2011年英语四级机考试题
Now, fashion is the name of the game there in Austria, but you might be surprised to learn that some of the most Q19______________ come from one of the most Q20____________ of sources. Satinder Bindra has been finding out.
A cold start to ragpicker Shankar’s workday. He huddles for Q21____________ by this fire. Then after a simple breakfast of hot milk and toast, he Q22______________ in his rickety cart to keep his first Q23_______________ of the morning.
Just a short distance away, Rika Hababi is already at work, busy collecting hundreds of such discarded and soiled plastic bags. It’s backbreaking work, but there’s no shortage of these Q24 _________________ of plastic.
Within an Q25 ________________ growing at almost 8 percent a year, India now consumes 5 million tons of plastic a year and will soon become the world’s third largest consumer after the United States and China. But with growth comes increasing Q26 _____________ . Ragpickers have traditionally helped recycle a lot of this material. But now a Q27________________ nonprofit organization called Conserve has Q28________________ a new idea.
Task 2 Use of Grammar and Structure (Questions 29-38; 5 minutes)
Directions: There are ten blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices. You are required to choose the ONE that fits best into the context.
Q29 ____________ the time being, though, everybody’s focusing on the present; these workers carefully sift through Rika and Shankar’s load of plastic. Then the bags are cut by another group of workers; some of them so poor that before this job they Q30 ___________ never used a Q31____________ of scissors and had to be specially trained to do so. Q32 _______________ the bags are cut, they’re vigorously hand-washed in detergent. After they are aired and dried out, they are once again sorted and stacked into these colorful heaps.
The plastic is then compressed and heated; and since this technology is still in the process Q33________________, we can’t film it. But take a look at this: the rebirth of hundreds of thousands of grimy and soiled plastic bags into eye-catching sheets. These sheets are then stitched into bags, belts, bracelets and shoes by trained craftsmen. Watching and supervising the entire operation are Anita and Shalabh Ahuja, the founders of Converse. From just a few workers Q34 _______________ they first started out two-and-a-half years ago, the Ahujas now hire 300 people. They promote from within the organization and plow everything they earn back into the business.
For me, it’s a humbling experience that I don’t know why it’s fallen on me to do that. But I’m so glad that I had been able to contribute towards improving the lots of a Q35 ________________ bit of people.
Shalabh Ahuja is an engineer. He’s responsible Q36 ________________ the technical end of operations. His wife Anita is an artist, Q37 ________________ who’s designed all these handbags. The Ahujas now annually export such bags Q38 ________________$150,000 across the world; a far cry from their earlier days, when Anita says it was hard to get people interested in her work.
29. A. of B. at C. for D. in
30. A. have never B. had never C. never D. never did
31. A. pair B. set C. piece D. couple
32. A. When B. While C. Once D. As
33. A. patented B. to be patented C. being patented D. of being patented
34. A. when B. whom C. which D. that
35. A. little B. few C. much D. whole
36. A. as B. to C. in D. for
37. A. one B. the one C. another one D. the other one
38. A. worth B. worthy C. worth of D. worthy of Task 3 Listening and Repeating (Questions 39 to 48; 8 minutes)
Directions: There are ten sentences selected from Section A. You will hear each sentence twice.
39. The last decade has seen China emerge as a global economic powerhouse.
40. …we cannot solve climate issues without cooperation and engagement with China.
41. … lung capacity in these children was far weaker…
42. The study was over a 13-year period…
43. But there was no sign of people queuing up for hours.
44. India is one of the biggest markets for mobile handsets
45. he is a travel editor for The Independent Newspaper.
46. it’s going to interfere with the technology on board.
47. Connection by Boeing was an enterprise set up as the division
48. it technologically worked quite well but commercially was never a success.
Task 4 Listening and Writing (Question 49; 30 minutes)
Directions: In this section, you are required to write an essay of no less than 120 words.
Now watch the video again before you start writing.
