2014年下半年大学英语四级预测模拟试卷(八)_第2页

　　Passage Three

　　Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.

　　One of the most widely discussed subjects these days is the energy crisis. Automobile drivers cannot get gasoline, homeowners may not get enough heating oil, factories are threatened by a fuel shortage.

　　The crisis has raised questions about the large oil companies and windfall(意外收获)profits. Critics of the oil industry charge that the major companies are getting richer because of the oil shortage. Shortage, of course, drives prices up. As oil prices rise, the critics say, the oil companies will make more and more money — windfall profits — without doing a thing to earn the extra cash.

　　“Windfall” profits are sudden unearned profits — profits made because of luck, or some special turn of events. The word itself tells what “windfall” means — something blown down by the wind, such as trees, or fruit blown from trees. But the word has taken on a special meaning. This meaning — getting something unearned — was first used in medieval(中世纪的)England. This is how it started: At that time much of the land was in the hands of a few barons(贵族). The rest of the people, commoners, lived and worked on their vast estates(领地). They planted the seed, cared for the farm animals and harvested the crops. Not all the land, however, was used for farming. Every land baron kept a large private forest for hunting deer and wild boar(野猪). When hungry, the people sometimes would like kill the animals in the lords forest for food. And there were times when they might cut down trees for fuel. So, strong laws were passed to protect the forest and the animals. Violations were severely punished. But there was one way people could get wood from the forest. If they found trees blown down by the wind – “windfall” — they were free to take them for use as fuel in their homes. And that is the meaning that has come down to us — something gotten by luck or accident.

　　The poor common people of old England must often have prayed for a good strong wind. Critics today complain that the oil industry has also been praying for something just like it — some political or military storm that might produce a windfall — a rise in oil prices and profits. The oil companies deny that this is so. In congress, critics of the oil companies have proposed a tax on such profits. The debate on rising oil prices will go on for some time, and most likely we will hear more and more about windfall profits.

　　31. “Critics of the companies” in the last paragraph means .

　　A) persons from the oil companies who are criticizing others

　　B) persons criticizing the oil companies

　　C) critical opinions from the oil companies

　　D) critical opinions to the oil companies

　　32. Which of the following couldn’t the commoners do in the medieval English?

　　A) Do farm work. B) Raise animals.

　　C) Live on baron’s land. D) Kill animals for food.

　　33. Which word (s) should be stressed?

　　A) `windfall profits B) windfall `profits

　　C) `windfall `profits D) windfall profits

　　34. The author’s attitude towards the “windfall profits” made by the major oil companies seems to be ______.

　　A) sympathetic B) objective C) indistinct D) critical

　　35. Which do you think would be the best title for the article?

　　A) A Story in Medieval England. B) Energy Crisis.

　　C) Windfall Profits. D) The Origin of Windfall.

　　Passage Four

　　Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.

　　The appeal of advertising to buying motives can have both negative and positive effects. Consumers may be convinced to buy a product of poor quality or high price because of an advertisement. For example, some advertisers have appealed to peoples desire for better fuel economy for their cars by advertising automotive products that improve gasoline mileage. Some of the products work. Others are worthless and a waste of consumers money. Sometimes advertising is intentionally misleading. A few years ago a brand of bread was offered to dieters with the message that there were fewer calories in every slice. It turned out that the bread was not dietetic, but just regular bread. There were fewer calories because it was sliced very thin, but there were the same number of calories in every loaf.

　　On the positive side, emotional appeals may respond to a consumers real concerns. Consider fire insurance. Fire insurance may be sold by appealing to fear of loss. But fear of loss is the real reason for fire insurance. The security of knowing that property is protected by insurance makes the purchase of fire insurance a worthwhile investment for most people. If consumers consider the quality of the insurance plans as well as the message in the ads, they will benefit from the advertising. Each consumer must evaluate her or his own situation. Are the benefits of the product important enough to justify buying it?

　　Advertising is intended to appeal to consumers, but it does not force them to buy the product. Consumers still control the final buying decision.

　　36. Advertising can persuade the consumer to buy worthless products by .

　　A) stressing their high quality

　　B) convincing him of their low price

　　C) maintaining a balance between quality and price

　　D) appealing to his buying motives

　　37. The reason why the bread advertisement is misleading is that .

　　A) thin slices of bread could contain more calories

　　B) the loaf was cut into regular slices

　　C) the bread was not genuine bread

　　D) the total number of calories in the loaf remained the same

　　38. The passage tells us that .

　　A) sometimes advertisements really sell what the consumer needs

　　B) advertisements occasionally force consumers into buying things they don’t need

