1、2007年 12月大学英语四级考试真题Part I Writing （30 minutes）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 choice
2、s marked A）, B）, C） and D）. For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Universities Branch OutAs never before in their long history, universities have become instruments of national competition as well as instruments of peace. They are the place of the scien
3、tific discoveries that move economies forward, and the primary means of educating the talent required to obtain and maintain competitive advantage. But at the same time, the opening of national borders to the flow of goods, services, information and especially people has made universities a powerful
4、 force for global integration, mutual understanding and geopolitical stability.In response to the same forces that have driven the world economy, universities have become more self-consciously global: seeking students from around the world who represent the entire range of cultures and values, sendi
5、ng their own students abroad to prepare them for global careers, offering course of study that address the challenges of an interconnected world and collaborative （合作的） research programs to advance science for the benefit of all humanity.Of the forces shaping higher education none is more sweeping t
6、han the movement across borders. Over the past three decades the number of students leaving home each year to study abroad has grown at an annual rate of 3.9 percent, from 800,000 in 1975 to 2.5 million in 2004. Most travel from one developed nation to another, but the flow from developing to develo
7、ped countries is growing rapidly. The reverse flow, from developed to developing countries, is on the rise, too. Today foreign students earn 30 percent of the doctoral degrees awarded in the United States and 38 percent of those in the United Kingdom. And the number crossing borders for undergraduat
8、e study is growing as well, to 8 percent of the undergraduates at Americas best institutions and 10 percent of all undergraduates in the U.K. In the United States, 20 percent of the newly hired professors in science and engineering are foreign-born, and in China many newly hired faculty members at t
9、he top research universities received their graduate education abroad.Universities are also encouraging students to spend some of their undergraduate years in another country. In Europe, more than 140,000 students participate in the Erasmus program each year, taking courses for credit in one of 2,20
10、0 participating institutions across the continent. And in the United States, institutions are helping place students in the summer internships （实习）abroad to prepare them for global careers. Yale and Harvard have led the way, offering every undergraduate at least one international study or internship
11、 opportunityand providing the financial resources to make it possible.Globalization is also reshaping the way research is done. One new trend involves sourcing portions of a research program to another country. Yale professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Tian Xu directs a researc
12、h center focused on the genetics of human disease at Shanghais Fudan University, in collaboration with faculty colleagues from both schools. The Shanghai center has 95 employees and graduate students working in a 4,300-square-meter laboratory seminars with scientists from both campuses. The arrangem
13、ent benefits both countries; Xus Yale lab is more productive, thanks to the lower costs of conducting research in China, and Chinese graduate students, postdoctors and faculty get on-the-job training from a world-class scientist and his U.S. team.As a result of its strength in science, the United St
14、ates has consistently led the world in the commercialization of major new technologies, from the mainframe computer and the integrated circuit of the 1960s to the Internet infrastructure （基础设施） and applications software of the 1990s. the link between university-based science and industrial applicati
15、on is often indirect but sometimes highly visible: Silicon Valley was intentionally created by Stanford University, and Route 128 outside Boston has long housed companies spun off from MIT and Harvard. Around the world, governments have encouraged copying of this model, perhaps most successfully in
16、Cambridge, England, where Microsoft and scores of other leading software and biotechnology companies have set up shop around the university.For all its success, the United States remains deeply hesitant about sustaining the research- university model. Most politicians recognize the link between inve
17、stment in science and national economic strength, but support for research funding has been unsteady. The budget of the National Institutes of Health doubled between 1998 and 2003, but has risen more slowly than inflation since then. Support for the physical sciences and engineering barely kept pace
18、 with inflation during that same period. The attempt to make up lost ground is welcome, but the nation would be better served by steady, predictable increases in science funding at the rate of long-term GDP growth, which is on the order of inflation plus 3 percent per year.American politicians have
19、great difficult recognizing that admitting more foreign students can greatly promote the national interest by increasing international understanding. Adjusted for inflation, public funding for international exchanges and foreign-language study is well below the levels of 40 years ago, in the wake of
20、 September 11, changes in the visa process caused a dramatic decline in the number of foreign students seeking admission to U.S. universities, and a corresponding surge in enrollments in Australia, Singapore and the U.K. Objections from American university and the business leaders led to improvement
21、s in the process and reversal of the decline, but the United States is still seen by many as unwelcoming to international students.Most Americans recognize that universities contribute to the nations well-being through their scientific research, but many fear that foreign students threaten American
22、competitiveness by taking their knowledge and skills back home. They fail to grasp that welcoming foreign students to the United States has two important positive effects: first, the very best of them stay in the States and like immigrants throughout historystrengthen the nation; and second, foreign
23、 students who study in the United States become ambassadors for many of its most cherished （珍视） values when they return home. Or at least they understand them better. In America as elsewhere, few instruments of foreign policy are as effective in promoting peace and stability as welcoming internation