1. Write a short summary of the video; please include in your summary:
1) the major problem with India;
2) what the Ahujas have done;
2. Give your suggestion as to how to reduce pollution in Beijing.
Section C Reading Comprehension (Questions 50-69; 35 minutes)
Task 1 In-depth Reading (Questions 50-59; 20 minutes)
Directions: There are two passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. There are four choices for each question and you should decide on the best choice.
Passage 1
Questions 50 to 54 are based on the following passage.
As the twentieth century began, the importance of formal education in the United States increased. The frontier had mostly disappeared and by 1910 most Americans lived in towns and cities. Industrialization and the diversification of economic life combined with a new emphasis upon qualifications and expertise to make schooling increasingly important for economic and social mobility. Increasingly, too, schools were viewed as the most important means of integrating immigrants into American society.
The arrival of a great wave of southern and eastern European immigrants at the turn of the century coincided with and contributed to an enormous expansion of formal schooling. By 1920 schooling to age fourteen or beyond was compulsory in most states, and the school year was greatly lengthened. Kindergartens, vacation schools, extracurricular activities, and vocational education and counseling extended the influence of public schools over the lives of students, many of whom in the larger industrial cities were the children of immigrants. Classes for adult immigrants were sponsored by public schools, corporations, unions, churches, settlement houses, and other agencies.
Reformers early in the twentieth century suggested that education programs should suit the needs of specific populations. Immigrant women were one such population. Schools tried to educate young women so they could occupy productive places in the urban industrial economy, and one place many educators considered appropriate for women was the home. Although looking after the house and family was familiar to immigrant women, American education gave homemaking a new definition. In pre-industrial economies, homemaking had meant the production as well as the consumption of goods, and it commonly included income-producing activities both inside and outside the home, in the highly industrialized early-twentieth-century United States, however, overproduction rather than shortage was becoming a problem. Thus, the ideal American homemaker was viewed as a consumer rather than a producer. Schools trained women to be consumer homemakers cooking, shopping, decorating, and caring for children "efficiently" in their own homes, or if economic necessity demanded, as employees in the homes of others.
Subsequent reforms have made these notions seem quite out-of-date.
50. It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that one important factor in the increasing importance of education in the United States was____________
(A) the growing number of schools in frontier communities
(B) an increase in the number of trained teachers
(C) the expanding economic problems of schools
(D) the increased urbanization of the entire country
51. The phrase "coincided with" in line 8 is closest in meaning to____________
(A) was influenced by
(B) happened at the same time as
(C) began to grow rapidly
(D) ensured the success of
52. According to the passage, one important change in United States education by the 1920’s was that_____________
(A) most places required children to attend school
(B) the amount of time spent on formal education was limited
(C) new regulations were imposed on nontraditional education
(D) adults and children studied in the same classes
53. Vacation schools and extracurricular activities are mentioned in lines 12 to illustrate_______________
(A) alternatives to formal education provided by public schools
(B) the importance of educational changes
(C) activities that competed to attract new immigrants to their programs.
(D) the increased impact of public schools on students.
54. According to the passage, early-twentieth century education reformers believed that_______________
(A) different groups needed different kinds of education
(B) special programs should be set up in frontier communities to modernize them
(C) corporations and other organizations damaged educational progress
(D) more women should be involved in education and industry Passage 2
Questions 55 to 59 are based on the following passage.
According to sociologists, there are several different ways in which a person may become recognized as the leader of a social group in the United States. In the family traditional cultural patterns place leadership on one or both of the parents. In other cases, such as friendship groups, one or more persons may gradually emerge as leaders, although there is no formal process of selection. In larger groups, leaders are usually chosen formally through election or recruitment (招募).
Although leaders are often thought to be people with unusual personal ability, decades of research have failed to produce consistent evidence that there is any category of “natural leaders.” It seems that there is no set of personal qualities that all leaders have in common; rather, virtually any person may be recognized as a leader if the person has qualities that meet the needs of that particular group.
