2012年12月四级 2012年12月英语四级试卷真题（文字版）

　　The Magician

　　The revolution that Steve Jobs led is only just beginning．

　　When it came to putting on a show,nobody else in the computer industry,or any other industry for that matter，could match Steve Jobs．His product launches，at which he would stand alone on a black stage and produce as if by magic an“incredible”new electronic gadgetin front of an amazed crowd，were the peril,rmances of a master showman．All computers do is fetch and work with numbers，he once exp lained，but do it fast enough and “the results appear to be magic”．Mr．Jobs，who died recently aged 56，spenthis life packaging that magic into elegantly designed，easy-to-use products．

　　The reaction to his death，with people leaving candles and flowers outside Apple stores and politicians singing praises on the internet，is proof that Mr．Jobs had become something much more significant than just a clever money-maker．He stood out in three ways-as a technologist，as a corporateleader and as somebody who was able to make people love what had previously been impersonal，functional gadgets．Strangely,it is this last quality that may have the deepest effect on the way people live．The era of personal technology is in many ways just beginning．

　　As a technologist，Mr．Jobs was different because he was not an engineer-and that was his great strength．Instead he was keenly interested in product design and aesthetics，and in making advanced technology simple to use．He repeatedly took an existing but half-formed idea-the mouse-driven computer,the digital music player,the smart phone，the tablet computer-and showed the rest of the industry how to do it properly．Rival firms competed with each other to follow where he led. In the process he brought about great changes in computing，music，telecoms and the news business that were painful for existing firms but welcomed by millions of consumers．

　　Within the wider business world，a man who liked to see himself as fl hippy，permanently in revof his life．His fall from grace in the 1980s followed by his return to Apple in l 996 after a period in the wilderness，is an inspiration to any business sperson whose career has taken a turn for the worse．The way in which Mr．Jobs revived the failing company he had co—founded and turned it into the world’s biggest tech firm ，sounds like something from a Hollywood movie．

　　But what was perhaps most astonishing about Mr．Jobs was the absolute loyalty he managed to inspire in customers．Many Apple users feel themselves to be part of a community，with Mr．Jobs as its leader．And there was indeed a personal link．Apple’s products were designed to accord with the boss，s tastes and to meet his extremely high standards．Every iPhone or MacBook has his fingerprints all over it．H is great achievement was to combine an emotional spark with computer technology,and make the resulting product feel personal．And that is what put Mr．Jobs on the right side of history,as technological innovationhas moved into consumer electronics over the past decade.

　　As our special report in this issueexplains，innovation used to spill over from military and corporate laboratories to the consumer market，but lately this process has gone into reverse．Many people’s homes now have more powerful，and more flexible，devices than their offices do；consumer gadgets and online services are smarter and easier to use than most companies’ systems．Familiar consumer products are being adopted by businesses，government and the armed forces．Companies are employing in．house versions of Facebook and creating their own“app stores”to deliver software to employees．Doctors use tablet computers for their work in hospitals．Meanwhile，the number of consumers hungry for such gadgets continues to swell．Apple’s products are now being snapped up in Delhi and Dalian just as in Dublin and Dallas．

　　Mr．Jobs had a reputation as a control freak，and his critics complained that the products and systems he designed were closed and inflexible，in the name of greater ease of use.Yet he also empowered millions of people by giving them access to cutting-edge technology. His insistence onputting users first，and focusing on elegance and simplicity，has become deep。rooted in his own company，and is spreading to rival firms too．It is no longer just at Apple that designers ask：“What would Steve Jobs do?”

　　The gap between Apple and other tech firms is now likely to narrow．This week’s announcement of a new iPhone by a management team led by Tim Cook，who replaced Mr．Jobs as chief executive in August，was generally regarded as competent but uninspiring．Without Mr．Jobs to shower his star dust on the event，it felt like just，another product launch from just another technology firm. At the recent unveiling of a tablet computer by Jeff Bezos of Amazon，whose company is doing the best Job of following Apple’s lead in combining hardware，software，content and services in an easy-to-use bundle，there were several attacks at Apple．But by doing his best to imitate Mr．Jobs，Mr．Bezos also．Flattered him．WithMr．Jobs gone，Apple is just one of many technology firms trying to arouse his uncontrollable spirit in new products．

　　Mr．Jobs was said by an engineer in the early years of Apple to emit a“reality distortionfield”．such were his powers of persuasion．But in the end he created a reality of his own，channeling the magic of computing into products that reshaped entire industries．The man who said in his youth that he wanted to “put a ding in the universe” did just that．

　　We learn from the first paragraph that nobody could match Steve Jobs in_________.

