英語四級閱讀，作為大學英語能力的重要評估指標，不僅檢驗了學生對詞匯、語法的掌握，更考察了其閱讀理解和信息篩選的能力。在全球化背景下，提升這一能力對于拓寬視野、增進跨文化交流至關重要。今天，小編將分享2020年12月大學英語四級閱讀真題以及答案（卷二），希望能為大家提供幫助！
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 wond bank following the pasage.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.
When my son completes a task, I can't help but praise him. It's only natural to give praise where praise is due, right? But is there such a thing as too much praise?
According to psychologist Katherine Phillip, children don't benefit from 26 praise as much as we'd like to think. "Parents often praise, believing they are building their child's self-confidence. However, over-praising can have a 27 effect," says Phillip. "When we use the same praise 28, it may become empty and no longer valued by the child. It can also become an expectation that anything they do must be 29 with praise. This may lead to the child avoiding taking risks due to fear of 30 their parents."
Does this mean we should do away with all the praise? Phillip says no. "The key to healthy praise is to focus on the process rather than the 31. It is the recognition of a child's attempt, or the process in which they achieved something, that is essential," she says. "Parents should encourage their child to take the risks needed to learn and grow."
So how do we break the 32 of praise we're all so accustomed to? Phillip says it's important to 33 between “person praise” and "process praise". “Person praise is 34 saying how great someone is. It's a form of personal approval. Process praise is acknowledgement of the efforts the person has just 35. Children who receive person praise are more likely to feel shame after losing,” says Phillip.
A)choose F)experienced K)repeatedly
B)constan G)negative L)rewarded
C)disappointing H)outcome M)separately
D)distinguish I)pattern N)simpl
E)exhausting J)plural O)undertaken
答案解析
26. 答案 B
空格前為介詞from, 空格后為名詞 praise, 因此應填入形容詞?？崭袼诰湟鉃椋⒆訌谋頁P中得到的好處并不像我們想象的那么多。該段是用心理學家的話來說明的確是存在過度 表揚的。因此，應填入含有“過多的，大量的”意思的形容詞，故選B)constant “持續(xù)不斷的”。
27. 答案 G
空格前為不定冠詞a,空格后為名詞 effeet,因此應填入形容詞?？崭袂暗腍owever說明該句與前一句構成轉折關系，上一句提到，父母認為表揚孩子可以培養(yǎng)孩子的自信心，因此本 句是說過度表揚會有“害處”。故選G)negative “負面的，消極的”。
28. 答案 K
空格所在從句基本成分完整，且空格處位于從句句尾，因此應填入副詞。此處仍是心理學家的觀點，因此應承接上一句的內容，說明過度表揚的害處?？崭袼诰湟鉃?，當我們使用同樣的表揚時，它可能會變得空洞，不再被孩子重視，故選K)repeatedly“反復地，多次”。
29. 答案 L
空格前為be,空格后為介詞短語，因此應填入動詞的分詞形式或形容詞?？崭袼诰湟鉃椋頁P也可能會成為一種期望，即他們所做的任何事情都必須表揚。因此，應填入含有“給予”意思的詞。be rewarded with sth. 表示“獲得某事物的獎勵”,符合語境。故選 L)rewarded“獎賞，給予”。
30. 答案 C
空格前為介詞of, 空格后為名詞詞組 their parents,因此應填入動詞的-ing 形式。由上文可知，孩子期待做什么事都能得到父母的表揚。如果他們失敗了，父母可能會失望，他們可能 得不到表揚。所以此處是指，孩子可能會因害怕讓父母“失望”而避免冒險。故選 C)disappointing “使失望”。
31. 答案 H
空格前為冠詞 the, 因此應填入名詞?？崭袼诰湟鉃椋侠肀頁P的關鍵是關注過程而不是____。應填入一個與 process“過程”意思相反的詞，故選H)outcome “結果，后果”。
32.答案 I
空格前為冠詞the, 空格后為介詞of, 因此應填入名詞。該段列舉了兩種表揚方式，并說明 “對過程的表揚”是合理的。此處是在用反問的語氣引發(fā)讀者思考，即應該如何打破慣有的 表揚方式?因此應填入含有“方式，模式”意思的名詞，故選I)pattern“模式；圖案”。
33. 答案 D
空格前為不定式符號to, 空格后為介詞短語，因此應填入動詞原形。根據(jù)后面提到的“對人 的表揚”和“對過程的表揚”可知，此處是在說明這兩種表揚方式的“不同”,故選 D) distinguish“區(qū)別，辨別”。
34. 答案 N
本句基本成分完整，空格位于is和saying之間，因此應填入副詞。此處是對“對人的表揚” 和“對過程的表揚”進行對比，而上一段提到，合理表揚的關鍵是關注過程而不是結果，說明作者更認可“對過程的表揚”,故選N)simply “僅僅”。
35. 答案 O
空格前為助動詞has, 因此應填入動詞的-ed 形式?？崭袼诰湟鉃?，對過程的表揚是對某人 剛剛努力的肯定。而努力是人所“做出的”,故選 O)undertaken “著手做，承擔”。
Section B
Directions: In this section,you are going to read a pasage with ten statements aitached to it.Each statement comtains information given in one of the parngraphs.Identify the parngraph from which the information is derived.You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter.Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
Poverty is a story about us,not them
