2021年6月大学英语四级考试真题以及参考答案 (第1套) (2024)

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2021年6月大学英语四级考试真题 (第1套)

Part I Writing (30 minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay titled “Are people becoming addicted to technology?”. The statement given below is for your reference. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.

Numerous studies claim that addiction to technology is real and it has the same effect on the brain as drug addition.

【参考范文】

Are people becoming addicted to technology?

With technology advancing daily, there has been an increase in the number of people who become addicted to technological inventions, such as computers and cellphones. From my point of view, this trend can harmfully influence individuals in many ways.
The negative consequences of technology addiction can be illustrated from two aspects. For one thing, being indulged in technological gadgets is detrimental to students’ academic performance. For example, many university students stay up all night to play video games and thus feel drowsy and distracted in class. In addition, many psychological researchers found that the excessive use of technological devices can have an adverse effect on individuals’ mental well-being and interpersonal relationship. For instance, modern people, especially youngsters, are reluctant to interact face to face with their friends and families because of the indulgence in online social media platforms or computer games.
In conclusion, it is of utmost importance to take actions to counteract the negative effects mentioned above. Perhaps the first step is that students should be educated to use technological devices in a rational way.

【解析】

本次四级作文考查的是现象影响类的论说文。题目给出的是一个负面的现象——人们沉迷于科技产品。采用三段式：开头段引出负面现象并发表自己的看法；第二段，即主体段论述该现象带来的负面影响；结尾段给出针对性的建议。

Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.

1. A) Enroll him in a Newcastle football club.

B) Send him to an after-school art class.

C) Forbid him to draw in his workbook.

D) Help him post his drawings online.

2. A) Contacted Joe to decorate its dining-room.

B) Hired Joe to paint all the walls of its buildings.

C) Renovated its kitchen and all the dining-rooms.

D) Asked Joe for permission to use his online drawings.

Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.

1. A) Get her pet dog back.

B) Beg for help from the police.

C) Identify the suspect or the security video.

D) Post pictures of her pet dog on social media.

4. A) It is suffering a great deal from the incident.

B) It is helping the police with the investigation.

C) It is bringing the case to the local district court.

D) It is offering a big reward to anyone who helps.

Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.

5. A) Provide free meals to the local poor.

B) Help people connect with each other.

C) Help eliminate class difference in his area.

D) Provide customers with first-class service.

6. A) It does not supervise its employees.

B) It donates regularly to a local charity.

C) It does not use volunteers.

D) It is open round the clock.

7. A) They will realise the importance of communication.

B) They will come to the café even more frequently.

C) They will care less about their own background.

D) They will find they have something in common.

Section B

Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

8. A) A surprise party for Paul’s birthday.

B) Travel plans for the coming weekend.

C) Preparations for Saturday’s get-together.

D) The new market on the other side of town.

9. A) It makes the hostess’s job a whole lot easier.

B) It enables guests to walk around and chat freely.

C) It saves considerable time and labor.

D) It requires fewer tables and chairs.

10. A) It offers some big discounts.

B) It is quite close to her house.

C) It is more spacious and less crowded.

D) It sells local wines and soft drinks.

11. A) Cook a dish for the party.

B) Arrive 10 minutes earlier.

C) Prepare a few opening remarks.

D) Bring his computer and speakers.

Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

12. A) For commuting to work.

B) For long-distance travel.

C) For getting around in Miami.

D) For convenience at weekends.

13. A) They are reliable.

B) They are compact.

C) They are suspicious.

D) They are easy to drive.

14. A) Buy a second-hand car.

B) Trust her own judgement.

C) Seek advice from his friend.

D) Look around before deciding.

15. A) He sells new cars.

B) He can be trusted.

C) He is starting a business.

D) He is a successful car dealer.

Section C

Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both 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). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.

1. A) Many escaped from farms and became wild.

B) They were actually native to North America.

C) Many got killed in the wild when searching for food.

D) They were hunted by Spanish and Russian explorers.

17. A) They often make sudden attacks on people.

B) They break up nature’s food supply chain.

C) They cause much environmental pollution.

D) They carry a great many diseases.

18. A) They lived peacefully with wild pigs.

B) They ran out of food completely.

C) They fell victim to eagles.

D) They reproduced quickly.

Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.

1. A) Taste coffee while in outer space.

B) Roast coffee beans in outer space.

C) Develop a new strain of coffee bean.

D) Use a pressurised tank to brew coffee.

1. A) They can easily get burned.

B) They float around in the oven.

C) They have to be heated to 360 ℃.

D) They receive evenly distributed heat.

21. A) They charged a high price for their space-roasted coffee beans.

B) They set up a branch in Dubai to manufacture coffee roasters.

C) They collaborated on building the first space coffee machine.

D) They abandoned the attempt to roast coffee beans in space.

Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.

22. A) It is the best time for sightseeing.

B) A race passes through it annually.

C) They come to clean the Iditarod Trail.

D) It is when the villagers choose a queen.

23. A) Its children’s baking skills.

B) Its unique winter scenery.

C) Its tasty fruit pies.

D) Its great food variety.

24. A) The contestants.

B) The entire village.

C) Jan Newton and her friends.

D) People from the state of Idaho.

25. A) She owned a restaurant in Idaho.

B) She married her husband in 1972.

