2023年06月大学英语四级真题（第1套）及答案解析

A woman was charged with allegedly violating a Rhode Island city law against feeding wild animals. The 55-year-old woman's neighbors blame her for making the area's rat problem worse. Newly installed cameras captured several rats active in the middle of the day. Neighbors say that it's even worse during the night. The woman and her parents, who own the home, told reporters that she's being charged for feeding birds. "Who would have known just loving animals gets you that much trouble," she said. It is prohibited to feed any wild animals including birds in Rhode Island City. Nevertheless, while the woman's intention was to feed birds, it is clear that rats were also benefiting. Anthony Moretti, director of the city administration, said he saw more than 20 rats near the woman's home. He said it will take months to get the problem under control. wild animals.

To prepare for eventually sending astronauts to Mars, NASA began taking applications Friday for four people to live for a year in Mars Dune Alpha. That's a 1,700-square-foot Martian habitat inside a building in Houston. The paid volunteers will work in an environment similar to Mars. They will have limited communications with family, restricted food and resources. NASA is planning three experiments with the first one starting in the fall next year. Food will all be ready-to-eat space food. Some plants will be grown, but not potatoes like in the movie The Martian. "We want to understand how humans perform in them," said lead scientist Grace Douglas. "We are looking at Mars-realistic situations." The application process opens Friday and they're not seeking just anybody. The requirements are strict, including a master's degree in a science, engineering or math field or pilot experience. Only American citizens or permanent U.S. residents are acceptable. Applicants must be between 30 and 55 and in good physical health. Attitude is key, said former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. He said the participants need to be super competent, resourceful, and not relying on other people to feel comfortable. volunteers will work in an environment similar to Mars.

A Japanese mayor apologized Thursday for biting the Olympic gold medal of a softball player. Nagoya mayor Takashi Kawamura had praised an athlete, Miu Goto, during a public media event. He asked her to put the medal around his neck. Kawamura then bit into it. Biting a medal in front of journalists and photographers has become a common pose for Olympic medalists. However, it is only for the winners themselves, not others. "I'm really sorry that I hurt the treasure of the gold medalist," Kawamura told reporters Thursday. The mayor said the medal was undamaged, though he offered to pay for the cost of a new one. Goto, however, has accepted the International Olympic Committee's offer of a replacement, according to Japanese media reports. The scene broadcast on television prompted thousands of complaints to city hall. Some Olympians said they treat their medals as treasures and that it was disrespectful and unacceptable for Kawamura to bite one. "I would cry if that happened to me," said another athlete, Naohisa Takato. "I handle my own gold medal so gently that I would not scratch it." softball player. Japanese mayor apologized Thursday for biting the Olympic gold medal of a softball player.

M: What's that orange thing on your computer screen? W: It's something I bought yesterday. It's a plastic sheet that blocks blue light. I have one that I use to cover my phone screen too. M: What do you mean by blue light? W: Blue light includes natural light, but it also includes light that isn't natural, for example, from computers, phones, televisions and other electronic devices. M: So blue light is harmful and that's why you want to block it. W: It isn't that simple. Blue light isn't necessarily bad for us. In fact, we need blue light during the day to be healthy. But too much blue light, especially from electronic devices, can harm our health by weakening our vision and making it harder for us to fall asleep. And poor sleep can cause all sorts of health problems. M: I'm not so sure that sleep is nearly as important as people always say it is. I haven't slept enough in months because I have too much work to do, and I feel fine. And it's the same for most of my friends. Poor sleep might be a problem for older people, but surely young people can handle late nights. W: Well, the research I've read shows that sleep is probably even more important than we thought, and that not having enough sleep can contribute to serious health problems like obesity and heart disease. And all the artificial blue light from electronic devices means we have to try harder to sleep well. M: Maybe you're right. I'm on my computer very late most nights, and that's probably why I don't sleep enough. computer screen?

