1、1四级考前最新命制试卷一Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled On Credit Card Consumption following the outline given below. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.1. 现在信用卡消费已成为一种潮流2. 信用卡消费提供很多方便，但也带来了不少问题3. 我的看法On
2、 Credit Card Consumption_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 on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) a
3、nd 2D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Kindle Killers? The Boom in New E-ReadersAmazon, the online retailing giant, did more than any other company to turn the sale of digital books into a real business with the 2007 launch of the Kindle electron
4、ic reader. The company has sold an estimated 1.7 million units of the handheld device in the U.S., and its getting ready to ship millions more. On Oct. 6, Amazon announced that it would soon begin selling Kindles complete with a key feature that allows users to wirelessly download e-books from Amazo
5、n in more than 100 countries.Success breeds imitators. Amazon is about to be attacked by a squadron of would-be Kindle killers being brought to market by some of the biggest names in consumer electronics and publishing. To complicate the increasingly competitive landscape even further, Apple and, ac
6、cording to rumor, Microsoft are working on tablet computers that could prove to be handy e-readers but with more functions and features, such as video display capability and full web browsers. 2009 is a breakout year for e-readers, says Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst with Forrester Research. “But wer
7、e still in the early stages.”The early stages have lasted a long time. E-readers have been around for more than a decade, but the devices werent popular due to high cost, proprietary (专利的) display formats and the reluctance of book publishers to sell digital versions of their best-selling titles. No
8、w, just as digital music was driven into the mainstream by Apples iPod and iTunes, Amazons Kindle and online bookstore, which sells more than 350,000 titles, are proving theres a mass market for e-books. Total industry revenue from digital-book downloads has risen 149% this year, according to the As
9、sociation of American Publishers, while e-reader sales are expected to reach 3 million by Dec. 31, according to Forrester Research. Almost a million of the devices could be sold during the upcoming holiday season alone. In 2010, sales are projected to double, to 6 million.That kind of growth is hard
10、 to come by in the recession-wracked technology industry, and a crowd is starting to gather. Around the world, at least 17 e-readers are in development or already on the market. Among the better-known entrants is Asustek the Taiwanese company practically invented the netbook category with its ASUS E
11、ee-PC, and it is working on a product called the Eee-reader that it hopes to have on the market in time for Christmas. South Koreas two powerhouse consumer-electronics companies, Samsung and LG Electronics, are wading in too. Samsung earlier this year introduced a reader called the Papyrus in South
12、Korea; reports circulating in the technology blogosphere say LG is developing a prototype with a large, 11.5-in.(diagonal) flexible screen. Meanwhile, Japans Fujitsu has released the worlds first dedicated e-reader with a color screen, although so far the device is only available in Japan.It isnt ju
13、st tech companies that are joining the fray. Bricks-and-mortar bookseller Barnes & Noble, which in the U.S. offers access to 750,000 e-books on its website, is rumored to be pondering the development of its own e-reader to rival the Kindle. (The retailer already has a partnership to sell e-readers m
14、ade by IREX, a spin-off of Hollands Royal Philips Electronics.) Major newspaper and magazine publishers, which are suffering mightily from the loss of subscribers and advertisers to the recession and the Internet, are also getting involved. News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch, owner of the Wa
15、ll Street Journal, is reportedly considering a deal with Japanese consumer-electronics giant Sony, which in 2004 introduced the first commercially viable e-reader, to use a black-and-white display technology called electronic ink (also used by the Kindle). Sony is rolling out a new family of e-reade
16、rs, 3including a pocket-size version and one with a large screen thats geared toward newspapers and magazines.One reason e-readers are getting traction is that competition is driving down prices. Amazon has cut the price of the Kindle by $100 over the past six months, to $259. As e-readers prolifera
17、te (激增) and price disparities narrow, manufacturers are trying to differentiate their products by adding features such as MP3 players and touch screens. The eSlick by Foxit, based in Fremont, Calif., allows users to listen to songs while reading. Asustek recently unveiled a prototype e-reader with t
18、wo screens, which would more closely duplicate the traditional reading experience, although the device that the company expects to release later this year will have a single screen.At the same time, new display technologies are emerging that promise to improve battery life and make devices more port
19、able and easier to read. U.K.-based Plastic Logic hopes to introduce next year the first e-reader with a plastic screen that will reduce glare and be less prone to cracking when dropped by ham-fisted owners. Electronic-ink technology is set to move from black and white to color by the end of 2010. E
20、ven video is on the horizon. “Well see a range of models start to appear over the first half of 2010“ offering “a range of different reading and productivity experiences,“ says Neil Jones, CEO of U.K.-based Interead, which in May launched a $249 e-reader called the COOL-ER.Newcomers will have a hard
21、 time breaking Amazons chokehold in the U.S., where the company controls 60% of the e-reader market, according to Forrester Research. But the edge Amazon gained when it launched the Kindle could be blunted by evolving technology and changing consumer needs. Currently, more people read e-books on the
22、ir smart phones than they do on dedicated devices like e-readers.And theres the looming threat posed by next-generation tablet computers. Apple, the king of cool handheld devices, is rumored to be readying a tablet computer with all the functions of a laptop as well as iPhone-like touch capabilities
23、 for release early next year. Microsoft has been secretive about its plans for a tablet, but a video making the rounds of the blogosphere show a dual-LCD-screen prototype that closes like a book. “E-readers are a transitional technology,“ says Rotman Epps of Forrester Research. Which means that just
24、 as the e-reader is taking off, it may be becoming obsolete.1. What do we learn about Amazon from the first paragraph?A) It was a giant electronics company. C) It was the first company to sell digital books.B) It released an e-reader named the Kindle. D) It did more business with overseas customers.
