四级模拟试题Model Test1.docx

1、四级模拟试题Model Test1Model Test 1Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Should Smoking Be Banned in Public Places? You should write at least 120words following the outline given below.1. 近年来越来越多的公共场所禁烟2. 这项举措在受到拥护的同时也引发了争议3. 你的看法 S

2、hould Smoking Be Banned in Public Places? Part II Reading Comprehensive (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) Low-carbon Future: We Can Afford to Go GreenTackling climate change will cost consumers the earth. Those who campaign for a green revolution are out to destroy our western lifestyles. Such ar

3、e the cries of opponents of emissions cuts, and their message has political impact: a number of surveys have found that the enthusiasm of voters for policies to reduce climate change falls off as the price tag increases.However, a new modeling(模型化) exercise suggests that these fears are largely unfo

4、unded. It projects that radical cuts to the UKs emissions will cause barely noticeable increases in the price of food, drink and most other goods by 2050. Electricity and petrol costs will rise significantly, but with the right policies in place, say the modellers, this need not lead to big change i

5、n our lifestyle.“These results show that the global project to fight climate change is feasible,” says Alex Bowen, a climate policy expert at the London School of Economics. “Its not such a big ask as people are making out.”Although it is impossible to precisely predict prices four decrease from now

6、, the exercise is one of the most detailed examinations yet of the impact of climate change policies on UK consumers. It provides a useful rough guide to our economic future.Though its results speak directly to the UK consumers, previous research has come to similar conclusions for the US. In June,

7、one study found that if the US were to cut emissions by 50 per cent by 2050, prices of most consumer goods would increase by less than 5 per cent. The findings are also consistent with analyses by the Pew Center on Global Climate change in Washington DC. “Even cutting emissions by 80 per cent over f

8、our decades has a very small effect on consumers in most areas,” says Manik Roy of the Pew Center. “The challenge is now to convince consumers and policy-Makers that this is the case.”The Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change recommends that wealthy nations cut their emissions to between 80 and

9、95 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050 in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change. The UK government aims to reduce its contribution by 80 per cent and leaders of the other G8 nations have discussed following suit. To meet this goal, industries will have to slash fossil fuel consumption, a

10、nd low-carbon power sources will have to massively expand. Companies will have to pay increasingly higher prices for the right to emit greenhouse gases.How will this affect the average citizens wallet? To measure the impact of the 80 per cent target on the UK population, New Scientist approached Cam

11、bridge Econometrics, a firm known for its modeling of the European economy. The firm used historic economic data to predict the impact of emissions reductions on prices in over 40 categories of goods and services. It compared the impact of the 80 per cent cut with a baseline scenario in which the go

12、vernment takes no action other than the limited emissions restrictions already in place as a result of the Kyoto protocol(京都协议书). Most of the price increases are a consequence of rising energy costs, in part because coal and gas are replaced by more expensive low-carbon sources. The price of electri

13、city is projected to be 15 per cent higher in 2050 compared with the baseline. In todays prices, that would add around 5 onto typical monthly household electricity bills. It will also result in higher prices elsewhere, as every industrial sector uses electricity.But electricity and other forms of en

14、ergy make up only a small part of the price of most goods. Other factors - raw materials, labour and taxes - are far more important. The energy that goes into producing food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco, for example, makes up just 2 per cent of the consumer price. For motor vehicle purchases and ho

15、tel stays, the figure is 1 per cent. Only for energy-intensive industries does the contribution climb above 3 per cent.As a result, most products cost just a few per cent more by 2050. At current prices, going low-carbon is forecast to add around 5 pence to the price of a slice of bread or a pint of

16、 beer. The price of household appliances such as washing machines rises by a few pounds.There is one major exception to the pattern. Airlines do not currently have a low-carbon alternative to jet fuel. Unless one is found, they will bear the full burden of carbon pricing, and average fares will rise

