2011年12月英语四级考前10天冲刺试卷及答案(7)
导读: 距离12月四六级考试仅剩下一周的时间，在此，考试大cet4站为同学们全新推出冲刺试卷10套（含答案），供考生练习。
Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.
Distance learning has moved far away from the traditional correspondence course, aimed at the individual student working 47 . The global reach of the Internet makes it possible to 48 geographically-scattered students in a 49 classroom. Methods such as multimedia, video-conferencing and the Internet will 50 allow students both to proceed at their own pace, and to interact with one another and their teachers.
Even without taking the technology to its limits, the idea of education as a lifelong process is catching on throughout the 51 world. Already, working adults who pursue their studies part-time make up roughly half of students taking college courses in the United States.
However, there is 52 in scholarly circles about how far the new technology should be used for teaching academic subjects in which personal contacts between teacher and students are still vital. Britain’s Open University, for example, a world leader in distance education, has embraced information technology 53 , believing it to be no 54 for books and the exchange of ideas at live tutorials and summer schools.
But the Open University is also moving with the tide. It has set up a “knowledge media institute” to explore ways of adopting information technology. Some teachers are concerned about this trend, arguing that the heavy investment that students are 55 to make in computer and communications equipment 56 the concept of “open”. Cost, of course, is an important factor in many developing countries, where few people have computers or even phones. Rather than uniting the world, the new technologies could lead to societies of information haves and have-nots.
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 centre.
Passage One
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
In an experiment published last month, researchers from the University of Illinois recruited schoolchildren, ages 9 and 10 and asked them to run on a treadmill, hoping to learn more about how fitness affects the immature human brain.
The researchers sorted the children, based on their treadmill runs, into highest-, lowest- and median-fit categories. Only the most- and least-fit groups continued in the study (to provide the greatest contrast). Both groups completed a series of cognitive (认知的) challenges. Finally, the children’s brains were scanned, using MRI technology to measure the volume of specific areas.
Previous studies found that fitter kids generally scored better on such tests. And in this case, too, those children performed better on the tests. But the MRIs provided a clearer picture of how it might work. They showed that fit children had significantly larger basal ganglia, a key part of the brain that aids in maintaining attention and “executive control”. Since both groups of children had similar socioeconomic backgrounds, body mass index and other variables, the researchers concluded that being fit had enlarged that portion of their brains.
The findings arrive at an important time. For budgetary and administrative reasons, school boards are reducing physical education, while on their own, children grow increasingly sluggish (懒散的). Roughly a quarter of children participate in zero physical activity outside of school.
At the same time, evidence accumulates about the positive impact of even small amounts of aerobic (有氧的) activity. Past studies found that “just 20 minutes of walking” before a test raised children’s scores, even if the children were otherwise unfit or overweight.
But it’s the neurological (神经的) impact of sustained aerobic fitness in young people that is especially compelling. A years-long Swedish study published last year found that, among more than a million 18-year-old boys who joined the army, better fitness was correlated with higher IQs, even among identical twins. The fittest of them were also more likely to go on to profitable careers than the least fit, rendering them less likely to live in their parents’ basements.
No correlation was found between muscular strength and IQ scores. There’s no evidence that exercise leads to a higher IQ, but the researchers suspect that aerobic exercise, not strength training, produces specific growth factors and proteins that stimulate the brain.
57. The purpose of the University of Illinois experiment was to figure out .
A) schoolchildren’s cognitive development
B) the fitness levels of today’s school children
C) the effect of exercise on children’s brains
D) the structure of immature human brains
58. The University of Illinois experiment was different from previous studies in that .
A) its researchers categorized the children only by fitness levels
B) it highlighted the importance of students’ running on a treadmill
C) it showed how being fit affects children’s performance on the tests
D) it asked the subjects to complete tests that were beyond their levels
59. What conclusion did researchers from the University of Illinois draw?
A) Basal ganglia helped maintain attention.
B) Fitness enlarged children’s basal ganglia.
C) Overweight affected children’s complex memory.
D) Kids with similar backgrounds performed similarly.
60. What did the Swedish study published last year reveal?
A) People who were unfit were more likely to live a miserable life.
B) Boys who served in the army would have better job prospects.
C) Soldiers’ IQ scores were strongly influenced by strength training.
D) The fitter the young adults were, the higher IQs they would have.
61. What does the author try to tell us in this passage?
A) Aerobic exercise can make children smarter.
B) Schools are responsible for children’s fitness.
C) Military training should be taken seriously.
D) Running on a treadmill is the best way of exercise.
Passage Two
Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.
Until last spring, Nia Parker and the other kids in her neighborhood commuted to school on Bus 59. But as fuel rose, the school district needed to find a way to cut its transportation costs. So the school’s busing company redrew its route map, eliminating Nia’s bus altogether. Now, Nia and her neighbors travel the half mile to school via a “walking school bus” — a group of kids, supervised by an adult or two, who make the walk together.
