W: Certainly, Mr. Wilkinson. I'll bring everything with me.

M: Right, take a seat. Now my first meeting is when?

W: Your first meeting is on Monday the 21st at 9a.m. with Dr. Gucci of Bancos en Piedra in Milan.

M: OK, so can I fly out early Monday morning?

W: Well, there is a flight to Lenarty Airport which leaves at six thirty London time and gets in at eight thirty Italian time.

M: Yeah, but that only leaves me thirty minutes to clear customs in getting to the city center and it means I have to check in by five thirty, which means leaving home at about four fifteen.

W: I'm afraid so.

M: Hmm... not so keen on that. What's the program for the rest of that day?

W: It's quite full, I'm afraid. At eleven, you're seeing Gianni Riva at Megastar and then you'll have a lunch engagement with Gavin from the Chamber of Commerce at one.

M: Where's that?

W: You're meeting him at his office and then he's taking you somewhere.

M: Good, that sounds fine. What about the afternoon?

W: Well, at three thirty, you're seeing our sales representative there and then you're free till evening.

M: I see. I seem to remember that I'm having a dinner with someone from Bergamo.

W: That's right. And Mr. Betty from SAP Industries at eight.

Q12: What would the man like the woman to do?

Q13: At what time is Mr. Wilkinson going to leave home for the airport?

Q14: Who is Mr. Wilkinson going to have a lunch with on Monday?

Q15: What is most probably the woman's job?

【答案】

12. B) Inform him of the arrangements for his trip in Italy.

13. D) About 4:15.

14. D) Gavin from the Chamber of Commerce.

15. C) Secretary.

2013年12月份英语四级听力短文答案及点评：短文1

  Passage 1

Donna Fredrick’s served with the Peace Corps for two years in Brazil. She joined the Peace Corps after she graduated from the college because she wanted to do something to help other people. She had been brought up on a farm, so the Peace Corps assigned her to an agricultural project. Before she went to Brazil, she studied Portuguese for three months. She also learnt a great deal about its history and culture. During her two years with the Peace Corps, Donna lived in a village in northeast Brazil. That part of Brazil is very dry and farming is often difficult there. Donna helped the people of the village to organise an irrigation project, and she also advised them on planting crops that didn’t require much water. When Donna returned to the States, she couldn’t settle down. She tried several jobs, but they seemed very boring to her. She couldn’t get Brazil out of her mind. Finally, one day she got on a plane and went back to Brazil. She wasn’t sure what she’s going to do. She just wanted to be there. After a few weeks, Donna found a job as an English teacher, teaching five classes a day. Like most of the teachers, she doesn’t make much money. She shares a small apartment with another teacher. And she makes a little extra money by sending stories to newspapers in the States. Eventually she wants to quit teaching and work as a full-time journalist.

Question 16

Why did Donna join the Peace Corps after she graduated from college?

Question 17

What was Donna assigned to do in Brazil?

Question 18

Why did Donna go back to Brazil once again?

Question 19

How did Donna make extra money to support herself?

答案：

16. A  She had a desire to help others.

17. B  Work on an agricultural project.

18. D  She could not get the country out of her mind.

19. B  By writing stories for American newspaper.

 

2013年12月份英语四级听力短文原文及答案：短文2

Passage 2

Results of a recent Harry’s poll on free time showed that the average work week for many Americans is 50 hours. With the time spent eating, sleeping and taking care of the household duties, there’s little time left for leisure activities for many Americans. However, having free time to relax and pursue hobbies is important. People need time away from the pressures of study or work to relax and enjoy time with friends and family. In different countries free time is spent in different ways. The results of a Harry’s poll showed that reading was the most popular spare time activity in the US. This was followed by watching TV. In a UK survey on leisure time activities, watching TV and videos was the most popular. Listening to the radio came second. In a similar survey conducted in Japan, the most popular free time activity was eating out. The second most popular activity was driving. There were also differences in the most popular outdoor pursuits between the three countries. The most popular outdoor activity for Americans was gardening. In the UK, it was going to the pub. In Japan, going to bars ranked eighth in popularity and gardening ranked ninth. Although people around the world may enjoy doing similar things in their free time, there’s evidence to suggest that these interests are changing. In the US, for example, the popularity of computer activities is increasing. Many more people in the States are spending their free time surfing the web, emailing friends or playing games online.

Question 20

What is the recent Harry's poll about?

Question 21

What was the most popular leisure activity in the US?

Question 22

What was the most popular outdoor pursuit in the UK?