Furthermore, although it is commonly supposed that social groups have a single leader, research suggests that there are typically two different leadership roles that are held by different individuals. Instrumental leadership is leadership that emphasizes the completion of tasks by a social group. Group members look to instrumental leaders to “get things done.” Expressive leadership, on the other hand, is leadership that emphasizes the collective well-beings of a social group’s members. Expressive leaders are less concerned with the overall goals of the group than with providing emotional support to group members and attempting to minimize tension and conflict among them. Group members expect expressive leaders to maintain stable relationships within the group and provide support to individual members.
Instrumental leaders are likely to have a rather secondary relationship to other group members. They give others and may discipline group members who inhibit attainment of the group’s goals. Expressive leaders cultivate a more personal or primary relationship to others in the group. They offer sympathy when someone experiences difficulties or is subjected to discipline, are quick to lighten a serious moment with humor, and try to resolve issues that threaten to divide the group. As the difference in these two roles suggest, expressive leaders generally receive more personal affection from group members; instrumental leaders, if they are successful in promoting group goals, may enjoy a more distant respect.
55. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The problems faced by leaders.
(B) How leadership differs in small and large groups.
(C) How social groups determine who will lead them.
(D) The role of leaders in social groups.
56. The passage mentions all of the following ways by which people can become leaders EXCEPT ___________.
(A) recruitment
(B) formal election process
(C) specific leadership training
(D) traditional cultural patterns
57. In mentioning “natural leaders” in line 9, the author is making the point that __________.
(A) few people qualify as “natural leaders”.
(B) there is no proof that “natural leaders” exist.
(C) “natural leaders” are easily accepted by the members of a group.
(D) “natural leaders” share a similar set of characteristics.
58. The word “resolve” in line 27 is closest in meaning to _____________.
(A) avoid repeating
(B) talk about
(C) avoid thinking about
(D) find a solution for
59. The passage indicates that instrumental leaders generally focus on ___________.
(A) ensuring harmonious relationships.
(B) sharing responsibility with group members.
(C) identifying new leaders.
(D) achieving a goal.
Task 2 Skimming and Scanning (Questions 60-69; 15 minutes)
Directions: You have 15 minutes to go over the passage and answer questions 60 to 69. For questions 60 to 66, choose the best answer from the choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 67 to 69, comple the sentences with the information given in the passage.
A cold start to ragpicker Shankar’s workday. He huddles for Q21____________ by this fire. Then after a simple breakfast of hot milk and toast, he Q22______________ in his rickety cart to keep his first Q23_______________ of the morning.
Just a short distance away, Rika Hababi is already at work, busy collecting hundreds of such discarded and soiled plastic bags. It’s backbreaking work, but there’s no shortage of these Q24 _________________ of plastic.
Within an Q25 ________________ growing at almost 8 percent a year, India now consumes 5 million tons of plastic a year and will soon become the world’s third largest consumer after the United States and China. But with growth comes increasing Q26 _____________ . Ragpickers have traditionally helped recycle a lot of this material. But now a Q27________________ nonprofit organization called Conserve has Q28________________ a new idea.
Task 2 Use of Grammar and Structure (Questions 29-38; 5 minutes)
Directions: There are ten blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices. You are required to choose the ONE that fits best into the context.
Q29 ____________ the time being, though, everybody’s focusing on the present; these workers carefully sift through Rika and Shankar’s load of plastic. Then the bags are cut by another group of workers; some of them so poor that before this job they Q30 ___________ never used a Q31____________ of scissors and had to be specially trained to do so. Q32 _______________ the bags are cut, they’re vigorously hand-washed in detergent. After they are aired and dried out, they are once again sorted and stacked into these colorful heaps.
The plastic is then compressed and heated; and since this technology is still in the process Q33________________, we can’t film it. But take a look at this: the rebirth of hundreds of thousands of grimy and soiled plastic bags into eye-catching sheets. These sheets are then stitched into bags, belts, bracelets and shoes by trained craftsmen. Watching and supervising the entire operation are Anita and Shalabh Ahuja, the founders of Converse. From just a few workers Q34 _______________ they first started out two-and-a-half years ago, the Ahujas now hire 300 people. They promote from within the organization and plow everything they earn back into the business.
