2018年英语专四真题试题册

TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2018)

-GRADE FOUR-

TIME LIMIT: 130 MIN PART I DICTATION [10 MIN] Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading, which will be done at normal speed, listen and try to understand the meaning. For the second and third readings, the passage will be read sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seconds. The last reading will be done at normal speed again and during this time you should check your work. You will then be given ONE minute to check through your work once more.

Please write the whole passage on ANSWER SHEET ONE.

PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSION [20 MIN] SECTION A TALK

In this section you will hear a talk. You will hear the talk ONCE ONLY. While listening, you may look at the task on the ANSWER SHEET ONE and write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap. Make sure what you fill in is both grammatically and semantically acceptable. You may use the blank sheet for note-taking.

You have THIRTY seconds to preview the gap-filling task.

Now listen to the talk. When it is over, you will be given TWO minutes to check your work..

The Linguistic Gift of Babies

Critical age

Decline of babies’ language learning ability occurs at the age of (1) ______ (1)________ Lab work

Research focus:

●How babies learn (2) ______ in the first critical period (2)________ Research aims:

●Developing a model for babies in their critical periods of

—language acquisition

—social, emotional and (3) ______ development (3)________ Research process:

●Babies need to listen.

●They are trained to turn their heads when (4) ______ (4)________ ● A panda bear pounds a drum if babies are correct.

Participants:

●(5) ______ babies (5)________ Results:

●Babies can (6) ______ of all languages. (6)________ ●Babies become language-bound before (7) ______ (7)________

—sound reaction between American and Japanese babies

--6 to 8 months old: (8) ______ (8)________ --two months later: (9) ______ (9)________ ●Two events during the critical two months

—(10) ______ when listening to a language (10)_______ —change of babies’ brains when distributions grow

Conclusion

Language learning may slow down when sound distributions become stable.

SECTION B CONVERSATIONS

In this section, you will hear two conversations. At the end of the conversion, five questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken ONCE ONLY. After each question there will be a ten-second pause. During the pause, you should read the four choices of A, B, C and D, and mark the best answer to each question on ANSWER SHEET TWO.

You have THIRTY seconds to preview the questions.

Now, listen to the conversations.

Conversation One

Questions 1 to 5 are based on Conversation One.

1. A. Many foreign languages are spoken in Britain.

B. Everyone in Britain can speak a foreign language.

C. The British are unable to speak a foreign language.

D. The British can survive on their mother tongue.

2. A. Chinese. B. Polish. C. Punjabi. D. Urdu.

3. A. To help improve international trade. B. To allow a speaker to hold a simple talk.

C. To improve the education system.

D. To encourage learning another language.

4. A. It gives you self-satisfaction. B. It makes you more confident.

C. It gives you an advantage.

D. It makes you work hard.

5. A. Workmates. B. Schoolmates. C. Teacher and student. D. Brother and sister. Conversation Two

Questions 6 to 10 are based on Conversation Two.

6. A. A dangerous event. B. An unreasonable fear.

C. A small probability.

D. A risk-assessing ability.

7. A. One in one million. B. One in four million.

C. One in fourteen million.

D. One in forty million.

8. A. Future events. B. Catastrophic events. C. Small-scale disasters. D. Smoking hazards.

9. A. Traveling by air. B. Riding a bicycle. C. Catching bird flu. D. Smoking cigarettes.

10. A. They get pleasure from risks. B. They can control potential risks.

C. They can assess danger from risks.

D. They have strong needs for risks.

PART III LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE [10 MIN] There are twenty sentences in this section. Beneath each sentence there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Choose one word or phrase that best completes the sentence. Mark your answers on Answer Sheet Two.

11. The Bent Pyramid outside Cairo ______ ancient Egypt’s first attempt to build a smooth-sided

pyramid.

A. has been believed to have been

B. was believed to be

C. is believed to have been

D. is believed to be

12. U.S. News ______ rankings of colleges since 1983. They are a very popular resource for

students looking to apply to a university campus.

A. maintains

B. is maintaining

C. maintained

D. has been maintaining

13. He was lured into a crime he would not ______ have committed.

A. actually

B. accidentally

C. otherwise

D. seldom

14. She was once a young country wife with chickens in the backyard and a view of ______

mountains behind the apple orchard.

A. blue hazy Virginia

B. hazy blue Virginia

C. Virginia hazy blue

D. Virginia blue hazy

15. I long to alleviate ______, but I cannot.

A. the evil

B. evil

C. evils

D. an evil

16. Indeed, it is arguable that body shattering is the very point of football, as killing and maiming

______.

A.war

B. are war

C. of war

D. are of war

17. At ______, photography is a chemical process, during which a light-sensitive material is altered

when exposed to light.

