英语四级阅读，作为大学英语能力的重要评估指标，不仅检验了学生对词汇、语法的掌握，更考察了其阅读理解和信息筛选的能力。在全球化背景下，提升这一能力对于拓宽视野、增进跨文化交流至关重要。今天，小编将分享2020年12月大学英语四级阅读真题以及答案（卷一），希望能为大家提供帮助！
Section A
Directions: In this section,there is a pasage 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.
Trust is fundamental to life. If you can't trust anything, life becomes intolerable. You can't have relationships without trust, let alone good ones.
In the workplace, too, trust is ____26____. An organization without trust will be full of fear and ___27_____. If you work for a boss who doesn't trust their employees to do things right, you'll have a ___28____ time. They'll be checking up on you all the time, correcting "mistakes" and ___29____ reminding you to do this or that. Colleagues who don't trust one another will need to spend more time ___30___ their backs than doing any useful work.
Organizations are always trying to cut costs. Think of all the additional tasks caused by lack of trust. Audit departments only exist because of it. Companies keep large volumes of ____31___ because they don't trust their suppliers, their contractors or their customers. Probably more than half of all administrative work is only there because of an ever-existing sense that "you can't trust anyone these days." If even a small part of such valueless work could be.____32___, The savings would run into millions of dollars.
All this is extra work we ___33____ onto ourselves because we don't trust people - the checking, following through, doing things ourselves because we don't believe others will do them ____34___ - or at all. If we took all that away, how much extra time would we suddenly find in our life? How much of our work ____35___ would disappear?
A)constantly F)load K)removed
B)credible G)miserable L)stacks
C)essential H)pressure M)suspicion
D)exploring I)properly N)tracked
E)gathe J)records O)watching
答案解析
26. 答案 C
空格所在句是一个主系表结构，空格处应填入名词或形容词作表语。首段中提到，信任是生活的基础，没有信任就无法建立关系。空格前的too说明本句与首段为顺承关系，表明信任是“很重要的”，故选C)essential“必不可少的，极其重要的”。
27. 答案 M
空格前为表并列的连词and，空格处与fear一同作be full of的宾语，因此也应填入名词，且含义上与fear“恐惧”相近，表示没有信任的组织会造成的后果。故选M)suspicion“怀疑”。
28. 答案 G
空格前为冠词a，空格后为名词time，因此应填入形容词，修饰time。空格所在句意为，如果你为一个不信任员工能把事情做好的老板工作，那么你将过得_____。根据常识可知，应填入含有“不舒服，难受”意思的形容词。故选G)miserable“痛苦的，令人不愉快的”。
29. 答案 A
空格所在句结构完整，因此应填入副词。此处是在描述不信任员工的老板的表现，即他们会一直监督你，纠正“错误”，并_____提醒你做这个或那个。因此，空格所填副词应与前面的all the time意思相近，故选A)constantly“不断地，经常地”。
30. 答案 O
空格前为spend more time，符合spend time doing sth.结构，因此应填入动词-ing形式。此处是说，如果同事之间缺少信任，那么他们就要防范别人在背后暗算。watch one's back为固定搭配，意为“(因可能有人暗算)小心背后”，符合语境，故选O)watching“留心，注意”。
31. 答案 J
空格前为词组volumes of，因此应填入名词。空格所在句意为，公司因不信任他们的供应商、承包商或客户而保留大量_____。可知，公司不信任供应商、承包商或客户等人，通常会把相关的交易记录等保存下来。故选J)records“记录，录制”。
32. 答案 K
空格前为could be，因此应填入动词的过去分词构成被动语态或形容词作表语。空格前提到，缺乏信任给组织机构带来的额外的任务。而本句中的such valueless work指的就是额外工作。可知，只有额外工作减少了，才能省钱。因此空格处应填入含有“减少”意义的动词过去分词或形容词，故选K)removed“去掉，移走”。
33. 答案 F
空格所在部分是一个定语从句，其主语为we，缺少谓语动词，因此应填入动词。空格所在句想表达的是，因为我们不信任别人，才会需要做一些额外的工作。说明这些额外的工作是“自己加给自己的”。load有“(把大量……)装上”的含义，且填入空格处符合语境，故选F)load“承载”。
34. 答案 I
空格处位于believe后的宾语从句中，且从句结构完整，因此应填入副词，修饰动词do。文章的主题是“信任”，此处是说我们强加给自己的额外工作是因为不相信别人，即不相信别人能“做好”，故选I)properly“正确地，适当的，充分的”。
35. 答案 H
空格所在句是一个疑问句，空格处与our work一同作主语。由上一句可知，如果我们减少这些因缺乏信任产生的额外工作，我们会多出很多空余时间。因此，空格所在句是想表达“工作‘压力’的减少”，故选H)pressure“压力”。F)load填入空格处虽也符合句意，但第33题只能填load, 其他动词均不符合语境，故排除。
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 questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
