四级听力 热点新闻原文3

1CNN 100CNN News Item 1The U.S. government closes its embassy in the Middle Eastern country of Yemen, and that is because ofsecurity concerns. One official says that a group called al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula might be planningan attack against the facility. That same group said it was behind an attempted plot to set off an explosiveonboard a plane heading to Detroit, Michigan. That took place on Christmas day. The suspect allegedlybrought the explosives on the plane in his underwear. The plan failed when the device he tried to use didn’tdetonate correctly. Some people have asked how the suspect made it past security. One U.S. official says it’sbecause of human error. President Obama has promised that everyone involved in the attack will be heldaccountable for it. But some critics argue that the president’s response to the situation hasn’t been fastenough, hasn’t been aggressive enough.CNN News Item 2It’s back to work for Indian government oil workers after a three-day strike that crippled Indiancommerce. Some 45,000 oil workers walked off the job after the government refused their demands forhigher pay. The labor standoff ended after days of intense government pressure, including threats of job lossand even arrest to strikers. Meantime, talks with a second group of nationwide strikers may soon beunderway. The Indo-Asian News-Service says India’s transport minister is ready to discuss demands fromtruckers. Many across India have parked their rigs, calling for reduction in diesel and tyre prices.CNN News Item 3Lawmakers in Nebraska have approved a big change to the state’s controversial safe haven law. Underthe new measure, children older than 30 days can not be dropped off at state hospitals. 35 children, many ofthem, preteens or even teenagers, have been abandoned in hospitals since the original law took effect in July.State lawmakers say it was intended to prevent newborns from being dumped in trash bins or even worse.The new law is expected to go into effect at midnight.CNN News Item 4The nation of Iran marking a milestone later on this week. On Thursday, the country will celebrate theanniversary of when it became an Islamic republic. This goes back to 1979, when supporters of the AyatollahKhomeini, a religious leader, overthrew the country’s government. Khomeini became the supreme leader ofIran, and the nation officially became an Islamic state. The United States and the European Union areworried about potential violence during Thursday’s celebrations. U.S. and Europe an Union are urging theMiddle Eastern nation to “end its abuses against its own people.” Iranian leaders have denied anyaccusations that the government has abused citizens.CNN News Item 5Iraqis put democracy into action today in elections held across the country. The polls have closed and avote-counting has begun. Voters went to 6,000 polling stations to pick from among 14,000 candidatesincluding 4,000 women. Security is very tight though, voters were searched before they entered the polls.2The borders with Iran and Syria were sealed and a curfew has been put into place. Now even the UnitedNations was involved in monitoring those elections.CNN News Item 6Iranian media reports former President Mohammad Khatami has announced he will run in the Junepresidential elections. Today’s announcement ends weeks of speculation. Khatami is considered a reformistand overwhelmingly won the presidency in 1997 but he couldn’t bring about religious and democraticfreedoms because of strong opposition from the coun try’s religious establishment. Khatami was succeededby current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad four years ago.CNN News Item 7Meanwhile U.S. President Barack Obama is taking crisis talks to an international level. British PrimeMinister Gordon Brown is traveling to the United States on Monday to push for global solutions to theeconomic crisis. He will be the first E.U. leader to meet the new president in Washington and Mr. Obamawill meet the remaining E.U. leaders at a special summit in Prague in April. That will be his first trip toEurope since taking office. Also on that trip, the G20 summit on the economic crisis and a NATO meeting.CNN News Item 8Strike is off, the judge says plans for a walkout by a British Airway’s Cabin Crew cannot happen. As wereported yesterday, this strike which would have last through the holidays could have effected a millionpassengers’ holiday travel plans. But the judge has blocked it from happening. Now the airline says it hopesthe Cabin Crews Labor Union would take some time to think about its next steps. The union representativessay this dispute is not over and unless the two sides can come to a solution, they could vote to strike again,but after Christmas.CNN News Item 9Heading overseas to Thailand where grenade attacks in the capital city of Bangkok have killed at leastthree people. A Thai official said the grenades came from an area where people who were protesting thegovernment were gathered together. The protesters say they are not responsible. They have been fightingwith police for a while here you can see them throwing rocks and other things at police. They support thecountry’s former prime minister and they want the current leader to leave office. After these recent attacks,Thailand’s prime minister calle d an emergency meeting to figure out how to deal with the situation.CNN News Item 10U.S. Supreme Court says that a memorial out in the Mojave Desert does not violate the U.S.Constitution. The memorial is a large cross. It was put up in 1934 to honor fallen soldiers. But it’s located ina national park, and some people argue that it’s a religious symbol that goes against the concept of separationof church and state. The cross was boarded up because of the legal battle. Yesterday’s Supreme Courtdecision was close: 5 to 4. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said that this cross represents“far more than religion.” But in opposition, Justice John Paul Stevens argued the government can’t lawfullyendorse a religious symbol as a way to pay tribute to veterans.3CNN News Item 11Freed at last after five years in captivity, three Americans held hostage by leftist rebels inColombia areback on U.S. soil and will be reunited with their families. Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and KeithStansell were among those rescued during an incredible operation yesterday. Columbian secret agents trickedleftist rebels into handing them over without a single shot being fired. The men are now undergoing tests atan army medical center in San Antonio, Texas.CNN News Item 12Health care reform enters a new era in about two hours. President Obama is scheduled to sign that billinto law. Then, he is going to travel around the country to sell the plan to skeptics. But Republicans say thatbattle is on to get ready for legal challenges, nearly a dozen states plan to argue that it’s not constitutional. Asearly as tomorrow, the debate moves to the Senate where lawmakers will consider a companion measure, andRepublicans plan, parliamentary objections that could change that bill and force it back to the House. Now,even before the first votes were cast in the health care debate, Barack Obama’s overall approval ratingdropped to his lowest level ever recorded.CNN News Item 13Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will be meeting this month to put together afinal health care reform bill. The Senate passed its version on Christmas Eve. The House had already passedits bill. But there are some pretty big differences between the two. One of them: cost. The Senate bill checksin at $871 billion. The House version: Over $1 trillion. Another issue: the so-called public option, agovernment-run health insurance program. House bill includes it; Senate bill doesn’t. So, some compromisesneed to be made to come up with a final bill. And since that then has to be approved by both Houses ofCongress, there are some concerns about whether it will pass.CNN News Item 14Another day of international pressure levied against Zimbabwe’s embattled President Robert Mugabe.Briti sh officials have announced they are stripping Robert Mugabe’s honorary knighthood title. Nobel Prizewinner Desmond Tutu is also speaking out about the election mess there. He’s urging the nations of theworld to intervene. The calls come after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrewfrom the election,citing violence against his party. The Zimbabwean Electoral Commission ruled today that the presidentialelection will go on as planned.CNN News Item 15The Tea Party movement is getting ready for the mid-term elections coming up in November. The grouphas released a list of heroes and targets. The heroes on the list are candidates that the Tea Party plans tosupport in the elections. The targets are anyone that the group would like to see voted out of office. Ofcourse lists are not the only way that the Tea Party gets its message out. Rallies are the group’s bread andbutter. This one in Washington DC yesterday was a wrapping up of a three-week tour across the U.S. Thetiming? No coincidence. Yesterday, of course, was tax day. And the group is opposed to what it sees as thegovernment overspending.4CNN News Item 16Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Iranian hostage crisis. And President Obama said that he wantsto move beyond the past and build a relationship with Iran based on mutual interest and mutual respect.U.S.-Iran relations had been hostile since the day that Islamic students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehranand held 52 Americans hostage for more than 400 days. Iran’s government holds r ally every year to celebratethat event. Today there’s something different though, anti-government protesters are also on the streets. Weare also getting some reports of clashes with those police. No word about any injury yet. CNN News Item 17Senators are considering alternatives to part of their healthcare legislation, specifically, the so-calledpublic option, government-run health insurance program. Senate republicans and some democrats andindependents are against that plan. A group of Democratic Senators was working to come up with some otherideas they could replace the public option. And late last night, they said they had reached an agreement. Ifthe Senate passes its healthcare bill, that does not make it law, would still need to be combined with Healthbill and then that final version would need to pass both the House and the Senate.CNN News Item 18Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he refuses to borrow money to keep his state running, he wantslegislators to focus on the state's 24 billion dollar deficit or the state could be forced to cut thousands of jobs,eliminate health care for a million low income children. Meanwhile lawmakers are debating hundreds ofother bills including creating a state blueberry commission. Banning toy cigarette lighters and mandating alarger font size for medical worker name tags.CNN News Item 19Ray LaHood, the head of the U.S. Transportation Department, is weighing in on Toyota’s recall ofmillions of vehicles due to a faulty gas pedal. But what Mr. LaHood is saying might be causing someconfusion. During a hearing on Capitol Hill yesterday, Secretary LaHood said that anyone who owns one ofthe cars affected by the recall should “stop driving it and take it to a dealer.” That scared and frustrated a lotof owners, and later in the day, LaHood corrected himself. Toyota released a statement thanking SecretaryLaHood for clarifying his remarks. They also said, “We want to make sure that our customers understandthat this situation is rare and generally does not occur suddenly. If you experience any issues with youraccelerator pedal, please contact your dealer without delay. If you are not experiencing any issues with yourpedal, we are confident that your vehicle is safe to drive.”CNN News Item 20Toyota says that a glitch in the electronic brakes could cause a delay when you step on the pedal. Theysay it only affects 2010 models sold last year. And it’s those very same cars that are being credited withToyota’s cash cow. New numbers just out say they made $1.7 billi on last quarter, but it won’t last for long.For the first time, Toyota is admitting it’s going to take a huge beating due to this gas pedal nightmare. $2billion for repairs and lost sales.5CNN News Item 21AIG is trying to prevent a new wave of backlash over paying out bonuses to its top executives. TheWashington Post reports the company has asked the Obama Administration to approve millions of dollars inpromised bonuses. The payments are scheduled to go out next week. AIG doesn’tactually need approval.Because the payments were linked to contracts from last year before received aid from the federal bailoutfunds. But the Post reports executives still are reluctant to pay without official approval. An earlier round of2008 AIG employee bonuses drew widespread criticism earlier this year.CNN News Item 22The raw politics of health is heating up in the Senate. Just before air last night, Senate Majority LeaderHarry Reid announced a group of 10 liberal and conservative Democrats had reached a deal to replace thehotly debated public option with a package of alternatives. Senator Reid offered few details. But today,President Obama praised the emerging compromise. Now, the public plan deal came just hours after theSenate killed a controversial amendment to restrict abortion coverage in its health care bill to ensure that nofederal funds go toward covering any kind of abortion in this new reform. Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson hadintroduced that amendment. He called it a deal-breaker. He’s also one of the 10 senators to hammer out thedeal to drop the public plan.CNN News Item 23Over in Europe, the financial outlook for a few countries isn’t looking too good. The investment ratingsfor Spain, Portugal and Greece all went down this week. Greece might be the worst situation. Experts areusing the word “junk” to describe that nation’s investment rating. Basically, they’re saying that it’s very riskyto put your money there. Greece has a massive debt, nearly $400 billion. That’s bigger than the country’seconom y. Greece is developing ways to cut spending, but Greek workers aren’t too happy about some ofthose plans, and they’ve been protesting about it. Greece is also asking for financial help from the EuropeanUnion: a bailout of more than $50 billion.CNN News Item 24Well moving around to the East of Asia now, Southeast of Asia, a gloomy forecast out of Singapore.The government says its economy will likely shrink by between 6 and 9% this year. The announcementcomes as the city-state’s first quarter GDP fell almost 12% from the, from a year ago. In seasonally adjustedterms it was even more brutal than that actually. Singapore is reducing its output for thethird time this year,as demand for its exports continues to fall amidst a worsening financial crisis. It previously predicted just a5% contraction for the full year.CNN News Item 25The Treasury says the country’s largest banks will start receiving 125-billion dollars this week.Beginning the biggest government bailout in history, the money is being sent to 9 major financial institutionsincluding Bank of America, Citigroup and JP Morgan chase. The government is also in talks with a group ofmore than a dozen regional banks about sharing part of an additional 125-billion dollars. Treasury SecretaryHenry Paulson says 250 of the 700-billion-dollar bailout package will be spent by the end of the year.6CNN News Item 26In the United States, President Obama is scheduled to sit down today with the heads of some of thecountry’s biggest banks to talk about smal l businesses, ones that have 500 or fewer employees. Many ofthem are having a hard time getting loans from banks. But banks argue that the policies put in place becauseof this financial crisis have affected how they can offer the loans.CNN News Item 27Goldman Sachs surprised investors on Monday with an early release of its quarterly profits, which wereway better than analysts had expected, twice as good, in terms of earnings per share. Now profits for the first3 months of the year came into a total of $1.81 billion. Goldman also announced plans fora $5 billion sharesale to help back its, help pay back rather, its so called TARP loan from the U.S. government. $10 billionunder the troubled assets relief program.CNN News Item 28 7000Lawmakers say the y’re close to a deal on the 700-billion-dollar package to rescue the troubled financialsystem. A bipartisan group has been meeting today to hash out differences. Democratic Senator ChuckSchumer, chairman of the joint economic committee, says he hopes to reach a deal by this afternoon. Amongthe details being hammered out, how much the plan will cost? The most common amount being talked aboutis 700-billion dollars; another key point in the negotiations is whether the government willactually become ashareholder in troubled companies. One part of the plan that seems certain to become a law will be aprovision to limit executive pay and bonuses at companies that sell assets to the Treasury.CNN News Item 29During a speech yesterday, President Obama offered some ideas on how to create new jobs and help outthe country’s economy. Offering tax breaks to small businesses, expanding some of the government’sstimulus programs, and spending more money on infrastructure projects things like roads, bridges and watersystems. The thing is, all of that costs money and that’s where the TARP comes in. That’s the Troubled AssetRelief Program, the financial industry bailout passed last year. The bailout ended up not costing as much asexpected and President Obama thinks the extra could be used to help out in other ways. CNN News Item 30OPEC is going ahead with another oil production cut. OPEC has agreed to cut production by 2.2million barrels a day. U.S. crude for January delivery dropped to just over 42 dollars a barrel after theannouncement. Crude oil prices have dropped nearly 70% since July. OPEC cut production in Septemberand October, but those cuts didn’t have much impact on prices.CNN News Item 31Chrysler and Italian automaker Fiat has signed off on a deal brokered by Uncle Sam to become what’sknown as Chrysler Group. Fiat will initially take a 20 percent stake. It can’t take a majority stake until thenew Chrysler pays back the 15.5 billion dollars it took from the Treasury Department. The UAW holds a 55percent stake, leaving an 8 percent stake for the U.S., 2 percent for Canada. The Supreme Court cleared theway for the deal yesterday, after delaying the sale pending review of a case brought by Indiana state pension7funds.CNN News Item 32Major concerns now about the U.S. auto industry, these numbers are just out, and Toyota finallyovertook GM as the world’s biggest automaker in terms of sales for all of last year. That’s a title GM hasheld for nearly eight decades. Even worse than that, a GM executive warns the companywill run out of cashby March 31st if it doesn’t get that second installment of government funds soon. GM is supposed to get thefive-billion installment within a matter of days.CNN News Item 33Some new developments in the Wall Street investment fraud case, the bail hearing for Bernard Madoffhas been canceled for today, meaning he will remain free for the time being. Meantime, the head of theSecurities and Exchange Commission is criticizing his own agency for failing to spot the investment schemeby former NASDAQ Chairman Bernard Madoff. SEC Chairman Christopher Cox says there were manyinstances over a decade that should have been flagged.CNN News Item 34 CEOCEOs from Ford, Chrysler and General Motors are making their case for a 25-billion-dollar emergencyloan. They want Congress to tap into the 700-billion-dollar Wall Street bailout approved last month. ManyRepublican critics point to financial mismanagement at the Big Three and argue the companies don’t deserveany help. Most Democrats disagree, saying the auto industry is too important to the overall economy to fail.CNN News Item 35China is where U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was yesterday. During aweek-long trip toAsia that he is taking, Secretary Geithner stopped over in Beijing and meet with his Chinese counterpart.One issue they were expected to talk about was the value of the yuan; that’s China’s currency. Some U.S.officials claim that China is undervaluing the yuan; they’re accusing China of saying that the yuan is worthless than what it should be. China denies that. This matters because the yuan and the dollar are connected.And if the value of the yuan is down, it could encourage people to spend more on Chinese products than onAmerican ones.CNN News Item 36 7870The battle over the 787-billion-dollar stimulus bill officially ends after President’s Day. PresidentObama says he will sign the bill into law in Denver On Tuesday. He is calling the measure “a majormilestone in the recovery of the U.S. economy.” Administration officials say the President wants to get awayfrom the politics of Washington and sign the bill in an area hit hard by the recession. They say Denver is aplace that will see the bill’s benefits in hiring workers.CNN News Item 37One of th e FBI’s most wanted terrorists is dead. Imad Mougniyeh was killed in an explosion in Syriathis morning. Mougniyeh was a top Hezbollah commander. He was blamed for several high-profile terroristacts that left hundreds of Americans and Israelis dead, including the 17-day hijacking of a TWA Flight in81985. He was also suspected of masterminding the attacks on the U.S. embassy and Marine barracks inLebanon that killed more than 260 Americans in 1983.CNN News Item 38Moving from Thailand to the Persian Gulf now, where Iran is running a massive military drill expectedto last three days. An Iranian official says the goal is to show off the country’s military strength. It mightlook like a real battle what you are seeing here is just practice. U.S. Navy says Iran has done this sort ofthing in the past. This one is getting more attention because Iran talked about it ahead of time.CNN News Item 39No commitment by President-elect Barack Obama on a missile defense program in Eastern Europe.That’s according to a senior Obama advisor. The statement comes after claims on the Polish president’swebsite — The two had a call on the matter and that Obama said he intended to continue the program.Obama’s senior foreign policy advisor denied that claim. He said Obama ta lked with the Polish presidentabout continuing military and political cooperation and possibly meeting in person some time soon.CNN News Item 40Congress considers a new bill that would make some soldiers eligible for the Purple Heart.Representative John Carter introduced the new legislation yesterday. The Fort Hood army post is located inhis home district in Texas. This bill is focused on the victims of the recent shooting there. The Purple Heartfirst created in 1782 is given to any U.S. service member who is wounded and killed while serving in actionagainst an enemy or in a terrorist attack. Representative Carter says the Fort Hoodvictims deserved thePurple Heart because he considers the shooting to be an enemy attack.CNN News Item 41The U.S. government says it will stop making new, nuclear weapons, and it’s reconsidering what to dowith the weapons that already exist. The announcement came yesterday, two days before President Obama isscheduled to sign a treaty with Russia that would reduce how many nuclear weapons both countries have. Italso comes one week before he hosts a global meeting on nuclear security. More than 40 countries areexpected to attend that. But back to yesterday’s announcement. This new policy would stop production ofnuclear weapons. It would also invest about $5 billion in extending the life of weapons that already exist.Seven countries are officially recognized as nuclear powers, meaning they have nuclear weapons. But thereare other countries that are suspected of trying to make them. U.S. officials hope this change from Americawill encourage other countries all countries to help control the spread of nuclear weapons. U.S. haspromised not to use its own nukes against anyone who does that. But as Defense Secretary Robert Gatespointed out, that doesn’t mean retaliation is out of the question in every situation.CNN News Item 42Gaza is facing its worst humanitarian crisis in more than 40 years. A new report by aid agencies andhumanitarian groups says things haven’t been this dismal since Israel’s 1967 occupation. It says the Israeliblockade has left more than one million Palestinians isolated, dealing with poverty, dealing withunemployment, with little access to education and healthcare services. It found water and sewage systems9are on the verge of collapse. Israel blames the hardships on Hamas militants who keep firing rockets intoIsrael.CNN News Item 43We are getting things started with START. It stands for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. It’s anagreement between the United States and Russia for both countries to reduce the number of nuclear weaponsthey have. President Obama also says it’s part of the effort to “reset” the relationship between the twocountries. Yesterday, he and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev got together in the Czech Republic to signoff on START. The agreement cuts the number of nuclear weapons that the U.S. and Russia have by about athird. The White House is scheduled to hold a meeting on nuclear security next week. It’s something thatPresident Obama says affects the entire world.CNN News Item 44Just how far will Iran push the international community this weekend? Well today, it reportedly testedtwo types of short-range missiles and a launching system. Iran’s military freely adm itted it was showing offits defense capabilities. And it planned to keep up the missile exercises for 10 or 11 more days. In other news,the show-off force does come just days after words that Iran is building a second uranium enrichment plant.These satellite images supposedly show the location by the city of Qom. The U.S. and its allies quicklycondemned this project. And Tehran says it’s just a civilian energy program, but U.S. official believed it wasa cover for developing nuclear weapons. The Iranian say they will allow international inspectors into theplants.CNN News Item 45There is no letup of Israel’s assault on Gaza and Hamas’s rocket attacks into Israel. The fighting hasentered a third week with mounting casualties on both sides. Israel says Hamas commander in charge oflaunching rockets into Israel from Gaza City was killed by ground fire. Also during a three-hour lull todayIsrael dropped leaflets warning residence to evacuate their homes. An United Stations spokesman says thepausing fighting was not longer enough to resume aid deliveries into Gaza. The humanitarian situation thereis described as desperate and Palestinian medical sources say at least 800 people have been killed in Gazasince Israeli offensive began. 13 Israelies including 10 soldiers have also died.CNN News Item 46A holy day in Iran marked by violence as protesters clashed with police forces about a week ago.Demonstrators have spoken out against the country’s government for months now, but the clashes on theMuslim holy day of Ashura were the worst so far. At least seven people killed in the violence, though。

