2019下半年大學英語四級考試考前沖刺卷（1）

Part I Writing (30 minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topic: Precious Water. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below:

1. 舉例說明水對人類的重要性

2. 舉例說明我國所面臨的水資源問題

3. 為了生存和發(fā)展人們要……

Precious Water

Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)

Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C) and D). For question 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.

Pollution: A Life and Death Issue

One of the main themes of Planet under Pressure is the way many of the Earth's environmental crises reinforce one another. Pollution is an obvious example-we do not have the option of growing food, or finding enough water, on a squeaky-clean planet, but on one increasingly tarnished and trashed by the way we have used it so far.

Cutting waste and clearing up pollution cost money. Yet time and again it is the quest for wealth that generates much of the mess is the first place. Living in a way that is less damaging to the Earth is not easy, but it is vital, because pollution is pervasive and often life-threatening.

Air: the World Health Organization (WHO) says three million people are killed worldwide by outdoor air pollution annually from vehicles and industrial emissions, and 1.6 million indoors through using solid fuel. Most are in poor countries.

Water: diseases carried in water are responsible for 80% of illnesses and deaths in developing countries, killing a child every eight seconds. Each year 2.1 million people die from diarrhoeal (痢疾的) diseases associated with poor water.

Soil: contaminated land is a problem in industrialized countries, where former factories and power stations can leave waste like heavy metals in the soil. It can also occur in developing countries, sometimes used for dumping pesticides. Agriculture can pollute land with pesticides, nitrate-rich fertilizers and slurry from livestock. And when the contamination reaches rivers it damages life there, and can even create dead zones off the coast, as in the Gulf of Mexico.

Chronic Problem

Chemicals are a frequent pollutant. When we think of chemical contamination it is often images of events like Bhopal that come to mind. But the problem is widespread. One study says 7～20% of cancers are attributable to poor air and pollution in homes and workplaces. The WHO, concerned about chemicals that persist and build up in the body, especially in the young, says we may "be conducting a large-scale experiment with children's health".

Some man-made chemicals, endocrine (內(nèi)分泌) disruptors like phthalates (酞酸鹽) and nonylphenol-a breakdown product of spermicides (殺精子劑), cosmetics and detergents-are blamed for causing changes in the genitals of some animals. Affected species include polar bears-so not even the Arctic is immune. And the chemicals climb the food chain, from fish to mammals, and to us.

About 70,000 chemicals are on the market, with around 1,500 new ones appearing annually. At least 30,000 are thought never to have been comprehensively tested for their possible risks to people.

At first glance, the plastic buckets stacked in the corner of the environmental NGO office look like any others. But the containers are an unlikely weapon in one poor community's fight against oil companies which they say are responsible for widespread ill-health caused by years of pollution. The vessels are used by a network of local volunteers, known as the Bucket Brigade, to gather air samples in neighborhoods bordering oil refineries, as part of a campaign to monitor and document air pollution which they believe is coming from the plants.

In South Africa, as in many developing and newly industrialized countries, legislation on air pollution has failed to keep pace with mushrooming industries. So local residents, like many in poor communities around the globe, have faced the problem of investigating their claim that industries on their doorsteps are making them sick.

Trade-off

But the snag is that modern society demands many of them, and some are essential for survival. So while we invoke the precautionary principle, which always recommends erring on the side of caution, we have to recognize there will be trade-offs to be made.

The pesticide DDT does great damage to wildlife and can affect the human nervous system, but can also be effective against malaria (瘧疾). Where does the priority lie?

The industrialized world has not yet cleaned up the mess it created, but it is reaping the benefits of the pollution it has caused. It can hardly tell the developing countries that they have no right to follow suit.

Another complication in tackling pollution is that it does not respect political frontiers. There is a U.N. convention on trans-boundary air pollution, but that cannot cover every problem that can arise between neighbors, or between states which do not share a border. Perhaps the best example is climate change-the countries of the world share one atmosphere, and what one does can affect everyone.

For One and All.

One of the principles that are supposed to apply here is simple-the polluter pays. Sometimes it is obvious who is to blame and who must pay the price, but it is not always straightforward to work out just who is the polluter, or whether the rest of us would be happy to pay the price of stopping the pollution.

One way of cleaning up after ourselves would be to throw less away, designing products to be recycled or even just to last longer.

Previous generations worked on the assumption that discarding our waste was a proper way to get rid of it, so we used to dump nuclear materials and other potential hazards at sea, confident they would be dispersed in the depths.

We now think that is too risky because, as one author wrote, "there's no such place as 'away', and there's no such person as the 'other'."

Irritating Air

Despite recent improvements, however, the health problems are still there. A 2002 medical study, carried out by Durban's Nelson Mandela School of Medicine and a U.S. university, found that an abnormally high 52% of students and teachers at a primary school bordering the Engen plant suffered from asthma (哮喘). It found that increases in air pollution tended to aggravate asthma symptoms in children.

