2022年公共英語考試四級練習試題及答案

2022年公共英語考試四級練習試題及答案

PassageTwo

Hawaii“snativeminorityisdemandingagreaterdegreeof

sovereigntyoveritsownaffairs.Butmuchofthearchipelagos

politicalestablishment,whichincludestheWhiteAmericanswho

dominateduntilthesecondworldwarandpeopleofJapanese,Chinese

andFilipinoorigins,isopposedtotheidea.

TheislandswereannexedbytheUSin1898andsincethenHawaii”

snativepeopleshavefaredworsethananyofitsotherethnicgroups.

Theymakeupover60percentofthestate“shomeless,sufferhigher

levelsofunemploymentandtheirlifespanisfiveyearslessthan

theaverageHawaiians.TheyaretheonlymajorUSnativegroup

withoutsomedegreeofautonomy.

ButasovereigntyadvisorycommitteesetupbyHawaii“sfirst

nativegovernor,JoahnWaihee,hasgiventhenatives“causeamajor

boostbyrecommendingthattheHawaiiannativesdecideby

themselveswhethertoreestablishasovereignHawaiiannation.

However,theHawaiiannativesarenotunitedintheirdemands.

Somejustwantgreaterautonomywithinthestate-asenjoyedby

manyAmericanIndiannativesovermatterssuchaseducation.This

isapositionsupportedbytheOfficeofHawaiianAffairs(OHA),

astateagencysetupin1978torepresentthenatives“interests

andwhichhasnowbecomethemoderatefaceofthenativesovereignty

movement.MoreambitiousistheKaLahuigroup,whichdeclared

itselfanewnationin1987andwantsfull,officialindependence

fromtheUS.

ButifHawaiiannativesaregivengreaterautonomy,itisfar

fromclearhowmanypeoplethiswillapplyto.Thestateauthorities

onlycountasnativethosepeoplewithmorethan50percentHawaiian

blood.

Nativedemandsarenotjustbasedonpoliticalgrievances,

though.Theyalsowanttheirclaimon660,000hectaresofHawaiian

crownlandtobeaccepted.Itisonthisissuethatnativegroups

arefacingmostoppositionfromthestateauthorities.In1933,the

stategovernmentpaidtheOHAUS136millioninbackrentonthe

crownlandandmanyofficialssaythatbyacceptingthispayment

theagencyhasgivenupitsclaimstolegallyowntheland.TheOHA

hasvigorouslydisputedthis.

1.Hawaii“snativeminorityrefersto.

A.Hawaii“sethnicgroups

B.peopleofFilipinoorigin

C.theKaLahuigroup

D.peoplewithmorethan50%Hawaiianblood

2.WhichofthefollowingstatementsistrueoftheHawaiian

natives?

A.Sixtypercentofthemarehomelessorunemployed.

B.theirlifespanis5yearsshorterthanaverageAmericans.

C.TheirlifeisworsethanthatofotherethnicgroupsinHawaii.

D.Theyaretheonlynativegroupwithoutsovereignty.

3.WhichofthefollowingisNOTtrueofJohnWaihee?

A.HeisHawaii“sfirstnativegovernor.

B.Hehassetupasovereigntyadvisorycommittee.

C.Hesuggestedthenativepeopledecideforthemselves.

D.Heisleadingthelocalindependencemovement.

4.Whichofthefollowinggroupsholdsalessradicalattitude

onthematterofsovereignty?

A.AmericanIndiannatives.

B.OfficeofHawaiianAffairs.

C.TheKaLahuigroup.

D.TheHawaiiannatives.

5.VariousnativeHawaiiansdemandallthefollowingEXCEPT

A.agreaterautonomywithinthestate

B.morebackrentonthecrownland

C.aclaimontheHawaiiancrownland

D.fullindependencefromtheUS

PassageThree

Thepercentageofimmigrants(includingthoseunlawfully

present)intheUnitedstateshasbeencreepingupwardforyears.

At12.6percent,itisnowhigherthanatanypointsincethe

midl920s.

WearenotabouttogobacktothedayswhenCongressopenly

worriedaboutinferiorracespollutingAmerica'sbloodstream.But

onceagainwearewonderingwhetherwehavetoomanyofthewrong

sortnewcomers.Theirloudestcriticsarguethatthenewwaveof

immigrantscannot,andindeeddonotwantto,fitinasprevious

generationsdid.

Wenowknowthattheseracistviewswerewrong.Intime,

Italians,Romaniansandmembersofotherso-calledinferiorraces

becameexemplaryAmericansandcontributedgreatly,inwaystoo

numeroustodetail,tothebuildingofthismagnificentnation.