The Place Where the Poor Once Thrived
A)This is the land of opportunity.If that weren't already implied by the landscape-rolling green hills, palm trees,sun-kissed flowers-then it's evident in the many stories of people who grew up poor in these sleepy neighborhoods and rose to enormous success.People like Tri Tran,who fled Vietnam on a boat in1986,showed up in San Jose with nothing,made it to MIT,and then founded the food-delivery start-up Munchery,which is valued at $300 million.
B)Indeed,data suggests that this is one of the best places to grow up poor in America.A child born in the carly 1980s into a low-income family in San Jose had a 12.9 percent chance of becoming a high earner as an adult,according to a landmark study released in 2014 by the economist Raj Chetty and his colleagues from Harvard and Berkeley.That number-12.9 percent-may not seem remarkable,but it was:Kids in San Jose whose families fell in the bottom quintile (五分位数)of income nationally had the best shot in the country at reaching the top quintile.
C)By contrast,just 4.4 percent of poor kids in Charlotte moved up to the top;in Detroit the figure was 5.5 percent.San Jose had social mobility comparable to Denmark's and Canada's and higher than other progressive cities such as Boston and Minneapolis.
D)The reasons kids in San Jose performed so well might seem obvious.Some of the world's most innovative companies are located here,providing opportunities such as the one seized by a 12-year-old Mountain View resident named Steve Jobs when he called William Hewlett to ask for spare parts and subsequently received a summer job.This is a city of immigrants-38 percent of the city's population today is foreign-born-and immigrants and their children have historically experienced significant upward mobility in America.The city has long had a large foreign-born population(26.5 percent in 1990),leading to broader diversity,which,the Harvard and Berkeley cconomists say,is a good predictor of mobility.
E)Indced,the streets of San Jose seem,in some ways,to embody the best of America.It's possible to drive in a matter of minutes from sleek (光亮的)office towers near the airport where people pitch ideas to investors,to single-family homes with orange trees in their yards,or to a Vietnamese mall. The libraries here offer programs in 17 languages,and there are areas filled with small businesses owned by Vietnamese immigrants,Mexican immigrants,Korean immigrants, and Filipino immigrants,to name a few.
F)But researchers aren't sure exactly why poor kids in San Jose did so well.The city has a low prevalence of children growing up in single-parent families,and a low level of concentrated poverty,both factors that usually mean a city allows for good intergenerational mobility.But San Jose also performs poorly on some of the measures correlated with good mobility.It is one of the most unequal places out of the 741 that the researchers measured,and it has high degrees of racial and economic segregation(隔离)。 Its schools underperform based on how much money there is in the area,said Ben Scuderi,a predoctoral fellow at the Equality of Opportunity Project at Harvard,which uses big data to study how to improve economic opportunities for low-income children.“There's a lot going on here which we don't totally understand,"he said.“It's interesting,because it kind of defies our expectations.”
