2019年12月四级真题（第2套）PartIWriting(30 minutes)Directions:For this part,you are allowed 3 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to learnChinese.Please recommend a place to him.You should write at least 120 words but no more than180 words.PartⅡListening Comprehension(25 minutes)SectionADirections:In this section,you will hear three news reports.At the end of each news report,you will hear two orthree questions.Both the news report and then questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,youmust choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letteron Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A)The number of male nurses has gone down.B)There is discrimination against male nurses.C)There is a growing shortage of medical personnel.D)The number of nurses has dropped to a record low2.A)Working conditions.B)Educational system.C)Inadequate pay.D)Cultural bias.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3.A)He fell out of a lifeboat.B)He was almost drowned.C)He lost his way on a beach.D)He enjoyed swimming in the sea.4.A)The lifeboats patrol the area round the clock.B)The beach is a good place to watch the tideC)The emergency services are efficientD)The beach is a popular tourist resort.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5.A)It climbed 25 storeys at one go.B)It broke into an office room.C)It escaped from a local zooD)It became an online star.6.A)Release it into the wild.C)Send it back to the zoo.D)Give it a physical checkup.7.A)A raccoon can perform acts no human can.B)A raccoon can climb much higher than a catC)The raccoon did something no politician couldD)The raccoon became as famous as some politicians.Section BDirections:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end of each conversation,you will hearfour questions.Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,youmust choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the correspondingletter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.-1-8.A)She received a bonus unexpectedlyB)She got a well-paying job in a bank.C)She received her first monthly salaryD)She got a pay raise for her perfommance.9.A)Two decades ago.B)Several years ago.C)Just last month.D)Right after graduation.10.A)He sent a small check to his parents.B)He treated his parents to a nice meal.C)He took a few of his friends to a gym.D)He immediately deposited it in a bank.11.A)Join her colleagues for gym exercise.B)Visit her former university campus.C)Buy some professional clothes.D)Budget her salary carefully.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)He has just too many things to attend to.B)He has been overworked recently.C)He has a difficult decision to makeD)He has just quarreled with his girlfriend13.A)Turn to his girlfriend for assistance.B)Give priority to things more urgent.C)Think twice before making the decisionD)Seek advice from his family and advisor14.A)His girlfriend does not support his decision.B)He is not particularly keen on the job offered.C)He lacks the money for his doctoral program.D)His parents and advisor have different opinions.15.A)They need time to make preparations.B)They haven't started their careers yet.C)They need to save enough money for it.D)They haven't won their parents'approval.Section CDirections:In this section,you will hear three passages.At the end of each passage,you will hear three or fourquestions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letteron Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A)Expressing ideas and opinions freely.B)Enriching social and intellectual lives.C)Acquiring information and professional knowledge.D)Using information to understand and solve problems.17.A)Traveling to different places in the world.B)Playing games that challenge one's mind.C)Improving mind-reading strategies.18.A)Participate in debates or discussions.B)Expose themselves to different cultures.C)Discard personal biases and prejudices.D)Give others freedom to express themselves.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A)Why dogs can be faithful friends of humans.B)The nature of relationships between dogs.C)The reason a great many people love dogs.D)How dogs feel about their bonds with humans-2-20.A)They behave like other animals in many ways.B)They have an unusual sense of responsibilityC)They can respond to humans'questions.D)They can fall in love just like humans.21.A)They stay with one partner for life.B)They have their own joys and sorrows.C)They experience true romantic love.D)They help humans in various ways.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A)A rare animal.B)A historical siteC)A cow bone.D)A precious stone.23.A)Dating it.B)Preserving it.C)Measuring it.D)Identifying it.24.A)The channel needs to interview the boy.B)The boy should have called an expert.C)The boy's family had acted correctly.D)The site should have been protected.25.A)Conduct a more detailed search.B)Ask the university to reward Jude.C)Search for similar fossils elsewhere.D)Seek additional funds for the search.Reading Comprehension(40 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section,there is a passage with ten blanks.You are required to select one word for each blankfrom a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.Read the passage through carefully beforemaking your choices.