2021年6月大学英语四级考试真题 (第3套)真题解析

2021 年 6 月大学英语四级考试真题 (第 3 套)

答案解析

Part I Writing (30 minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay titled “Do violent video

games increase aggression?”. The statement given below is for your reference. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.

With technology advancing daily and pressure mounting steadily, an increasing number of people show more interest in playing video games. At the same time, there has been widespread public debate over whether violence depicted in video games can trigger real-world violence.

On the one hand, some people hold the view that playing video games can make people get relaxed and help them relieve pressure. But on the other hand, there is a link between violence in video games and real-world aggression. This is due to the fact that young players are not mature enough and are vulnerable to misleading information and wrong values hidden in violent games. For instance, some teenagers who have the experience of playing first-person shooter games tend to resolve a conflict with classmates in a violent way. Thus, playing violent games can make players, especially teenagers more aggressive in thinking and behaviors.

In conclusion, it is of utmost importance to take actions to counteract the negative effects mentioned above. Perhaps the first step is that teenagers should be educated to stay away from violent video games as soon as possible.

【解析】

这篇作文需要就题目给出的问题 Do violent video games increase aggression?发表自己的 看法。开头段引出相关的现象和讨论的问题。主体段用正反论证的方式来回答题目的疑问， 并重点围绕玩暴力游戏会让人们变得暴力展开。聚焦到青少年群体去解释其中的原因，并举 例子来进行论证。结尾段重申立场并给出建议。

Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you

will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard. Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard. Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.

Section B

Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation,

you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

Section C

Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear

three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard. Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard. Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.

Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word

for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. 暂时未找到题源

A) B) commonplace C) confess D) desperate

E) experience F) G) option H) prompted I) roughly J) routinely K) shining L) M) N) O) wonder Section B

Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each

statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the question by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.

The start of high school doesn’t have to be stressful

[A] This month, more than 4 million students across the nation will begin high school. Many will do well. But many will not. Consider that nearly two-thirds of students will experience the “ninth-grade shock,” which refers to a dramatic drop in a student’s academic performance. Some students cope with this shock by avoiding challenges. For instance, they may drop rigorous coursework. Others may experience a hopelessness that results in failing their core classes, such as English, science and math.

[B] This should matter a great deal to parents, teachers and policymakers. Ultimately it should matter to the students themselves and society at large, because students’ experience of transitioning（过渡） to ninth grade can have long-term consequences not only for the students but for their home communities. We make these observations as research psychologists who have studied how schools and families can help young people thrive.

[C] In the new global economy, students who fail to finish ninth grade with passing grades in college preparatory coursework are very unlikely to graduate on time and go on to get jobs. One study has calculated that the lifetime benefit to the local economy for a single additional student who completes high school is half a million dollars or more. This is based on higher earnings and avoided costs in health care, crime, welfare dependence and other things.

[D] The consequences of doing poorly in the ninth grade can impact more than students’ ability to find a good job. It can also impact the extent to which they enjoy life. Students lose many of the friends they turned to for support when they move from eighth to ninth grade. One study of ninth grade students found that 50 percent of friendships among ninth graders changed from one month to the next, signaling striking instability in friendships.

[E] In addition, studies find the first year of high school typically shows one of the greatest increases in depression of any year over the lifespan. Researchers think that one explanation is that ties to friends are broken while academic demands are rising. Furthermore, most adult cases of clinical depression first emerge in adolescence（青春期）. The World Health Organization reports that depression has the greatest burden of disease, in terms of the total cost of treatment and the loss of productivity.

[F] Given all that’s riding on having a successful ninth grade experience, it pays to explore what can be done to improve the academic, social and emotional challenges of the transition to high school. So far, our studies have yielded one main insight: Students’ beliefs about change – their beliefs about whether people are stuck one way forever, or whether people can change their personalities and abilities – are related to their ability to cope, succeed academically and maintain good mental health. Past research has called these beliefs “mindsets（思维模式）,” with a “fixed mindset” referring to the belief that people cannot change and a “growth mindset” referring to the belief that people can change.

[G] In one recent study, we examined 360 adolescents’ beliefs about the nature of “smartness” – that is, their fixed mindsets about intelligence. We then assessed biological stress responses for students whose grades were dropping by examining their stress hormones（荷尔蒙）. Students

who believed that intelligence is fixed – that you are stuck being “not smart” if you struggle in school – showed higher levels of stress hormones when their grades were declining at the beginning of ninth grade. If students believed that intelligence could improve – that is to say, when they held more of a growth mindset of intelligence – they showed lower levels of stress hormones when their grades were declining. This was an exciting result because it showed that the body’s stress responses are not determined solely by one’s grades. Instead, declining grades only predicted worse stress hormones among students who believed that worsening grades were a permanent and hopeless state of affairs.