W: As a kid, did you know what job you wanted to do when you grew up? M: No, I didn't. And I got sick every time adults asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. W: It's the same with me. And I'm tired of people asking that question of my 10-year-old daughter. My daughter's stock answers are basketball player, pop singer, mechanical engineer. Adults love that last one, as it's the perfect mix of the sensible and the ambitious. When she was much younger, my daughter used to say she wanted to be Queen of the Clouds, which I loved. That's the kind of goal-setting I like to see in children, springing from their boundless imaginations. M: Yes, we grown-ups can be tedious and limiting in our need for reality. And we teach a very gloomy image of adulthood—that whatever our children's future holds, it must be seen within the context of a job. W: How utterly overwhelming and dull! M: When people ask my son what he wants to be when he grows up, I have to swallow the urge to say, "Hey, back off my kid's dreams!" W: We can't dismiss the idea that teenagers have to plan to do something after they finish school, and parents are entitled to hope it's more than simply spending 10 hours a day playing computer games. M: But asking "What do you want to be?" isn't going to lead a child to a fulfilled life, rather at least to false expectations and a high chance of disappointment. W: Exactly. We should be helping our kids understand who they are, even if that means letting go of who we think they should be. you grew up?

Greater Internet access correlates directly with improved health care, education and economic development. People living in rural areas, however, lag behind in online use, which limits their access to government services, banking and job opportunities. Nowhere is this challenge clearer than in Africa. Most Africans live in rural areas that are tough to wire for Internet access. Now, some phone companies are trying to introduce Internet-ready phones into African markets. Certain companies have started selling simple smartphones for only $20. Previously, the lowest price had been around $40, well out of reach for many people. These devices are powered by software from the giant electronics company, KaiOS Technologies Limited. Most companies are trying to make phones ever more powerful and capable. But KaiOS went the other way. It made every effort to keep the essential capabilities of smartphones, but strip out costs and preserve battery life for people who likely have inadequate access to electricity. The KaiOS devices offer an alternative to the more expensive models that remain out of reach of many Africans and contribute to the digital divide. The body of KaiOS phones is as basic as it gets. Instead of a touchscreen, they're controlled with an old-school keypad. They're designed for 3G networks because 4G coverage doesn't reach two thirds of Africa's customers. In total, KaiOS phones are made from about $15 worth of parts, while Apple's top-of-the-line iPhone has $390 worth of stuff. African markets. Internet-ready phones into African markets.

For years, using recycled plastic to make plastic products was cheap. By contrast, fossil fuel plastic was more expensive. Thus this sustainable option was an economic option too. But now it is cheaper for major manufacturers to use new plastic. According to one recent business report, recycled plastic now costs an extra $72 a tonne compared with newly-made plastic. This may be because of consumer demands. They are pushing for more recycled plastics in new products. Meanwhile, new plastic is becoming cheaper. This is because of a boom in petroleum chemical production from the U.S. The price increase of recycled plastic could cost sustainable manufacturers an extra $250 million a year. Smaller manufacturers may also be forced to use new plastic to reduce costs. Makers of clear plastic bottles may also opt for new fossil-fuel based plastic to save money. Plastic packaging makers are being pressured to use more recycled plastic. This is done in hopes of reducing the enormous amount of plastic pollution in the oceans. The UK government plans to tax companies which don't use at least 30% recycled plastic in their products. Additionally, the government is planning to increase the quantity of recycled plastic in the market. This could mean incentives for new recycling plants. Additionally, recycling facilities may be improved at a local council level and recycled plastic could be imported. This would help increase the amount of recycled plastic in circulation. plastic was more expensive.

At the Dreamery, a business in Manhattan, naps are for sale. A 45-minute session in a darkened enclosure with peace and quiet costs $25. To be clear, this institution is no hotel. This is a nap joint. It sells the idea of the nap as much as the nap itself. Is a nap worth $25? The answer is obviously yes. Here, at this point in the argument, it's traditional for me to bring up all the studies that show the benefits of napping. But do you really need experts to tell you that? Just look at the world around you at 2:30 in the afternoon. I've been working from home for more than 10 years now. And the quality and quantity of work I can do emerges directly from my ability to concentrate. I don't understand how people have creative careers without napping. Every day at about 1 p.m., everyone faces the same choice: sleep until 2 p.m. and then work until 5, or daydream and drift around social media and attend pointless meetings until 7 p.m. The friends I have who still work in offices inform me their bosses insist that they take the second option, and that napping is associated with laziness. I genuinely find it odd. For if you nap properly, it's like waking up from a full night's sleep and you can double your day's worth of concentration. darkened enclosure with peace and quiet costs $25.