C) She went to Alaska to compete in a race.

D) She helped the village to become famous.

Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.

Most animals seek shade when temperatures in the Sahara Desert soar to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. But for the Saharan silver ants, 26 from their underground nests into the sun’s brutal rays to 27 for food, this is the perfect time to seek lunch. In 2015 these ants were joined in the desert by scientists from two Belgian universities, who spent a month in the 28 heat tracking the ants and digging out their nests. The goal was simple: to discover how the 29 adapted to the kind of heat that can 30 melt the bottom of shoes.

Back in Belgium, the scientists looked at the ants under an electronic microscope and found that their 31 , triangular hair reflects light like a prism, giving them a metallic reflection and protecting them from the sun’s awful heat. When Ph.D. student Quentin Willot 32 the hair from an ant with 33_ knife and put it under a heat lamp, its temperature jumped.

The ants’ method of staying cool is 34 among animals. Could this reflective type of hair protect people? Willot says companies are interested in 35 these ants’ method of heat protection for human use, including everything from helping to protect the lives of firefighters to keeping homes cool in summer.

【参考答案】

26. C) crawling

27. F) hunt

28. E) extreme

29. K) species

30. G) literally

31. M) thick

32. J) removed

33. N) tiny

34. O) unique

35. A) adapting

【解析】

26. C) crawling

【解析】此题较难，可先空着不做，先做其他题目，最后再从未选选项中，选择符合语法结构且符合语意的单词填入本题。空格之后是完整的主谓宾结构：this is the perfect time to seek lunch，那说明空格之前需要填入非谓语形式，即-ing形式或-ed形式。选项中-ing形式和-ed形式的单词有：A) adapting、C) crawling、D) crowded、J) removed。符合此句语意且未被其他题目选择的选项只有C) crawling，空格处的中文意思是：从地下巢穴中爬出来。

27. F) hunt

【解析】空格前有不定式符号to，所以空格处一般填动词原形，构成to do形式。选项中动词原形只有一个：F) hunt（猎取）。把F)的汉语意思代入空格处：to hunt for food（猎取食物，寻找食物），语意非常通顺完整。所以答案选F) hunt。

28 E) extreme

【解析】空格前后是：in the ____ heat，可判断此处应填形容词。选项中形容词有：E) extreme、

H) moderate、I) remote、M) thick、N) tiny、O) unique。能和空格后名词heat（温度，高温）搭配的只有E) ：extreme heat极热；酷热。

29 K) species

【解析】空格前后是：how the ____ adapted to...，可判断空格处应填名词。选项中名词有：K) species（物种）、L) specimens（标本）。符合此处语意的只有K) species：发现这种物种是如何适应这种气温的。

30 G) literally

【解析】通过空格前后that can ____ melt the bottom of shoes，可判断，此that从句中主语是that（that指前面提到的名词短语the kind of heat），谓语是can melt，宾语是the bottom of shoes。所以that从句主谓宾结构完整，不缺少任何语法成分，所以空格处只能填副词，用来修饰整个句子。选项中副词有：B) consciously（有意识地）、G) literally（确实地）。符合空格处语意的只有G) literally：这种气温的的确确能把鞋底熔化。

31 M) thick

【解析】空格前后是their ____ triangular hair可知空格处需填形容词，空格处形容词和空格后形容词triangular，一起来修饰hair。选项中形容词有：E) extreme、H) moderate、I) remote、M) thick、N) tiny、O) unique。能和空格后名词hair（头发）搭配的只有M) thick：厚厚的头发。

32 J) removed

【解析】空格处需填when从句中的谓语。因为when从句的主语（Ph.D. student Quentin Willot）是第三人称单数形式，所以谓语动词第一不能是动词原形（如果填动词原形，则和主语的单数形式不搭配），第二不能是-ing形式（因为-ing形式是非谓语，不是谓语），空格处谓语动词只能填-ed形式。（而且空格处的-ed形式能和when从句中的第二个谓语动词put，用and并列起来，因为when主语是第三人称单数形式，所以此处put不是一般现在时，put是过去时态。此外，空格处的-ed形式还能和主句谓语jumped保持时态一致。）选项中-ed形式的单词有：D) crowded、J) removed。其中能和空格后from搭配使用，且符合语意的只有J) removed。

33 N) tiny

【解析】通过空格前后的with ____ knife，可知，此空格处填形容词。选项中形容词有：E) extreme、H) moderate、I) remote、M) thick、N) tiny、O) unique。能和空格后名词knife（剪刀）搭配且符合语意的只有N) tiny：小刀。

34 O) unique

【解析】通过空格前后is ____，可知此空格处可填形容词，也可填-ing形式、-ed形式。符合此条件的共有十个单词，但符合此句语意的只有O) unique：蚂蚁保持凉爽的方式在所有动物中是独特的。

35 A) adapting

【解析】空格前后是are interested in _____ these ants’ method，可知，此处考察固定搭配be interested in doing sth.，空格处应填-ing形式。选项中-ing形式的单词有：A) adapting（适应）、C) crawling（爬行）。能和空格后的名词method（方法）搭配使用的只有A) adapting。

Section B

Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.

What happens when a language has no words for numbers?

