201712月大学英语四级考试真题和答案解析

2020年12月5日发(作者：严宽)
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2017年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案（第一套）

Part I Writing （25 minutes）
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write
a short easy on how to best
handle the relationship between doctors and patients. You
should write at least
120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part II Listening Comprehension （25 minutes）
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports.
At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions.
Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once.
After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from
the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the
corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through
the centre.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just
heard.
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1. A) Her friend Erika. C) Her grandfather.
B) Her little brother. D) Her grandmother.
2. A) By taking pictures for passers-by. C) By selling
lemonade and pictures.
B) By working part time at a hospital. D) By asking for help
on social media.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just
heard.
3. A) Finding cheaper ways of highway construction.
B) Generating electric power for passing vehicles.
C) Providing clean energy to five million people.
D) Testing the efficiency of the new solar panel.
4. A) They can stand the wear and tear of natural elements.
B) They can be laid right on top of existing highways.
C) They are only about half an inch thick.
D) They are made from cheap materials.
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Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just
heard.
5. A) Endless fighting in the region. C) Inadequate funding
for research.
B) The hazards from the desert. D) The lack of clues about
the species.
6. A) To observe the wildlife in the two national parks.
B) To identify the reasons for the lions’ disappearance.
C) To study the habitat of lions in Sudan and Ethiopia.
D) To find evidence of the existence of the “lost lions”.
7. A) Lions walking. C) Some camping facilities.
B) Lions’ tracks. D) Traps set by local hunters.
Section B
Directions：In this section, you will hear two long
conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four
questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken
only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best
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answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), and D). Then mark
the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line
through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just
heard.
8. A) Her ‘lucky birthday’. C) Her wedding anniversary.
B) A call from her dad. D) A special gift from the man.
9. A) Gave her a big model plane. C) Took her on a trip
overseas.
B) Bought her a good necklace. D) Threw her a surprise party.
10. A) The gift her husband has bought.
B) The trip her husband has planned.
C) What has been troubling her husband.
D) What her husband and the man are up to.
11. A) He will be glad to be a guide for the couple’s holiday
trip.
B) He will tell the women the secret if her husband agrees.
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C) He is eager to learn how the couple’s holiday turns out.
D) He wants to find out about the couple’s holiday plan.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just
heard.
12. A) They are sensitive to the dynamics of a negotiation.
B) They see the importance of making compromises.
C) They know when to adopt a tough attitude.
D) They take the rival’s attitude into account.
13. A) They know how to adapt. C) They know when to make
compromises.
B) They know when to stop. D) They know how to control their
emotion.
14. A) They are patient. C) They learn quickly.
B) They are good at expression. D) They uphold their
principles.
15. A) Make clear one's intentions. C) Formulate one's
strategy.
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B) Clarify items of negotiation. D) Get to know the other side.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages.
At the end of each passage, you will
hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the
questions will be spoken only
once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best
answer from the four
choices marked A), B), C), D). Then mark the corresponding
letter on Answer
Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just
heard.
16. A) When America's earliest space program started.
B) When the International Space Station was built.
C) How many space shuttle missions there will be.
D) How space research benefits people on Earth.
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17. A) They accurately calculated the speed of the orbiting
shuttles.
B) They developed objects for astronauts to use in outer
space.
C) They tried to meet astronauts' specific requirements.
D) They tried to make best use of the latest technology.
18. A) They are extremely accurate. C) They were first made
in space.
B) They are expensive to make. D) They were invented in the
1970s.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just
heard.
19. A) It was when her ancestors came to America.
B) People had plenty of land to cultivate then.
C) It marked the beginning of something new.
D) Everything was natural and genuine then.
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20. A) They believed in working for goals. C) They had all
kinds of entertainment.
B) They enjoyed living a living a life of ease. D) They were
known to be creative.
21. A) Chatting with her ancestors. C) Polishing all the
silver work.
B) Furnishing her country house. D) Doing needlework by the
fire.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just
heard.
22. A) Use a map to identify your location. C) Sit down and
try to calm yourself.
B) Call your family or friends for help. D) Try to follow your
footprints back.
23. A) You may find a way out without your knowing it.
B) You may expose yourself to unexpected dangers.
C) You may get drowned in a sudden flood.
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D) You may end up entering a wonderland.
24. A) Look for food. C) Start a fire.
B) Wait patiently. D) Walk uphill.
25. A) Inform somebody of your plan. C) Check the local
weather.
