2023 年 12 月大学英语四级考试真题（第 3 套）
Part IWriting(30 minutes)
Directions: Suppose the university newspaper is inviting submissions from the students for its coming edition on what in their university impresses them most. You are now to write an essay for submission. You will have 30 minutes to write the essay. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
Part IIListening Comprehension(25分钟)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with a single line through the centre.
1. Why did the police officer stop the SUV car?
A) He noticed the driver was too young to drive.
B) He found there was no one sitting at the wheel.
C) He thought something must be wrong with the driver.
D) He saw the driver changing lanes much too frequently.
2. What did the boy tell the police officers he was planning to do?
A) Buy a sports car.
B) Drive across town.
C) Leave California.
D) Visit his sister.
3. What does the report say we have not yet understood about mobile phones?
A) How they change the way we shop.
B) How they alter human skeletons.
C) How they cause increased headaches.
D) How they affect our communication.
4. What happens to the skin when rubbed or pressed constantly?
A) It loosens.
B) It brightens.
C) It hardens.
D) It softens.
5. What does the report say the village is going to do for the cat Wilbur?
A) Create Internet pages for him.
B) Ask a local pet shop to adopt him.
C) Name an orange tree after him.
D) Hold a birthday party for him.
6. What do we learn from the report about the cat?
A) He is a bold and aggressive pet.
B) He pays regular visits to village shops.
C) He once bit a doctor's receptionist.
D) He likes to sit on the hairdresser's chair.
7. What does the pub owner, Leslie Harper, say about the cat?
A) He is fond of luxury cat food.
B) He likes to stay in villagers' houses.
C) He knows everybody in the village.
D) He often seeks food around her pub.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. 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 1 with a single line through the centre.
8. What are the speakers talking about in this conversation?
A) Who to order the food.
B) Whether to have sandwiches.
C) When to go for their meal.
D) Where to have their lunch.
9. Where did the speakers see Bridget Clark, the famous movie star?
A) In the shopping center nearby.
B) In the expensive Italian style diner.
C) At the Sandwich Place on Camden Street.
D) At the American restaurant they frequent.
10. Why does the woman say she needs to get back by 2.
A) There is to be a conference call.
B) She has to meet with her boss then.
C) There will be crowds of people waiting for her.
D) She will have a photo taken with Brigette Clark.
11. Why does the woman say Jeremy should throw his soup in the bin?
A) She doesn't deem homemade soup tasty.
B) She doesn't think his wife cooks well.
C) She feels Jeremy would rather dine out.
D) She has found the soup smells terrible.
12. Who is the man talking to in the conversation?
A) A landlady.
B) A waitress.
C) A receptionist.
D) A saleswoman.
13. What do we learn about the man's father-in-law from the conversation?
A) He was involved in a terrible car accident last April.
B) He has much difficulty getting up and down stairs.
C) He is expected to undergo a knee operation.
D) He prefers to stay next door to the children.
14. Why does the man say they will explore all the options available?
A) To please his parents-in-law.
B) To find the best trip for his kids.
C) To satisfy his curiosity.
D) To compare prices.
15. What does the woman suggest the man and his family do close to the end of the conversation?
A) Visit a local art gallery.
B) Go on a boat trip.
C) Take some photos of the islands.
D) Try her hand-made clothing.
Section C
Directions: In this section you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions. The recordings will be played 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 1 with a single line through the centre.
16. What does the passage say about artificial intelligence agents?
A) They are more intelligent than many of us.
B) They have already become our new friends.
C) They have begun to affect our social behavior.
D) They play increasingly more important roles.
17. What does the new study want to find out about using an artificial intelligence agent?
A) Whether it might have any effect on the way we negotiate.
B) Whether it might actually outperform human negotiators.
C) Whether it can facilitate business transactions.
D) Whether it can speed up legal procedures.
18. What did participants tend to do when assigned an AI agent to negotiate on their behalf?
A) Choose to be tough.
B) Sympathize with their opponent.
C) Use deceptive strategies.
D) Appear to be pleasant.
Part IIIReading Comprehension(40分钟)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
When people set out to improve their health, they usually take a familiar path: starting a healthy diet, getting
better sleep, and doing regular exercise. Each of these behaviors is important, of course, but they all __26__ on
physical health- and a growing body of research suggests that social health is just as, if not more, important
to __27__ well-being.
One recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE, for example, found that the strength of a person's
social circle was a better __28__ of self-reported stress, happiness and
well-being levels than fitness tracker data on
physical activity, heart rate and sleep. That finding suggests that the " __29__ self" represented by endless amounts
of health data doesn't tell the whole __30__ .
There's also a qualified self, which is who I am, what are my activities, my social network, and all of these
aspects are not __31__ in any of these measurements.
This idea is supported by plenty of __32__ research. Studies have shown
that social support whether it comes
from friends, family members or a spouse—is __33__ associated with better
mental and physical health. A rich
social life, these studies suggest, can lower stress levels, improve mood, encourage positive health behaviors
and
discourage damaging ones, boost heart health and improve illness __34__
rates.
Social isolation, meanwhile, is linked to higher rates of physical diseases and mental health conditions.
It's a significant problem, __35__ since loneliness is emerging as a
widespread public health problem in many
countries.
A) baseB) eagerlyC) especiallyD) focusE) indicatorF) overallG) preachedH) priorI) promptJ) puzzleK) quantifiedL) recoveryM) reflectedN) storyO) strongly
Section B
Directions: In this section. you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
Teenagers and social networking
A) As a parent of two boys at primary school, I worry about the issues associated with teenagers and social media. Newspapers are constantly filled with frightening accounts of drug addiction and aggressive behaviour supposedly caused by violent video games. But even when these accounts touch on real concerns, they do not really reflect the great mass of everyday teenage social behaviour: the online chat, the texting, the surfing, and the emergence of a new teenage sphere that is conducted digitally.
B) New technologies always provoke generational panic, which usually has more to do with adult fears than with the lives of teenagers. In the 1930s, parents worried that radio was gaining "an irresistible hold of their children". In the 80s, the great danger was the Sony Walkman (随身听). When you look at today's digital activity, the facts are much more positive than you might expect.
C) Indeed, social scientists who study young people have found that their digital use can be inventive and even beneficial. This is true not just in terms of their social lives, but their education too. So if you use a ton of social media, do you become unable, or unwilling, to engage in face-to-face contact? The evidence suggests not. Research by Amanda Lenhart of the Pew Research Centre, a US think tank, found that the most passionate texters are also the kids most likely to spend time with friends in person. One form of socialising doesn't replace the other. It expands it.
D) "Kids still spend time face to face," Lenhart says. Indeed, as they get older and are given more freedom, they often ease up on social networking. Early on, the web is their "third space", but by the late teens, it's replaced in reaction to greater independence. They have to be on Facebook, to know what's going on among friends and family, but they are ambivalent (有矛盾心理的) about it, says Rebecca Eynon, a research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, who has interviewed about 200 British teenagers over three years. As they gain experience with living online, they begin to adjust their behaviour, struggling with new communication skills, as they do in the real world.
E) Parents are wrong to worry that kids don't care about privacy. In fact, they spend hours changing Facebook settings or using quick-delete sharing tools, such as Snapchat, to minimise their traces. Or they post a photograph on Instagram, have a pleasant conversation with friends and then delete it so that no traces remain.
F) This is not to say that kids always use good judgment. Like everyone else, they make mistakes — sometimes serious ones. But working out how to behave online is a new social skill. While there's plenty of drama and messiness online, it is not, for most teens, a cycle of non-stop abuse: a Pew study found only 15% of teens said someone had bullied them online in the last 12 months.
G) But surely all this short-term writing is affecting literacy? Certainly, teachers worry. They say that kids use overly casual language and text-speak in writing, and don't have as much patience for long reading and complex arguments. Yet studies of first-year college papers suggest these anxieties may be partly based on misguided nostalgia (怀旧). When Stanford University scholar Andrea Lunsford gathered data on the rates of errors in "freshman composition" papers going back to 1917, she found that they were virtually identical to today.
H) But even as error rates stayed stable, student essays have blossomed in size and complexity. They are now six times longer and, unlike older "what I did this summer" essays, they offer arguments supported by evidence. Why? Computers have vastly increased the ability of students to gather information, sample different points of view and write more fluidly.
