1、2007年12月英語四級考試試題Part I Writing (30 minutes)What electives to choose1. 各大學(xué)開設(shè)了各種各樣的選修課2. 學(xué)生因為各種原因選擇了不同的選修課3. 以你自己為例Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning ) (15 minutes)Universities Branch OutAs never before in their long history, universities have become instruments of national competiti

2、on as well as instruments of peace. They are the place of the scientific discoveries that move economies forward, and the primary means of educating the talent required to obtain and maintain competitive advantage. But at the same time, the opening of national borders to the flow of goods, services,

3、 information and especially people has made universities a powerful force for global integration, mutual understanding and geopolitical stability.In response to the same forces that have driven the world economy, universities have become more self-consciously global: seeking students form around the

4、 world who represent the entire range of cultures and values, sending their own students abroad to prepare them for global careers, offering courses of study that address the challenges of an interconnected world and collaborative (合作的) research programs to advance science for the benefit of all hum

5、anity.Of the forces shaping higher education none is more sweeping than the movement across borders. Over the past three decades the number of students leaving home each year to study abroad has grown at an annual rate of 3.9 percent, from 800,000 in 1975 to 2.5 million in 2004. Most travel from one

6、 developed nation to another, but the flow from developing to developed countries is growing rapidly. The reverse flow, from developed to developing countries, is on the rise, too. Today foreign students earn 30 percent of the doctoral degrees awarded in the United States and 38 percent of those in

7、the United Kingdom. And the number crossing borders for undergraduate study is growing as well, to 8 percent of the undergraduates at Americas best institutions and 10 percent of all undergraduates in the U.K. In the United States, 20 percent of the newly hired professors in science and engineering

8、are foreign-born, and in China many newly hired faculty members at the top research universities received their graduate education abroad.Universities are also encouraging students to spend some of their undergraduate years in another country. In Europe, more than 140,000 students participate in the

9、 Erasmus program each year, taking courses for credit in one of 2,200 participating institutions across the continent. And in the United States, institutions are helping place students in summer internships (實習(xí)) abroad to prepare them for global careers. Yale and Harvard have led the way, offering e

10、very undergraduate at least one international study or internship opportunity-and providing the financial resources to make it possible.Globalization is also reshaping the way research is done. One new trend involves sourcing portions of a research program to another country. Yale professor and Howa

11、rd Hughes Medical Institute investigator Tian Xu directs a research center focused on the genetics of human disease at Shanghais Fudan University, in collaboration with faculty colleagues from both schools. The Shanghai center has 95 employees and graduate students working in a 4,300-square-meter la

12、boratory facility. Yale faculty, postdoctors and graduate students visit regularly and attend videoconference seminars with scientists from both campuses. The arrangement benefits both countries; Xus Yale lab is more productive, thanks to the lower costs of conducting research in china, and Chinese

13、graduate students, postdoctors and faculty get on-the-job training from a world-class scientist and his U.S. team.As a result of its strength in science, the United States has consistently led the world in the commercialization of major new technologies, from the mainframe computer and the integrate

14、d circuit of the 1960s to the Internet infrastructure (基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施) and applications software of the 1990s. The link between university-based science and industrial application is often indirect but sometimes highly visible: Silicon Valley was intentionally created by Stanford University, and Route 128 out

15、side Boston has long housed companies spun off from MIT and Harvard. Around the world, governments have encouraged copying of this model, perhaps most successfully in Cambridge, England, where Microsoft and scores of other leading software and biotechnology companies have set up shop around the univ

16、ersity.For all its success, the United States remains deeply hesitant about sustaining the research-university model. Most politician recognize the link between investment in science and national economic strength, but support for research funding has been unsteady. The budget of the National Instit

17、utes of Health doubled between 1998 and 2003, but has risen more slowly than inflation since then. Support for the physical sciences and engineering barely kept pace with inflation during that same period. The attempt to make up lost ground is welcome, but the nation would be better served by steady

18、, predictable increases in science funding at the rate of long-term GDP growth, which is on the order of inflation plus 3 percent per year.American politicians have great difficulty recognizing that admitting more foreign students can greatly promote the national interest by increasing international

19、 understanding. Adjusted for inflation, public funding for international exchanges and foreign-language study is well below the levels of 40 years ago. In the wake of September 11, changes in the visa process caused a dramatic decline in the number of foreign students seeking admission to U.S. Unive

20、rsities, and a corresponding surge in enrollments in Australia, Singapore and the U.K. Objections from American university and business leaders led to improvements in the process and a reversal of the decline, but the United States is still seen by many as unwelcoming to international students.Most

21、Americans recognize that universities contribute to the nations well-being through their scientific research, but many fear that foreign students threaten American competitiveness by taking their knowledge and skills back home. They fail to grasp that welcoming foreign students to the United States