Like the rest of us, school districts are feeling pinched by rising fuel costs—and finding new ways to adapt. The price of diesel fuel has gone up 34 percent in the past two years. For the typical American school district, bus bills total 5 percent of the budget. As administrators look to trim, busing is an inviting target, since it doesn’t affect classroom instruction (or test scores). More than one third of school administrators have eliminated bus stops or routes in order to stay within budget.
Many parents are delighted to see their kids walking to school, partly because many did so themselves: according to a 1969 survey, nearly half of school kids walked or biked to school, compared with only 16 percent in 2001. Modern parents have been leery of (对……存有戒心) letting kids walk to school for fear of traffic, crime or simple bullying, but with organized adult supervision, those concerns have diminished.
Schools and busing companies are finding other ways to save. In rural areas where busing is a must, some schools have even chosen four-day school weeks. Busing companies instruct drivers to eliminate extra stops from routes and to turn off the engine while idling. They are also using computer software to determine the most fuel-efficient routes, which aren’t always the shortest ones.
There could be downsides, however, to the busing cutbacks. If every formerly bused student begins walking to school, it’s an environmental win—but if too many of their parents decide to drive them instead, the overall carbon footprint can grow. Replacing buses with many more parent-driven cars can also increase safety risks: A 2002 report concluded students are 13 times safer on a school bus than in a passenger car, since buses have fewer accidents and withstand them better due to their size. And some students complain about the long morning hikes, particularly when the route contains a really big hill.
62. What do we learn about the “walking school bus” from the passage?
A) It is a heavy burden on the traffic.
B) It does not consume fuel at all.
C) It is very popular with school kids.
D) It aims to keep children strong and healthy.
63. As regards walking to school, modern parents seem much concerned about .
A) the sudden changes in the route
B) their children’s physical conditions
C) their children’s safety on the way
D) the distance their kids have to take
64. What do some schools do in order to save on transportation costs?
A) They choose to shorten the school week.
B) They stop giving drivers good training.
C) They eliminate routes or take the shortest routes.
D) They switch to buses which are more fuel-efficient.
65. What may eventually happen with the busing cutbacks?
A) More students may choose to take public transportation.
B) The safety of school buses may be decreased sharply.
C) Competition among bus companies may become fiercer.
D) There may be an increase in carbon dioxide emissions.
66. The author’s attitude towards busing cutbacks is .
A) critical B) favorable C) objective D) indifferent
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.
Distance learning has moved far away from the traditional correspondence course, aimed at the individual student working 47 . The global reach of the Internet makes it possible to 48 geographically-scattered students in a 49 classroom. Methods such as multimedia, video-conferencing and the Internet will 50 allow students both to proceed at their own pace, and to interact with one another and their teachers.
Even without taking the technology to its limits, the idea of education as a lifelong process is catching on throughout the 51 world. Already, working adults who pursue their studies part-time make up roughly half of students taking college courses in the United States.
However, there is 52 in scholarly circles about how far the new technology should be used for teaching academic subjects in which personal contacts between teacher and students are still vital. Britain’s Open University, for example, a world leader in distance education, has embraced information technology 53 , believing it to be no 54 for books and the exchange of ideas at live tutorials and summer schools.
But the Open University is also moving with the tide. It has set up a “knowledge media institute” to explore ways of adopting information technology. Some teachers are concerned about this trend, arguing that the heavy investment that students are 55 to make in computer and communications equipment 56 the concept of “open”. Cost, of course, is an important factor in many developing countries, where few people have computers or even phones. Rather than uniting the world, the new technologies could lead to societies of information haves and have-nots.
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 centre.
Passage One
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
In an experiment published last month, researchers from the University of Illinois recruited schoolchildren, ages 9 and 10 and asked them to run on a treadmill, hoping to learn more about how fitness affects the immature human brain.
The researchers sorted the children, based on their treadmill runs, into highest-, lowest- and median-fit categories. Only the most- and least-fit groups continued in the study (to provide the greatest contrast). Both groups completed a series of cognitive (认知的) challenges. Finally, the children’s brains were scanned, using MRI technology to measure the volume of specific areas.
Previous studies found that fitter kids generally scored better on such tests. And in this case, too, those children performed better on the tests. But the MRIs provided a clearer picture of how it might work. They showed that fit children had significantly larger basal ganglia, a key part of the brain that aids in maintaining attention and “executive control”. Since both groups of children had similar socioeconomic backgrounds, body mass index and other variables, the researchers concluded that being fit had enlarged that portion of their brains.
The findings arrive at an important time. For budgetary and administrative reasons, school boards are reducing physical education, while on their own, children grow increasingly sluggish (懒散的). Roughly a quarter of children participate in zero physical activity outside of school.
At the same time, evidence accumulates about the positive impact of even small amounts of aerobic (有氧的) activity. Past studies found that “just 20 minutes of walking” before a test raised children’s scores, even if the children were otherwise unfit or overweight.
