2021年12月大学英语四级考试题(第2套)

2021 年 12 月大学英语四级考试真题（第 2 套）

Part Ⅰ

Directions: Suppose you have just participated in a school project of collecting used books on campus. You are now to write a report about the project, which may include its aim, organizers, participants and activities. You will have 30 minutes to write the report. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words. Writing (30 minutes)

PartⅡ Listening Comprehension (30 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 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) It found a pet dog on board a plane to a city in Texas.

B) It had one of its cargo planes land at a wrong airport C) It sent two dogs to the wrong destinations. D) It had two of its domestic flights mixed up 2. A) Correct their mistake as soon as possible.

B) Give the two pets a physical checkup. C) Hire a charter jet to bring the pets back. D) Send another plane to continue the flight.

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

3. A) She weighs 130 kilograms

C) She was brought from Africa. 4.A) It took 22 hours. C) It was smooth.

5.A) It enjoyed great popularity. C) It was frequented by newly-weds 6.A) Expand his business on the beach. B) Replace the restaurant’s wooden deck.

B) She has had babies before D) She has a big family of six. B) It had some complications

D) It was monitored by Dr. Sue Tygielski B) It started business three years ago. D) It was built above the sea-water.

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

C) Post a picture of his restaurant online. D) Celebrate his silver wedding anniversary. 7.A) She sold it for two thousand dollars B) She took it to the restaurant manager C) She posted its picture on Facebook D) she returned it to its owner right away

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) The number of ducks has declined sharply in recent years.

B) Climate change has little effect on the lives of wild ducks. C) Duck meat is not eaten in Australia, Canada and the U.S. D) Duck hunting remains legal in many parts of the world. 9. A) Droughts.

C) Farming.

10. A) They are not easy to domesticate.

C) It is not environmentally friendly 11 A) They hunted ducks as a traditional sport. C) They raised ducks and geese for their eggs.

B) Bushfires. D) Hunting.

B) Their meat is not that popular. D) It is not considered cost-effective B) They killed wild ducks and geese for food. D) They poisoned wild ducks in large numbers

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

12.A) Have her house repainted C) Move into a newly-painted house 13.A) How long the work will take C) How the paint job is to be done. 14.A) Cover up her furniture C)Stay somewhere else

B) Replace some of her old furniture D) Calculate the cost of the paint job B) How much the work will cost. D) How many workers are needed B) Ask some friends for help D) Oversee the work herself

15.A) She could have asked a friend for help with the paint job B) Painting a house involves more trouble than she thought C) she should have repainted her house much earlier D) Moving her furniture is harder than the paint job

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.

16.A) To cultivate good habits. B) To prepare for secondary school. C) To review what is learned in class D) To stimulate interest in learning.

17.A) Discuss their academic achievements with them B) Create an ideal study environment for them C) Allow them to learn independently D) Check their homework promptly 18.A) Finish them before they get tired B) Tackle the most difficult task first C) Start with something they enjoy D) Focus on the most important ones

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

19.A) Workers who meet its body weight standards B) Workers who can lose 30 pounds in a year C) Workers who try the hardest to lose weight D) Workers who are in the top 10% of the slimmest 20.A) Impractical B) Inconsistent C) Unmanageable D) Unfair

21.A) Offer them much fatter bonuses. B) Improve working environment. C) Encourage healthy behaviors D) Provide free lunch and snacks

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

22.A) It has not done enough to help left-handed children. B) It has treated left-handed children as being disabled. C) It has not built facilities specially for the left-handed. D) It has ignored campaigns on behalf of the left-handed. 23.A) They are as intelligent as other children. B) They have a distinctive style of handwriting C) They sometimes have psychological problems.

D) They tend to have more difficulties in learning.

24.A) Punish teachers discriminating against left-handed students B) Lay more emphasis on improving children’s mental health C) Encourage students to develop various professional skills D) Keep track of left-handed children’s school performance, 25.A) How they can be reduced in number. B) Why their numbers are so high C) What percentage they account for D) If their percentage keeps increasing

Part Ⅲ Section A

Reading Comprehension

(40 minutes)

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.

