2015年英语四级考试每日一练(12月2日)
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单项选择题
1、 Questions are based on the passage you have just heard.
A．It is a good example of the bad effect of noises.
B．It shows what people have discovered about sound.
C．It tells the ideal location of large airports.
D．It stresses the importance of lower planes' noises.
2、听音频，
回答题
A．His colleagues are nice, while the boss is very demanding.
B．His job is very exhausting, but the working condition is nice.
C．His boss is generous, while the colleagues are mean.
D．His work may be unpleasant, yet the pay is not so bad.
3、
Questionsare based on the following passage．
Across the rich world, well-educated people increasingly work longer than the less-skilled．Some65% of American men aged 62 -74 with a professional degree are in the workforce, compared with32% of men with only a high-school certificate．This gap is part of a deepening divide between the well-educated well-off and the unskilled poor．Rapid technological advance has raised the incomes of the highly skilled while squeezing those of the unskilled．The consequences, for individuals and society, are profound．
The world is facing an astonishing rise in the number of old people, and they will live longer than ever before．Over the next 20 years the global population of those aged 65 or more will almost double, from 600 million to 1．1 billion．The experience of the 20th century, when greater longevity (长寿)translated into more years in retirement rather than more years at work, has persuaded many observers that this shift will lead to slower economic growth, while the swelling ranks of pensioners will create government budget problems．
But the notion of a sharp division between the working young and the idle old misses a new trend, the growing gap between the skilled and the unskilled．Employment rates are falling among younger unskilled people, whereas older skilled folk are working longer．The divide is most extreme in America, where well-educated baby-boomers (二战后生育高峰期出生的美国人)are putting off retirement while many less-skilled younger people have dropped out of the workforce．
Policy is partly responsible．Many European governments have abandoned policies that used to encourage people to retire early．Rising life expectancy (预期寿命), combined with the replacement of generous defmed-benefit pension plans with less generous defined-contribution ones, means that even the better-off must work longer to have a comfortable retirement．But the changing nature of work also plays a big role．Pay has risen sharply for the highly educated, and those people continue to reap rich rewards into old age because these days the educated elderly are more productive than the preceding generation．Technological change may well reinforce that shift: the skills that complement computers, from management knowhow to creativity, do not necessarily decline with age．
What is happening in the workforce in rich countries?
A．Younger people are replacing the elderly．
B．Well-educated people tend to work longer．
C．Unemployment rates are rising year after year．
D．People with no college degree do not easily find work．
4、Questions are based on the following passage.
Kodak's decision to file for bankruptcy (破产. protection is a sad, though not unexpected, turningpoint for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumer photography and dominated the filmmarket for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to the digital revolution. Although many attribute Kodak's downfall to "complacency ( 自满 )," that explanation doesn'tacknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself. Decades ago, Kodak anticipatedthat digital photography would overtake film--and in fact, Kodak invented the first digital camera in1975--but in a fateful decision, the company chose to shelf its new discovery to focus on its traditionalfilm business. It wasn't that Kodak was blind to the future, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at HarvardBusiness School, but rather that it failed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time thecompany realized its mistake, it was too late.Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt, and spent a lot ofmoney trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have a difficult time switching to newmarkets because there is a temptation to put existing assets into the new businesses.
Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate
culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary to fullyembrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important to them. Nowtheir history has become a liability.Kodak's downfall over the last several decades was dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded90% of the market for photographic film and 85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s broughtnew competition from Japanese film company Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lowerprices for film and photo supplies. Kodak's decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984Los Angeles Olympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploited itssponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace.
What do we learn about Kodak?
A．It went bankrupt all of a sudden.
B．It is approaching its downfall.
C．It initiated the digital revolution in the film industry.
D．It is playing the dominant role in the film market.
5、听录音,
回答题
A．It was mainly meant for cancer patients．
B．It might appeal more to viewers over 40．
C．It was frequently interrupted by commercials．
D．It could help people of all ages to avoid cancer．
6、
In Hard Economy for All Ages, Older Isn't Better... It's Brutal
[A] Young graduates are in debt, out of work and on their parents' couches. People in their 30s and 40s can't afford to buy homes or have children. Retirees are earning near-zero interest on their savings.
[B] In the current listless (缺乏活力的) economy, every generation has a claim to having been most injured. But the Labor Department's latest jobs reports and other recent data present a strong case for crowning baby boomers (二战后生育高峰期出生的人) as the greatest victims of the recession and its dreadful consequences.