A)Too often still,we think we know what poverty looks like.It's the way weve been taught,the images we've been force-fed for decades.The chronically homeless.The undocumented immigrant.The urban poor,usually personified as a woman of color,the“welfare quecn”politicians still too often reference.
B)But as income inequality rises to record levels in the United States,even in the midst of a record economic expansion,those familiar images are outdated,hurttul,and counterproductive to focusing attention on solutions and building ladders of opportunity.
C)Today's faces of income inequality and lack of opportunity look like all of us.It's Anna Landre,a disabled Georgetown University student fighting to keep health benefits that allow her the freedom to live her life.It's Tiffanie Standard,a counselor for young women of color in Philadelphia who want to be tech entrepreneurs-but who must work multiple jobs to stay afloat.It's Ken Outlaw,a welder in rural North Carolina whose dream of going back to school at a local community college was dashed by Hurricane Florence-just one of the extreme weather events that have tipped the balance for struggling Americans across the nation.
D)If these are the central characters of our story about poverty,what layers of perceptions,myths,and realities must we unearth to find meaningful solutions and support?In pursuit of revealing this complicated reality,Mothering Justice,led by women of color,went last year to the state capital in Lansing,Michigan,to lobby on issues that affect working mothers.One of the Mothering Justice organizers went to the office of a state representative to talk about the lack of affordable childcare-the vestiges (痕跡)of a system that expected mothers to stay home with their children while their husbands worked.A legislative staffer dismissed the activist's concerns,telling her “my husband took care of that—I stayed home.”
E)That comment,says Mothering Justice director Danielle Atkinson,“was meant to shame”and relied on the familiar notion that a woman of color concerned about income inequality and programs that promote mobility must by definition be a single mom,probably with multiple kids.In this case,the Mothering Justice activist happened to be maried.And in most cases in the America of 2019,the images that come to mind when we hear the words poverty or income inequality fail miserably in reflecting a complicated reality:poverty touches virtually all of us.The face of income inequality,for all but a very few of us,is the one we each see in the mirror.
F)How many of us are poor in the U.S.?It depends on who you ask.According to the Census Bureau, 38 million people in the U.S.are living below the official poverty thresholds.Taking into account economic need beyond that absolute measure,the Institute for Policy Studies found that 140 million people are poor or low-income.That's almost half the U.S.population.
G)Whatever the measure,within that massive group,poverty is extremely diverse.We know that some people are more affected than others,like children,the elderly,people with disabilities,and people of color.
H）But the fact that 4 in 10 Americans can't come up with S 400 in an emergency is a commonly cited statistic for good reason:economic instability stretches across race,gender,and geography.It even reaches into the middle classes,as real wages have stagnated (不增長)for all but the very wealthy and temporary spells of financial instability are not uncommon.
I)Negative images remain of who is living in poverty as well as what is needed to move out of it.The big American myth is that you can pull yourself up by your own efforts and change a bad situation into a good one.The reality is that finding opportunity without help from families,friends,schools,and community is virtually impossible.And the playing field is nothing close to level.
