西北大学考研要求英语四级成绩，日语不能代替英语。考试难度因人而异，一般来说，相对于英语六级，英语四级难度较低。以下是一道英语四级例题：

Directions: In this section, you will hear a short passage. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow.

Questions 1 to 3 are based on the passage you have just heard.

1. What is the speaker's main message?

2. What is the main reason why people fail to keep their New Year's resolutions?

3. What does the speaker suggest we do to increase our chances of keeping our resolutions?

答案：

1. The speaker's main message is that many people make New Year's resolutions but few are able to keep them.

2. The main reason why people fail to keep their New Year's resolutions is that they set unrealistic goals.

3. The speaker suggests we break our resolutions into smaller, more achievable goals and track our progress regularly.