[H] We also investigated the social side of the high school transition. In this study, instead of teaching students that their smartness can change, we taught them that their social standing – that is, whether you are bullied or excluded or left out – can change over time. We then looked at high school students’ stress responses to daily social difficulties. That is, we taught them a growth mindset about their social lives. In this study, students came into the laboratory and were asked to give a public speech in front of upper-year students. The topic of the speech was what makes one popular in high school. Following this, students had to complete a difficult mental math task in front of the same upper-year students.

[I] Experiment results showed that students who were not taught that people can change showed poor stress responses. When these students gave the speech, their blood vessels contracted and their hearts pumped less blood through the body – both responses that the body shows when it is preparing for damage or defeat after a physical threat. Then they gave worse speeches and made more mistakes in math. But when students were taught that people can change, they had better responses to stress, in part because they felt like they had the resources to deal with the demanding situation. Students who got the growth mindset intervention（干预） showed less- contracted blood vessels and their hearts pumped more blood – both of which contributed to more oxygen getting to the brain, and, ultimately, better performance on the speech and mental math tasks.

[J] These findings lead to several possibilities that we and others are investigating further. First, we are working to replicate（复制） these findings in more diverse school communities. We want to know in which types of schools and for which kinds of students these growth mindset ideas help young people adapt to the challenges of high school. We also hope to learn how teachers, parents or school counselors can help students keep their ongoing academic or social difficulties in perspective. We wonder what would happen if schools helped to make beliefs about the potential for change and improvement a larger feature of the overall school culture, especially for students starting the ninth grade.

【参考答案】

36. [E] In addition, studies find the first year of high school typically shows one of the greatest increases in depression of any year over the lifespan.

37. [G] This was an exciting result because it showed that the body’s stress responses are not determined solely by one’s grades.

38. [J] These findings lead to several possibilities that we and others are investigating further. First, we are working to replicate（复制） these findings in more diverse school communities. We want

to know in which types of schools and for which kinds of students these growth mindset ideas help young people adapt to the challenges of high school. We also hope to learn how teachers, parents or school counselors can help students keep their ongoing academic or social difficulties in perspective. 39. [C] One study has calculated that the lifetime benefit to the local economy for a single additional student who completes high school is half a million dollars or more.

40. [H] In this study, instead of teaching students that their smartness can change, we taught them that their social standing——that is, whether you are bullied or excluded or left out——can change over time.

41. [E] The World Health Organization reports that depression has the greatest burden of disease, in terms of the total cost of treatment and the loss of productivity.

42. [D] One study of ninth grade students found that 50 percent of friendships among ninth graders changed from one month to the next, signaling striking instability in friendships.

43. [A] Consider that nearly two-thirds of students will experience the “ninth-grade shock,” which refers to a dramatic drop in a student’s academic performance.

44. [I] Experiment results showed that students who were not taught that people can change showed poor stress responses.

45. [F] Given all that’s riding on having a successful ninth grade experience, it pays to explore what can be done to improve the academic, social and emotional challenges of the transition to high school.

【解析】

36 [E] 解析：根据题干关键词定位在 E 段第 1 句。

 题干：The number of people experiencing depression shows a sharp increase in the first year of high school.

 原文：In addition, studies find the first year of high school typically shows one of the greatest increases in depression of any year over the lifespan. 同义复现总结：题干中的 the first year of high school 在原文中同义复现。 同义替换总结：

shows a sharp increase（题干） = shows one of the greatest increases（原文）； experiencing depression（题干） = in depression（原文）。

37 [G] 解析：根据题干关键词定位在 G 段倒数第 2 句。

 题干：According to one study, students’ academic performance is not the only decisive factor of their stress responses.

 原文：This was an exciting result because it showed that the body’s stress responses are not determined solely by one’s grades. 同义复现总结：题干中的 stress responses 在原文中同义复现。 同义替换总结：

According to one study（题干）= This was an exciting result + it showed that（原文）；

students’ academic performance is not the only decisive factor（题干）= are not determined solely by one’s grades（原文）。

38 [J] 解析：根据题干关键词定位在 J 段。

 题干：Researchers would like to explore further how parents and schools can help ninth graders by changing their mindset.

 原文：These findings lead to several possibilities that we and others are investigating further.

