1、2009 年 12 月大学英语四级考试试题Part Writing (30 minutes)注意：此部分试题在答题卡 1 上。Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the topic of Creating a Green Campus. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below:1.建设绿色校园很重要 2.绿色校园不仅指绿色的环境3.为了建设绿色校园，我们应该Creating
2、 a Green CampusPart 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 on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For qu
3、estion 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Colleges taking another look at value of merit-based aidGood grades and high tests scores still mattera lotto many colleges as they award financial aid.But with low-income students projected to make up an ever-larger share
4、 of the college-bound population in coming years, some schools are re-examining whether that aid, typically known as “merit aid”, is the most effective use of precious institutional dollars.George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for example, said last week that it would cut the value of i
5、ts average merit scholarships by about one-third and reduce the number of recipients（接受者）, pouring the savings, about $2.5 million, into need-based aid. Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., made a similar decision three years ago.Now, Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., says it will phase out merit s
6、cholarships altogether. No current merit-aid recipients will lose their scholarships, but need-based aid alone will be awarded beginning with students entering in fall 2008.Not all colleges offer merit aid; generally, the more selective a school, the less likely it is to do so. Harvard and Princeton
7、, for example, offer generous need-based packages, but many families who dont meet need eligibility（资格）have been willing to pay whatever they must for a big-name school.For small regional colleges that struggle just to fill seats, merit aid can be an important revenue-builder because many recipients
8、 still pay enough tuition dollars over and above the scholarship amount to keep the institution running.But for rankings-conscious schools in between, merit aid has served primarily as a tool to recruit top students and to improve their academic profits. “Theyre trying to buy students,” says Skidmor
9、e College economist Sandy Baum.Studies show merit aid also tends to benefit disproportionately students who could afford to enroll without it.“As we look to the future, we see a more pressing need to invest in need-based aid,” says Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, which
10、 has offered merit scholarships for 10 years. During that time, it rose in US News Andrew Hamilton, the 55-year-old provost (教务长) of Yale, wholl become Oxfords vice-chancellora position equivalent to university president in America.Hamilton isnt the only educator crossing the Atlantic. Schools in Fr
11、ance, Egypt, Singapore, etc, have also recently made top-level hires from abroad. Higher education has become a big and competitive business nowadays, and like so many businesses, its gone global. Yet the talent flow isnt universal. High-level personnel tend to head in only one direction: outward fr
12、om America.The chief reason is that American schools dont tend to seriously consider looking abroad. For example, when the board of the University of Colorado searched for a new president, it wanted a leader familiar with the state government, a major source of the universitys budget. “We didnt do a
13、ny global consideration,” says Patricia Hayes, the boards chair. The board ultimately picked Bruce Benson, a 69-year-old Colorado businessman and political activist (活动家) who is likely to do well in the main task of modern university presidents: fund-raising. Fund-raising is a distinctively American
14、 thing, since U.S. schools rely heavily on donations. The fund-raising ability is largely a product of experience and necessity.Many European universities, meanwhile, are still mostly dependent on government funding. But government support has failed to keep pace with rising student number. The decl
15、ine in government support has made funding-raising an increasing necessary ability among administrators and has hiring committees hungry for Americans.In the past few years, prominent schools around the world have joined the trend. In 2003, when Cambridge University appointed Alison Richard, another
16、 former Yale provost, as its vice-chancellor, the university publicly stressed that in her previous job she had overseen “a major strengthening of Yales financial position.”Of course, fund-raising isnt the only skill outsiders offer. The globalization of education means more universities will be see
17、king heads with international experience of some kind of promote international programs and attract a global student body. Foreigners can offer a fresh perspective on established practices.62. What is the current trend in higher education discussed in the passage?A) Institutions worldwide are hiring
18、 administrators from the U.S.B) A lot of political activists are being recruited as administrators.C) American universities are enrolling more international students.D) University presidents are paying more attention to funding-raising.63. What is the chief consideration of American universities whe
19、n hiring top-level administrators?A) The political correctness. B) Their ability to raise funds.C) Their fame in academic circles. D) Their administrative experience.64. What do we learn about European universities from the passage?A) The tuitions they charge have been rising considerably.B) Their o
20、peration is under strict government supervision.C) They are strengthening their position by globalization.D) Most of their revenues come from the government.65. Cambridge University appointed Alison Richard as its vice-chancellor chiefly because _.A) she was known to be good at raising moneyB) she c
21、ould help strengthen its ties with YaleC) she knew how to attract students overseasD) she had boosted Yales academic status66. In what way do top-level administrators from abroad contribute to university development?A) They can enhance the universitys image.B) They will bring with them more internat
22、ional faculty.C) They will view a lot of things from a new perspective.D) They can set up new academic disciplines. Part Cloze (15 minutes)Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A), B), C), and D) on the right side of the paper. You sho
23、uld choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Older people must be given more chances to learn if they are to contribute to society rather than be a financial burden, according to a new study on populati
24、on published recently. The current people approach which 67 on younger people and on skills for employment is not 68 to meet the challenges of demographic (人口结构的) change, it says. Only 1% of the education budget is 69 spent on the oldest third of the population.The 70 include the fact that most peop
25、le can expect to spend a third of their lives in 71 , that there are now more people over 59 than under 16 and that 11.3 million people are 72 state pension age.“ 73 needs to continue throughout life. Our historic concentration of policy attention and resources 74 young people cannot meet the new 75
26、 ,” says the reports author, Professor Stephen McNair. The major 76 of our education budget is spent on people below the age of 25. 77 people are changing their jobs, 78 , partners and lifestyles more often than 79 , they need opportunities to learn at every age 80 , some people are starting new car
27、eers in their 50s and later.People need opportunities to make a “midlife review” to 81 to the later stage of employed life, and to plan for the transition (过渡) 82 retirement, which may now happen 83 at any point from 50 to over 90, says McNair.And there should be more money 84 to support people in e
28、stablishing a 85 of identity and finding constructive 86 for the “third age”, the 20 or more years they will spend in healthy retired life.67. A) operates B) focuses C) counts D) depends68. A) superior B) regular C) essential D) adequate69. A) currently B) barely C) anxiously D) heavily70. A) regula
29、tions B) obstacles C) challenges D) guidelines71. A) enjoyment B) retirement C) stability D) inability72. A) over B) after C) across D) beside73. A) Indentifying B) Learning C) Instructing D) Practicing74. A) at B) by C) in D) on 75. A) desires B) realms C) needs D) intentions76. A) measure B) ratio C) area D) portion77. A) When B) Until C) Whether D) Before78. A) neighbors B) moods C) homes D) minds79. A) age B) ever C) previously D) formerly80. A) For example B) By contrast C) In particular D) On average81. A) transform B) yield C) adjust D) suit 82. A) within B) from C) beyond D) to
