2023年英语四级12月真题

月英语四级真题

（一）12Part IWriting30minutesDirections:For thispart,you areallowed30minutes towrite ashort essayon thechallenges ofstarting acareer aftergraduation.You shouldwrite atleast120words butno more thanl80words.due tonew pumpingpractices,water deeperthan thiscan nowbe extracted（抽取）.The teamat Stanfordinvestigatedthe aquifers（地下蓄水层）below this depth andfound thatreserves may be triplewhat waspreviouslythought.It isprofitable todrill todepths morethan1,000feet foroil andgas extraction,but onlyrecently inCalifornia has itbecome profitable to pumpwater from thisdepth.The aquifersrange from1,000to3,000feet belowthe ground,which meansthat pumpingwill beexpensive andthere areother concerns.Thebiggest concernof pumpingout water fromthisdeep in the gradualsettling downof theland surface.Asthe wateris pumpedout,the vacantspace leftis compactedby theweight of the earthabove.Even thoughpumping from these depthsis expensive,it isstill cheaperthan desalinating（脱盐）the oceanwaterin thelargely coastalstate.Some desalinationplants existwhere feasible,but they are costlyto runandcan needconstant repairs.Wells aremuch morereliable sourcesof freshwater,and Californiais hopingthat these deepwells maybe theanswer to their severewater shortage.One problemwith thesesources isthat thedeep wateralso has a higherlevel ofsalt thanshalloweraquifers.This meansthat somewells mayeven needto undergodesalination afterextraction,thusincreasing thecost.Research from the exhaustivestudy ofgroundwater fromover950drilling logshas justbeenpublished.New estimatesof thewater reservesnow go up to2,700billion cubicmeters of freshwater.

46.How couldCalifornia sdrought crisisbe solvedaccording tosome researchers）A Bybuilding morereserves ofgroundwater.）B Bydrawing water from thedepths of the earth.）C Bydeveloping moreadvanced drillingdevices.）D Byupgrading its water distribution system.

47.What canbe inferredabout extractingwaterfromdeep aquifers）A Itwas deemedvital tosolving thewater problem.B Itwas notconsidered worththe expense.C Itmay notprovide qualityfreshwater.D It is boundto gainsupport from the localpeople.

48.What ismentioned as a consequenceof extractingwaterfromdeep undergroundAThe sinkingof landsurface.C Thedamage to aquifers.B Theharm to the ecosystem.D Thechange of the climate.

49.What doesthe authorsay aboutdeep wellsAThey runwithout anyneed forrepairs.B They are entirelyfree frompollutants.C Theyare theultimate solutionto droughts.D Theyprovide asteady supplyoffreshwater.

50.What mayhappen whendeep aquifersare usedas watersourcesA Peoples healthmay improvewith cleanerwater.B Peopleswaterbills maybe loweredconsiderably.C Thecost maygoupdue todesalination.D Theymaybeexhausted sooneror later.Passage TwoQuestions51to55are basedon thefollowing passage.The AlphaGoprogram svictory isan exampleof howsmart computershave become.But canartificial intelligenceAl machines act ethically,meaning canthey behonest andfairOne exampleof Alis driverlesscars.Theyarealready onCalifornia roads,so itis not too soonto askwhetherwe canprogram amachine toact ethically.As driverlesscars improve,they willsave lives.They willmakefewer mistakesthan humandrivers do.Sometimes,however,they willface achoice betweenlives.Should thecars beprogrammed to avoid hittinga childrunning acrossthe road,even ifthat willput theirpassengersat riskWhat aboutmaking asudden turntoavoida dogWhat ifthe onlyrisk isdamage tothecar itself,nottothe passengersPerhapsthere will be lessonsto learnfrom driverlesscars,but theyare notsuper-intelligent beings.Teaching ethicstoamachine evenmore intelligentthan weare will be thebigger challenge.About the same timeas AlphaGo s triumph,Microsofty s chatbot tooka badturn.The software,namedTaylor,was designed to answermessages frompeople aged18-

24.Taylor wassupposed to be ableto learnfromthe messagesshe received.She wasdesigned toslowly improve her abilityto handleconversations,but somepeople wereteaching Taylorracist ideas.When shestarted sayingnice things about Hitler,Microsoft turnedher offand deletedher ugliestmessages.AlphaGosvictory andTaylor sdefeat happenedat about thesametime.This shouldbe awarning tous.Itis onething touse Alwithin agame withclear rulesand cleargoals.Itissomething verydifferent touse Alin the real world.The unpredictabilityof therealworldmay bringtothesurface atroubling softwareproblem.Eric Schmidtis one of thebosses ofGoogle,which ownAlphoGo.He thinksAl willbe positivefor humans.He saidpeople willbe thewinner;whatever the outcome.Advances inAl willmake human beings smarter,more ableand“just betterhuman beings.”