G)The Chetty data shows that neighborhoods and places mattered for children born in the San Jose area of the 1980s.Whether the city still allows for upward mobility of poor kids today,though,is up for debate.Some of the indicators such as income inequality,measured by the Equality of Opportunity Project for the year 2000,have only worsened in the past 16 years.
H)Some San Jose residents say that as inequality has grown in recent years,upward mobility has become much more difficult to achieve.As Silicon Valley has become home to more successful companies,the flood of people to the area has caused housing prices to skyrocket.By most measures,San Jose is no longer a place where low-income,or even middle-income families,can afford to live.Rents in San Jose grew 42.6 percent between 2006 and 2014,which was the largest increase in the country during that time period.The city has a growing homelessness problem,which it tried to address by shutting down“The Jungle,”one of the largest homeless encampments(临时住地)in the nation,in 2014.Inequality is extreme.The Human Development Index-a measure of life expectancy,education and per capita (人均的) income-gives East San Jose a score of 4.85 out of 10,while nearby Cupertino,where Apple's headquarters sits,receives a 9.26.San Jose used to have a happy mix of factors-cheap housing,closeness to a rapidly developing industry,tightly-knit immigrant communities-that together opened up the possibiliy of prosperity for even its poorest residents.But in recent years,housing prices have skyrocketed,the region's rich and poor have segregated,and middle-class jobs have disappeared.Given this,the future for the region's poor doesn't look nearly as bright as it once did.
I)Leaders in San Jose are determined to make sure that the city regains its status as a place where even poor kids can access the resources to succeed.With Silicon Valley in its backyard,it certainly has the chance to do so.“I think there is a broad consciousness in the Valley that we can do better than to leave thousands of our neighbors behind through a period of extraordinary succcss,"San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said.
J)But in today's America-a land of rising inequality,increasing segregation,and stagnating(不增长的) middle-class wages-can the San Jose region really once again become a place of opportunity?
K)The idea that those at the bottom can rise to the top is central to America's ideas about itself.That such mobility has become more difficult in San Jose raises questions about the endurance of that foundational belief.After all,if the one-time land of opportunity can't be fixed,what does that say for the rest of America?
36.According to some people living in San Jose,it has become much harder for the poor to get ahead due to the increased inequality.
37.In American history,immigrants used to have a good chance to move upward in society.
38.If the problems of San Jose can't be solved,one of America's fundamental beliefs about itself can be shaken.
39.San Jose was among the best cities in America for poor kids to move up the social ladder. 40.Whether poor kids in San Jose today still have the chance to move upward is questionable.
41.San Josc's officials are resolved to give poor kids access to the resources necessary for success in life. 42.San Jose appears to manifest some of the best features of America.
43.As far as social mobility is concerned,San Jose beat many other progressive cities in America.
44.Due to some changes like increases in housing prices in San Jose,the prospects for its poor people have dimmed.
45.Researchers do not have a clear idea why poor children in San Jose achieved such great success several decades ago.
