1、大学英语四级模拟试卷 593及答案与解析 一、 Part I Writing (30 minutes) 1 For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled More Communication in English Class. You should write at least 120 words according to the outline given below in Chinese: 1. 人们越来越提倡在英语课堂中有更多的交流 2通过交流；教师与学生都能从中获益 3我的观点 Mor
2、e Communication in English Class 二、 Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions attached to the passage. For questions 1-7, mark： Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with
3、 the information given in the passage; N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage; NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. 1 Natural-gas Vehicles Kermit the Frog once said, “Its not that easy bein green.“ Although he wasnt referring to car
4、s, his observation seems particularly appropriate for the auto industry today: Designing, developing and marketing “green“ cars has not been an easy task, which is why gasoline-powered vehicles still rule the road and fossil fuels still account for almost 75 percent of the world s energy consumption
5、. As gasoline prices soar and concern over harmful emission mounts, how ever, cars that run on alternate fuel sources will become increasingly important. A natural-gas vehicle, or NGV, is the perfect example of such a car - its fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly and offers a relatively low cos
6、t of ownership. Natural Gas Basics The word “gas“ is a confusing term because it is used to describe many different substances that are similar but not exactly the same. For example, tile “gas“ you put in your car is gasoline, one component of crude oil, or petroleum. Petroleum is a dark, sticky liq
7、uid mixture of compounds formed underground by the decay of ancient marine animals. Natural gas also comes from the decay of ancient organisms, but it naturally takes a gaseous form instead of a liquid form. Natural gas commonly occurs in association with crude oil. It is derived from both land plan
8、ts and aquatic organic matter and forms above or below oil deposits. It is often dissolved in crude oil at the high pressures existing in a reservoir. There are also reservoirs of natural gas, known as non-associated gas, that contain only gas and no oil. Natural gas consists primarily of methane an
9、d other hydrocarbon gases. Hydrocarbons are organic compounds composed only of the elements carbon and hydrogen. The hydrocarbons in natural gas are called saturated hydrocarbons because they contain hydrogen and carbon bound together by single bonds. Like gasoline, natural gas is combustible, which
10、 means it can be used in a combustion engine like gasoline. But cars that could burn natural gas didnt appear on the scene until the 1930s. From Field to Ford We extract natural gas trapped in underground reservoirs by drilling wells into the earth. A modern well, equipped with diamond-studded drill
11、 bits, can drill to depths approaching 25,000 feet. Throughout the 19th century, the use of natural gas remained localized because there was no way to transport large quantities of gas over long distances. In 1890, the invention of a leak proof pipeline coupling made it possible to transport gas mil
12、es from the source. Improvements in pipeline technology continued over the next two decades until long-distance gas transmission became practical. From 1927 to 1931, laborers constructed more than 10 major natural gas transmission systems in the United States, making natural gas a viable energy sour
13、ce for many applications. The oil shortages of the late 1960s and early 1970s brought renewed interest in natural gas as a fuel source, especially for automobiles. Today, owners of natural-gas vehicles can fill up their cars at one of 1,300 fueling stations located in the United States. Honda also o
14、ffers a personal natural gas pump to people who purchase its natural-gas-powered Civic. The pump uses a homes existing natural gas lines and can be installed for $ 500 to $1500. Natural-gas Vehicle Design Natural-gas Vehicles use the same basic principles as gasoline-powered vehicles. In other words
15、, the fuel(natural gas in this case)is mixed with air in the cylinder of a four-stroke engine and then ignited by a spark plug to move a piston up and down. Although there are some differences between natural gas and gasoline in terms of flammability and ignition temperatures, NGVs themselves operat
16、e on the same fundamental concepts as gasoline-powered vehicles. Still, some modifications are required to make an NGV work efficiently. These changes are primarily in the fuel storage tank, the engine and the chassis. Advantages The biggest advantage of NGVs is that they reduce environmentally harm