51.What doesthe authorwant toshow with the exampleof AlphaGos victoryAComputerswill prevailover humanbeings.BComputers haveunmatched potential.CComputers areman spotential rivals.DComputers canbecome highlyintelligent.

52.What doesthe authormean byAl machinesacting ethicallyAThey are capableof predictingpossible risks.BThey weighthe gainsand lossesbefore reachinga decision.CThey makesensible decisionswhen facingmoral dilemmas.DThey sacrificeeverything tosave humanlives.

53.What issaid to be thebigger challengefacing humansin theAl ageAHowto makesuper-intelligent Al machines sharehuman feelings.BHow toensure thatsuper-intelligent Almachinesactethically.CHow to prevent Almachines doingharm to humans.DHow toavoid beingover-dependent onAlmachines.

54.What dowe learnabout MicrosoftJschatbotTaylorAShe couldnot distinguishgood frombad.BShe couldturn herselfoff whennecessary.CShe wasnot madeto handlenovel situations.DShe wasgood atperforming routinetasks.

55.What doesEric Schmidtthink ofartificial intelligenceA It willbe farsuperior tohumanbeings.B Itwill keepimproving astime goesby.C Itwill proveto be an assettohumanbeings.Part IVTranslation30minutesD Itwillbehere tostay whatevertheoutcome.Directions:For thispart,you areallowed30minutes totranslate a passage fromChinese intoEnglish.You shouldwrite youranswer on Answer Sheet

2.由于通信网络的迅速发展，中国智能手机顾客数量近年来以惊人度增长这极大地变化了许多人日勺阅读方式他们目前常常智能手机上看新闻和文章，而不买老式报刊大量移动应用程序日勺开发使人们能用手机读小说和其他形式日勺文学作品因此，纸质书籍的销售受到了影响但调查显示，尽管能手机阅读市场稳步增长，超半数成年人仍喜欢读纸质书Part IIListening Comprehension25minutesSection ADirections:In this section,you willhear threenews repots.At theend ofeach news report,you willhear twoorthree questions.Both thenews reportand thenquestions U7Z be spoken only once.After youheara question,you mustchoose thebest answerfromthefour choicesmarked ABj,C andD.Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer SheetIwith asingle linethrough thecentre.Questions1and2are basedon thenews reportyou have just heard.l.A Landa spacevehicle on the moonin

2019.B Designa newgeneration ofmobile phones.C Setup amobile phonenetwork on the moon.D Gatherdata fromthe noonwith atiny device.2A Itis stable.B Itis durable.C Itis inexpensive.D Itis sophisticated.Questions3and4are basedon thenews reportyou have just heard.

3.A Itlasted morethan sixhours.B Noinjuries wereyet reported.C Nobodywas in the buildingwhen itbroke out.D Ithad burnedfor45minutes bythe timefirefigliters arrived.

4.A Recruitand trainmore firefighters.B Pulldown thedeserted shoppingmall.C Turnthe shoppingmall intoan amusementpark.D Findmoney torenovate thelocal neighbo±ood.Questions5and6are basedon thenewsreportyou have just heard.

5.A Shrinkingpotato fanning.B Heavyreliance onimport.C Widespreadplant disease.D Insufficientpotato supply.

6.A Itintends tokeep itstraditional diet.B Itwants to expand itsown farming.C Itis afraidof thespread ofdisease.D Itis worriedabout unfaircompetition.

7.A Globalwarning.B Ever-rising prices.C Governmentregulation.D Diminishinginvestment.Section BDirections:In thissection,you willhear nvolong com,ersano is.At theend ofeach conversation,you willhearfb©questions.Both thecomersation andthe questionsbespoken onlyonce.After youhear aquestion,you mustchoose thebest amwerfromthefour choicesmarked A,B,Cand D,Thenmark the corresponding letter onAnswer Sheet1with asingle linethrough thecentre.Questions8to11are basedon theconversation you have just heard.