25、2. According to the passage, from Oct. 6, users of Kindles can _.A) read complete books on Amazon for free C) download e-books from Amazon wirelesslyB) change their digital books into paper ones D) connect the handheld device with a computer3. The notebook computer which Microsoft is developing is s
26、aid to _.A) beat the Kindle in the market soon C) gain less popularity than e-readersB) be a pale imitation of the Kindle D) be more powerful than e-readers4. One of the reasons e-readers were not popular in the past is that _.A) they couldnt cater for people who have expensive tastesB) the appearan
27、ce of these devices was not appealing to consumers4C) publisher were unwilling to sell digital versions of their best-sellersD) people didnt like the low display technologies used in these devices5. According to the author, to sell 6 million e-readers in 2010 is _. A) unlikely B) possible C) realist
28、ic D) easy6. What is said about the Eee-reader in the passage?A) It will bring in big revenue for the company. C) It is the first color-screen e-reader in the world.B) It is developed by a Taiwan-based company. D) It is already available on the international market.7. The e-reader geared to News Cor
29、p. will _.A) help the company attract more advertisers C) be small enough to fit into peoples pocketsB) have a larger screen than that of the Kindle D) use the same display technology as the Kindle8. Manufacturers are _, like touch screens, to distinct their e-readers from their rivals.9. Now e-read
30、ers are easier to carry and read thanks to the emergence of _.10. As technology develops and consumer needs _, the advantage the Kindle gave Amazon could no longer exist.Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long
31、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
32、which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11. A) He believes that John was joking. C) He believes that John will resign his job.B) He thinks that the woman is lying. D) He thinks that John will not sell his house.12. A) She d
33、oesnt like Prof. Emerson at all.B) She hopes to meet Prof. Emerson soon.C) She is happy that Prof. Emerson will be the dean.D) She is not surprised that Prof. Emerson will be the dean.513. A) She has left her umbrella in the office. C) Her bag is too heavy to take her umbrella.B) She doesnt believe
34、the weather forecast. D) Her husband is wrong so much of the time.14. A) She doesnt know where to find the manager. C) She can help the man right now.B) She cant understand what the man means. D) She knows the building very well.15. A) Sams knee should be better by now. C) Sam is not wise to quit sc
35、hool right now.B) This isnt a good time for Sam to quit. D) Sam should have stopped playing basketball earlier.16. A) He has been home. C) He has been on vacation.B) He has been in hospital. D) He has been abroad to further his study.17. A) He is extremely lazy. C) He is usually very punctual.B) He
36、is usually late for appointments. D) He is a diligent student.18. A) The band members have been working hard. C) The band members are being paid to play.B) Band practice begins in an hour. D) The band will give a better performance hereafter.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have
37、just heard.19. A) Because of the shops advertisement.B) Because the T-shirts fit him perfectly.C) Because the products are said to be good.D) Because he had some acquaintances there.20. A) They turned to be shabby. C) They became longer.B) They became smaller. D) They lost their colors.21. A) T-shir
38、ts on sale always have a poor quality.B) People shouldnt always believe in the advertisement.C) People should not buy discounted T-shirts.D) Shops can not run long if they sell discounted products.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A) Relaxing at the seashore. C
39、) Sailing on a boat.B) Visiting her parents. D) Preparing for the race.23. A) She was accommodated only for the weekend.B) She could not put up with the hot weather.6C) She felt difficult to focus on his study.D) She had an appointment with her professor.24. A) Play badminton. C) Go fishing.B) Go sw
40、imming. D) Wade in the water.25. A) Go to dinner. C) Go to the beach.B) Go to have a BBQ. D) Go to swim.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and questions will be spoken only once. After you h
41、ear 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 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) 5 percent. C) 10 percent.B) 8 p
42、ercent. D) 11 percent.27. A) Manufacturing. C) Building.B) Health care. D) Education.28. A) Men still hold about nine out of every ten top positions.B) Women have become the main earners in American families.C) Men still have the power of control in the family.D) Women attach great importance to the
43、ir independence.Passage Two Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.29. A) It was a present from the people of Florence.B) Its face was designed as the sculptors mother.C) It is also known as Freedom of Lady Liberty.D) It is entirely made of copper.30. A) Seven allied countri
44、es of the U.S.B) Seven States in America.C) Seven seas and seven continents.D) Seven lights of freedom.31. A) To raise its height. C) To fix its broken parts.7B) To enhance its structure. D) To attract more visitors.Passage Three Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.32. A) 1 million. C) 3. 5 million.B) 2. 5 million. D) 9 million.33. A) Maternal and newborn health. C) Cutting poverty.B) Reduction of child deaths. D) Reducing maternal mortal