答案解析
36.答案 H
解析：由题干中的关键词much harder 和 increased inequality 定位至 H) 段首句。该句提到， 一些圣何塞居民说，随着近年来不平等的加剧，向上流动变得更加困难。题干中的 some people living in San Jose与原文中的 Some San Jose residents 相对应；has become much harder 与 has become much more difficult to achieve 相 对 应 ；the increased inequality 与 inequality has grown相对应，故答案选 H)。
37.答案 D
解析：由题干中的关键词American history,immigrants 和 move upward定位至 D)段倒数第二句。该句提到，圣何塞是一座移民城市……移民及其子女在美国历史上经历了社会中显著的向上流动。题干中的 used to have a good chance to move upward in society 与原文中的 have historically experienced significant upward mobility 相对应，故答案选 D)。
38.答案 K
解析：由题干中的关键词the problems of San Jose 和 America's fundamental beliefs 定位至 K)段。该段提到，美国自我观念的核心是认为底层的人可以上升到上层。而这种流动 性在圣何塞变得越来越困难，这就对这种基本信念的持久性提出了质疑。如果这片曾 经的机会之地无法修复，那对美国其他地区来说又意味着什么呢?题干中的 America's fundamental beliefs与原文中的 that foundational belief 相对应，故答案选 K)。
39. 答案 B
解析：由题干中的关键词 the best cities,poor kids,move up 和social ladder 定位至 B)段。 该段首句提到，数据表明这是美国最适合穷人成长的地方之一。随后用具体数据来证明这一观点，题干为该段内容的同义转述，故答案选 B)。
40. 答案 G
解 析：由题干中的关键词 poor kids in San Jose,move upward 和 questionable 定 位 至G)段第二句。该句提到，如今圣何塞是否还允许贫困儿童向上流动，还有待商榷。题干中的 move upward 和 questionable 分别与原文中的upward mobility 和 up for debate 相对应，故答案选 G)。
41. 答案 I
解 析：由题干中的关键词San Jose's officials,access to the resources 和 success 定 位 至I)段 首句。该句提到，圣何塞的领导人决心确保该市重新获得地位，再次成为一个即使是贫穷的孩子也可以获取成功资源的地方。题干中的San Jose's officials 与原文中的Leaders in San Jose 相对应；give poor kids access to the resources 与 poor kids can access the resourees 相对应，故答案选I)。
42. 答案 E
解析：由题干中的关键词 manifest 和 the best features of America 定位至 E) 段首句。该句提到，圣何塞的街道在某些方面似乎体现了美国最好的一面。题干中的 manifest 与原文 中的embody 相对应；the best features of America与the best of America 相对应，故答案选E)。
43. 答案 C
解 析：由题干中的关键词social mobility和 other progressive cities 定 位 至C) 段末句。该句提 到，圣何塞的社会流动性可与丹麦和加拿大相提并论，高于波士顿和明尼阿波利斯等其 他 进 步 城 市 。 题 干 中 的 beat many other progressive cities in America 与 原 文 中 的 higher than other progressive cities 相对应，故答案选 C)。
44. 答案 H
解析：由题干中的关键词housing prices 和prospeets定位至 H) 段最后两句。此处提到，但近年来，房价飞涨，该地区贫富分化，中产阶级工作岗位消失。鉴于此，该地区穷人的未来 看起来不像以前那么光明了。题干为此处内容的同义转述，故答案选 H)。
45.答案 F
解析：由题干中的关键词 Researchers,poor children in San Jose 和 achieved such great suecess 定位至 F) 段首句。该句提到，研究人员并不能完全确定为什么圣何塞的穷孩 子表现得这么好。题干为此处内容的同义转述，故答案选F)。
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section.Each pasage 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.
Three children in every classroom have a diagnosable mental health condition.Half of these are behavioural disorders,while one third are emotional disorders such as stress,anxiety and depression, which often become outwardly apparent through self-harm.There was an astonishing 52 per cent jump in hospital admissions for children and young people who had harmed themselves between 2009 and 2015.
Schools and teachers have consistently reported the scale of the problem since 2009.Last year,over half of teachers reported that more of their pupils experience mental health problems than in the past.But teachers also consistently report how ill-equipped they feel to meet pupils'mental health needs,and often cite a lack of training,expertise and support from the National Health Service (英国国家医疗服务体系).
Part of the reason for the increased pressure on schools is that there are now fewer‘early intervention (干预)’and low-level mental health services based in the community.Cuts to local authority budgets since 2010 have resulted in a significant decline of these services,despite strong evidence of their effectiveness in preventing crises further down the line.
The only way to break the pressures on both mental health services and schools is to reinvest in early intervention services inside schools.
There are strong arguments for why schools are best placed to provide mental health services.Schools see young people more than any other service,which gives them a unique ability to get to hard-to-reach
children and young people and build meaningful relationships with them over time.Recent studies have shown that children and young people largely prefer to see a counsellor in school rather than in an outside environment.Young people have reported that for low-level conditions such as stress and anxiety,a clinical setting can sometimes be daunting (令人却步的) .