J)The Frame Works Institute,a research group that focuses on public framing of issues,has studied what sustains stereotypes and narratives of poverty in the United Kingdom.“People view economic success and wellbeing in life as a product of choice,willpower,and drive,"says Nat Kendall-Taylor,CEO of FrameWorks.“When we see people who are struggling,"he says,those assumptions "Iead us to the perception that people in poverty are lazy,they don't care,and they haven't made the right decisions.”
K)Does this sound familiar?Similar ideas surround poverty in the U.S.And these assumptions give a false picture of reality.“When people enter into that pattern of thinking,”says Kendall-Taylor,“it's cognitively comfortable to make sense of issues of poverty in that way.It creates a kind of cognitive blindness—all of the factors external to a person's drive and choices that they've made become invisible and fade from view.”
L)Those external factors include the difficulties accompanying low-wage work or structural discrimination based on race,gender,or ability.Assumptions get worse when people who are poor use government benefits to help them survive.There is a great tension between“the poor”and those who are receiving what has become a dirty word:“welfare.”
M)According to the General Social Survey,71 percent of respondents believe the country is spending too little on “assistance to the poor.”On the other hand,22 percent think we are spending too little on “welfare”:37 percent believe we are spending too much.
N)“Poverty has been interchangeable with people of color-specifically black women and black mothers,"says Atkinson of Mothering Justice.It's true that black mothers are more affected by poverty than many other groups,yet they are disproportionately the face of poverty.For example, Americans routinely overestimate the share of black recipients of public assistance programs.
O)In reality,most people will experience some form of financial hardship at some point in their lives.
Indeed,people tend to dip in and out of poverty,perhaps due to unexpected obstacles like losing a job,or when hours of a low-wage job fluctuate.
P)Something each of us can do is to treat each other with the dignity and sympathy that is deserved and to understand deeply that the issue of poverty touches all of us.
36.Ome legislative staffer assumed that a woman of color who advocated affordable childcare must be a single mother.
37.People from different raccs,genders,and regions all suffer from a lack of financial security.
38.According to a survey,while the majority believe too little assistance is given to the poor,more than a third believe too much is spent on welfare.
39.A research group has found that Americans who are struggling are thought to be lazy and to have made the wrong decisions.
40.Under the old system in America,a mother was supposed to stay home and take care of her children. 41.It was found that nearly 50%of Americans are poor or receive low pay.
42.Americans usually overestimate the number of blacks receiving welfare benefits.
43.It is impossible for Americans to lift themselves out of poverty entirely on their own.
44.Nowadays,it seems none of us can get away from income inequality.
45.Assumptions about poor people become even more negative when they live on welfare.
答案解析
36.答案 E
解析：一位立法人員認為， 一位有色人種女性如果提倡負擔得起的兒童保育服務，她一定是一位 單身母親。由題干中的關鍵詞a woman of color,affordable childeare 和 a single mother定位至E)段首句。該句提到，“母性正義”的領導者丹尼爾·阿特金森說，這一言論“是可恥的”,它依賴于大家熟知的概念，即關注收入不平等問題和能夠提高流動性計劃的有色人種女性肯定是一位單親媽媽，她可能撫養(yǎng)很多孩子?？芍?，這位立法工作人員認為，倡導價格合理的兒童保育服務的女性有色人種肯定是單親媽媽。故答案選E)。
37.答案 H
解析：由題干中的關鍵詞 races,genders 和 regions定位至 H) 段首句。該句提到，每十個美國人中 就有四人在緊急情況下無法拿出400美元，這成為一個經(jīng)常被引用的數(shù)據(jù)，理由很充分：經(jīng)濟 不穩(wěn)定存在于不同種族、性別和地域之間。題干為此處內容的同義轉述，故答案選 H)。
38.答案 M
解析：由題干中的關鍵詞survey,assistance 和 a third 定位至M) 段。該段指出，綜合社會調 查顯示，71%的受訪者認為國家“給予貧困人民的幫助”太少了。另一方面，22%的受訪 者認為我們在“福利”上的花費太少了，37%的受訪者認為我們花費的太多了。題干為 該段內容的同義轉述，故答案選 M)。
39. 答案 J
解析：由題干中的關鍵詞A research group,lazy 和the wrong decisions 定位至J)段末句。該 句提到，框架研究所的首席執(zhí)行官指出，當我們看到了那些正在掙扎的人們，那些假設讓我們認為，處于貧困中的人是懶惰的，他們并不在乎，也沒有做出正確的決定。題干 中的have made the wrong decisions與原文中的 haven't made the right decisions 相對應，故答案選J).