17、ful emissions. Natural-gas vehicles can achieve up to a 93 percent reduction in carbon monoxide emissions, 33 percent reduction in emissions of various oxides of nitrogen and a 50 percent reduction in reactive hydrocarbons when compared to gasoline vehicles. NGVs also rate higher in particulate matt
18、er 10(PM10)emissions. PM10 particles transport and deposit toxic materials through the air. NGVs that operate in diesel applications can reduce PM10 emissions by a factor of 10. Natural-gas vehicles also offer these benefits: NGVs are safer. The fuel storage tanks on an NGV are thicker and stronger
19、than gasoline or diesel tanks. There has not been an NGV fuel-tank rupture in more than two years in the United States. Natural gas costs are lower than gasoline. On average, natural gas costs one-third less than gasoline at the pump. Natural gas is convenient and abundant. A well-established pipeli
20、ne infrastructure exists in the United States to deliver natural gas to almost every urban area and most suburban areas. There are more than 1,300 NGV fueling stations in the United States, and more are being added every day. Natural gas prices have exhibited significant stability compared to oil pr
21、ices. Historically, natural gas prices have exhibited significant price stability compared to the prices of petroleum based fuels. This stability makes it easier to plan accurately for long-term costs. NGVs have lower maintenance costs. Because natural gas burns so cleanly, it results in less wear a
22、nd tear on the engine and extends the time between tune-ups and oil changes. Disadvantages One of the biggest complaints about NGVs is that they arent as roomy as gasoline cars. This is because NGVs have to give up precious cargo and trunk space to accommodate the fuel storage cylinders. Not only th
23、at, these cylinders can be expensive to design and build - a contributing factor to the higher overall costs of a natural-gas vehicle compared to a gasoline-powered car. Another drawback is the limited driving range of NGVs, which is typically about half that of a gasoline-powered vehicle. For examp
24、le, Hondas natural gas Civic, the Civic GX, can go up to 220 miles without refueling. A typical gasoline-powered Civic can go approximately 350 miles without refueling. If a dedicated NGV ran out of fuel on the road, it would have to be towed to the owners home or to a local natural gas refueling st
25、ation, which might be harder to find than a “regular“ gas station. Finally, it should be noted that natural gas, like gasoline, is a fossil fuel and cannot be considered a renewable resource. While natural gas reserves in the United States are still considerable, they are not inexhaustible. Some pre
26、dict that there are enough natural gas reserves remaining to last another 67.1 years, assuming that the 2003 level of production continues. 2 This passage explains the basic idea of NGVs and examines the benefits of this technology. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 3 Natural gas is mainly made up of methane an
27、d other hydrocarbon gases. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 4 The basic principles applied to natural-gas vehicles are quite different from those applied to gasoline-powered vehicles. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 5 The biggest advantage provided by NGVs is that they help reduce car accidents to a great degree. （ A） Y
28、 （ B） N （ C） NG 6 The average cost of natural gas is one third less than that of gasoline at the pump. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 7 NGVs arent as roomy as gasoline cars because they have to give up cargo and trunk space to accommodate the fuel storage cylinders. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 8 Unlike gasoline, n
29、atural gas can be regarded as a renewable resource. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 9 Not until the _ were the cars that could burn natural gas invented. 10 Natural gas trapped in underground reservoirs is extracted by _. 11 People renewed their interest in natural gas as a fuel as a result of _ of the late 1
30、960s and early 190s. Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question th
31、ere will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A, B, C and D, and decide which is the best answer. （ A） Servant and hostess. （ B） Waiter and customer. （ C） Doorkeeper and visitor. （ D） Shop assistant and old customer. （ A） Tom doesnt listen to her. （ B） Tom is unable to
32、 hear well. （ C） Tom didnt say anything at the meeting. （ D） Tom went out before the meeting was over. （ A） He is unsure of the result. （ B） He is glad the interview is over. （ C） He is confident of his performance. （ D） He is worried about the result of the interview. （ A） The top floor. （ B） The f
