2017年9月pets4全国英语等级考试四级冲刺试题及答案
Read the following text and fill each of the numbered spaces with ONE suitable word. Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
The United States leads all industrial nations in the proportion of its young men and women who receive higher education. Why is this? What motivates a middle-income family with two children to (21)_________ loans for up to $120,000 so that their son and daughter can(22)_________private universities for four years? Why would both parents in a low-income family take jobs to support their three children at a state university each (23)_________an annual cost of $4,000? Why should a woman in her forties quit her job and use her savings to (24)_________for the college education she did not receive when she was (25) _________?Americans place a high personal value (26)_________ higher education. This is an attitude that goes (27)_________ to the country’ s oldest political traditions. People in the United Slates have always believed that education is necessary for (28)_________a democratic government.They believe that it prepares the individual (29)_________ informed intelligent, political participation, including voting.
Before World War II, a high school education seemed adequate for (30)_________ most people’s needs, but the post-war period produced dozens of new questions for Americans. How should atomic (31)_________ be used? Should scientists be (32)_________ to experiment in splitting genes? Should money be spent on (33)_________ astronauts into space---or should it be used for aid to another nation? Americans rarely express a direct vote on such complex matters, but the representatives they elect (34) _________decide such issues. In recent years, (35) _________a result many Americans have begun to regard a college education as necessary to becoming an informed
American voter.
答案及解析
21.take【解析】根据上文，此处是“贷款”或“借贷”的意思，固定搭配为take loans。
22.attend【解析】此处意为：去私立大学上学，“上学”的用法是at-tend…school。
23.at【解析】此处意为：每年花费4 000美元，“以…为价格，花费”的表达为at a cost of。
24.Enroll【解析】此处意为“为学习…登记/报名”，有固定搭配：enroll for。
25.young【解析】此处意为：她年轻时所没有参加的大学学习，young此处作形容词，意思是“年轻人的，青年的”。
26.on【解析】此处为固定搭配“特别重视”，place a highvalue ono
27.back【解析】此处意为：追溯到古老的zz传统，“追溯到”为90/trace back to。‘
28.maintaining【解析】此处意为：美国人民一直相信教育是维持一个民主性政府的基本，“维持/维护”为maintain，接在介词for之后，故用maintaining。
29.for’【解析】此处为固定搭配，“为…而准备”，故用prepare…for。
30.satisfying【解析】此处意为：在二次大战以前，美国的中学教育似乎足以满足人们的需求，“满足…需要”为satisfy one’sneeds，接在介词for之后，故用satisfying。
31.power【解析】根据前文，在战后时期很多问题出现了，例如原子能的使用，“原子能”为atomic power。
32.allowed【解析】此处意为：能否允许科学家做基因试验，“被允许做…”为sb.be allowed to do。
33.sending【解析】此处意为：送航天员进入太空，“送/发送”为send，接介词on之后，故用sending。
34.do【解析】此句已有完整的结构，此处用助动词起加强语气的作用，主语为复数，时态为一般现在时，故用d0。
35.as【解析】此处是固定搭配“结果，因此”，as a result。
参考译文
在受高等教育的年轻男女比例方面，美国领先于所有工业国家。为什么呢?是什么驱使一个中等收入家庭为了儿女能读四年的私立大学贷款l2万美元?为什么一个低收入家庭父母双方都工作以供他们的三个孩子上州立大学(每个孩子一年的开销是4000美元)?为什么一个四十多岁的女子会辞职，用自己的存款去报读年轻时未能接受到的大学教育?美国人认为高等教育非常重要。这一态度可以追溯到这个国家最古老的zz传统。美国人始终认为教育对维护一个民主政府是非常必要的。他们认为教育为个人的zz参与(包括投票)做好了准备。
二战前，高中教育似乎满足大多数人的需要，不过内战时期，美国人面临了许多新问题。如，原子能怎么使用?科学家需要进行断裂基因实验吗?钱应该花在将宇航员送入太空方面还是用来帮助另一个国家?对于这些复杂问题，美国人很少直接投票表决，不过他们选举出来的代表们会做出决策。最近，很多美国人开始将大学教育看成是成为知情的美国选民的必须条件。
本文导航第1页英语知识运用第2页阅读理解一第3页阅读理解二第4页阅读理解三第5页阅读理解四第6页写作试题No one should be forced to wear a uniform under any circumstance. Uniforms are demeaning to the human spirit and totally unnecessary in a democratic society. Uniforms tell the world that the person who wears one has no value as an individual but only lives to function as a part of the whole. The individual in a uniform loses all self-worth. There are those who say that wearing a uniform gives a person a sense of identification with a large, more important concept. What could be more important than the individual oneself? If an organization is so weak that it must rely on cloth and buttons to inspire its members, that organization has no right to continue its existence. Others say that the practice of making persons wear uniforms, say in school, eliminates all envy and competition in a matter of dress, such that a poor person who cannot afford good-quality clothing, why would anyone strive to be better? It is only a short step from forcing everyone to wear the same clothing to forcing everyone to drive the same car, have the same type of house, eat the same type of food. When this happens, all incentive to improve one’s life is removed. Why would parents bother to work hard so that their children could have a better life than they had when they know that their children are going to be forced to have exactly the