 答案：

20. C  Time spent on leisure activities.

21. A  Reading.

22. C  Going to the pub.

2013年12月份英语四级听力短文原文及答案：短文3

On March 13th, while on duty Charles Mclaughlin, a very careless driver employed by the company Lummis was involved in another accident. The accident occurred in Riverside California. Not paying attention to his driving, Mclaughlin turned right on main street and 33rd street and hit Volkswagen rabbit. This caused minor damage to his truck and serious damage to the car. On the basis of the police report, the Lummis accident committee correctly determined that Mclaughlin had been quite careless. As a result of the committee’s conclusion, the branch manager Mr. David Rossi reported that he had talked with Mclaughlin about his extremely poor driving record. Further evidence of Mclaughlin's irresponsibility occurred on May 6th when he was returning from his shift. That day he ran into a roll-up door at the Lummis facility in Valero, causing significant damage to the door. Damage to the truck, however, was minor. Finally, on June 7th, Mclaughlin once again demonstrated his carelessness by knocking down several mail boxes near the edge of the company’s parking lot. There was damage to the mailboxes and minor damage to the truck. Mr. David Rossi stated that he had spoken with Mclaughlin on several occasions about his driving record. He added that he had warned Mclaughlin that three preventable accidents in one year could lead to his discharge, as indeed it should.

23. What did the Lummis accident committee find out about the accident that occurred on March 13th?

24. What did Mclaughlin do on June 7th near the edge of the company’s parking lot?

25. What is most probably going to happen to Mclaughlin?

23. 答案：D) Mclaughlin's carelessness resulted in the collision.

24. 答案：B) He knocked down several mailboxes.

25. 答案：A) He will lose his job.

【点评】

本篇短文主要讲了Charles Mclaughlin一年之内因粗心大意所发生的三次交通事故。

第一次：时间：3月13日；经过：Mclaughlin驾驶货车在主大街第33大街向右拐弯撞上一辆小轿车。原因：Mclaughlin粗心大意；造成的后果：卡车轻微受损，小轿车严重损坏；

第二次：时间：5月6日；经过：Mclaughlin在换班的时候驾驶货车撞到一个卷帘门；原因：Mclaughlin不负责任，粗心；造成的后果：卷帘门严重损坏，卡车受损；

第三次：时间：6月7日；经过：Mclaughlin驾驶货车在公司停车场附近撞翻了几个邮筒；原因：Mclaughlin粗心大意；造成的后果：邮筒严重受损，卡车轻微受损。

本篇文章是听力第三篇短文，难度不大。文章虽然出现了一些人名和地名，但是同学们不需要知道它们是什么意思，人名地名不会作为考察点放在题目中，同学们需要重点分辨的是这三次事故发生的时间，题目重点考察同学对短文信息细节的抓取能力。但是其中有几个短语和单词需要关注一下：pay attention to 注意；重视；run into 撞上；撞到；roll-up door 卷帘门；knock down 撞翻；parking lot 停车场；mailbox 邮箱，邮筒；preventable 可预防的；as的用法。理解了这些词的意思，对本篇听力的整体理解基本就没有什么障碍了。

2013年12月份英语四级听力填空答案

When Captain Cook asked the chiefs in Tahiti why they always ate (26)apart and alone, they replied, "Because it is right." If we ask Americans why they eat with knives and forks, or why their men wear pants (27)instead of skirts or why they may be married to only one person at a time, we are likely to get (28)similar and very uninformative answers: "Because it's right." "Because that's the way it's done." "Because it's the(29)custom." Or even "I don't know." The reason for these and countless other patterns of social behavior is that they are(30) controlled by social norms – shared rules or guidelines which prescribe the behavior that is appropriate in a given situation. Norms (31)define how people "ought to" behave under particular circumstances in a particular society. We conform (遵守) to norms so readily that we are hardly aware they (32)exist. In fact we are much more likely to notice (33)departures from norms than conformity to them. You would not be surprised if a stranger tried to shake hands when you were introduced, but you might be a little (34)startled if they bowed, started to stroke you or kissed you on both (35)cheeks. Yet each of these other forms of greeting is appropriate in other parts of the world. When we visit another society whose norms are different, we quickly become aware that things we do this way, they do that way.

 26. 答案：apart and alone

27. 答案：instead of

28. 答案：similar

29. 答案：custom

30. 答案：controlled

31. 答案：define

32. 答案：exist

33. 答案：departures

34. 答案：startled

35. 答案：cheeks 
 

2013年12月份英语四级作文范文

 范文一： The modern technology has greatly altered the mode of communication among people. With the help of the Internet, people can easily contact each other anytime anywhere. However, the side effect is that many people have become over-dependent on the Internet and neglected face-to-face communication.

