A four-level tripod active-Raman-gain scheme is analyzed for obtaining phase-controlled gain, phase shift, and group velocity at room temperature. The scheme can be used to eliminate significant probe field attenuation or distortion which is unavoidable in the scheme based on electromagnetically induced transparency. It is shown that the intensity gain, phase shift, and group velocity of a probe field can be simultaneously manipulated by changing the relative phase of two pump fields. The scheme is also different from that proposed recently by Deng et al. where a probe-field gain always exists. New features of the scheme presented here raise the possibility of designing rapidly responding optical switches and gates for optical information processing.