的英文2018年12月英语四级真题及答案第二套

2021年1月8日发(作者：纪镇)

2018年12月英语四级真题及答案第二套

Part I Writing (30 minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the
challenges of studying abroad. 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.

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. C) He was collecting building
materials.

B) He once served in a fire department. 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. C) He regards his royal duties as a burden.

B) He is learning to be a pilot. 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. C) They rarely recognised him.

B) They liked him in his uniform. D)They were surprised to see him.

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 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) 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 all 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. C) Go with him to choose a
pearl for Susan.

B) Try out a new restaurant together in town. D) Attend the opening of a local
restaurant.

13. A) It is sponsored by local restaurants. C) It is especially popular with
the young.

B) It specializes in food advertizing. 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 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) and 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) 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. C) They were least used in Belgian
cooking.

B) They were considered most nutritious. D) They were essential to children’s
health.

18. A) Vegetables differ in their nutritional value. C) Parents watch closely
what children eat.

B) Children’s eating habits can be changed. 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 serious consequences. C) There is quite a lot to
learn about the moon.

B) India has many space exploration programs. D) A lot of garbage has been left
on the moon.

20. A) It is costly to bring back. C) It is of no use on Earth.

B) It is risky to destroy. 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. C) Examine the information carefully.

B) Make a timely response. D) See if any action needs to be taken.

24. A) It is to be passed on. C) It requires no reply.

B) It is mostly junk. 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.

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.

Have you ever used email to apologize to a colleague? Delivered a 26 to a
subordinate (下属) with a voice-mail message? Flown by plane across the country just
to deliver important news in person? The various communication options at our
fingertips today can be good for 27 and productivity – and at the same time
very troublesome. With so many ways to communicate, how should a manager choose the
one that’s best – 28when the message to be delivered is bad or unwelcome news for
the recipient? We’ve 29 business communication consultants and etiquette(礼仪)
experts to come up with the following guidelines for 30 using the alternative ways
of delivering difficult messages. First of all, choose how personal you want to be.
A face-to-face communication is the most 31 . Other choices, in descending order
of personalization, are: a real-time phone call, a voice-mail message, a handwritten
note, a typewritten letter, and the most 32 is email. Some of these may change
order according to the 33 situation or your own preferences; for example, a
handwritten note might seem more personal than voice-mail. How do you decide on the
best choice for the difficult message you’ve got to deliver? “My 34 concern is:
How can I soften or civilize this message?” says etiquette expert Dana Casperson.
“So when I apologize, I usually choose in- person first, or a phone conversation
as my top alternative, and maybe a handwritten note next. Apologizing by email is
something I now totally 35 .”
A) avoid I) reward
B) convenience
C) effectively
D) escape
E) intimate
F) particularly
G) primary
H) prompt


Section B



J) silent
K) specific
L) surveyed
M) unfriendly
N) warning
O) witnessed

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 the
questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.

How a Poor, Abandoned Parisian Boy Became a Top Chef

A) The busy streets in Paris were uneven and caked in thick mud, but there was always
a breathtaking sight to see in the shop windows of Patisserie de la Rue de la Paix.
By 1814, people crowded outside the bakery, straining for a glimpse of the latest
sweet food created by the young chef who worked inside.

B) His name was Marie- Antoine Carême, and he had appeared, one day, almost out of
nowhere. But

in his short lifetime, which ended exactly 184 years ago today, he would forever
revolutionize French gourmet food (美食), write best-selling cook books and think
up magical dishes for royals and other important people.

C) Carême’s childhood was one part tragedy, equal part mystery. Born the 16th child
to poor parents in Paris in either 1783 or 1784, a young Carême was suddenly abandoned
at the height of the French Revolution. At 8 years old, he worked as a kitchen boy
for a restaurant in Paris in exchange for room and board. By age 15, he had become
an apprentice (学徒) to Sylvain Bailly, a well-known dessert chef with a successful
bakery in one of Paris’s most fashionable neighborhoods.

D) Carême was quick at learning in the kitchen. Bailly encouraged his young
apprentice to learn to read and write. Carême would often spend his free afternoons
at the nearby National Library reading books on art and architecture. In the back
room of the little bakery, his interest in design and his baking talent combined
to work wonders – he shaped delicious masterpieces out of flour, butter and sugar.

E) In his teenage years, Carême fashioned eatable copies of the late 18th century’s
most famous

buildings – cookies in the 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) Carême’s creations soon captured the discriminating eye of a French diplomat,
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Pêrigord. Around 1804, Talleyrand challenged Carême
to produce a full menu for his personal castle, instructing the young baker to use
local, seasonal fruits and vegetables and to avoid repeating main dishes over the
course of an entire year. The experiment was a grand success and Talleyrand’s
association with French nobility would prove a profitable connection for Carême.

G) French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was known to be unimpressed by the declining
taste of early 18th century cooking, but under pressure to entertain Paris’s high
society, he too called Carême to his kitchen at Tuileries Palace. In 1810, Carême
designed the extraordinary cake for the wedding of Napoleon and his second bride,
Marie-Louise of Austria. He became one of the first modern chefs to focus on the
appearance of his table, not just the flavor of his dishes. “I want order and 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, Carême began a culinary (烹饪的) journey 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 (摄政王), GeorgeⅣ, and crossed continents to prepare
grand banquets for the tables of Tsar Alexander I of Russia. Never afraid to talk
up his own accomplishments, a boastful Carême 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
to recognize – and admire – him.