2020年7月四级听力原文及答案Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ANews Report 1Good morning! In today's headlines, Scotland's Transport Minister has warned potentially extreme weather conditions as heavy snow is forecast across the country later this week. Orange warnings are in force in many areas on Wednesday and Thursday. （1）The Transport Minister advised parts of Scotland covered by the orange alert to avoid travel on Wednesday, this is what he said to us.The orange warning may be raised to red in some areas. That is a warning for snow that has never been seen since the modern system came into place in Scotland. The orange warning has been extended until 6 p.m. on Thursday. Trains, planes and ferries are also likely to be affected, with wind chill that could see parts of Britain feeling as cold as -15℃.（2）The head of road policing said, 'I would urge drivers to take extra care on the roads for their journeys. Drivers should make sure they are prepared for their journey with warm clothing, food and drink, sufficient fuel and a charged mobile phone. There could be significant traffic delays, so please start to plan your journey now to consider if youreally need to travel on conditions of this …Questions 1 to 2 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question 1: What were people in parts of Scotland advised to do? Question 2: What did the head of road policing urge drivers to do?News Report 2（3）Romania's wetlands are coming back to life, thanks to help from local communities, the World Wildlife Fund and funding from the European Union. Roughly 2,224 acres of the picturesque Danube Delta –home to 300 species of birds – have filled with wildlife. The land has been connected to the network of lakes and streams in the area. 'A lot of birds have migrated to the area and one doesn't need to travel long hours anymore or go to other lakes to watch the birds, ' says Ion Meuta, Deputy Mayor of Mahmudia. The area around Mahmudia, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the third-most biodiverse in the world, after Australia's Great Barrier Reef and the Galapagos Islands. Groups used earth-moving equipment to restore the waterways. （4）Government officials proposed to protect the area's endangered wild fish by issuing a fishing ban over the next decade.Questions 3 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question3: What is the news report mainly about?Question4: What did government's officials propose to do to protect the endangered fish?News Report 3Scott Dunn, recently awoke from a medically-induced sleep he'd been in after a car accident. He was heartbroken after realizing he'd missed his high school graduation. His classmates decided to give him a second chance. It was just a month ago that East Juniata High School seniors met in the school's auditorium for graduation. And last week, they did it again. （5）Scott's car accident was on May 22nd, just 3 days before the ceremony. （6）"I remember waking up in the hospital and asking mom, 'What day it was', she told me it was the 28th." He said, "I looked at her and said, ‘I missed my graduation." The school's principal, Mr. Fausey, called Scott's mom Karen and said that everybody wants to do something special for him. Students wore their caps and gowns and sat in the front of the auditorium. Scott's parents, Karen and Scott Senior, sat front and center. After brief speeches, Scott's name was called, only Scott's name. He walked across the stage as the audience cheered. A graduation for one. （7）"I'm speechless," Scott said. "I don’t know how to even explain it. I'm speechless to know that so many people are behind me."Questions 5 to 7 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question5: What happened to Scot a month ago?Question6: What did Scot ask about when he regained consciousness? Question7: Why was Scot speechless at the graduation ceremony?Section BConversation OneM：How do you like your new flexible work in arrangement? Do you enjoy working from home?W：Yes and no, I find an isolation challenging at times, apart from my mother, not too many people I know, have time for phone chat during working hour. I tried the lib rary but found I wasn’t really keen on working there.M：No, neither would I. I find the library a bit too quiet. I’d lack inspiration or stimulation, which would be counter-productive to getting a lot of work done.W：I found the same thing. So, lately, I’v e been going out to Cafes occasionally, I love the noise, the people, the busyness of a Café, the sense of being out in the world.M: Coffee shops seem to have affectively become off spaces for so many people in this digital age. Though I’m not sure how Café ownersfeel about it - having so many people who go to that places to work rather than drink and eat.W：Yes, some people seem to spend a lot of time there and not order much. The most annoying one for Café owners must truly be those, usually only two of them, who occupy a table for six with their laptops and paperwork.M：They should sit at a table for two, not the table for six. Some obviously stay so long, they need to plug the laptops into a power adapter. I nearly tripped over someone’s computer elect rical lead the other day in my local café.W：It’s a double-edged sword, no doubt about that, for a Café owner. While remote workers h elp to keep the café full in quiet times, they can take up valuable table space and busy period.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question8. What does the woman say is the disadvantage of working from home?Question9. What does the man say is counter-productive to getting work done in the library?Question10. What does the woman like about doing one’s work in a café?Question11. What is most annoying for café owners according to theConversation TwoW: I’m going to start working for another job. I can’t see myself getting an opportunity to progress on my company anytime in the near future. And I really think my skills and abilities deserve a higher salary.M: You are not going to quit, are you?W: I’m think ing I might as well. Then I can devote more time and energy to find me a better position at another company.M: But you’ve been in your present company less than two years, haven’t you? This would be the third time you’ve left your job in the last five years. If you do several jobs in a relatively short span of time, perspective employers might see that you lack loyalty. That could make them worry and reluctant to employ you.W: Unfortunately, loyalty doesn’t pay. Even if I get a promotion at my company, it’s likely to be less sizeable than if I were to get a job elsewhere. And even if I get a promotion, I’m not guaranteed to get a raise. I had that experience at another company I worked up.M: They want you to take on more work and responsibility but for the same amount of money?W: More or less, yes. The way I see it, through having different jobs, I’ve got a lot of experience, and different jobs and in differentM: But potential employers might worry about that experience is not deep, or thorough enough.W: Perhaps, but I feel pretty confident that I can sell myself. You know what they say, fortune favors the brave.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question12: What makes the woman think about changing her job? Question13: What does the man say about people who keep changing their jobs?Question14: What does the woman say would happen even if she got promoted in her current company?Question15: What benefit has the woman gain from changing her jobs frequently?Section CPassage OneThere is a saying that goes something along the lines of ‘You must love yourself first before you can l ove someone else.’ Similarly, I personally believe that you must be comfortable and happy in your own company before you can truly be yourself in the company of others. There is a massive difference between being lonely and being alone.Loneliness is a hor rible feeling. However, you don’t have to actually be alone to feel that way. Many times, I’ve felt lonely when surrou nded by a big group of people. In contrast, being alone can actually be a blessing, particularly, when you’ve actively chosen it. In my ex perience, being bored and alone is dangerous and can easily lead to the feeling of loneliness. The trick is to be active. Get outside, stretch your legs, do something cultural, buy yourself something tasty to eat or something pretty to wear. You don’t have to take anyone else into consideration and can do whatever you please. Spending time alone also allows you to more ef ficiently take care of problems. And then, when it’s time to be social and meet up with your friends, you will be fully there, because you won’t have too much other stuff floating around in your mind. Having been alone for a bit, you will also appreciate y our friends’ company more and chances are your time spent together will be more worthwhile.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question 16: What does the speaker say about being alone? Question 17: What does the speake r say how to reduce one’s feeling of loneliness?Question 18: What is an advantage of spending one’s time alone?Passage TwoWhen I turned twelve, I worked summers at my father’s small brick cleaning business. I remember the harsh acid smell of the cleaning solution, and the scraping sound of stiff iron brushes against rough brick. It was tempting to have your job just finish. But anybody who worked for Thomas Kahoon had to meet his standards, and that include of me. If I messed up, he made me stay late until I got it right.My father wasn’t been me. He demanded the same at himself. Every brick he cleaned on the house stood out like a red jewel in a white setting. It was his signature.In 1970, when I was twenty, I got married. I moved out my parent's modest place into a housing project.Drugs and gang violent were just beginning to plague the projects.Some of my friend went to jail. Some were killed. My wife Verllen, was 18, and nobody gave our marriage a chance. But we believed in each other. And our faith made us strong.When we married, I worked as a stock clerk at Southwest Super Food. It was hard, tedious work. Each Friday night a truck came, with cases of food that had to be unloaded, priced and placed on shelves.Most of stock clerks try to get Friday night off. But I was always ready to work. By Saturday morning, all the kinds and drawers in my aisle would place with a label facing smartly out, like a line of soldiers on review. That was my signature. I took pride in a job nobody wanted.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question 19. What do we learn about the speaker’s father?Question 20. What does the speak say about the housing project? Question 21. What do we learn about the speaker as a stock clerk?Passage ThreeWatching more than 3 hours of television a day doubles memory loss in older people, a new study of more than 3,000 adults suggests. Scientist at University College London used memory and fluency tests on the same group of people 6 years apart. They found that those who watched on average lessthan 3 hours television a day showed a decline ever round 4 to 5 percent, while those who tended to watch more than 3 hours a day declined by an average of 8 to 10 percent. The research team say they believe the alert but passive nature of television watching maybe creating stress on the mind, which contributes to memory decline.Older people who watch more television are also less likely to undertake activities knowing to preserve mental functioning, such as reading or interactive screen base pursuits, such as using the internet or playing video games. The researchers say that television viewing maybe a risk factor for all Alzheimer’s disease, but more researches needed toestablish a link.While watching television may have educational benefits and relaxation benefits, the researchers advise that adults over the age of 50 should try and ensure that television viewing is balanced with other contrasting activities. If you’re concerned that the amoun t of television you’re watching could have a negative impact on your health, you should eliminate the amount of TV watch each day and undertake some healthy hobbies.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question22. By what means does scientist at University College London measure memory lost?Question23. What contributed to memory decline in the participants? Question24. What did the researchers say about their finding concerning the link between TV viewing and xxx this disease?Question25. What do the researchers suggest older people do?★答案1-5 CABDA 6-10 BACBA11-15 DAABA 16-20 BADCB21-25 CCAAB。

