2016英语专四听力原文

2016年英语专业四级考试答案ListeningPART I DICTATIONThink Positively and Feel PositivelyAre you confident or insecure in a difficult situation? Do you react positively or negatively?The answer may depend in part on whom you are around.A study found that negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. For example, theresearchers studied 103 college roommates. They measured each roommate’s tendency towards negative thinking. It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious. Students with a negativethinking roommate became more depressed themselves and students with more positive thinkingroommates were more likely to become more positive as well.PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A TALK1. success2. challenging settings3. National Spelling Contest4. passion and perseverance5. future a reality6. marathon7. grittier8. measures of talent9. not fixed10. not permanentSECTION B CONVERSATIONS1. C. procedure2. A. job3. C. presentation4. D. company5. B. 11 Thursday6. B. Handle7. A. increased by 6 to8. B. first9. D. withdraw10. A. charitablePART III LANGUAGE USAGE11-20: ADABB DBABC 21-30: ADABA CDBDCPART IV CLOZE31-40: HLIED KOCMGPART V READING COMPREHENSION41-50: BADBD ADCBD51. Keep wits together in the presence of that food.52. The author was given the million-pound bank-note.53. It symbolizes peace and unity.54. Meeting basic needs and making low-paid work.55. Good things will happen by taking care of the present.PART VI WRITING参考范文When it comes to whether parents should take their children to spend holidays during term-time, views on the issue vary from person to person. Parents claim that by doing so, they can savea lot of money born of busy school holidays. Educational officials strongly oppose this tendency onthe ground that it encourages truancy, which in turn damages a child’seducation. From myperspective, the merits of banning term-time holidays outweigh its demerits.To begin with, taking tough measures on this kind of truancy is conducive to the normalteaching process, one of the key elements to guarantee kid’s academic performance. As we know,currently, teachers have the discretion to approve a certain time of absence from school for eachchild, which is supposed to be for illness and is not supposed to be granted for holidays. By definitelyabolishing the right of head teachers to “authorize absence” from the classroom, those teachers c rarely be pestered by parents who want to take children to go on a holiday just to save money, whichsevere ly disrupts teaching process. What ‘s more, without strict penalties imposed on the parentswho lead to their kid’s playing truant, those parents can gradually view asking for holiday leave asa right. Once this cultural expectation is formed, the level of truancy will dramatically increase.Accordingly, the growing trend of term-time holidays should be banned with no delay. In thisway, teachers can impart knowledge without disturbance and parents will be deterred from savingmoney at the expense of sacrificing their kid’s education.2016专四听力原文PART I DICTATIONThink Positively and Feel PositivelyAre you confident or insecure in a difficult situation? Do you react positively or negatively?The answer may depend in part on whom you are around.A study found that negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. For example, theresearchers studied 103 college roommates. They measured each roommate’s tendency towardsnegative thinking. It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious. Students with a negativethinking roommate became more depressed themselves and students with more positive thinkingroommates were more likely to become more positive as well.PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A TALKWhat is Grit?Good morning, everyone. Today I would like to talk about my recent research project,concerning the key to success. I would like to start my topic with my own story.When I was 27 years old, I left for a demanding job - teaching seventh graders math in the NewYork City public schools. And like any teacher, I made quizzes and tests. I gave out homeworkassignments. When the work came back, I calculated grades.What struck me was that I.Q. was not the only difference between my best and my worststudents. Some of my strongest performers did not have super I.Q. scores. Some of my smartest kidsweren't doing so well.And I felt interested in knowing the reason why the students’ math performance is not that closely related to their IQ scores. I started studying kids and adults in all kinds of challengingsettings, and in every study my question was, who is successful here and why? My research teamand I went to West Point Military Academy. We tried to predict which students would stay inmilitary training and which would drop out. We went to the National Spelling Contest and tried topredict which children would advance furthest in competition. We worked with private companies,asking, which of these sales people is going to keep their jobs? And who's going to earn the mostmoney? We went to many places. And finally, one characteristic emerged as a significant predictorof success. And it wasn't social intelligence. It wasn't good looks, physical health, and it wasn't I.Q.It was grit. What