Numbers do not exist in all cultures. There are numberless hunter-gatherers embedded deep in Amazonia, living along branches of the world’s largest river tree. Instead of using words for precise quantities, these people rely exclusively on terms analogous to “a few” or “some.”

In contrast, our own lives are governed by numbers. As you read this, you are likely aware of what time it is, how old you are, your checking account balance, your weight and so on. The exact (and exacting) numbers we think with impact everything from our schedules to our self-esteem.

But, in a historical sense, numerically fixated people like us are the unusual ones. For the bulk of our species’ approximately 200,000-year lifespan, we had no means of precisely representing quantities. What’s more, the 7,000 or so languages that exist today vary dramatically in how they utilize numbers.

Speakers of anumeric, or numberless, languages offer a window into how the invention of numbers reshaped the human experience. In a new book, I explored the ways in which humans invented numbers, and how numbers subsequently played a critical role in other milestones, from the advent of agriculture to the genesis of writing.

Cultures without numbers, or with only one or two precise numbers, include the Munduruku and Pirahã in Amazonia. Researchers have also studied some adults in Nicaragua who were never taught number words.

Without numbers, healthy human adults struggle to precisely differentiate and recall quantities as low as four. In an experiment, a researcher will place nuts into a can one at a time, then remove them one by one. The person watching is asked to signal when all the nuts have been removed. Responses suggest that anumeric people have some trouble keeping track of how many nuts remain in the can, even if there are only four or five in total.

This and many other experiments have converged upon a simple conclusion: When people do not have number words, they struggle to make quantitative distinctions that probably seem natural to someone like you or me. While only a small portion of the world’s languages are anumeric or nearly anumeric, they demonstrate that number words are not a human universal.

It is worth stressing that these anumeric people are cognitively normal, well-adapted to the environs they have dominated for centuries. As the child of missionaries, I spent some of my youth living with anumeric indigenous people, the aforementioned Pirahã who live along the sinuous banks of the black Maici River. Like other outsiders, I was continually impressed by their superior understanding of the riverine ecology we shared.

Yet numberless people struggle with tasks that require precise discrimination between quantities. Perhaps this should be unsurprising. After all, without counting, how can someone tell whether there are, say, seven or eight coconuts in a tree? Such seemingly straightforward distinctions become blurry through numberless eyes.

This conclusion is echoed by work with anumeric children in industrialized societies.

Prior to being spoon-fed number words, children can only approximately discriminate quantities beyond three. We must be handed the cognitive tools of numbers before we can consistently and easily recognize higher quantities.

In fact, acquiring the exact meaning of number words is a painstaking process that takes children years. Initially, kids learn numbers much like they learn letters. They recognize that numbers are organized sequentially, but have little awareness of what each individual number means. With time, they start to understand that a given number represents a quantity greater by one than the preceding number. This “successor principle” is part of the foundation of our numerical cognition, but requires extensive practice to understand.

None of us, then, is really a “numbers person.” We are not predisposed to handle quantitative distinctions adroitly. In the absence of the cultural traditions that infuse our lives with numbers from infancy, we would all struggle with even basic quantitative distinctions.

Number words and written numerals transform our quantitative reasoning as they are coaxed into our cognitive experience by our parents, peers and school teachers. The process seems so normal that we sometimes think of it as a natural part of growing up, but it is not. Human brains come equipped with certain quantitative instincts that are refined with age, but these instincts are very limited. For instance, even at birth we are capable of distinguishing between two markedly different quantities — for instance, eight from 16 things.

But we are not the only species capable of such abstractions. Compared to chimps and other primates, our numerical instincts are not as remarkable as many presume. We even share some basic instinctual quantitative reasoning with distant nonmammalian relatives like birds. Indeed, work with some other species, including parrots, suggests they too can refine their quantitative thought if they are introduced to the cognitive power tools we call numbers.

So, how did we ever invent "unnatural" numbers in the first place?

The answer is, literally, at your fingertips. The bulk of the world’s languages use base-10, base-20 or base-5 number systems. That is, these smaller numbers are the basis of larger numbers. English is a base-10 or decimal language, as evidenced by words like 14 (“four” + “10”) and 31 (“three” x “10” + “one”).

We speak a decimal language because an ancestral tongue, proto-Indo-European, was decimally based. Proto-Indo-European was decimally oriented because, as in so many cultures, our linguistic ancestors’ hands served as the gateway to realizations like “five fingers on this hand is the same as five fingers on that hand.” Such transient thoughts were manifested into words and passed down across generations. This is why the word “five” in many languages is derived from the word for “hand.”

Most number systems, then, are the by-product of two key factors: the human capacity for language and our propensity for focusing on our hands and fingers. This manual fixation — an indirect by-product of walking upright on two legs — has helped yield numbers in most cultures, but not all.

Cultures without numbers also offer insight into the cognitive influence of particular numeric traditions. Consider what time it is. Your day is ruled by minutes and seconds, but these entities are not real in any physical sense and are nonexistent to numberless people. Minutes and seconds are the verbal and written vestiges of an uncommon base-60 number system used in Mesopotamia millennia ago. They reside in our minds, numerical artifacts that not all humans inherit conceptually.