First, we are working to replicate（复制） these findings in more diverse school communities. We want to know in which types of schools and for which kinds of students these growth mindset ideas help young people adapt to the challenges of high school. We also hope to learn how teachers, parents or school counselors can help students keep their ongoing academic or social difficulties in perspective. 同义复现总结：题干中的 mindset 在原文中同义复现。 同义替换总结：

to explore further（题干）= are investigating further（原文）； parents and schools（题干）= parents or school counselors（原文）； help ninth graders（题干）= help young people（原文）。

39 [C] 解析：根据题干关键词定位在 C 段第 2 句。

 题干：According to one study, each high school graduate contributes at least 500,000 dollars to the local economy.

 原文：One study has calculated that the lifetime benefit to the local economy for a single additional student who completes high school is half a million dollars or more. 同义复现总结：题干中的 to the local economy 在原文中同义复现。 同义替换总结： According to one study（题干）= One study has calculated that（原文）； high school graduate（题干）= student who completes high school（原文）； at least 500,000 dollars（题干）= half a million dollars or more（原文）。

40 [H] 解析：根据题干关键词定位在 H 段第 2 句。

 题干：In one study, students were told their social position in school is not unchangeable.  原文：In this study, instead of teaching students that their smartness can change, we taught

them that their social standing——that is, whether you are bullied or excluded or left out—— can change over time. 同义替换总结：

In one study（题干）= In this study（原文）；

their social position（题干）= their social standing（原文）； is not unchangeable（题干）= can change（原文）。

41 [E] 解析：根据题干关键词定位在 E 段最后一句话。

 题干：It is reported that depression results in enormous economic losses worldwide.  原文：The World Health Organization reports that depression has the greatest burden of disease, in terms of the total cost of treatment and the loss of productivity. 同义复现总结：题干中的 depression 在原文中同义复现。 同义替换总结：

It is reported that…worldwide（题干）= The World Health Organization reports that（原文）； enormous economic losses（题干）= the greatest burden + the total cost + the loss of productivity （原文）。

42 [D] 解析：根据题干关键词定位在 D 段最后一句话。

 题干：One study showed that friendships among ninth graders were far from stable.

 原文：One study of ninth grade students found that 50 percent of friendships among ninth graders changed from one month to the next, signaling striking instability in friendships. 同义复现总结：题干中的 friendships among ninth graders 在原文中同义复现。 同义替换总结：

One study showed that（题干）= One study…found that（原文）；

were far from stable（题干）= changed from one month to the next + instability（原文）。

43 [A] 解析：根据题干关键词定位在 A 段第 4 句。

 题干：More than half of students will find their academic performance declining sharply when they enter the ninth grade.

 原文： Consider that nearly two-thirds of students will experience the “ninth-grade shock,” which refers to a dramatic drop in a student’s academic performance. 同义复现总结：题干中的 academic performance 和 ninth grade 在原文中同义复现。 同义替换总结： More than half of students（题干）= nearly two-thirds of students（原文）； declining sharply（题干）= a dramatic drop（原文）。

44 [I] 解析：根据题干关键词定位在 I 段第 1 句。  题干：Researchers found through experiments that students could be taught to respond to stress

in more positive way.

 原文：Experiment results showed that students who were not taught that people can change

showed poor stress responses. 同义替换总结：

Researchers found through experiments（题干）= Experiment results showed that（原文）； students could be taught to respond to stress in more positive way（题干）= students who were not taught that people can change showed poor stress responses（原文）。

45. [F] 根据题干关键词定位在 F 段第 1 句。

 题干：It is beneficial to explore ways to cope with the challenges facing students entering high

school.

 原文：Given all that’s riding on having a successful ninth grade experience, it pays to explore

what can be done to improve the academic, social and emotional challenges of the transition to high school. 同义替换总结：

It is beneficial to（题干） = it pays to（原文）；

explore ways（题干） = explore what can be done（原文）；

to cope with the challenges（题干）= to improve the challenges（原文）。

Section C

Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or

unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

Boredom has become trendy. Studies point to how boredom is good for creativity and innovation, as well as mental health. For example, a 2014 study published in the Creativity Research Journal found that people were more creative following the completion of a tedious task. Another piece of research published in the same year by the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that when people were bored, they had an increase in “associative thought”—the process of making new connections between ideas, which is linked to innovative thinking. These studies are impressive, but in reality, the benefits of boredom may be related to having time to clear your mind, be quiet, or daydream.

The truth is, pure boredom isn’t pleasant. One study published in Science found that participants (67% of men and 25% of women) chose to administer an electric shock to themselves rather than to sit and think quietly for 6 to 15 minutes. In addition, a Washington State University study shows boredom is on the rise, especially in adolescent girls. This is a problem, since boredom can have negative consequences that lead to everything from overeating to issues with drugs, drinking, or gambling.