is grit?Well, grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is sticking with your future,day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hardto make future a reality. Grit is living your life like it's a marathon, not a sprint.A few years ago, I started studying grit in the Chicago public schools. I asked thousands ofhigh school juniors to take grit questionnaires, and then waited around more than a year to see whowould graduate. It turned out that grittier kids were significantly more likely to graduate, even whenI matched them on every characteristic I could measure, things like family income, test scores, andso on. To me, the most shocking thing about grit is how little we know, how little science knows,about building it. Every day, parents and teachers asked me, "How do I build grit in kids? How doI keep them motivated for the long run?" Our data show very clearly that there are many talentedindividuals who simply do not follow through on their commitment. In fact, in our data, grit isusually unrelated to measures of talent.So far, the best idea I've heard about building grit in kids is something called "growth mindset."Growth mindset is the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed, that it can change with your effort.Kids with grit are much more likely to persevere when they fail, because they don't believe thatfailure is a permanent condition.So growth mindset is a great idea for building grit. But we need more. And that's where I'mgoing to end my talk, because that's where we are. That's the work that stands before us. We haveto be willing to fail, to be wrong, to start over again with lessons learned.As a conclusion, we need to be gritty about getting our kids grittier. Next time, I would like toshare with you my experience in building up st udents’ grit.Section BConversation OneCompany.W:Hello, this is Kate Smith. I’m calling from ABCM: Oh, hello, Kate. Great to hear from you.W:You’ve already been told that y ou’ve been short-listed for interview.M: Oh, yes.W: Well we’re very excited about meeting you. Ok, I just want to talk you through the procedure for the day. Someone will meet you when you arrive, and then bring you up to meet myselfand Arthur Miller, the CEO.M: Ok sounds good. So will you be the only members of the interview panel there then?Arthur who will talk to you. The interview will be in three parts – firstW:Yes, it’ll be just me andof all we’ll ask you some general questions about yourself and your educational andprofessional background, and then we’ll move on to specifics.M: Oh, er, Specifics? Well er, what kind of questions will you be asking?- we’ll beW:Well, it’ll be very similar to the personal statement you submitted with your CVexpecting you to to give actual examples of problems you’ve faced and solved, and of whatyou feel are the major successes in your career so far.M: Ok well yeah, that sounds great –can’t wait!- about the job itself, or ABCW:Then there’ll be a chance for you to ask us any questionsCompany in general...M:Oh, erm, ok...I’ll think of something!ABC as a companyW:After that, we’d like you to give a short presentation on how you seeprogressing, and how you see yourself taking us there.M: Ok so will I be expected to give like a formal style presentation?computer and a data projector thereW:It can be as formal or informal as you like. There’ll be aavailable. If you need anything else, just let us know....M:Oh, erm ok, a presentation! I’ll think of something. I haven’t done one of those in a while W: Is that all clear?M: Yes.W:Great, so, Daniel, I’ll see you at 11am, Thursday, next week.M: Ok, great. I look forward to meeting you! Thanks, bye.W: Bye.Questions 1 to 5 are based on Conversation One.Question 1: Why does the woman call the man?Question 2: What kind of questions can the man ask in an interview?Question 3: Which is the last part of the interview?Question 4: What might be expected from the man’s presentation?Question 5: When is the interview scheduled?Conversation TwoW: It says a growing number of students are making a major hole from the minute they enter the real world, because they are already some of them, more than 100,000 dollars in debt. With usnow is Mark Spencer. He is the senior financial analyst from SBC Bank. Welcome to you.M: Thank you, nice to be with you.W: Now, I guess there are two kinds of debts, good debt and bad debt. Where does this go?M: Well, student loan debt is traditionally considered good debt, but the problem for many students and their families is that the cost of colleges has been going up at 6-8% a year, far faster than theincome, far faster than the standard of living. That means debt’s taking on a bigger and bigge role in financing education.W: How much debt is too much debt for-for one student?M: Well, one guideline is that you look at the first-year salary in your field after graduation, and use that as a barometer, but even then…W: Is that right?M: Well, you are talking big payments even in that instance. For example, 30,000 dollars’debt, if you are gonna repay that over 10 years, you are talking more than 300 dollars a monthdebt in payments every month for 10 years.W: But there are surely more than one way to get a loan for college. There are government