2012年12月大学英语四级真题试卷（第2套）

2012年12月大学英语四级真题试卷（第2套）

Part I Writing (30 minutes)

1． For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Education Pays based on the statistics provided in the chart below (Unemployment rate in 2010). Please give a brief description of the chart first and then make comments on it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.

Education Pays

Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)

Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions attached to the passage. For questions 1-7, mark：

Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage; N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage; NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. Should Sugar Be Regulated like Alcohol and Tobacco?

Sugar poses enough health risks that it should be considered a controlled substance just like alcohol and tobacco, argue a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

In an opinion piece called \Toxic (毒性的) Truth About Sugar\Feb. 1 in Nature, Robert Lustig, Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis argue that it's wrong to consider sugar just \of scientific evidence is showing that fructose (果糖) can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills—slowly. \ Almost everyone's heard of—or personally experienced—the well-known sugar high, so perhaps the comparison between sugar and alcohol or tobacco shouldn't come as a surprise. But it's doubtful that Americans will look favorably upon regulating their favorite vice. We're a nation that's sweet on sugar: the average US adult downs 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association, and surveys have found that teens swallow 34 teaspoons.

To counter our consumption, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to kids under 17. Already, 17% of US children and teens are obese (肥胖的), and across the world the sugar intake (摄入) has increased three times in the past 50 years. The increase has helped create a global obesity plague that contributes to 35 million annual deaths worldwide from

noninfectious diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Linda Matzigkeit, a senior vice president at Children's Healthcare, said \is in danger. It's not good if your state has the second-highest obesity rate. Obese children turn into obese adults. \

\There are good calories and bad calories, just as there are good fats and bad fats, good amino acids (氨基酸) and bad amino acids,\and Child Health program at UCSF, said in a statement. \ The food industry tries to imply that \the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. \But this and other research suggests there is something different about sugar,\

The UCSF report emphasizes the metabolic (新陈代谢的) effects of sugar. Excess sugar can alter metabolism, raise blood pressure, affect the signaling of hormones and damage the liver—outcomes that sound suspiciously similar to what can happen after a person drinks too much alcohol. Schmidt, co-chair of UCSF's Community Engagement and Health Policy program, noted on CNN: \made from sugar. Where does vodka come from? Sugar. \

But there are also other areas of impact that researchers have investigated: the effect of sugar on the brain and how liquid calories are interpreted differently by the body than solids. Research has suggested that sugar activates the same reward pathways in the brain as traditional drugs of abuse like morphine or heroin. No one is claiming the effect of sugar is quite that strong, but, says Brownell, \withdrawal symptoms when they stop eating it. \

There's also something particularly tricky about sugary drinks. \When calories come in liquids, the body doesn't feel as full,\than ever before from sugared drinks. \

Other countries, including France, Greece and Denmark, impose soda taxes, and the concept is being considered in at least 20 US cities and states. Last summer, Philadelphia came close to passing a 2-cents-per-ounce soda tax. The Rudd Center has been a strong advocate of a more modest 1 -cent-per-ounce tax. But at least one study, from 2010, has raised doubts that soda taxes would result in significant weight loss: apparently people who are determined to eat—and drink—unhealthily will find ways to do it. Teens—no surprise—are good at finding ways to get the things they can't have, so state policies banning all sugar-sweetened drinks from public schools and providing only water, milk or 100% fruit juices haven't had the intended effect of steering kids away from drinking sugared drinks: the average teen consumes about 300 calories per day—that's nearly 15% of his daily calories—in sweetened drinks, and the food and drink industry is only too happy to feed this need.

Ultimately, regulating sugar will prove particularly tricky because it goes beyond health concerns; sugar, for so many people, is love. A plate of cut-up vegetables just doesn't pack the same emotional punch as a tin of home-made chocolate chip cookies (饼干) , which is why I took my daughter out for a cupcake and not an apple as an after-school treat today. We don't do that regularly—it's the first time this school year, actually—and that's what made it special. As a society, could we ever reach the point where we'd think apples—not a cupcake—are something to get excited over? Says Brindis, one of the report's authors and director of UCSF's Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies: \

of sugar. Changing these patterns is very complicated. \

For inroads (进展) to be made, say the authors in their statement, people have to be better educated about the hazards of sugar and agree that something's got to change:

Many of the interventions (干预) that have reduced alcohol and tobacco consumption can be models for addressing the sugar problem, such as imposing special sales taxes, controlling access, and tightening licensing requirements on vending machines (自动售货机) and snack-bars that sell high sugar products in schools and workplaces.