8.A Informative.B Inspiring.C DuU.D Shallow.

9.AShe typeson akeyboard.BShe doesrecording.CShe take photos.Dshe takenotes.

10.A Itkeeps hermind active.B Itmakes herstay awake.C Itenables her to thinkhard.D Ithelps herkill time.

11.AIt enableshertoimproveherpronunciation.B Ithelps herbetter rememberwhat shelearns.C Itturns outtobean enjoyableway oflearning.D Itproves tobe farmore effectivethan writing.Questions12to15are basedon thec onvenat ionyouhavejustheard.

12.ATo spendher honeymoon.B Totry authenticIndian food.C Totakephotosof theJaj MahaLVSAAAAAAAAAD Totrace theorigin ofa lovestory.

13.A Inmemory ofa princess.B Inhonor ofa greatemperor.C Tomarkthedeath ofan emperorofthe1600s.D Tocelebrate thebirtli ofa princess:s14th child.

14.A Itlooks olderthan expected.B Itis builtof woodand bricks.C Itstores lotsof pricelessantiques.D Ithas wallsdecorated withjewels.

15.ATheir streetsare narrow.BEach onhasaunique character.CThey aremostly crowded.DLife canbe tediousin some places.Directions:In thissection,you ivzZZhear threepassages.At theend ofeach passage,you Millhear threeorfour questions.Both the passage andthe questionswillbespokenonlyonce.After youhear aquestion,you mustchoose thebest answerfromthefour choicesmarked A,B,C andD,Thenmark the correspondingletter onAnswer Sheet1with asingle linethrough thecentre.Questions16to18are basedon thepassage youhavejustheard.

16.AThey helpspread thelatest technology.BThey greatlyenrich peoples leisurelife.CThey provideresidents withtheDThey allowfree accessto digitalbooks andvideos.

17.ABy helpingthem findjobs.BBy keepingthem offthe streets.CBy inspiringtheir creativity.DBy providinga placeof relaxation.

18.ATheir interactionwith teenagersproved fruitful.BThey usedlibraries lessoften thanteenagers.CThey tendedto visitlibraries regularly.DTheir numberincreased modestly.Questions19to21are basedon thepassage youhavejustheard.

19.AIt isthe cleverestcat inthe world.BIt isan unusualcross breed.CIt isthe largestcat inAfrica.DIt isa large-sized wildcat.

20.ATheyareas loyalas doges.BThey arefond ofsleeping incabinets.CThey haveunusually longtails.DThey know how toplease theirowners.

21.AThey shaketheir frontpaws.BThey showerwith them.CThey teachthem todive.DThey shoutat them.Questions22to25are basedon thepassage youhavejustheard.

22.A Contentedand relieved.B Anxiousand depressed.C Proudbut abit nervous.D Excitedbut somewhatsad.

23.AItstarts themoment theyare born.B Itdepends ontheir parentsfor success.C Itis gainingincreasing publicattention.D Itis becomingparents biggestconcern.

24.A Choosethe rightschool forthem.B Helpthem tolearn bythemselves.C Readbooks andmagazines tothem.D Seta goodexample forthem tofollow.

