2015年12月英語(yǔ)四級(jí)考試真題第3套

SectionDirections:Inthissection,youaregoingtoreadapassagewithenstatementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.Eachparagraphismarkedwithaletter.AnswerthequestionsbymarkingthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2.ThePerfectLookingbackontoomanyyearsofeducation,IcanidentifyonetrulyimpossibleteacherShecaredaboutme,andmyinlectuallife,evenwhenIdidn’tHerexpectationswerehigh―impossiblyso.ShewasanEnglishteacher.Shewasalsomymother.Whengoodstudentsturninanessay,theydreamoftheirinstructorreturningittotheminexactlythesamecondition,saveforasinglewordaddedinthemarginofthefinalpage:“Flawless.”Thisdreamcametrueformeoneafternoonintheninthgrade.Ofcourse,Ihadheardthatgeniuscouldshowitselfatanearlyage,soIwasonlyslightlytakenabackthatIhadachievedperfectionatthetenderageof14.Obviously,Ididwhatanyprofessionalwriterwoulddo;Ihurriedofftospreadthegoodnews.Ididn’tgetveryfar.Thefirst ItoldwasmyMymotherwhoisjustshyoffivefeettallisnormallyincrediblysoft-spoken,butontherareoccasionwhenshegotangry,shewasterrifying.Iamnotsureifshewasmoreupsetbymyhubris(得意忘形orbythefactthatmyEnglishteacherhadletmyegogetsooutofhand.Inanyevent,mymotherandherredpenshowedmehowdeeplyflawedaflawlessessaycouldbe.Atthetime,Iamsureshethoughtshewasteachingmeaboutmechanics,transitions(過(guò)渡),structure,styleandvoice.ButwhatIlearned，andwhatstuckwithmethroughmytimeteachingwritingatHarvard,wasadeeperlessonaboutthenatureofcreativecriticism.Firstoff,ithurts.Genuinecriticism,thetypethatleavesalastingmarkonyouasawriter,alsoleavesanexistentialimprint(印記)onyouasa .Ihaveheardpeoplesaythatawritershouldnevertakecriticismally.Isaythatweshouldneverlistentothesepeople.Criticism,atitsbest,isdeeplyal,andgetstotheheartofwhywewritethewaywedo.Theintimatenatureofgenuinecriticismimpliessomethingaboutwhoisabletogiveit,namely,someonewhoknowsyouwellenoughtoshowyouhowyourmentallifeisgettingmthewayofgoodwriting.Conveniently,theyarealsothepeoplewhocareenoughtoseeyouthispainfulrealization.Formeittooktheformofmyfirst,andIhopeonly,encounterwithwritersblock-IwasnotabletoproduceanythingforthreeFranzKafkaoncesaid:“Writingisuttersolitude(獨(dú)處),thedescentintothecoldabyss(深淵ofoneself.”Mymother’scriticismhadshownmethatKafkaisrightaboutthecoldabyss,andwhenyoumaketheintrospective(內(nèi)省的descentthatwritingrequiresyouarenotalwayspleasedbywhatyoufind.But,intheyearsthatfollowed,hersustainedtutoringsuggestedthatKafkamightbewrongaboutthesolitude.Iwasluckyenoughtofindacriticandteacherwhowaswillingtomakethejourneyofwritingwithme.“Itisathingofnogreatdifficulty,”accordingtoPlutarch,“toraiseobjectionsagainstanotherman’sspeech,itisaveryeasymatter;buttoproduceabetterinitsceisaworkextremelytroublesome.”IamsureIwroteessaysmthelateryearsofhighschoolwithoutmymother’sguidance,butIcan’trecallthem.WhatIremember,however,ishowshetookupthe“extremelytroublesome”workofongoingcriticism.TherearetwowaystointerpretPlutarchwhenhesuggeststhatacriticshouldbeabletopro-duce“abetterinitsce.”Inastraightforwardsense,hecouldmeanthatacriticmustbemoretalentedthanthe shecritiques(評(píng)論).Mymotherwaswellcoveredonthiscount.ButperhapsPlutarchissuggestingsomethingslightlydifferent，somethingabitclosertoMarcusCicero’sclaimthatoneshould“criticizebycreation,notbyfindingfault.”Genuinecriticismcreatesapreciousopeningforanauthorto ebetteronhisownterms―aprocessthatisoftenextremelypainful,butalsoalmostalwaysmeaningful.Mymothersaidshewouldhelpmewithmywriting,butfirstIhadtohelpmyself.Foreachassignment,IwastowritethebestessayIcouldRealcriticismisnotmeanttofindobviousmistakes,soifshefoundany―thetypeIcouldhavefoundonmyown―Ihadtostartfromscratch.Fromscratch.Oncetheessaywas“flawless,”shewouldtakeaneveningtowalkmethroughmyerrors.Thatwaswhentruecriticism，thetypethatchangedmeas ,ShecriticizedmewhenIincludedlittle-knownreferencesandprofessionaljargon(行話).Shehadnopatienceforbrilliantbutirrelevantfiguresofspeech.“Writerscan’tbluff(虛張聲勢(shì))theirwaythroughignorance.”Thatwasnewstome―Iwouldneedtofindanotherwaytostructureraydailyexistence.Shetrimmedbackmyflowerylanguage,drewlinesthroughmyexclamationmarksandarguedforthevalueofrestraintinexpression.