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.Please mark the corresponding letter foreach item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bankmore than once.Finally,some good news about airplane travel.If you are on a plane with a sick passenger,you are unlikelyto get sick.That is the 26 of a new study that looked at how respiratory viruses 27 on airplanes.Researchers found that only people who were seated in the same row as a passenger with the flu,for example-orone row in front of or behind that individual-had a high risk of catching the illness.All other passengers had onlya very 28 chance of getting sick,according to the findings.Media reports have not necessarily presented 29information about the risk of getting infected on an airplane in the past.Therefore,these new findings should helpairplane passengers to feel less30 to catching respiratory infections while traveling by air.Prior to the new study,little was known about the risks of getting31 infected by common respiratoryviruses,such as the flu or common cold,on an airplane,the researchers said.So,to32 the risks ofinfection,the study team flew on 10 different 33 in the U.S.during the flu season.The researchers found thatpassengers sitting within two seats on 34 side of a person infected with the flu,as well as those sitting one rowin front of or behind this individual,had about an 80 percent chance of getting sick.But other passengers were35 safe from infection.They had a less than 3 percent chance of catching the flu.A)accurateD)nearbyB)conclusionD)respondC)directlyK)slimD)eitherL)spreadE)evaluateM)summitF)explorationsN)vividlyG)flightsO)vulnerableH)largely-3-Section BDirections:In this section,you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.Each statementcontains information given in one of the paragraphs.Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived.You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter.Answer the questions bymarking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Is Breakfast Really the Most Important Meal of the Day?[A]Along with old classics like "carrots give you night vision"and "Santa doesn't bring toys tomisbehaving children",one of the most well-wom phrases of tired parents everywhere is that breakfast is the mostimportant meal of the day.Many of us grow up believing that skipping breakfast is a serious mistake,even if onlytwo thirds of adults in the UK eat breakfast regularly,according to the British Dietetic Association,and aroundthree-quarters of Americans.[B]"The body uses a lot of energy stores for growth and repair through the night,"explains diet specialistSarah Elder."Eating a balanced breakfast helps to up our energy,as well as make up for protein and calcium usedthroughout the night."But there's widespread disagreement over whether breakfast should keep its top spot in thehierarchy(of meals.There have been concems around the sugar content of cereal and the food industry'sinvolvement in pro-breakfast research-and even one claim from an academic that breakfast is "dangerous".[C]What's the reality?Is breakfast a necessary start to the day or a marketing tactic by cereal companies?The most researched aspect of breakfast (and breakfast-skipping)has been its links to obesity.Scientists havedifferent theories as to why there's a relationship between the two.In one US study that analysed the health dataof 50,000 people over seven years,researchers found that those who made breakfast the largest meal of the daywere more likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI)than those who ate a large lunch or dinner.Theresearchers argued that breakfast helps reduce daily calorie intake and improve the quality of our diet-sincebreakfast foods are often higher in fibre and nutrients[D]But as with any study of this kind,it was unclear if that was the cause-or if breakfast-skippers were justmore likely to be overweight to begin with.To find out,researchers designed a study in which 52 obese womentook part in a 12-weck weight loss programme.All had the same number of calories over the day,but half hadbreakfast,while the other half did not.What they found was that it wasn't breakfast itself that caused theparticipants to lose weight:it was changing their nommal routine.[E]If breakfast alone isn't a guarantee of weight loss,why is there a link between obesity and breakfast-skipping Alexandra Johnstone,professor of appetite research at the University of Aberdeen,argues that it maysimply be because breakfast-skippers have been found to be less knowledgeable about nutrition and health."Thereare a lot of studies on the relationship between breakfast eating and possible health outcomes,but this may bebecause those who eat breakfast choose to habitually have health-enhancing behaviours such as regular exerciseand not smoking,"she says.