A. its most basic

B. its basic

C. the most basic

D. the basic

18. She hired a lawyer to investigate, only to learn that Gabriel had removed her name from the

deed. The infinitive verb phrase “only to learn” is used ______.

A. to express an intended purpose

B. to indicate a high degree of possibility

C. to reveal an undesirable consequence

D. to dramatize a stated fact

19. Which of the following italicized words DOES NOT carry the metaphorical meaning?

A. I wonder what’s behind this change of plan.

B. Jim turned to speak to the person standing behind him.

C. This work should have been finished yesterday. I’m getting terribly behind.

D. I suppose I’m lucky because my parents were behind me all the way.

20. My mother was determined to help those in need and she would have been immensely proud of

what has been achieved these last 20 years. The italicized part in the sentence expresses

______.

A. a hypothesis

B. a suggestion

C. a contradiction

D. a surprise

21. When the police officers who took part in the King beating were first brought to ______, their

lawyers used the videotape as evidence against the prosecution.

A. justice

B. testimony

C. trial

D. verdict

22. ______, the most controversial candidate in the election campaign, he has been strongly

criticized for his crude comments about women.

A.Questionably

B.Arguably

C.Contentiously

D. Debatably

23. Prices have recently risen in order to ______ the increased cost of raw materials.

A. cut

B.buoy

C.offer

D. offset

24. The celebrity says in court papers she “has no ______ of giving any authorization to anyone to

proceed with a divorce.”

A. recommendation

B. recording

C. recollection

D. recognition

25. What actually ______ a good angle—or a good selfie overall—is rooted in what we considered

beautiful.

A. consists

B. constitutes

C. composes

D. constructs

26. The school is going the ______ mile to create the next generation of sporting stars thanks to its

unique development program.

A. final

B. further

C. supplementary

D. extra

27. The teachers’ union ______ a lawsuit against the district calling for repairing “deplorable”

school conditions.

A. fired

B. filed

C. fined

D. filled

28. Last March the ______ of a 19th century cargo ship was found by an underwater archaeological

team.

A. debris

B. ruins

C. remains

D. wreck

29. She’s worn his designs on ______ occasions from red carpets to movie premieres.

A. countless

B. countable

C. numerical

D. numeral

30. A leading ______ intelligence and operations company has released its analysis of worldwide

reported incidents of piracy and crime against mariners.

A. oceangoing

B. oceanic

C. marine

D. maritime

PART IV CLOZE [10 MIN] Decide which of the words given in the box below would best complete the passage if inserted in the corresponding blank. The words can be used ONCE ONLY. Mark the letter for each word on

sample of perfect strangers. Although he expected some reaction, the response he received was amazing – holiday cards addressed to him came pouring back from the people who had never met

nor heard of him. The great majority of those who returned a card never inquired into the identity of the ______ (31) professor. They received his holiday greeting card, and they ______ (32) sent one in return. This study shows the action of one of the most powerful of weapons of influence around us –the rule of reciprocation. The rule says that we should try to repay, in ______ (33), what another person has provided us. If a woman does us a favor, we should do her ______ (34) in return; if a man sends us a birthday present, we should remember his birthday with a gift of our own; if a ______ (35) invites us to a party, we should be sure to invite them to one of ours. By ______ (36) of the reciprocity rule, then, we are obliged to the future repayment of favors, gifts, invitations, and the like. So typical is it for ______ (37) to company the receipt of such things that a term like “much obliged” has become a synonym for “thank you,” not only in the English lan guage but in others as well.

The impressive aspect of the rule of reciprocation and the sense of obligation that ______ (38) with it is its pervasiveness in human culture. It is so ______ (39) that after intensive study, sociologists can report that there is no human society that does not ______ (40) to the rule.

PART V READING COMPREHENSION [35 MIN] SECTION A MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

In this section there are three passages followed by ten multiple choice questions. For each multiple choice question, there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.

PASSAGE ONE

(1) The earliest settlers came to the North American continent to establish colonies which were free from the controls that existed in European societies. They wanted to escape the controls placed on their lives by kings and governments, priests and churched, noblemen and aristocrats. The historic decisions made by those first settlers have had a profound effect on the shaping of the American character. By limiting the power of the government and the churches and eliminating a formal aristocracy, they created a climate of freedom where the emphasis was on the individual. Individual freedom is probably the most basic of all American values. By “freedom,”Americans mean the desire and the ability of all individuals to control their own destiny without outside interference from the government, a ruling noble class, the church, or any other organized authority.

