2018年12月大学英语四级考试真题（第2套)Part IWriting(30minutes)Directions:For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the challenges of studying abroad.Youshould write at least120 words but no more than 180 words.Listening Comprehension(25 minutes)SectionADirections:In this section,you will hear three news reports.At the end of each news report,you will hear two or threequestions.Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,you must choose thebest answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 witha single line through the centre.Questions I and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A)A man was pulled to safety after a building collapse.B)A beam about ten feet long collapsed to the ground.C)A rescue worker got trapped in the basement.D)A deserted 100-year-old building caught fire.2.A)He suffered a fatal injury in an accident.B)He once served in a fire department.C)He was collecting building materials.D)He moved into his neighbor's old house.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3.A)Improve the maths skills of high school teachers.B)Change British people's negative view of maths.C)Help British people understand their paychecks.D)Launch a campaign to promote maths teaching.4.A)Children take maths courses at an earlier age.B)The public sees the value of maths in their life.C)British people know how to do elementary calculations.D)Primary school teachers understand basic maths concepts.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5.A)He owns a fleet of aircraft.B)He is learning to be a pilot.C)He regards his royal duties as a burden.D)He held a part-time job for over 20 years.6.A)He can demonstrate his superior piloting skills.B)He can change his focus of attention and relax.C)He can show his difference from other royalty.D)He can come into closer contact with his people.7.A)They enjoyed his company.B)They liked him in his uniform.C)They rarely recognised him.D)They were surprised to see him.Section BDirections:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end of each conversation,you will hear fourquestions.Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,you must choose thebest answer from the four choices marked A),B),C),and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A)They were skilled carpenters themselves.B)It didn't need much capital to start with.C)Wood supply was plentiful in Romania.D)They saw a business opportunity there.9.A)Provide quality furniture at affordable prices.B)Attract foreign investment to expand business.C)Enlarge their company by hiring more workers.D)Open some more branch companies in Germany.10.A)They are from her hometown.B)They are imported from Germany.C)They all come from Romania.D)They come from all over the continent.11.A)All across Europe.B)Throughout the world.C)Mostly in Bucharest.D)In Romania only.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)Go to a concert with him and his girlfriend.B)Try out a new restaurant together in town.C)Go with him to choose a pearl for Susan.D)Attend the opening of a local restaurant.13.A)It is sponsored by local restaurantsB)It specializes in food advertizing.C)It is especially popular with the young.D)It provides information on local events.14.A)They design a special set of menus for themselves.B)They treat themselves to various entertainments.C)They go to eat at different stylish restaurants.D)They participate in a variety of social events.15.A)More restaurants will join Restaurant Week.B)This year's Restaurant Week will start soon.C)Bigger discounts will be offered this Restaurant Week.D)More types of food will be served this Restaurant Week.Section CDirections:In this section,you will hear three passages.At the end of each passage,you willhear three or four questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken onlyonce.After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the fourchoices marked A),B),C),D).Then mark the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A)Rewarding them for eating vegetables.B)Exposing them to vegetables repeatedly.C)Improving the taste of vegetable dishes for them.D)Explaining the benefits of eating vegetables to them.17.A)They were disliked most by children.B)They were considered most nutritious.C)They were least used in Belgian cooking.D)They were essential to children's health.18.A)Vegetables differ in their nutritional value.B)Children's eating habits can be changed.C)Parents watch closely what children eat.D)Children's choices of food vary greatly.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A)Space exploration has serous consequences.B)India has many space exploration programs.C)There is quite a lot to leam about the moon.D)A lot of garbage has been left on the moon.20.A)It is costly to bring back.B)It is risky to destroy.C)It is of no use on Earth.D)It is damaged by radiation.21.A)Record details of space exploration.B)Monitor the change of lunar weather.C)Study the effect of radiation and vacuum on its materials.D)Explore the possibility of human settlement on the moon.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A)It is likely to remain a means of business communication.B)It is likely to be a competitor of various messaging apps.C)It will gradually be replaced by social media.D)It will have to be governed by specific rules.23.A)Save the message in their file.B)Make a timely response.C)Examine the information carefully.D)See is any action needs to be taken.24.A)It is to be passed on.B)It is mostly junk.C)It requires no reply.D)It causes no concern.25.A)Make it as short as possible.B)Use simple and clear language.C)Adopt an informal style of writing.D)Avoid using capitals for emphasis.PartⅢReading Comprehension(40 minutes)SectionADirections:In this section,there is a passage with ten blanks.You are required to select one word for each blank from a listof 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 2with a single line through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.Have you ever used email to apologize to a colleague?Delivered a 26 to a subordinate (with avoice-mail message?Flown by plane across the country just to deliver important news in person?The variouscommunication options at our fingertips today can be good for 27 and productivity-and at the same time verytroublesome.With so many ways to communicate,how should a manager choose the one that's best-28 when themessage to be delivered is bad or unwelcome news for the recipient?We've 29 business communicationconsultants and etiquette (experts to come up with the following guidelines for 30using the alternative waysof delivering difficult messages.First of all,choose how personal you want to be.A face-to-face communication is the most31.Other choices,in descending order of personalization,are:a real-time phone call,a voice-mail message,a handwritten note,a typewrittenletter,and the most 32 is email.Some of these may change order according to the 33 situation or your ownpreferences;for example,a handwritten note might seem more personal than voice-mail.How do you decide on the bestchoice for the difficult message you've got to deliver?"My 34concern is:How can I soften or civilize thismessage?"says etiquette expert Dana Casperson."So when I apologize,I usually choose in-person first,or a phoneconversation as my top altemative,and maybe a handwritten note next.Apologizing by email is something I now totally35.”A)avoidI)rewardB)convenienceJ)silentC)effectivelyD)escapeK)specificE)intimateL)surveyedF)particularlyM)unfriendlyG)primaryN)warningH)promptO)witnessedSection BDirections:In this section,you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.Each statement containsinformation given in one of the paragraphs.Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived.You may choose aparagraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter.Answer the questions by marking the correspondingletter on Answer Sheet 2.How a Poor,Abandoned Parisian Boy Became a Top ChefA)The busy streets in Paris were uneven and caked in thick mud,but there was always a breathtaking sight to see inthe shop windows of Patisserie de la Rue de la Paix.By 1814,people crowded outside the bakery,straining for a glimpse ofthe latest sweet food created by the young chef who worked inside.B)His name was Marie-Antoine Careme,and he had appeared,one day,almost out of nowhere.But in his shortlifetime,which ended exactly 184 years ago today,he would forever revolutionize French gourmet food ()writebest-selling cook books and think up magical dishes for royals and other important people.C)Careme's childhood was one part tragedy,equal part mystery.Bom the 16th child to poor parents in Paris in either1783 or 1784,a young Careme was suddenly abandoned at the height of the French Revolution.At 8 years old,he workedas a kitchen boy for a restaurant in Paris in exchange for room and board.By age 15,he had become an apprentice (to Sylvain Bailly,a well-known dessert chef with a successful bakery in one of Paris's most fashionable neighborhoods.D)Careme was quick at learning in the kitchen.Bailly encouraged his young apprentice to learn to read and write.Careme would often spend his free afternoons at the nearby National Library reading books on art and architecture.In theback room of the little bakery,his interest in design and his baking talent combined to work wonders-he shaped deliciousmasterpieces out of flour,butter and sugar.E)In his teenage years,Careme fashioned eatable copies of the late 18th century's most famous buildings-cookies inthe shape of ruins of ancient Athens and pies in the shape of ancient Chinese palaces and temples.Sylvain Bailly,his master,displayed these luxuriant creations-often as large as 4 feet tall-in his bakery windows.F)Careme's creations soon captured the discriminating eye of a French diplomat,Charles Maurice deTalleyrand-Perigord.Around 1804,Talleyrand challenged Careme to produce a full menu for his personal castle,instructingthe young baker to use local,seasonal fruits and vegetables and to avoid repeating main dishes over the course of an entireyear.The experiment was a grand success and Talleyrand's association with French nobility would prove a profitableconnection for Careme.G)French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was known to be unimpressed by the declining taste of early 18th centurycooking,but under pressure to entertain Paris's high society,he too called Careme to his kitchen at Tuileries Palace.In 1810,Careme designed the extraordinary cake for the wedding of Napoleon and his second bride,Marie-Louise of Austria.Hebecame one of the first modern chefs to focus on the appearance of his table,not just the flavor of his dishes."I want orderand taste.A well-displayed meal is enhanced one hundred percent in my eyes,"he later wrote in one of his cook books.H)In 1816,Careme began a culinary joumey which would forever mark his place as history's first top chef.He voyaged to England to cook in the modern Great Kitchen of the prince regent ()George IV,and crossedcontinents to prepare grand banquets for the tables of Tsar Alexander I of Russia.Never afraid to talk up his ownaccomplishments,a boastful Careme made a fortune as wealthy families with social ambitions invited him to their kitchens.Later,in his cook books,he would often include a sketch of himself,so that people on the street would be able torecognize-and admire-him.I)Careme's cooking displays became the symbol of fine French dining;they were plentiful,beautiful and imposing.Guests would fall silent in wonder as servants carried Careme's fancy creations into the dining hall.For a banquetcelebrating the Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia's visit to George IV's Brighton Pavillion on Jan.18,1817,the menu featured120 different dishes,highlighting eight different soups,40 main courses,and 32 desserts.J)As he traveled through the homes of early 19th century nobility,Careme forged the new art of French gourmet food.Locked in hot kitchens,Careme created his four "mother sauces."These sauces-bechamel,veloute,espagnole andallemande-formed the central building blocks for many French main courses.He also perfected the soufflea baked eggdish,and introduced the standard chef's uniform-the same double-breasted white coat and tall white hat still wom by manychefs today.The white clothing conveyed an image of cleanliness,according to Careme-and in his realm,appearance waseverything.K)Between meals,Careme wrote cook books that would be used in European kitchens for the next century.Hismanuals including The Royal Parisian Baker and the massive five-volume Art of French Cooking Series (1833-1847,completed after his death)first systematized many basic principles of cooking,complete with drawings and step-by-stepdirections.Long before television cooking shows,Careme walked readers through common kitchen tasks,instructing themto"try this for yourself,at home"as famous American Chef Julia Child might do,many years later.L)In the end,however,it was the kitchen that did Careme in.Decades of working over coal fires in tight,closedspaces with little fresh air(to ensure his dishes would not get cold)had fatally damaged his lungs.On Jan.12,1833,Caremedied just before he tumed 50.M)But in his lifetime,Careme,ever confident,could see beyond his short domination in the kitchen.He wanted to"setthe standard for beauty in classical and modem cooking,and prove to the distant future that the French chefs of the 19thcentury were the most famous in the world,"as he wrote in his papers.N)Decades later,chef Auguste Escoffier would build upon Careme's concept of French cuisine ()But in thevery beginning,there was just Careme,the top chef who elevated dining into art.36.Careme was among the first chefs who stressed both the appearance and flavor of dishes.37.Careme wanted to show to later generations that French chefs of his time were most outstanding in the world.