B) Prepare enough food and drink. D) Find a map and a compass.
Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension ( 40 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.
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A rat or pigeon might not be the obvious choice to tend to
someone who is sick, but these creatures have some 26 skills that
could help the treatment of human diseases.
Pigeons are often seen as dirty birds and an urban 27 , but
they are just the latest in a long line of animals that have been
found to have abilities to help humans. Despite having a brain
no bigger than the 28 of your index finger, pigeons have a very
impressive 29__ memory. Recently it was shown that they could be
trained to be as accurate as humans at detecting breast cancer
in images.
Rats are often 30 with spreading disease rather than 31 it,
but this long- tailed animal is highly 32 . Inside a rat's nose
are up to 1,000 different types of olfactory receptors （嗅觉
感受器）, whereas humans only have 100 to 200 types. This gives
rats the ability to detect __33 smells. As a result, some rats
are being put to work to detect TB（肺结核）. When the rats detect
the smell, they stop and rub their legs to 34 a sample is infected.
Traditionally, a hundred samples would take lab technicians
more than two days to 35 , but for a rat it takes less than 20
minutes. This rat detection method doesn't rely on specialist
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equipment. It is also more accurate — the rats are able to find
more TB infections and, therefore, save more lives.
A) associated I) slight
B) examine J) specify
C) indicate K) superior
D) nuisance L) suspicious
E) peak M) tip
F) preventing N) treated
G) prohibiting O) visual
H) sensitive
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage
with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains
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
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the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet
2.
Do In-Class Exams Make Students Study Harder?
Research suggests they may study more broadly for the
unexpected rather than search for answers.
[A] I have always been a poor test-taker. So it may seem rather
strange that I have returned to college to finish the degree I
left undone some four decades ago. I am making my way through
Columbia University, surrounded by students who quickly supply
the verbal answer while I am still processing the question.
[B] Since there is no way for me to avoid exams, I am currently
questioning what kind are the most taxing and ultimately
beneficial. I have already sweated through numerous in-class
midterms and finals, and now I have a professor who issues
take-home ones. I was excited when I learned this, figuring I had
a full week to do the research, read the texts, and write it all
up. In fact, I was still rewriting my midterm the morning it was
due. To say I had lost the thread is putting it mildly.
[C] As I was suffering through my week of anxiety,
overthinking the material and guessing my grasp of it, I did some
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of my own polling among students and professors. David Eisenbach,
who teaches a popular class on U.S. presidents at Columbia,
prefers the in-class variety. He believes students ultimately
learn more and encourages them to form study groups. “That way
they socialize over history outside the class, which wouldn’t
happen without the pressure of an in- class exam,” he explained,
“Furthermore, in- class exams force students to learn how to
perform under pressure, and essential work skill.”
[D] He also says there is less chance of cheating with the
in-class variety. In 2012, 125 students at Harvard were caught
up in a scandal when it was discovered they had cheated on a
take-home exam for a class entitled “Introduction To Congress.”
Some colleges have what they call an “honor code,” though if
you are smart enough to get into these schools, you are either
smart enough to get around any codes or hopefully, too ethical
to consider doing so. As I sat blocked and clueless for two solid
days, I momentarily wondered if I couldn’t just call an expert
on the subject matter which I was tackling, or someone who took
the class previously, to get me going.
[E] Following the Harvard scandal, Mary Miller, the former
dean of students at Yale, made an impassioned appeal to her
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school’s professors to refrain from take-hone exams. “Students
risk health and well being, as well as performance in other
end-of-term work, when faculty offers take- home exams without
clear, time-limited boundaries,” she told me. “Research now
shows that regular quizzes, short essays, and other assignments
over the course of a term better enhance learning and retention.”
[F] Most college professors agree the kind of exam they choose
largely depends on the subject. A quantitative-based one, for
example, is unlikely to be sent home, where one could ask their
older brothers and sisters to help. Vocational-type classes, such
as computer science or journalism, on the other hand, are often
more research-oriented and lend themselves to take-home testing.
Chris Koch, who teaches “History of Broadcast Journalism” at
Montgomery Community College in Rockville, Maryland, points out
that reporting is about investigation rather than the
memorization of minute details. “In my field, it’s not what you
know—it’s what you know how to find out,” says Koch. “There
is way too much information, and more coming all the time, for
anyone to remember. I want my students to search out the answers
to questions by using all the resources available to them.