(2) There is, however, a price to be paid for this individual freedom: self-reliance. It means that Americans believe that they should stand on their own feet, achieving both financial and emotional independence from their parents as early as possible, usually by age 18 or 21.

(3) A second important reason why immigrants have traditionally been drawn to the United States is the belief that everyone has an equal chance to enter a chance and succeed in the game. Because titles of nobility were forbidden in the Constitution, no formal class system developed in the US.

(4) There is, however, a price to be paid for this equality of opportunity: competition. If much of life is seen as a race, then a person must run the race in order to succeed; a person must compete with others. The pressures of competition in the life of an American begin in childhood and continue until retirement from work. In fact, any group of people who does no compete successfully does not fit into the mainstream of American life as well as those who do.

(5) A third reason why immigrants have traditionally come to the United States is to have a better life. Because of its abundant natural resources, the United States appeared to be a “land of plenty”where millions could come to seek their fortunes. The phrase “going from rags to riches”became a slogan for the American dream. Many people did achieve material success. Material wealth became a value to the American people, and it also became an accepted measure of social status.

(6) Americans pay a price, however, for their material wealth: hard work. Hard work has been

both necessary and rewarding for most Americans throughout their history. In some ways, material possessions are seen as evidence of people’s abilities. Barry Goldwater, a candidate for the presidency in 1964, said that most poor people are poor because they deserve to be. Most Americans would find this a harsh statement, but many might think there was some truth in it.

(7) These basic values do not tell the whole story of the American character. Rather, they should be thought of as themes, as we continue to explore more facets of the American character and how it affects life in the United States.

41. Para. 4 seems to suggest that ________.

A. Americans are born with a sense of competition

B. the pressure of competition begins when one starts work

C. successful competition is essential in American society

D. competition results in equality of opportunities

42. Which of the following methods does the author mainly use in explaining American values?

A. Comparison.

B. Cause and effect.

C. Definition.

D. Process analysis. PASSAGE TWO

(1) The Nobels are the originals, of course. Alfred Nobel, the man who invented deadly explosives, decided to try and do something good with all the money he earned, and gave prizes to people who made progress in literature, science, economics and – perhaps most importantly – peace.

(2) Not all awards are as noble as the Nobels. Even though most countries have a system for recognizing, honoring and rewarding people who have done something good in their countries, there are now hundreds of awards and awards ceremonies for all kinds of things.

(3) The Oscars are probably the most famous, a time for the (mostly) American film industry to tell itself how good it is, an annual opportunity for big stars to give each other awards and make tearful speeches. As well as that there are also the Golden Globes, apparently for the same thing.

(4) But it’s not only films – now there are also Grammies, Brits, the Mercury Prize and the MTV and Q awards for music. In Britain, a writer who wins the Booker prize can expect to see their difficult, literary novel hit the bestseller lists and compete with “The Da Vinci Code” for popularity. The Turner Prize is an award for a British contemporary artist – each year it causes controversy by apparently giving lots of money to artists who do things like displaying their beds, put animals in glass cases or – this year – build a garden shed.

(5) Awards don’t onl y exist for the arts. There are now awards for Sports Personality of the Year, for European Footballer of the year and World Footballer of the Y ear. This seems very strange –sometimes awards can be good to give recognition to people who deserve it, or to help people who don’t make a lot of money carry on their work without worrying about finances, but professional soccer players these days certainly aren’t short of cash!

(6) Many small towns and communities all over the world also have their own awards ceremonies, for local writers or artists, or just for people who have graduated from high school or got a university degree. Even the British Council has its own awards for “Innovation in English Language Teaching”.

(7) Why have all these awards and ceremonies appeared recently? Shakespeare never won a prize, nor did Leonardo da Vinci or Adam Smith or Charles Dickens.

(8) It would be possible to say, however, that in the past, scientists and artists could win “patronage” from rich people – a king or a lord would give the artist or scientist money to have them paint their palaces or help them develop new ways of making money. With the change in social systems across the world, this no longer happens. Scientific research is now either funded by the government or by private companies.

(9) Perhaps awards ceremonies are just the most recent face of this process.

(10) However, there is more to it than that. When a film wins an Oscar, many more people will go and see it, or buy the DVD. When a writer wins the Nobel prize, many more people buy their books. When a group wins the MTV awards, the ceremony is seen by hundreds of thousands of people across the world. The result? The group sells slots more records.