2020年7月英语四级听力真题原文(完整版)PartⅡListening Comprehension(25minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.News Report One…parts of Scotland covered by the orange alert to avoid travel on Wednesday, ' this is what he said to us. The orange warning may be raised to red in some areas. That is a warning for snowthat has never been seen since the modern system came into place in Scotland. The orange warning has been extended until 6 p.m. on Thursday. Trains, planes and ferries are also likely to be affected, with wind chill that could see parts of Britain feeling as cold as -15℃. The head of road policing said, 'I would urge drivers to take extra care on the roads for their journeys. Drivers should make sure they are prepared for their journey with warm clothing, food and drink, sufficient fuel and a charged mobile phone. There could be significant traffic delays, so please start to plan your journey now to consider if you really need to travel on conditions of this …Questions 1 to 2 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 1: What were people at parts of Scotland advised to do?Question 2: What did the head of road policing urge drivers to do?News Report 2Romania's wetlands are coming back to life, thanks to help from local communities, the World Wildlife Fund and funding from the European Union. Roughly 2,224 acres of the picturesque Danube Delta –home to 300 species of birds –have filled with wildlife. The land has been connected to the network of lakes and streams in the area. 'A lot of birds have migrated to the area and one doesn't need to travel long hours anymore or go to other lakes to watch the birds, ' says Ion Meuta, Deputy Mayor of Mahmudia. The area around Mahmudia, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the third-most biodiverse in the world, after Australia's Great Barrier Reef and the Galapagos Islands. Groups used earth-moving equipment to restore the waterways. Government officials proposed to protect the area's endangered wild fish by issuing a fishing ban over the next decade.Questions 3 to 4 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question3: What is the news report mainly about?Question4: What did government's officials propose to do to protect the endangered fish?News Report 3Scott Dunn, recently awoke from a medically-induced sleephe'd been in after a car accident. He was heartbroken after realizing he'd missed his high school graduation. His classmates decided to give him a second chance. It was just a month ago that East Juniata High School seniors met in the school's auditorium for graduation. And last week, they did it again. Scott's car accident was on May 22nd, just 3 days before the ceremony. "I remember waking up in the hospital and asking mom, 'What day it was', she told me it was the 28th." He said, "I looked at her and said, ‘I missed my graduation." The school's principal, Mr. Fausey, called Scott's mom Karen and said that everybody wants to do something special for him. Students wore their caps and gowns and sat in the front of the auditorium. Scott's parents, Karen and Scott Senior, sat front and center. After brief speeches, Scott's name was called, only Scott's name. He walked across the stage as the audience cheered. A graduation for one. "I'm speechless," Scott said. "I don’t know how to even explain it. I'm speechless to know that so many people are behind me."Questions 5 to 7 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question5: What happened to Scot a month ago?Question6: What did Scot ask about when he regained consciousness?Question7: Why was Scot speechless at the graduation ceremony?Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear some questions. Both the conversation 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 1with a single line through the centre.Conversation OneM：How do you like your new flexible work in arrangement? Do you enjoy working from home?W：Yes and no, I find an isolation challenging at times, apart from my mother, not too many people I know, have time for phone chat during working hour. I tried the library but found I wasn’t really keen on working there.M：No, neither would I. I find the library a bit too quiet. I’d lack inspiration or stimulation, which would be counter-productive to getting a lot of work done.W：I found the same thing. So, lately, I’ve been going out to Cafes occasionally, I love the noise, the people, the busyness of a Café, the sense of being out in the world.M: Coffee shops seem to have affectively become off spaces for so many people in this digital age. Though I’m not sure how Caféowners feel about it - having so many people who go to that places to work rather than drink and eat.W：Yes, some people seem to spend a lot of time there and not order much. The most annoying one for Caféowners must truly be those, usually only two of them, who occupy a table for six with their laptops and paperwork.M：They should sit at a table for two, not the table for six. Some obviously stay so long, they need to plug the laptops into a power adapter. I nearly tripped over someone’s computer electrical lead the other day in my local café.W：It’s a double-edged sword, no doubt about that, for a Caf éowner. While remote workers help to keep the caféfull in quiet times, they can take up valuable table space and busy period.Questions 10 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question8. What does the woman say is the disadvantage of working from home?Question9. What does the man say is counter-productive to getting work done in the library?Question10. What does the woman like about doing one’s work in a café?Question11. What is most annoying for caféowners according to the woman?Conversation TwoW: I’m going to start working for another job. I can’t see myself getting an opportunity to progress on my company anytime in the near future. And I really think my skills and abilities deserve a higher salary.M: You are not going to quit, are you?W: I’m thinking I might as well. Then I can devote more time and energy to find me a better position at another company.M: But you’ve been in your present company less than two years, haven’t you? This would be the third time you’ve left your job in the last five years. If you do several jobs in a relatively short span of time, perspective employers might see that you lack loyalty. That could make them worry and reluctant to employ you.W: Unfortunately, loyalty doesn’t pay. Even if I get a promotion at my company, it’s likely to be less sizeable than if I were to get a job elsewhere. And even if I get a promotion, I’m not guaranteed to get a raise. I had that experience at another company I worked up.M: They want you to take on more work and responsibility but for the same amount of money?W: More or less, yes. The way I see it, through having different jobs, I’ve got a lot of experience, and different jobs and in different industries.M: But potential employers might worry about that experience is not deep, or thorough enough.W: Perhaps, but I feel pretty confident that I can sell myself. You know what they say, fortune favors the brave.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question12: What makes the woman think about changing her job?Question13: What does the man say about people who keep changing their jobs?Question14: What does the woman say would happen even if she got promoted in her current company?Question15: What benefit has the woman gain from changing her jobs frequently?Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a ques- tion, 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.Passage OneThere is a saying that goes something along the lines of ‘You must love yourself first before you can love someone else.’Similarly, I personally believe that you must be comfortable and happy in your own company before you can truly be yourself in the company of others. There is a massive difference between being lonely and being alone. Loneliness is a horrible feeling. However, you don’t have to actually be alone to feel that way. Many times, I’ve felt lonely when surrounded by a big groupof people. In contrast, being alone can actually be a blessing, particularly, when you’ve actively chosen it. In my experience, being bored and alone is dangerous and can easily lead to the feeling of loneliness. The trick is to be active. Get outside, stretch your legs, do something cultural, buy yourself something tasty to eat or something pretty to wear. You don’t have to take anyone else into consideration and can do whatever you please. Spending time alone also allows you to more efficiently take care of problems. And then, when it’s time to be social and meet up with your friends, you will be fully there, because you won’t have too much other stuff floating around in your mind. Having been alone for a bit, you will also appreciate your friends’company more and chances are your time spent together will be more worthwhile.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 16: What does the speaker say about being alone?Question 17: What does the speaker say how to reduce one’s feeling of loneliness?Question 18: What is an advantage of spending one’s time alone?Passage TwoWhen I turned twelve, I worked summers at my father’s small brick cleaning business. I remember the harsh acid smell of the cleaning solution, and the scraping sound of stiff iron brushes against rough brick. It was tempting to have your job just finish. But anybody who worked for Thomas Kahoon had to meet his standards, and that include of me. If I messed up, he made me stay late until I got it right.My father wasn’t been me. He demanded the same at himself. Every brick he cleaned on the house stood out like a red jewel in a white setting. It was his signature.In 1970, when I was twenty, I got married. I moved out my parent's modest place into a housing project.Drugs and gang violent were just beginning to plague the projects.Some of my friend went to jail. Some were killed. My wife Verllen, was 18, and nobody gave our marriage a chance. But we believed in each other. And our faith made us strong.When we married, I worked as a stock clerk at Southwest Super Food. It was hard, tedious work. Each Friday night a truck came, with cases of food that had to be unloaded, priced and placed on shelves.Most of stock clerks try to get Friday night off. But I was always ready to work. By Saturday morning, all the kinds and drawers in my aisle would place with a label facing smartly out, like a line of soldiers on review. That was my signature. I took pride in a job nobody wanted.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 19. What do we learn about the speaker’s father?Question 20. What does the speak say about the housing project?Question 21. What do we learn about the speaker as a stock clerk?Passage ThreeWatching more than 3 hours of television a day doubles memory loss in older people, a new study of more than 3,000 adults suggests. Scientist at University College London used memory and fluency tests on the same group of people 6 years apart. They found that those who watched on average less than 3 hours television a day showed a decline ever round 4 to 5 percent, while those who tended to watch more than 3 hours a day declined by an average of 8 to 10 percent. The research team say they believe the alert but passive nature of television watching maybe creating stress on the mind, which contributes to memory decline.Older people who watch more television are also less likely to undertake activities knowing to preserve mental functioning, such as reading or interactive screen base pursuits, such as using the internet or playing video games. The researchers say that television viewing maybe a risk factor for all Alzheimer’s disease, but more researches needed to establish a link.While watching television may have educational benefits and relaxation benefits, the researchers advise that adults over theage of 50 should try and ensure that television viewing is balanced with other contrasting activities. If you’re concerned that the amount of television you’re watching could have a negative impact on your health, you should eliminate the amount of TV watch each day and undertake some healthy hobbies.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question22. By what means does scientist at University College London measure memory lost?Question23. What contributed to memory decline in the participants?Question24. What did the researchers say about their finding concerning the link between TV viewing and xxx this disease?Question25. What do the researchers suggest older people do?。