It is commonly believed that the great English dramatist and poet William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23, 1564. But it is impossible to know the 26 day on which he was born. Church records show he was baptized( 施洗礼)on April 26, and three days was a customary amount of time to wait before baptizing a newly born baby. Shakespeare’s date of death is 27 known, however: it was April 23, 1616. He was 52 and had retired to Stratford three years before.

Although few plays have been performed or analyzed as extensively as the 38 plays Shakespeare wrote, there are few surviving details about his life.This 28 of biographical information is due primarily to his social 29 ; he was not a noble, but the son of a leather trader. Shakespeare 30 attended the grammar school in Stratford, where he would have studied Latin and read 31 literature. He did not go to university and at age 18 married Anne Hathaway, who was eight years his 32 .They had four children, including the twins, Hamnet and Judith. Nothing is known of the period between the birth of the twins and Shakespeare’s 33 as a dramatist in London in the early 1590s

In a million words written over 20 years, he 34 the full range of human emotions and conflicts with a 35 that remains sharp today. As his great contemporary the poet and dramatist Ben Jonson said, “He was not of an age, but for all time.”

A) captured B) classical C) conclusively D) emergence

I)precision J)probably K)quality L)scarcity

E) exact F) generated G) particular H) position

M) senior N)separated O) systematically

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.

How to not be boring

[A] Humans are creatures of habit. We love to establish a routine and stick with it. Then we often put ourselves on auto-pilot. Routines can be incredibly useful in helping you get things done. However, too much of a routine can also make you incredibly boring. Nevertheless, many people live lives that are boringly predictable, or live a life where everything is outlined or planned. [B] To tell the truth, interesting people are more popular among their friends. If you don’t arouse someone's curiosity or brighten someone’s day, you probably come across as being a little bit dull. But that doesn’t mean your life has ended and you can't do anything to change it. If you find yourself searching for something to say beyond small talk, try these tactics to find more interesting approaches to conversation.

[C] Recently, I was at a gathering of colleagues when someone turned to me and asked, \"So, what's new with you?” Ordinarily, I think I’m a good conversationalist. After all,it's literally my job to talk to people and tell their stories or share their advice. And that's not exactly an unexpected question. Still, the only “new-lo-me” topics that came to mind were my daughter’s basketball tournament （ 锦 标 赛 ） and my feelings about that morning’s political headlines neither amusing nor appropriate topics at that moment.

[D] Oh, no, I thought.Have I become boring? But sharing our experiences in an authentic way to connect with other people is what makes us interesting, says associate professor Michael Pirson.The hesitation I felt in not sharing the ordinary things that were happening in my life, and the wild mental search for something more interesting, may have backfired and made me seem less interesting.

[E] “If someone is making up some conversation that might be interesting, it’s probably not going to land well,” says Pirson, whose expertise includes trust and well-being, mindfulness, and humanistic management. “It’s going to feel like a made-up conversation that people don’t necessarily want to tune in to.”

[F] The most interesting people aren’t those who've gone on some Eat, Pray, Love journey to find themselves. Instead, Pirson says, they’re those who examine the ordinary.” Often, the ‘boring things’ may not be boring at all. Maybe they are actually little miracles,\" he says. Share your

observations about the world around you --- interesting stories you heard or things you noticed---and you may be surprised by the universal connection they inspire.

[G] This is essentially how Jessica Hagy starts her day. The author of How to Be Interesting: An Instruction Manual, Hagy spends a lot of time thinking about what's interesting to her. People who are interesting are persistently curious, she says.

[H] Think about the everyday things around you and ask questions about them. What is that roadside monument I sec on my way to work every day? Who built that interesting building in my city? What nearby attractions haven’t I visited? Why do people do things that way? Use what you find to ask more questions and learn more about the world around you. “Having that sort of curiosity is almost like a protective gear from getting into boredom,” she says. And when you find things that are truly interesting to you, share them.

[I] Television veteran Audrey Morrissey, executive producer of NBC’s The Voice, is always looking for what will make a person or story interesting to viewers. It’s usually a matter of individuality. “Having a strong point of' view, signature style, or being a super-enthusiast in a particular field makes someone interesting,\" she says. That means embracing what is truly interesting or unique about yourself. “Many people are ‘not boring’ in the way that they can carry a conversation or can be good at a social gathering, etc. To be interesting means that you have lived life, taken risks, traveled, sought out experience to learn for yourself and share with others,\" she says.