\the government into people's lives. We're talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated dose. What we want is to actually increase people's choices by making foods that aren't loaded with sugar comparatively easier and cheaper to get. \

2． Why do some researchers think sugar should be considered \ A．It contains nothing but empty calories. B．It is as harmful as morphine and heroin. C．It works the same way as alcohol and tobacco in the human body. D．Excessive intake of sugar results in liver toxicity and various diseases,

3． What might be Americans' attitude towards government regulation of sugar consumption? A．Ehusiastic. B．Indifferent. C．Disapproving. D．Supportive. 4． What is a consequence of excessive sugar intake worldwide?

A．It contributes to 35 million noninfectious disease-related deaths a year. B．It has increased the death toll nearly three times in the past 50 years. C．It contributes to the rise of prices of sugar and sugary foods. D．It has increased the global obesity rate to some 17 percent.

5． The food industry tries to relieve the public worry about sugar intake by suggesting that______. A．sugar is no more than a source of energy B．sugar is not harmful like alcohol or tobacco C．the hazard of sugar to the body is exaggerated D．the consumption of sugar is easily controllable 6． According to Brownell, liquid sugar______.

A．is especially attractive to young children B．is much easier and quicker to absorb than solid sugar C．effectively stimulates people's appetite D．increases your calorie intake without your knowing it

7． What does the author think of the practice of imposing sugar taxes?

A．It will harm the food and drink industry. B．It is unlikely to yield the intended effect. C．It is likely to alter people's eating habits. D．It can steer kids away from sugary foods. 8． Regulating sugar will prove tricky because______.

A．people consume sugar in large quantities B．nothing has been found to replace sugar C．sugar may convey a sense of love D．many foods will become tasteless

9． In order to reduce sugar consumption, education should be conducted to raise people's awareness of its______.

10． To address the sugar problem, the author suggests that the licensing requirements on vending machines and snack-bars selling high sugar products be______.

11． A gentle way to steer people away from sugar is to make inexpensive, low-sugar foods______.

Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes) Section A

Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A, B, C and D, and decide which is the best answer.

12． A．Find a shortcut to the park. B．Buy some roses from the market. C．Plant trees in the east end of town. D．Go to the park to enjoy the flowers.

13． A．She has been invited to give a talk. B．She is going to meet the man at 9:30. C．She cannot attend the presentation. D．She cannot work because of her toothache. 14． A．He is a very successful businessman. B．He has changed his business strategy. C．He is making plans to expand his operation. D．He was twenty when he took over the company.

15． A．She has every confidence in Susan. B．She has not read the news on the Net. C．She is a little bit surprised at the news. D．She is not as bright and diligent as Susan.

16． A．It is more comfortable and convenient to take a bus. B．It is worth the money taking a train to Miami. C．It is not always cheaper going by bus. D．It is faster to go to Miami by train. 17． A．Antiques can improve their image. B．Preservation of antiques is important. C．The old furniture should be replaced. D．They should move into a new office. 18． A．All roads were closed because of the flood. B．The man stayed at the lab the whole night. C．The man got home late due to the storm. D．The storm continued until midnight. 19． A．Many children feel bored when left alone. B．The woman's sons might enjoy team sports. C．The woman's kids can play soccer with his son. D．Children should play sports at least once a week.

20． A．Make phone calls to promote sales. B．Arrange business negotiations. C．Handle complaints from customers. D．Take orders over the phone.

21． A．They had different business strategies. B．Customers often mistook one for the other. C．Conflicts between them could not be properly solved. D．Customers' questions could not be answered on the same day. 22． A．They each take a week. B．They like to spend it together. C．They have to take it by turns. D．They are given two weeks each.

23． A．At a road crossing. B．Outside a police station. C．Near a school. D．In front of a kindergarten.

24． A．He drove too fast to read it. B．He did not notice it. C．It says 45 miles an hour. D．It is not clearly visible.

25． A．It should have been renewed two months ago. B．It actually belongs to somebody else. C．It is no longer valid. D．It is not genuine.

26． A．He got a ticket. B．He was fined $35. C．He had his driver's license canceled. D．He had to do two weeks' community service. Section B

Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some 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. 27． A．A package of ideas formally presented. B．A short presentation clearly delivered. C．A natural and spontaneous style of speech. D．A clever use of visual aids in presentation.