25.A Theirintelligence.B Theirhome life.C Thequality oftheir school.D Theeffort theyput inlearning.Part IHReading Comprehension40minutesSection ADirections:In thissection,there isapassage with tenblanks.You arerequired toselect oneword foreach blankfrom alistof choicesgiven ina wordbank followingthepassage.Read thepassage throughcarefully beforemakingyour choices.Each choiceinthebank isidentified bya letter.Please markthe correspondingletter foreachitem onAnswer Sheet2with asingle linethrough thecentre.You maynot useany ofthe wordsinthebankmore than once.Questions26to35are basedonthefollowing passage.Millions dieearly fromair pollutioneach year.Air pollutioncosts theglobal economymorethan$5trillionannually inwelfare costs,withthe most serious26occurring inthe developing world.The figuresinclude anumber ofcosts27with airpollution.Lost incomealone amountsto$225billion ayear.The reportincludes bothindoor andoutdoor airpollution.Indoor pollution,which includes28like homeheatingand cooking,has remained29over thepast severaldecades despiteadvances inthe area.Levels ofoutdoorpollution havegrown rapidlyalong withrapid growthin industryand transportation.Director ofInstitute forHealth Metricsand EvaluationChris Murray30it asan uurgentcall toaction.”One oftherisk factorsfor prematuredeaths isthe airwe breathe,over whichindividuals havelittle31he said.The effectsof airpollution areworst inthe developingworld,where insomeplaceslost-labor income32nearly1%of GDP.Around9in10people inlow-and middle-income countrieslive inplaces wherethey33experience dangerouslevels ofoutdoor airpollution.But theproblem is not limited34tothedevelopingworld.Thousands dieprematurely inthe U.S.asaresultof relatedillnesses.In manyEuropean countries,where diesel柴油35have becomemorecommon inrecent years,that numberreaches tensof thousands.Aability lexclusivelyBassociatedJinnovatedCconsciously KregularlyDconstantLrelatesEcontrol MsourcesFdamageNundermineGdescribed OvehiclesHequalsSectionBDirections:In thissection,you aregoing toread apassagewithten statementsattached toeach statementcontainsinformation givenin oneoftheparagraphs.Identify theparagraph fromwhich theinformation isderived.You maychoose aparagraph morethanonce.Each paragraphis markedwith aletter.Answer thequestionsby markingthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet

2.Food-as-Medicine MovementIs WitnessingProgress[A]Several timesa month,you canfind adoctor inthe aislesof Ralphs marketin HuntingtonBeach,California,wearing awhite coatand helpingpeople learnabout food.On onerecent day,this doctorwasDaniel Nadeau,wandering thecereal aislewith AllisonScott,giving hersome ideaon how to feedkids whopersistentlyavoid anythingthat ishealthy.Have youthought abouttrying freshjuices inthe morningv heasksher.The frozenoranges andapples area littlecheaper,and fruitsare reallygood forthe brain.Juicesare quickand easyto prepare,you can take thefrozen fruitoutthenight beforeand haveit readythe nextmorning.”[B]Scott isdelighted toget foodadvice froma physicianwho isprogram directorofthenearby MaryandDick AllenDiabetes Center,part ofthe St.Joseph HoagHealth alliance.The centers Shop withYour Docprogram sendsdoctors tothe grocerystore tomeet with any patientswho signup fortheservice,plus anyother shopperswho happentobearound withquestions.[C]Nadeau noticesthe pre-made macaroni（通/心粉）-and-cheese boxesin Scotts shoppingcart andsuggestsshe switch to wholegrain macaroniand realcheese.So Id haveto makeit”she asks,herenthusiasm fadingatthethought of how longthat mighttake,just tohave herkids rejectit.T mnot surethey,d eatit.They justwon teatit.”[D]Nadeau sayssugar andprocessed foodsare bigcontributors tothe risingdiabetes ratesamong children.In America,over50percent ofour foodis processedfood,“Nadeau tellsher.And only5percent ofourfood isplant-based food.I thinkwe shouldtry toreverse that.Scott agreesto trymore fruitjuices forthekids andto makereal macaroniand cheese.Score onepoint forthe doctor,zero fordiabetes.[E]Nadeau ispart ofa smallrevolution developingacross California.The food-as-medicine movementhasbeen aroundfor decades,but its makingprogress asphysicians andmedical institutionsmake foodaformal partof treatment,rather thanrelying solelyon medications（药物）.By prescribingnutritionalchanges orlaunching programssuch asShopwithyour Doc,theyaretrying toprevent,limit orevenreverse diseaseby changingwhat patientseat.Theres noquestion peoplecantakethingsalong waytowardreversing diabetes,reversing high blood pressure,even preventingcancer byfood choices,“Nadeausays.[F]In thebig picture,says Dr.Richard Afable,CEO andpresident ofST.Joseph HoagHealth,medicalinstitutions acrossthe stateare startingto makea philosophicalswitchtobecoming a health organization,not justahealthcare organization.That feelingechoes thebeliefs ofthe TherapeuticFood Pantryprogramat ZuckerbergSan FranciscoGeneral Hospital,which completedits pilotphase andis aboutto expandon anongoingbasis tofive clinicsites throughoutthe city.The programwill offerpatients severalbags of foodprescribed fortheir condition,along withintensive trainingin how to cookit.”We reallywant tolink foodandmedicine,and notjust giveaway food,“says Dr.Rita Nguyen,the hospitals medicaldirector ofHealthyFood Initiatives.We wantpeople tounderstand whatthey reeating,how toprepare it,the rolefoodplays intheir lives.”[G]In SouthernCalifornia,Loma LindaUniversity Schoolof Medicineis offeringspecialized trainingfor itsresidentphysicians inLifestyle Medicine——that isa formalspecialty inusing foodto treatdisease.Research findingsincreasingly showthe poweroffoodto treator reversediseases,but thatdoes notmeanthat dietalone isalways thesolution,or thatevery illnesscan benefitsubstantially fromdietary changes.Nonetheless,physicians saythat theylook atthe collectivedata anda clearpicture emerges:that thesalt,sugar,fat andprocessed foodsintheAmerican dietcontribute tothe nations highrates ofobesity,diabetes andheart disease.According tothe WorldHealth Organization,80percent ofdeaths fromheartdisease andstroke arecaused byhighbloodpressure,tobacco use,elevated cholesteroland lowconsumptionof fruitsand vegetables.[H]Its adifferent paradigm（范式）ofhow to treatdisease,“says Dr.Brenda Rea,who helpsrun thefamilyand preventivemedicine residencyprogram atLoma LindaUniversity Schoolof Medicine.The lifestylemedicinespecialty isdesignedtotrain doctorsin howtopreventand treatdisease,in part,by changingpatientsnutritional habits.The medicalcenter andschool atLoma Lindaalso hasa foodcupboard andkitchenfor patients.This way,patients not only learnabout whichfoods tobuy,but alsohowtopreparethem athome.[I]Many peopledon tknowhowto cook,Rea says,and theyonly knowhowtoheat thingsup.Thatmeans dependingon packagedfood withhigh saltand sugarcontent.So teachingpeople aboutwhichfoods arehealthy andhowtoprepare them,she says,can actuallytransform apatient slife.And beyondthat,it mighttransform thehealth andlives ofthat patients family.What peopleeat canbe medicineorpoison/,Rea says.As aphysician,nutrition isoneofthemostpowerful thingsyou canchange toreversethe effectsof long-term disease.”[J]Studies haveexplored evidencethat dietarychanges canslow inflammation（炎症），for example,ormake thebody inhospitableto cancercells.In general,many lifestylemedicine physiciansrecommend aplant-based diet——particularly forpeople withdiabetes orother inflammatoryconditions.[K]As whathappened withtobacco,this willrequire acultural shift,but thatcan happen/,says Nguyen.In thesame wayphysicians usedto smoke,and thenstopped smokingand wereabletotalk topatientsabout it,I thinkphysicians canhave abigger voicein it.”