40.答案 D
解析：由題干中的關鍵詞 the old system,a mother 和 stay home and take care of her children定位至 D)段倒數(shù)第二句。該句提到，“母性正義”的組織者之一來到州代表的辦公室， 談論當?shù)厝狈韶摀闷鸬膬和Ｓ盏膯栴}——這是希望母親在家照顧孩子而父親在外工作的體制的殘留問題。題干中的 the old system與原文中的 the vestiges of a system 相對應；a mother was supposed to stay home and take care of her children與mothers to stay home with their children 相對應，故答案選 D)。
41.答案 F
解析：由題干中的關鍵詞 nearly 50%of Americans 和poor or receive low pay 定位至 F)段最 后兩句。此處指出，若將絕對標準以上的經(jīng)濟需求考慮進去，政策研究機構發(fā)現(xiàn)1.4億 美國人屬于貧困或是低收入人群。這幾乎占據(jù)美國人口的一半。題干中的 nearly 50% of Americans與原文中的 half the U.S.population 相對應；poor or receive low pay 與 poor or low-income 相對應，故答案選 F)。
42.答案 N
解析：由題干中的關鍵詞 overestimate,blacks 和 receiving welfare benefits 定位至 N) 段末 句。該句提到，美國人經(jīng)常高估公共救助計劃中黑人接受者的比例。題干是對此處內 容的同義轉述，故答案選 N)。
43.答案 I
解析：由題干中的關鍵詞impossible,lift themselves out of poverty 和on their own 定位至I段。該段中提到，美國最大的謬論是，你能夠憑借一己之力振作起來，將壞的形勢扭轉為好的形勢。現(xiàn)實是，在沒有家人、朋友、學校和社區(qū)幫助的情況下，找到機會的可能性 幾乎為零。題干中的 lift themselves out of poverty與原文中的 pull yourself up相對應，故答案選1),
44.答案 C
解析：由題干中的關鍵詞 Assumptions,more negative 和 live on welfare 定位至 L) 段第二 句。該句提到，當窮人利用政府救濟來幫助他們生存時，這些假設變得更加糟糕。題干 中的 more negative 與原文中的 worse 相對應；live on welfare 與 use government benefits to help them survive 相對應，故答案選 L)。
45.答案 L
解析：由題干中的關鍵詞Assumptions,more negative和live on welfare定位至 L)段第二句。該句提到，當窮人利用政府救濟來幫助他們生存時，這些假設變得更加糟糕。題干中的 more negative 與原文中的worse相對應；live on welfare與use government benefits to help them survive相對應，故答案選L)。
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 basel on the following passage.
Boredom has,paradoxically,become quite interesting to academics lately.In early May,London's Boring Conference celebrated seven years of delighting in dullness.At this event,people flocked to talks about weather,traffic jams,and vending-machine sounds,among other sleep-inducing topics.
What,exactly,is everybody studying?One widely accepted psychological definition of boredom is “the distasteful experience of wanting,but being unable,to engage in satisfying activity.”But how can you quantify a person's boredom level and compare it with someone else's?In 1986,psychologists introduced the Boredom Proneness Scale,designed to measure an individual's overall tendency to feel bored.By contrast,the Multidimensional State Boredom Scale,developed in 2008,measures a person's feelings of boredom in a given situation.
Boredom has been linked to behavior issues including inattentive driving,mindless snacking,excessive drinking,and addictive gambling.In fact,many of us would choose pain over boredom.One team of psychologists discovered that two-thirds of men and a quarter of women would rather self-administer electrie shocks than sit alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes.Researching this phenomenon,another team asked volunteers to watch boring,sad,or neutral films,during which they could self-administer electric shocks.The bored volunteers shocked themselves more and harder than the sad or neutral ones did.
