2008.12英语四级真题

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H. Escape I. Establishing J. Narrow K. Naturally L. Personnel M. Properly N. Respect O. Widen

Section B

Directions There are 2 passages in this section, each passage is followed by some question or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A B C 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

Question 57 to 61 based on the following passage.

If you are a male and you are reading this ,congratulations: you are a

survivor .According to statistics .you are more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer than a woman ,and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Assuming you make it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you will die on average five years before a woman.

There are many reasons for this-typically, men take more risks than woman and are more likely to drink and smoke but perhaps more importantly, men don’t go to the doctor.

“Men aren’t seeing doctors as often as they should, ” says Dr. Gullotta, “This is particularly so for the over-40s,when diseases tend to strike.” Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those over 45,it should be at least once a year.

Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old ma who had delayed doing anything about his smoker’s cough for a year.

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“When I finally saw him it had already spread and he has since died from lung cancer” he says, “Earlier detection and treatment may not have cured him, but it would have prolonged this life”

According to a recent survey, 95%of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group.

“A lot of men think they are invincible (不可战胜的)”Gullotta says “They only come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and they think” Geez, if it could happen to him.

Then there is the ostrich approach,” some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know, ” says Dr. Ross Cartmill.

“Most men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service their bodies,” Cartmill says .He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be addressed by preventive check-ups

Regular check-ups for men would inevitably place strain on the public purse, Cartmill says.” But prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases. Besides, the ultimate cost is far greater: it is called premature death.” 57.Why does the author congratulate his male readers at the beginning of the passage?

A. They are more likely to survive serious diseases today. B. Their average life span has been considerably extended. C. They have lived long enough to read this article. D. They are sure to enjoy a longer and happier live.

58。What does the author state is the most important reason men die five years earlier on average than women?

A. men drink and smoke much more than women B. men don’t seek medical care as often as women C. men aren’t as cautions as women in face of danger D. men are more likely to suffer from fatal diseases

59. Which of the following best completes the sentence “Geez, if it could happen to him,?’(line2,para,8)?

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A. it could happen to me, too B. I should avoid playing golf C. I should consider myself lucky D. it would be a big misfortune

60what does Dr. Ross Cartmill mean by “the ostrich approach”(line q para.9) A. a casual attitude towards one’s health conditions B. a new therapy for certain psychological problems

C. refusal to get medical treatment for fear of the pain involved D. unwillingness to find out about one’s disease because of fear 61. What does Cartmill say about regular check-ups for men? A.They may increase public expenses B.They will save money in the long run C.They may cause psychological strains on men D.They will enable men to live as long as women Passage two

Question 62 to 66 are based on the following passage

High-quality customer service is preached(宣扬) by many ,but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done

Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a retail store, but instead will alert their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers-and anyone who will listen.

Store managers are often the last to hear complaints, and often find out only when their regular customers decide t frequent their competitors, according to a study jointly conducted by Verde group and Wharton school

“Storytelling hurts retailers and entertains consumers,” said Paula Courtney, President of the Verde group.” the store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement.”

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On average, every unhappy customer will complain to at least four other, and will no longer visit the specific store for every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative reviews. The resulting “snowball effect” can be disastrous to retailers.

According to the research, shoppers who purchased clothing encountered the most problems. ranked second and third were grocery and electronics customers. The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered (塞满了的) shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople.

During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting local police to work as parking attendants. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty parking spaces. This guidance climinated the need for customers to circle the parking lot endlessly, and avoided confrontation between those eyeing the same parking space.

Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store layouts, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions.

Most importantly, salespeople should be diplomatic and polite with angry customers.

“Retailers who’re responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren’t so friendly.” said Professor Stephen Hoch. “Maybe something as simple as a greeter at the store entrance would help.”

Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filing complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答

62. Why are store managers often the last to hear complaints?

A Most customers won’t bother to complain even if they have had unhappy experiences.

B Customers would rather relate their unhappy experiences to people around them. C Few customers believe the service will be improved. D Customers have no easy access to store managers.

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