I) When linguist Naomi Baron studied students' instant messaging even there she found surprisingly rare usage of short forms such as "u" for "you", and as students got older, they began to write in more grammatical sentences. That is because they want to appear more adult, and they know how adults are expected to write. Clearly, teaching teens formal writing is still crucial, but texting probably isn't destroying their ability to learn it.
J) It is probably true that fewer kids are heavy readers compared with two generations ago, when cheap paperbacks boosted rates of reading. But even back then, a minority of people-perhaps 20%—were lifelong heavy readers, and it was cable TV, not the internet, that struck a blow at that culture in the 1980s. Still, 15% or more of kids are found to be deeply bookish. In fact, the online world offers kids remarkable opportunities to become literate and creative because young people can now publish ideas not just to their friends, but to the world. And it turns out that when they write for strangers, their sense of "authentic audience" makes them work harder, push themselves further, and create powerful new communicative forms.
K) Few would deny that too much time online can be harmful. Some of the dangers are emotional: hurting someone from a distance is not the same as hurting them face to face. If we're lucky, the legal environment will change to make teenagers' online lives less likely to haunt them later on. Just last week, California passed a law allowing minors to demand that internet firms erase their digital past and the EU has considered similar legislation.
L) Distraction is also a serious issue. When kids switch from chat to music to homework, they are indeed likely to have trouble doing each task well. And studies show that pupils don't fact-check information online — "smart searching" is a skill schools need to teach urgently. It's also true that too much social networking and game playing can cut into schoolwork and sleep. This is precisely why parents still need to set firm boundaries around it, as with any other distraction.
M) So what's the best way to cope? The same boring old advice that applies to everything in parenting: moderation. Rebecca Eynon argues that it's key to model good behaviour. Parents who stare non-stop at their phones and don't read books are likely to breed kids who will do the same. As ever, we ought to be careful about our own behaviour.
36. Research has found the use of digital technology benefits not only teenagers' social lives but also their studies. ______
37. It is urgent that schools teach kids how to verify online information. ______
38. Students now write longer and more complex essays than their counterparts in previous decades while the error rates remain unchanged. ______
39. Newspaper reports of teenagers give a false picture of their behaviour. ______
40. Parents are advised to mind their own digital behaviour and set a good example for their kids. ______
41. Contrary to parents' belief, kids try hard to leave as few traces as possible on the web. ______
42. Students' ability to learn formal writing is unlikely to be affected by texting. ______
43. Historically, new technologies have always caused great fears among parents. ______
44. The reading culture was seriously affected by cable television some four decades ago. ______
45. Teachers say that kids' writing is too casual, using language characteristic of text messages. ______
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C), and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
In the history of horse racing, few horses have captured the affection of the British public like Red Rum.
Today, three decades after his retirement, he is still one of the best-known and most beloved racehorses of all
time.
Red Rum was passed around to several owners before being purchased for Noel Le Mar. The agent who
made the purchase was the now-legendary horse trainer Donald "Ginger" McCain.
It wasn't apparent at the time, but Red Rum had a serious bone disease in his foot. For many horses (and
many trainers) this would mean the end of a racing career before it even began. For Ginger and Red Rum,
though, it was just an obstacle to greatness that had to be overcome.
Red Rum's true talent came out in steeplechases (障碍赛马). His power, speed and jumping ability carried
him to his first Grand National title in 1973. The very next year, Red Rum returned to take his second title. He
was the first horse to take successive firsts since Reynoldstown in 1935-1936. Red Rum's spirit and grace had
already begun to charm the leagues of Grand National fans.
In the following two years, Red Rum lost out on the title, coming in second both times. When he returned
in 1977 to try again, he was largely regarded as past his prime. He was 12 years old and not expected to place
highly. He surprised sporting fans around the world when he came in a remarkable 25 lengths ahead of the
nearest horse, taking his third Grand National win. To this day, Red Rum's third win is known as one of the
greatest moments in horse racing history.
Red Rum was headed for the Grand National once again in 1978 but suffered an injury in one of his heels
shortly before the race. He was retired soon after, but his public life and fame by no means decreased with the
end of his career. Red Rum traveled all over the country for various engagements. He often led pre-race parades
at Aintree Racecourse and was a popular guest at charity benefits and public events.
46. What do we learn from the passage about Red Rum the racehorse?
A) He captured public affection long before he won national titles.
