2021年下半年公共英語四級模擬試題

2021年下半年公共英語四級模擬試題2021年下半年公共英語四級模擬試題：PassageSixIfambitionistobewellregarded,therewardsofambition—wealth,distinction,controloverone’sdestiny—mustbedeemedworthyofthesacrificesmadeonambition’sbehalf.Ifthetraditionofambitionistohavevitality,itmustbewidelyshared;anditespeciallymustbehighlyregardedbypeoplewhoarethemselvesadmired,theeducatednotleastamongthem.Inanoddway,however,itistheeducatedwhohaveclaimedtohavegivenuponambitionasanideal.Whatisoddisthattheyhaveperhapsmostbenefitedfromambition—ifnotalwaystheirownthenthatoftheirparentsandgrandparents.Thereisaheavynoteofhypocrisyinthis,acaseofclosingthebarndoorafterthehorseshaveescaped—withtheeducatedthemselvesridingonthem.Certainlypeopledonotseemlessinterestedinsuccessanditssignsnowthanformerly.Summerhomes,Europeantravel,BMWs—thelocations,placenamesandnamebrandsmaychange,butsuchitemsdonotseemlessindemandtodaythanadecadeortwoyearsago.Whathashappenedisthatpeoplecannotconfessfullytotheirdreams,aseasilyandopenlyasoncetheycould,lesttheybethoughtpushing,acquisitiveandvulgar.Instead,wearetreatedtofinehypocriticalspectacles,whichnowmorethaneverseeminamplesupply：thecriticofAmericanmaterialismwithaSouthamptonsummerhome;thepublisherofradicalbookswhotakeshismealsinthree-starrestaurants;thejournalistadvocatingparticipatorydemocracyinallphasesoflife,whoseownchildrenareenrolledinprivateschools.Forsuchpeopleandmanymoreperhapsnotsoexceptional,theproperformulationis,“Succeedatallcostsbutavoidappearingambitious.”Theattacksonambitionaremanyandcomefromvariousangles;itspublicdefendersarefewandunimpressive,wheretheyarenotextremelyunattractive.Asaresult,thesupportforambitionasahealthyimpulse,aqualitytobeadmiredandfixedinthemindoftheyoung,isprobablylowerthanithaseverbeenintheUnitedStates.Thisdoesnotmeanthatambitionisatanend,thatpeoplenolongerfeelitsstirringsandpromptings,butonlythat,nolongeropenlyhonored,itislessopenlyprofessed.Consequencesfollowfromthis,ofcourse,someofwhicharethatambitionisdrivenunderground,ormadesly.Such,then,isthewaythingsstand：ontheleftangrycritics,ontherightstupidsupporters,andinthemiddle,asusual,themajorityofearnestpeopletryingtogetoninlife.Itisgenerallybelievedthatambitionmaybewellregardedif .itsreturnswellcompensateforthesacrificesitisrewardedwithmoney,fameandpoweritsgoalsarespiritualratherthanmaterialitissharedbytherichandthefamousThelastsentenceofthefirstparagraphmostprobablyimpliesthatitis .customaryoftheeducatedtodiscardambitioninwordstoolatetocheckambitiononceithasbeenletoutdishonesttodenyambitionafterthefulfillmentofthegoalimpracticalfortheeducatedtoenjoybenefitsfromambitionSomepeopledonotopenlyadmittheyhaveambitionbecause .theythinkofitasimmoraltheirpursuitsarenotfameorwealthambitionisnotcloselyrelatedtomaterialbenefitstheydonotwanttoappeargreedyandcontemptibleFromthelastparagraphtheconclusioncanbedrawnthatambitionshouldbemaintained .A.secretlyandvigorouslyB.openlyandenthusiasticallyC.easilyandmomentarilyD.verballyandspirituallyPassageSevenImaginewakingupandfindingthevalueofyourassetshasbeenhalved.No,you'renotaninvestorinoneofthosehedgefundsthatfailedcompletely.Withthedollarslumpingtoa26-yearlowagainstthepound,already-expensiveLondonhasbecomequiteunaffordable.AcoffeeatStarbucks,justasunavoidableinEnglandasitisintheUnitedStates,runsabout$8.Theonceall-powerfuldollarisn'tdoingaTitanicagainstjustthepound.Itissittingatarecordlowagainsttheeuroandata30-yearlowagainsttheCanadiandollar.EventheArgentinepesoandBrazilianrealarethrivingagainstthedollar.Theweakdollarisasourceofhumiliation,foranation'sself-esteemrestsinpartonthestrengthofitscurrency.It'salsoapotentialeconomicproblem,sinceadecliningdollarmakesimportedfoodmoreexpensiveandexertsupwardpressureoninterestrates.AndyettherearesubstantialsectorsofthevastU.S.economy-fromgiantcompanieslikeCoca-Colatomom-and-poprestaurantoperatorsinMiami-forwhichtheweakdollarismostexcellentnews.ManyEuropeansmayviewtheU.S.asanarrogantsuperpowerthathasbecomehostiletoforeigners.ButnothingmakespeoplethinkmorewarmlyoftheU.S.thanaweakdollar.ThroughApril,thetotalnumberofvisitorsfromabroadwasup6.8percentfromlastyear.Shouldthetrendcontinue,thenumberoftouriststhisyearwillfinallytopthe2000peak?ManyEuropeansnowapparentlyviewtheU.S.thewaymanyAmericansviewMexico-asacheapplacetovacation,shopandparty,allwhileignoringthefactthatthepoorerlocalscan'taffordtojointhemerrymaking.Themoneytouristsspendhelpsdecreaseourchronictradedeficit.Sodoexports,whichthanksinparttotheweakdollar,soared11percentbetweenMay2006andMay2007.Forfirstfivemonthsof2007,thetradedeficitactuallyfell7percentfrom2006.IfyouownsharesinlargeAmericancorporations,you'reawinnerintheweak-dollargamble.LastweekCoca-Cola'sstickbubbledtoafive-yearhighafteritreportedafantasticquarter.Foreignsalesaccountedfor65percentofCoke'sbeveragebusiness.OtherAmericancompaniesprofitingfromthistrendincludeMcDonald'sandIBM.Americantourists,however,shouldn'texpectanyreliefsoon.Thedollarloststrengththewaymanymarriagesbreakup-slowly,andthenallatonce.Andcurrenciesdon'tturnonadime.Soifyouwanttoavoidthepaininflictedbytheincreasinglypatheticdollar,cancelthatsummervacationtoEnglandandlooktoNewEngland.There,thedollarisstilltreatedwithalittlerespect.52.WhydoAmericansfeelhumiliated?A)TheireconomyisplungingB)Theycan'taffordtripstoEuropeTheircurrencyhasslumpedD)Theyhavelosthalfoftheirassets..HowdoesthecurrentdollaraffectthelifeofordinaryAmericans?TheyhavetocanceltheirvacationsinNewEngland.Theyfinditunaffordabletodineinmom-and-poprestaurants.Theyhavetospendmoremoneywhenbuyingimportedgoods.Theymightlosetheirjobsduetopotentialeconomicproblems.HowdomanyEuropeansfeelabouttheU.Swiththedevalueddollar?A)TheyfeelcontemptuousofitB)Theyaresympatheticwithit.C)Theyregarditasasuperpoweronthedecline.D)Theythinkofitasagoodtouristdestination.whatistheauthor'sadvicetoAmericans?A)TheytreatthedollarwithalittlerespectB)Theytrytowinintheweak-dollargambleC)TheyvacationathomeratherthanabroadD)Theytreasuretheirmarriagesallthemore.Whatdoestheauthorimplybysaying“currenciesdon'tturnonadime”(Line2,Para7)?A)Thedollar'svaluewillnotincreaseintheshortterm.B)ThevalueofadollarwillnotbereducedtoadimeC)Thedollar'svaluewilldrop,butwithinasmallmargin.FewAmericanswillchangedollarsintoothercurrencies.PassageEightIfyouintendusinghumorinyourtalktomakepeoplesmile,youmustknowhowtoidentifysharedexperiencesandproblems.Yourhumormustberelevanttotheaudienceandshouldhelptoshowthemthatyouareoneofthemorthatyouunderstandtheirsituationandareinsympathywiththeirpointofview.Dependingonwhomyouareaddressing,theproblemswillbedifferent.Ifyouaretalkingtoagroupofmanagers,youmayrefertothedisorganizedmethodsoftheirsecretaries;alternativelyifyouareaddressingsecretaries,youmaywanttocommentontheirdisorganizedbosses.Hereisanexample,whichIheardatanurses'convention,ofastorywhichworkswellbecausetheaudienceallsharedthesameviewofdoctors.AmanarrivesinheavenandisbeingshownaroundbySt.Peter.Heseeswonderfulaccommodations,beautifulgardens,sunnyweather,andsoon.Everyoneisverypeaceful,politeandfriendlyuntil,waitinginalineforlunch,thenewarrivalissuddenlypushedasidebyamaninawhitecoat,whorushestotheheadoftheline,grabshisfoodandstompsovertoatablebyhimself.“Whoisthat?"thenewarrivalaskedSt.Peter.“On,that'sGod,"camethereply,“butsometimeshethinkshe'sadoctor."Ifyouarepartofthegroupwhichyouareaddressing,youwillbeinapositiontoknowtheexperiencesandproblemswhicharecommontoallofyouandit'llbeappropriateforyoutomakeapassingremarkabouttheinediblecanteenfoodorthechairman'snotoriousbadtasteinties.Withotheraudiencesyoumustn'tattempttocutinwithhumorastheywillresentanoutsidermakingdisparagingremarksabouttheircanteenortheirchairman.YouwillbeonsafergroundifyousticktoscapegoatslikethePostOfficeorthetelephonesystem.Ifyoufeelawkwardbeinghumorous,youmustpracticesothatitbecomesmorenatural.Includeafewcasualandapparentlyoff-the-cuffremarkswhichyoucandeliverinarelaxedandunforcedmanner.Oftenit'sthedeliverywhichcausestheaudiencetosmile,sospeakslowlyandrememberthataraisedeyebroworanunbelievinglookmayhelptoshowthatyouaremakingalight-heartedremark.Lookforthehumor.Itoftencomesfromtheunexpected.Atwistonafamiliarquote“Ifatfirstyoudon'tsucceed,giveup"oraplayonwordsorona