The petrol producers do not dispute the findings but argue that researchers were unable to establish a causal link between air pollution and the high prevalence of asthma among the school population.

For the community, the next step is to take legal action. But, according to internationally recognized environmentalist Bobby Peek, targeting the companies would be difficult as it would be near-impossible to prove that illnesses suffered were caused by pollution coming from a particular plant.

Mr. Peek, who grew up beneath Engen's stacks, says the activists are now considering taking action against the authorities. "We are now looking at suing the government on constitutional grounds, for failing to ensure our right to protection from a harmful environment as stipulated in the constitution," he said.

Legislative Change

A new batch (批) of environmental laws, the National Air Quality Management Act, has just been passed by the South African parliament to replace outdated 1965 legislation with tighter controls and tougher sanctions.

Martinus van Schalkwyk, the minister of environmental affairs and tourism, visited the south Durban basin earlier this year and said there were measures in place to improve the situation. "I share the anger and frustration of this community. It is long overdue," he told the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

The local authorities have also established a "Multi-Point Plan" for the area. They say it is a powerful model for tackling pollution and points to a 40% reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions in recent years.

1. According to World Health Organization, how many people are killed by outdoor air pollution?

[A] 3 million

[B] 2.1 million

[C] 1.6 million

[D] 3.2 million

2. Land can be polluted by ________ from agriculture.

[A] heavy metals

[B] pesticides and nitrate-poor fertilizers

[C] slurry from livestock

[D] rubbish

3. What kind of animal affected by man-made chemicals is not referred in the passage?

[A] Polar bears.

[B] Mammals.

[C] People.

[D] Birds.

4. What do local residents claim for?

[A] They are sick because of years of pollution.

[B] They are sick because of industries on their doorsteps.

[C] They are sick because of pesticides from agriculture.

[D] They are sick because of air pollution.

5. The pesticide DDT can be effective against ________.

[A] malaria

[B] wildlife

[C] animals

[D] human nervous system

6. There is a U.N. convention that can cover ________.

[A] problem between neighbors

[B] problem between states which do not share a border

[C] problems on air pollution

[D] trans-boundary air pollution

7. What is not said to be a way of cleaning up after ourselves?

[A] Throw less away.

[B] Design recycled products.

[C] Don't use it again.

[D] Last longer.

8. It found that increases in air pollution tended to ________________________.

9. According to Bobby Peek, targeting the companies would be difficult as it would be near-impossible to prove that illnesses suffered were caused by ________________________.

10. Martinus van Schalkwyk, the minister of environmental affairs and tourism, visited the south Durban basin earlier this year and said there were measures in place to ________________________.Section

Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)

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Section A

Directions: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words on Answer Sheet 2.

Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.

The bacteria that cause a common food-borne illness show low drug resistance in Australia, unlike similar strains from the United States and Europe, a study has found. Scientists behind the finding say Australia's de facto ban on certain antibiotics in poultry (家禽) and other livestock helps explain why.

In the study, researchers analyzed samples of Campylobacter jejuni (空腸彎曲桿菌) bacteria from 585 patients in five Australian states.

Scientists found that only 2 percent of the samples were resistant to ciprofloxacin (環(huán)丙沙星), one of the group of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolonones. By contrast, 18 percent of Campylobacter (弧形桿菌) samples in U.S. patients are immune to fluoroquinolonones, which have been used in the U.S. to prevent or treat respiratory (呼吸的) disease in poultry for a decade.

The study, led by Leanne Unicomb, a graduate student at Australian National University in Canberra, was published in the May issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

"The findings add to the growing body of evidence suggestive of the problems of using fluoroquinolonones in food-producing animals," Unicomb wrote in an email.

Campylobacter is the most common food-borne disease in the U.S. and many other industrialized countries.

People can contract the pathogen (病原體) by consuming undercooked poultry or meat, raw milk, or contaminated (被污染的) water.

Symptoms include fever, vomiting, and diarrhea (腹瀉). In rare cases, the disease can trigger paralysis or death.

"In most industrial countries Campylobacter is more commonly reported than Salmonella (沙門氏菌), a better-known cause of food poisoning," Unicomb said.

"The number of cases of Campylobacter has been on the rise in Australia since the early 90's."

In the U.S., about 1.4 million people contracted Campylobacter infections last year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.

While the infection rate in the U.S. has dropped over the last decade, the bacteria have grown more drug-resistant.

According to the CDC, surveys between 1986 and 1990 found no signs of resistance to the antibiotics in U.S. Campylobacter infections. But by 1997, strains resistant to the antibiotics accounted for 12 percent of human cases. In 2001 the figure climbed to 18 percent.