17、 by at least 140 per cent - raising the cost of a typical London to New York return trip from around 350 to 840.Achieving the overall picture of low prices does require government action. The model forecasts that by 2050 natural gas and petrol will cost 160 per cent and 32 per cent more respectively

18、. To avoid large price rises in home heating and road transport while still hitting the 80 per cent target, the Cambridge researchers had to build two major policies into their analysis. They assumed that future governments will provide grants to help switch all domestic heating and cooking to elect

19、ricity, and invest in the basic facilities needed for electric cars to almost completely replace petroleum-fuelled vehicles.Both policies have been discussed in recent UK government strategy documents, though the detail of how they would be implemented still needs further discussion. Firm policies m

20、ust follow if ambitious emissions cuts are going to be made, says Chris Thoung of Cambridge Econometrics.So is tackling climate change going to be easier than expected, in terms of consumer costs? While the Cambridge Econometrics model is widely respected and regularly used by the UK governments cli

21、mate change advisers, any attempt to forecast four decades ahead can be diverted by unforeseen events. That leads some economists to question the models results.For example, companies could move to countries with less strict carbon regulations, points out Richard Tol of the Economic and Social Resea

22、rch Institute in Dublin, Ireland. Incomes in the UK would fall, making goods relatively more expensive. Tol also questions whether it is reasonable to use historical prices as a basis for projecting beyond 2020.Despite this, the Cambridge Econometrics results, together with other recent studies, do

23、provide a useful guide for governments, says Michael Grubb of the University of Cambridge. They suggest that the overall challenge is conquerable, even if many of the details will only become clear in years to come. 1. Why does the enthusiasm of the policy-makers to lesson climate decrease?A) Econom

24、ic recession is widely spreadB) Western lifestyles are destroyedC) The cost of a green revolution risesD) The environment is improved2. According to the modellers, emission cuts wont change the lifestyle, provided that_A) the price of food and drink remain stableB) appropriate policies are carries o

25、utC) electricity and petrol costs dont riseD) the public has a strong faith in it3. The students released in UK and US show that_.A) Cutting emissions wont affect the price of daily goods muchB) The two countries situations of the green revolution are differentC) The consumers strongly support cutti

26、ng emissionD) The most challenging problem is how to stabilize the price4. Cambridge Econometrics predicted the impact of emissions reductions on prices fromA) Computer analysisB) Past economic dataC) Current categories of goodsD) A baseline situation5. Whats the major cause of the higher price acco

27、rding to the passage?A) Higher taxes on carbon emissionB) Changes of the lifestyleC) The rising living standardsD) Rising energy costs6. Why are the air fares predicted to rise dramatically?A) More and more people will take the planeB) No clean energy can replace the jet fuelC) Many airlines collaps

28、e due to carbon pricingD) The cost of an airline increases for finding new energy7. The two major policies built by the Cambridge researchers include_A) imposing higher taxes for petroleum-fuelled vehiclesB) Stabilization of the price of daily goods and serviceC) The electrification of residential h

29、eating and cooking systemD) The prohibition of driving petroleum-fuelled vehicles8. Some economists doubt the models results because the prediction may be diverted by _9. Richard Tol points out that goods in UK may become more expensive as companies could find other locations with_.10. The Cambridge

30、 Econometrics results provide a useful guide for policy-makers, with a suggestion that the government can _the challenge.Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)Section A 11. A) the physics class is very difficultB) the physics class is not given his termC) the physics class is easier than peop

31、le thinkD) The physics class should be cancelled if possible12. A) he was satisfied with his military serviceB) it was the first time he had been abroadC)he had never been on a warshipD) he had been on the warship before13. A) put ice on her footB) see a doctor at onceC) give her foot a good restD)

32、take the doctors advice14. A) they broke down and could go no furtherB) they havent achieved muchC) they have produced a general agreementD) they havent started yet15. A) the woman is out of shapeB) the woman doesnt need a new racketC) the woman also needs new tennis shoesD) The woman spent too much on her tennis shoes16. A) he should make an apology to MaryB) he may talk to Mary directlyC) he shou