programs, there are so many kinds of grants. What’s-what’s the best advice for people who are looking for these loans to try to keep themselves from going under?M: I understand that loans are just one way of college finance. Take advantage of the other opportunities, things like a college savings’ plan. Let-let you save on a tax advantage basis, so you can put money away in these accounts and withdraw tax-free to pay for that education.W: So it’s important to start early and that really reduces their reliance on debt later.M: Another thing. Leave no stone unturned, looking at grants, scholarships, even on campus jobs.I mean every dollar you get that way is seen as another dollar you don’t have to borrow late W: The kinds of jobs that so many students, fresh off students, like to go into, eh——charity stuff, volunteer work. This debt is eliminating a lot of that, isn’t it?M: I think that’s the social cost, really, I mean, you know, when you consider that, you know, people may pass up a rewarding career and charitable work or a non-profit organization, because theyhave to get a higher salary some places else to pay off that debt.W: Yeah, that’s for sure. Mark Spencer, senior financial analyst from SBC Bank, Mark, good you could be here.M: Thank you.Questions 6 to 10 are based on Conversation TwoQuestion 6: What is the interview mainly about?Question 7: How does the cost of education change every year?Question 8: What is used to measure student loan debt as a guideline?Question 9: What is the advantage of joining a college savings’ plan? Question 10: What is the possible social cost of college loan?。

2016年6月大学英语四级听力第一套原文以提供给考生参考之用。

【原文】Section ADirections: 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 center.Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.1. A) The woman doesn't think much of the book.B) The woman doesn't like the book at all.C) The woman finds the book hard to understand.D) The woman finds the book inspiring.2. A) Her job responsibilities changed significantly.B) Her job wasn't what she had expected.C) The man was unable to help her at work.D) The man was demoted to a lower position.3. A) She didn't care for the explanation in the book.B) She liked the way the writer expl本人ned things.C) She didn't understand the writer's point of view.D) She couldn't keep up with the writer's ideas.4. A) Whether the man has read any influential books lately.B) Whether they will have discussion of the book tomorrow.C) Whether there will be any changes in the woman's job.D) Whether the woman thinks the book is worth reading.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single linethrough the center.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the passage you have just heard.5. A) She put signs everywhere.B) She didn't sell her house at the end.C) She sold her house in two months.D) She sold her house in one day.6. A) He didn't have to sell the house.B) He sold the house to a friend.C) He misunderstood the message.D) He sold the house himself.7. A) Another real estate agent.B) The woman who p本人nted the signs.C) A close friend with real estate experience.D) The woman who had a mess with signs.Questions 8 to 10 are based on the passage you have just heard.8. A) The sale.B) The w oman’s great success.C) How to sell a house.D) The woman's son’s desire.9. A) For six months.B) For a half a year.C) For a year and two months.D) For a year and a half.10. A) They enjoyed the benefit of her success.B) They often laughed at her feelings.C) They were glad to see how she f本人led.D) They learned from the success of the woman.【听力文本翻译】本文为2016年6月大学英语四级听力第一套原文，本文共包括A、B 两个小节，分别包括两组长对话和两段短文，包括对话和文本的问题，共涉及10个问题。

2016年12月英语四级听力原文2016年12月英语四级听力原文（沪江网校版）2016年12月17日全国大学英语四级考试已结束，本次考试为多题多卷，本站第一时间收集整理不同版本试题，供考生参考：Section AA 16th century castle in Scotland is close to collapsing after lumps of soils were washed away by floods, threatening its foundations.On Sunday, the castle’s owner John Gordon, 76, was forced to move out his property after the River Dee swept away about 60 feet of land, leaving the castle dangerous close to the river. According 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 the 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?Q2. What happened in Scotland last Wednesday?Section A - 2Rescue efforts were underway Thursday morning for 17 miners who were stuck in an elevator below ground at a Cargill rock salt mine near Lansing, New York, according to Marcia Lynch.Public information officer with Tompkins County’s emergency response department, emergency workers have made contact with the miners via a radio. And they all appear 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 in the elevator went immediately available. The mine, along New York’s Cayuga Lake, pr ocesses salt used for road treatment. It produces about 2 million tons of salt that is shipped to more than 1,500 places in the northeastern United States, the rock salt mine is one of three operated by Cargill with the other two in Louisiana and Ohio.Q3. What does the news report say about the salt miners?Q4.What did the rescue team do?Section A - 3The U.S. Postal Service announced today that it is considering closingabout 3,700 post offices over the next year because of falling