36.More thanhalf ofthe foodAmericans eatis factory-produced.

37.There isa specialprogram thatassigns doctorsto giveadvice toshoppers infood stores.

38.There is growing evidencefrom researchthat foodhelps patientsrecover fromvarious illnesses.

39.A healthybreakfast canbe preparedquickly andeasily.

40.Training apatient toprepare healthyfood canchange theirlife.

41.One food-as-medicine programnotonlyprescribes foodfor treatmentbut teachespatients howtocook it.

42.Scott isnot keenon cookingfood herself,thinking itwould simplybeawaste oftime.

43.Diabetes patientsare advisedto eatmore plant-based food.

44.Using foodas medicineisnonovel idea,but themovement ismaking headwaythese days.

45.Americans highrates ofvarious illnessesresult fromthe waythey eat.Section CDirections:There are2passages inthissection.Each passageis followedby somequestions orunfinishedstatements.For eachof themthere arefour choicesmarked A,B,C andD.You shoulddecide onthe bestchoiceand markthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2withasingle linethrough thecentre.Passage OneQuestions46to50are basedonthefollowing passage.Californiahasbeen facinga droughtfor manyyears now,with certainareas evenhaving topumpfreshwater hundredsof milesto theirdistributionsystem.The problemisgrowingas thepopulation ofthestate continuestoexpand.New researchhas founddeep waterreserves underthe statewhich couldhelpsolve theirdrought crisis.Previous drillingof wellscould onlyreach depthsof1,000feet,but。