　　C) the buying motives of consumers are controlled by advertisements

　　D) fire insurance is seldom a worthwhile investment

　　39. It can be inferred from the passage that a smart consumer should .

　　A) think carefully about the benefits described in the advertisements

　　B) guard against the deceiving nature of advertisements

　　C) be familiar with various advertising strategies

　　D) avoid buying products that have strong emotional appeal

　　40. The passage is mainly about .

　　A) how to make a wise buying decision

　　B) ways to protect the interests of the consumer

　　C) the positive and negative aspects of advertising

　　D) the function of advertisements in promoting sales

　　Part III Vocabulary (20 Minutes)

　　Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

　　41. He said he is my friend but I don’t think so.

　　A) intensive B) imitate C) intimate D) intimidate

　　42. I you’ve decided against taking my advice.

　　A) express B) declare C) assume D) exclude

　　43. Our plan when it proved too costly.

　　A) fell through B) got through C) broke through D) went through

　　44. Some strange customs have from earlier times.

　　A) evolved B) survived C) involved D) suspended

　　45. You don’t have to pay any on personal belongings.

　　A) price B) duty C) expense D) fare

　　46. Food is a big industry in this area.

　　A) projecting B) promising C) processing D) promoting

　　47. We never that John would become a doctor.

　　A) respected B) wondered C) suspected D) estimated

　　48. Heavy taxed are on wines imported from the other countries.

　　A) imposed B) impacted C) dispose D) compact

　　49. This factory is planning to build a new line this year.

　　A) resemble B) assembly C) collection D) assessment

　　50. He his success to the good education he has received.

　　A) distributes B) contributes C) attributes D) owns

　　51. They spent many years for oil in this small island.

　　A) exploring B) exploding C) exposing D) exploiting

　　52. We can’t the fact that we are still a developing country.

　　A) ignore B) neglect C) imagine D) impress

　　53. Can you the man who robbed you of your watch?

　　A) illustrate B) exhibit C) damage D) identify

　　54. This rock has to be in order to build a road.

　　A) blasted B) explored C) splited D) cracked

　　55. He did not go to the party last night, which her feelings deeply.

　　A) wounded B) injured C) hurt D) injury

　　56. When they returned to the river, they found that the boat had away.

　　A) framed B) frosted C) frowned D) floated

　　57. If you need further information, please our office.

　　A) detach B) construct C) contact D) contain

　　58. The light is too for me to read. I can not stand any more.

　　A) bright B) ripe C) slim D) dim

　　59. The water from the tap and damaged all the books in my study.

　　A) sprayed B) puzzled C) inclined D) exported

　　60. He gave up his study in college in .

　　A) relief B) eager C) anxious D) despair

　　61. Several people the car accident.

　　A) witnessed B) viewed C) glimpsed D) glanced

　　62. He was sent to London on a special .

　　A) missing B) missile C) mission D) mistress

　　63. Our university has an international student exchange with the University of Wyoming in the United States.

　　A) procession B) provision C) profession D) program

　　64. three times in a row, the boxer decide to give up fighting.

　　A) Having defeated B) To have defeated

　　C) Having been defeated D) To have been defeated

　　65. As far as I see, this book has its own .

　　A) merit B) signal C) feature D) characteritic

　　66. This tree is too to be planted in this area.

　　A) tremendous B) slender C) mild D) tender

　　67. Professor Li his success to his mother.

　　A) owns B) ruins C) owes D) roars

　　68. The election for the State governor has begun this year.

　　A) campaign B) combat C) conflict D) battle

　　69. It took me a long time to the disappointment of losing the match..

　　A) get through B) get over C) get off D) get down

　　70. Anyone without illness can do this simple job.

　　A) mild B) mind C) mental D) mend

　　Part IV Translation

　　Directions: The five sentences below are chosen from the Reading Comprehension. Translate these sentences into Chinese according to the texts.

　　1. In a society where people are quite similar in many ways, there are fewer occasions for people to see the need or the opportunity for change because everything seems to be the same.

　　2. This is one reason why change has not come more quickly to black Americans as compared to other American minorities, because of the sharp difference in appearance between them and their white counterparts.

　　3. They cannot move about or take shelter but must be equipped to endure whatever weather conditions are likely to occur.

　　4. As oil prices rise, the critics say, the oil companies will make more and more money — windfall profits — without doing a thing to earn the extra cash.

　　5. If consumers consider the quality of the insurance plans as well as the message in the ads, they will benefit from the advertising.

　　Part V Writing (30 minutes)

　　Directions: The following table shows the Candidates and Passers of the Post-graduate Entrance Examination in city X of China the past 5 years. Write a composition of about 120-150 words within 30 minutes.

　　Candidates and Passers of the Post-graduate Entrance Examination in city X

　　Year 2002 2003 2004 2005

　　Candidates 24000 25700 32000 42800

　　Passers 12700 13000 13400 14200

　　1.分析和说明图表。

　　2.解释图表反映的社会现象和原因。