“John,”shealmostwhispered.Ileanedintohearher:“Ican’thearyouwhenyoushoutatme.”SoIstoppedshoutingandbluffing,andslowlymywritingimproved.SomewherealongthewayIsetasidemyhopesofwritingthatflawlessessay.ButperhapsImissedsomethingimportantinmymother’slessonsaboutcreativityandperfection.PerhapsPassageQuestion56to60arebasedonthefollowingCouldyoureproduceSiliconValleyelsewhere,oristheresomethinguniqueaboutItwouldn’tbesurprisingifitwerehardtoreproduceinothercountries,becauseyoucouldn’treproduceitinmostoftheUSeither.WhatdoesittaketomakeaSiliconValley?It’stherightpeople.IfyoucouldgettherighttenthousandpeopletomovefromSiliconValleytoBuffalo,Buffalowould eSiliconValley.Youonlyneedtwokindsofpeopletocreateatechnologyhub(中心richpeopleandObservationbearsthisout.WithintheUS,townshave estartuphubsifandonlyiftheyhavebothrichpeopleandnerds.FewstartupshappeninMiami,forexample,becausealthoughit’sfullofrichpeople,ithasfewnerds.It’snotthekindofcenerdslike.WhereasPittsburghhastheoppositeproblem:plentyofnerds,butnorichpeople.ThetopUSComputerSciencedepartmentsaresaidtobeMIT,Stanford,Berkeley,andCarnegie-Mellon.MITyieldedRoute128.StanfordandBerkeleyyieldedSiliconValley.ButwhatdidCarnegie-MellonyieldinPittsburgh?AndwhathappenedinIthaca,homeofCornellUniversity,whichisalsohighonthelist?IgrewupinPittsburghandwenttocollegeatCornell,soIcananswerforboth.Theweatheristerribleparticularlyinwinterandthere’snointerestingoldcitytomakeupforit,asthereisinBostonRichpeopledon’twanttoliveinPittsburghorIthaca.Sowhilethere’replentyofhackers(電腦迷)whocouldstartstartups,there’snoonetoinvestinthem.Doyoureallyneedtherichpeople?Wouldn’titworktohavetheernmentinvestinnerds?No,itwouldnot.Startupinvestorsareadistincttypeofrichpeople.Theytendtohavealotofexperiencethemselvesinthetechnologybusiness.Thishelpsthempicktherightstartups,andmeanstheycansupplyadviceandconnectionsaswellasmoney.Andthefactthattheyhaveaalstakein emakesthemreallypayWhatdowelearnaboutSiliconValleyfromtheItssuccessishardtocopyanywhereItisthebiggesttechnologyhubintheItsfameinhightechnology ItleadstheworldininformationWhatmakesMiamiunfittoproduceaSiliconLackofincentivefor C)Lack ernmentLackoftherightkindof D)LackoffamousInwhatwayisCarnegie-MellondifferentfromStanford,BerkeleyandItslocationisnotasattractivetorichItssciencedepartmentsarenotnearlyasItdoesnotproducecomputerhackersandItdoesnotpaymuchattentiontobusinessWhatdoestheauthorimplyaboutIthaspleasantweatherallyearItproduceswealthaswellashigh-ItisnotlikelytoattractlotsofinvestorsandItisanoldcitywithmanysitesofhistoricalWhatdoestheauthorsayaboutstartupTheyareespeciallywiseinmakingTheyhavegoodconnectionsintheTheycandomorethanprovidingTheyarerichenoughtoinvestinPassageQuestions61to65arebasedonthefollowingIt’snicetohavepeopleoflikemindaround.Agreeablepeopleboostyourconfidenceandallowyoutorelaxandfeelcomfortable.Unfortunay,thatcomfortcanhindertheverylearningthatcanexpendyour andyourcareer.It’snicetohavepeopleagree,butyouneed ingstodigoutthetruth.Ifeveryonearoundyouhassimilarviews,yourworkwillsufferfromconfirmationbias(偏頗).Takealookatyourownnetwork.DoyourcontactsshareyourpointofviewonmostIfyes,it’stimetoshakethingsup.Asaleader,itcanbechallengingtocreateanenvironmentinwhichpeoplewill lydisagreeandargue,butasthesayinggoes:From It’snoteasyformostpeopletoactivelyseek .Manyspendtheirlivestryingtoavoidarguments.There’snoneedtogooutandfindpeopleyouhate,butyouneedtodosomeself-assessmenttodeterminewhereyouhave estaleinyourthinking.Youmayneedtostartbyencouragingyourcurrentnetworktohelpyouidentifyyourblindspots.Passionate,energeticdebatedoesnotrequireangerandhardfeelingstobeeffective.Butitdoesrequiremoralstrength.Onceyouhaveworthyopponents,setsomegroundrulessoeveryoneunderstandsresponsibilitiesandboundaries.Theobjectiveofthisdebatinggameisnottowinbuttogettothetruththatwillallowyoutomovefaster,farther,andbetter.Fiercedebatingcanhurtfeelings,particularlywhenstrongalitiesareinvolved.Makesureyoucheckinwithyouropponentssothattheyarenotcarryingtheemotionofthebattlesthebattlefield.Breakthetensionwithsandhumortoreintheideathatthisisfriendlydiscourseandthatallareworkingtowardacommongoal.Rewardallthoseinvolvedinthedebatesufficientlywhenthe