2010年12月英语四级真题

PartIWriting(30minutes)Directions：Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteashortessayentitledHowShouldParentsHelpChildrentoBeIndependent?Youshouldwriteatleast150wordsfollowingtheoutlinegivenbelow.1.目前不少父母为孩子包办一切2.为了让孩子独立,父母应该……HowShouldParentsHelpChildrentoBeIndependent?...PartIIReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(15minutes)Directions:Inthispart,youwillhave15minutestogooverthepassagequicklyandanswerthequestionsonAnswerSheet1.Forquestions1-7,choosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarked[A],[B],[C]and[D].Forquestions8-10,completethesentenceswiththeinformationgiveninthepassage.AGrassrootsRemedyMostofusspendourlivesseekingthenaturalworld.Tothisend,wewalkthedog,playgolf,gofishing,sitinthegarden,drinkoutsideratherthaninsidethepub,haveapicnic,liveinthesuburbs,gototheseaside,buyaweekendplaceinthecountry.ThemostpopularleisureactivityinBritainisgoingforawalk.Andwhenjoggers(慢跑者)jog,theydon’trunthestreets.Everyoneoftheminstinctivelyheadstotheparkortheriver.Itismyprofoundbeliefthatnotonlydoweallneednature,butweallseeknature,whetherweknowwearedoingsoornot.Butdespitethis,ourchildrenaregrowingupnature-deprived(丧失).IspentmyboyhoodclimbingtreesonStreathamCommon,SouthLondon.Thesedays,childrenarerobbedoftheseancientfreedoms,duetoproblemslikecrime,traffic,thelossoftheopenspacesandoddnewperceptionsaboutwhatisbestforchildren,thatistosay,thingsthatcanbebought,ratherthanthingsthatcanbefound.Thetruthistobefoundelsewhere.AstudyintheUS:familieshadmovedtobetterhousingandthechildrenwereassessedforADHD—attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder(多动症).Thosewhoseaccommodationhadmorenaturalviewsshowedanimprovementof19%;thosewhohadthesameimprovementinmaterialsurroundingsbutnoniceviewimprovedjust4%.AstudyinSwedenindicatedthatkindergartenchildrenwhocouldplayinanaturalenvironmenthadlessillnessandgreaterphysicalabilitythanchildrenusedonlytoanormalplayground.AUSstudysuggestedthatwhenaschoolgavechildrenaccesstoanaturalenvironment,academiclevelswereraisedacrosstheentireschool.Anotherstudyfoundthatchildrenplaydifferentlyinanaturalenvironment.Inplaygrounds,childrencreateahierarchy(等级)basedonphysicalabilities,withthetoughonestakingthelead.Butwhenagrassyareawasplantedwithbushes,thechildrengotmuchmoreintofantasyplay,andthesocialhierarchywasnowbasedonimaginationandcreativity.Mostbullying(恃强凌弱)isfoundinschoolswherethereisatarmac(柏油碎石)playground;theleastbullyingisinanaturalareathatthechildrenareencouragedtoexplore.ThisremindsmeunpleasantlyofSunnyhillSchoolinStreatham,withitsharshtarmac,whereIusedtohangaboutincornersfantasisingaboutwildlife.Butchildrenarefrequentlydiscouragedfrominvolvementwithnaturalspaces,forhealthandsafetyreasons,forfearthattheymightgetdirtyorthattheymightcausedamage.So,instead,thedamageisdonetothechildrenthemselves:nottotheirbodiesbuttotheirsouls.OneofthegreatproblemsofmodernchildhoodisADHD,nowincreasinglyandexpensivelytreatedwithdrugs.YetonestudyafteranotherindicatesthatcontactwithnaturegiveshugebenefitstoADHDchildren.However,wespendmoneyondrugsratherthanongreenplaces.Thelifeofoldpeopleismeasurablybetterwhentheyhaveaccesstonature.Theincreasingemphasisforthegrowingpopulationofoldpeopleisinqualityratherthanquantityofyears.Andstudyafterstudyfindsthatagardenisthesinglemostimportantthinginfindingthatquality.Inwiderandmoredifficultareasoflife,thereisevidencetoindicatethatnaturalsurroundingsimproveallkindsofthings.Evenproblemswithcrimeandaggressivebehaviourarereducedwhenthereiscontactwiththenaturalworld.DrWilliamBird,researcherfromtheRoyalSocietyfortheProtectionofBirds,statesinhisstudy,“Anaturalenvironmentcanreduceviolentbehaviourbecauseitsrestorativeprocesshelpsreduceangerandimpulsivebehaviour.”Wildplacesneedencouragingforthisreason,nomatterhowsmalltheircontribution.Wetendtolookonnatureconservationassomekindoffavourthathumanbeingsaregrantingtothenaturalworld.Theerrorhereisfartoodeep:notonlydohumansneednatureforthemselves,buttheveryideathathumanityandthenaturalworldareseparablethingsisprofoundlydamaging.Humanbeingsareaspeciesofmammals(哺乳动物).Forsevenmillionyearstheylivedontheplanetaspartofnature.Ourancestralselvesmissthenaturalworldandlongforcontactwithnon-humanlife.Anyonewhohaspattedadog,strokedacat,satunderatreewithapintofbeer,givenorreceivedabunchofflowersorchosentowalkthroughtheparkonaniceday,understandsthat.Weneedthewildworld.Itisessentialtoourwell-being,ourhealth,ourhappiness.Withoutthewildworldwearenotmorebutlesscivilised.Withoutotherlivingthingsarounduswearelessthanhuman.FivewaystofindharmonywiththenaturalworldWalk:Breaktherhythmofpermanentlybeingunderaroof.Getoffastopearlier,makeacircuitoftheparkatlunchtime,walkthechildtoandfromschool,getadog,feelyourselfmovinginmovingair,look,listen,absorb.Sit:Takeamoment,everynowandthen,tobestillinanopenspace.Inthegarden,anywherethat’snotintheoffice,anywhereoutofthehouse,awayfromtheroutine.Situnderatree,lookatwater,feelrefreshed,eversoslightlyrenewed.Drink:Thebestwaytoenjoythenaturalworldisbyyourself;thesecondbestwayisincompany.Takeadrinkoutsidewithagoodperson,agoodgathering:talkwiththesunandthewindw