revenues. Facing an $8.3 billion budget deficit this year, closing post officers 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 waves 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 U.S. Postal Service planning to do?Q6.What measure has been planned to save costs?Q7.What will happen when the proposed measure come into effect? Conversation 1A: Mrs. Hampton, we've got trouble in the press room this morning. B: Oh dear. What about?A: One of the press operators arrived an hour and a half late.B: But that's a straightforward affair. He will simply lose part of his pay. That's why we have a clock-in system.A: But the point is the man was clocked-in at 8 o'clock. We have John standing by the time clock, and he swears he saw nothing irregular. B: Is John reliable?A: Yes, he is. That's why we chose him for the job.B: Have you spoken to the man who was late?A: Not yet. I thought I'd have a word with you first. He's a difficult man, and I think there's been some trouble on the shop floor. I've got a feeling that trade union representative is behind this. The manager told me that Jack Green's been very active around the shop the last few days.B: Well, what do you want me to do?A: I was wondering if you'd see Smith, the man who was late, because you are so much better at handling things like this.B: Oh, alright. I'll see him. I must say I agree with you about there being bad feelings in the works. I've had the idea for some time that Jack Green's been busy stirring things up in connection with the latest wage claim. He's always trying to make trouble. Well, I'll get the manager to send Smith up here.Q8. What will happen to the press operator who was late for the work according to the woman?Q9. What does the man say about John who stands by the time clock?Q10. Why does the man suggest the woman see the worker who was late?your university. Check with your school’s career service or employment office for help to find a campus job. Of course, there are opportunities for part-time work off-campus, too. If you spend a little time digging for the right part time jobs, you’ll save yourself time when you find a job that leaves you with enough time to get your school work done, too. If you are a college student looking for work but worry you won’t have enough time to devote to academic subjects, consider working as a study hall or a library monitor. Responsibilities generally include supervising study spaces to ensure that a quiet atmosphere is maintained. It’s a pretty easy job, but one with lots of downtime-which means you will have plenty of time to catch up on reading, do homework or study for an exam.Q16: What does the speaker say about college students applying for on-campus jobs?Q17: What can students do to find a campus job according to the speaker? Q18: What does the speaker say is a library monitor’s responsibility? Passage TwoAgricultural workers in green tea fields near Mt. Kenya are gathering the tea leaves. It is beautiful to see. The rows of tea bushes are straight. All appears to be well. But the farmers who planted the bushes are worried. Nelson Kibara is one of them. He has been growing tea in the Kerugoya area for 40 years.He says the prices this year have been so low that he has made almost no profit. He says he must grow different kinds of tea if he is to survive. Mr. Kibara and hundreds of other farmers have been removing some of their tea bushes and planting a new kind of tea developed by the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya. Its leaves are purple and brown. When the tea is boiled, the drink has a purple color. Medical researchers have studied the health benefits of the new tea. They say it is healthier than green tea and could be sold for a price that is three to four times higher than the price of green tea.But Mr. Kibara says he has not received a higher price for his purple tea crop.He says the market for the tea is unstable and he is often forced to sell his purple tea for the same price as green tea leaves. He says there are not enough buyers willing to pay more for the purple tea.Q19. Why have tea farmers in Kenya decided to grow purple tea?Q20. What do researchers say about purple tea?Q21. What does Mr. Kibara find about purple tea?Passage ThreeToday's consumers want beautiful handcrafted objects to wear and to have for their home environment. They prefer something unique and they demand quality. Craftsmen today are meeting this demand. People and homes are showing great change as more and more unique handcrafted items becomeavailable. Handcrafts are big business. No long does a good craftsman have to work in a job he dislikes all day and then try to create at night. He has earned his professional status. He is now a respected member of society. Parts of the fun of being a craftsman is meeting other craftsmen. They love to share their ideas and materials and help others find markets for their work. Craftsmen have helped educate consumers to make wise choices. They help them become aware of design and technique. They help them relate their choice to its intended use. They often involve consumers in trying the craft themselves. When a group of craftsmen expends to include more members, a small craft organization is formed. Such an organization does a lot in training workshops in special media, craft marketing techniques, craft fairs and sales, festivals, TV appearances and demonstrations. State art councils help sponsor local arts and crafts festivals which draw crowds of tourist consumers. This boosts the local economy considerably because tourists not only buy crafts, but they also use the restaurants and hotels and other services of the area.Q22. What does the speaker say about today's consumers?Q23. What does the speaker say about a good craftsman in the past?Q24. What do craftsmen help consumers do?Q25. Why do state art councilshelp sponsor local arts and crafts festivals?