(11) Most award ceremonies are now sponsored by big organizations or companies. This means that it is not only the person who wins the award who benefits---but also the sponsors. The MTV awards, for example, are great for publicizing not only music, but also MTV itself!

(12) On the surface, it seems to be a “Win-win” situation, with everyone being happy, but let me ask you a question—how far do you think that publicity and marketing are winning here, and how much genuine recognition of achievement is taking place?

43. What is the author’s tone when he mentions awards such as the Oscars, the Golden Globes and

Grammies (Paras. 3 & 4)

A. Amused.

B. Appreciative.

C. Sarcastic.

D. Serious.

44. According to Para. 4, what would happen to award winning writers?

A. They would enjoy a much larger readership.

B. They would turn to popular novel writing.

C. They would continue non-fiction writing.

D. They would try controversial forms of art.

45. Which of the following statements best sums up Para. 6?

A. Awards ceremonies are held for local people.

B. Awards ceremonies are held on important occasions.

C. Awards ceremonies are held in certain professions.

D. Awards ceremonies are held for all sorts of reasons.

46. According to Para. 8, one difference between scientists and artists in the past and those at present

lies in ________.

A. nature of work

B. personal contact

C. source of funding

D. social status

47. It can be concluded from Para. 12 that the author thinks awards ________.

A. promote market rather than achievements

B. do good to both market and popularity

C. help those who are really talented

D. are effective in making people popular PASSAGE THREE

(1) Knowing that Mrs. Mallard suffered from a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.

(2) It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences. Her husband’s friend Richards was there, too. It was he who had been in the newspaper office when news of the railroad disaster was received, with Brently Mallard’s name leading the list of “killed”. He had only taken the time to assure himself of its truth by a second telegram.

(3) She wept at once, in her sister’s arms. When the storm of sadness had spent itself she went away to her room alone. She would have no one follow her.

(4) There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable armchair. Into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul.

(5) She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. The notes of a distant song which someone was singing reached her, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves).

(6) There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled above the other in the west facing her window.

(7) She sat with her head thrown back upon the cushion of the chair, quite motionless, except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams.

(8) She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength. But now there was a dull stare in her eyes, whose gaze was fixed away off yonder on one of those patches of blue sky. It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought.

(9) There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it? She did not know; it was too subtle and elusive to name. But she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air.

(10) Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously. She was beginning to recognize this thing that

was approaching to possess her, and she was striving to beat it back with her will-as powerless as her two white slender hands would have been.

(11) When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: \had followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.

(12) She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death; the face that had never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead. But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome.

(13) There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending her in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature.

(14) And yet she had loved him-sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter! What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in face of this possession of self-assertion, which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!

(15)“Free! Body and soul free!” she kept whispering.

(16) Josephine was kneeling before the closed door with her lips to the keyhole, imploring for admission. “Louise, open the door! I beg; open the door-you will make yourself ill. What are you doing, Louise? For heaven's sake open the door.”

(17) “Go away. I am not making myself ill.” No, she was drinking in a very elixir(长生不老药) of life through that open window.

(18) Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Springs days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own. She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long.

(19) She arose at length and opened the door. There was a feverish triumph in her eyes, and she carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory. She clasped her sister's waist, and together they descended the stairs. Richards stood waiting for them at the bottom.

(20) Some one was opening the front door with a latchkey. It was Brently Mallard who entered, a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his bag and umbrella. He had been far from the scene of accident, and did not even know there had been one. He stood amazed at Josephine's piercing cry; at Richards’ quick motion to screen him from the view of his wife.

(21) But Richards was too late.

(22) When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease—of joy that kills.

48. How did Mrs Mallard get the news of her husband’s death?

A. Her husband’s friend told her.

B. She had read it from the paper.

C. Her sister Josephine told her.

D. Her doctor broke the news to her.

49. When Mrs Mallard was alone in her room, she ________.

A. sat in an armchair all the time

B. sat with her back facing the window

C. sat and then walked around for while

D. sat in a chair and cried all the time.

50. How did she feel about her love towards her husband?

A. She hated her husband.

B. She was indifferent now.

C. She found it hard to describe.

D. She had loved him all along. SECTION B SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

In this section, there are five short answer questions based on the passages in Section A. Answer the questions with NO MORE THAN TEN words in the space provided on ANSWER SHEET TWO.

PASSAGE ONE

51. What does This in Para. 2 refer to?

PASSAGE TWO

52. Why did Fisher have to battle in the courts after he found the treasure (Para. 4)?

51. Of all the values mentioned in the passage, which one is regarded as the most fundamental?

52. What can be inferred from the sentence “Not all awards are as noble as the Nobels.” according to

Para. 2?

