2021年12月英语四级真题 第2套

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.

[16] A new study carried out by the University of Lincoln has found a link between the personalities of cat owners and the behaviour and wellbeing of their cats. The findings suggest that just as a parent's personality can affect the personality of a child, the same is true for a cat and its owner. Owners defined as individuals with high levels of anxiety, fear, anger, depression, and loneliness were more likely to have cats with behavioural issues. Such cats displayed more aggressive and anxious behavioural styles as well as more stress-related sickness. They were also more likely to have an ongoing medical condition and be overweight. The research also found that mentally well-adjusted owners had calmer, happier and healthier cats. The researchers explained that many owners regard their pets as a family member and form close social bonds with them. [17] The majority of owners want to provide the best care for their pets and it is therefore possible that pets could be affected by the way their owners interact with and manage them. The study highlights an important relationship between our personalities and the wellbeing of our pets. [18] Further research is needed to investigate the causal nature of this relationship, and to look at how owners' personalities are directly influencing their pets' behaviour and wellbeing. It is possible that the wellbeing of pets is driven by the underlying nature of the owner, not simply by their conscious decisions and behaviours.

［16］林肯大学进行的一项新研究发现，猫主人的性格与猫的行为和健康之间存在关联。研究结果表明，就像父母的性格会影响孩子的性格一样，猫和它的主人之间也是如此。那些被确定为重度焦虑、恐惧、愤怒、抑郁和孤独的人养的猫更有可能存在行为问题。这类猫表现出更具攻击性、更加焦虑的行为模式，还会患上更多与压力有关的疾病。它们也更有可能有持续的病症和超重。研究还发现，心理方面适应良好的主人养的猫更平静、更快乐、更健康。研究人员解释说，许多主人把他们的宠物视为家庭成员，并与它们形成了亲密的社会关系。［17］大多数主人都想为自己的宠物提供最好的照料，因此，宠物可能会受到主人与其互动以及主人管理它们的方式的影响。这项研究强调了我们的性格和我们宠物的健康之间的重要关系。［18］需要进一步的研究来调查这一关系的因果本质，还要调查主人的性格是如何直接影响其宠物的行为和健康的。宠物的健康可能是由主人潜在的性格决定的，而不仅仅是取决于他们有意识的决定和行为。

Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.

One 60-minute run can add 7 hours to your life. This was a claim made by The Times last week. The claim was based on a new review of studies about the effects of running. [19] The review concluded that on average runners live 3 years longer than non-runners, and that running does more to extend life than any other form of exercise. But there's more to running than its health benefits. [20] Research published in recent years has shown that running changes your brain and mind in some fascinating ways, from increasing your brain function to regulating your emotions. However, the precise effects vary according to whether you engage in short, fast running or long-distance running. For example, in one study, researchers compared participants' ability to learn new words after several minutes of intense running and after 40 minutes of gentle running. Participants were able to learn 20% faster after the intense running and they showed a superior memory when tested again a week later. In another study, researchers asked volunteers to jog for 30 minutes and then showed them clips from a sad movie. [21] Participants who usually struggled to handle negative emotions were more intensely affected by the sad clips, just as you'd expect. But crucially, this was less so if they had completed the 30 minutes jog. The researchers said moderate exercise appears to have helped those participants to be less vulnerable to the impact of the sad movie.

一次60分钟的跑步可以增加7小时的寿命。这是《泰晤士报》上周发表的一个论断。这一论断是基于一项关于跑步影响的研究的新综述。［19］该研究综述总结说，跑步者的平均寿命比非跑步者的寿命长3年，跑步比其他任何形式的运动都更能延长寿命。但跑步的好处不止体现在健康方面。［20］近年来发表的研究表明，跑步会以一些神奇的方式改变人的大脑和思维，从增强大脑功能到调节情绪。然而，确切的效果因你参加的是短线快跑还是长跑而异。例如，在一项研究中，研究人员比较了参与者在进行了几分钟高强度跑步和40分钟慢跑后学习新单词的能力。在进行高强度的跑步后，参与者的学习速度提高了20％，一周后再次接受测试时，他们表现出了更好的记忆力。在另一项研究中，研究人员要求志愿者慢跑30分钟，然后给他们看一部悲情电影的片段。［21］正如你所预料的那样，那些通常难以处理负面情绪的参与者受到悲情电影片段的影响更大。但至关重要的是，如果他们完成了30分钟的慢跑，所受影响就不会那么明显。研究人员表示，适度的锻炼似乎有助于这些参与者不那么容易受到悲情电影的影响。

Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.

Welcome to the tour of the Hill House. This house, built in 1904, is one of the most well-known works of Charles Hill, the famous architect. It was designed and built for a local entrepreneur and his family. [22] Before starting the tour, let me give you a brief introduction about the design of this amazing building. [23] Prior to beginning his design, the architect spent some time in the client's old home, observing their life and studying their habits. This meant that he could design the house according to the needs of the family. [24] The client's main desire was to have a home with a unique design. So the architect was given complete freedom. The building style is radically different from what was the fashion of the period. At the time, most large homes were constructed of timber and brick. This one, however, is made of concrete, a novel construction material in those days. The interior of the house, including fittings and furniture, was also designed by the same person. Most of the furniture you will see, is original and in good condition. [25] However, those pieces in the children's bedrooms are copies built to the designs of the architect. Fortunately, all the blueprints for both the building and its contents have been preserved, so we've been able to replace badly damaged furniture. Let's begin our tour, starting from the rooms.

欢迎参观希尔之家。这栋房子建于1904年，是著名建筑师查尔斯·希尔最著名的作品之一。它是为当地一位企业家和他的家人设计和建造的。［22］在开始参观之前，我来给大家简单介绍一下这座了不起的建筑的设计情况。［23］在着手设计之前，建筑师在客户原来的房子待了一段时间，观察他们的生活并研究他们的习惯。这意味着他可以根据这个家庭的需要设计房子。［24］客户主要的愿望是拥有一个设计独特的家。所以建筑师被赋予了绝对的自由。这座建筑的建筑风格与那个时期的流行风格截然不同。当时，大多数大型房屋都是用木材和砖块建造的。然而，这栋房子是由混凝土建成的，混凝土在当时是一种新型建筑材料。房子的内部，包括配件和家具，也是由同一个人设计的。你们接下来将看到的大部分家具都是原装的，而且保存完好。［25］然而，孩子们卧室里的那些家具是参照那位建筑师的设计做的复制品。幸运的是，这栋房子本身和里面的东西的所有蓝图都被保存了下来，所以我们可以更换损坏严重的家具。让我们从房间开始参观吧。

Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.