same life that they had? Uniforms also hurt the economy. Right now, billions of dollars are spent on the fashion industry yearly. Thousands of persons are employed in designing, creating, and marketing different types of clothing. If everyone were forced to wear uniforms, artistic personnel would be unnecessary. Salespersons would be superfluous as well: why bother to sell the only items that are available? The wearing of uniforms would destroy the fashion industry which in turn would have a ripple effect on such industries as advertising and promotion. Without advertising, newspapers, magazines, and television would not be able to remain in business. Our entire information and entertainment industries would founder.
1、The author’s viewpoint on uniforms can best be described as __________.
A. practical
B. hysterical
C. radical
D. critical
【正确答案】C
2、Judged from its style, this passage might be found in __________.
A. a children’s comics book
B. an editorial in a paper
C. a sociology textbook
D. a political platform
【正确答案】B
3、It can be inferred that the author believes that __________.
A. individuals have no self-worth when they become part of an organization
B. individuals are more important than organizations
C. individuals are not so important as organizations
D. individuals are the same important as organizations
【正确答案】B
4、The author brings in the example of a parent striving to make life better for his children to make the point that __________.
A. parents have responsibilities for their children
B. uniforms would be less expensive than clothing for children
C. uniforms cause dissension between parents and children
D. individual motivation would be destroyed by uniforms
【正确答案】D
5、The last word of the passage "founder" probably means __________.
A. collapse
B. shrink
C. disappear
D. establish
【正确答案】A
本文导航第1页英语知识运用第2页阅读理解一第3页阅读理解二第4页阅读理解三第5页阅读理解四第6页写作试题A report consistently brought back by visitors to the US is how friendly, courteous and helpful most Americans were to them. To be fair, this observation is also frequently made of Canada and Canadians, and should best be considered North American. There are, of course, exceptions. Small-minded officials, rude waiters, and ill-mannered taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the US. Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves comment. For a long period of time and in many parts of the country, a traveler was a welcome break in an otherwise dull existence. Dullness and loneliness were common problems of the families who generally lived distant from one another. Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion, and brought news of the outside world. The harsh realities of the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospitality. Someone traveling alone, if hungry, injured, or ill, often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement. It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers. It reflected the harshness of daily life: if you didn’t take in the stranger and take care of him, there was no one else who would. And someday, remember, you might be in the same situation. Today there are many charitable organizations which specialize in helping the weary traveler. Yet, the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very strong in the US, especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy tourist trails. "I was just traveling through, got talking with this American, and pretty soon he invited me home for dinner-amazing." Such observations reported by visitors to the US are not uncommon, but are not always understood properly. The casual friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial nor as artificial, but as the result of a historically developed cultural tradition. As is true of any developed society, in America a complex set of cultural signals, assumptions, and conventions underlies all social interrelationships. And, of course, speaking a language does not necessarily mean that someone understands social and cultural patterns. Visitors who fail to "translate" cultural meanings properly often draw wrong conclusions. For example, when an American uses the word "friend", the cultural implications of the word may be quite different from those it has in the visitor’s language and culture. It takes more than a brief encounter on a bus to distinguish between courteous convention and individual interest. Yet, being friendly is a virtue that many Americans value highly and expect from both neighbors and strangers.