[J] Of course, it’s possible to be a fountain of knowledge and a boring person, says public relations consultant Andrea Pass, Paying attention to the listener is an important part of having a conversation that’s interesting to both parties. Talking on and on about what’s interesting to you isn’t going to make you an interesting person, she says.

[K] “If the listener is not paying attention, it’s your sign to shorten the story or change direction. Make sure to bring the audience into the conversation so that it is not one-sided,” Pass says. Be a better listener yourself, and give others opportunities to participate in the conversation by inviting them with questions or requests to share their own experiences or thoughts.(e.g., “Now,tell me about your favorite book,” or “Have you ever been to that attraction?”) Questions are a powerful tool, especially when they encourage others to disclose information about themselves. A 2012 study from the University of California, Santa Barbara, found that roughly 40% of the time we are talking, we’re disclosing subjective information about our experience. And when we’re doing so, our brains are more engaged. So one strategy to leave others with the impression that you’re a sparkling conversation partner is to get others to talk. about themselves.

[L] Being relatable is also essential, Morrissey says.\"The best entertainment and storytelling comes from people who are relatable---those who don’t shy away from opening up but freely share who they are and what they care about.These are the people viewers most relate to and find interesting. Being authentic, honest, and vulnerable is always interesting.\"

[M] I have now come to realize that being boring, in actuality, is not only about who you are as a

person, but also how you present yourself. No matter what, make sure you are having fun in life. Because when you are enjoying, people around you will begin to enjoy as well. Show some interest in them and they will definitely show some in you. If' you are a very reserved person, this could be a little difficult at first. But with a little effort, you can definitely improve.

36. Pirson claims that some ordinary things may often prove to be miraculously interesting. 37. To make a conversation interesting, it is important that you listen to the other party attentively. 38. A person who is unable to stimulate others’ curiosity or make their life enjoyable may appear

somewhat boring.

39. Interesting people usually possess certain unique qualities, according to a TV program producer. 40. Be interested in others and they are sure to be interested in you. 41. The author considers himself usually good at conducting conversations.

42.Interesting people are always full of curiosity.

43. Falling into a routine can turn a person into an utter bore.

44. One strategy to be a good conversationalist is to morivate your partner to tell their own stories.

45.lnteresting as it might appear, a made-up conversation will probably turn out to be dull.

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.

With obesity now affecting 2% of the population in England, and expected to rise to 35% by 2030, should we now recognise if as a disease? Obesity, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that health may be adversely affected, meets the dictionary definition of disease, argues Professor John Wilding. He points out that more than 200 genes influence weight. “Thus body weight is strongly influenced by biology----it is not an individual’s fault if they develop obesity.\" Yet the widespread view is that obesity is self-induced and that it is entirely the

individual's responsibility to do something about it. Recognising obesity as a chronic disease with severe complications rather than a lifestyle choice “should help reduce the stigma ( 耻 辱 ） and discrimination experienced by many people with obesity.” he adds.

Professor Wilding disagrees that labelling a high proportion of the population as having a disease removes personal responsibility or may overwhelm health services, pointing out that other common diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, require people to take action to manage their condition. He suggests that most people with obesity will eventually develop complications. “But unless we accept that obesity is a disease, we are not going to be able to tackle it.” he concludes.

But Dr.Richard Pile, a physician with a special interest in diabetes, argues that adopting this approach\"could actually result in worse outcomes for individuals and society.” He believes that he dictionary definition of disease “is so vague that we can classify almost anything as a disease” and says the question is not whether we can, but whether we should, and to what end.

If labelling obesity as a disease was harmless then it wouldn’t really matter, he writes. But labelling obesity as a disease “risks reducing autonomy, disempowering and robbing people of the intrinsic(内在的)motivation that is such an important enabler of change.” What’s more, making obesity a disease “may not benefit patients, but it will benefit healthcare providers and the pharmaceutical(制药的)industry when health insurance and clinical guidelines promote treatment with drugs and surgery,” he warns.