Unit 7News item 1Many hunters from fishing communities in eastern Canada didn’t even bother taking their boats out for this year’s seal hunt. The market price for a seal pelt is around 12 US dollars, a steep decline from a peak of 100 dollars a pelt a few years ago. The seal quota had been set at 273,000, but this year those who ventured out barely took 70,000.The depressed value of the Russian rouble and the subsequent erosion of one of Canada’s largest markets for seal products is partially to blame for the decline in numbers.But it’s clear that the prospect of a European Union ban on seal products and growing international disdain for the hunt is becoming a major factor in its near collapse. The European parliament passed the ban in May, but it still needs the backing of EU governments.The annual kill has been a source of critical seasonal income for fishing communities already hit hard by dwindling fish stocks. But some here are wondering if this could be the beginning of the end for the centuries-old practice.News item 2The producer price index (生产价格指数)is a measurement of prices paid for produced or manufactured items here in the United States. And this number came out today indicating a growth that was greater than we’ve seen dating back to 1990 and it also tends to reflect the growth in the consumer price index （消费价格指数）that we saw on Friday. That also indicated that the inflation is heading up and it is higher than we’ve seen since January of 1991. And now investors are worried that the Fed could have to be more aggressive about raising interest rates to slow inflation which in fact might end up slowing corporate earnings.News item 3In Germany, 40,000 farmers have been protesting over plans to cut their subsidies （补贴）which they receive for growing sugar beet. The farmers are arguing that a better deal for sugar farmers in Africa is going to cost them their livelihoods.Back in June the European Union agreed to reduce by almost 40% the guaranteed price（保证价格）currently paid to Europe’s sugar producers. This move came off the years of campaigning by less developed countries who argued that their own sugar industries were being adversely affected by the distortions in the world market caused by European subsidies. Not surprisingly perhaps the EU plan has proved very unpopular with Europe’s own sugar beet growers. Germany’s food industry union said the plan would spoil the ante of 46,000 sugar beet farmers and threaten more than 26,000 employees in the sugar industry.。

2021年12月PartⅡListening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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.News 1：A 9-year-old girl in New Mexico has raised more than $500 for her little brother who needs heart surgery in Houston Texas this July. Addison Witulski's grandmother Kim Allred said Addison probably overheard a conversation between family members talking about the funds needed to get her little brother to treatment." I guess she overheard her grandfather and me talking about how we’re worried about how we’re going to get to Houston, for my grandson’s heart surgery,〞said Allred. She decided to go outside and have a lemonade stand and make some drawings and pictures and sell them.〞That’s when Addison and her friends Erika and Emily Borden decided to sell lemonade for 50 cents a cup and sell pictures for 25 cents each.Before Allred knew it, New Mexico State Police Officers were among the many stopping by helping them reach a total of $568.The family turned to social media expressing their gratitude saying, “From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to deeply thank each & every person that stopped by!Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q1: Who did Addison raise money for?A〕Her friend Erika.B〕Her little brother.C〕Her grandfather.D〕Her grandmother.Q2: How did Addison raise money?A〕By taking pictures for passers-by.B〕By working part time at a hospital.C〕By selling lemonade and pictures.D〕By asking for help on social media.News 2：Last week, France announced that the country will pave 621 miles of road with solar panels over the next five years, with the goal of providing cheap, renewable energy to five million people.Called “the Wattway,〞the roads will be built through joint efforts with the French road-building company Colas and the National Institute of Solar Energy. The company spent the last five years developing solar panels that are only about a quarter of an inch thick and are strong enough to stand up to heavy highway traffic without breaking or making the roads more slippery. The panels are also designed so that they can be installed directly on top of existing roadways, making them relatively cheap and easy to install.France isn’t the first country to kick around the idea of paving its roads with solar panels. In November 2021, the Netherlands completed a 229-foot-long bike path paved with solar panels as a test for future projects. However, this is the first time a panel has been designed to be laid directly on top of existing roads and the first project to install the panels on public highways.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q3: What was France's purpose of constructing the Wattway?A〕Finding cheaper ways of highway construction.B〕Generating electric power for passing vehicles.C〕Providing clean energy to five million people.D〕Testing the efficiency of the new solar panel.Q4: What is special about the solar panels used in the Wattway?A〕They can stand the wear and tear of natural elements.B〕They can be laid right on top of existing highways.C〕They can only about half an inch thick.D〕They are made from cheap materials.News 3：Lions have disappeared from much of Africa, but for the past few years scientists have wondered if the big cats were hanging on in remote parts of Sudan and Ethiopia. Continuous fighting in the region has made surveys difficult.But scientists released a report Monday documenting, with hard evidence, the discovery of "lost lions."A team with Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, supported by a charity organization, spent two nights in November camping in the National Park in northwest Ethiopia, on the Ethiopia-Sudan border. The researchers set out six camera traps capturing images of lions, and they identified lion tracks.The scientists concluded that lions are also likely to live in the neighbouring National Park across the border in Sudan. The International Union for Conservation of Nature had previously considered the area a "possible range" for the species, and local people had reported seeing lions in the area, but no one presented convincing evidence.Questions 5 and 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q5: What has made it difficult to survey lions in remote parts in Sudan and Ethiopia?A〕Endless fighting in the region.B〕The hazards from the desert.C〕Inadequate funding for research.D〕The lack of clues about the species.Q6: What was the main purpose of the research?A〕To observe the wildlife in the two national parks.B〕To identify the reasons for the lions’ disappearance.C〕To study the habitat of lions in Sudan and Ethiopia.D〕To find evidence of the existence of the “lost lions〞.Q7: What did the researchers find in the National Park?A) Lions walking. C) Some camping facilities.B) Lion’s tracks.D) Traps set by local hunters.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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.Passage 1M: I bet you're looking forward to the end of this month. Are you?W: Yes, I am. How did you know?M: David told me you had a special birthday coming up.W: Oh…yeah that's right. This year will be my golden birthday.M: What does that mean? I've never heard of a golden birthday.W: I've actually just learnt this concept myself. Fortunately, just in time to celebrate. A golden or lucky birthday is when one turns the age of their birth date. So, for example, my sister's birthday is December 9th and her golden birthday would have been the year she turned nine years old. Come to think of it, my parents did throw her a surprise party that year.M: Interesting. Too bad I missed mine. My golden birthday would've been four years ago. I assume you got big plans then.W: Actually yes. My husband is planning a surprise holiday for the two of us next week. I have no idea what he's got in mind, but I'm excited to find out. Has he mentioned anything to you?M: He might have.W: Anything you'd like to share? I'm dying to know what kind of trip he has planned on where we're going.M: You know nothing at all?W: Not a clue. Hard to imagine, isn’t it? Though I must say I think he's been having even more fun keeping the secret from me in the past few weeks.M: I'm sure both of you will have a fantastic time. Happy golden birthday! I can't wait to hear all about it when you get back.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Q8. What is the woman looking forward to?A) Her ‘lucky birthday’ C) Her wedding anniversary.B) A call from her dad. D) A special gift from the man.Q9. What did the woman's parents do on her sister's lucky birthday?A) Gave her a big model plane. C) Took her on a trip overseas.B) Bought her a gold necklace. D) Threw her a surprise party.Q10. What is the woman eager to find out about?A) The gift her husband has bought.B) The trip her husband has planned.C) What has been troubling her husband.D) What her husband and the man are up to.Q11. What does the man say at the end of the conversation?A) He will be glad to be a guide for the couple’s holiday trip.B) He will tell the woman the secret if her husband agrees.C) He is eager to learn how the couple’s holiday turns out.D) He wants to find out about the couple’s holiday plan.Passage 2W: Mr. Green, what do you think makes a successful negotiator?M: Well, that’s hard to define. But I think successful negotiators have several things in common. They are always polite and rational people. They are firm but flexible. They can recognize power and know how to use it. They are sensitive to the dynamics of the negotiation. The way of rises and falls and how it may change direction. They project the image of confidence, and perhaps most importantly, they know when to stop.W: And, what about an unsuccessful negotiator?M: Well, this is probably all of us when we start out. We are probably immature and over-trusting. Too emotional or aggressive. We are unsure of ourselves and we want to be liked by everyone. Good negotiators learn fast. Poor negotiators remain like that and go on losing negotiations.W: In your opinion, can the skills of negotiation be taught?M: Well, you can teach someone how to prepare for a negotiation. There are perhaps six stages in every negotiation. Get to know the other side. State your goals. Start the process. Clarify areas of disagreement or conflict. Reassess your position. Making acceptable compromises. And finally, reach someagreement in principle. These stages can be studied. And strategies to be used in each can be planned beforehand. But I think, the really successful negotiator is probably born with six sense about responding appropriately to the situation at hand.W: The artistic sense you’ve just described?M: Yes. That’s right.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Q12: What does the man say about good negotiators?A) They are sensitive to the dynamics of a negotiation.B) They see the importance of making compromises.C) They know when to adopt a tough attitude.D) They take the rival’s attitude into account.Q13: What does the man say may be the most important thing to a successful negotiator?A) They know how to adapt. C) They know when to make compromises.B) They know when to stop. D) They know how to control their emotion.Q14: How is a good negotiator different from a poor one?A) They are patient. C) They learn quickly.B) They are good at expression. D) They uphold their principles.Q15: What is the first stage of negotiation according to the man?A) Make clear one’s intentions.C) Formulate one’s strategy.B) Clarify items of negotiation. D) Get to know the other side.Section CDirections: 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), D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage 1Some people wonder why countries spend millions of dollars on space projects. They want to know how space research helps people on Earth. Actually space technology helps people on Earth every day. This is called "spin-off technology."Spin-off technology is space technology that is now used on Earth.In early space programs, such as the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, and in the Space Shuttle missions today, scientists developed objects for the astronauts to use on the moon and in space. We now use some of these objects every day.For example, we have Quartz crystal clocks and watches accurate to within one minute a year. We purify the water we drink with a water filter designed for the astronauts' use in space.The cordless, hand-held tools we use in our homes, such as vacuum cleaners, flashlights, drills and saws came from the technology of these early space programs.On cold winter days we can stay warm with battery-operated gloves and socks, and specially made coats and jackets. All of these clothes are similar to thespacesuit designs that kept astronauts comfortable in the temperatures of the moon, and are spin-offs from space technology.These products are only a few examples of the many ways space technology helps us in our everyday lives. No one knows how new spin-off technology from the International Space Station will help us in the future.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q16: What do some people want to know about space exploration?A) When America’s earliest space program started.B) When the International Space Station was built.C) How many space shuttle missions there will be.D) How space research benefits people on Earth.Q17: What did scientists do for the space shuttle missions?A) They accurately calculated the speed of the orbiting shuttles.B) They developed objects for astronauts to use in outer space.C) They tried to meet astronauts’ specific requirements.D) They tried to make best use of the latest technology.Q18: What does the speaker say about Quartz crystal clocks and watches?A) They are extremely accurate. C) They were first made in space.B) They are expensive to make. D) They were invented in the 1970s.Passage 2Well, if I could go back in history and live, I'd like to go back to the 18th century and perhaps in colonial America in Yankee, New England, where one of my ancestors lived, because it was the beginning of something.By the 18th century, there was a feeling of community that had grown. My ancestor was a preacher, traveling around the countryside. People lived in small communities. There were fishermen and farmers who provided fresh food that tasted and looked like food, unlike that in today's supermarkets, and there were small towns, and New York wasn't that far away. I'm deeply attached to the Puritan tradition, not in a religious sense, but they believed in working for something, working for goals, and I like that.They worked hard at whatever they did, but they had a sense of achievement. They believed in goodness in community and helping one another. I love the colonial fabrics, all the silver work, the furnishings, the combination of elegance and simplicity. I love it. The printing, the books, I'm very attached to all that kind of thing that may not all be very entertaining in the modern sense of the world. But I would have enjoyed spending my evenings in that environment, discussing new ideas, building a new world. And I can see myself sitting on a small chair by the fire doing needlework.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q19: Why does the speaker say she would like to go back and live in the 18th century America?A) It was when her ancestors came to America.B) People had plenty of land to cultivate then.C) It marked the beginning of something new.D) Everything was natural and genuine then.Q20: What does the speaker say about the Puritans?A) They believed in working for goals. C) They had all kinds of entertainment.B) They enjoyed living a life of ease. D) They were known to be creative.21.What would the speaker like doing if she could go back to the past?A〕Chatting with her ancestors.B〕Furnishing her country house.C〕Polishing all the silver work.D〕Doing needlework by the fire.Passage 3If you are lost in the woods, a little knowledge can turn what some people call a hardship into an enjoyable stay away from the troubles of modern society. When you think you are lost, sit down on a log, or a rock, or lean against a tree, and recite something that you have memorized, to bring you mind to a point where it’s under control. Don’t run blindly. If you must move, don’t follow a stream unless you know it, and in that case, you are not lost. Streams, normally flow through wetland before they reach a lake or a river. Though there are more eatable plants, there may also be wild animals, poisonous snakes, and other hazards. Many experts feel that it’s wisest to walk uphill. At the top of most hills and mountains, are trails leading back to civilization. If there are no trails, you are much easier to be seen on top of a hill, and you may even spot a highway, or a railroad from this point. Nowadays, the first way someone will search for you is by air. In a wetland, or in dense growth, you are very hard to spot. Anytime you go into the woods, somebody should know where you aregoing, and when you expect to return. Also, when someone comes looking, you should be able to signal to them.Questions 22-25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. What does the speaker advise you to do first if you are lost in the woods? A〕Use a map to identify your location.B〕Call your family or friends for help.C〕Sit down and try to calm yourself.D〕Try to follow your footprints back.23. What will happen if you follow an unknown stream in the woods?A〕You may find a way out without your knowing it.B〕You may expose yourself to unexpected dangers.C〕You may get drowned in a sudden flood.D〕You may end up entering a wonderland.24. What do many experts think is the wisest thing to do if you are lost in the woods?A〕Look for food.B〕Wait patiently.C〕Start a fire.D〕Walk uphill.25. What should you do before you go into the woods? A〕Inform somebody of your plan.B〕Prepare enough food and drink.C〕Check the local weather.D〕Find a map and a compass.。