Public health experts say many factors contribute to Campylobacter's drug resistance; the widespread use of fluoroquinolonones by U.S. poultry farmers over the past decade is one of them.

Fluoroquinolones were first approved for use in humans by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1986. In 1995 the FDA granted poultry farmers permission to the use the drugs in livestock. Last year the FDA banned the antibiotic from food-producing animals, citing the concerns raised by public health experts over drug-resistant bacteria.

Frederick Angulo, an epidemiologist with the CDC, monitors the drug resistance of food-borne pathogens in the U.S. food supply. "The people who are most likely to get infected with food-borne diseases include the most vulnerable people in the population-infants and young children and also the elderly," he said. He says that Campylobacter infections are entirely preventable, as is the bacteria's antibiotic resistance. "In many ways what's occurring with Campylobacter is an indicator for a broader issue, which is...antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the food supply," he said.

47. Why do food-borne pathogens in Australia show low drug resistance?

48. In many industrialized countries, the most common food-borne disease is ________.

49. The food-borne disease may cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea and even ________.

50. The FDA banned the use of antibiotic from food-producing animals because public health experts were concerned about ________.

51. What does Angulo say about the bacteria's antibiotic resistance?

Section B

Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked [A],[B],[C] and [D]. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center.

Passage One

Questions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.

At some time in your life, you may have a strong desire to do something strange or terrible. However, chances are that you don't act on your impulse, but let it pass instead. You know that to commit the action is wrong in some way and that other people will not accept your behavior.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the phenomenon of taboo behavior is how it can change over the years within the same society, how certain behavior and attitude once considered taboo can become perfectly acceptable and natural at another point in time. Topics such as death, for example, were once considered so upsetting and unpleasant that it was a taboo to even talk about them. Now with the publication of important books such as On Death and Dying and Learning to Say Goodbye, people have become more aware of the importance of expressing feelings about death and, as a result, are more willing to talk about this taboo subject.

One of the newest taboos in American society is the topic of fat. Unlike many other taboos, fat is a topic that Americans talk about constantly. It's not taboo to talk about fat; it's taboo to be fat. The "in" look is thin, not fat. In the work world, most companies prefer youthful-looking, trim executives to sell their images as well as their products to the public. The thin look is associated with youth, vigor, and success. The fat person, on the other hand, is thought of as lazy and lacking in energy, self-discipline, and self-respect. In an image-conscious society like the U.S., thin is "in", fat is "out".

It's not surprising, then, that millions of Americans have been obsessed with staying slim and "in shape". The pursuit of a youthful physical appearance is not, however, the sole reason for Americans' fascination with diet and exercise. Recent research has shown the critical importance of diet and exercise for personal health. As in most technologically developed nations, the life style of North Americans has changed dramatically during the course of the last century. Modern machines do all the physical labor that people were once forced to do by hand. Cars and buses transport us quickly from point to point. As a result of inactivity and disuse, people's bodies can easily become weak and vulnerable to disease. In an effort to avoid such a fate, millions of Americans are spending more of their time exercising.

52. From the passage we can infer taboo is ________.

[A] a strong desire to do something strange or terrible

[B] a crime committed on impulse

[C] behavior considered unacceptable in society's eyes

[D] an unfavorable impression left on other people

53. Based on the ideas presented in the passage we can conclude "being fat" ________ in American society.

[A] will always remain a taboo

[B] is not considered as a taboo by most people

[C] has long been a taboo

[D] may no longer be a taboo someday

54. The topic of fat is ________ many other taboo subjects.

[A] the same as

[B] different from

[C] more popular than

[D] less often talked about than

55. What does "thin is 'in', and fat is 'out'" mean?

[A] Thin is "inside", and fat is "outside".

[B] Thin is "diligent", and fat is "lazy".

[C] Thin is "youthful", and fat is "spiritless".

[D] Thin is "fashionable", and fat is "unfashionable".

56. Apart from this new understanding of the correlation between health and exercise, the main reason the passage gives for why so many Americans are exercising regularly is ________.

[A] their changed life style

[B] their eagerness to stay thin and youthful

[C] their appreciation of the importance of exercise

[D] the encouragement they have received from their companies

Passage Two

Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.

We can begin our discussion of "population as global issue" with what most persons mean when they discuss "the population problem": too many people on earth and a too rapid increase in the number added each year. The facts are not in dispute; it was quite right to employ the analogy that likened demographic growth to "a long, thin powder fuse that burns steadily and haltingly until it finally reaches the charge and explodes".