Research on the language of numbers shows, more and more, that one of our species’ key characteristics is tremendous linguistic and cognitive diversity. While there are undoubtedly cognitive commonalities across all human populations, our radically varied cultures foster profoundly different cognitive experiences. If we are to truly understand how much our cognitive lives differ cross-culturally, we must continually sound the depths of our species’ linguistic diversity.

36. [E] It is worth stressing that these anumeric people are cognitively (在认知方面）normal, well-adapted to the surroundings they have dominated for centuries.

37. [H] Compared with other mammals, our numerical instincts are not as remarkable as many assume.

38. [E] It is worth stressing that these anumeric people are cognitively(在认知方面）normal, well-adapted to the surroundings they have dominated for centuries.

39. [B] But, in a historical sense, number-conscious people like us are the unusual ones.

40. [K] Research on the language of numbers shows, more and more, that one of our species’ key characteristics is tremendous linguistic(语言的) and cognitive diversity.

41. [D] This and many other experiments have led to a simple conclusion: When people do not have number words, they struggle to make quantitative distinctions that probably seem natural to someone like you or me.

42. [G] None of us, then, is really a “numbers person.” We are not born to handle quantitative distinctions skillfully.

43. [A] Numbers do not exist in all cultures.

44. [I] So, how did we ever invent “unnatural” numbers in the first place? The answer is, literally, at your fingertips.

45. [F] This conclusion is echoed by work with anumeric children in industrialized societies.

Section C

Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

Educators and business leaders have more in common than it may seem. Teachers want to prepare students for a successful future. Technology companies have an interest in developing a workforce with the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills needed to grow the company and advance the industry. How can they wok together to achieve these goals? Play may be the answer.

Focusing on STEM skills is important,but the reality is that STEM skills are enhanced and more relevant when combined with traditional, hands-on creative activities. This combination is proving to be the best way to prepare today's children to be the makers and builders of tomorrow. That is why technology companies are partnering with educators to bring back good, old-fashioned play.

In fact many experts argue that the most important 2lst-century skills aren't related to specific technologies or subject matter, but to creativity; skills like imagination, problem-finding and problem-solving, teamwork, optimism, patience and the ability to experiment and take risks. These are skills acquired when kids tinker (鼓捣小玩意) , High-tech industries such as NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have found that their best overall problem solvers were master tinkerers in their youth.

There are cognitive (认知的) benefits of doing things the way we did as children — building something, tearing it down, then building it up again. Research shows that given 15 minutes of free play, four- and five-year-olds will spend a third of this time engaged in spatial, mathematical, and architectural activities. This type of play—especially with building blocks—helps children discover and develop key principles in math and geometry.

If play and building are critical to 21st century skill development, that's really good news for two reasons: Children are born builders, makers, and creators, so fostering（培养） 21st century skills may be as simple as giving kids room to play, tinker and try things out, even as they grow older; Secondly, it doesn't take 21st century technology to foster 21st century skills. This is especially important for under-resourced schools and communities. Taking whatever materials are handy and tinkering with them is a simple way to engage those important “maker” skills. And anyone, anywhere, can do it.

46.What does the author say about educators?

1. They seek advice from technology companies to achieve teaching goals.
2. They have been successful in preparing the workforce for companies.
3. They help students acquire the skills needed for their future success.
4. They partner with technology companies to enhance teaching efficiency.

1. How can educators better develop students’ STEM skills, according to the author?
2. By blending them with traditional, stimulating activities.
3. By inviting business leaders to help design curriculums.
4. By enhancing students’ ability to think in a critical way.
5. By showing students the best way to learn is through play.

1. How do children acquire the skills needed for the 21 st century?
2. By engaging in activities involving specific technologies.
3. By playing with things to solve problems on their own.
4. By familiarizing themselves with high-tech gadgets.
5. By mastering basic principles through teamwork.


6. What can we do to help children learn the basics of math and geometry?
7. Stimulate their interest as early as possible.
8. Spend more time playing games with them.
9. Encourage them to make things with hands.
10. Allow them to tinker freely with calculators.

1. What does the author advise disadvantaged schools and communities to do?
2. Train students to be makers to meet future market demands.
3. Develop students’ creative skills with the resources available.
4. Engage students with challenging tasks to foster their creativity.
5. Work together with companies to improve their teaching facilities.

【参考答案】

46. C) They help students acquire the skills needed for their future success.

47. A) By blending them with traditional, stimulating activities.

48. B) By playing with things to solve problems on their own.

49. C) Encourage them to make things with hands.

50. B) Develop students’ creative skills with the resources available.

【解析】

46. What does the author say about educators?

定位：根据题干关键词educators可以将答案定位至文章的第一段。

原文定位句：Educators and business leaders have more in common than it may seem. Teachers want to prepare students for a successful future. Technology companies have an interest in developing a workforce with the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills needed to grow the company and advance the industry.

选项C：They help students acquire the skills needed for their future success.

同义复现总结：the skills needed（选项C） =skills needed（原文）。

同义替换总结：for their future success（选项C）= for a successful future（原文）。

定位句汉语意思：教育家和商界领袖的共同点比看上去更多。老师想让学生为成功的未来做好准备。科技公司有兴趣培养一支具备STEM（科学、技术、工程和数学）技能的员工队伍，以发展公司和推动行业发展。

选项C汉语意思：他们帮助学生获得未来成功所需的技能。

选项C和定位句语意一致，其他三个选项和定位句语意不符。

47. How can educators better develop students’ STEM skills, according to the author?
定位：根据题干关键词STEM skills可以将答案定位至文章的第二段第一句。

原文定位句：Focusing on STEM skills is important,but the reality is that STEM skills are enhanced and more relevant when combined with traditional, hands-on creative activities.