xx年12月英语四级听力原文试卷一短篇新闻3篇（有道考神版）xx年12月英语四级听力原文：试卷一短篇新闻3篇（有道考神版）Section A NEWS News1 A 16th century castle in Scotland ison the verge of collapse after chunks of soil were washed away by floods, threatening its foundations. On Sunday, the castle's owner, John Gordon, 76, was forced to evacuate his property after the River Dee swept away about 60 feet of land, leaving the castle dangerously close to the river, aording to the Scottish Daily Record. Abergeldie castle, located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, was built by Sir Alexander Gordon of Midmar who later became the Earl of Huntly. The castle, which is located on 11,700 acres, was leased to members of the royal family between 1848 and 1970, including King Edward VII and George V. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued more than 35 flood warnings covering several regions as Scotland continues to clean up after Storm Frank hit the country last Wednesday. "This means that rivers will rise more slowly but then stay high for much longer," the environmental agency said. Q1. Why did John Gordon move out of Abergeldie castle? A. Itwas dangerous to live in. B. It was going to be renovated. C. He could no longer pay the rent. D. He had sold it tothe royal family. 答案: A Q2. What happened in Scotlandlast Wednesday? A. A strike. B. A storm C. A forest fire. D.A terrorist attack. 答案: BNews2 Rescue efforts were underway Thursday morning for 17 miners who were stuck in an elevator below ground. aCargill rock salt mine in Lansing, N.Y. ording to Marcia Lynch, public information officer with Tompkins County’s emergency response department. Emergency workers have made contact with the miners through a radio, and they allappear to be uninjured, said Jessica Verfuss, the emergency department’s assistant director. Crews have managed to provide heat packs and blankets to the miners so that they can keep warm during the rescue operation, Verfuss said. Details about what led to the workers’ being trapped inthe elevator weren’t immediately available. The mine, near New York's Cayuga Lake, processes salt used for road treatment. It produces about 2 million tons of salt that is shipped to more than 1,500 places in the northeasternUnited States. The rock salt mine is one of three operated by Cargill, with the other two being in Louisiana and Ohio. Q3. What does the news report say about the salt miners? A. They lost contact with the emergency department. B. They were trapped in an underground elevator. C. They wereinjured by suddenly falling rocks. D. They sent calls for help via a portable radio. 答案 B Q4. What did the rescue team do? A. They tried hard to repair the elevator. B. Theyreleased the details of the aident. C. They sent supplies to keep the miners warm. D. They provided the miners with food and water. 答案 CNews3 The U.S. Postal Service announced today that it is considering closing about 3,700 post offices over the next year because of falling revenues. Facing an $8.3 billion budget deficit this year, closing post offices is one of several proposals the Postal Service has put forth recently to cut costs. Last week for example, Postmaster General Pat Donahoe announced plans to stop mail delivery on Saturdays, a move he says could save $3 billion annually. "We are losing revenue as we speak," Donahoe said. "We do not want taxpayer money. We want to be self-sufficient. So like any other business, you have to make choices." Dean Granholm, the vice president for delivery and post office operations, said the first wave of closings would begin this fall. He estimated that about 3,000 postmasters, 500 station managers and between 500 and 1,000 postal clerks could lose their jobs. Q5. What is the US Postal Service planning to do? A. Raise postage rates. B. Improve its services. C. Redesign delivery routes. D. Close some of its post office. 答案 D Q6. What measure has been planned to save costs? A. Shortening business hours. B. Closing offices on holidays.C. Stopping mail delivery on Saturdays.D. Computerising mail sorting processes. 答案 C Q7. What will happen whenthe proposed measure es into effect? A. Many post office staff will lose their jobs. B. Many people will begin to plain. C. Taxpayers will be very pleased. D. A lot of controversy will arise. 答案 A。

经济类products/goods 产品profitability/profit earning capacity 利润率，赢利率protectionism 保护主义public sector 公共部门，公共成分purchasing power/buying power 购买力quotation 报价，牌价raising limit 涨停板rate of growth 增长rate of interest 利率raw material 原料raw product 初级产品ready money business/no credit given 现金交易，概不赊欠ready money 现钱real estate 不动产，房地产reciprocal trade agreement 互惠贸易政策redemption 偿还rediscount 再贴现reserve 预备金，储备金retailer 零售商revaluation 重估价runaway inflation 无法控制的通货膨胀rural economics 农村经济saving 储装，存款scarcity 短缺securities business 证券市场securities 有价证券self-financing 自筹经费semifinished goods 半成品share/common stock 普通股share 股份，股票shareholder/stockholder 股东short term credit 短期信贷short term loan 短期贷款social charges 社会负担费用socialist economy 社会主义经济speculation 投机stagnation 停滞，萧条，不景气standard of living 生活标准stock company/stock brokerage firm 证券公司stock exchange corporation 证券交易所stock exchange 股票市场stock investment 股票投资stock-jobber 股票经纪人supply 供给，补给科学篇academy sciences 科学院anemia 贫血antenna 天线apparatus 设备appendicitis 阑尾炎Ares rockets 战神火箭arthritis 关节炎artificial satellite 人造卫星astronaut 航天员attack 发作Ballistic Missile 弹道导弹bandage 绷带body 机身carbon dioxide 二氧化碳case 病例clearinghouse 信息交换所Constellation Program 星座计划contagion 传染deforestation 砍伐森林diabetes 糖尿病diagnosis 诊断diphtheria 白喉radio telescope 电波望远镜，射电望远镜epidemic 流行病fever 发热filter 滤管hatch 舱口Heart Bypass Surgery 心脏搭桥手术自然篇low water 最低水位map/plan/chart 平面图market gardening 商品蔬菜种植业marsh/swamp 沼泽meadow 草甸mechanization of farming 农业机械化mechanized farming 机械化耕作meridian 子午线，经线meteorology 气象学mouth 河口North pole 北极northern 北的oasis 绿洲ocean 大洋oceanography 海洋学parallel 纬线parasite 寄生虫pasture land 牧场peninsula 半岛pest 农业害虫pesticide 农药physical geography 自然地理plain 平原plot/parcel/lot 地块polar circle 极圈pond 池塘port/harbour 港prairie 大草原producer 农业工人ranch 大农场/牧场rancher 牧场主reef 礁石relief 地形，地貌rural exodus 农村迁徙rural population 农村人口seaquake 海震，海啸season 季节shepherd 牧人shore 海岸source 源头South pole 南极southern 南的straw/hay 麦秆temperate zone 温带termite 白蚁terra firma 陆地tilled land 耕地torrid zone 热带transplant 移植Tropic of Cancer 北回归线Tropic of Capricorn 南回归线the universe/the cosmos 宇宙vegetation 植被virgin forest 原始森林wasteland/barren land 荒地weed killer 除草剂weed 除草。

国际关系Hamas巴勒斯坦伊斯兰抵抗运动（”HAMAS (Islamic Resistance Movement) ），简称哈马斯(Hamas)，由“伊斯兰”、“抵抗”、“运动” 三个阿拉伯语缩写而成。

哈马斯成立于1987年12月，创始人为谢赫·艾哈迈德·亚辛。

集宗教性、政治性为一体的哈马斯主张用武力消灭巴土地上的犹太复国主义者，反对同以色列和平共处，主张建立一个以耶路撒冷为首都的独立的巴勒斯坦国。

哈马斯成立后，多次制造针对以色列目标的自杀式爆炸事件。

1989年，以色列宣布哈马斯为非法组织，并将其精神领袖亚辛逮捕入狱。

1993年，巴以双方在华盛顿签署了巴勒斯坦自治《原则宣言》，允许巴勒斯坦人在加沙－杰里科地区先行自治。

哈马斯对此持反对态度，依然坚持对以色列的武装斗争。

随着巴以和平进程的发展，哈马斯曾一度改变斗争策略。

1996年3月，哈马斯宣布将放弃暴力活动，在自治区内进行政治斗争。

同年5月，内塔尼亚胡出任以色列总理后，在巴以和谈问题上采取强硬政策，致使巴以最后阶段谈判停滞。

哈马斯宣布恢复武装斗争。

2000年9月底巴以大规模流血冲突爆发后，哈马斯制造了一系列针对以色列的自杀式爆炸事件。

作为报复，以色列对哈马斯实施了“定点清除”和大规模的军事行动，使哈马斯遭受重创。

亚辛以及他的接班人兰提西等哈马斯领导人先后被以色列“定点清除”。

“9·11”事件后，美国和欧盟先后宣布哈马斯为“恐怖组织”，并冻结其财产。

澳大利亚随后也宣布冻结哈马斯领导人的财产。

Former Yugoslav南斯拉夫社会主义联邦共和国（1963年－1992年），历史上的国家，位于巴尔干半岛，1992年开始解体，分别成立了南斯拉夫联盟共和国、克罗地亚共和国、斯洛文尼亚共和国、马其顿共和国和波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维纳共和国。

2003年，南斯拉夫联盟共和国改名为塞尔维亚和黑山，并于2006年解体，成为塞尔维亚及黑山两国。

题目+答案Question one, what is the news report mainly about?1.A)A proposed policy allowing Africans totravel in Africa without a visa.Question two, what benefit will a free trade deal bring to African economy?2.C) lt will reduce the cost of trade betweenAfrican countries.题目+答案Q3. What new method has been developed to help fight climatechange?3.D)Pumping carbon dioxide underground toform stone.Q4. What is a potential difficulty in applying the new technique?4.C) High consumptionof water题目+答案Q5.What does the news report say about French people's bread consumption?5.B)It has been on the decline Q6.What do we learn about french women from the report?6.D)They favor diets lowerin calories Q7.What is said about lifestyle changes of the French people?7.B)They spend less time eating breakfast.【Section B】Conversation 1音频原文：W: Next, please.M: [8] Yes. I’d like to book two train tickets to London tomorrow morning, please.W: OK, what time would you like to go?M: Well, after the rush hour I think. We’d like to avoid the crowds if possible. So probably sometime around 10 o’clock.W: No problem. Just give me a minute.题目+答案Question 8. When would the man like to leave for London?8.A) After the rush hour.Question 9. What is the man’s other request?9.C)One windowseat.Question 10. Where should the man wait for the train?10.B) At the far end of the platform.Question 11. What should the man do to collect thebicycles? 11.D)Give the ticket to the train guard.Conversation 2音频原文：M: Good morning. Our guest today is Karen Brooke. Karen is the managing director of Cube Movie Theater, located on Underhill Road. Thank you for coming, Karen.W: Thank you for having me.M: So tell us about your cinema, Cube Movie Theater.W: Sure. Cuban Movie Theater has been around now for 11 years. It’s located in what used to be a hat factory.M: Oh, really?W: [12] Yeah, there used to be many hat factories in Britain until around the 1950s, but fashion changed and most people stopped wearing hats. So practically, all of those factories had to close down. This one, in particular, was closed for 47 years before we transformed it into a movie theater.M: I see, I hear there’s something else that makes your theater special. What is it that sets you apart from other theaters?W: [13] We are the only movie theater in the whole country that only shows foreign movies.M: Is there enough demand for that? [14] I would have thought that in London, most people don’t speak foreign languages.W: [15] Sure, there’s enough demand. The fact that we have been open and in business for all these years proves it. London is a very large and international city. There are lots of people interested in watching such movies. Furthermore, I might add all movies come with English text at the bottom of the screen. So even if you don’t understand what the actors say, you can still read it.M: Of course. What movie are you showing right now?W: This week we’re showing a musical from Pakistan. It’s very popular.题目+答案Question 12. What do we learn about hat factories in Britain?12.C) Nearly all of them closed down decadesago.Question 13. What is special about Cube Movie Theater?13.A) It shows foreign movies exclusively.Question 14. What does the man say about most people in London?14.B)They don't speak foreign languages.Question 15. What does the woman say about foreign movies shown in London?15.D) They have an English translation on thescreen.【Section C】Passage 1音频原文：Love them or hate them? Smartphones have become an integral part of our daily lives, but should they be left outside the classroom? Nick Gibb, minister for school standards in England, believes schools should ban their pupils from bringing in smartphones. （16）Astrid Natalie, a secondary school math teacher, incorporates phones into her classroom. My school doesn't have money for tablets. She says, when students use their phones for research, they learn they have a powerful tool in their hands. If we stop children using phones, we are rejecting something they care about.Meanwhile, Helen Lockhart, a registered nurse working for community education, supports a complete ban. I'm banned from mobile use at work, and my phone must be handed in. If I'm caught with it in my pocket, I will be subject to disciplinary procedure，which will impact on my career. （17）We need to teach children how to behave like the professionals they're striving to become. （18）Richard stone, an English teacher, thinks there should be a clear separation between school and home. Students should do things differently in the two environments. Children are getting more than enough screen time in their lives without the need to bring their phone into the classroom. The internet is too easy and too unreliable a research tool. So let's leave phones and laptops at home and show them a different world in their lessons. One of books and pens, he says.题目+答案Question 16. What do we learn about Astrid Natalie，A secondary school mathteacher?16.B) She incorporates smartphones into herteaching.Question 17. Why does Helen Lockhart, a registered nurse, support a complete ban on smartphone use in the classroom?17.C)To help children grow up to beprofessionals.Question 18. What should students do in the classroom according to Richard Stone, an English teacher？18.A) Use books and pens only.Passage2音频原文：[19]Kate,a6-year-old girl,helped her brother wash windows to get a reward promised by her mother,a purple doll that she wanted.She watched her mother order the doll online.The next day,Kate asked if she could check the shipping status,so her mom clicked on the web page and walked out of the room. Kate saw that her doll would be arriving te next afternoon,but then she noticed something else, suggestions about other dolls and toys she could order.[20]15minutes and a few clicks later,with more than$350worth of dolls in her cart,Kate placed the order and ran off to play.The next day, while checking on another online order,her mother noticed a long list of dolls on the way.She was able to cancel two of them,but it was too late to cancel the rest.She told her daughter that they were going to be returned.When the packages arrived,Kate wanted to open them,but her parents said no.[21]Instead of sending back the dolls,her father suggested giving them to the local children's hospital.So the next week,Kate’s family loaded up their car and took all the dolls to the playroom at the children's hospital.Kate was depressed at first,but then she sat with some girl patients, and they opened up all the boxes together,laughing and playing.She had a lot of fun and learned a really good lesson.题目+答案Question19.How did Kate earn the reward from her mother?19.D)By helping her brother wash windows.Question20.What did Kate do after her mother left the room?20.A)She ordered a large number of dolls.Question21.What did Kate family do after the packages arrived?21.B)They took all of them to the children's hospital.Passage 3音频原文：题目+答案Question 22. According to recent research conducted in australia, what has a lasting impact on one's life?22.A) The time one starts school.Question 23. What was the purpose of the australian research?23.B)To find causes for differences in the participants'performance.Question 24. Who were the participants in the researchers' first study?24.D)High-school students.Question 25. According to the researchers, what is one characteristic of successful people?25.C) Risk-takin。