But boredom isn't all bad.By encouraging self-reflection and daydreaming,it can spur creativity.An early study gave participants abundant time to complete problem-solving and word-association exercises.Once all the obvious answers were exhausted,participants gave more and more inventive answers to combat boredom.A British study took these findings one step further,asking subjects to complete a creative challenge(coming up with a list of alternative uses for a household item).One group of subjects did a boring activity first,while the others went straight to the creative task.Those whose boredom pumps had been primed were more productive.
In our always-connected world,boredom may be a hard-to-define state,but it is a fertile one.Watch paint dry or water boil,or at least put away your smartphone for a while,and you might unlock your next big idea.
46.When are people likely to experience boredom,according to an accepted psychological definition?
A)When they don't have the chance to do what they want.
B)When they don't enjoy the materials they are studying.
C)When they experience something unpleasant.
D)When they engage in some routine activities.
47.What does the author say boredom can lead to?
A)Determination.
B)Concentration.
C)Mental deterioration.
D)Harmful conduct.
48.What is the finding of one team of psychologists in their experiment?
A)Volunteers prefer watching a boring movie to sitting alone deliberating.
B)Many volunteers choose to hurt themselves rather than endure boredom.
C)Male volunteers are more immune to the effects of boredom than females.
D)Many volunteers are unable to resist boredom longer than fifteen minutes.
49.Why does the author say boredom isn't all bad?
A)It stimulates memorization.
B)It allows time for relaxation.
C)It may promote creative thinking.
D)It may facilitate independent learning.
50.What does the author suggest one do when faced with a challenging problem?
A)Stop idling and think big.
B)Unlock one's smartphone.
C)Look around oneself for stimulation.
D)Allow oneself some time to be bored.
答案解析
46.答案 A
解析：根據(jù)題干關鍵詞 accepted psychological definition 定位至第二段第二句。該句提到， 一個被廣泛接受的關于無聊的心理學定義是“渴望但又無法參加令人滿意的活動而產(chǎn)生 的令人不快的經(jīng)歷”。故答案選 A)項。
47.答案 D
解析：題目就提問。根據(jù)題干關鍵詞 boredom can lead to 定位至第三段首句。該句提到，無聊與一些行為問題有關，包括分心駕駛、漫不經(jīng)心地吃零食、過度飲酒和賭博成癮。這些行為都是不好的行為習慣，故答案選D) 項。
48.答案 B
解析：根據(jù)題干關鍵詞finding of one team of psychologists 定位至第三段第三句。該句提到， 一個心理學家小組發(fā)現(xiàn)，三分之二的男性和四分之一的女性寧愿自我電擊，也不愿獨坐思考15分鐘?？芍?ldquo;許多志愿者寧愿自我傷害也不愿忍受無聊”,故答案選B) 項。
49.答案 C
解析：根據(jù)題干關鍵詞 boredom isn't all bad 定位至第四段首句。該句提到，但無聊并不都是 壞事。通過鼓勵自我反省和幻想，它可以激發(fā)創(chuàng)造力。故答案選 C) 項。其他三項在文 中均未提及，故排除。
50.答案 D
解析：根據(jù)題干關鍵詞 author suggest 定位至末段。該段第二句提到，看著油漆變干或者水沸騰，或者至少把你的智能手機暫時收起來一會兒，你可能會解鎖你的又一個了不起的創(chuàng) 意。說明，當你做一些無聊的事情時，讓頭腦放松，可能會想出了不起的創(chuàng)意；那么在面 對具有挑戰(zhàn)性的問題時，也可以這么做。故答案選 D)項。
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Forests in countries like Brazil and the Congo get a lot of attention from environmentalists,and it is easy to see why.South America and sub-Saharan Africa are experiencing deforestation on an enormous scale:every year almost 5 million hectares are lost.But forests are also changing in rich Western countries.They are growing larger,both in the sense that they occupy more land and that the trees in them are bigger.What is going on?
