2012年12月英语四级真题及答案（一）

1Doctoraldegree1,5501,2721,038712626444Master’sdegreeBachelor’sdegreeSomecollege,nodegreeHighschooldiplomaLessthanhighschooldegree2012年12月大学英语四级(CET-4)真题试卷（1）PartⅠWriting(30minutes)注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上，请在答题卡1上作答。Direction:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteacompositionentitledEducationPaysbasedonthestatisticsprovidedinthechartbelow(Weeklyearningsof2010).Pleasewriteatleast120wordsbutnomorethan180words.Education:AWorthyInvestmentWeeklyearningsin2010($)Source:U.S.BureauofLaborStatisticsEducationPaysPartⅡReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(15minutes)Directions:Inthispart,youwillhave15minutestogooverthepassagequicklyandanswerthequestionsonAnswersheet1.Forquestions1-7,choosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).Forquestions8-10,completethesentenceswiththeinformationgiveninthepassage.ShouldSugarBeRegulatedlikeAlcoholandTobacco?Sugarposesenoughhealthrisksthatitshouldbeconsideredacontrolledsubstancejustlikealcoholandtobacco,argueateamofresearchersfromtheUniversityofCalifornia,SanFrancisco(UCSF).Inanopinionpiececalled“TheToxic(毒性的)TruthAboutSugar”publishedFeb.1inNature,RobertLustig,LauraSchmidtandClaireBrindisarguethatit’swrongtoconsidersugarjust“emptycalories.”Theywrite:2“Thereisnothingemptyaboutthesecalories.Agrowingbodyofscientificevidenceisshowingthatfructose(果糖)cantriggerprocessesthatleadtolivertoxicityandahostofotherchronicdiseases.Alittleisnotaproblem,butalotkills—slowly.”Almosteveryone’sheardof—orpersonallyexperienced—thewell-knownsugarhigh,soperhapsthecomparisonbetweensugarandalcoholortobaccoshouldn’tcomeasasurprise.Butit’sdoubtfulthatAmericanswilllookfavorablyuponregulatingtheirfavoritevice.We’reanationthat’ssweetonsugar:theaverageU.S.adultdowns22teaspoonsofsugaraday,accordingtotheAmericanHeartAssociation,andsurveyshavefoundthatteensswallow34teaspoons.Tocounterourconsumption,theauthorsadvocatetaxingsugaryfoodsandcontrollingsalestokidsunder17.Already,17%ofU.S.childrenandteensareobese(肥胖),andacrosstheworldthesugarintake(摄入)hasincreasedthreetimesinthepast50years.Theincreasehashelpedcreateaglobalobesityplaguethatcontributesto35millionannualdeathsworldwidefromnoninfectiousdiseasesincludingcancer,heartdiseaseanddiabetes.LindaMatzigkeit,aseniorvicepresidentatChildren’sHealthcare,said“Wehavetodosomethingaboutthisorourcountryisindanger.It’snotgoodifyourstatehasthesecond-highestobesityrate.Obesechildrenturnintoobeseadults.”“Therearegoodcaloriesandbadcalories,justastherearegoodfatsandbadfats,goodaminoacids(氨基酸)andbadaminoacids,”Lustig,directoroftheWeightAssessmentforTeenandChildHealthprogramatUCSF,saidinastatement.“Butsugaristoxicbeyonditscalories.”Thefoodindustrytriestoimplythat“acalorieisacalorieisacalorie,”saysKellyBrownell,directoroftheRuddCenterforFoodPolicyandObesityatYaleUniversity.“Butthisandotherresearchsuggeststhereissomethingdifferentaboutsugar,”saysBrownell.TheUCSFreportemphasizesthemetabolic(新陈代谢)effectsofsugar.Excesssugarcanaltermetabolism,raisebloodpressure,affectthesignalingofhormonesanddamagetheliver—outcomesthatsoundsuspiciouslysimilartowhatcanhappenafterapersondrinkstoomuchalcohol.Schmidt,co-chairofUCSF’sCommunityEngagementandHealthPolicyprogram,notedonCNN:“Whenyouthinkaboutit,thisactuallymakesalotofsense.Alcohol,afterall,issimplymadefromsugar.Wheredoesvodkacomefrom?Sugar.”Buttherearealsootherareasofimpactthatresearchershaveinvestigated:theeffectofsugaronthebrainandhowliquidcaloriesareinterpreteddifferentlybythebodythansolids.Researchhassuggestedthatsugaractivatesthesamerewardpathwaysinthebrainastraditionaldrugsofabuselikemorphineorheroin.Nooneisclaimingtheeffectofsugarisquitethatstrong,but,saysBrownell,“ithelpsconfirmwhatpeopletellyousometimes,thattheyhungerforsugarandhavewithdrawalsymptomswhentheystopeatingit.”There’salsosomethingparticularlytrickyaboutsugarydrinks.“Whencaloriescomeinliquids,thebodydoesn’tfeelasfull,”saysBrownell.“Peoplearegettingmoreoftheircaloriesthaneverbeforefromsugareddrinks.”Othercountries,includingFrance,GreeceandDenmark,imposesodataxes,andtheconceptisbeingconsideredinatleast20U.S.citiesandstates.Lastsummer,Philadelphiacameclosetopassinga2-cents-per-ouncesodatax.TheRuddCenterhasbeenastrongadvocateofamoremodest1-cent-per-puncetax.Butatleastonestudy,from2010,hasraiseddoubtsthatsodataxeswouldresultinsignificantweightloss:apparentlypeoplewhoaredeterminedtoeat—anddrink—unhealthilywillfindwaystodoit.Teens—nosurprise—aregoodatfindingwaystogetthethingstheycan’thave,sostatepoliciesbanningallsugar-sweeteneddrinksfrompublicschoolsandprovidingonlywater,milkor100%fruitjuiceshaven’thadtheintendedeffectofsteeringkidsawayfromdrinkingsugareddrinks:theaverageteenconsumesabout300caloriesperday—that’snearly15%ofhisdailycalories—insweeteneddrinks,andthefoodanddrinkindustryisonlytoohappytofeedthisneed.Ultimately,regulatingsugarwillproveparticularlytrickybecauseitgoesbeyondhealthconcerns;sugar,forsomanypeople,islove.Aplateofcut-upvegetablesjustdoesn’tpackthesameemotionalacupcakeandnotan3appleasanafter-schooltreattoday.Wedon’tdothatregularly—it’sthefirsttimethisschoolyear,actual