2023年3月四级英语听力原文英语回答：Section A.Passage 1。

The speaker is a professor of linguistics who is discussing the evolution of language. He begins byexplaining that language is a complex system of communication that has evolved over thousands of years. He then discusses the different ways in which language has changed over time, including changes in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Finally, he concludes by speculating on the future of language, suggesting that it will continue to evolve as new technologies emerge.Passage 2。

The speaker is a historian who is discussing thehistory of the United States. He begins by describing the early days of the country, when it was a collection of thirteen colonies. He then discusses the American Revolution and the founding of the United States. Finally, he concludes by discussing the challenges that the United States has faced throughout its history, including theCivil War and the Cold War.Passage 3。

新闻听力Test 1【参考答案】1. A2. C3. A4. D5. D6. B7. A 【听力原文】N e w s R e p o r t O n eIranians have taken to the streets of Tehran to celebrate a landmark nuclear deal with world powers which should lead to the lifting of crippling economic sanctions. In return, strict limits will be imposed on Iran’s nuclear activities. The country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, praised the hard work of Iranian negotiators. President Hassan Rouhani said that the agreement proved that constructive engagement worked. Both Iran and the United States say the deal is a historical opportunity.The deal which has aimed at pushing an end to the roar of Iran’s nuclear programme represents the biggest step towards easing hostility between Iran and the West since the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Iran has agreed toscale back its sensitive nuclear activities. It will reduce its capacity to enrich uranium, and has signed up to intensive inspections by UN inspectors.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q1. What is the result of the nuclear deal?Q2. Who will benefit a lot from the nuclear deal?N e w s R e p o r t T w oThe authorities in Nepal say more than 3,500 people are now known to have died in Saturday’s catastrophic earthquake. But as rescuers reached the more remote areas, it’s feared the figure could rise further. With more aftershocks, many frightened residents of the capital opted to spend Sunday night in vast tented settlements. Sanjoy Majumder is in Katmandu.“Even in the smarter neighborhoods, the re are people who set out little carpets or brought their mattresses out in front of their homes and have been staying there through the day, through the night. If you walk into the market areas, you can see people sitting on the kerb. All people are just walking around. It looks asalmost nobody in the city is indoors at any given moment. Now what the authorities are getting very concerned about is the lack of c lean drinking water.”Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q3. What is the result of the earthquake?Q4. What is the situation of people in the smarter neighborhoods?N e w s R e p o r t T h r e eHunger hit Africa hard this year as climate change, conflict and enduring poverty ravaged multiple countries and let tens of millions of people in dire straits.Countries as diverse as South Sudan, Malawi and the Central African Republic have sounded the alarm in recent months. The U.N. World Food Program says sub-Saharan Africa already has the world’s highest prevalence of hunger: one person in four is undernourished. Every day in Africa, 23 million children go to school hungry.The agency’s David Orr said that in the lower half of Africa, where weather is the main culprit, 2015 hasbeen an unusually difficult year.I think what makes things different this year is the combination of drought and then an El Nino weather event coming right after that, so that people are effectively being hit by two consecutive years of reduced rainfall. And it’s particularly difficult on a region where 70 percent of the population are subsistence farmers.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q5. Which country has suffered from hunger according to the news?Q6. In Africa, how many children are suffering from hunger?Q7. According to David Orr, which is the major reason for the straits in the lower half of Africa?Test 2【参考答案】1. D2. D3. A4. C5. D6. A7. C 【听力原文】N e w s R e p o r t O n eW hat’s the biggest online shopping day in the world?Not Valentine’s Day.Not Cyber Monday or Black Friday. They are the days that follow Thanksgiving in the U. S. and usher in the start of the holiday shopping season. The winner is C hina’s S ingles’ Day, celebrated November 11, or 11.11.Singles’ Day began as a day for unmarried or uncoupled people to celebrate their lives. Single students, looking for an excuse to buy themselves presents, started it on November 11, 1993, reported The Guardian.It is symbolized by the four number ones in the date of November 11 —11. 11 —and is also called Double Eleven, in reference to the day it was started, said the BBC.It became a major shopping day in 2009. The CEO of an online shopping site —Alibaba —sought to increase sales at the e-commerce company. The CEO, Daniel Zhang, launched an annual online sale that day, said Fortune.When it first began, “Singles’ Day was very much an offline solace for actual single people,” n oted the website Atlas Obscura. “A small group of students at Nanjing University are said to have chosen 11.11 as aday that singles could do activities like karaoke together.”It quickly became a cultural phenomenon.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q1. What’s the biggest online shopping day in the world?Q2. When did the Singles’Day become a major shopping day?N e w s R e p o r t T w oTechnology Company Google has brought reliable Internet connections to Kampala, Uganda. Google is expanding high-speed Internet in the city, the company said. The project includes 120 locations in the Ugandan capital. It is part of an attempt to improve web infrastructure in Africa. Higher capacity means faster and cheaper access to customers. One day of unlimited data using the new network should cost 1,000 Ugandan shillings, the company said. That is equal to 30 American cents. About 8.5 million people use the Internet in Uganda. That is about 23 percent of the country’spopulation. Many in that country use cellular phone technology, but Internet service is not popular because it was expensive before Google’s Project Link. Broadband access to the Internet is still hard to find in many places in Africa. Project Link moved into the Ghana cities of Accra and Kumasi this autumn. Other big players on the Internet also aided Africa. Social media’s Facebook announced this fall better access to the Internet in Africa by using satellites.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q3. Which is the main idea of this news report?Q4. What is the population of Uganda?N e w s R e p o r t T h r e eCairo is known for its overcrowded roads, irregular driving practices and shaky old vehicles, but also for its air pollution. In recent months, though, environmental studies indicate there have been signs of improvement. That’s due in part to the removal of many of the capital’s old-fashioned black and white taxis. Most of these dated back to the 1960s and 70s and were in a poor state ofrepair.After new legislation demanded their removal from the roads, a low interest loan scheme was set up with three Egyptian banks so drivers could buy new cars. The government pays about $900 for old ones to be discarded and advertising on the new vehicles helps cover repayments.The idea has proved popular with customers—they can now travel in air-conditioned comfort and because the new cabs are metered, they don’t have to argue over fares. Banks and car manufacturers are glad for the extra business in tough economic times. As for the taxi drivers, most are delighted to be behind the wheel of new cars, although there have been a few complaints about switching from black and white to a plain white color.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q5. What change took place in Cairo recently?Q6. What helped bring about the change?Q7. Why do customers no longer argue with new cab drivers?Test 3【参考答案】1. B2. C3. C4. A5. B6. C7. B 【听力原文】N e w s R e p o r t O n eThere are about 650,000 school-aged Syrian refugee children in Turkey. Government officials estimate only about one-third of them are going to school. Educating the refugee children is an enormous task. One U. S. official says that a huge school system like the one in New York City would be overwhelmed. The United States says it is working with the United Nations to help bridge the education gap for refugee children. Without school, the effects will be negative and long-lasting. The United States provided Turkey with aid for education earlier. In December, it offered an additional 24 million dollars. Human Rights Watch says a quality education will ensure a more stable future for these children. The organization says about 90 percent of children in refugee camps run by the Turkish government attend school. But most of the children living outside of those camps are notreceiving education.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q1. What is the news report mainly about?Q2. What did the United States do to help refugee children?N e w s R e p o r t T w oEleven Taliban fighters attacked an important airport in southern Afghanistan early Tuesday, killing at least 50 people, Afghan officials said. The Afghan Defense Ministry said 38 civilians, 10 soldiers and two police officers were killed.The attack on the Kandahar Air Field lasted 20 hours, reported The Washington Post. Among the dead were women and children, the newspaper wrote. The airport includes a military base with troops from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. There were no reports that NATO troops were killed or injured in the attack.A spokesman for the Taliban says fighters entered the base and attacked local and foreign military troops.He said more than 150 soldiers were killed in the attack. The Taliban often makes claims about the results of their attacks that are not true. Taliban attacks have grown in number and strength in Afghanistan this year after the withdrawal last year of combat troops from other countries.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q3. What did Taliban fighters do early Tuesday?Q4. What led to the growth of Taliban attacks in Afghanistan?N e w s R e p o r t T h r e eThe Australian state of Tasmania is considering raising the legal age for buying cigarettes to at least 21 and potentially as high as 25. If the plan goes ahead it will give Tasmania some of the toughest tobacco laws in the world. The current legal age to purchase, possess or smoke cigarettes in all Australian states is 18. Critics have complained the proposed restrictions would be a violation of civil liberties. Australia already has some of the world’s toughest anti-smoking policies. It introducedso-called plain packaging four years ago, where packs are colored an identical olive brown and are covered in health warnings that include pictures. The country is also one of the most expensive places in the world to buy cigarettes —from around $15 a pack.Parts of the world already ban cigarette sales to those under 21, including Kuwait and, from next year, Hawaii. Around one-in-five Tasmanians smoke, with the vast majority taking up the habit before the age of 25. The Tasmanian government proposals are part of a five-year plan to make the state Australia’s healthiest by 2025.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q5. What does the state of Tasmania plan to do?Q6. According to plain packaging, what should be included in the packs of cigarette?Q7. W hat’s the purpose of the Tasmanian government proposals?Test 4【参考答案】1. B2. D3. C4. A5. D6. B7. C 【听力原文】N e w s R e p o r t O n eFrance is facing potentially more than one billion dollars in lost revenue this year due to huge declines in tourism. Safety concerns have been one of the biggest reasons why the country has lost over half a billion in revenue already in the first six months of 2016. The terror attacks in Paris last November were called Europe’s worst in the past decade. Besides violence, workers’ strikes and heavy floods are said to have also been why international tourists have stayed away. So far in the Paris region, there’s been a 46% decline in Japanese visitors, 35% fewer Russians and 27% fewer Italians.American travelers seem the least affected. Their numbers have only dropped by roughly 5%. According to the French government, the country is the No.1 tourist destination in the world, and tourism is extremely important to the French economy. The sector represents roughly 9% of its GDP. The head of Paris Tourism Board said, “It’s time to realize that the tourism sector is goingthrough an industrial disaster.”Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q1. What accounts most for the huge declines in tourism in France?Q2. What do we learn from the report about tourism in France?N e w s R e p o r t T w oA small plane with two sick US workers arrived safely in Chile late Wednesday after leaving Antarctica in a daring rescue mission from a remote South Pole research station. After making a stop for a few hours at a British station on the edge of Antarctica, the two workers were flown to the southernmost Chilean city of Punta Arenas. In a chaotic two days of flying, the rescue team flew 3,000 miles roundtrip from the British station Rothera to pick up the workers at the US Amundsen-Scott st ation at the South Pole. “The two patients aboard will be transported to a medical facility that can provide a level of care that is not available at Amundsen-Scott,” says a spokesperson. Normally planesdon’t go to the polar post from February to October because of the dangers of flying in the pitch-dark and cold. “Antarctica creates a hostile environment,” says the operations director for the British Antarctic Survey. “If you are not careful, it’ll come around and bite you.”Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q3. What was the small plane’s mission to Antarctica?Q4. What makes flying to Antarctica dangerous from February to October?N e w s R e p o r t T h r e eA pilot from Virginia removed his son’s loose tooth using a helicopter. Rick Rahim from Virginia flies helicopters for a living, and when his seven-year-old son’s tooth became loose, he did not waste time by tying it to a door handle. Instead, Mr. Rahim tied one end of a string around his son’s tooth and the other end to his full-sized commercial helicopter. The father of four posted video clip of his playful venture on Facebook, advising parents to do fun and creative stuff with theirkids. The video shows him launching the helicopter into the air and flying just far enough to successfully remove the loose tooth. At the end of the video, Mr. Rahim assures watchers that the circumstances were safe, and that he has 13 years of helicopter flying experience behind him. “You’ve got to do everything safe in life, and that’s what I did today,” he said. Mr. Rahim later said that although some parents have used remote control helicopters to pull teeth before, he might be the first to use a full-sized aircraft, as he can’t find evidence that it has been done before.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q5. How did Rick Rahim remove his son’s loose tooth?Q6. What does the news report say about Rick Rahim?Q7. What did Rick Rahim advise parents to do with their kids?。