To understand the current situation, which is characterized by rapid increases in population, it is necessary to understand the history of population trends. Rapid growth is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Looking back at the 8,000 years of demographic history, we find that populations have been virtually stable or growing very slightly for most of human history. For most of our ancestors, life was hard, often nasty, and very short. There was high fertility in most places, but this was usually balanced by high mortality. For most of human history, it was seldom the case that one in ten persons would live past forty, while infancy and childhood were especially risky periods. Often, societies were in clear danger of extinction because death rates could exceed their birthrates. Thus, the population problem throughout most of history was how to prevent extinction of the human race.

This pattern is important to notice. Not only does it put the current problems of demographic growth into a historical perspective, but it suggests that the cause of rapid increase in population in recent years is not a sudden enthusiasm for more children, but an improvement in the conditions that traditionally have caused high mortality.

Demographic history can be divided into two major periods: a time of long, slow growth which extended from about 8000 B.C. till approximately 1650 A.D. In the first period of some 9,600 years, the population increased from some 8million to 500 million in 1650. Between 1650 and 1975, the population has increased from 500 million to more than 4 billion. And the population reached 6.2 billion throughout the world by the year 2000. One way to appreciate this dramatic difference in such abstract numbers is to reduce the time frame to something that is more manageable. Between 8000 B.C. and 1650, an average of only 50,000 persons was being added annually to the world's population. At present, this number is added every six hours. The increase is about 80,000,000 persons annually.

57. The word "demographic" (Line 4, Para. 1) means ________.

[A] statistics of human

[B] surroundings study

[C] accumulation of human

[D] development of human

58. Which of the following demographic growth patterns is most suitable for the long thin powder fuse analogy?

[A] A virtually stable or slightly decreasing period and then a sudden explosion of population.

[B] A slow growth for a long time and then a period of rapid, dramatic increase.

[C] Too many people on earth and a few rapid increase in the number added each year.

[D] A long period when death rates exceed birthrates and then a short period with higher fertility and lower mortality.

59. During the first period of demographic history, societies were often in danger of extinction　because ________.

[A] only one in ten persons could live past 40

[B] there was higher mortality than fertility in most places

[C] it was too dangerous to have babies due to the poor conditions

[D] our ancestors had little enthusiasm for more children

60. Which statement is TRUE about population increase?

[A] There might be an increase of 2.2 billion persons from 1975 to the year 2000.

[B] About 50,000 babies are born annually at present.

[C] Between 8000 B.C. and the present, the population increase is about 80,000,000 persons each year.

[D] The population increased faster between 8000 B.C. and 1650 than between 1650 and the　present.

61. The author of the passage intends to ________.

[A] warn people against the population explosion in the near future

[B] compare the demographic growth pattern in the past with that after 1650

[C] find out the cause for rapid increase in population in recent years

[D] present us a clear and complete picture of the demographic growth

Part V Error Correction (15 minutes)

Directions: This part consists of a short passage. In this passage, there are altogether 10 mistakes, one in each numbered line. You may have to change a word, add a word or delete a word. Mark out the mistakes and put the corrections in the blanks provided. If you change a word, cross it out and write the correct word in the corresponding blank. If you add a word, put an insertion mark (∧) in the right place and write the missing word in the blank. If you delete a word, cross it out and put a slash (/) in the blank.

Example:

Television is rapidly becoming the literature of our periods. 1. time/times/period Many of the arguments having used for the study of literature 2.______________ as a school subject are valid for ∧ study of television. 3.______________ Are you worried about the rising crime rate? If you are, then you probably know that your house,possessions and persons are increasingly in danger of suffering from the tremendous rise in the cases of burglar 62. ________ and assault. Figures indicate that it is an ever-increasing 63. ________ crime rate but it is only too easy to imagine "it will never happen to me". Unfortunately, statistics show it is 64. ________ really can happen to you and, if you live in the large city, you run twice the risk of being a victim. 65. ________ Fortunately, there is something definite what you 66. ________ can do. Protect Alarms can help to protect your house with a burglar alarm system which is effective, simple to operate and easily affordable. You may remember that 67. ________ possessing a burglar alarm is no indication which your 68. ________ house is packed with valuable possessions. It quite simply indicates of unwelcome visitors that yours is one 69. ________ house they will not break into easily so they carry on to an unprotect house where their job is made a lot easier. 70. ________ Send now for our free leaflet telling you how we can protct and alarm your house quickly, easily and cheaply. Complete out and tear off the slip below and 71. ________ post it to us. Postage is free.

Part VI Translation (5 minutes)

Directions: Complete the following sentences on Answer Sheet 2 by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets.

72. Southern Africa has ________________________ (該病的患病率最高，幾乎是亞洲的兩倍).

73. It is time the authorities concerned________________________ (采取適當措施來解決交通).

74. In my opinion, playing video games ________________________ (既花費大量的時間也有害健康).

75. When it comes to education, ________________________ (多數(shù)人都認為教育是終生學習).

76. The situation will worsen ________________________ (除非采取措施加以阻止).

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