53. What conclusion can be drawn from Para. 5?

PASSAGE THREE

54. What was Mrs Mallard’s mood when she was left alone in the room?

55. The doctors said that Mrs Mallard died of heart disease—of joy that kills. What do you think is

the real cause of her death?

PART V WRITING [45 MIN] Write your article on ANSWER SHEET FOUR.

Read carefully the following report, and then write your response in NO LESS THAN 200 WORDS, in which you should:

●summarize the main message of the excerpt, and then

●comment on whether our brains will get lazy in a world run by intelligent machines.

You can support yourself with information from the report.

Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.

Write your response on ANSWER SHEET THREE.

—THE END—

2018年英语专业四级(TEM4) 听力原文

Part II LISTENING COMPREHENSION—SECTION A TALK

The Linguistic Gift of Babies 婴儿的语言天赋

Good morning, everyone. In today's lecture, I'm going to talk about something you can't see. That is, what's going on in the little brain of a baby.

大家早上好。在今天的课上，我要讲一些你们看不到的东西。也就是：婴儿的大脑里是如何运转的。

For example, how babies learn a language.

例如，婴儿如何学习一门语言。

It is always a question people show great interest in.

这是一个大家很感兴趣的问题。

Babies and children are geniuses until they turn seven, and then there's a systematic decline.

婴儿和七岁之前的儿童都是天才，七岁后就会出现系统性的衰退。

Work in my lab is focused on the first critical period in development, and that is the period in which babies try to master which sounds are used in their language.

我的实验室里工作的重点就是发育的第一个关键时期，在这个关键时期，婴儿试图掌握在他们的语言中用到的音。

We think, by studying how the sounds are learned, we'll have a model for the rest of language, and perhaps for critical periods that may exist in childhood for social, emotional and cognitive development.

我们认为，通过研究声音是如何习得的，我们将建立一个适用于语言其他方面的模型，也可能适用于儿童时期可能存在的社交、情感和认知发展关键时期的模型。

So we've been studying the babies by conducting an experiment.

所以我们一直在通过实验来研究这些婴儿。

During our experiment, the baby, usually a six-monther, sits on a parent's lap, and we train them to turn their heads when a sound changes—like from "ah" to "ee".

在我们的实验中，婴儿，通常是6个月大的婴儿，坐在父母的膝盖上，我们训练他们当音变化的时候转过头去，比如从“啊”变成“咿”的时候。

If they do so at the appropriate time, the black box lights up and a panda bear pounds a drum. What have we learned?

如果他们在正确的时候这样做，黑盒子就会亮起来，熊猫就会敲鼓。我们学到了什么？Well, babies all over the world are what I like to describe as "citizens of the world".

全世界的婴儿就是我所说的“世界公民”。

They can discriminate all the sounds of all languages, no matter what country we're testing and what language we're using, and that's remarkable because you know, I can't do that.

他们可以区分所有语言的所有音，不管我们测试的是哪个国家，用的是什么语言，这很了不起，因为你知道，我做不到。

We're culture-bound listeners.

我们的听力受到了文化限制。

We can discriminate the sounds of our own language, but not those of foreign languages.

我们能分辨出自己语言的音，却分辨不出外语的音。

So the question arises: When do those citizens of the world turn into the language-bound listeners that we are?

所以问题就来了：这些世界公民什么时候会变成我们这样只能听懂某一种语言的人？

And the answer: before their first birthdays.

答案是：在他们一周岁之前。

What you see here is performance on that head-turn task for babies tested in Tokyo and the United States, here in Seattle, as they listened to the "ra" and "la" —sounds important to English, but not to Japanese.

这里是东京和美国西雅图参加测试的婴儿在转头实验中的表现，此时他们听到了“ra”和“la”，这是英语中很重要的发音，日语中却不重要。

So at six to eight months, the babies are totally equivalent.

所以在6到8个月大的时候，婴儿们的表现是完全一样的。

Two months later, something, something incredible occurs.

两个月后，一些不可思议的事情发生了。

The babies in the United States are getting a lot better while babies in Japan are getting a lot worse.

美国的婴儿表现越来越好，而日本的婴儿表现越来越差。

So the question is: What's happening during this critical two-month period?

问题是，在这两个月的关键时期发生了什么？

We know this is the critical period for sound development, but what's going on up there?

我们知道这是辩声能力发展的关键时期，但是究竟发生了什么？

Maybe there are two things going on.