选项A：By blending them with traditional, stimulating activities.

同义替换总结：blending them with traditional, stimulating activities（选项A）= combined with traditional, hands-on creative activities（原文）。

原文定位句汉语意思：专注于 STEM 技能很重要，但现实情况是，当与传统的动手创意活动相结合时，STEM 技能会得到增强且更具相关性。

选项A汉语意思：通过将它们与传统的、激励人的活动相结合。

选项A和定位句语意一致，其他三个选项和定位句语意不符。

48. How do children acquire the skills needed for the 21 st century?

定位：根据题干关键词the 21 st century可以将答案定位至文章的第三段第一句。

原文定位句：In fact many experts argue that the most important 2lst-century skills aren’t related to specific technologies or subject matter, but to creativity; skills like imagination, problem-finding and problem-solving, teamwork, optimism, patience and the ability to experiment and take risks.

选项B：By playing with things to solve problems on their own.

同义替换总结：solve problems（选项B）= problem-solving（原文）。

原文定位句汉语意思：事实上，许多专家认为，21 世纪最重要的技能与特定技术或主题无关，而是与创造力有关。 想象力、发现问题和解决问题的能力、团队合作、乐观、耐心以及实验和承担风险的能力。

选项B汉语意思：通过玩弄事物来自己解决问题。

选项B和定位句语意一致，其他三个选项和定位句语意不符。

49. What can we do to help children learn the basics of math and geometry?

定位：根据题干关键词math and geometry可以将答案定位至文章的第四段最后一句。但因为第四段最后一句的主语This type of play出现了指代词this，this指代前文提到的内容，所以还需要往前文看。本题需要通读整个第四段才能解题。

原文定位句：There are cognitive (认知的) benefits of doing things the way we did as children — building something, tearing it down, then building it up again. Research shows that given 15 minutes of free play, four- and five-year-olds will spend a third of this time engaged in spatial, mathematical, and architectural activities. This type of play—especially with building blocks—helps children discover and develop key principles in math and geometry.

选项C：Encourage them to make things with hands.

同义替换总结：make things with hands（选项B）=doing things——building something, tearing it down, then building it up again（原文）。

原文定位句汉语意思：以我们小时候的方式做事有认知上的好处——建造、拆除、然后重新建造。研究表明，如果有15分钟的自由玩耍时间，4岁和5岁的孩子将有三分之一的时间用于空间、数学和建筑活动。这种类型的游戏——尤其是使用积木——帮助孩子们发现和发展数学和几何的关键原则。

选项C汉语意思：鼓励他们用手制作东西。

选项C和定位句语意一致，其他三个选项和定位句语意不符。

50. What does the author advise disadvantaged schools and communities to do?

定位：根据题干关键词disadvantaged schools and communities可以将答案定位至文章的最后一段的倒数第二句和倒数第三句。

原文定位句：This is especially important for under-resourced schools and communities. Taking whatever materials are handy and tinkering with them is a simple way to engage those important “maker” skills.

选项B：Develop students’ creative skills with the resources available.

同义替换总结：with the resources available（选项B）= Taking whatever materials are handy（原文）。

原文定位句汉语意思： 这对于资源不足的学校和社区尤其重要。 使用手头的材料，鼓捣鼓捣，这就是一种简单的方法，使手头资源和这些重要的“创客”技能链接起来。

选项B汉语意思：利用现有的资源培养学生的创造性能力。

选项B和定位句语意一致，其他三个选项和定位句语意不符。

Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

A recent study revealed the sugar industry’s efforts 50 years ago to shape medical opinion on how sugar affects health. But today, scores of companies continue to fund food and nutrition studies.

That describes the reaction of many Americans this week following revelations that, 50 years ago, the sugar industry paid Harvard scientists for research that shifted the focus away from sugar’s role in heart disease — and put the spotlight squarely on dietary fat.

What might surprise consumers is just how many present-day nutrition studies are still funded by the food industry.

Nutrition scholar Marion Nestle of New York University spent a year informally tracking industry-funded studies on food. “Roughly 90% of nearly 170 studies favored the sponsor’s interest,” Nestle tells us via email. Other, systematic reviews support her conclusions.

For instance, studies funded by Welch Foods — the brand behind Welch’s 100% Grape Juice — found that drinking Concord grape juice daily may boost brain function. Another, funded by Quaker Oats, concluded, as a Daily Mail story put it, that “hot oatmeal breakfast keeps you full for longer.”

While these examples might induce chuckles, the past year has seen several exposes that have raised serious concerns about the extent of industry’s influence on food and nutrition research outcomes.

Last year, The New York Times revealed how Coca-Cola was funding high-profile scientists and organizations promoting a message that, in the battle against weight gain, people should pay more attention to exercise and less to what they eat and drink. In the aftermath of that investigation, Coca-Cola released data detailing its funding of several medical institutions and associations between 2010 and 2015, from the Academy of Family Physicians to the American Academy of Pediatrics. All told, Coca-Cola says it gave $132.8 million toward scientific research and partnerships.