There are already examples of innovative schools which combine mental health and wellbeing provision with a strong academic curriculum.This will,though,require a huge cultural shift.Politicians,policymakers,commissioners and school leaders must be brave enough to make the leap towards reimagining schools as providers of health as well as education services.
46.What are teachers complaining about?
A)There are too many students requiring special attention.
B)They are under too much stress counselling needy students.
C)Schools are inadequately equipped to implement any intervention.
D)They lack the necessary resources to address pupils'mental problems.
47.What do we learn from the passage about community health services in Britain?
A)They have deteriorated due to budget cuts.
B)They facilitate local residents'everyday lives.
C)They prove ineffective in helping mental patients.
D)They cover preventative care for the local residents.
48.Where does the author suggest mental health services be placed?
A)At home.
B)At school.
C)In hospitals.
D)In communities.
49.What do we learn from the recent studies?
A)Students prefer to rely on peers to relieve stress and anxiety.
B)Young people are keen on building meaningful relationships.
C)Students are more comfortable seeking counselling in school.
D)Young people benefit from various kinds of outdoor activities.
50.What does the author mean by a cultural shift (Line 2,Para.6)?
A)Simplification of schools'academie curriculums.
B)Parents'involvement in schools'policy-making.
C)A change in teachers'attitudes to mental health.
D)A change in the conception of what schools are.
答案解析
46.答案 D
解析：根据题干关键词 teachers 和 complaining 定位至第二段末句。该句提到，老师们也经常报告他们感觉自己在满足学生的心理健康需求方面能力不足，并且经常提到缺乏英国 国家医疗服务体系的培训、专业知识和支持。可知，老师们抱怨的是“他们缺乏解决学生心理问题的必要资源”,故答案选 D)项。
47.答案 A
解析：根据题干关键词community health services定位至第三段。该段首句提到，现在社区的 “早期干预”和初级心理健康服务越来越少。而原因出现在后一句中，即自2010年以 来，地方政府预算的削减导致了这些服务的大幅下降，故答案选A) 项 。B)项和 D)项在文中均未提及，故排除；第三段第二句提到，有强有力的证据表明这些服务在帮助应对 学生心理健康问题上有效，因此，C) 项与文中所表述的意思相悖，故排除。
48.答案 B
解析：根据题干关键词 mental health services 和be placed 定位至第五段倒数第二句。该句提 到，最近的研究表明，儿童和年轻人在很大程度上更喜欢在学校里找辅导员，而不是在校外。故答案选B) 项。
49.答案 C
解析：根据题干关键词 recent studies 定位至第五段结尾处。此处提到，最近的研究表明，儿童 和年轻人在很大程度上更喜欢在学校里找辅导员，而不是在校外。年轻人报告说，对于 压力和焦虑等初级状况，临床环境有时会令人望而生畏。说明“青少年在学校环境下接 受心理辅导会感到更自在”,故答案选 C) 项 。
50.答案 D
解析：根据题干定位至末段。该段第二句指出，这将需要一场巨大的文化转变。接下来的内 容对“文化转变”作出了解释，即政治家、政策制定者、部长和学校领导必须有足够的勇 气，向着将学校重新塑造为健康和教育服务提供者的方向迈出一大步。说明，这种文化 转变是将学校重新塑造为健康和教育服务提供者，故答案选D) 项。
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Picture this:You're at a movie theater food stand loading up on snacks.You have a choice of a small, medium or large soda.The small is $3.50 and the larg is $5.50.It's a tough dccision:The small size may not last you through the whole movie,but $5.50 for some sugary drink seems ridiculous.But there's a third option,a medium soda for $5.25.Medium may be the perfect amount of soda for you,but the large is only a quarter more.If you're like most people,you end up buying the large(and taking a bathroom break midshow).
If you're wondering who would buy the medium soda,the answer is almost no one.In fact,there's a good chance the marketing department purposely priced the medium soda as a decoy(诱饵),making you more likely to buy the large soda rather than the small.