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[G] Students’ test-form preferences vary, too, often
depending on the subject and course difficulty. “I prefer
take- home essays because it is then really about the writing, so
you have time to edit and do more research,” says Elizabeth
Dresser, a junior at Barnard. Then there is the stress factor.
Francesca Haass, a senior at Middlebury, says, “I find the
in-class ones are more stressful in the short term, but there is
immediate relief as you swallow information like mad, and then
you get to forget it all. Take-homes require thoughtful engagement
which can lead to longer term stress as there is never a moment
when the time is up.” Meanwhile, Olivia Rubin, a sophomore at
Emory, says she hardly even considers take-homes true exams. “If
you understand the material and have the ability to articulate
(说出) your thoughts, they should be a breeze.”
[H] How students ultimately handle stress may depend on their
personal test-taking abilities. There are people who always wait
until the last minute, and make it much harder than it needs to
be. And then there those who, not knowing what questions are coming
at them, and having no resources to refer to, can freeze. And then
there are we rare folks who fit both those descriptions.
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[I] Yes, my advanced age must factor into the equation (等
式), in part because of my inability to
access the information as quickly. As another returning
student at Columbia, Kate Marber, told
me, “We are learning not only all this information, but
essentially how to learn again. Our
fellow students have just come out of high school. A lot has
changed since we were last in
school.”
[J] If nothing else, the situation has given my college son
and me something to share, When I
asked his opinion on this matter, he responded, “I like
in-class exams because the time is
already reserved, as opposed to using my free time at home
to work on a test,” he responded.
It seems to me that a compromise would be receiving the exam
questions a day or two in
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advance, and then doing the actual test in class the ticking
clock overhead.
[K] Better yet, how about what one Hunter College professor
reportedly did recently for her final
exam: She encouraged the class not to stress or even study,
promising that, “It is going to be a
piece of cake.” When the students came in, sharpened pencils
in hand, there was not a blue
book in sight. Rather, they saw a large chocolate cake and
they each were given a slice.
36. Elderly students find it hard to keep up with the rapid
changes in education.
37. Some believe take-home exams may affect students'
performance in other courses.
38. Certain professors believe in-class exams are ultimately
more helpful to students.
39. In-class exams are believed to discourage cheating in
exams.
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40. The author was happy to learn she could do some exams at
home.
41. Students who put off their work until the last moment often
find the exams more difficult than
they actually are.
42. Different students may prefer different types of exams.
43. Most professors agree whether to give an in- class or a
take-home exam depends on type of
course being taught.
44. The author dropped out of college some forty years ago.
45. Some students think take-home exams will eat up their free
time.
Section C
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.
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Passage One
Questions 46 and 50 are based on the following passage.
That people often experience trouble sleeping in a different
bed in unfamiliar surroundings is a phenomenon known as the
“first-night” effect. If a person stays in the same room the
following night they tend to sleep more soundly. Yuka Sasaki and
her colleagues at Brown University set out to investigate the
origins of this effect.
Dr. Sasaki knew the first-night effect probably has something
to do with how humans evolved. The puzzle was what benefit would
be gained from it when performance might be affected the following
day. She also knew from previous work conducted on birds and
dolphins that these animals put half of their brains to sleep at
a time so that they can rest while remaining alert enough to avoid
predators (捕食者). This led her to wonder if people might be doing
the same thing. To take a closer look, her team studied 35 healthy
people as they slept in the unfamiliar environment of the
university’s Department of Psychological Sciences. The
participants each slept in the department for two nights and were
carefully monitored with techniques that looked at the activity
of their brains. Dr. Sasaki found, as expected, the participants
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slept less well on their first night than they did on their second,
taking more than twice as long to fall asleep and sleeping less
overall. During deep sleep, the participants’ brains behaved in
a similar manner seen in birds and dolphins. On the first night
only, the left hemispheres (半球) of their brains did not sleep
nearly as deeply as their right hemispheres did.
Curious if the left hemispheres were indeed remaining awake
to process information detected in the surrounding environment,
Dr. Sasaki re-ran the experiment while presenting the sleeping
participants with a mix of regularly timed beeps (蜂鸣声) of the
same tone and irregular beeps of a different tone during the night.
She worked out that, if the left hemisphere was staying alert to
keep guard in a strange environment, then it would react to the
irregular beeps by stirring people from sleep and would ignore
the regularly timed ones. This is precisely what she found.
46. What did researchers find puzzling about the first-night
effect?
A) To what extent it can trouble people. C) What circumstances
may trigger it.
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B) What role it has played in evolution. D) In what way it
can be beneficial.