[C] These Americans in their 50s and early 60s--those near retirement age who do not yet have access to Medicare and Social Security--have lost the most earnings power of any age group, with their household incomes 10 percent below what they made when the recovery began three years ago, according to Sentier Research, a data analysis company. Their retirement savings and home values fell sharply at the worst possible time: just before they needed to cash out. They are supporting both aged parents and unemployed young-adult children,earning them the unlucky nickname "Generation Squeeze."
[D] New research suggests that they may die sooner, because their health, income security and mental well-being were battered (重创) by recession at a crucial time in their lives. A recent study by economists at Wellesley College found that people who lost their jobs in the few years before becoming qualified for Social Security lost up to three years from their life expectanv'y (预期寿命), largely because they no longer had access to affordable health care.
[E] Unemployment rates for Americans nearing retirement are far lower than those for young people, who are recently out of school, with fewer skills and a shorter work history. But once out of a job, older workers have a much harder time finding another one. Over the last year, the average duration of unemployment for older people was 53 weeks, compared with 19 weeks for teenagers, according to the Labor Department's jobs report released on Friday.
[F] The lengthy process is partly because older workers are more likely to have been laid off from industries that are downsizing, like manufacturing. Compared with the rest of the population, older people are also more likely to own their own homes and be less mobile than renters, who can move to new job markets.
[G] Older workers are more likely to have a disability of some sort, perhaps limiting the range of jobs that offer realistic choices. They may also be less inclined, at least initially, to take jobs that pay far less than their old positions.
[H] Displaced boomers also believe they are victims of age discrimination, because employers can easily find a young, energetic worker who will accept lower pay and who can potentially stick around for decades rather than a few years.
[I]In a survey of older workers who were laid off during the recession, just one in six had found another job, and half of that group had accepted pay cuts.14% of the re-employed said the pay in their new job was less than half what they earned in their previous job. "I just say to myself: 'Why me? What have I done to deserve this?'" said John Agati,56, whose last full-time job, as a product developer, ended four years ago when his employer went out of business. That position paid $90,000, and his resume lists jobs at companies like American Express, Disney and USA Networks. Since being laid off, though, he has worked a series of part-time, low-wage, temporary positions, including selling shoes at Lord & Taylor and making sales calls for a car company.
[J] The last few years have taken a toil not only on his family's finances, but also on his feelings of self-worth. "You just get sad," Mr. Agati said. "I see people getting up in the morning, going out to their careers and going home. I just wish I was doing that. Some people don't like their jobs, or they have problems with their jobs, but at least they're working. I just wish I was in their shoes."
He said he cannot afford to go back to school, as many younger people without jobs have done. Even if he could afford it, economists say it is unclear whether older workers like him benefit much from more education.
[K] "It just doesn't make sense to offer retraining for people 55 and older," said Daniel Hamermesh, an economics professor."Discrimination by age, long-term unemployment, and the fact that they're now at the end of the hiring queue just don't make it sensible to invest in them."
[L]Many displaced older workers are taking this message to heart and leaving the labor force entirely. The share of older people applying for Social Security early rose quickly during the recession as people sought whatever income they could find. The penalty they will pay is permanent, as retirees who take benefits at age 62 will receive as much as 30% less in each month's check for the rest of their lives than they would if they had waited until full retirement age (66 for those born after 1942).
[M] Those not yet qualified for Social Security are increasingly applying for another, comparable kind of income support that often goes to people who expect never to work again: disability benefits. More than one in eight people in their late 50s is now on some form of federal disability insurance program, according to Professor Mark Duggan at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.
[N] The very oldest Americans, of course, were battered by some of the same ill winds that tormented(折磨) those now nearing retirement, but at least the most senior were cushioned by a more readily available social safety net. More important, in a statistical twist, they may have actually benefited from the financial crisis in the most fundamental way: longer lives.
[O] Death rates for people over 65 have historically fallen during recessions, according to a November2011 study by economists at the University of California, Davis. Why? The researchers argue that weak job markets push more workers into accepting relatively undesirable work at nursing homes, leading to better care for residents.
Greater mobility puts younger people at an advantage in seeking new jobs.
7、根据材料，回答问题。
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
A．A popular television program.
B．A breakthrough in technology.
C．A recent purchase.
D．A new electronics store.
简答题
8、听录音，回答题
Everybody wants to get wealthy．In today’s（26）_____ world，making money or becoming wealthy symbolizes a person’s success and capability．Many people just make every effort，pay any price to（27）_____ greater wealth．with money，they can buy nice，large（28）_____ in nice neighborhoods；with money they can own stately（29）_____ cars．Wealth seems to bring all happiness in life．
But is wealth the only road to happiness? Not really．There are many things in the world which are beyond（30）_____ money， such as friendship，love，health and knowledge．Many people are so preoccupied with（31）_____ money that they have no time or would not take the time to form or maintain friendship．What happiness can they feel living as lonely，（32）_____ creatures with no true love or friends in the world，even if they（33）_____ tremendous wealth?