46.What does Professor John Wilding argue about obesity? A) Its impact on society is expected to rise. B) It is now too widespread to be neglected. C) It should be regarded as a genetic disease. D) Its dictionary definition should be updated. 47.What is the popular view of obesity? A) It is difficult to define. B) It is a modem disease.

C) It has much to do with one’s genes. D) It results from a lack of self-control.

48. Why are some people opposed to labelling obesity as a disease?

A)Obese people would not feel responsible to take any action. B) Obese people would not be able to afford the medical costs. C) Obese people would be overwhelmed with anxiety. D) Obese people would be discriminated against.

49. What does Dr. Richard Pile think of the dictionary definition of disease?

A) It is of no use in understanding obesity. B)It is too inclusive and thus lacks clarity. C) It helps little to solve patients’ problems. D) It matters little to the debate over obesity.

50. What is Dr. Richard Pile's concern about classifying obesity as a disease?

A) It may affect obese people’s quality of life. B) It may accelerate the spread of obesity. C) It may cause a shortage of doctors. D) It may do little good to patients. Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

Nationwide, only about three percent of early childhood teachers are male in the U.S. Experts

say this can have an impact on young children whose understanding of gender roles and identity are rapidly forming. Research has found that having access to diverse teachers is beneficial for children. For the youngest learners, it means they are more likely to get exposed to different varieties of play and communication. It also helps them develop healthy ideas around gender.

“In our world and our society, we have very specific stereotypes（模式化形象）of gender roles,”said Mindi Reich-Shapiro, an assistant professor in the teacher education department of the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and one of the authors of a recent study.” It’s important for children to see other possibilities and other paths they can take.”

Despite mostly feeling supported by colleagues and family members,many of the male educators surveyed in the study reported facing social or cultural resistance in their careers as early education teachers. Some also reported that there were parents surprised or concerned that their child had a male teacher. And they had been advised by colleagues or other staff not to hug children.

Reich-Shapiro and fellow researchers made several recommendations lo increase male representation in the field. Low pay has long been acknowledged as a major issue in the early childhood field. Over 70% of male educators who said they intended to stay in the early education workforce noted an increased salary was a major motivating factor for them to commit to the career long-term. The report suggests paying all early childhood educators the way elementary school teachers are paid.

Cities and programs should establish support groups for male early childhood educators and provide mentoring and professional development advice for male educators and their program leaders.

The authors also suggest that traditional recruitment approaches for early childhood educators “do not address the gender gap in the field.” They recommend providing young men opportunities to work with children through training and volunteer programs, targeting groups of men who are considering a career change, such as fathers.

51. What do we learn from the first paragraph about early childhood education in the U.S.?

A) It helps raise children’s awareness of gender roles. B) It exposes children to different ways of interaction. C) It is negatively impacted by a lack of male teachers. D) It clearly aims to form children’s identity through play.

52. What does Mindi Reich-Shapiro emphasize in her comment on childhood education?

A)The importance of broadening children’s horizons. B) The responsibilities of fathers for children’s growth. C) The urgency of creating teacher education programs. D) The role of teachers in motivating children to learn.

53. What do we learn about male teachers from their responses in the study?

A) Some of them find it awkward when hugging children.

B)They feel pressured to keep up with female colleagues. C)They find it hard to meet the expectations of kids’ parents. D) Many of them feel prejudiced against socially and culturally. 54.What is needed for men to commit to early childhood education? A) Higher pay. B) Job security. C) Social recognition. D) Better working conditions.

55.What do the authors of the study recommend to bridge the gender gap in early childhood education?

A) Recruiting young men who have a passion for educating young children. B) Taking measures to attract prospective male teachers to work in the field. C) Persuading prospective fathers to consider a change in their career. D) Providing male teachers with more opportunities for advancement.

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.

大运河(Grand Canal)是世界上最长的人工河，北起北京，南至杭州。它是中国历史上最宏伟 的工程之一。大运河始建于公元前4世纪，公元13世纪末建成。修建之初是为了运输粮食， 后来也用于运输其他商品。大运河沿线区域逐渐发展成为中国的工商业中心。长久以来，大 运河对中国的经济发展发挥了重要作用，有力地促进了南北地区之间的人员往来和文化交流。