And earlier this summer, the Associated Press released an investigation that looked at research funded by the National Confectioners Association, a trade group whose members include the makers of Tootsie Rolls, Hershey’s kisses and Snickers bars. One study the group funded concluded that kids who eat candy tend to weigh less than those who don’t. In an email to her co-author, the AP reported, one of the scientists behind that study wrote that the finding was “thin and clearly padded.” Nonetheless, the paper was published in a journal called Food & Nutrition Research.

“It’s definitely a problem that so much research in nutrition and health is funded by industry,” says Bonnie Liebman, director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit advocacy group. “When the food industry pays for research, it often gets what it pays for.” And what it pays for is often a pro-industry finding.

Michael Moss is an investigative journalist who focuses on the food industry and author of the expose Salt, Sugar, Fat: How The Food Giants Hooked Us. He says a lot of times, food firms are funding research that they know is going to go their way — a finding they can tout on their packaging to sway consumers to buy their products. The problem is, the findings that get published may be incomplete, highlighting positive outcomes while leaving out negative ones. And then, there are studies that are simply poorly designed.

As a researcher, notes Moss, one can tweak the experimental design “in subtle ways that can lead to a desired conclusion — whether you’re taking money from industry or you yourself have a passion or conclusion you want” to see, he says. “There’s just a lot of bad research out there.”

And yet, as we’ve reported before, this junk nutrition science frequently gets touted in press releases written to drum up interest, then picked up and disseminated by journalists who lack the wherewithal to spot the bad research methodology. In May 2015, science journalist John Bohannon highlighted exactly how this process plays out: He conducted a real — but really poorly designed — study that concluded eating chocolate can help you lose weight, then watched as media outlets ran with the study.

While Bohannon’s study was a deliberate hoax designed to expose the flaws in nutrition science journalism, similarly bad studies get reported on all the time. As Gary Schwitzer of Health News Review, a watchdog group for the media’s coverage of health, told us last year, the problem is extensive. “We have examples of journalists reporting on a study that was never done,” he told us in 2015. “We have news releases from medical journals, academic institutions and industry that mislead journalists, who then mislead the public.”

Given this environment, where bad science on what to eat or drink is pervasive, what’s a consumer to do? Be skeptical when reading about the latest finding in nutrition science, says Moss.

Ignore the latest study that pops up on your news feed, adds Liebman. “Rely on health experts who’ve reviewed all the evidence,” she says. She points to the official government Dietary Guidelines, which are based on reviews of dozens or hundreds of studies. “Experts are able to sift through the evidence and separate the good from bad,” she says.

And that expert advice remains pretty simple, says Nestle. “We know what healthy diets are — lots of vegetables, not too much junk food, balanced calories. Everything else is really difficult to do experimentally.”

51. B)They turned public attention away from the health risks of sugar to fat.

52. D) Nearly all of them serve the purpose of the funders.

53. A) Exercise is more important to good health than diet.

54. C) It rarely results in objective findings.

55. D)Think twice about new nutrition research findings.

Part IV Translation (30 minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.

铁观音（Tieguanyin）是中国最受欢迎的茶之一，原产自福建省安溪县西坪镇，如今安溪全县普遍种植，但该县不同地区生产的铁观音又各具风味。铁观音一年四季均可采摘，尤以春秋两季采摘的茶叶品质最佳。铁观音加工非常复杂，需要专门的技术和丰富的经验。铁观音含有多种维生素，喝起来口感独特。常饮铁观音有助于预防心脏病、降低血压、增强记忆力。

【参考译文】

Tieguanyin is one of the most popular types of tea in China. It was originally produced in Xiping Town, Anxi County, Fujian Province. Nowadays, Tieguanyin is widely grown in Anxi County, but Tieguanyin, produced in different regions of the county, has its own flavor. The tea leaves of Tieguanyin can be picked in all seasons, but those picked in spring and autumn have the best quality. The processing of Tieguanyin is very complicated and requires expertise as well as rich experience. Tieguanyin contains a variety of vitamins and possesses a unique texture. Drinking Tieguanyin regularly helps prevent heart disease, lower blood pressure and improve memory.

【解析】

铁观音(Tieguanyin)是中国最受欢迎的茶之一，原产自福建省安溪县西坪镇，如今安溪全县普遍种植，但该县不同地区生产的铁观音又各具风味。

解析：原句较长，可以在前两个逗号处切分，使其变成三个短句，然后分别进行翻译。第一部分中，“最受欢迎的”可以翻译为the most popular；第二部分中，“原产”可以翻译为被动语态was originally produced，也可以翻译为动词originated，需要用一般过去时，地点需要从小到大描述，即Xiping Town, Anxi County, Fujian Province；第三部分中，两个分句之间存在转折关系，需要运用表示转折的连词，“各具风味”可以翻译为has its own flavor。

Tieguanyin is one of the most popular types of tea in China. It was originally produced in Xiping Town, Anxi County, Fujian Province. Nowadays, Tieguanyin is widely grown in Anxi County, but Tieguanyin, produced in different regions of the county, has its own flavor.