[F]A 2016 review of 10 studies looking into the relationship between breakfast and weight managementconcluded there is "limited evidence"supporting or refuting()the argument that breakfast influences weightor food intake,and more evidence is required before breakfast recommendations can be used to help preventobesity[GJResearchers from the University of Surrey and University of Aberdeen are halfway through researchlooking into the mechanisms behind how the time we eat influences body weight.Early findings suggest that abigger breakfast is beneficial to weight control.Breakfast has been found to affect more than just weight.Skippingbreakfast has been associated with a 27%increased risk of heart disease,a 21%higher risk of type 2 diabetes inmen,and a 20%higher risk of type 2 diabetes in women.One reason may be breakfast's nutritional value-partlybecause cereal is fortified(增加营养价值)with vitamins.in one study on the breakfast habits of 1,6O0 youngpeople in the UK,researchers found that the fibre and micronutrient intake was better in those who had breakfastregularly.There have been similar findings in Australia,Brazil,Canada and the US.[H]Breakfast is also associated with improved brain function,including concentration and language use.Areview of 54 studies found that eating breakfast can improve memory,though the effects on other brain functionswere inconclusive.However,one of the review's researchers,Mary Beth Spitznagel,says there is "reasonable"evidence breakfast does improve concentration-there just needs to be more research."Looking at studies thattested concentration,the number of studies showing a benefit was exactly the same as the number that found nobenefit,"she says."And no studies found that eating breakfast was bad for concentration."[I]What's most important,some argue,is what we eat for breakfast.High-protein breakfasts have beenfound particularly effective in reducing the longing for food and consumption later in the day,according toresearch by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.While cereal remains afimm favourite among breakfast consumers in the UK and US,a recent investigation into the sugar content of'adult'breakfast cereals found that some cereals contain more than three-quarters of the recommended dailyamount of free sugars in each portion,and sugar was the second or third highest ingredient in cereals.[J]But some research suggests if we're going to eat sugary foods,it's best to do it early.One study recruited200 obese adults to take part in a 16-week-long diet,where half added dessert to their breakfast,and half didn't.Those who added dessert lost an average of 40 pounds more-however,the study was uable to show the long-tem effects.A review of 54 studies found that there is no consensus yet on what type of breakfast is healthier,andconclude that the type of breakfast doesn't matter as much as simply eating something.[K]While there's no conclusive evidence on exactly what we should be eating and when,the consensus isthat we should listen to our own bodies and eat when we're hungry."Breakfast is most important for people whoare hungry when they wake up,"Johnstone says."Each body starts the day differently-and those individualdifferences need to be researched more closely,"Spitznagel says."A balanced breakfast is really helpful,butgetting regular meals throughout the day is more important to leave blood sugar stable through the day,whichhelps control weight and hunger levels,"says Elder."Breakfast isn't the only meal we should be getting right."36.According to one professor,obesity is related to a lack of basic awareness of nutrition and health.37.Some scientists claim that people should consume the right kind of food at breakfast.38.Opinions differ as to whether breakfast is the most important meal of the day39.It has been found that not eating breakfast is related to the incidence of certain diseases in some countries.40.Researchers found it was a change in eating habits rather than breakfast itself that induced weight loss.41.To keep oneself healthy,eating breakfast is more important than choosing what to eat.42.It is widely considered wrong not to eat breakfast.43.More research is needed to prove that breakfast is related to weight loss or food intake44.People who prioritise breakfasts tend to have lower calorie but higher nutritional intake45.Many studies reveal that eating breakfast helps people memorise and concentrate.Section CDirections:There are 2 passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinishedstatements.For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the bestchoice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Textbooks represent an 11 billion dollar industry,up from $8 billion in 2014.Textbook publisher Pearson isthe largest publisher-of any kind-in the world.It costs about $1 million to create a new textbook.A freshman textbook will have dozens of contributors,from subject-matter experts through graphic and layout artists to expert reviewers and classroom testers.Textbookpublishers connect professors,instructors and students in ways that altematives,such as open e-textbooks andopen educational resources,simply do not.This connection happens not only by means of collaborativedevelopment,review and testing,but also at conferences where faculty regularly decide on their textbooks andcurricula for the coming year.-5-