I have written about this peculiarity in human nature before with my friend Dan Ariely,who studied this phenomenon extensively after noticing pricing for subscriptions(订阅)to The Economist.The digital subscription was $59,the print subscription was $125,and the print plus digital subscription was also $125.No one in their right mind would buy the print subscription when you could get digital as well for the same price,so why was it even an option?Ariely ran an experiment and found that when only the two “real”choices were offered,more people chose the less-expensive digital subscription.But the addition of the bad option made people much more likely to choose the more expensive print plus digital option.
Brain scientists call this effect “asymmetric dominance”and it means that people gravitate toward the choice nearest a clearly inferior option.Marketing professors call it the decoy effect,which is certainly easier to remember.Lucky for consumers,almost no one in the business community understands it.
The decoy effect works because of the way our brains assign value when making choices.Value is almost never absolute;rather,we decide an object's value relative to our other choices.If more options are introduced,the value equation changes.
51.Why does the author ask us to imagine buying food in the movie theater?
A)To ilustrate people's peculiar shopping behavior.
B)To illustrate the increasing variety of snacks there.
C)To show how hard it can be to choose a drink there.
D)To show how popular snacks are among movie fans.
52.Why is the medium soda priced the way it is?
A)To attract more customers to buy it.
B)To show the price matches the amount.
C)To ensure customers drink the right amount of soda.
D)To make customers believe they are getting a bargain.
53.What do we learn from Dan Ariely's experiment?
A)Lower-priced goods attract more customers.
B)The Economist's promotional strategy works.
C)The Economist's print edition turns out to sell the best.
D)More readers choose the digital over the print edition.
54.For what purposc is “the bad option”(Line 7,Para.3)added?
A)To cater to the peculiar needs of some customers.
B)To help customers to make more rational choices.
C)To trap customers into buying the more pricey item.
D)To provide customers with a greater variety of goods.
55.How do we assess the value of a commodity,according to the passage?
A)By considering its usefulness.
B)By comparing it with other choices.
C)By taking its quality into account.
D)By examining its value equation.
答案解析
51.答案 A
解析：文章首段描绘了一个人们在电影院购买汽水的场景， 一般都会选择比中杯稍贵的大杯；
第二段则分析了中杯的汽水很可能是营销人员引诱你买大杯汽水的诱饵；第三段提到 作者和朋友对人性的这种独特性行为进行过研究。可知，作者让我们想象在电影院买 食物是为了引出人们一种独特的购物行为，故答案选 A)项。
52.答案 D
解析：根据题干关键词the medium soda 和 priced 定位至第二段末句。该句提到，市场营销部 很有可能故意以中杯汽水作为诱饵，让你更有可能购买大杯汽水而不是小杯。而首段 中提到，大杯汽水只比中杯的贵0.25美元。可知，中杯汽水这样定价是为了让消费者 认为买大杯更划算，故答案选 D) 项。
53.答案 B
解析：根据题干关键词 Dan Ariely's experiment 定位至第三段最后两句。此处提到，艾瑞里 做了一个实验，发现当只提供两个“真实的”选项时，更多的人选择了价格较低的数字版 订阅。但不良选项的增加使人们更有可能选择更昂贵的印刷版加数字版这一选项。可知，在面对《经济学人》提供的三个选项时，人们更倾向于选择订阅印刷版加数字版，故 答案选 B)项。
54.答案 C
解析：根据题干定位至第三段末句。该句提到，不良选项的增加使人们更倾向于选择更昂贵的印刷版加数字版这一选项。可知，添加“不良选项”是为了诱使顾客购买价格较高的 商品，故答案选 C) 项。
55.答案 B
解析：根据题干关键词 the value of a commodity 定位至文章最后两句。此处提到，价值几乎 从来不是绝对的；相反，我们是相对于其他选择来确定某一物品的价值。如果引入更多 选项，则价值等式将发生变化。可知，我们是通过比较不同的选择来评估某一商品的价 值，故答案选 B) 项。