In our stimulation-rich world, it seems unrealistic that boredom could occur at all. Yet, there are legitimate reasons boredom may feel so painful. As it turns out, boredom might signal the fact that you have a need that isn’t being met.

Our always-on world of social media may result in more connections, but they are superficial and can get in the way of building a real sense of belonging. Feeling bored may signal the desire for a greater sense of community and the feeling that you fit in with others around you. So take the step of joining a club, organization, or association to build face-to-face relationships and create new friendships. You’ll find depth that you won’t get from your screen no matter how many likes you get on your post.

Similar to the need for belonging, bored people often report that they feel a limited sense of meaning. It’s a fundamental human need to have a larger purpose and to feel like we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. A 2007 University of Mississippi study found that when people are bored, they’re more likely to feel less meaning in their lives and vice versa. Conversely, a 2016 study by the University of Southampton found that when people volunteered, their happiness increased. If you want to reduce boredom and increase your sense of meaning, seek work that matters to you where you can make a unique contribution, or find a cause you can support with your time and talents.

People have varying needs for stimulation and adrenaline rushes, but in general, boredom may be a signal that you need to push yourself a bit. This could be a stretch at work or in your leisure activities. After all, happiness is correlated with being challenged and developing new skills, and scrolling through your social media accounts doesn’t meet this requirement. So find opportunities to try new things, whether it’s skydiving, taking on a tough project at work, or starting a hobby that provides a fun outlet.

One of the aspects of boredom is feeling like things are the same from day to day and week to week. Some predictability is good for mental health, but you may also need some variety in your

life. Invite people of different backgrounds into your friend group, join the unexpected interest group at work, or read more widely on unusual topics. The key is to broaden your perspective and change what you’re exposed to regularly.

In The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, journalist Nicholas Carr makes a strong case for the ways our brains have been rewired to glaze the surface of things, rather than to go deep. But the ability to have more depth, process deeply, and get into flow are hallmarks of empathy, connectedness, and happiness. Find a project that you can lose yourself in, because it’s so exciting, or set aside time to solve a thorny problem. These kinds of deep thinking can go far in alleviating boredom.

If your definition of boredom is being quiet, mindful, and meditative, keep it up. But if you’re wrestling with real boredom and the emptiness it provokes, consider whether you might seek new connections, more meaning, more significant challenges, diversity of experiences, or more depth in your efforts. These are the things that will genuinely alleviate boredom and make you more effective in the process.

46. A）It facilitates innovative thinking. 47. B）A desire to be fulfilled.

48. C）It may prevent people from developing a genuine sense of community. 49. C）Engage in real-life interaction.

50. D）Devote themselves to a worthy cause.

Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

Can you remember what you ate yesterday? If asked, most people will be able to dredge up a vague description of their main meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. But can you be sure you’ve noted every snack bar en route to the car, or every handful of nuts at your desk? Most people will have the lingering feeling that they’ve missed something out.

We originally had this suspicion back in 2016, puzzled by the fact that national statistics showed calorie consumption falling dramatically over past decades. We found reliable evidence that people were drastically under-reporting what they ate – and the problem was getting worse over time.

Now the Office for National Statistics has responded to our report by confirming its findings: we are consuming 50% more calories than our national statistics claim.

Why is this happening? We can point to at least three potential causes. One is the rise in obesity levels itself. There is good evidence that under-reporting rates are much higher for obese people. The main reason for this seems to be that obese people simply consume more food, and thus have more to remember.

Another cause is that the proportion of people who are trying to lose weight has been increasing over time (from 40% in 1997 to 50% in 2013, for example). People who want to lose weight are around 10 percentage points more likely to under-report their eating – regardless of whether they are overweight or not. This may be driven partly by self-deception or “wishful thinking”.

The final potential cause is an increase in snacking and eating out over recent decades – both in terms of how often they happen and how much they contribute to our overall energy intake. The amount of time spent eating out doubled between 1975 and 2000, for example. By 2015, one in five

meals was eaten outside the home. This trend means it is more difficult for us to keep track of what we eat, not least because we have to remember more eating events. Again, there is evidence for this – food consumed out of the home is one of the most poorly recorded categories in surveys.

We will be presenting these findings in a BBC documentary called The Truth About Obesity. However, we want to stress that they are not just interesting statistical nuggets. First, the differences we are talking about are huge – men are consuming 1,000 more calories a day than previous figures suggested. This is the equivalent of not reporting that you ate a whole pepperoni pizza.