2023年12月大学英语四级参考真题（第一套）Section Anetworks are still in testing and trial phases.This means that a 5G network may not yet be stable enough to work on the moon’s surface.Question1: What are scientists planning to do?Question2: Why did scientists choose to set up a 4G network in their mission?News Report TwoFirefighters responded to a fire Wednesday night at an abandoned mall in Heywood.The fire was reported at 9:26 p.m.at an old shopping center on Michigan Avenue near St.Mary’s Church.Six fire engines, two trucks and two chiefs responded to the scene.Crews had the fire under control in about 45 minutes and managed to contain the fire to its point of origin.There were some people inside the building when the fire broke out, (3) but there were no reports of any injuries.Fire investigators have responded to the scene but have not yet determined the cause of the fire.Firefighters will remain on the scene until later this morning to ensure that the fire doesn’t start up again.The shopping mall had not been in use since 2023.(4)In 2023,Question6: Why does Japan limit the import of potatoes？Question7: What might affect Japanese domestic produce？Section BConversation OneM: (8) Mr.Brown’s lectures are so boring.W: Yes, he is not a very exciting speaker.But the subject is interesting.M: During every one of his lectures, I try to listen.I really try.But after about 10 minutes my mind begins to wander and I lose concentration.But I see that you seem to be OK.How do you stay focused through the entire hour?W: Well, (9-1) what I do is keep my pen moving.M: What do you mean?W: It’s a method of active concentration I read about.(9-2)One of the most effective ways to concentrate is to write things down.But it has to be done by hand, not typing on a keyboard.You see writing by hand forces you to actually engage with what you’re learning in a more physical way.M: Do you review your notes afterwards then?W: Sometimes, but that’s not important.My notes may or may not be useful but the point is that by writing down what Mr.Brand says I can follow his line of thinking more easily.In fact, sometimes I draw a little too.M: You draw in class and that helps me pay attention?W: (10) Yes, honestly it works for me.I just draw little lines and nonsense really.It was also in that article I read.It can keep the mind active, prevent getting bored and help to concentrate.Again the point is to listen hard while keeping the pen moving.（11） If I’m at home and I need to study what I do is read out loud.It has a similar effect to writing by hand.It helps memorize information in a physical way.Question8: What does the man think of Mr.Brown’s lectures?Question9: What does the woman do during Mr.Brown’s lectures?Question10: Why does the woman draw in class?Question11: What does the woman say about reading out loud?Conversation TwoM: And where is this?W: These photos are from the Taj Mahal in India.(12)We went there about ten years ago for our honeymoon.M: Was it romantic.W: Yeah.The Taj Mahal was a very romantic place.The guide told us there is a famous love story behind this building that all Indians learn in school.(13)I think it was during the 1600 and the princess at that time died while giving birth to her 14th child.The Emperor loved the princess so much and was so sad when she died that he ordered the palace to be built in her honor.M: Wow.That sounds very romantic.It looks amazing.W: Yes, it’s gorgeous.It’s also larger in real life than it looks in the photos.The building is very tall and there are gardens in a wall around it all.It’s all built in this white stone (14)And some walls of the building are decorated with jewels.M: It must have been very crowded when you were there.W: Yes, it’s a very famous tourist destination.So there are thousands of visitors every day.M: Was the rest of India crowded?W: Yes, very crowded in many cities.It was sometimes so crowded that it was difficult to walk along the streets especially through busy markets.And there are so many cars.Traffic was terrible but the people were friendly.The culture is amazing and we had a great time.M: What about the food?W: The Indian food is great.There are lots of different dishes to try and every region has its own special food.Question12: For what purpose did the woman go to India?Question13: Why was the Taj Mahal built?Question14: What does the woman say about the Taj Mahal?Question15: what is the woman’s impression of Indian cities?Section CPassage OneA Pew Research Center survey of more than 1000 Americans conducted in April 2023 finds that Americans continue to express largely positive views about the current state of their local public libraries.(16)For instance, around three quarters say that public libraries provide them with the resources they need.And 66% say the closing of their local public library would have a major impact on their community.Although notably just 33% say this would have a major impact on them personally or on their family.A majority of Americans feel libraries are doing a good job of providing a safe place for people to hang out or spend time as well as opening up educational opportunities for people of all ages (17)And roughly half think their librariescontribute “a lot” to their communities in terms of helping spark creativity among young people. And providing a trusted place for people to learn about new technologies.As in past Pew Research Center surveys of library use the April 2023 survey also measured Americans usage of and engagement with libraries.Overall, 53% of Americans ages 16 and older have had some interaction with the puppet library in the past year either through an in person visit or using a library website (18) Some 48% of adults specifically visited a library in the past 12 months, a modest increase from the 44% who said that in late 2023.Question16: What do most Americans say about local public libraries?Question17: How can local public libraries benefit young people?Question18: What does the 2023 survey show about adult library users?partnership between parents and teachers.A child’s year splits fairly neatly into thirds: a third at school, a third asleep and a third awake at home or onholiday.(25)Irrespective of the quality of a school, a child’s home life is of key importance.It is the determining factor of their academic success.Your child may have started on a new journey but your work is far from finished.Question22: How do parents feel when their children start going to school?Question23: What does the passage say about children’s education?Question24: What should parents do for the success of their children’s education?Question25: What does the passage say is the key factor of children’s academic success?。

二、听力原文：【News report one】A NASA satellite orbiting over Portugal took photographs that reveal the effects of pollution from ships. One of the photos shows a thin film of clouds above the brilliant blue of the north Atlantic, cut by white lines of thicker clouds that look like scars. (1) NASA officials explained those thicker clouds are signs of ship traffic below when ships power their way through the ocean, they pump exhaust into the atmosphere. Just as cars do.And those massive amounts of particles can cause clouds to form, get enough of those particles in one place as from the exhaust of a ship. And they can lead to the creation of new clouds easily visible from space. These clouds can be huge. Some of them stretch hundreds of kilometers from end to end. (2) NASA officials said it's likely that these sorts of clouds are having some effect on the global climate, according to NASA officials. But scientists aren't yet sure what effect it has. questions one and two are based on the news report you have just heard.Question 1 What has caused the thick clouds in the photos taken by a NASA satellite?Question 2 What do NASA officials think about the thick clouds?【News report two】Staff at a suburban supermarket in Melbourne say they feel unsafe at work after security guards were removed.This came after a series of physical attacks and verbal abuse by customers. (3) More than 50 workers at the store have signed a letter calling for a permanent security guard following a series of incidents, including a customer threatening to attack a supervisor with a knife. A security worker had guard at the storm each night from seven pm until 12 am.But that had stopped suddenly on Monday, employees said. One worker said an angry customer had thrown a chicken at his head after complaining about how long she had waited to be served. Another worker said the lack of protection at the storm made her feel uncomfortable at work. (4) However, the spokesman of the supermarket said the store had taken strong action in response to incidents. We have found very few instances of bad customer behavior at our store in the past year. In the rare cases, we have seen bad behavior. We have taken strong action in response, including banning a customer from the store.Question 3 For what purpose did this staff at a supermarket in Melbourne sign a letter?Question 4 What did the spokesman of the supermarkets say regarding the employees demand?【New report three】(5) Drivers on their way to the polish capital of Warsaw on Wednesday morning found the road blocked by an unusual obstacle. Tons of liquid chocolate that spilled onto the motorway. A truck carrying the sweet load hit a road barrier and overturned, blocking two lanes. (6) The cracked tank spilled a pool of a rapidly hardening chocolate, which quickly covered the width of the road, while the driver was taken to hospital with a broken arm, firefighters struggled to remove a reported 12 tons of solid chocolate from the road. (7) A representative for the firefighters told the local TV that removing the chocolate was worse than dealing with snow. After contacting the chocolate manufacturer, the firefighters resorted to spraying hot, pressurized water to get rid of the sticky substance. The local TV also noted that the cleanup spanned more than a Mile because drivers simply drove through the chocolate after the crash, leaving a long chocolate trail. But despite the sticky situation, firefighters and police attending to the cleanup were reportedly cheerful about the long task ahead. After all, who could be mad about 12 tons of chocolate?Question 5 What does drivers on the motorway to Warsaw find?Question 6 What does the report say about the accident?Question 7 What are the firefighters representative tell the local TV?【Conversation one】M: Lisa, why did you pay for your meal with cash instead of the payment apps on your phone?W: Well, I’ve gone back to cash. I’m only using payment apps if that’s the only option. [8]I am trying to save money for a new phone. And I find that using cash rather than payment apps helps me to save.M: But how? Money is money, isn’t it? I don’t think it matters whether you take it out of the bank and put it in your wal let will simply transfer from your bank account to the seller’s bank account using an app.W: No, I believe it does matter. It’s a psychological phenomenon. [9] I believe we have less connection with the value of our money when we just have the approved buttons on our phones.M: You might have a point. Since I stopped carrying cash around and started using my phone apps to pay, [10] I may have developed a tendency to buy more small or nonessential items.W: That’s highly possible. Think about the amount of time we spend with our phones in our hands and all the things we do with our phones. It sometimes seems that our phone is buying the product for us, not ourselves. M: [11] So cashless payment affects our ability to budget?W: I believe so. If we spend a hu ndred yuan in cash, we realize that we don’t have that hundred yuan to spend on something else. But if we’re spending electronically, we are less likely to make that mental calculation.M: I stopped using my credit card because I found out spending excessively, perhaps I should take the same approach of paying using my phone.W: It’s worth considering.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question 8. Why did the woman decide to go back to cash for payment?Question 9. What happens when people use that for payment according to the woman?Question 10. What might the man tend to buy with payment apps?Question 11. What does the man think of electronic payment?【Conversation Two】W: Hello, Mr. Brown. I was expecting your call. [12] My secretary told me you were having some problems with the wooden table. Is that right?M: No, no, the table is fine. [12] The problem is the chairs.W: Oh, the chairs. So what exactly is the issue?M: Well, to put simply, these are not the chairs my wife and I selected in your store last week. There must have been some confusion with our order.W: Oh, I see. I’m looking through my files now, and I see that the delivery was this morning. Is that correct?M: Yes.W: [13] Do you mind describing the chairs that were delivered to your apartment, Mr. Brown?M: Sure. These have a flat back with a rounded top, and are very heavy—they’re light brown that look kind of cheap. The ones we ordered were dark brown to match the table.W: Right, of course. It says here you purchased the Arlington table and four Milano chairs. As you said, there must have been some confusion with the order. I’m terribly sorry. [14] We will send a van to collect those four and replace them with the Milano you purchased. Will tomorrow 9am be okay, Mr. Brown?M: Yes, that would be great. Thank you.W: Good. Did everything else you ordered from us arrive okay?M: Yes, I think so. Let me check. The mirror and two paintings are here. The two coffee tables are also here, and the sofa. Yes, we hav en’t noticed anything else wrong or missing. But if we do, we will certainly let you know. W: Okay, great. [15] Once again, I’m sorry for the confusion and trouble caused.Question 12. Why did the man call the woman?Question 13. What did the woman ask the man to do?Question 14. What did the woman promise to do for the man?Question 15. What did the woman do at the end of the conversation?【Passage One】Do you have too much stuff? Are you daring saying untidy?(16) Say hello to a TV show called “tidying up with Mary Kondo”, a home improvement show based on a widely popular book, the life changing magic of tidying up. In the show, Marie Kondo acts as a tiny garbage fairy for messy people, visiting their houses to share the wisdom of the con Marie method. This method is simple in theory, but can be endlessly complex and practice. (17)You divide all the stuff in your house, all of it into several categories, and then examine each item, all of them to see if it sparks joy. If it does, you keep it. If it doesn't, you thank it and neatly discard it. So is the TV show inspiring people to tidy up? First hand accounts seem to indicate a small wave of people bringing piles of donation bags to used good stores. One store received thousands of bags of used possessions in one day. January is usually the stores slow season for donations because it's cold. And people don’t want to bother. But not this January, people seem determined to clean up their homes. (18) One used bookstore received a month’s worth of books and donations in a week, when a man gave over 50 boxes of books from his home. It seems Mary’s TV show is having a big impact after all.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 16:What is Marie Kondos’ TV show about?Question 17:Wha t things can be kept in one’s home according to Marie Kondo?Question 18: What do we learn about one used book store this January?【Passage Two】At just 12 years old, Mike Hannon is making a difference in his community. (19) One lunch at a time, Mike’s lunches of love has fed more than 2000 of the town’s most vulnerable residents. Mike delivers meals to the homeless. “It’s like a way to give people joy, maybe spark something in them that can change them,” Mike told WBCTV. The mayor of Mike’s town feels that Mike is a great community leader, especially in such times of so much negative news, while his father commented on how proud he wa s of his son. Yet, Mike isn’t looking for praise but kindness in return.(20) He hopes his acts of charity will influence others to spread positive actions in their own towns. Mike includes a handwritten message of joy on each bag. His message and star power has spread all over the country. To date, his online page to raise funds has brought in more than 44,000 dollars in a county, raising more than 17,000 dollars in just one day with the help of many famous actors and others. (21) People from all over the country are sending special handcrafted bags to help the young manwith his mission to help those in need. Many are hoping the simple act of kindness spreads, like is seen as hope for the future of the town, the country, and the world.Question 19: What does Mike Hannon do to help people in his town?Question 20: What does Mike hope others will do?Question 21: How are people all over country responding to what Mike is doing?【Passage Three】In a recent study carried out by psychologists on the disruptive effects of smartphones,(22)two groups of college students were given word search puzzles.First group was told to Complete the puzzles with its participants, smartphones, in their line of sight. The second group, however, was told that the phones would interfere with equipment in the experiment and would need to be moved away from the testing area.Midway through the second groups solving of the puzzles, the experiment called one of the phones “let it ring for a while before hanging up”. (23)Many of the students in that group were unable to focus from then on, becoming anxious and performing more poorly than the first group.Use of electronics has also been known to lead to a decline in human interactions rather than having real life conversations, many express emotions and engage in deep conversations through social media sites. Many students use their phones and computers during pass for non-academic activities, which leads to poor grades.(24)Perhaps the most dramatic impact is the reduction on the amount of sleep,which leads to poor health and weight gain.Technology is a great tool. However, it’s important to recognize its down sides. Lack of sleep, reduction of productivity and weight gain are only a few. (25)If we are not careful about all these minor problems right now, effect on the future generation is going to be much bigger.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 22: What were the college students in both groups required to do in the study?Question 23: What do we learn about many of the students in the second test group after the phone rang? Question 24: According to the passage, what is the most dramatic impact of smartphone use?Question 25: What does the speaker suggest people do?。