Thereisnoreasonwhythesenewimmigrantsshouldnothavethesame

success.

AlthoughchildrenofMexicanimmigrantsdobetter,intermsof

educationalandprofessionalattainment,thantheirparentsUCLA

sociologistEdwardTelleshasfoundthatthegainsdon'tcontinue.

Indeed,thefouthgenerationismarginallyworseoffthanthethird

JamesJackson,oftheUniversityofMichigan,hasfoundasimilar

trendamongblackCaribbeanimmigrants,Tellsfearsthat

Mexican-Americansmaybefatedtofollowinthefootstepsof

Americanblacks-thatlargepartsofthecommunitymaybecome

mired（陷入）inaseeminglypermanentstateofpovertyand

Underachievement.LikeAfrican-Americans,Mexican-Americansare

increasinglyrelegatedto降入）segregated,substandardschools,

andtheirdropoutrateisthehighestforanyethnicgroupinthe

country.

Wehavelearnedmuchaboutthefoolishideaofexcludingpeople

onthepresumptionoftheethnic/racialinferiority.Butwhatwe

havenotyetlearnedishowtomaketheprocessofAmericanization

workforall.Iamnottalkingaboutrequiringpeopletolearn

EnglishortoadoptAmericanways；thosethingshappenprettymuch

ontheirown,butasargumentsaboutimmigrationhearupthe

campaigntrail,wealsooughttoasksomebroaderquestionabout

assimilation,abouthowtoensurethatpeople,onceoutsiders,

don'tforeverremainmarginalizedwithintheseshores.

Thatisamuchlargerquestionthanwhatshouldhappenwith

undocumentedworkers,orhowbesttosecuretheborder,anditis

onethataffectsnotonlynewcomersbutgroupsthathavebeenhere

forgenerations.Itwillhavemoreimpactonourfuturethanwhere

wedecidetosettheadmissionsbarforthelatestwareofwould-be

Americans.Anditwouldbeniceifwefinallygottheanswerright.

1.HowwereimmigrantsviewedbyU.S.Congressinearlydays?

A)Theywereofinferiorraces.

B)TheywereaSourceofpoliticalcorruption.

C)Theywereathreattothenation'ssecurity.

D)Theywerepartofthenation'sbloodstream.

2.Whatdoestheauthorthinkofthenewimmigrants?

A)TheywillbeadynamicworkforceintheU.S.

B)Theycandojustaswellastheirpredecessors.

C)Theywillbeverydisappointedonthenewland.

D)Theymayfindithardtofitintothemainstream.

3.WhatdoesEdwardTelles'researchsayabout

Mexican-Americans?

A)Theymayslowlyimprovefromgenerationtogeneration.

B)Theywilldobetterintermsofeducationalattainment.

C)TheywillmeltintotheAfrican-Americancommunity.

D)Theymayforeverremainpoorandunderachieving.

4.Whatshouldbedonetohelpthenewimmigrants?

A)Ridthemoftheirinferioritycomplex.

B)UrgethemtoadoptAmericancustoms.

C)Preventthemfrombeingmarginalized.

D)TeachthemstandardAmericanEnglish.

5.Accordingtotheauthor,theburningissueconcerning

immigrationis.

A)HowtodealwithpeopleenteringtheU.S.withoutdocuments

B)HowtohelpimmigrantstobetterfitintoAmericansociety

C)Howtostopillegalimmigrantsfromcrossingtheborder

D)HowtolimitthenumberofimmigrantstoentertheU.S.

PassageFour

Earlyintheageofaffluence僖有）thatfollowedWorldWar

II,anAmericanretailinganalystnamedVictorLebowproclaimed,

“Ourenormouslyproductiveeconomy...demandsthatwemake

consumptionourwayoflife,thatweconvertthebuyinganduseof

goodsintorituals,thatweseekourspiritualsatisfaction,our

egosatisfaction,inconsumption.Weneedthingsconsumed,burned

up,wornout,replacedanddiscardedataneverincreasingrate.

