2013年6月四级考试真题与精析(第1套)

2013年6月大学英语四级考试真题与精析（第1套）第1页2013年6月大学英语四级考试真题(第1套)PartIWriting(30minutes)Directions:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteashortessay.Youshouldstartyouressaywithabriefdescriptionofthepictureandthenexpressyourviewsontheimportanceofreadingliterature.Youshouldwriteatleast120wordsbutnomorethan180words.PartIIReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(15minutes)Directions:Inthispart,youwillhave15minutestogooverthepassagequicklyandanswerthequestionsonAnswerSheet1.Forquestions1-7,choosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).Forquestions8-10,completethesentenceswiththeinformationgiveninthepassage.SurvivingtheRecessionAmerica’srecessionbeganquietlyattheendof2007.Sincethenithasevolvedintoaglobalcrisis.Reasonablepeoplemaydisagreeaboutwhomtoblame.Financierswhowerenotascleverastheythoughttheywere?Regulatorsfallingasleepatwork?Consumerswhoborrowedtoomuch?Politicianswhothoughtlesslypromotedhome-ownershipforthosewhocouldnotaffordit?Allareguilty;andwhatamesstheyhavecreated.Since2007Americahasshed5millionjobs.Morethan15%oftheworkforcearejoblessorunderemployed—roughly25millionworkers.Theonlyindustriesswellingtheirpayrollsarehealthcare,utilitiesandthefederalgovernment.ThevalueoflistedsharesinAmericanfirmscollapsedby57%fromitspeakinOctober2007toalowinMarchthisyear,thoughithassincebouncedbacksomewhat.Industrialproductionfellby12.8%intheyeartoMarch,theworstslidesincetheSecondWorldWar.MarkZandi,aneconomistatMoody’sEconomy.com,predictsthattherecessionwillshrinkAmerica’seconomyby3.5%intotal.Formostexecutives,thisistheworstbusinessenvironmentthey’veeverseen.2013年6月大学英语四级考试真题与精析（第1套）第2页Timesaresotoughthatevenbossesaretakingpaycuts.Median(中位数的)payforchiefexecutivesofS&P500companiesfell6.8%in2008.TheoverthrownbusinessgiantsofWallStreettookthebiggestknock,withaveragepaycutsof38%andmedianbonusesofzero.Buttherewassomepainforeveryone:medianpayforchiefexecutivesofnon-financialfirmsintheS&P500fellby2.7%.Nearlyeverybusinesshasasadtaletotell.Forexample,ArneSorenson,thepresidentofMarriotthotels,likensthecrisistothedownturnthathithisbusinessafterSeptember11th,2001.Whenthetwintowersfell,Americansstoppedtravelling.Marriotthaditsworstquarterever,withrevenuesperroomfallingby25%.Thisyear,withoutaterroristattack,thehotelindustryis“puttingthesamenumbersontheboard”,saysMrSorenson.Thehotelbust(不景气),likemostbusts,wasprecededbyabreathtakingboom.Althoughmanyotherbigfirmsresistedthetemptationtoover-borrow,developersborrowedheavilyandbuiltbiggerandfancierhotelsasifthewholeworldwereplanningaholidayinLasVegas.Whenthebubbleburst,demandcollapsed.Hotelownersfoundthemselveswithahugenumberofemptyroomsevenasalotofunnecessarynewhotelswerereadytoopen.Otherindustrieshavesufferedevenmore.Largenumbersofbuilders,propertyfirmsandretailershavegonebankrupt.AndadisasterhashitDetroit.LastyeartheAmericancarindustryhadthecapacitytomake17millionvehicles.Salesin2009couldbebarelyhalfofthat.TheBigThreeAmericancarmakers—GeneralMotors,FordandChrysler—accumulatedruinouscostsoverthepost-waryears,suchasgold-platedhealthplansandpensionsforworkerswhoretiredasyoungas48.Allthreearedesperatelyrestructuring.OnlyFordmaysurviveinitscurrentform.Hardtimesbreedhardfeelings.FewAmericansunderstandwhatcausedtherecession.Someareseekingscapegoats(替罪羊).Politiciansarehappytotakeadvantage.BosseshavebeensummonedtoWashingtontobescoldedonlivetelevision.Thepresidentcondemnstheirgreed.Extravagance(奢侈)isoutBusinessfolkarebendingoverbackwardstoavoidseemingextravagant.Meetingsatresortsaresuddenlyunacceptable.GoldmanSachs,aninvestmentbank,cancelledaconferenceinLasVegasatthelastminuteandrebookeditinSanFrancisco,whichcostmorebutsoundedlessfun.Anyway,thepainwilleventuallyend.Americanbusinesswillregainitsshine.Manyfirmswilldie,butthesurvivorswillemergeleanerandstrongerthanbefore.Thefinancialsector’sshareoftheeconomywillshrink,andstayshrunkforyearstocome.Theimportanceofnon-financialfirmswillaccordinglyrise,alongwiththeirabilitytoattractthebesttalent.Americawillremainthebestplaceonearthtodobusiness,solongasBarackObamaandtheDemocratsinCongressresistthetemptationtointerferetoomuch,andsolongasorganisedlabourdoesnotoverplayitshand.Thecrisiswillprovehugelydisruptive(破坏性的),however.Badmanagementtechniqueswillbeexposed.Necessitywillforcetheswiftadoptionofmoreefficient2013年6月大学英语四级考试真题与精析（第1套）第3页ones.Atthesametime,technologicalinnovation(创新)willbarelypauseforbreath,andtwobigpoliticalchangesseemlikely.MrObama’splantocurbcarbondioxide(CO₂)emissions(排放),thoughnecessary,willbefarfromcost-free,whateverhissunnyspeechesonthesubjectmightsuggest.Theshifttoalow-carboneconomywillhelpsomefirms,hurtothersandrequireeveryorganisationthatusesmuchenergytorethinkhowitoperates.ItishardertopredicthowMrObama’sproposedreformstothefailinghealth-caresystemwillturnout.Ifhesucceedsincurbingcosts—abigif—itwouldbeahugegainforAmerica.Somebusinesseswillbenefitbutthevastbulkofthesavingswillbecapturedbyworkers,nottheiremployers.Inthenextcoupleofyearsthebusinessesthatthrivewillbethosethataretightwithcosts,carefulofdebt,cautiouswithcashflowandextremely