也许发生了两件事。

The first is that the babies are listening intently to us, and they're taking statistics as they listen to us talk—they're taking statistics.

首先，婴儿们全神贯注地听我们说话，他们一边听我们说话一边做统计——他们在做统计。That is to say, the two babies listen to their own mother speaking motherese—the universal language we use when we talk to kids.

也就是说，两个婴儿听他们自己的母亲说妈妈语——我们和孩子说话时使用的通用语。During the production of speech, when babies listen, what they're doing is taking statistics, that is, sound distribution on the language that they hear.

在产生语言的过程中，当婴儿听的时候，他们所做的就是做统计，也就是说，他们听到的语言的声音分布。

And those sound distributions grow and babies absorb more.

这些声音分布不断完善，婴儿就吸收更多。

And what we've learned is that babies are sensitive to the statistics, and the statistics of Japanese and English are very, very different.

我们发现，婴儿对统计数据很敏感，而且日语和英语的统计数据非常非常不同。

I mean, the sound distribution of both languages is different.

我的意思是，两种语言的声音分布是不同的。

So babies absorb the statistics of the language and it changes their brains;

所以婴儿会吸收语言的统计数据，这会改变他们的大脑；

it changes them from the citizens of the world to the culture-bound listeners that we are because we as adults are no longer absorbing those statistics.

这使他们从世界公民变成了我们这些受到文化限制只能听懂某一种语言的人，因为我们成年后就不再吸收这些数据。

In this case, of course, we're arguing that the learning of language material may slow down when our distribution stabilizes.

当然，在这种情况下，我们认为声音分布趋于稳定时，语言的学习可能会减慢。

OK. Today, we just talked about a recent project on babies' language development.

好的。今天，我们刚刚讨论了最近的一个关于婴儿语言能力发展的项目。

In our next lecture, we will concentrate on bilingual people, how bilinguals keep two sets of statistics in mind at once.

在下一讲中，我们将集中讨论双语者，双语者如何同时记住两组数据。

SECTION B CONVERSATIONS

Conversation One

W: Hi, Bob. You speak very good Chinese.

女：嗨，鲍勃。你的中文讲得很好。

M: Not really, Mary. I just know a little. Actually, not being able to speak a foreign language is a bit of a British trait or a particularly British characteristic.

男：不，玛丽。我只会一点点。事实上，不会说外语是英国人的一个特点，或者是英国人的一个特别的特点。

The British are generally considered to be lazy linguists. We just don't bother to learn another language.

英国人通常被认为在学习外语方面比较懒惰。我们只是不想去学另一种语言。

W: I guess the main reason is that when you travel around the world, you find that English is spoken almost everywhere.

女：我想主要原因是你到世界的其他地方，会发现几乎所有的地方都说英语。

M: Yes, yes. We get by. We survive on just using our mother language.

男：是的，是的。我们勉强能对付过去。我们仅靠母语就生存。

W: But you seem to love learning languages a lot. How many foreign languages can you speak?

女：但是你似乎很喜欢学习语言，你能说多少种外语?

M: Not that many. A bit of German, some French, Polish a little, Chinese of course, a bit of Japanese. That's about it.

男：不是很多。一点德语，一点法语，一点波兰语，当然还有汉语，一点日语。仅此而已。W: I'm impressed. Well, what is the second most-spoken language in England? Is it Chinese?

女：真惊人啊。那么，英国第二大语言是什么呢？是中文吗？

M: No, I don't think so.

男：不，我觉得不是。

W: Then, that must be French.

女：那一定是法语。

M: No. According to the recent census, 104 different languages are spoken in the UK and Polish is the second most spoken language, followed by Punjabi and Urdu.

男：不。根据最近的普查，英国有104种不同的语言，波兰语是第二大语言，其次是旁遮普语和乌尔都语。

W: Then, do you have to learn a foreign language in school?

女：那么，你在学校必须学外语吗？

M: No, it's not compulsory. But recently a campaign was launched to encourage everyone in the UK to learn at least 1,000 words of another language. It hopes to help Britain increase international trade. 男：不，不是强制性的。但最近发起了一项运动，鼓励英国人学习至少1000个外语单词，以期帮助英国增加国际贸易。

W: 1,000 words?

女：1000个词？

M: Yes. It's called the 1,000 Words Campaign because it says a vocabulary of 1,000 words would allow a speaker to hold a simple conversation.

男：是的。它被称为“千词运动”，因为这个运动称掌握1000词可以与人进行简单的对话。W: That sounds like a good idea.