22、has two important positive effects: first, the very best of them stay in the States and like immigrants throughout history-strengthen the nation; and second, foreign students who study in the United States become ambassadors for many of its most cherished (珍視) values when they return home. Or at lea

23、st they understand them better. In America as elsewhere, few instruments of foreign policy are as effective in promoting peace and stability as welcoming international university students.1. From the first paragraph we know that present-day universities have become_. A) more and more research-orient

24、ed B) in-service training organizations C) more popularized than ever before D) a powerful force for global integration2. Over the past three decades, the enrollment of overseas students has increased_. A) by 2.5 million B) by 800,000 C) at an annual rate of 3.9 percent D) at an annual rate of 8 per

25、cent3. In the United States, how many of the newly hired professors in science and engineering are foreign-born? A) 10% B) 20% C)30% D)38%4. How do Yale and Harvard prepare their undergraduates for global careers?A) They organize a series of seminars on world economy.B) They offer them various cours

26、es in international politics.C) They arrange for them to participate in the Erasmus program.D)They give them chances for international study or internship.5. An example illustrating the general trend of universities globalization is _. A) Yales collaboration with Fudan University on genetic research

27、 B) Yales helping Chinese universities to launch research projects C) Yales students exchange program with European institutions D) Yales establishing branch campuses throughout the world6. What do we learn about Silicon Valley from the passage? A) It houses many companies spun off from MIT and Harv

28、ard. B) It is known to be the birthplace of Microsoft Company. C) It was intentionally created by Stanford University. D) It is where the Internet infrastructure was built up.7. What is said about the U.S. federal funding for research? A) It has increased by 3 percent. B) It has been unsteady for ye

29、ars. C) It has been more than sufficient. D) It doubled between 1998 and 2003.8. The dramatic decline in the enrollment of foreign students in the U.S. after September 11 was caused by _.9. Many Americans fear that American competitiveness may be threatened by foreign students who will_.10. The poli

30、cy of welcoming foreign students can benefit the U.S. in that the very best of them will stay and _.Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)Section A11. A) She used to be in poor health. B) She was popular among boys. C) She was somewhat over慰ght. D) She didnt do well at high school.12. A) At t

31、he airport. B) In a restaurant. C) In a booking office. D) At the hotel reception.13. A) Teaching her son by herself. B) Having confidence in her son. C) Asking the teacher for extra help. D) Telling her son not to worry.14. A) Have a short break. B) Take two weeks off. C) Continue her work outdoors

32、. D) Go on vacation with the man.15. A) He is taking care of his twin brother. B) He has been feeling ill all week. C) He is worried about Rods health. D) He has been in perfect condition.16. A) She sold all her furniture before she moved house. B) She still keeps some old furniture in her new house

33、. C) She plants to put all her old furniture in the basement. D) She bought a new set of furniture from Italy last month.17. A) The woman wondered why the man didnt return the book. B) The woman doesnt seem to know what the book is about. C) The woman doesnt find the book useful any more. D) The wom

34、an forgot lending the book to the man.18. A) Most of the mans friends are athletes. B) Few people share the womans opinion. C) The man doesnt look like a sportsman. D) The woman doubts the mans athletic ability.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) She has packe

35、d it in one of her bags. B) She is going to get it at the airport. C) She has probably left it in a taxi. D) She is afraid that she has lost it.20. A) It ends in winter. B) It will cost her a lot. C) It will last one week. D) It depends on the weather.21. A) The plane is taking off soon. B) The taxi

36、 is waiting for them. C) There might be a traffic jam. D) There is a lot of stuff to pack.22. A) At home. B) At the airport. C) In the mans car. D) By the side of a taxi.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A) She is thirsty for promotion. B) She wants a much high

37、er salary. C) She is tired of her present work. D) She wants to save travel expenses.24. A) Translator. B) Travel agent. C) Language instructor. D) Environmental engineer.25. A) Lively personality and inquiring mind. B) Communication skills and team spirit. C) Devotion and work efficiency. D) Educat

38、ion and experience.Section BPassage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) They care a lot about children. B) They need looking after in their old age. C) They want to enrich their life experience. D) They want children to keep them company.27. A) They are usually

39、adopted from distant places. B) Their birth information is usually kept secret. C) Their birth parents often try to conceal their birth information. D) Their adoptive parents dont want them to know their birth parents.28. A) They generally hold bad feelings towards their birth parents. B) They do no

40、t want to hurt the feelings of their adoptive parents. C) They have mixed feelings about finding their natural parents. D) They are fully aware of the expenses involved in the search.29. A) Early adoption makes for closer parent-child relationship. B) Most people prefer to adopt children from overse