B'AmericanshaverespondedtoLebow“scall,andmuchofthe

worldhasfollowed.Consumptionhasbecomeacentralpillaroflife

inindustriallandsandisevenembeddedinsocialvalues.Opinion

surveysintheworld“stwolargesteconomics-JapanandtheUnited

States-showconsumeristdefinitionsofsuccessbecomingevermore

prevalent.Overconsumptionbytheworld“sfortunateisan

environmentalproblemunmatchedinseveritybyanythingbutperhaps

populationgrowth.Theirsurgingexploitationofresources

threatenstoexhaustorunalterablyspoilforests,soils,water,

airandclimate.Ironically,highconsumptionmaybeamixed

blessinginhumanterms,too.Thetime-honoredvaluesofintegrity

ofcharacter,goodwork,friendship,familyandcommunityhave

oftenbeensacrificedintherushtoriches.Thusmanyinthe

industriallandshaveasensethattheirworldofplentyissomehow

hollow,thatmisledbyaconsumeristculture,theyhavebeen

fruitlesslyattemptingtosatisfywhatareessentiallysocial,

psychologicalandspiritualneedswithmaterialthings.Ofcourse,

theoppositeofoverconsumption,poverty,isnosolutiontoeither

environmentalorhumanproblems.Itisinfinitelyworseforpeople

andbadforthenaturalworldtoo.Dispossessed(被錄I奪得一無全

部的)peasantsslash,andburntheirwayintotherainforestsof

LatinAmerica,andhungrynomads游牧民族)turntheirherdsout

ontofragileAfricangrassland,reducingittodesert.If

environmentaldestructionresultswhenpeoplehaveeithertoo

littleortoomuch,wearelefttowonderhowmuchisenough.What

levelofconsumptioncantheearthsupport?Whendosehavingmore

ceasetoaddnoticeablytohumansatisfaction?

1.TheemergenceoftheaffluentsocietyafterWorldWarII.

A)ledtothereformoftheretailingsystem

B)resultedintheworshipofconsumerism

C)verisetothedominanceofthenewegoism

D)gavebirthtoanewgenerationofupperclassconsumers

2.Apartfromenormousproductivity,anotherimportantimpetus

tohighconsumptionis

A)thepeople“sdesireforariseintheirlivingstandards

B)theconceptthatone“ssuccessismeasuredbyhowmuchthey

consume

C)theimbalancethathasexistedbetweenproductionand

consumption

D)theconversionofthesaleofgoodsintorituals

3.Whydoestheauthorsayhighconsumptionisamixedblessing?

A)Becausepovertystillexistsinanaffluentsociety.

B)Becauseoverconsumptionwon?,tlastlongduetounrestricted

populationgrowth.

C)Becausetraditionalritualsareoftenneglectedinthe

processofmodernization.

D)Becausemoralvaluesaresacrificedinpursuitofmaterial

satisfaction.

4.Accordingtothepassage,consumeristculture.

A)willnotalleviatepovertyinwealthycountries

B)willnotaggravateenvironmentalproblems

C)cannotthriveonafragileeconomy

D)cannotsatisfyhumanspiritualneeds

5.Itcanbeinferredfromthepassagethat.

A)humanspiritualneedsshouldmatchmaterialaffluence

B)whetherhighconsumptionshouldbeencouragedisstillan

issue

C)howtokeepconsumptionatareasonablelevelremainsa

problem

D)thereisneveranendtosatisfyingpeople“smaterialneeds

PassageFive

Fewcreationsofbigtechnologycapturetheimaginationlike

giantdams.Perhapsitishumankind?slongsufferingatthemercy

offloodanddroughtthatmakestheideaofforcingthewatersto

doourbiddingsofascinating.Buttobefascinatedisalso,

sometimes,tobeblind.Severalgiantdamprojectsthreatentodo

moreharmthangood.

Thelessonfromdamsisthatbigisnotalwaysbeautiful.It

doesn'thelpthatbuildingabig,powerfuldamhasbecomeasymbol

ofachievementfornationsandpeoplestrivingtoassertthemselves.

Egypt'sleadershipintheArabworldwascementedbytheAswanHigh

Dam.Turkey'sbidforFirstWorldstatusincludesthegiantAtaturk

Dam.

Butbigdamstendnottoworkasintended.TheAswanDam,for

example,stoppedtheNilefloodingbutdeprivedEgyptofthefertile

siltthatfloodsleft一allinreturnforagiantreservoirof

diseasewhichisnowsofullofsiltthatitbarelygenerates

electricity.

Andyet,themythofcontrollingthewaterspersists.Thisweek,

intheheartofcivilizedEurope,SlovaksandHungariansstopped

justshortofsendinginthetroopsintheircontentionoveradam

ontheDanube.Thehugecomplexwillprobablyhavealltheusual

problemsofbigdams.ButSlovakiaisbiddingforindependencefrom

theCzechs,andnowneedsadamtoproveitself.

Meanwhile,inIndia,theWorldBankhasgiventhego-aheadto

theevenmorewrong-headedNarmadaDam.Andthebankhasdonethis

eventhoughitsadvisorssaythedamwillcausehardshipforthe

powerlessandenvironmentaldestruction.Thebenefitsareforthe

powerful,buttheyarefarfr