Part Ⅳ Short Answer Questions (15 minutes)��

　　Directions:

　　In this part there is a short passage with five questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words (not exceeding 10 words).��

　　Our world is filled with sounds we never hear. The human auditory(聽覺的) range is limited to begin with: if we could hear sounds lower than 20 vibrations per second, we would be driven mad by the rumblings and creakings of our muscles, intestines and heartbeats; every step we take would sound like an explosion. But even with our auditory range we select, focus, pay attention to a few sounds and blot out the rest. We are so assaulted(困擾) by sound that we continually “turn off”. But in the process we shut out the glorious symphony(交響樂) of sound in which the living world is bathed.

　　The sound�瞭ormented city dweller who habitually “turns off his audio” loses a dimension of social reality. Some people, for example, possess the ability to enter a crowded room and from the sounds encountered know immediately the mood, pace and direction of the group assembled. Everything becomes more real when heard as well as seen. It is, in fact, quite hard really to know a person by sight alone, without hearing his voice. And it is not just the sound of the voice that informs. Even the rhythm of footsteps reveals age and variations of mood—delight, depression, anger, joy.

　　Hearing can also soothe and comfort. The snapping of logs in the fireplace, the gossipy whisper of a broom, the inquisitive wheeze of a drawer opening—all are savored sounds that make us feel at home. In a well�瞝oved home, every chair produced a different, recognizable creak, every window a different click, groan or squeak. The kitchen by itself is a source of many pleasing sounds. Every place, every event has a sound dimension.

　　The sense of hearing can perhaps be restored to modern man if he better understands its worth and how it works. Most people would be surprised to discover how far the sense can be pushed by cultivation. At a friend’s house recently, my wife opened her purse and some coins spilled out, one after another, onto the floor. “Three quarters, two dimes, a nickels and three pennies,” said our host as he came in from the next room. And as an after thought: “One of the quarters is silver.” He was right, down to the last penny.

　　“How did you do it?” we asked. “Try it yourself.” he said. We did, and with a little practice we found it easy.

　　Curiously, evidence indicates that people need sound. When we are lost in thought,we involuntarily drum with our fingers or tap with a pencil—a reminder that we　are still surrounded by a world outside ourselves. Just cutting down reflected　sound can produce some odd results. The nearest thing on earth to the silence of　outer space, for example, is the “anechoic chamber” at the Bell Telephone Laboratories in Burray Hills, N.J., which is lined with material that absorbs 99.98% of all reflected sound. Men who have remained in the room for more than an hour report that they feel nervous and out of touch with reality.

　　Questions:

　　��S1.According to Paragraph One. Why do we blot out the sounds we don’t want to hear?__________________________________________

　　��S2.The writer believes that the rhythm of our footsteps changes as______________________________________.

　　��S3.How many different kinds of sounds are mentioned in Paragraph 3?________________________________________________

　　��S4.What’s the main idea of Paragraphs 4 and 5?___________________________________________________

　　��S5.The whole passage tells us that by ignoring most of the sound around us we miss much that could give us ______________________________.

　　Part Ⅴ Writing (30 minutes)��

　　Directions:For this part, you’re allowed thirty minutes to write acomposition on the topic “Reading Selectively or Extensively?” you should write at least 100 words, and base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese) below:

　　��1.有人認為讀書要有選擇;

　　��2.有人認為應當博覽群書;

　　��3.我的看法。

關注"566四六級"微信，獲取作文預測、試題等信息！

英語四六級題庫【手機題庫下載】 | 微信搜索"566四六級"

　　相關推薦：

　　考試吧收藏：英語四級真題聽力(含MP3)匯總

　　2015年英語四級作文模板大全匯總(推薦背誦版)

　　2011-2014英語四級真題及答案|解析|估分|下載

　　2015年大學英語四級作文范文49篇 | 作文題目預測

　　2015年英語四級考試答案 | 2015英語四級考試真題