1、In the eyes of visitors from the outside world, ___________.
A. rude taxi drivers are rarely seen in the US
B. small-minded officials deserve a serious comment
C. Canadians are not so friendly as their neighbors
D. most Americans are ready to offer help
【正确答案】D
2、It could be inferred from the last paragraph that ___________.
A. culture exercises an influence over social interrelationship
B. courteous convention and individual interest are interrelated
C. various virtues manifest themselves exclusively among friends
D. social interrelationships equal the complex set of cultural conventions
【正确答案】A
3、Families in frontier settlements used to entertain strangers ___________.
A. to improve their hard life
B. in view of their long-distance travel
C. to add some flavor to their own daily life
D. out of a charitable impulse
【正确答案】C
4、The tradition of hospitality to strangers ___________.
A. tends to be superficial and artificial
B. is generally well kept up in the united States
C. is always understood properly
D. has something to do with the busy tourist trails
【正确答案】B
5、What’s the author’s attitudes toward the American’s friendliness?
A. Favorable.
B. Unfavorable.
C. Indifferent.
D. Neutral.
【正确答案】A
本文导航第1页英语知识运用第2页阅读理解一第3页阅读理解二第4页阅读理解三第5页阅读理解四第6页写作试题Today, there are many avenues open to those who wish to continue their education. However, nearly all require some break in one’s career in order to attend school full time. Part-time education, that is, attending school at night or for one weekend a month, tends to drag the process out over time and puts the completion of a degree program out of reach of many people. Additionally, such programs require a fixed time commitment which can also impact negatively on one’s career and family time. Of the many approaches to teaching and learning, however, perhaps the most flexible and accommodating is that called distance learning. Distance learning is an educational method, which allows the students the flexibility to study at his or her own pace to achieve the academic goals, which are so necessary in today’s world. The time required to study many be set aside at the student’s convenience with due regard to all life’s other requirements. Additionally, the student may enroll in distance learning courses from virtually any place in the world, while continuing to pursue their chosen career. Tutorial assistance may be available via regular airmail, telephone, facsimile machine, teleconferencing and over the Internet. Good distance learning programs are characterized by the inclusion of a subject evaluation tool with every subject. This precludes the requirement for a student to travel away from home to take a test. Another characteristic of a good distance-learning program is the equivalence of the distance-learning course with the same subject materials as those students taking the course on the home campus. The resultant diploma or degree should also be the same whether distance learning or on-campus study is employed. The individuality of the professor/student relationship is another characteristic of a good distance-learning program. In the final analysis, a good distance learning program has a place not only for the individual students but also the corporation or business that wants to work in partnership with their employees for the educational benefit, professional development, and business growth of the organization. Sponsoring distance learning programs for their employees gives the business the advantage of retaining career-minded people while contributing to their personal and professional growth through education.
1、According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of part-time education?
A. It requires some break in one’s career.
B. It tends to last too long for many people to complete a degree program.
C. It affects one’s career.
D. It gives the student less time to share with the family.
【正确答案】A
2、Which of the following is NOT an advantage of distance learning?
A. The students may choose his or her own pace.
B. The students may study at any time to his or her convenience.
C. They can pursue their chosen career while studying.
D. Their tutorial assistance comes through regular airmail, telephone, facsimile machine, etc.
【正确答案】D
3、What benefit will distance-learning program bring to a business?