　　A．intelligence

　　B．showmanship

　　C．magic power

　　D．persuasion skills

Part I Writing

　　1、Directions：For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Education Pays based on the statistics provided in the chart below．Please give a brief description the chart first and then make comments on it．You should write at least l20 words but no more than 180 Words

　　

Part II

　　2、What did Steve Jobs do that most deeply affected people’s way of life?

　　A．He invented lots of functional gadgets．

　　B．He kept improving computer technology.

　　C．He started the era of personal technology．

　　D．He established a new style of leadership.

Part I Writing

　　2、Directions：For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Education Pays based on the statistics provided in the chart below

　　3、Where did Mr．Jobs’sgreatstrengthlie?

　　A．His profound insight about consumers needs in general．

　　B．His keen interest in designing elegant and user-friendly gadgets．

　　C．His firm determination to win in the competition against his rivals．

　　D．His rich knowledge as a computer scientist and electronic engineer．

　　4、Many corporate giants saw Steve Jobs as_________．

　　A．one of the greatest chief executives of his time

　　B．a dictator in the contemporary business world

　　C．an unbeatable rival in the computer industry

　　D．the most admirable hippy in today’s world

　　5、For those who have suffered failures in business，Steve Jobs’s life experience serves as_______．

　　A．a symbol

　　B．a standard

　　C．an ideal

　　D．an inspiration

　　6、What was the most astonishing part of Mr．Jobs’ssuccess?

　　A．He turned a failing company into a profitable business．

　　B．He set up personal links with many of his customers．

　　C．He commanded absolute loyalty from Apple users．

　　D．He left his fingerprints all over Apple products．

　　7、What is mentioned in this issue’s special report about innovation nowadays?

　　A．It benefits civilians more than the military．

　　B．New products are first used in the military．

　　C．Many new ideas first appear on the internet．

　　D．It originates in the consumer market．

　　8、In spite of the user-friendliness of Apple products，critics complained that they were_______.

　　9、Amazon，bv having hardware，software，content and services in an easy-to-use bundle，did the best job in following Apple’s lead_________．

　　10、By channeling the magic of computing into products，Steve Jobs had succeeded in_________.

Part Ⅲ Listening Comprehension：11-35

　　11、听录音，回答11-47题：

　　点击播放

　　A．He needs another week for the painting．

　　B．The painting was completed just In time．

　　C．The building won’t open until next week．

　　D．His artistic work has been well received．

　　12、

　　A．Go camping．

　　B．Decorate his house.