47. What do we learn about Dr. Yuka Sasaki doing her research?
A) She found birds and dolphins remain alert while asleep.
B) She found birds and dolphins sleep in much the same way.
C) She got some idea from previous studies on birds and
dolphins
D) She conducted studies on birds’ and dolphins’ sleeping
patterns.
48. What did Dr. Sasaki do when she first did her experiment?
A) She monitored the brain activity of participants sleeping
in a new environment.
B) She recruited 35 participants from her Department of
Psychological Sciences.
C) She studied the differences between the two sides of
participants’ brains.
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D) She tested her findings about birds and dolphins on human
subjects.
49. What did Dr. Sasaki do when re-running her experiment?
A) She analyzed the negative effect of irregular tones on
brains.
B) She recorded participants’ adaptation to changed
environment.
C) She exposed her participants to two different stimuli.
D) She compared the responses of different participants.
50. What did Dr. Sasaki find about the participants in her
experiment?
A) They tended to enjoy certain tones more than others.
B) They tended to perceive irregular beeps as a threat.
C) They felt sleepy when exposed to regular beeps.
D) They differed in their tolerance of irregular tones.
Passage Two
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Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
It’s time to reevaluate how women handle conflict at work.
Being overworked or over-committed at home and on the job will
not get you where you want to be in life. It will only slow you
down and hinder your career goals.
Did you know women are more likely than men to feel exhausted?
Nearly twice as many women than men ages 18-44 reported feeling
“very tired” or “exhausted”, according to a recent study.
This may not be surprising given that this is the age range
when women have children. It's also the age range when many women
are trying to balance careers and home. One reason women may feel
exhausted is that they have a hard time saying
to be able todo it all volunteer for school parties or cook
delicious meals-and so their answer to any request is often “Yes,
I can.”
Women struggle to say “no” in the workplace for similar
reasons, including the desire to be liked by their colleagues.
Unfortunately, this inability to say may be hurting women's
heath as well as their career.
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At the workplace, men use conflict as a way to position
themselves, while women often avoid conflict or strive to be the
peacemaker, because they don't want to be viewed as aggressive
or disruptive at work. For example, there’s a problem that needs
to be addressed immediately, resulting in a dispute over should
be the one to fix it. Men are more likely to face that dispute
from the perspective of what benefits them most, whereas women
may approach the same dispute from the perspective of what's the
easiest and quickest way to resolve the problem-even
if that means doing the boring work themselves.
This difference in handling conflict could be the deciding
factor on who gets promoted to a leadership position and who does
not. Leaders have to be able to delegate and manage resources
wisely – including staff expertise. Shouldering more of the
workload may not earn you that promotion. Instead, it may
highlight your inability to delegate effectively.
51. What does the author say is the problem with women?
A) They are often unclear about the career goals to reach.
B) They are usually more committed at home than on the job.
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C) They tend to be over-optimistic about how far they could
go.
D) They tend to push themselves beyond the limits of their
ability.
52. Why do working women of child-bearing age tend to feel
drained of energy?
A) They struggle to satisfy the demands of both work and home.
B) They are too devoted to work and unable to relax as a result.
C) They do their best to cooperate with their workmates.
D) They are obliged to take up too many responsibilities.
53. What may hinder the future prospects of career women?
A) Their unwillingness to say “no”.
B) Their desire to be considered powerful.
C) An underestimate of their own ability.
D) A lack of courage to face challenges.
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54. Men and woman differ in their approach to resolving
workplace conflicts in that______.
A) women tend to be easily satisfied
B) men are generally more persuasive
C) men tend to put their personal interests first
D) women are much more ready to compromise
55. What is important to a good leader?
A) A dominant personality. C) The courage to admit failure
B) The ability to delegate. D) A strong sense of
responsibility.
Part Ⅳ Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to
translate a passage from Chinese into
English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
华山位于华阴市，据西安120公里。华 山是秦岭的一部分，秦岭不
仅分割陕南与陕北，也分隔华南与华北。与从前人们常去朝拜的泰山不
同，华山过去很少有人光临，因为上山的道路极其危险。然而，希望长
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寿大人却经常上山，因为山上生长着许多草药，特别是一些稀有的草药。
自上世纪90年代安装缆车以来，参观人数大大增加。
答案速查
Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension ( 40 minutes )
Section A 26—30 KDMOA 31—35 FHICB
Section B 36—40 IECDB 41—45 HGFAJ
Section C 46—50 DCACB 51—55 DAACB

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