此正确答案为C选项。

【听力原文】News Report ThreeLions have disappeared from much of Africa, but for the past few years scientists have wondered if the big cats were hanging on in remote parts of Sudan and Ethiopia. 【5】 Continuous fighting in the region has made surveys difficult. 【6】But scientists released a report Monday documenting, with hard evidence, the discovery of “lost lions”. A team with Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, supported by a charity organization, spent two nights in November camping in the National Park in northwest Ethiopia, on the Ethiopia-Sudan border.【7】The researchers set out six camera traps capturing images of lions, and identified lion tracks. The scientists concluded that lions are also likely to live in the neighbouring National Park across the border in Sudan. The International Union for Conservation of Nature had previously considered the area a “possible range” for the species, and local people had reported seeing lions in the area, but no one presented convincing evidence.【杀掉拦路虎】 1. Sudan [s?'dɑ:n] n.苏丹2. Ethiopia [?i:θ?'??p??]n.埃塞俄比亚（非洲东部国家）3. Oxford ['?ksf?d]n.牛津（英国城市），牛津大学4.WildlifeConservation[?wa?ld?la?fknsvein] 野生生物资源保护 5. charity [?t??riti]n.慈善（行为）;施舍，捐助;慈善机关;仁爱第6页共56页宽容6. traps [tr?ps]n.随身携带物，随身行李；圈套( trap的名词复数 )；（对付人的）计谋；（练习射击用的）抛靶器；（捕捉动物的）夹子v.诱骗( trap的第三人称单数 )；使受限制；困住；使（水与气体等）分离7. convincing [k?n?v?ns??]adj.令人相信的；有说服力的；令人心悦诚服的 v.使相信(convince的现在分词)；使明白；使确信；说服8. clue [klu:]n. 线索;提示;（帮助警方破案的）线索;（纵横填字谜、游戏或问题的）提示词语; vt. <非正>为…提供最新情况（消息等） 9. Inadequate [?n??d?kw?t]adj. 不充足的;不适当的;不足胜任的;信心不足的10. hazard [?h?z?d] vt. 冒险;使遭受危险;n. 危险;冒险的事;机会;双骰子游戏 11. facility [f??siliti] n. 设备;容易;能力;灵巧Questions 5 to 7 are based on the new report you have just heard.5.What has made it difficult to survey lions in remote parts of Sudan and Ethiopia?5. A) The lack of clues about the species. B) Endless fighting in the region. C) Inadequate funding for research.D) The hazards from the desert. 【答案】B【解析】本题为细节题，由【5】 Continuous fighting in the region has made surveysdifficult.可知：在这一地区不断的战争使调查很困难，a选项是缺乏物种的线索，c选项是研究证据不充分，d选项来自沙漠的危险，本题难点在于对原文理解以及弄懂各个选项的意思。

最新英语四级考试听力新闻材料最新英语四级考试听力新闻材料向着某一天终于要达到的那个终极目标迈步还不够，还要把每一步骤看成目标，使它作为步骤而起作用。

以下是店铺为大家搜索整理的最新英语四级考试听力新闻材料，希望对正在关注的您有所帮助!Questions 5 to 7 will be based on the followingnews item.5A.All taxis began to use meters.B.All taxis got air conditioning.C.Advertisements were allowed on taxis.D.Old taxis were replaced with new cabs.6A.A low interest loan scheme.B.Environmentalists' protests.C.Taxi passengers' complaints.D.Permission for car advertising.7A.There are no more irregular practices.B.All new cabs provide air-conditioning.C.New cabs are all equipped with meters.D.New legislation protects consumer rights.News Item ThreeCairo is known for its overcrowded roads, irregulardriving practices and shaky old vehicles, but also forits air pollution. (5) In recent months, though,environmental studies indicate there have beensigns of improvement. That's due in part to theremoval of many of the capital's old-fashioned black and white taxis. Most of these dated backto the 1960s and 70s and were in a poor state of repair.After new legislation demanded their removal from the roads, (6) a low interest loan schemewas set up with three Egyptian banks so drivers could buy new cars. The government paysabout $900 for old ones to be discarded and advertising on the new vehicles helps coverrepayments.The idea has proved popular with customers—they can now travel in air-conditioned comfortand (7) because the new cabs are metered, they don't have to argue over fares. Banks and carmanufacturers are glad for the extra business in tough economic times. As for the taxi drivers,most are: delighted to be behind the wheel of new cars, although there have been a fewcomplaints about switching from black and white to a plain white colour.5.What change took place in Cairo recently?6.What helped bring about the change?7.Why do customers no longer argue with new cab drivers?短篇新闻(三)开罗以拥挤不堪的交通，违法驾驶、破旧汽车以及空气污染而闻名。

News report oneWhite neat, such as chicken may raise blood cholesterol levels as much as red meat does. This finding surprised researchers who admitted they didn't expect that eating white meat would lead to higher blood cholesterol levels.(Q1) In the study, researchers looked at 113 healthy people. The participants ate 3 different diets. These were a red meat which is primarily beef, a white meat diet which is, mostly chicken and turkey, and a vegetarian protein diet. Each diet period was 4 weeks between the diet periods. Participants had a break during which they ate their regular foods. In addition, participants had blood tests at the start and finish of each new diet. The results showed that white and red meat diets had the same effects on blood cholesterol levels.Further, both diets increased blood cholesterol levels compared with the diet built on vegetarian protein sources. The team acknowledged that it is possible that white meat is better for our health than red meat.(Q2) Despite their findings, this is because other effects of red meat consumption could contribute to heart disease, independent of cholesterol. Their main recommendations are that people eat less of both kinds of meat and more vegetarian protein.What do we learn from the news report about the study?What did the researchers acknowledge?News report twoAt around 9:30 this morning, A trailer attached to a lorry turned over at the crossing of high street in milton. Hundreds of frozen turkeys were spilled all over the road. It is reported that nobody was hurt in the incident, but police said it may affect traffic and christmas dinners.(Q3) With just 1 week to go before christmas. There are worries that local supermarket supplies of this holiday favorite may be affected. A Police spokeswoman said that officers were currently in attendance at the scene. She stated that the driver of the lorry had been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.The Crossing on high street is a well known accident black spot.(Q4) This year alone, there have been seven traffic accidents at this location. Thankfully, none of these accidents have resulted in serious injury.3. What does the news report say about the accident at the crossing of high street and milton?4. What do we learn about the crossing on high street?News report threeIndia launched its helicopter taxi service on monday, promising to ferry customers the 40 miles between bangalore's, electronic city tech hub and the international airport terminal in 15 minutes.(Q5) Customers can book their helicopter ride through a mobile app. The service which claims to be the first of its kind in india offers only one route, but bengalore airport will add more once it gets approval. Helicopter taxi is not an affordable option for many travelers.(Q6) A car ride for the same journey, cost less than half as much, but bengalore airportsays it is a competitive alternative to a car ride for tech executives in a hurry, a large number of high class travelers, including ceos, have to spend more than 3 hours by road to get there.(Q7)And that is a loss of time. A binglelore airport spokesperson said, this is not a low cost option, but it is an option. She added the helicopters varied around eight customers to the airport on their first day, the company that owns and operates the service is called thumby aviation. It previously specialized in private charter flights for government officials.5. What is bangalore airport trying to do about the helicopter taxi service?6. What do we learn from the news report about the helicopter taxi ride?7. Who are the targeted customers of the helicopter taxi service?Conversation one说话人1 Hi. I wish to buy some cheese for a barbecue this weekend.(Q8)说话人2 What kind would you like?说话人1 Sorry, I don't know much about cheese. What type do you think would be suitable for a barbecue?说话人2 That's easy for a barbecue. Could have any cheese you want. I imagine there will be different foods, and people will just help themselves and eat at their own pace, right? Exactly.说话人1 It will be very casual. We will just be a small group of friends gathering together at washington park. There will be around 20 of us, including children. Great.说话人2 So you could have different types of cheese. How much would you like to spend?说话人1 Not very much, let's say, $30.说话人2 I would suggest having at least one soft cheese and one hard cheese that will offer you a good variety to suit different people's tastes.(Q9) 说话人1 That sounds good. What's the difference between a soft cheese and a hard cheese?说话人2 It depends. But generally speaking, soft cheeses are creamy and go well with sweet things like honey and jam. I would suggest something like this, spanish goat cheese, only $15, a very good price. You can spread it on bread with a knife.(Q10) And then at a tiny bit of honey on top, it's delicious. Children love it.说话人1 Great. What about a hard cheese?说话人2 For hard cheese? I would recommend this italian one here. It has a very strong smell and a dry flavor. You can cut it into thin slices and eat it on its own. It's $16.说话人1 I'll take both. Thank you for your help.(Q11)8. What does the woman plan to do for the weekend?9. What does the man suggest the woman do?10. Does the man say about spanish goat cheese?11. What is the woman going to do at the end of the conversation?Conversation two说话人1 Our school is replacing printed textbooks with e textbooks next semester. I can't wait.说话人2 Really? What about the cost? Not only buying all those tablets, but the software and electronic infrastructure that goes with it. Not to mention retraining all the teachers and administration staff.说话人1 Sure the initial expenditure will be high, but much lower afterwards. Besides that, tablet prices continue to drop and are becoming increasingly affordable.Anyway, tablets help students learn up to 80 % faster.说话人2 Not necessarily.Tablets have too many distractions. Students may pay attention to apps, games, and websites. Instead of their teachers.(Q12)In fact, research suggests that people who read printed text comprehend more, remember more and learn 30 % more than those who read digital text.说话人1 Yes, but tablets contain many technological features that are not found in printed textbooks. Think about it. Students are able to highlight edit text,write notes, and search for information, much more quickly than they can with printed textbooks.(Q13) And what about all those trees that are cut down to make printed books?说话人2 Actually, manufacturing tablets is environmentally destructive and dangerous to human health. The health impacts from making one electronic reader are 70 times greater than those from making a single printed book. A lot of minerals are extracted from the earth to make electronic readers. It does far more damage to the environment.(Q14)说话人1 but the software for electronic readers can be updated instantly without the need for buying a whole lot of new books that's better for the environment.说话人2 But the core curriculum doesn't change that much printed textbooks that are not brand new still contain the basic, relevant information of core subjects.(Q15)说话人1 Well. I'm looking forward to the change.说话人2 I'll stick with my printed books.12. What does the woman say about using e textbooks?13. According to the man, how can the use of tablets benefit students?14. What does the woman say about students using tablets?15. What does the woman say about making electronic readers? Section c directions?Passage oneIn social psychology, the term person perception refers to the mental processes that we use to form impressions of other people. It includes not just how we form these impressions, but the conclusions we make about other people based on our impressions. Consider how often you make this kind of judgment every day.(Q16) When you meet with a new coworker, you immediately begin to develop an initial impression of this person. When you visit the grocery store, you might draw conclusions about the cashier who checks you out. Obviously, person perception is a very subjective process that can be affected by a number of variables, including the characteristics of the person you're observing, the context of the situation, your own personal traits, and your past experiences.(Q17) One of the techniques we use in person perception is social categorization. In this process, we mentally categorize people into different groups based on common characteristics. Problems with this technique include the fact that it can lead to errors and prejudice.(Q18) Imagine that you are getting on a bus. There are only two seats available. One is next to a small elderly woman. The other is next to a muscular, fierce looking man. You sit next to the elderly woman who unfortunately turns out to be quite skilled at picking pockets. Because of socialcategorization, you immediately judge the woman as harmless and the man as threatening, leading to the loss of your wallet.16. What does the passage say we tend to do every day?17. What do we learn about person perception from this passage?18. What is the problem with using social categorization and person perception?Passage twoDespite smartphones and social media, young people today are as socially competent as those from the previous generation. At least, this is what a new study suggests.(Q19) For the study, researchers compared teacher and parent evaluations of American children who started kindergarten in 1998, with those who began school in 2010, the former group entered kindergarten when mobile phones were luxuries. The ladder group started school when mobile devices were widespread. Results showed both groups of children were rated similarly on important social skills.These included the ability to form and maintain friendships and get along with people who are different. They were also rated similarly on self-control, such as the ability to regulate their temper. In virtually every comparison made, ratings of social skills either remain constant or improved for the children born later.There was one exception. Social skills were slightly lower for children who accessed online games and social networking sites many times a day.(Q20) Adults are worried when technological change starts to undermine traditional relationships, particularly the parent child relationship. The introduction of telephones, automobiles, and radio, all led to moral panic among adults of the time. Because the technology allow children to enjoy more freedom, fears over screen based technology represent the most recent panic in response to technological change.(Q21) But overall, the study found little evidence that time spent on screens was hurting social skills for most children.19. What does the new study suggest about young people today and those from the previous generation?20. What did the study find about children who access social networking sites many times a day?21. What is adult`s worry about technological change?Passage threeIt's easy to spend all day searching for inspiration. You can find incredible videos, articles, and news stories about the success of others. The problem is that consuming the success and ideas of others is passive inspiration(Q22). Every time you read an article or listen to an interview, you're practicing passive inspiration. You might learn something, but you don't actually have to do anything. Hearingabout other people's success isn't the same as creating your own. Instead, it is through the process of active inspiration, the act of, creating things, applying new ideas to our goals and making mistakes that we discover who we are and what is important to us.(Q23)Furthermore, active inspiration is what results in long term passion and enthusiasm. Watching someone else's success might leave you feeling excited for a few minutes. However, taking action and applying a new idea to your life will inspire you more than anything someone else could say. Learning and listening can help you think about things in a different way. But creating, producing, and experimenting is what drives you forward. Passive inspiration can give you ideas(Q24), but active inspiration will give you power. Too often, we spend our lives consuming the world around us instead of creating it. What matters is the power your actions have to inspire you. The best inspiration comes from the application of ideas, not the consumption of them.(Q25)22. What does the speaker say about inspiration from consuming others, ideas and success stories?23. What do we learn from the passage about active inspiration?24. What does the passage say passive inspiration can do?25. Where does the best inspiration come from according to the passage?。