Forests are spreading in almost all Western countrics,with the fastest growth in places that historically had rather few trees.In 1990 28% of Spain was forested;now the proportion is 37%.In both Greece and Italy,the growth was from 26% to 32% over the same period.Forests are gradually taking more land in America and Australia.Perhaps most astonishing is the trend in Ireland.Roughly 1% of that country was forested when it became independent in 1922.Now forests cover 11% of the land,and the government wants to push the proportion to 18% by the 2040s.
Two things are fertilising this growth.The first is the abandonment of farmland,especially in high, dry places where nothing grows terribly well.When farmers give up trying to earn a living from farming or herding,trees simply move in.The second is government policy and subsidy.Throughout history,governments have protected and promoted forests for diverse reasons,ranging from the need for wooden warships to a desire to promote suburban house-building.Nowadays forests are increasingly welcome because they suck in carbon pollution from the air.The justifications change;the desire for more trees remains constant.
The greening of the West does not delight everyone.Farmers complain that land is being taken out of use by generously subsidised tree plantations.Parts of Spain and Portugal suffer from terrible forest fires. Others simply dislike the appearance of forests planted in neat rows.They will have to get used to the trees,however.The growth of Western forests seems almost as unstoppable as deforestation elsewhere.
51.What is catching environmentalists'attention nowadays?
A)Rich countries are stripping poor ones of their resources.
B)Forests are fast shrinking in many developing countries.
C)Forests are eating away the fertile farmland worldwide.
D)Rich countries are doing little to address deforestation.
52.Which countries have the fastest forest growth?
A)Those that have newly achieved independence.
B)Those that have the greatest demand for timber.
C)Those that used to have the lowest forest coverage.
D)Those that provide enormous government subsidies.
53.What has encouraged forest growth historically?
A)The government's advocacy.
B)The use of wood for fuel.
C)The favourable climate.
D)The green movement.
54.What accounts for our increasing desire for forests?
A)Their unique scenic beauty.
B)Their use as fruit plantations.
C)Their capability of improving air quality.
D)Their stable supply of building materials.
55.What does the author conclude about the prospects of forestation?
A)Deserts in sub-Saharan Africa will diminish gradually.
B)It will play a more and more important role in people's lives.
C)Forest destruction in the developing world will quickly slow down.
D)Developed and developing countries are moving in opposite directions.
答案解析
51.答案 B
解析：根據(jù)題干關鍵詞 environmentalists'attention 定位至文章首句。該句提到，巴西和剛果 等國的森林受到了環(huán)保主義者的廣泛關注，原因很容易理解。隨后進一步指出原因是南美洲和撒哈拉以南的非洲正經(jīng)歷著大規(guī)模的森林砍伐。可知，“許多發(fā)展中國家的森 林面積在迅速減少”引起了環(huán)保主義者們的注意，故答案選 B) 項 。
52.答案 C
解析：根據(jù)題干關鍵詞 fastest forest growth 定位至第二段首句。該句提到，幾乎所有的西方國家的森林都在擴張，在歷史上樹木稀少的地方增長得最快。故答案選 C) 項。
53.答案 A
解析：根據(jù)題干關鍵詞 encouraged forest growth 定位至第三段首句。該句提到，有兩個因素 在促進這種增長。即放棄農(nóng)田和政府的政策及補貼；第五句中還提到，縱觀歷史，各國 政府都出于各種原因保護和推廣森林的發(fā)展?？芍?，“政府的倡導”促進了歷史上森林 面積的增加，故答案選 A) 項。
54.答案 C
解析：根據(jù)題干關鍵詞our increasing desire for forests 定位至第三段倒數(shù)第二句。該句提 到，森林越來越受歡迎，因為它們吸收空氣中的碳污染。可知，森林可以改善空氣質量， 故答案選C)項。
55.答案 D
解析：根據(jù)題干關鍵詞 conclude 和prospects of forestation 定位至文章末句。該句提到，西方 國家森林的增長似乎和其他地方的森林砍伐一樣幾乎勢不可擋。該句呼應開頭提到的西方富裕國家森林增多，有些發(fā)展中國家森林減少。說明，作者認為“發(fā)達國家和發(fā)展 中國家正在朝相反的方向發(fā)展”,故答案選 D)項。