铁观音一年四季均可采摘，尤以春秋两季采摘的茶叶品质最佳。

解析：主语可补充为The tea leaves of Tieguanyin，下半句中再次出现“茶叶”，可以用those进行替换，避免重复。“一年四季”可以直接翻译为in all seasons，“采摘”可以翻译为被动的(be) picked，“春秋两季采摘的茶叶”可以翻译为those picked in spring and autumn。

The tea leaves of Tieguanyin can be picked in all seasons, but those picked in spring and autumn have the best quality.

铁观音加工非常复杂，需要专门的技术和丰富的经验。

解析：“加工”可以翻译为progressing，“复杂”可以翻译为形容词complicated，“专门的技术”可以翻译为一个词expertise，也可以翻译为一个词组specialized skills。

The processing of Tieguanyin is very complicated and requires expertise as well as rich experience.

铁观音含有多种维生素，喝起来口感独特。

解析：两个小分句中间可以用and并列连接起来。“维生素”的英文是vitamin；“口感”可以翻译为texture或者taste。

Tieguanyin contains a variety of vitamin and possesses a unique texture.

常饮铁观音有助于预防心脏病、降低血压、增强记忆力。

解析：“预防心脏病”可以翻译为prevent heart disease；“降低血压”可以翻译为lower blood pressure；“增强记忆力”可以翻译为improve/enhance memory。

Drinking Tieguanyin regularly helps prevent heart disease, lower blood pressure and improve memory.

Part II Listening Comprehension听力原文
Section A
Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

NEWS 1

And finally in tonight’s news, a nine-year-old boy named Joe told not to draw in class wins a job decorating a restaurant with his drawings rather than shutting down the habit of drawing in his school’s workbook.

Joe’s parents decided to encourage his creativity by sending their son to an after-school art class. His teacher recognized Joe’s talent and posted all his work online, which led to something pretty wonderful. A restaurant named Number 4 in Newcastle contacted Joe’s teachers to ask if the nine-year-old could come and decorated the dining room with his drawings. Every day after school, Joe's dad drives him to the restaurant, so he can put his ideas straight on the wall.

Once he's all done, the work will remain there permanently. Joe’s dad says, Joe is a really talented little boy. He’s excellent at school. He's great at football, but drawing is definitely what he is most passionate about.

Q1. What did Joe’s parents decide to do?

Q2. What did the restaurant, Number 4, do?

NEWS 2

Christine Marshall, a 34-year-old mum of one posted a tearful video on social media, Wednesday, begging for the safe return of her beloved pet dog. After combing through the security video outside a global’s shop, Christine has now posted an image of a man suspected of stealing the dog. The image appears to show a man carrying the dog in his arms.

Christine also believes the video obtained from the shop shows the dog being stolen by a man before driving off in a car, which had been waiting nearby. The family is now offering a 5,000 pound reward for the safe return of the dog after launching a social media campaign to find the thief. The dog is six and a half years old and was last seen wearing a red collar.

Christine said “We will pay that to anyone who brings him home, as long as they are not responsible for his disappearance. Please on investigating the incident”.

Q3. What is Christine Marshall trying to do?

Q4. What does the news report say about Christine Marshall’s family?

NEWS 3

London’s eggs and bread cafe offers boiled eggs, toast, jam, and bacon, as well as tea, coffee, and orange juice. But at the end of the meal, customers don’t have to worry about the bill. Hungry customers can pay whatever amount they can afford to eat at the cafe or nothing at all. Owner Guy Wilson says his cafe aims to build community rather than profits. He wants to provide a bridge for people to connect in an area that has been divided by class and wealth, by providing affordable breakfast. The cafe is open in the mornings every day of the year, and has two members of staff or supervisors on shift every day. The cafe doesn’t use volunteers, but pays its staff to ensure consistency in its service. It doesn't take donations and doesn’t want to be seen as a charity. Mr. Wilson says when people start to know other people around them, they realize they’re not that different and whatever their financial background or their educational background, most people will have something in common with each other. He says it’s important that his cafe can offer his customers security and permanence.

Q5. What does Guy Wilson say his cafe aims to do?

Q6. What does the news report say about eggs and bread cafe?

Q7. What happens when people start to know each other according to Guy Wilson?

CONVERSATION 1

M: So what time do you think we should have the party on Saturday?

W: How about inviting people to come at 6:00 PM, then we'll have the afternoon to prepare food and drink and stuff like that?

M: Yes. I was thinking that around six would be good too. What food should we provide?

W: Well, I had thought about baking a cake and some biscuits, and now I think we should prepare some sandwiches and snacks and some other kinds of food so that people can just help themselves rather than getting everyone to sit down at the table to eat a meal. I think that’s a bit too formal. It's better to let people walk around and talk to each other or sit where they like.

M: Yes, that sounds good. I’ll go to the supermarket to get some drinks. I think I might try that big new supermarket on the other side of town, see what they have. I’ve not been there before. I think we should get some beer and wine and some fruit juice and other soft drinks. What do you think?

W: Sounds great. I think those drinks will be enough. And I heard that the new supermarket offers some big discounts to attract customers, so going there should be a great idea. What should we do about music?

M：Maybe we should also ask Pual to bring his computer and speakers so that we can play some music. He has a great collection of different stuff. Yes. All right.

Q8. What are the speakers mainly talking about?