B) He won enormous fame and love from British people.
C) He became a myth three decades after his retirement.
D) He owed his great success to several well-known horse trainers.
47. What did the serious bone disease in Red Rum's foot mean to himself and his trainer?
A) It was simply a hindrance they had to get over to excel.
B) It was surely a disadvantage though not considered fatal.
C) It was actually the end of a racing career that had just begun.
D) It was really a major obstacle hard to overcome on their own.
48. What does the author say Red Rum did with his power, speed and jumping ability?
A) He won his first Grand National title at 12.
B) He took two firsts successively in 1935-1936.
C) He surprised sporting fans worldwide in 1973.
D) He took three Grand National wins in the 1970s.
49. What did people generally think of Red Rum when he returned to the racecourse in 1977?
A) He had already passed the peak of his racing life.
B) He would have no rival in Grand National steeplechases.
C) He had lost his charm with the leagues of Grand National fans.
D) He could be expected to repeat his glory in the prime of his career.
50. What became of Red Rum after his career ended?
A) He suffered from severe pain in a heel.
B) He spent almost all his time traveling.
C) He lived on various charity benefits.
D) He remained famous and popular.
Passage Two
People in business often make decisions based on their own personal feelings or instincts. It is quite
horrifying to see people being guided by some unknown force. But how wise is it, really, to let your instincts
drive your decisions?
In the decision-making process, relying on instincts only makes sense when you have a vast experience to
support you. Simply "feeling" that something is right or should be done is highly subjective and can drown you.
On the other hand, there is a more rational approach to making decisions. Data and analysis have long been
associated with informed decisions. These reduce the likelihood of errors and increase the chances of success.
Big, systematic data is mostly the foundation of most of our decisions, personal and business alike. But with
its
extreme usability comes a complication: what do you do if you strongly feel something should not be done, even
if the data insists that it should?
This seemingly easy question is what drives the need to understand the relationship between instincts and
data in the decision-making process. Without making things complicated, the solution to this dilemma is using
data and instincts in conjunction to arrive at the best possible decisions.
Instinctive decisions are always backed by previous experiences or information, which acknowledges
that instinctive decisions have worked in the past. Decisions are not about making the choice and braving the
consequences because you want to blindly trust your instincts. They are about combining your inner wisdom
with the knowledge of systematic data to make the best decisions.
Sometimes, rational analysis and data are impractical to be employed in certain situations. Absence
of definitive criteria, and time and resource constraints, and novel situations are instances which limit the
practicality of data. The only feasible option is to rely on what your instincts tell you. In these situations,
instincts
can help you make effective and quick decisions.
Combining instinctive and rational analysis produces well-rounded decisions. It reduces the chances of
making mistakes, and has increasingly become a favorite approach to decision-making among leaders of today.
51. What does the author say business people often do?
A) Strive to make sense of some unknown forces.
B) Avoid being driven by their own feelings.
C) Draw on a vast wealth of past experience.
D) Rely on instincts in decision-making.
52. What should we take into account in order to make informed decisions?
A) The likelihood of errors.
B) Systematic data and analysis.
C) The complexity of circumstances.
D) Personal feelings and business strategies.
53. What should people do in a decision-making process if instincts disagree with data?
A) Resolve the dilemma with previous experience.
B) Figure out which of the two is more reliable.
C) Combine the two together.
D) Prioritize instincts over data.
54. What should we do when facing various factors that limit the practicality of data?
A) Make a rational and systematic analysis.
B) Explore the most feasible options.
C) Resort to our inner wisdom.
D) Apply definitive criteria.
55. What does it take for decisions to become the best according to the author?
A) Applying instincts and data in conjunction.
B) Assessing all factors when making a choice.
C) Recalling what has actually worked in the past.
D) Refraining from trusting instincts arbitrarily.
Part IVTranslation(30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
改革开放以来，中国人民生活水平不断提高，这在人们的饮食（diet）变化上得到充分体现。如今,人们不再满足于吃得饱，而是追求吃得更加安全、更加营养、更加健康，食物也愈来愈丰富多样，不再限于本地的农产品。物流（logistics industry）的发展使人们很容易品尝到全国各地的特产。毫无疑问，食品质量与饮食结构的改善为增进人们健康提供了有力的保障。