For me, it’s a humbling experience that I don’t know why it’s fallen on me to do that. But I’m so glad that I had been able to contribute towards improving the lots of a Q35 ________________ bit of people.
Shalabh Ahuja is an engineer. He’s responsible Q36 ________________ the technical end of operations. His wife Anita is an artist, Q37 ________________ who’s designed all these handbags. The Ahujas now annually export such bags Q38 ________________$150,000 across the world; a far cry from their earlier days, when Anita says it was hard to get people interested in her work.
29. A. of B. at C. for D. in
30. A. have never B. had never C. never D. never did
31. A. pair B. set C. piece D. couple
32. A. When B. While C. Once D. As
33. A. patented B. to be patented C. being patented D. of being patented
34. A. when B. whom C. which D. that
35. A. little B. few C. much D. whole
36. A. as B. to C. in D. for
37. A. one B. the one C. another one D. the other one
38. A. worth B. worthy C. worth of D. worthy of Task 3 Listening and Repeating (Questions 39 to 48; 8 minutes)
Directions: There are ten sentences selected from Section A. You will hear each sentence twice.
39. The last decade has seen China emerge as a global economic powerhouse.
40. …we cannot solve climate issues without cooperation and engagement with China.
41. … lung capacity in these children was far weaker…
42. The study was over a 13-year period…
43. But there was no sign of people queuing up for hours.
44. India is one of the biggest markets for mobile handsets
45. he is a travel editor for The Independent Newspaper.
46. it’s going to interfere with the technology on board.
47. Connection by Boeing was an enterprise set up as the division
48. it technologically worked quite well but commercially was never a success.
Task 4 Listening and Writing (Question 49; 30 minutes)
Directions: In this section, you are required to write an essay of no less than 120 words.
Now watch the video again before you start writing.
1. Write a short summary of the video; please include in your summary:
1) the major problem with India;
2) what the Ahujas have done;
2. Give your suggestion as to how to reduce pollution in Beijing.
Section C Reading Comprehension (Questions 50-69; 35 minutes)
Task 1 In-depth Reading (Questions 50-59; 20 minutes)
Directions: There are two passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. There are four choices for each question and you should decide on the best choice.
Passage 1
Questions 50 to 54 are based on the following passage.
As the twentieth century began, the importance of formal education in the United States increased. The frontier had mostly disappeared and by 1910 most Americans lived in towns and cities. Industrialization and the diversification of economic life combined with a new emphasis upon qualifications and expertise to make schooling increasingly important for economic and social mobility. Increasingly, too, schools were viewed as the most important means of integrating immigrants into American society.
The arrival of a great wave of southern and eastern European immigrants at the turn of the century coincided with and contributed to an enormous expansion of formal schooling. By 1920 schooling to age fourteen or beyond was compulsory in most states, and the school year was greatly lengthened. Kindergartens, vacation schools, extracurricular activities, and vocational education and counseling extended the influence of public schools over the lives of students, many of whom in the larger industrial cities were the children of immigrants. Classes for adult immigrants were sponsored by public schools, corporations, unions, churches, settlement houses, and other agencies.
Reformers early in the twentieth century suggested that education programs should suit the needs of specific populations. Immigrant women were one such population. Schools tried to educate young women so they could occupy productive places in the urban industrial economy, and one place many educators considered appropriate for women was the home. Although looking after the house and family was familiar to immigrant women, American education gave homemaking a new definition. In pre-industrial economies, homemaking had meant the production as well as the consumption of goods, and it commonly included income-producing activities both inside and outside the home, in the highly industrialized early-twentieth-century United States, however, overproduction rather than shortage was becoming a problem. Thus, the ideal American homemaker was viewed as a consumer rather than a producer. Schools trained women to be consumer homemakers cooking, shopping, decorating, and caring for children "efficiently" in their own homes, or if economic necessity demanded, as employees in the homes of others.
Subsequent reforms have made these notions seem quite out-of-date.