　　As far as I'm concerned, electronic communication cannot fully replace the direct contact among people. Although it seems to bring everyone together, it actually estranges people and decreases the effectiveness of communication. A typical example is that, traditionally, people working in the same office simply walk to others and talk. Today, however, co-workers tend to send e-mails or instant messages through the Internet even when they are sitting next to each other. As words can never convey the full message, it usually takes much more time and rounds of conversation than face-to-face communication, in which people can discuss more directly with less loss of information.

　　To conclude, the Internet enables more effective communication in some situations, but over-dependence on it actually pulls people apart.

　　范文二：

　　It is frequently observed that many people keep looking down at their mobile phones whatever they are doing. It is true that mobile phones have brought great convenience to us as we can send short messages, check e-mails, surf the Internet, or watch videos almost anywhere. However, the overuse of mobile phones also leads to some serious problems.

　　The over-dependence on mobile phones can harm the relationship among friends and family. With mobile phones, people do not talk as much as before. For example, sometimes at dinner tables, instead of chatting and laughing with each other, many people choose to chat with other friends online. In other words, mobile phones help people contacting friends far away more easily at the expense of reducing the communication with those who are sitting right next to them.

　　In conclusion, mobile phone can be a useful tool in modern life, but overusing it damages interpersonal relationship. There is no point to lose our intimacy with friends and family to modern technology.

　　范文三：

　　The impact of the Internet on learning

　　Explain why education doesn’t simply mean learning to obtain information

　　In the age of knowledge explosion, the Internet opens a magical portal for leaners to get access to seemingly incessant information. But is information equal to knowledge? “Once I learn how to use google, isn't that all the education I really need?” This question fully embodies the prejudiced opinion that as long as people acquire abundant information, they will get proper education.

　　The reason why education doesn’t simply mean learning to obtain information is that education is not limited to the hard facts or theories students can learn from their textbooks or the Internet. It relates to a wider scope ranging from the obtainment of practical skills to the development of characters, which are hard for students to learn simply by googling. Consequently, comprehensive learning in schools that includes learning knowledge, conducting experiments and communicating with peers is what true education is.

　　In a word, the Internet does provide valuable information for learners, but people should be fully conscious of the essence of education and learn to tell the right from the wrong.

2013年12月份英语四级选词填空参考答案

四级选词填空第一版  36. O worsens  37. E experience  38. K specialized  39. A additional  40. J qualifies  41. G graduates  42. M trained  43. C demand  44. L tension  45. N view

四级选词填空第二版  36-45 N site、L rare、I honoring、F different、D current、C covers、J hope、M realistic、H fast 

2013年12月份英语四级阅读匹配参考答案

四级阅读匹配答案第一版

46. E 47. A 48. I  49. C  50. J  51. H  52. A  53. G  54. E  55. F

四级阅读匹配答案第二版
46. K --- Caplan suggests that kids who don’t love school go to work.

47. C ---An increasing number of families spend more money on houses in a good school district.

48.E--- Subsidized loans to college students are a huge waste of money, according to one economist.

49. B--- More and more kids find they fare worse with a college diploma.

50. H --- For those who are not prepared for higher education, going to college is not worth it.

51. D --- Over the years the cost of a college education has increased almost by 100%.

52. J --- A law passed recently allows many students to pay no more than one tenth of their income for their college loans.

53. C --- Middle-class Americans have highly valued a good education.

54. L --- More kids should be encouraged to participate in programs where they can learn not only job skills but also social skills.

55. F --- Over fifty percent of recent college graduates remain unemployed or unable to find a suitable job.

四级阅读仔细阅读1答案第一版

　　56. A. How we perceive the food we eat.

　　57. D. You would not feel so hungry.

　　58. B. Food labels may influence our body's response to food.

　　59. A. Trick ourselves into eating less.

　　60. B. Psychological factors influence our hunger levels.
四级阅读仔细阅读1答案第二版 
56. A. How we perceive the food we eat.

57. D. You would not feel so hungry.

58. B. Food labels may influence our body's response to food.

59. A. Trick ourselves into eating less.

60. B. Psychological factors influence our hunger levels.

四级阅读仔细阅读2答案第一版

61. A Many young Americans will never be able to pay off their debts.

62. B They haven't developed a credit history.

63. D It will affect their future spending power.

64. B They may experience a financial crisis in their old age.

65. C Their clients leave their debts unpaid upon death.

 四级阅读仔细阅读2答案第二版

　　61. B) It prepares students to meet the future needs of society.

　　62. D) Creating the highest dropout rate in the developed world.

　　63. C) New positions are constantly created that require people to keep learning.

　　64. C) Basic skills needed for change and lifelong learning.

　　65. D) Avoiding too much intervention in their children's education.