女：听起来是个好主意。

M: Yes. It gives you self-satisfaction and self-esteem if you can speak another language when you're travelling. And I think it also gives you an edge in a lot of different areas in the workplace.

男：是的。如果你在旅行时会说一门外语，这会带给你自我满足和自尊。而且我认为它也让你在工作中的很多不同领域都有优势。

You feel good about learning a new skill and you feel good about yourself, and it boosts your confidence. Imagine going on a holiday to Spain and being able to speak to the locals.

学习一项新技能感觉很好，你自己也会很开心，这能增强你的信心。想象一下去西班牙度假，你可以和当地人交谈。

W: Of course it does make one feel good.

女：当然会让人感觉很好。

M: And there are also the economic benefits of speaking another language. It gives you an advantage, especially if you are dealing with foreign companies.

男：说外语也有经济上的好处。这是你的一个优势，尤其是当你和外国公司打交道的时候。W: Y es. It also shows politeness and respect for other people by showing you have made an effort. 女：是的。它也说明你很努力，表现了你的礼貌和对他人的尊重。

M: You're right. Mm, I'm afraid I must get going now. I'll have my Chinese class at 10 o'clock.

男：你说的对。嗯，恐怕我得走了。我10点要上中文课。

W: Oh, I have a class at 10 as well. OK, see you later.

女：哦，我10点也有一节课。好吧，再见。

M: See you.

男：再见。

Questions 1 to 5 are based on Conversation One.

根据对话1回答第一题到第五题。

1. According to the man, what is a British characteristic?

1. 根据男士的说法，英国人的特点是什么？

2. What is the second most-spoken language in the UK?

2. 在英国，第二大语言是什么？

3. Why was the 1,000 Words Campaign launched?

3. 为什么要发起“千词行动”?

4. According to the man, which is not considered an advantage of learning a foreign language?

4. 根据男士的说法，哪一项不属于学习外语的优势？

5. What's the most probable relationship between the man and the woman?

5. 对话中两个人最可能是什么关系？

Conversion Two

W: Hello, and welcome to today's program. I'm Alice.

女：大家好，欢迎来到今天的节目。我是爱丽丝。

M: And I'm Jack. Hello.

男：我是杰克。大家好。

W: Hello, Jack. You're off on holiday tomorrow, aren't you?

女：你好，杰克。你明天休假，是吗？

M: I am and you know, and I'm dreading it. I hate flying!

男：是的，你知道，我很害怕。我讨厌坐飞机！

W: Do you? I didn't know you had a phobia—and that means a strong and unreasonable fear of something.

女：是吗？我不知道你有恐惧症——就是对某种事物强烈而不合理的恐惧。

M: Well, I don't think this is a phobia because it isn't unreasonable. Flying thousands of feet up in the sky, you know, that's not safe!

男：嗯，我不认为这是恐惧症，因为它并非没有道理。你知道，在几千英尺的高空飞行很不安全！

W: Flying is safer than you think, Jack. It's much riskier to drive or cycle to work. And, actually, risk taking is the subject of today's show!

女：乘飞机比你想象得要安全，杰克。开车或骑车上班风险更大。冒险！就是今天节目的主题！Risk means the chances of something bad happening. For example, did you know that your chance of being knocked off your bicycle and killed during a one-mile journey is the same as your chances of winning the lottery?

风险是指发生坏事的可能性。例如，你知道一英里之内你骑自行车被撞倒撞死的几率和你中彩票的几率是一样大的吗？

M: I didn't know that.

男：我不知道。

W: Can you guess what are the chances of either of these two things happening?

女：你能猜到这两种情况发生的概率是多少吗？

M: I have no idea. One in a million?

男：我不知道。一百万分之一吗？

W: No, it's one in 14 million. You are as likely to win the national lottery from a single ticket as you are to be knocked off your bicycle and killed during a one-mile journey.

女：不，是1千4百万分之一。你中全国彩票头奖的可能性就像一英里之内你骑自行车被撞倒撞死的可能性一样大。

M: But why are we bad at assessing risk?

男：但是为什么我们不善于评估风险呢？

W: People typically fear anything which is small probability but it's extremely catastrophic if it were to happen…

女：通常人们害怕的都是发生的可能性很小，但如果发生的话，将会是一场灾难的事情……Recently we have another increase in these birds' virus outbreaks. People read about that.

最近这些鸟类病毒爆发事件又增加了。大家都知道这些。

And they may pay a lot of attention to that in the news but they may forget to get their flu shot.

