2016年12月英语四级真题及答案卷一文字版发布
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions orunfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C andD . You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Recently I attended several meetings where we talked about ways to retain students and keepyounger faculty members from going elsewhere.
It seems higher education has become an industry of meeting-holders whose task it is to "solve"problems--real or imagined. And in my position as a professor at three different colleges, the actualproblems in educating our young people and older students have deepened, while the number of peoplehired--not to teach but to hold meetings--has increased significantly. Every new problem creates anew job for an administrative fixer. Take our Center for Teaching Excellence. Contrary to its title, thecenter is a clearing house (信息交流中心) for using technology in classrooms and in online courses.It's an administrative sham (欺诈) of the kind that has multiplied over the last 30 years.
I offer a simple proposition in response: Many of our problems--class attendance, educationalsuccess, student happiness and well-being--might be improved by cutting down the bureaucratic ( 官僚的) mechanisms and meetings and instead hiring an army of good teachers. If we replaced half of ouradministrative staff with classroom teachers, we might actually get a majority of our classes back to 20or fewer students per teacher. This would be an environment in which teachers and students actuallyknew each other.
The teachers must be free to teach in their own way--the curriculum should be flexible enough sothat they can use their individual talents to achieve the goals of the course. Additionally, they should beallowed to teach, and be rewarded for doing it well. Teachers are not people who are great at andconsumed by research and happen to appear in a classroom. Good teaching and research are notexclusive, but they are also not automatic companions. Teaching is an art and a craft, talent andpractice; it is not something that just anyone can be good at. It is utterly confusing to me that peopledo not recognize this, despite the fact that pretty much anyone who has been a student can tell thedifference between their best and worst teachers.
46. What does the author say about present-day universities?
A. They are effectively tackling real or imagined problems.
B. They often fail to combine teaching with research.
C. They are over-burdened with admires" trative staff.
D. They lack talent to fix their deepening problems.
47. According to the author, what kind of people do universities lack most?
A. Good classroom teachers.
B. Efficient administrators.
C. Talented researchers.
D. Motivated students.
48. What does the author imply about the classes at present?
A. They facilitate students' independent learning.
B. They help students form closer relationships.
C. They have more older students than before.
D. They are much bigger than is desirable.
49. What does the author think of teaching ability?
A. It requires talent and practice.
B. It is closely related to research.
C. It is a chief factor affecting students' learning.
D. It can be acquired through persistent practice.
50. What is the author's suggestion for improving university teaching?
A. Creating an environment for teachers to share their teaching experiences.
B. Hiring more classroom teachers and allowing them to teach in their own way.
C. Using high technology in classrooms and promoting exchange of information.
D. Cutting down meetings and encouraging administrative staff to go to classrooms.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
The secret to eating less and being happy about it may have been cracked years ago--byMcDonald's. According to a new study from Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab, small non-foodrewards--like the toys in McDonald's Happy Meals--stimulate the same reward centers in the brain asfood does.
The researchers, led by Martin Reimann, carried out a series of experiments to see if people wouldchoose a smaller meal ff it was paired with a non-food item.
They found that the majority of both kids and adults opted for a haft-sized portion when combinedwith a prize. Both options were priced the same.
Even more interesting is that the promise of a future reward was enough to make adults choose thesmaller portion. One of the prizes used was a lottery ticket ( 彩票), with a $10, $ 50 or $100 payout,and this was as effective as a tangible gift in persuading people to eat less.
"The fact that participants were willing to substitute part of a food item for the mere prospect of a
relatively small monetary award is interesting," says Reimann.
He theorizes that it is the emotional component of these intangible prizes that make them effective.In fact, vaguely-stated possibilities of winning a prize were more effective than options with hard oddsincluded.
"One explanation for this finding is that possible awards may be more emotionally provoking thancertrainty Reimann." The of added attraction andawards,"saysuncertainty winningprovidesdesirability through emotional ' thrills. ' The possibility of receiving an award also produces a state ofhope--a state that is in itself psychologically rewarding. " In other words, there's a reason why peoplelike to gamble.
How might this knowledge be used to help people eat more healthily?
One possibility is a healthy option that offers the chance to win a spa (温泉疗养) weekend. Ormaybe the reward of a half-sized portion could be a half-sized dessert to be claimed only on a futuredate. That would get you back in the restaurant--and make you eat a little less.
51. What do we learn about McDonald's inclusion of toys in its Happy Meals?
A. It may shed light on people's desire to crack a secret.
B. It has proved to be key to McDonald's business success.
C. It appeals to kid's curiosity to fred out what is hidden inside.
D. It may be a pleasant way for kids to reduce their food intake.
52. What is the finding of the researchers led by Martin Reimann?
A. Reducing food intake is not that difficult if people go to McDonald's more.
B. Most kids and adults don't actually feel hungry when they eat half of their meal.
C. Eating a smaller portion of food does good to the health of kids and adults alike.
D. Most kids and adults would choose a smaller meal that came with a non-food item.
53. What is most interesting in Martin Reimann's fmding?
A. Kids preferred an award in the form of money to one in the form of a toy.
B. Adults chose the smaller portion on the mere promise of a future award.
C. Both kids and adults felt satisfied with only half of their meal portions.
D. Neither children nor adults could resist the temptation of a free toy.
54. How does Martin Reimann interpret his finding?
A. The emotional component of the prizes is at work.
B. People now care more about quality than quantity.
C. People prefer certainty awards to possible awards.
D. The desire for a future reward is overwhelming.
55. What can we infer from Martin Reimann's finding?
A. People should eat much less if they wish to stay healthy and happy.
B. More fast food restaurants are likely to follow McDonald's example.
C. We can lead people to eat less while helping the restaurant business.
D. More studies are needed to find out the impact of emotion on behavior.
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