2015年12月英语四级真题（卷一）
篇
Could youreproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?
It wouldn’t besurprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because youcouldn’t reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make aSilicon Valley?
It’s the rightpeople. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from SiliconValley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.
You only needtwo kinds of people to create a technology hub （中心）:rich people and nerds （痴迷科研的人）.
Observationbears this out. Within the US, towns have become startup hubs if and only ifthey have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, forexample, because although it’s full of rich people, it has few nerds. It’s notthe kind of place nerds like.
WhereasPittsburg has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people. Thetop US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, andCarnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128. Stanford and Berkeley yielded SiliconValley. But what did Carnegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And whathappened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list.
I grew up inPittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. Theweather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there’s no interesting oldcity to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don’t want to livein Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there are plenty of hackers （电脑迷）who could start startups, there’s no one to invest in them.
Do you reallyneed the rich people? Wouldn’t it work to have the government invest the nerds?No, it would not. Startup investors are a distinct type of rich people. Theytend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. Thishelps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice andconnections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake inthe outcome makes them really pay attention.
56. What do welearn about Silicon Valley from the passage?
A) Its success is hard to copy any where else.
B) It is the biggest technology hub in the US.
C) Its fame in high technology is incomparable.
D) It leads the world in information technology.
57. What makesMiami unfit to produce a Silicon Valley?
A) Lack of incentive for investments.
B) Lack of the right kind of talents.
C) Lack of government support.
D) Lack of famous universities.
58. In that wayis Carnegie-Mellon different from Stanford, Berkeley and MIT?
A) Its location is not as attractive to rich people
B) Its science department are not nearly as good
C) It does not produce computer hackers and nerds
D) It does not pay much attention to business startups
59. What doesthe author imply about Boston?
A) It has pleasant weather all year round.
B) It produces wealth as well as high-tech
C) It is not likely to attract lots of investor and nerds.
D) It is an old city with many sites of historical interest.
60. What doesthe author say about startup investors?
A) They are especially wise in making investments.
B) They have good connections in the government.
C) They can do more than providing money.
D) They are enough to invest in nerds.
第二篇
It’s nice to have people of like mindaround. Agreeable people boost your confidence and allow you to relax and feelcomfortable. Unfortunately, that comfort can hinder the very learning that canexpand your company and your career.
It’s nice to have people agree, but youneed conflicting perspectives to dig out the truth. If everyone around you hassimilar views, your work will suffer from confirmation bias. (偏颇)
Take a look at your own network. Do youcontacts share your point of view on most subjects? It yes, it’s time to shakethings up. As a leader, it can be challenging to create an environment in whichpeople will freely disagree and argue, but as the saying goes: Fromconfrontation comes brilliance.
It’s not easy for most people to activelyseek conflict. Many spend their lives trying to avoid arguments. There’s noneed to go out and find people you hate, but you need to do someself-assessment to determine where you have become stale in your thinking. Youmay need to start by encouraging your current network to help you identify yourblind spots.
Passionate, energetic debate does notrequire anger and hard feelings to be effective. But it does require moralstrength. Once you have worthing opponents, set some ground rules so everyoneunderstands responsibilities and boundaries. The objective of this debatinggame is not to win but to get to the truth that will allow you to move faster,and better.
Fierce debating can hurt feelings,particularly when strong personalities are involved. Make sure your check inwith your opponents so that they are not carrying the emotion of the battlesbeyond the battlefield. Break the tension with smiles and humor to reinforcethe idea that this is friendly discourse and that all are working toward acommon goal.
Reword all those involved in the debatesufficiently when the goals are reached. Let your sparring partners (拳击陪练) know how much you appreciate their contribution. The more theyfeel appreciated, the more they’ll be willing to get into the ring next time.
61.What happens when you have like-mindedpeople around you all the while?
A) It will help your companyexpand more rapidly.
B) It will be create a harmoniousworking atmosphere.
C) It may prevent your businessand career from advancing.
D) It may make you fell uncertainabout your own decision.
62.What does the author suggest leaders do?
A) Avoid arguments with businesspartners.
B) Encourage people to disagreeand argue.
C) Build a wide and strongbusiness network.
D) Seek advice from their worthycompetitors.
63.What is the purpose of holding a debate?
A) To find out the truth about anissue.
B) To build up people’s moralstrength.
C) To remove misunderstandings.
D) To look for worthy opponents.
64.What advice does the author give topeople engaged in a fierce debate?
A) They listen carefully to theiropponents’ views.
B) They slow due respect for eachother’s beliefs.
C) They present their viewsclearly and explicitly.
D) They take care not to hurt eachother’s feelings.
65.How should we treat our rivals after asuccessful debate?
A) Try to make peace with them.
B) Try to make up the differences.
C) Invite them to the ring nexttime.
D) Acknowledge their contribution.
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