I) Carême’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 Carême’s fancy creations into the dining hall. For a banquet celebrating
the Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia’s visit to George IV’s Brighton Pavillion on
Jan. 18, 1817, the menu featured 120 different dishes, highlighting eight different
soups, 40 main courses and 32 desserts.

J) As he traveled through the homes of early 19th century nobility, Carême forged
the new art of

French gourmet food. Locked in hot kitchens, Carême created his four “mother
sauces”. These sauces – bêchamel, veloutê espagnole and allemande – formed the
central building blocks for many French main courses. He also perfected the soufflê
– a baked egg dish, and introduced the standard chef’s uniform – the same
double-breasted white coat and tall white hat still won by many chefs today. The
white clothing conveyed an image of cleanliness, according to Carême – and in his
realm, appearance was everything.

K) Between meals, Carême wrote cook books that would be used in European kitchens
for the next century. His manuals including The Royal Parisian Baker and the massive
five-volume Art of French Cooking Series (1883-1847, completed after his death)
first systematized many basic principles of cooking, complete with drawings and
step-by-step directions. Long before television cooking shows, Carême walked
readers through common kitchen tasks, instructing them to “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 Carême in. Decades of working
over coal fires in tight, closed spaces with little fresh air (to ensure his dishes
would not get cold) had fatally damaged his lungs. On Jan. 12, 1833, Carême died
just before he turned 50.

M) But in his lifetime, Carême, ever confident, could see beyond his short
domination in the kitchen. He wanted to “set the standard for beauty in classical
and modern cooking, and prove to the distant future that the French chefs of the
19th century were the most famous in the world,” as he wrote in his papers.

N) Decades later, chef Auguste Escoffier would build upon Carême’s concept of
French cuisine (烹饪法). But in the very beginning, there was just Carême, the top
chef who elevated dining into art.

36. Carême was among the first chefs who stressed both the appearance and flavor
of dishes.

37. Carême wanted to show to later generations that French chefs of his time were
most outstanding in the world.

38. Carême benefited greatly from serving a French diplomat and his connections.

39. Carême learned his trade from a famous dessert chef in Paris.

40. Carême’s creative works were exhibited in the shop windows by his master.

41. Carême’s knowledge of art and architecture helped him create extraordinary
desserts out of ordinary ingredients.

42. Many people in Paris were eager to have a look at the latest sweet food made
by Carême.

43. Carême became extremely wealthy by cooking for rich and socially ambitious
families.

44. Carême’s writings dealt with fundamental cooking principles in a systematic
way.

45. Carême’s contribution to French cooking was revolutionary.

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.

Passage One

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

Roughly the size of a soda can, sitting on a bookshelf, a relatively harmless gadget
may be turning friends away from your home. The elephant in your living room is your
Internet-connected security camera, a device people are increasingly using for peace
of mind in their homes. But few stop to think about the effect these devices may
have on house guests. Should you tell your friends, for instance, that they’re being
recorded while you all watch the big game together?

“It’s certainly new territory, especially as home security cameras become easier
to install,” says Lizzie Post, president of the Emily Post Institute, America’
s foremost manners advisors. “I think it will be very interesting to see what
etiquette (礼仪) emerges in terms of whether you tell people you have a camera or
not, and whether guests have a right to ask that it be turned off, if it’s not a
security issue.”

Post wants to make clear that she’s not talking about legal rights, but rather
personal preferences. She also wants to explain that there are no right or wrong
answers regarding manners on this front yet, because the technology is just now
becoming mainstream. Besides, the Emily Post Institute doesn’t dictate manners.

When it comes to security cameras, Post says it’s a host’s responsibility to make
sure guests feel comfortable within their home. “I’m always a fan of being open
and honest.” For instance, if the host casually acknowledges that there is a camera
in the room by telling a story about it, that may be enough to provide an opening
for a guest to say if they are uncomfortable.

However, if a contractor is working in your home, you don’t need to tell them that
there are cameras watching. Then again, the air of accountability that the camera
generates can also work in contractors’ favor. “If anything does go wrong while
they’re in the house, they don’t want to be blamed for it,” she says. “In fact,
the camera could be the thing that proves that they didn’t steal the $$20, or knock
the vase off the table.”

46. For what reason may your friends feel reluctant to visit your home?

A) The security camera installed may intrude into their privacy.

B) They don’t want their photos to be circulated on the Internet.

C) The security camera may turn out to be harmful to their health.

D) They may not be willing to interact with your family members.

47. Why does Lizzie Post say is new territory?

A) The effect of manners advice on the public.

B) Cost of applying new technologies at home.

C) The increasing use of home security devices.

D) Etiquette around home security cameras.

48. What is Lizzie Post mainly discussing with regard to the use of home security
cameras?

A) Legal rights. B) Moral issues.

C) Likes and dislikes of individuals. D) The possible impact on manners.

49. What is a host’s responsibility regarding security cameras, according to Lizzie
Post?

A) Making their guests feel at ease. C)Turning them off in time.

B) Indicating where they are. D) Ensuring their guests’ privacy.

50. In what way the home security camera benefit visitors to your home?

A) It can satisfy their curiosity. C) It can help them learn new technology.

B) It can prove their innocence. D) It can make their visit more enjoyable.

Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

PepsiCo is to spend billions of dollars to develop drinks and snacks and reformulate