Q9. Why does the woman say it is a good idea to serve foods that guests can help themselves too?

Q10. What does the woman say about the new supermarket?

CONVERSATION 2

W: I’m thinking of buying a car. I wouldn’t need to use it every day, but I think it would be very convenient to have one for the weekends.

M: That's exciting. Would this be your first car?

W: Nope.

M: I actually owned a car for a little while when I lived in Miami. You see, in America, many cities don't have good public transport. So most people need their own car to get around.

W: I see.

M: So have you got your mindset on a specific model?

W: No, not really. I've heard that German cars are very reliable, but I haven’t decided on a specific model yet. I’d also like it to be small so that it's easy to drive in the city.

M: I have a friend who sells second-hand cars. In fact, I think his family owns the business. He’s a really nice guy and he knows a lot about cars. I could give you his phone number if you want, and you could call him and ask him questions.

W: Hmm. That’s nice of you, but I don’t want to feel obliged to buy one of his car.

M: Oh no. He’s not like that. He’s a good friend of mine and he would never try to pressure you.

W: Well, if you trust him, then I guess it should be okay. To be honest, I could use some help in deciding what type of vehicle would best suit my needs. Speaking to an expert would be a good idea.

M: Exactly. You have nothing to worry about. He’s a lovely guy and he'll be happy to help.

Q13. What does the woman say about German cars?

Q14. What does the man recommend the woman do?

Q15. What do we learn about the Loinbo's friend from the conversation?

PASSAGE 1

Pigs are not native to North America. They were first introduced to California by Spanish and Russian explorers and settlers many centuries ago. In the early times, pigs were allowed to wander freely and search of food. This practice also allowed many pigs to escape from farms and live in the wild, which became a problem.

In fact, as one of the most damaging invasive species on the continent, wild pigs caused millions of dollars in crop damage yearly. They also harbored dozens of diseases that threaten both humans and farm animals. Forest patches with wild pigs have been found to have considerably reduced plant and animal diversity.

In addition to either eating other animals or their food supply, wild pigs damaged native habitats by reaching up crosses and rubbing on trees. Their activities may also create opportunities for invasive plants to colonize these areas. Wild pigs will eat almost anything containing calories. Mice, deer, birds, snakes and frogs are among their victims.

They can also harm other wild species through indirect competition rather than eating them or shrinking their food supply. On one particular United States island, wild pigs themselves became an attractive food source for a species of mainland eagle. Eagles began breeding on the island and also feeding on a species of native fox. The foxes were almost wiped out completely.

Q16. What do we learn about early pigs in North America?

Q17. Why are wild pigs a threat to humans?

Q18. What does the passage say about the native foxes on a U.S. island?

PASSAGE 2

A pair of entrepreneurs are planning to build and launch a spacecraft that would carry and roast coffee beans in outer space. The craft will use the heat of re-entry to roast coffee beans, as they float inside it in a pressurized tank. The effect would be to roast the beans all over and produce perfect coffee. The businessmen say that on earth, beans can easily break apart and get burned in the roaster. But if gravity is removed, the beans float around and in a heated oven, receiving 360 degrees of evenly distributed heat and roasting to near perfection. The spacecraft will reach a height of around 200 kilometers. The beans would then be roasted and the heat generated by the crafts 20 minute re-entry into earth's atmosphere. Temperatures and the pressurized tank will be kept to around 200 degrees Celsius. Once back on earth, the planet’s first space roasted beans would be used to make coffee that would be sold for the first time in Dubai. This is where the pair’s company is based. It is not clear how much they would charge for a cup. Surprisingly, the Space Roaster concept-should it go ahead-will not be the first attempt to take coffee into space. In 2015, two Italian companies collaborated on the construction of a similar type of spacecraft, which was the first coffee machine designed for use in space.

Q19. What are a pair of entrepreneurs planning to do?

Q20. What does the passage say about coffee beans roasted on earth?

Q21. What did the two Italian companies do in 2015?

PASSAGE 3

In cold and snowy Alaska, there’s a village called Takotna. It has a population of mere 49 adults. Each March, this tiny village swells up in numbers because it is located in the middle of a race that takes place every year. It is a seven-day race called “The Iditarod Trail”. And participants stop at Takotna for the obligatory 24 hour rest.

Lucky for them, Takotna is famous for its delicious fruit pies. Weeks before the competitors arrive, the residents of Takotna start preparing what is without question their biggest event of the year. The whole village chips in to help, including the kids, who end up developing their baking skills at an early age. Exhausted and hungry racers are greeted with delightful pies of all kinds, such as apple, orange, lemon, or banana.

They consume the pies and a stomach warming race fuel. The toughness of the race allows for racers to eat pretty much whatever they want. The more calories, the better. Takotna has gained a reputation for its dessert-based hospitality since the 1970s. It started with one person, Jane Newton. Jane moved from Iditarod with her husband in 1972 and opened a restaurant. A rich and filling fruit pies quickly got the races attention, and the village gained some fame as a result. Proud residents then started to refer to Jane as queen of Takotna.

Q22. Why do a lot of people come to the village of Takotna every March?

Q23. What is the village of Takotna famous for?

Q24. Who comes to help with the event of the year?

Q25. What does the passage say about Jane Newton?