2008年12月大学英语四级考试真题

2008年12月20日英语四级A卷真题（Word版）PartIWriting(30minutes)注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上。PartIIReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(15minutes)Directions:Inthispart,youwillhave15minutestogooverthepassagequicklyandanswerthequestionsonAnswerSheet1.Forquestions1-7,choosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).Forquestions8-10,completethesentenceswiththeinformationgiveninthepassage.That’senough,kidsItwasalovelydayattheparkandStellaBianchiwasenjoyingthesunshinewithhertwochildrenwhenayoungboy,agedaboutfour,approachedhertwo-year-oldsonandpushedhimtotheground.“I’dwatchedhimforalittlewhileandmysonwasthefourthorfifthchildhe’dshoved,”shesays.”Iwentovertothem,pickedupmyson,turnedtotheboyandsaid,firmly,’No,wedon’tpush,”Whathappenednextwasunexpected.“Theboy’smotherrantowardmefromacrossthepark,”Stellasays,”Ithoughtshewascomingovertoapologize,butinsteadshestartedshoutingatmefordiscipliningherchild,AllIdidwaslethimknowhisbehaviorwasunacceptable.WasIsupposedtositbackwhileherkiddidwhateverhewanted,hurtingotherchildrenintheprocess?”Gettingyourownchildrentoplayniceisdifficultenough.Dealingwithotherpeople’schildrenhasbecomeaminefield.Inmyhouse,jumpingonthesofaisnotallowed.Inmysister’shouseit’sencouraged.Forher,it’saboutkidsbeingkids:”Ifyoucan’tdoitatthree,whencanyoudoit?”Eachofthesephilosophiesisvalidand,ithastobesaid,mysonlovesvisitinghisaunt’shouse.ButIfindmyselfsaying“no”alotwhenherkidsareoveratmine.That’sOKbetweensistersbutbecomesdangerousterritorywhenyou’retalkingtothechildrenoffriendsoracquaintances.“Kidsaren’tallraisedthesame,”agreesProfessorNaomiWhiteofMonashUniversity.”Butthereisstillanideathatthey’rethepropertyoftheparent.Weseeourchildrenasanextensionofourselves,soifyou’resayingthatmychildisbehavinginappropriately,thenthat’ssomehowacriticismofme.”Inthosecircumstances,it’sdifficulttoknowwhethertoapproachthechilddirectlyortheparentfirst.Therearetwoschoolsofthought.“I’dgotothechildfirst,”saysAndrewFuller,authorofTrickyKids.Usuallyaquietreminderthat’wedon’tdothathere’isenough.Kidsnavefinelytunedantennae(直觉)forhowtobehaveindifferentsettings.”Hepointsoutbringingitupwiththeparentfirstmaymakethemfeelneglectful,whichcouldcauseproblems.Ofcourse,approachingthechildfirstcanbringitsownheadaches,too.ThisiswhyWhiterecommendsthatyouapproachtheparentsfirst.Raiseyourconcernswiththeparentsifthey’rethereandaskthemtodealwithit,”shesays.Askedhowtoapproachaparentinthissituation,psychologistMeredithFulleranswers:”Explainyourneedsaswellasstressingtheimportanceofthefriendship.Prefaceyourremarkswithsomethinglike:’Iknowyou’llthinkI’msillybutinmyhouseIdon’twant…’”Whenitcomestosituationswhereyou’recaringforanotherchild,whiteisstraightforward:“commonsensemustprevail.Ifthingsdon’tgowell,thenhaveachat.”There’reacoupleofnewgreyareas.Physicalpunishment,onceacceptedfromanyadult,isnolongerappropriate.“Anewsetofconsiderationshascometotheforeaspartofthedebateabouthowwehandlechildren.”ForAndrewFuller,thechild-centricnatureofoursocietyhasaffectedeveryone:”Therulesaredifferentnowfromwhentoday’sparentsweregrowingup,”hesays,“Adultsarescaredofsaying:’don’tswear’,oraskingachildtostanduponabus.They’reworriedthattherewillbeconflictiftheypointthesethingsout–eitherfromolderchildren,ortheirparents.”Heseesitasalossofthesenseofcommonpublicgoodandpubliccourtesy(礼貌),andsaysthatadultssufferformitasmuchaschild.MeredithFulleragrees:“Acodeofconductishardtocreatewhenyou’relivinginaworldinwhicheveryoneisexhaustedfromoverworkandlackofsleep,andaworldinwhichnicepeopleareperceivedtofinishlast.”“it’saboutwhatI’mdoingandwhatIneed,”AndrewFullersays.”thedayswhenakidcamehomefromschoolandsaid,“Igotintotrouble”.Anddadsaid,‘youprobablydeservedit’.Areover.Nowtheparentsarecharginguptotheschooltohaveagoatteachers.”Thisjumpingtoourchildren’sdefenseispartofwhatfuelsthe“walkingoneggshells”feelingthatsurroundsourdealingswithotherpeople’schildren.Youknowthatifyouremonstrate(劝诫)withthechild,you’regoingtohavetodealwiththeparent.it’sadmirabletobeprotectiveofourkids,butisitgood?“Childrenhavetolearntonegotiatetheworldontheirown,withinreasonableboundaries,”Whitesays.“Isuspectthatit’sonlycertainsectorsofthepopulationdoingtherunningtotheschool–better–educatedparentsareprobablymorelikelytobetooinvolved.”Whitebelievesournotionsofamorechild-centred,it’sawayoftalkingabouttreatingourchildrenlikecommodities(商品).We’recentredonthembutinwaysthatreflectpositivelyonus.Wetreatthemasobjectswhoseappearanceandachievementsaresomethingwecanbeproudof,ratherthanservethebestinterestsofthechildren.”Onewayover-worked,under-resourcedparentsshowcommitmenttotheirchildrenistoleaptotheirdefence.Backatthepark,Bianchi’sintervention(干预)onherson’sbehalfendedinanundignifiedexchangeofinsultingwordswiththeotherboy’smother.AsBianchiapproachedtheparkbenchwhereshe’dbeensitting,othermumscameuptoherandcongratulatedherontakingastand.“Apparentlytheboyhadalongstandingreputationforbadbehaviourandhismumforevenworsebehaviourifhewaschallenged.”AndrewFullerdoesn’tbelievethatweshouldbeafraidofdealingwithotherpeople’skids.“lookatkidsthataren’tyourownasapotentialmi