24、al university students.1From the first paragraph we know that present day universities have becomeAmore and more research-orientedBin-service training organizationsCmore popularized than ever beforeDa powerful force for global integration2Over the past three decades, the enrollment of overseas stude
25、nts has increasedAby2.5 million Bby 800,000Cat an annual rate of 3.9 percentDat an annual rate of 8 percent3In the United States,how many of the newly hired professors in science and engineering are foreign-born?A10% B20% C30% D38%4How do Yale and Harvard prepare their undergraduates for global care
26、ers?AThey organize a series of seminars on world economyBThey offer them various courses in international politicsCThey arrange for them to participate in the Erasmus programDThey give them chances for international study or internship5An example illustrating the general trend of universities global
27、ization isAYales collaboration with Fudan University on genetic researchBYales helping Chinese universities to launch research projectsCYales student exchange program with European institutionsDYales establishing branch campuses throughout the world6What do we learn about Silicon Valley from the pas
28、sage?AIt houses many companies spun off from MIT and HarvardBIt is known to be the birthplace of Microsoft CompanyCIt was intentionally created by Stanford UniversityDIt is where the Internet infrastructure was built up7What is said about the U.S. federal funding for research?AIt has increased by 3
29、percentBIt has been unsteady for yearsCIt has been more than sufficientDIt doubled between 1998 and 20038The dramatic decline in the enrollment of foreign students in the U.S after September 11 was caused by_.9Many Americans fear that American competiveness may be threatened by foreign students who
30、will_.10The policy of welcoming foreign students can benefit the U.S. in that the very best of them will stay and_.Part III Listening Comprehension （35 minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or
31、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. Then mark the corresponding l
32、etter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11. A） She used to be in poor health.B） She was popular among boys.C） She was somewhat overweightD） She didnt do well at high school.12. A） At he airport.B） In a restaurant.C） In a booking office.D） At the hotel reception.13. A） Teaching
33、her son by herself.B） Having confidence in her son.C） Asking the teacher for extra help.D） Telling her son not to worry.14. A） Have a short break.B） Take two weeks off.C） Continue her work outdoors.D） Go on vacation with the man.15. A） He is taking care of this twin brother.B） He ha been feeling ill
34、 all week.C） He is worried about Rods health.D） He has been in perfect condition.16. A） She sold all her furniture before she moved house.B） She still keeps some old furniture in her new house.C） She plans to put all her old furniture in the basement.D） She brought a new set of furniture from Italy
35、last month.17. A） The woman wondered why the man didnt return the book.B） The woman doesnt seem to know what the book is about.C） The woman doesnt find the book useful any more.D） The woman forgot lending the book to the man.18. A） Most of the mans friends are athletes.B） Few people share the womans
36、 opinion.C） The man doesnt look like a sportsman.D） The woman doubts the mans athletic ability.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have heard.19. A） She has packed it in one of her bags.B） She has probably left it in a taxi.C） She id going to get it the airport.D） She is afraid that
37、 she has lost it.20. A） It ends in winter.B） It will cost her a lot.C） It will last one week.D） It depends on the weather.21. A） The plane is taking off soon.B） There might be a traffic jam.C） The taxi is waiting for them.D） There is a lot of stuff to pack.22. A） At home.B） In the mans car.C） At the
38、 airport.D） By the side of a taxi.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A） She is thirsty for promotion.B） She wants a much higher salary.C） She is tired of her present work.D） She wants to save travel expenses.24. A） Translator.B） Travel agent.C） Language instruct
39、or.D） Environment engineer.25. A） Lively personality and inquiring mind.B） Communication skills and team spirit.C） Devotion and work efficiency.D） Education and experience.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions.
40、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）. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based o
41、n the passage you have just heard.26. A. They care a lot about children.B. They need looking after in their old age.C. They want to enrich their life experience.D. They want children to keep them company.27. A. They are usually adopted from distant places.B.Their birth infromation is usually kept se
42、cret.C.Their birth parents often try to conceal their birth information.D.Their adoptive parents dont want them to know their birth parents.28. A.They generally hold bad feelings towards their birth parents.B.They do not want to hurt the feelings of their adoptive parents.C.They have mixed feelings
43、about finding their natural parents.D.They are fully aware of the expenses involved in the search.29. A.Early adoption makes for closer parent-child relationship.B.Most people prefer to adopt children from overseas.C.Understanding is the key to successful adoption.D.Adoption has much to do with love
44、.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A.He suffered from mental illness.B.He bought The washing on post.C.He turned a failing newspaper into a success.D.He was once a reporter for a major newspaper.31. A.She was the first woman to lead a big U.S.publishing c
45、ompany.B.She got her first job as a teacher at the University of Chicago.C.She committed suicide because of her mental disorder.D.She took over her fathers position when he died.32. A.People came to see the role of women in the business world.B.Katharine played a major part in reshaping Americansmin
46、d.C.American media would be quite different without Katharine.D.Katharine had exerted an important influence on the world.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A.Itll enable them to enjoy the best medical care.B.Itll allow them to receive free medical theat
47、ment.C.Itll protect them from possible financial crises.D.Itll preent the doctors from overcharging them.34. A.They cant immediately get back the money paid for their medical cost.B.They have to go through very complicated application procedures.C.They can only visit doctors who speak their native l
48、anguages.D.They may not be able to receive timely medical treatment.35. A.They dont have to pay for the medical services.B.They neednt pay the entire medical bill at once.C.They must send the receipts to the insurance company promptly.D.They have to pay a much higher price to get an insurance policy
49、.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main poi