In my opinion，people can’t do anything without money，but money is not everything．What money will bring you depends on your personal（34）_____ and goal in life．If you are kind enough to help others．especially the poor，money is a good thing for you．with it，you can do much more for the benefit of people and your country，and it will（35）_____ your own happiness． If you want money just for your own needs，you’ll never be satisfied or happy． In a word， only if you are generous can money be the source of your happiness．
第(26)题__________
9、听录音,回答题
My favorite T．V．show? “The Twilight Zone．”I (26)__________ like the episode called“The Printer's Devil．”It’s about a newspaper editor who’s being(27) __________ out of business by a big newspaper syndicate--you know，a group of papers owned by the sanle people．
He’s about to(28) __________ when he’s intemapted by an old man who says his naiiie is Smith：The editor is not only offered $5'000 to(29) __________ his newspaper’s debts，but this．Smith character also offers his services for free．It turns out that the guy(30) __________ the printing machine with amazing speed, and soon he's turning out newspapers with shocking(31) __________．The small paper is successful again．The editor is amazed at how quickly Smithgets his stories--only minutes after they happen--but soon he’s(32) __________ with a contract to sign-Mr．Smith，it seems，is really the devil! The editor is frightened by this news，but he is more frightened by the idea of losing his newspaper, so he agrees to sign．But soon Smith is reporting thenews even before it happens--and it’s all terrible--one(33) __________ after another．Anyway，thereis a little more to tell．but I don't want to ruin the story for you．I really like these old episodes of “The Wwmght Zone” because the stories are fascinating．They are not(34) __________．But thenagain, in a Way they are，because they(35) __________ human nature．
第(26)题__________
10、 “你要茶还是咖啡？是用餐人常被问到的问题。许多西方人会选咖啡、而中国人则会选茶.相传一位皇帝与五千年前发现茶，并用来治病，在明清(the ming and qing dynasties)期间，茶馆遍布全国，饮茶在六世纪传到日本，但直到十七、十八世纪才传到欧美。如今，茶是世界上流行的饮料(beverage)之．--。茶是中国的民族饮品，也是中国传统和文化的重要组成部分。
1、 Questions are based on the passage you have just heard.
A．It is a good example of the bad effect of noises.
B．It shows what people have discovered about sound.
C．It tells the ideal location of large airports.
D．It stresses the importance of lower planes' noises.
2、听音频，
回答题
A．His colleagues are nice, while the boss is very demanding.
B．His job is very exhausting, but the working condition is nice.
C．His boss is generous, while the colleagues are mean.
D．His work may be unpleasant, yet the pay is not so bad.
3、
Questionsare based on the following passage．
Across the rich world, well-educated people increasingly work longer than the less-skilled．Some65% of American men aged 62 -74 with a professional degree are in the workforce, compared with32% of men with only a high-school certificate．This gap is part of a deepening divide between the well-educated well-off and the unskilled poor．Rapid technological advance has raised the incomes of the highly skilled while squeezing those of the unskilled．The consequences, for individuals and society, are profound．
The world is facing an astonishing rise in the number of old people, and they will live longer than ever before．Over the next 20 years the global population of those aged 65 or more will almost double, from 600 million to 1．1 billion．The experience of the 20th century, when greater longevity (长寿)translated into more years in retirement rather than more years at work, has persuaded many observers that this shift will lead to slower economic growth, while the swelling ranks of pensioners will create government budget problems．
But the notion of a sharp division between the working young and the idle old misses a new trend, the growing gap between the skilled and the unskilled．Employment rates are falling among younger unskilled people, whereas older skilled folk are working longer．The divide is most extreme in America, where well-educated baby-boomers (二战后生育高峰期出生的美国人)are putting off retirement while many less-skilled younger people have dropped out of the workforce．
Policy is partly responsible．Many European governments have abandoned policies that used to encourage people to retire early．Rising life expectancy (预期寿命), combined with the replacement of generous defmed-benefit pension plans with less generous defined-contribution ones, means that even the better-off must work longer to have a comfortable retirement．But the changing nature of work also plays a big role．Pay has risen sharply for the highly educated, and those people continue to reap rich rewards into old age because these days the educated elderly are more productive than the preceding generation．Technological change may well reinforce that shift: the skills that complement computers, from management knowhow to creativity, do not necessarily decline with age．
What is happening in the workforce in rich countries?