50. It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that one important factor in the increasing importance of education in the United States was____________
(A) the growing number of schools in frontier communities
(B) an increase in the number of trained teachers
(C) the expanding economic problems of schools
(D) the increased urbanization of the entire country
51. The phrase "coincided with" in line 8 is closest in meaning to____________
(A) was influenced by
(B) happened at the same time as
(C) began to grow rapidly
(D) ensured the success of
52. According to the passage, one important change in United States education by the 1920’s was that_____________
(A) most places required children to attend school
(B) the amount of time spent on formal education was limited
(C) new regulations were imposed on nontraditional education
(D) adults and children studied in the same classes
53. Vacation schools and extracurricular activities are mentioned in lines 12 to illustrate_______________
(A) alternatives to formal education provided by public schools
(B) the importance of educational changes
(C) activities that competed to attract new immigrants to their programs.
(D) the increased impact of public schools on students.
54. According to the passage, early-twentieth century education reformers believed that_______________
(A) different groups needed different kinds of education
(B) special programs should be set up in frontier communities to modernize them
(C) corporations and other organizations damaged educational progress
(D) more women should be involved in education and industry Passage 2
Questions 55 to 59 are based on the following passage.
According to sociologists, there are several different ways in which a person may become recognized as the leader of a social group in the United States. In the family traditional cultural patterns place leadership on one or both of the parents. In other cases, such as friendship groups, one or more persons may gradually emerge as leaders, although there is no formal process of selection. In larger groups, leaders are usually chosen formally through election or recruitment (招募).
Although leaders are often thought to be people with unusual personal ability, decades of research have failed to produce consistent evidence that there is any category of “natural leaders.” It seems that there is no set of personal qualities that all leaders have in common; rather, virtually any person may be recognized as a leader if the person has qualities that meet the needs of that particular group.
Furthermore, although it is commonly supposed that social groups have a single leader, research suggests that there are typically two different leadership roles that are held by different individuals. Instrumental leadership is leadership that emphasizes the completion of tasks by a social group. Group members look to instrumental leaders to “get things done.” Expressive leadership, on the other hand, is leadership that emphasizes the collective well-beings of a social group’s members. Expressive leaders are less concerned with the overall goals of the group than with providing emotional support to group members and attempting to minimize tension and conflict among them. Group members expect expressive leaders to maintain stable relationships within the group and provide support to individual members.
Instrumental leaders are likely to have a rather secondary relationship to other group members. They give others and may discipline group members who inhibit attainment of the group’s goals. Expressive leaders cultivate a more personal or primary relationship to others in the group. They offer sympathy when someone experiences difficulties or is subjected to discipline, are quick to lighten a serious moment with humor, and try to resolve issues that threaten to divide the group. As the difference in these two roles suggest, expressive leaders generally receive more personal affection from group members; instrumental leaders, if they are successful in promoting group goals, may enjoy a more distant respect.
55. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The problems faced by leaders.
(B) How leadership differs in small and large groups.
(C) How social groups determine who will lead them.
(D) The role of leaders in social groups.
56. The passage mentions all of the following ways by which people can become leaders EXCEPT ___________.
(A) recruitment
(B) formal election process
(C) specific leadership training
(D) traditional cultural patterns
57. In mentioning “natural leaders” in line 9, the author is making the point that __________.
(A) few people qualify as “natural leaders”.
(B) there is no proof that “natural leaders” exist.
(C) “natural leaders” are easily accepted by the members of a group.
(D) “natural leaders” share a similar set of characteristics.
58. The word “resolve” in line 27 is closest in meaning to _____________.
(A) avoid repeating
(B) talk about
(C) avoid thinking about
(D) find a solution for
59. The passage indicates that instrumental leaders generally focus on ___________.
(A) ensuring harmonious relationships.
(B) sharing responsibility with group members.
(C) identifying new leaders.
(D) achieving a goal.
Task 2 Skimming and Scanning (Questions 60-69; 15 minutes)
Directions: You have 15 minutes to go over the passage and answer questions 60 to 69. For questions 60 to 66, choose the best answer from the choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 67 to 69, comple the sentences with the information given in the passage.