A. Recruitment of more talented people.
B. Good image of the business.
C. Better cooperation with universities.
D. Further training of employees and business growth.
【正确答案】D
4、What benefit will distance learning bring to an employee of a business?
A. Professional growth.
B. Good relationship with the employer.
C. Good impression on the employer.
D. Higher salary.
【正确答案】A
5、Which is not the characteristic of distance learning?
A. It includes a subject evaluation tool with every subject.
B. Its course uses the same subject materials as those students taking the course on the home campus.
C. A distance-learning program has a place only for students.
D. The relationship of the professor/student is characterized by individuality.
【正确答案】C
本文导航第1页英语知识运用第2页阅读理解一第3页阅读理解二第4页阅读理解三第5页阅读理解四第6页写作试题The past ages of man have all been carefully labeled by anthropologists. Descriptions like ‘ Palaeolithic Man’， ‘Neolithic Man’， etc.， neatly sum up whole periods. When the time comes for anthropologists to turn their attention to the twentieth century， they will surely choose the label ‘Legless Man’。 Histories of the time will go something like this： ‘in the twentieth century， people forgot how to use their legs. Men and women moved about in cars， buses and trains from a very early age. There were lifts and escalators in all large buildings to prevent people from walking. This situation was forced upon earth dwellers of that time because of miles each day. But the surprising thing is that they didn’t use their legs even when they went on holiday. They built cable railways， ski-lifts and roads to the top of every huge mountain. All the beauty spots on earth were marred by the presence of large car parks.
The future history books might also record that we were deprived of the use of our eyes. In our hurry to get from one place to another， we failed to see anything on the way. Air travel gives you a bird’s-eye view of the world - or even less if the wing of the aircraft happens to get in your way. When you travel by car or train a blurred image of the countryside constantly smears the windows. Car drivers， in particular， are forever obsessed with the urge to go on and on： they never want to stop. Is it the lure of the great motorways， or what? And as for sea travel， it hardly deserves mention. It is perfectly summed up in the words of the old song： ‘I joined the navy to see the world， and what did I see? I saw the sea.’ The typical twentieth-century traveler is the man who always says ‘I’ve been there. ’ You mention the remotest， most evocative place-names in the world like El Dorado， Kabul， Irkutsk and someone is bound to say ‘I’ve been there’ - meaning， ‘I drove through it at 100 miles an hour on the way to somewhere else. ’
When you travel at high speeds， the present means nothing： you live mainly in the future because you spend most of your time looking forward to arriving at some other place. But actual arrival， when it is achieved， is meaningless. You want to move on again. By traveling like this， you suspend all experience; the present ceases to be a reality： you might just as well be dead. The traveler on foot， on the other hand， lives constantly in the present. For him traveling and arriving are one and the same thing： he arrives somewhere with every step he makes. He experiences the present moment with his eyes， his ears and the whole of his body. At the end of his journey he feels a delicious physical weariness. He knows that sound. Satisfying sleep will be his： the just reward of all true travellers.
1、Anthorpologists label nowaday’s men ‘Legless’ because
A people forget how to use his legs.
B people prefer cars， buses and trains.
C lifts and escalators prevent people from walking.
D there are a lot of transportation devices.
2、Travelling at high speed means
A people’s focus on the future.
B a pleasure.
C satisfying drivers’ great thrill.
D a necessity of life.
3、Why does the author say ‘we are deprived of the use of our eyes’ ?
A People won’t use their eyes.
B In traveling at high speed， eyes become useless.
C People can’t see anything on his way of travel.
D People want to sleep during travelling.
4、What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?
A Legs become weaker.
B Modern means of transportation make the world a small place.
C There is no need to use eyes.
D The best way to travel is on foot.
5. What does ‘a bird’s-eye view’ mean?
A See view with bird’s eyes.
B A bird looks at a beautiful view.
C It is a general view from a high position looking down.
D A scenic place.
