve as a title of this text?（分数：1.00）A.Hard Time for the PreschoolersB.Prosperity of Private SchoolsC.The Pr
23、oblem for Public SchoolsD.Americanss No 1 ConcernBText 2/BWilliam Shakespeare described old age as“ second childishness“-no teeth, no eyes, no taste. In the case of taste he may, musically speaking, have been- more perceptive than he realised. A paper in Neurology by Giovanni Frisoni and his colleag
24、ues at the National Centre for Research and Care of Alzheimerss Disease in Italy, shows that frontotemporal dementia can affect musical desires in ways that suggest a regression, if not to infancy, then at least to a patients teens.Frontotemporal dementia, a disease usually found with old people, is
25、 caused, as its name suggests, by damage to the front and sides of the brain. These regions are concerned with speech, and with such“ higher“ functions as abstract thinking and judgment.Two of such patients intrigued Dr Frisoni. One was a 68-year-old lawyer, the other a 73-year- old housewife. Both
26、had undamaged memories, but displayed the sorts of defect associated with frontotemporal dementia-a diagnosis that was confirmed by brain scanning.About two years after he was first diagnosed, the lawyer, once a classical music lover who referred to pop music as“ mere noise“, started listening to th
27、e Italian pop band “883“. As his command of language and his emotional attachments to friends and family deteriorated, he continued to listen to the band at full volume for many hours a day. The housewife had not even had the lawyers love of classical music, having never enjoyed music of any sort in
28、 the past. But about a year after her diagnosis she became very interested in the songs that her 11-year-old granddaughter was listening to.This kind of change in musical taste was not seen in any of the Alzheimers patients, and thus appears to be specific to those with frontotemporal dementia. And
29、other studies have remarked on how frontotemporal-dementia patients sometimes gain new talents. Five sufferers who developed artistic abilities are known. And in another case, one woman with the disease suddenly started composing and singing country and western songs.Dr Frisoni speculates that the i
30、llness is causing people to develop a new attitude towards novel experiences, Previous studies of novelty-seeking behaviour suggest that it is managed by the brains right frontal lobe. A predominance of the right over the left frontal lobe, caused by damage to the latter, might thus lead to a quest
31、for new experience. Alternatively, the damage may have affected some specific nervous system that is needed to appreciate certain kinds of music. Whether that is a gain or a loss is a different matter. As Dr Frisoni puts it in his article, there is no accounting for taste.（分数：5.00）(1).The writer quo
32、tes Shakespeare mainly to（分数：1.00）A.praise the keen perception of the great English writer.B.support Dr. Frisonis theory about a disease.C.start the discussion on a brain disease.D.show the long history of the disease.(2).The word “regression“ in the 1st paragraph is best replaced by（分数：1.00）A.backw
33、ard movement.B.uncontrolled inclination.C.rapid advancement.D.unexpected restoration.(3).After contracting frontotemporal dementia, the 68-year-old lawyer（分数：1.00）A.became more dependent on his family.B.grew fond of classical music.C.recovered from language incompetence.D.enjoyed loud Italian popula
34、r music.(4).Frontotemporal dementia is a disease（分数：1.00）A.identified with loss of memory.B.causing damage to certain parts of the brain.C.whose patients may develop new talents.D.whose symptoms are similar to those of Alzheimers patients.(5).Dr Frisoni attributed the patients changing music taste t
35、o（分数：1.00）A.mans desire to seek novel experience.B.the damage to the left part of the brain.C.the shift of predominance from the right lobe to the left.D.the weakening of some part of the nervous system.BText 3/BWhos to blame? The trail of responsibility goes beyond poor maintenance of British railw
36、ays, say industry critics. Stingy governments-both Labor and T9ry-have cut down on investments in trains and rails. In the mid-1990s a Conservative government pushed through the sale of the entire subsidy-guzzling rail network. Operating franchises were parceled out among private companies and a sep
37、arate firm, Railtrack, was awarded ownership of the tracks and stations. In the future, the theory ran back then, the private sector could pay for any improvements-with a little help from the state-and take the blame for any failings.Today surveys show that travelers believe privatization is one of
38、the reasons for the railwayss failures. They ask whether the pursuit of profits is compatible with guaranteeing safety. Worse, splitting the network between companies has made coordination nearly impossible. “The railway was torn apart at privatization and the structure that was put in place was, de
39、signed, if we are honest, to maximize the proceeds to the Treasury,“ said Railtrack boss Gerald Corbett before resigning last month in the wake of the Hatfield crash.Generally, the contrasts with mainland Europe are stark. Over the past few decades the Germans, French and Italians have invested 50 p
40、ercent more than the British in transportation infrastructure. As a result, a web of high-speed trains now crisscross the Continent, funded by governments willing to commit state funds to major capital projects. Spain is currently planning 1,000 miles of new highspeed track. In France superfast trai
41、ns already shuttle between all major cities, often on dedicated lines. And in Britain? When the Eurostar trains that link Paris, London and Brussels emerge from the Channel Tunnel onto British soil and join the crowded local network, they must slow down from 186 mph to a maximum of 100 mph-and they
42、usually have to go even slower.For once, the government is listening. After all, commuters are voters, too. In a pre-vote spending spree, the government has committed itself to huge investment in transportation, as well as education and the public health service. Over the next 10 years, the railways
43、 should get an extra 60 billion, partly through higher subsidies to the private companies. As Blair ackoowledged last month, “Britain has been underinvested in and investment is central to Britains future. “ You dont have to tell the 3 million passengers who use the railways every day. Last week tra
44、ins to Darlington were an hour late-and crawling at Locomotion No. 1 speeds.（分数：5.00）(1).In the first paragraph, the author tries to（分数：1.00）A.trace the tragedy to its defective origin.B.remind people of Britains glorious past.C.explain the failure of Britains rail network.D.call for impartiality in
45、 assessing the situation.(2).Travelers now believe that the root cause for failures of British railway is（分数：1.00）A.its structural design.B.the pursuit of profit.C.its inefficient network.D.the lack of safety guaranties.(3).According to Gerald Corbett, British railway is structured（分数：1.00）A.for the
46、 benefit of commuters.B.to the advantage of the government.C.for the effect of better coordination.D.as a replacement of the private system.(4).Comparing British railway with those of Europe, the author thinks（分数：1.00）A.trains in Britain can run at 100 mph at least.B.Britain should build more expres
47、s lines.C.rails in Britain need further privatization.D.British railway is left a long way behind.(5).What does the author think of Blairs acknowledgement?（分数：1.00）A.Its too late to improve the situation quickly enough.B.Its a welcomed declaration of commitment.C.Blair should preach it to other trav
48、elers.D.Empty words cant solve the problem.BText 4/BNo man has been more harshly judged than Machiavelli, especially in the two centuries following his death. But he has since found many able champions and the tide has turned. The prince has been termed a manual for tyrants, the effect of which has
49、been most harmful. But were Machiavellis doctrines really new? Did he discover them? He merely had the frankness and courage to write down what everybody was thinking and what everybody knew. He merely gives us the impressions he had received from a long and intimate intercourse with princes and the affairs of state. It wa