　　C．Rent a tent．

　　D．Organize a party．

　　13、

　　A．She talked with Mr．Wright on the phone．

　　B．She is about to call Mr．Wright’s secretary．

　　C．She will see Mr．Wright at lunch time．

　　D．She failed to reach Mr．Wright．

　　14、

　　A．He is actually very hardworking．

　　B．He has difficulty finishing his project．

　　C．He needs to spend more time in the lab．

　　D．He seldom tells the truth about himself．

　　15、

　　A．Rules restricting smoking．

　　B．Ways to quit smoking．

　　C．Smokers’ health problems．

　　D．Hazards of passive smoking．

　　16、

　　A．He is out of town all morning．

　　B．He is tied up in family matters．

　　C．He has been writing a report．

　　D．He has got meetings to attend．

　　17、

　　A．He is not easy—going．

　　B．He is the speakers’boss．

　　C．He is not at home this weekend．

　　D．He seldom invites people to his home．

　　18、

　　A．Take a break．

　　B．Refuel his car．

　　C．Ask the way．

　　D．Have a cup of coffee．

　　19、Questions l9 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard．

　　A．They are as good as historical films．

　　B．They give youngsters a thrill．

　　C．They have greatly improved．

　　D．They are better than comics on film．

　　20、

　　A．The effects were very good．

　　B．The acting was just so—so．

　　C．The plot was too complicated．

　　D．The characters were lifelike．

　　21、

　　A．They triumphed ultimately over evil in the battle．

　　B．They Flayed the same role in War of the Worlds．

　　C．They are popular figures among young people．

　　D．They are two leading characters in the film．

　　22、Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard．

　　A．It is scheduled on Thursday night．

　　B．It is supposed to last nine weeks．

　　C．It takes place once a week．

　　D．It usually starts at six．

　　23、

　　A．To make good use of her spare time in the evening．

　　B．To meet the requirements of her in—service training．

　　C．To improve her driving skills as quickly as possible．

　　D．To get some basic knowledge about car maintenance．

　　24、

　　A．Partic pate in group discussions．

　　B．Take turns to make presentations．

　　C．Listen to the teacher’s explanation．

　　D．Answer the teacher’s questions．

　　25、

　　A．Most of them are female．

　　B．Some have a part—time job．

　　C．They plan to buy a new car．

　　D．A few of them are old chaps．

　　26、Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard．

　　A．She is not good at making friends．

　　B．She is not well off．

　　C．She enjoys company．

　　D．She likes to go to concerts alone．

　　27、

　　A．Their similar social status．

　　B．Their interdependence．

　　C．Their common interest．

　　D．Their identical character．

　　28、

　　A．Invite Pat to a live concert．

　　B．Buy some gifts for Pat’s kids．

　　C．Help take care of Pat’s kids．

　　D．Pay for Pat’s season tickets．

　　29、

　　A．It can develop between people with a big difference in income．

　　B．It can be maintained among people of different age groups．

　　C．It cannot last long without similar family background．

　　D．It cannot be sustained when friends move far apart．

　　30、Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard．

　　A．Priority of students’academic achievements．

　　B．Equal education opportunities to all children．

　　C．Social equality between teachers and students．

　　D．Respect for students’individuality．

　　31、

　　A．Efficient

　　B．Complicated

　　C．Lengthy

　　D．Democratic

　　32、

　　A．To help them acquire hands—on experience．

　　B．To try to cut down its operational expenses．

　　C．To provide part—time jobs for needy students．

　　D．To enable them to learn to take responsibility．

　　33、Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard．

　　A．The best way to work through a finger maze．

　　B．Individuals doing better in front of an audience．

　　C．Researchers having contributed greatly to psychology．

　　D．Improvements on the classification of human behavior．

　　34、

　　A．When you feel encouraged by the audience．

　　B．When you try to figure out a confusing game．

　　C．When you already know how to do something．

　　D．When you complete with other people in a group．

　　35、

　　A．Practicing constantly．

　　B．Working by oneself．

　　C．Learning by doing．

　　D．Using proven methods．

Part Ⅲ Listening Comprehension：36-46

　　36、Americanstoday have different eating habits than they had in the past．There is a wide______ offood available．They have a broader______ of nutrition，so they buy more fresh fruitand______than ever before．At the same time，Americans______increasing quantities of sweetsand sodas．

　　Statisticsshow that the way people live______the way they eat．American lifestyles havechanged．There are now growing numbers of people wholive alone，______parents and children，and double-income families．These changinglifestyles are______ for the increasing number of people who must______mealsor sometimes simply go without them．Many Americans haveless time than ever before to spend preparing food．_____________________weekon average．

　　It iseasy to study the amounts and kinds of food that people consume．________________uswhat people are eatin9，but also tells us about the changes in attitudes and tastes．____________．Instead，chicken，turkey and fish have become morepopular．Sales of these foods have greatly increased inrecent years．

　　第题_________

　　37、第题_________

　　38、第题_________

　　39、第题_________

　　40、第题_________

　　41、第题_________

　　42、第题_________

　　43、第题_________

　　44、第题_________

　　45、第题_________

　　46、第题_________

　　47、回答47-57题：

　　So many people use the cell phone frequently every day．But___47___little is certain about the health effects of its use．Manufactures___48___that cell phones meet government standards for safe radio frequency radiation emission，but enough studies are beginning to document a possible___49___in rare brain tumors，headaches and behavioral disorders in children to cause concern．So far,the evidence isn’t___50___ on whether the use of cell phones___51___to any increased risk of cancer．In a new trial，researchers asked 47 volunteers to___52___in a project to measure glucoseconsumption in the brain by scanning the brain to see how cells use energy．For both 50 minute scans，the volunteers had a cell phone___53___to each ear．During the first scan，the devices were turned off,but for the second scan，the phone on the right ear was___54___on and received a recorded-message call，although the volume was muted so the noise wouldn’t bias the results．The results of the second scan showed that the___55___0f the brain nearest to the device had higher rates of glucose consumption than the rest of the brain．The study shows that cell phones can change brain activLty,and___56___a whole new avenue for scientific inquiry,though it doesn’t say anything about whether cell-phone radiation can cause cancer．