33、irst floor. （ C） The 2nd floor. （ D） The 3rd floor. （ A） She found the assignment very difficult. （ B） The assignment was difficult to complete in 20 minutes. （ C） She finds it hard to believe the man spent so long a time. （ D） The man couldnt finish the assignment because he had other work to do. （
34、 A） He might attend the wedding. （ B） He may not prepare for his exam and essay. （ C） He may postpone turning in his paper. （ D） He is too busy with his study to attend the wedding. （ A） Hes afraid to work at night. （ B） Hes afraid the work will be really hard. （ C） He doesnt want to work tomorrow n
35、ight. （ D） He cant find the way out of the student center. （ A） Go to dinner. （ B） Visit her sister. （ C） Go to Hawaii. （ D） Go to the airport. （ A） The womans recent trip to the American Midwest. （ B） A lecture in their American literature course. （ C） A film about the American frontier. （ D） A boo
36、k they both read. （ A） Frontier life. （ B） Boston schools. （ C） Teaching requirements. （ D） Immigration patterns. （ A） She was a famous author. （ B） She exemplifies the immigrant spirit. （ C） Her family later became famous landowners. （ D） She invented some labor-saving farm equipment. （ A） Studying
37、 for a test. （ B） Visiting a close fiend of theirs. （ C） A class presentation theyre preparing. （ D） A television program the man is watching. （ A） He has already finished studying. （ B） Hes taking a break from studying. （ C） Hes finding out some information for a friend. （ D） He was assigned to wat
38、ch a program by his professor. （ A） He thought she preferred to study alone. （ B） He thought she had made arrangements to study with. （ C） He had told her that he had done poorly on a recent test. （ D） He didnt know that she was enrolled in a linear algebra course. （ A） He and Elizabeth argued recen
39、tly. （ B） Hed rather study in his own dormitory. （ C） He heard Elizabeth did poorly on the last test. （ D） He doesnt want to bother Elizabeth so late in the evening. Section B Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both
40、the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. （ A） The history of English dictionaries. （ B） The features of different dictionaries. （ C） How to compile English dictionaries. （ D） The dif
41、ficulties during Compiling dictionaries. （ A） All dictionaries before 1750 were not valuable. （ B） In the Oxford Dictionary, its word histories is the most important part. （ C） Every author after Robert Cadre benefited by the previous authors experience. （ D） The value of a dictionary lies in the nu
42、mber of words collected in it. （ A） It defined easy words as well as hard ones. （ B） Nothing more than a list of difficult words. （ C） Present good sentences to show how each word was actually used in speech and in writing. （ D） It was the greatest improvement in the quality of dictionaries. （ A） Th
43、ey didnt care. （ B） They hated it. （ C） They loved it. （ D） They have mixed feelings. （ A） There was not enough maintenance. （ B） People didnt care whatever mess it might be. （ C） Because there were no effective regulations over visitors. （ D） Because it was constructed badly. （ A） It was more respe
44、cted: （ B） More people used it. （ C） It was damaged by tourists again. （ D） It quickly got worse again after Lincolns death. （ A） His travels. （ B） His short stories. （ C） His wealth. （ D） His family. （ A） Florida. （ B） California. （ C） Nevada. （ D） Hannibal. （ A） Typesetter. （ B） River pilot: （ C）
45、Soldier. （ D） Publisher. （ A） His stories were inspired by his travels, （ B） His travels prevented him from writing. （ C） He traveled in order to relax from the pressures of writing. （ D） He traveled around to make his writing known. Section C Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage thr
46、ee times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are req
47、uired to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the 36 In recent years many countries of the world have been faced with the problem of how to make their workers more【 B1】 _.Some experts claim the answer is to make jobs
48、more【 B2】 _. But do more varied jobs lead to greater productivity? There is evidence to【 B3】 _that while variety certainly makes the workers life more【 B4】 _, it does not actually make him work harder. As far as【 B5】_productivity is concerned, the variety is not an important factor. Other experts fe
49、el that giving the worker【 B6】 _to do his job in his own way is important and there is no doubt that this is true. The problem is that this kind of freedom cannot easily be given in the modern factory with its complicated【 B7】 _which must be used in a【 B8】 _way.【 B9】 _. Another important consideration is how much each worker con tributes to the product he is making. In most factories the worker sees only a small part of the product.【 B10】 _. so that each