Second, these statistics guide and underpin policy. There is much concern about the health effects of obesity, but what do we do to reduce it? Based on the old numbers, our food consumption would not be seen as the problem: it seems to be below recommended intakes, and falling. So policymakers may be tempted to look elsewhere – perhaps to increasing physical activity instead. We showed that this is not the most effective way of preventing obesity, given that it takes much more effort to burn calories than consume them.

So, what’s the takeaway? For statistics, we should invest in more accurate measurement options – these do exist, but they can be expensive. For policy, we need to focus on options that make it easy for people to eat fewer calories. If people do not know how much they are eating, it can be really hard for people to stick to a diet. Instead, we should be looking for new ways to incentivise and achieve food reformulation. If this works, then people would not need to try to eat less – it’s just that what they eat wouldn’t have the same impact on their waistlines. And it won’t matter so much if they can’t remember whether it was a muffin or a croissant yesterday morning.

51. C) The national statistics did not reflect the actual calorie consumption. 52. A) People' s calorie intake was far from accurately reported. 53. B) They overlook the potential causes of obesity. 54. B) The potential causes of snacking.

55. B)Make sure people eat non-fattening food.

Part IV Translation (30 minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into

English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.

普洱(Pu’er)茶深受中国人喜爱，最好的普洱茶产自云南的西双版纳(Xishuangbanna)， 那里的气候和环境为普洱茶树的生长提供了最佳条件。普洱茶颜色较深，味道与其他的茶截 然不同。普洱茶泡(brew)的时间越长越有味道。许多爱喝的人尤其喜欢其独特的香味和口感。 普洱茶含有多种有益健康的元素，常饮普洱茶有助于保护心脏和血管，还有减肥、消除疲劳 和促进消化的功效。 【参考译文】

Pu’er enjoys great popularity among Chinese people, and the best Pu’er tea is produced in Xish uangbanna, Yunnan Province, where the climate and environment provide the best conditions for t he tea tree to grow. The color of Pu’er is relatively deep and its flavor is totally different from othe rs. The longer it brews, the better it tastes. Many people who love the tea are especially fond of its unique flavor and taste. Considering that Pu’er contains a great number of elements that are benefi cial to health, drinking the tea regularly helps protect the heart and blood vessels, as well as lose w eight, eliminate fatigue and promote digestion.

【解析】 普洱（Pu’er）茶深受中国人喜爱，最好的普洱茶产自云南的西双版纳

（Xishuangbanna），那里的气候和环境为普洱茶树的生长提供了最佳条件。 解析： “深受……的喜爱”可以翻译为 enjoy great popularity。原文由三个短句组成，可以 将第一个短句和第二个短句之间用并列连词来连接，第三个短句处理为修饰“西双版纳”的 定语从句。 Pu’er enjoys great popularity among Chinese people, and the best Pu’er tea is produced in Xishua ngbanna, Yunnan Province, where the climate and environment provide the best conditions for the tea tree to grow.

普洱茶颜色较深，味道与其他的茶截然不同。 解析：“较深”可以翻译为 relatively deep，“截然不同”可以翻译为 totally different。 The color of Pu’er is relatively deep and its flavor is totally different from others. 普洱茶泡（brew）的时间越长越有味道。

解析：“时间越长越有味道”可以用“the+比较级，the+比较级”的结构来翻译，这里的“味 道”可以翻译为 taste。 The longer it brews, the better it tastes.

许多爱喝的人尤其喜欢其独特的香味和口感。 解析：“许多爱喝的人”可以用 who 定语从句来表达；“香味和口感”可以翻译为： flavor and taste。

Many people who love the tea are especially fond of its unique flavor and taste. 普洱茶含有多种有益健康的元素，常饮普洱茶有助于保护心脏和血管，还有减肥、消除疲 劳和促进消化的功效。 解析：整句话暗含因果关系，第一个分句表示原因，后两个分句表示结果，因此可以在第 一个分句之前添加表示原因的 Considering that；“有益健康的元素”可以用 that/which 定语 从句来表达；“还有……”可以用 as well as 来翻译。其他重点词汇表达：“心脏和血管”翻 译为：the heart and blood vessels；“减肥”翻译为：lose weight / reduce weight；“消除疲 劳”翻译为：eliminate fatigue；“促进消化”翻译为：promote digestion。 Considering that Pu’er contains a great number of elements that are beneficial to health, drinking t he tea regularly helps protect the heart and blood vessels, as well as lose weight, eliminate fatigue and promote digestion.