A．Younger people are replacing the elderly．
B．Well-educated people tend to work longer．
C．Unemployment rates are rising year after year．
D．People with no college degree do not easily find work．
4、Questions are based on the following passage.
Kodak's decision to file for bankruptcy (破产. protection is a sad, though not unexpected, turningpoint for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumer photography and dominated the filmmarket for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to the digital revolution. Although many attribute Kodak's downfall to "complacency ( 自满 )," that explanation doesn'tacknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself. Decades ago, Kodak anticipatedthat digital photography would overtake film--and in fact, Kodak invented the first digital camera in1975--but in a fateful decision, the company chose to shelf its new discovery to focus on its traditionalfilm business. It wasn't that Kodak was blind to the future, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at HarvardBusiness School, but rather that it failed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time thecompany realized its mistake, it was too late.Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt, and spent a lot ofmoney trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have a difficult time switching to newmarkets because there is a temptation to put existing assets into the new businesses.
Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate
culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary to fullyembrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important to them. Nowtheir history has become a liability.Kodak's downfall over the last several decades was dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded90% of the market for photographic film and 85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s broughtnew competition from Japanese film company Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lowerprices for film and photo supplies. Kodak's decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984Los Angeles Olympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploited itssponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace.
What do we learn about Kodak?
A．It went bankrupt all of a sudden.
B．It is approaching its downfall.
C．It initiated the digital revolution in the film industry.
D．It is playing the dominant role in the film market.
5、听录音,
回答题
A．It was mainly meant for cancer patients．
B．It might appeal more to viewers over 40．
C．It was frequently interrupted by commercials．
D．It could help people of all ages to avoid cancer．
6、
In Hard Economy for All Ages, Older Isn't Better... It's Brutal
[A] Young graduates are in debt, out of work and on their parents' couches. People in their 30s and 40s can't afford to buy homes or have children. Retirees are earning near-zero interest on their savings.
[B] In the current listless (缺乏活力的) economy, every generation has a claim to having been most injured. But the Labor Department's latest jobs reports and other recent data present a strong case for crowning baby boomers (二战后生育高峰期出生的人) as the greatest victims of the recession and its dreadful consequences.
[C] These Americans in their 50s and early 60s--those near retirement age who do not yet have access to Medicare and Social Security--have lost the most earnings power of any age group, with their household incomes 10 percent below what they made when the recovery began three years ago, according to Sentier Research, a data analysis company. Their retirement savings and home values fell sharply at the worst possible time: just before they needed to cash out. They are supporting both aged parents and unemployed young-adult children,earning them the unlucky nickname "Generation Squeeze."
[D] New research suggests that they may die sooner, because their health, income security and mental well-being were battered (重创) by recession at a crucial time in their lives. A recent study by economists at Wellesley College found that people who lost their jobs in the few years before becoming qualified for Social Security lost up to three years from their life expectanv'y (预期寿命), largely because they no longer had access to affordable health care.
[E] Unemployment rates for Americans nearing retirement are far lower than those for young people, who are recently out of school, with fewer skills and a shorter work history. But once out of a job, older workers have a much harder time finding another one. Over the last year, the average duration of unemployment for older people was 53 weeks, compared with 19 weeks for teenagers, according to the Labor Department's jobs report released on Friday.
[F] The lengthy process is partly because older workers are more likely to have been laid off from industries that are downsizing, like manufacturing. Compared with the rest of the population, older people are also more likely to own their own homes and be less mobile than renters, who can move to new job markets.
[G] Older workers are more likely to have a disability of some sort, perhaps limiting the range of jobs that offer realistic choices. They may also be less inclined, at least initially, to take jobs that pay far less than their old positions.
[H] Displaced boomers also believe they are victims of age discrimination, because employers can easily find a young, energetic worker who will accept lower pay and who can potentially stick around for decades rather than a few years.
[I]In a survey of older workers who were laid off during the recession, just one in six had found another job, and half of that group had accepted pay cuts.14% of the re-employed said the pay in their new job was less than half what they earned in their previous job. "I just say to myself: 'Why me? What have I done to deserve this?'" said John Agati,56, whose last full-time job, as a product developer, ended four years ago when his employer went out of business. That position paid $90,000, and his resume lists jobs at companies like American Express, Disney and USA Networks. Since being laid off, though, he has worked a series of part-time, low-wage, temporary positions, including selling shoes at Lord & Taylor and making sales calls for a car company.
[J] The last few years have taken a toil not only on his family's finances, but also on his feelings of self-worth. "You just get sad," Mr. Agati said. "I see people getting up in the morning, going out to their careers and going home. I just wish I was doing that. Some people don't like their jobs, or they have problems with their jobs, but at least they're working. I just wish I was in their shoes."
