专四口试真题

专四口试真题

Task1: Retelling a story

①I once knew an old man whose bad memory made him famous. John Smith was so forgetful that he sometimes forget what he was talking about in the middle of a sentence. His wife had to constantly remind him about his meetings, his classes –even his meals! ②Once he forgot he had eaten breakfast twice, at home and at school. His wife liked to remind her neighbors, “If John didn’t have his head tied on. He would forget that too!”③Since Smith was a professor at a well-known university, his forgetfulness was often an embarrassment. It wasn’t that he was not clever, as some critical people tended to say, but just very, very absent-minded.

④One hot summer day, Professor Smith decided to take his children to a seaside town about a three-hour train ride away. To make the trip more interesting for his young children, he kept the name of the town a secret. ⑤However, by the time they arrived at the station, Smith forgot the name of the town he was planning to visit. Luckily, a friend of his happened to be in the

station. He offered to take care of the children while Smith hurried back home to find out where he was going.

⑥The professor’s wife was surprised to see him again so soon.

“Oh, my dear, I forgot the name the town.”

“What? You forgot the name? Maybe one day you will forget my name! Now I’ll write the name of that town on a piece of paper, and you put it in your pocket and please, please don’t forget where you put it.”

⑦Satisfied that she had solved the problem, she sent her husband off again. Ten minutes later she was astonished to see him outside the house for the third time.

“What is the matter now?”

“As you told me, I didn’t forget where I put the name of that town, but I forgot where I left our children!”

Task2: Talking on a given topic

Directions: Describe a teacher of yours whom you find unusual.

Task3: Role-playing

Directions: Many high school graduates in China are going overseas for their college education. A friend of yours is graduating this year and would like to ask for your advice on whether it is a good idea for a high school graduate to go abroad to study.

Student A: You think this friend should go by all means, and you should try to convince your partner. Remember you should start the conversation.

Student B: You think this friend should finish college in China before thinking about going abroad, and you should try to convince your partner. Remember your partner will start the conversation.

2002:

Task1: Retelli

ng a story

①Whenever Mr. Smith goes to Westgate, he stays at the Grand Hotel. In spite of its name, it is really not very “grand,”but it is cheap, clean, and comfortable. ②Since he knows the manger well, he never has to go to the trouble of reserving a room. The

fact is that he always gets the same room. It is situated at the far end of the building and overlooks a beautiful bay.

③On his last visit, Mr. Smith was told that he could have his usual room, but the manager added apologetically that it might be a little noisy. So great was the demand for rooms, the manager said, that the hotel had decided to build a new wing. Mr. Smith said he did not mind. It amused him to think that the dear old Grand Hotel was making an effort to live up to its name.

④During the first day Mr. Smith hardly noticed the noise at all. The room was a little dusty, but that was natural. ⑤The following afternoon, he borrowed a book from the hotel library and went upstairs to read. No sooner had he sat down than he heard someone hammering loudly at the wall. ⑥At first he paid no attention, but after a while he began to feel very uncomfortable. His clothes were slowly being covered with fine white powder. ⑦Soon there was so much dust in the room that he began to cough. The hammering was now louder than ever and bits of plaster were coming away from the walls. It looked as though the whole building was going to fall. ⑧Mr. Smith went immediately to complain to the manager. They both returned to the room, but everything was very quiet. As they stood there

looking at each other, Mr. Smith felt rather embarrassed for having dragged the manager all the way up the stairs for nothing.

⑨All of a sudden, the hammering began again and a large brick landed on the floor. Looking up, they saw a sharp metal tool had forced its way through the wall, making a very large hole right above the bed!

Task2: Talking on a given topic

Direction: Describe an embarrassing situation in which you got very angry.

Task3: Role-playing

Directions: The geology department of a major university is planning to admit 30 male and 5 female students. However, the results of the college entrance examination show that by average, of all the applicants, females have scored higher than most males. Should the department stick to its original plan?

Student A: You think the department should still stick to the original plan, and you should try to convince your partner. Remember you should start the conversation.

Student B: You don’t think the department should stick to the original plan, and you should try to convince your partner. Remember your partner will start the conversation.

2003:

Task1: Retelling a story

①Just as Jane was joyfully expecting her first child, her active, energetic mother began losing her battle with a brain disease. For ten years, the fiercely independent and courageous mother had fought, but none of the surgeries or treatments had bee

n successful. At only fifty-five, she became totally disabled- unable to speak, walk, eat or dress on her own.

②As the mother grew closer and closer to death, the baby grew closer and closer to life. Jane was afraid that her mother and her baby would never know each other. Her fear seemed

well-founded. A few weeks before her due date, her mother lapsed into a deep coma. The doctors did not hold any hope. It was useless to put in a feeding tube, they said, for Mother would never awaken. So Jane brought Mother to her own bed in her own house. As often as she could, she sat beside her mother, talking about the baby moving inside her.

④On February 3, 1989, at about the same time Jane began to feel birth pains, Mother opened her eyes. Jane called home.

“Mom, listen. My baby is coming! You’re going to have a new grandchild. Do you understand!”

“Yes,”Mother answered.

What a wonderful word! The first clear word she’d spoken in months.

⑤By the time Jane brought her son home, her mother was sitting in her chair, dressed and ready to welcome the baby. For two weeks, Mother clucked, smiled and held the new-born baby. Then she quietly became unconscious and, after visits from all her children, was finally free of the pain.

⑥For Jane, memories of her son’s birth will always be bittersweet, but it was at this time that she learned an important truth about living. While both joy and sorrow pass quickly, and often come together at the same time, love has the power to overcome both. And love can last forever.

2005：

Task1: Retelling a story