　　A．conclusive

　　B．contributes

　　C．derive

　　D．expresses

　　E．fixed

　　F．immensely

　　G．increase

　　H．maintain

　　I．mission

　　J．participate

　　K．particular

　　L．provides

　　M．regions

　　N．surprisingly

　　O．switched

　　第题__________

　　48、第题__________

　　49、第题__________

　　50、第题__________

　　51、第题__________

　　52、第题__________

　　53、第题__________

　　54、第题__________

　　55、第题__________

　　56、第题__________

Section B

　　57、Questions57-62 are based on the following passage．

　　As you are probably aware，the latest job markets news isn’t good：Unemployment is still more than 9 percent，and new job growth has fallen close to zer0．That’s bad for the economy,of　course．And it may be especially discouraging if you happen to be looking for a job or hoping to change careers right now．But it actually shouldn’t matter to you nearly as much as you think．

　　That’s because job growth numbers don’t matter to job hunters as much as job turnover data．After all，existing jobs open up every day due to promotions，resignations，terminations，and retirements．In both good times and bad，turnover creates more openings than economic growth does．Even in June of 2007，when the economy was still humming along，job growth was only l32，000，while turnover was 4．7 million!

　　And as it turns out，even today-with job growth near zero-over 4 million job hunters are being hired every month．

　　I don’t mean to imply that overall job growth doesn’t have an impact on one’s ability to land a job．

　　It’s true that if total employment were higher,it would mean more jobs for all of us to choose from．And it's true that there are currently more people applying for each available job opening，regardless of whether it’s a new one or not．

　　But what often distinguishes those who land jobs from those who don’t is their ability to stay motivated．They’re willing to do the hard work of identifying their valuable skills；be creative about where and how to look；learn how to present themselves to potential employers；and keep going，even after repeated rejections，The Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that 2．7 million people who wanted and were available for work hadn’t looked within the last four weeks and were no longer even classified as unemployed．

　　So don’t let the headlines fool you into giving up．Four million people get hired every month in the U．S．You can be one of them．

　　The author tends to believe that high unemployment rate_____________．

　　A．deprives many people of job opportunities

　　B．prevents many people from changing careers

　　C．should not stop people from looking for a job

　　D．does not mean the U．S．economy is worsening

　　58、Where do most job openings come from?

　　A．Job growth．

　　B．Job turnover．

　　C．Improved economy．

　　D．Business expansion．

　　59、What does the author say about overall job growth?

　　A．It doesn’t have much effect on individual job seekers．

　　B．It increases people’s confidence in the economy．

　　C．It gives a ray of hope to the unemployed．

　　D．It doesn’t mean greater job security for the employed．

　　60、What is the key to landing a job according to the author?

　　A．Education．

　　B．Intelligence．

　　C．Persistence．

　　D．Experience．

　　61、What do we learn from the passage about the unemployment figures in the U．S．?

　　A．They clearly indicate how healthy the economy is．

　　B．They provide the public with the latest information．

　　C．They warn of the structural problems in the economy．

　　D．They exclude those who have stopped looking for a job．

　　62、Questions 62-67 are based on the following passage．

　　Our risk of cancer rises dramatically as we age．So it makes sense that the elderly should be routinely screened for new tumors——or doesn’t it?

　　While such vigilanttracking of cancer is a good thing in general，researchers are increasingly questioning whether all of this testing is necessary for the elderly．With the percentage of people over age 65 expected to nearly double by 2050，it's important to weigh the health benefits of screening against the risks and costs of routine testing．

　　In many cases，screening can lead to additional biopsies and surgeries to remove cancer,which can cause side effects，while the cancers themselves may be slow—growing and may not pose serious health problems in patients’remaining years．But the message that everyone must screen for cancer has become so ingrained that when health care experts recommended that women under 50 and over 74 stop screening for breast cancer,it caused a riotous reaction among doctors，patients and advocacy groups．

　　It’s hard to uproot deeply held beliefs about cancer screening with scientific data．Certainly,there are people over age 75 who have had cancers detected by routine screening，and gained several extra years of life because of treatment．And clearly,people over age 75 who have other risk factors for cancer，such as a family history or prior personal experience with the disease，should continue to get screened regularly．But for me remainder,the risk of cancer,while increased at the end of life，must be balanced with other factors like remaining life expectancy．

　　A recent study suggests that doctors start to make more objective decisions about who will truly benefit from screening——especially considering the explosion of the elderly that will soon swell our population．

　　It，s not an easy calculation to make，but one that make sense for the whole patient．Dr．Otis Brawley said，“Many doctors are ordering these tests purely to cover themselves．We need to think about the rational use of health care and stop talking about the rationing of health care．

　　That means making some difficult decisions with elderly patients，and going against the misguided belief that when it comes to health care，more is always better．

　　Why do doctors recommend routine cancer screening for elderly people?

　　A．It is believed to contribute to long life．

　　B．It is part of their health care package．

　　C．The elderly are more sensitive about their health．

　　D．The elderly are in greater danger of tumor growth．

　　63、How do some researchers now look at routine cancer screening for the elderly?