He said he cannot afford to go back to school, as many younger people without jobs have done. Even if he could afford it, economists say it is unclear whether older workers like him benefit much from more education.
[K] "It just doesn't make sense to offer retraining for people 55 and older," said Daniel Hamermesh, an economics professor."Discrimination by age, long-term unemployment, and the fact that they're now at the end of the hiring queue just don't make it sensible to invest in them."
[L]Many displaced older workers are taking this message to heart and leaving the labor force entirely. The share of older people applying for Social Security early rose quickly during the recession as people sought whatever income they could find. The penalty they will pay is permanent, as retirees who take benefits at age 62 will receive as much as 30% less in each month's check for the rest of their lives than they would if they had waited until full retirement age (66 for those born after 1942).
[M] Those not yet qualified for Social Security are increasingly applying for another, comparable kind of income support that often goes to people who expect never to work again: disability benefits. More than one in eight people in their late 50s is now on some form of federal disability insurance program, according to Professor Mark Duggan at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.
[N] The very oldest Americans, of course, were battered by some of the same ill winds that tormented(折磨) those now nearing retirement, but at least the most senior were cushioned by a more readily available social safety net. More important, in a statistical twist, they may have actually benefited from the financial crisis in the most fundamental way: longer lives.
[O] Death rates for people over 65 have historically fallen during recessions, according to a November2011 study by economists at the University of California, Davis. Why? The researchers argue that weak job markets push more workers into accepting relatively undesirable work at nursing homes, leading to better care for residents.
Greater mobility puts younger people at an advantage in seeking new jobs.
7、根据材料，回答问题。
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
A．A popular television program.
B．A breakthrough in technology.
C．A recent purchase.
D．A new electronics store.
简答题
8、听录音，回答题
Everybody wants to get wealthy．In today’s（26）_____ world，making money or becoming wealthy symbolizes a person’s success and capability．Many people just make every effort，pay any price to（27）_____ greater wealth．with money，they can buy nice，large（28）_____ in nice neighborhoods；with money they can own stately（29）_____ cars．Wealth seems to bring all happiness in life．
But is wealth the only road to happiness? Not really．There are many things in the world which are beyond（30）_____ money， such as friendship，love，health and knowledge．Many people are so preoccupied with（31）_____ money that they have no time or would not take the time to form or maintain friendship．What happiness can they feel living as lonely，（32）_____ creatures with no true love or friends in the world，even if they（33）_____ tremendous wealth?
In my opinion，people can’t do anything without money，but money is not everything．What money will bring you depends on your personal（34）_____ and goal in life．If you are kind enough to help others．especially the poor，money is a good thing for you．with it，you can do much more for the benefit of people and your country，and it will（35）_____ your own happiness． If you want money just for your own needs，you’ll never be satisfied or happy． In a word， only if you are generous can money be the source of your happiness．
第(26)题__________
9、听录音,回答题
My favorite T．V．show? “The Twilight Zone．”I (26)__________ like the episode called“The Printer's Devil．”It’s about a newspaper editor who’s being(27) __________ out of business by a big newspaper syndicate--you know，a group of papers owned by the sanle people．
He’s about to(28) __________ when he’s intemapted by an old man who says his naiiie is Smith：The editor is not only offered $5'000 to(29) __________ his newspaper’s debts，but this．Smith character also offers his services for free．It turns out that the guy(30) __________ the printing machine with amazing speed, and soon he's turning out newspapers with shocking(31) __________．The small paper is successful again．The editor is amazed at how quickly Smithgets his stories--only minutes after they happen--but soon he’s(32) __________ with a contract to sign-Mr．Smith，it seems，is really the devil! The editor is frightened by this news，but he is more frightened by the idea of losing his newspaper, so he agrees to sign．But soon Smith is reporting thenews even before it happens--and it’s all terrible--one(33) __________ after another．Anyway，thereis a little more to tell．but I don't want to ruin the story for you．I really like these old episodes of “The Wwmght Zone” because the stories are fascinating．They are not(34) __________．But thenagain, in a Way they are，because they(35) __________ human nature．
第(26)题__________
10、 “你要茶还是咖啡？是用餐人常被问到的问题。许多西方人会选咖啡、而中国人则会选茶.相传一位皇帝与五千年前发现茶，并用来治病，在明清(the ming and qing dynasties)期间，茶馆遍布全国，饮茶在六世纪传到日本，但直到十七、十八世纪才传到欧美。如今，茶是世界上流行的饮料(beverage)之．--。茶是中国的民族饮品，也是中国传统和文化的重要组成部分。
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