他们可能会在新闻中注意到这一点，但他们可能会忘记注射流感疫苗。

M: That's right. We tend to worry about big or catastrophic events such as catching bird flu or dying in a plane crash because we react emotionally to them.

男：对。我们倾向于担心重大或灾难性的事件，如感染禽流感或飞机失事伤亡，因为我们情绪上会对它们产生反应。

W: Yeah. Catastrophic events feel like very real threats, while we tend to forget about the small but chronic risks that become more likely over time.

女：是的。灾难性的事件感觉起来是非常真实的威胁，而我们往往会忘记那些随着时间的推移

变得更有可能发生的，小而长期的风险。

M: We do. So for example, what if there was a cigarette that killed you as soon as you smoked it? 男：是的。举个例子，如果有一根烟，你一抽完就会死，会出现什么样的情况？

Nobody would do that, would they?

没有人会那样做，对不对？

W: No, they wouldn't.

女：对，没有人会那样做。

M: But plenty of people are happy to smoke for years, and put off worrying about the health risks for the future.

男：但是很多人很乐意吸烟很多年，并没有担心未来可能出现的健康风险。

W: Yes, that's a good point, Jack! People feel they are in control of risks that stretch over time. You know, they think, "I could stop tomorrow" or "I could smoke less".

女：是的，说得好，杰克！随着时间的推移，人们觉得他们能够控制住风险。你知道，他们会想，“我明天可以停下来”或者“我可以少抽烟”。

But what about people who really enjoy taking big risks—those thrill seekers out there?

但是那些真正喜欢冒险的人——那些寻求刺激的人呢？

M: People who enjoy extreme sports actually seek out danger—it gives them extreme pleasure!

男：喜欢极限运动的人实际上是在寻找危险，那给了他们极大的乐趣！

If the risk is really high, it means that the pleasure needs to be equally high, or hopefully even higher —

如果风险真的很高，那就意味着其中乐趣需要同样高，甚至更高……

W: Y ou're right.

女：你说的对。

Questions 6 to 10 are based on Conversation Two.

请根据对话2回答第6题到第10题。

6. According to Alice, what is a phobia?

6. 根据爱丽丝的说法，什么是恐惧症？

7. What are the chances of getting knocked off one's bicycle and killed in a one-mile journey?

7. 一英里之内骑自行车被撞倒撞死的可能性有多大？

8. What kind of event do people tend to worry about?

8. 人们会担心什么样的事情？

9. Which may involve a chronic risk?

9. 哪一项可能涉及慢性风险？

10. Why do some people enjoy risks?

10. 为什么有些人喜欢冒险？

TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2018)-GRADE FOUR-2018年英语专业四级(TEM4)参考答案Part I DICTATION

Emotional Reaction to Music 音乐的情绪反应

No matter who you are, where you live, / or what your cultural background is, / people get some pleasure from listening to their favorite music. / However, some people are simply not capable of enjoying music. / This is not because they can’t experience pleasure at all. / They don’t have trouble hearing music properly, either. / Instead, they’re just indifferent to music. / Researchers have conducted studies to find out / why some people have no emotional reaction to music. / However, despite their efforts, the mystery remains.

无论是何身份，住处，或者文化背景，人们听到喜欢的音乐都会心情舒畅。然而，有些人就是没办法欣赏音乐。这并不是因为他们完全不能体会快乐，也不是因为不能听音乐。而是他们对音乐不敏感。研究者们做了很多研究，想要探究为什么有些人对音乐不能产生情感上的反应。然而，无论他们做多少工作，还是解不开谜团。

Part II LISTENING COMPREHENSION

Section A Talk

1. seven

2. usage of sounds

3. cognitive

4. the sound changes

5. Six-month-old

6. discriminate sounds

7. their first birthdays

8. equivalent

9. something incredible occurs 10. take statistics

Section B Conversations 1-5 ACDBA6-10 BCDBD

PART III LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE

11-15 CDCDA 16-20 CCCBD 21-25 ADDDC 26-30 DBCAD

PART IV CLOZE

31-35 MBFNC 36-40 GIDOJ

PART V READING COMPREHENSION

Section A Multiple-choice Questions

41-45 DBCAD 46-50 CACAB

Section B Short-answer Questions

PASSAGE ONE—51. Individual freedom.

PASSAGE TWO—52. Some awards aren’t rewards for real achievements.

53. Some awards for sports fail to achieve positive social effects. PASSAGE THREE—54. Her mood changed from distress to excitement and joy.

55. The real cause was her extreme disappointment.

Part VI WRITING (To be updated)