But it’s the neurological (神经的) impact of sustained aerobic fitness in young people that is especially compelling. A years-long Swedish study published last year found that, among more than a million 18-year-old boys who joined the army, better fitness was correlated with higher IQs, even among identical twins. The fittest of them were also more likely to go on to profitable careers than the least fit, rendering them less likely to live in their parents’ basements.
No correlation was found between muscular strength and IQ scores. There’s no evidence that exercise leads to a higher IQ, but the researchers suspect that aerobic exercise, not strength training, produces specific growth factors and proteins that stimulate the brain.
57. The purpose of the University of Illinois experiment was to figure out .
A) schoolchildren’s cognitive development
B) the fitness levels of today’s school children
C) the effect of exercise on children’s brains
D) the structure of immature human brains
58. The University of Illinois experiment was different from previous studies in that .
A) its researchers categorized the children only by fitness levels
B) it highlighted the importance of students’ running on a treadmill
C) it showed how being fit affects children’s performance on the tests
D) it asked the subjects to complete tests that were beyond their levels
59. What conclusion did researchers from the University of Illinois draw?
A) Basal ganglia helped maintain attention.
B) Fitness enlarged children’s basal ganglia.
C) Overweight affected children’s complex memory.
D) Kids with similar backgrounds performed similarly.
60. What did the Swedish study published last year reveal?
A) People who were unfit were more likely to live a miserable life.
B) Boys who served in the army would have better job prospects.
C) Soldiers’ IQ scores were strongly influenced by strength training.
D) The fitter the young adults were, the higher IQs they would have.
61. What does the author try to tell us in this passage?
A) Aerobic exercise can make children smarter.
B) Schools are responsible for children’s fitness.
C) Military training should be taken seriously.
D) Running on a treadmill is the best way of exercise.
Passage Two
Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.
Until last spring, Nia Parker and the other kids in her neighborhood commuted to school on Bus 59. But as fuel rose, the school district needed to find a way to cut its transportation costs. So the school’s busing company redrew its route map, eliminating Nia’s bus altogether. Now, Nia and her neighbors travel the half mile to school via a “walking school bus” — a group of kids, supervised by an adult or two, who make the walk together.
Like the rest of us, school districts are feeling pinched by rising fuel costs—and finding new ways to adapt. The price of diesel fuel has gone up 34 percent in the past two years. For the typical American school district, bus bills total 5 percent of the budget. As administrators look to trim, busing is an inviting target, since it doesn’t affect classroom instruction (or test scores). More than one third of school administrators have eliminated bus stops or routes in order to stay within budget.
Many parents are delighted to see their kids walking to school, partly because many did so themselves: according to a 1969 survey, nearly half of school kids walked or biked to school, compared with only 16 percent in 2001. Modern parents have been leery of (对……存有戒心) letting kids walk to school for fear of traffic, crime or simple bullying, but with organized adult supervision, those concerns have diminished.
Schools and busing companies are finding other ways to save. In rural areas where busing is a must, some schools have even chosen four-day school weeks. Busing companies instruct drivers to eliminate extra stops from routes and to turn off the engine while idling. They are also using computer software to determine the most fuel-efficient routes, which aren’t always the shortest ones.
There could be downsides, however, to the busing cutbacks. If every formerly bused student begins walking to school, it’s an environmental win—but if too many of their parents decide to drive them instead, the overall carbon footprint can grow. Replacing buses with many more parent-driven cars can also increase safety risks: A 2002 report concluded students are 13 times safer on a school bus than in a passenger car, since buses have fewer accidents and withstand them better due to their size. And some students complain about the long morning hikes, particularly when the route contains a really big hill.
62. What do we learn about the “walking school bus” from the passage?
A) It is a heavy burden on the traffic.
B) It does not consume fuel at all.
C) It is very popular with school kids.
D) It aims to keep children strong and healthy.
63. As regards walking to school, modern parents seem much concerned about .
A) the sudden changes in the route
B) their children’s physical conditions
C) their children’s safety on the way
D) the distance their kids have to take
64. What do some schools do in order to save on transportation costs?
A) They choose to shorten the school week.
B) They stop giving drivers good training.
C) They eliminate routes or take the shortest routes.
D) They switch to buses which are more fuel-efficient.
65. What may eventually happen with the busing cutbacks?
A) More students may choose to take public transportation.
B) The safety of school buses may be decreased sharply.
C) Competition among bus companies may become fiercer.
D) There may be an increase in carbon dioxide emissions.
66. The author’s attitude towards busing cutbacks is .
A) critical B) favorable C) objective D) indifferent
考前模拟训练：
2011年12月英语四级全真模拟试卷汇总
2011年12月英语四级全真预测试卷及答案汇总
作文预测汇总：
2011年12月英语四级预测话题作文汇总
英语四级作文模板汇总
每日一练： 2011年12月英语四级仔细阅读每日一练汇总
首发试题答案：2011年12月英语四级考试试题及答案首发通知
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