41、as. C) Understanding is the key to successful adoption. D) Adoption has much to do with love.Passage Two Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) He suffered from mental illness. B) He bought The Washington Post.C) He turned a failing newspaper into a success. D) He was

42、 once a reporter for a major newspaper.31. A) She was the first woman to lead a big U.S. publishing company. B) She got her first job as a teacher at the University of Chicago. C) She committed suicide because of her mental disorder. D) She took over her fathers position when he died.32. A) People c

43、ame to see the role of women in the business world. B) Katharine played a major part in reshaping Americans mind. C) American media would be quite different without Katharine. D) Katharine had exerted an important influence on the world.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you ha

44、ve just heard.33. A) Itll enable them to enjoy the best medical care. B) Itll allow them to receive free medical treatment. C) Itll protect them from possible financial crises. D) Itll prevent the doctors from overcharging them.34. A) They cant immediately get back the money paid for their medical c

45、ost. B) They have to go through very complicated application procedures. C) They can only visit doctor who speak their native languages. D) They may not be able to receive timely medical treatment.35. A) They dont have to pay for the medical services. B) They neednt pay the entire medical bill at on

46、ce. C) They must send the receipts to the insurance company promptly. D) They have to pay a much higher price to get an insurance policy.Section C More and more of the worlds population are living in towns or cities. The speed at which cities are growing in the less developed countries is (36)_. Bet

47、ween 1920 and 1960 big cities in developed countries (37) _ two and a half times in size, but in other parts of the world the growth was eight times their size. The (38) _ size of growth is bad enough, but there are now also very (39) _ signs of trouble in the (40) _of percentages of people living i

48、n towns and percentages of people working in industry. During the nineteenth century cities grew as a result of the growth of industry . In Europe the (41) _of people living in cities was always smaller than that of the (42) _working in factories. Now, however, the (43) _ is almost always true in th

49、e newly industrialized world : (44) _. Without a base of people working in industry, these cities cannot pay for their growth; (45) _. There has been little opportunity to build water supplies or other facilities. (46) _ a growth in the number of hopeless and despairing parents and starving children

50、.Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth ) (25 minutes)Section A Question 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.As war spreads to many corners of the globe, children sadly have been drawn into the center of conflicts. In Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Colombia, however, groups of children ha

51、ve been taking part in peace education 47 . The children, after learning to resolve conflicts, took on the 48 of peacemakers. The Childrens Movement for Peace in Colombia was even nominated (提名) for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998. Groups of children 49 as peacemakers studied human rights and poverty

52、issues in Colombia, eventually forming a group with five other schools in Bogota known as The Schools of Peace.The classroom 50 opportunities for children to replace angry, violent behaviors with 51 , peaceful ones. It is in the classroom that caring and respect for each person empowers children to

53、take a step 52 toward becoming peacemakers. Fortunately, educators have access to many online resources that are 53 useful when helping children along the path to peace. The Young Peacemakers Campaign. The World Centers of Compassion for Children International call attention to childrens rights and

54、how to help the 55 of war. Starting a Peacemakers Club is a praiseworthy venture for a class and one that could spread to other classrooms and ideally affect the culture of the 56 school.A) acting B) assuming C) comprehensive D) cooperative E) entire F) especially G) forward H) images I) information

55、 J) offers K) projects L) respectively M) role N) technology O) victimsSection BPassage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage. By almost any measure, there is a boom in Internet-based instruction. In just a few years, 34 percent of American universities have begun offering some fo

56、rm of distance learning (DL), and among the larger schools, its closer to 90 percent. If you doubt the popularity of the trend, you probably havent heard of the University of Phoenix. It grants degrees entirely on the basis of online instruction. It enrolls 90,000 students, a statistic used to suppo

57、rt its claim to be the largest private university in the country.While the kinds of instruction offered in these programs will differ, DL usually signifies a course in which the instructors post syllabi (課程大綱), reading assignments, and schedules on Websites, and students send in their assignments by

58、 e-mail. Generally speaking, face-to-face communication with an instructor is minimized or eliminated altogether.The attraction for students might at first seem obvious. Primarily, theres the convenience promised by courses on the Net: you can do the work, as they say, in your pajamas (睡衣). But figu

59、res indicate that the reduced effort results in a reduced commitment to the course. While dropout rates for all freshmen at American universities is around 20 percent, the rate for online students is 35 percent. Students themselves seem to understand the weaknesses inherent in the setup. In a survey

60、 conducted for eCornell, the DL division of Cornell University, less than a third of the respondents expected the quality of the online course to be as good as the classroom course.Clearly, from the schools perspective, theres a lot of money to be saved. Although some of the more ambitious programs