答案详解
1.A 人们忘了用脚。答案在第一段：人类学家把以往年代的人们分别标上旧石器时代、新石器时代人，等等。干脆利落地总结了一个时期。当他们转向20世纪，他们肯定会标上“无脚的人”。因为在20世纪，人们忘了如何用脚走路。男人女人早年外出就坐车、公共汽车、火车。大楼里由电梯、自动扶梯，不需要人们走路。即使度假期间，他们也不用脚。他们筑有缆车道、滑雪载车和路直通山顶。所有的风景旅游区都有大型的汽车停车场。
B 人们喜欢汽车、公交车、火车等。
C 电梯、自动扶梯制止人们走路。
D 有许多交通运输工具。
2.A 人们的注意力在未来。见最后一段第一句话：当你高速旅行，现在等于零，你主要生活在未来，因为你大部分时间盯在前面到达的某个地方。真到了，又没有意义了，你还要再向前进。
B 是一种欢乐。
C 满足司机强烈的渴望。第二段中提及死机醉心于开车、不停车但不是快速前进着眼于未来。
D 生活的需要。这一条在第一段中提及这种情况是因为他们那异常的生活方法强加给时代的居民。这是指不用脚走路，而用一切代步器――交通运输工具，不是开快车。
3.C 人们在旅行途中什么都见不到。答案在第二段，由一地转向另一地，路上你什么都没有见到。乘飞机你只能俯视世界，火车，汽车，只见外界朦胧景象掠过窗子。海上旅游，只见到海。“我到过那里”此话含义就是“我以一小时一百英里在去某某地方时经过那里”。正因为如此，作者指出将来的历史书上会记录下：我们被剥夺了眼睛的应用。
A 人们不愿用眼睛。
B 在高速旅行中，眼睛没有用了。
D 旅行中，人们想睡觉。
4.D 旅行的最佳方式是走路。文章第一段、第二段分别讲述了旅行可不用脚、不用眼等情况。第三段，在讲述了人们只知向前向前，一切经历都停滞，现实不再是现实，还不如死的好。而用脚走路的旅行者总是生活再现实，对他来说旅行和到达是一回事，他一步一步走到某地，他用眼睛、耳朵，以至整个身体去体验现在时刻、旅行终点，他感到全身舒坦愉悦的疲劳，美美享受满足的酣睡;一切真正旅行者的真实报偿。这一段就是作者写文章的目的――走路是旅行的最佳方式。
A 脚变得软弱无力。
B 现代交通工具把世界变小。
C 没有必要用眼睛。
5.C 从高出向下看的景致：俯视。
A 用鸟的眼睛看景点。
B 鸟在看美景。
D 风景点。
本文导航第1页英语知识运用第2页阅读理解一第3页阅读理解二第4页阅读理解三第5页阅读理解四第6页写作试题[题目要求]
作文：学生是否应该学习英语?
Why Do Students learn English?
[参考范文]
English has been getting more and more popular in the last decade. Many countries have made English taught as the second language in schools. But why do students need English? If they do need, what do they need it for?
Different students learn English for different purposes. Most of the students learn English because they need to read English textbooks or journals and attend English lectures, while a few students use it to talk to English-speaking visitors, attend seminars, or write letters and reports.
Whatever the purposes are, one thing is certain: Students need English, and English teaching should be strengthened in universities. However, the current teaching methods should be improved and the teaching materials should be updated to satisfy their needs.
英语已经越来越流行，在过去的十年。许多国家已经取得了英语作为授课学校的第二语言。但为什么学生需要英语?如果他们需要什么，他们需要它?
不同的学生学习英语的目的不同。大多数学生学习英语，因为他们需要读英语课本或刊物和参加英语演讲，而少数同学使用它来谈谈讲英语的游客，参加研讨会，或写信函及报告。
不管是什么目的是，有一件事是肯定的：学生需要英语，英语教学应在大学得到加强。然而，当前的教学方法应该改进和教材应更新，以满足他们的需求。