　　A．It adds too much to their medical bills．

　　B．It helps increase their life expectancy．

　　C．They are doubtful about necessity．

　　D．They think it does more harm than good．

　　64、What is the conventional view about women screening for breast cancer?

　　A．It applies to women over 50．

　　B．It is a must for adult women．

　　C．It is optional for young women．

　　D．It doesn’t apply to women over 74．

　　65、Why do many doctors prescribe routine screening for cancer?

　　A．They want to protect themselves against medical disputes．

　　B．They want to take advantage of the medical care system．

　　C．They want data for medical research．

　　D．They want their patients to suffer less．

　　66、What does the author say is the general view about health care?

　　A．The more，the better．

　　B．Prevention is better than cure．

　　C．Better early than late．

　　D．Better care，longer life．

　　67、根据以下内容，回答{TSE}题。

　　Strong emotional bonds between mothers and infants increase children’s willingness to explore the world-an effect that has been observed___67___the animal kingdom，in people，monkeys and even spiders．The more secure we are in our___68___to Morn，the more likely we are to try new things and take risks．Now researchers are discovering that this effect continues into adulthood．A___69___reminder of Mom’s touch or the sound of her voice on the phone is___70___to change people’s minds and moods，___71___ their decision making in measurable ways．

　　In a study___72___online in April in Psychological Science，undergraduate business students had to choose between safe bets and risky gambles--a bond with a guaranteed 4 percent yearly___73___or ariskier stock option，for example．In half the cases，the experimenters patted the students___74___on the back of the shoulder for about one second__75___providing verbal instructions about the study．Both male and female students who were touched by a female experimenter were___76____more likely to choose the risky alternative____77___were those who had not been touched or were patted by male experimenters．

　　The reassuringtouch of a woman may have induced early associations，____78___the same openness to exploration that is observed in young children of____79___mothers，explains Jonathan Levav,a business professor at Columbia University and lead author of the study．To further____80___that a woman’s touch links feelings of security____81___risk taking，the researchersasked a____82___group of undergraduates to make financial decisions after a writing exercise． Half of them wrote about a time they felt secure and supported，whereas the____83___half wrote about feeling insecure and alone．Evokinga____84___of insecurity made students in the latter group____85___receptive to the gentle shoulder pats from female experimenters and much more willing to take a risk-just as a child leaving for a field trip might steal one last reassuringhug____86___Mom before stepping on the bus．

　　A．by

　　B．up

　　C．above

　　D．across

　　68、

　　A．concern

　　B．attachment

　　C．treatment

　　D．appeal

　　69、

　　A．bare

　　B．unique

　　C．mere

　　D．just

　　70、

　　A．enough

　　B．ready

　　C．easy

　　D．quick

　　71、

　　A．generating

　　B．regulating

　　C．affecting

　　D．refining

　　72、

　　A．exhibited

　　B．published

　　C．appeared

　　D．advertised

　　73、

　　A．return

　　B．expense

　　C．cost

　　D．prize

　　74、

　　A．seemingly

　　B．strongly

　　C．partly

　　D．lightly

　　75、

　　A．if

　　B．so

　　C．while

　　D．whereas

　　76、

　　A．rather

　　B．far

　　C．further

　　D．pretty

　　77、

　　A．than

　　B．as

　　C．which

　　D．that

　　78、

　　A．intending

　　B．inferring

　　C．inspiring

　　D．instructing

　　79、

　　A．supportive

　　B．lively

　　C．strict

　　D．respectful

　　80、

　　A．enable

　　B．ensure

　　C．consent

　　D．confirm

　　81、

　　A．beyond

　　B．with

　　C．for

　　D．along

　　82、

　　A．relative

　　B．competitive

　　C．different

　　D．successive

　　83、

　　A．next

　　B．other

　　C．minor

　　D．opposite

　　84、

　　A．hint

　　B．clue

　　C．chain

　　D．sense

　　85、

　　A．especially

　　B．specially

　　C．securely

　　D．entirely

　　86、

　　A．toward

　　B．into

　　C．of

　　D．from

Part VI Translation

　　87、I finally got the job I dreamed about．Never before in my life_______!

　　88、Yesterday Jane left the meeting early．Otherwise，she_______．

　　89、With the noise going on outside the classroom，I had great difficulty_______．

　　90、This is the first time．

　　91、All the information you need to apply for your visa is_______．

延伸阅读：2012年6月英语四级试卷真题2014年12月英语四级考试真题估分及试卷答案