第一套详解：Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation. One is to find a job somewhere and the other to start a business of your own. You are to make a decision. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your decision. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.精彩范文In the past two years of my college life, I have never ceased to think what kind of work I shall take up upon graduation. Although my ideas are not consistent, I have now decided to start a business of my own as my lifelong career.A variety of factors have led me to make this decision over other more lucrative ones. To begin with, running my own business means freedom and independence. As a person having my own business, I am free to use my own ideas and make my own decisions, a privilege not everyone can have, even those with highly-paid positions. More importantly, I like starting my own business in that it offers a certain peace of mind. No more rushing to catch a morning bus, no more anxiety to please a boss, no more worries about your paycheck which is steady, if not handsome.Nothing, not even a big salary, can equal for the satisfaction of being your own boss and a gentle peace of life.参考译文在过去两年的大学生活中，我一刻也没有停止过思考：我大学毕业以后要干什么工作。

2016年6月News report 1The International Labor Organization says the number of people without jobs is increasing. In its latest update on global employment trends, the agency says projections of the number of unemployed people this year range from 210 million to nearly 240 million people. The report warns that 200 million poor workers are at risk of joining the ranks of people living on less than 2 dollars per day in the past three years. The director general of the International Labor Organization Juan Somavia notes that some countries have taken measures to address the effects of the global crisis.However, he points out that many countries have not done so. And based on past experiences, it takes four to five years after economic recovery for unemployment to return to pre-crisis levels. Mr. Somavia says the International Labor Organization is proposing a global jobs' agreement to deal with unemployment. 'It's key objective is to play so the center of recovery efforts, measures that would generate high levels of employment and provide basic social protection for the most vulnerable.'Q1. What is the news report mainly about?Q2. What does, Juan Somavia, the director general of the International Labor Organization say?News report 2Big fast food chains in New York City have started to obey a first of its kind rule, requiring them to post calorie counts right on the menu. Cathy Nurses is with the New York City department of health, 'We wanted to give people an opportunity to actually see the calories before they purchased the food and make a decision and inform decision. That if they want to make their healthier choice, if they want to eat fewer calories they can. And we expect this will have a huge impact on obesity. And of course, if it has an impact on obesity, it will have an impact on diabetes and heart disease and high blood pressure. 'Thenew rules will introduce as a part of anti-obesity campaign. That also includes a recent citywide ban and artificial trans-fats in restaurant food. The menu roll only applies to restaurants that serve standardized potion sizes and have fifty more locations nationwide. Starting last Saturday, chains big enough to fall under the rule will face penalties about 2000 dollars for not showing calorie information in a prominent spot on their menus preferably next to the price.Q3. What are big fast food chains in New York City require to do according to the new rule?Q4. What would happen to big restaurant chains that violate the new rule?News ReportsNews Report ThreeAlmost all companies recognize the importance of innovation today. But not many are able to integrate innovation into their business.A commentary in the Shanghai Daily points out that innovation doesn't mean piles of documents. It is something more practical. The article says many people tend to assume that innovation just means creating something new, but actually it's more than that. It's an attitude of doing things. A company should find ways to innovate not just in products but also in functions, business models and processes.The article cites the global giant Procter & Gamble as an example, saying a real innovative company should develop an innovation culture and use it as a primary tool for success. Procter & Gamble has a “Corporate Innovation Fund” which offers big rewards for high-risk ideas that succeed. It also has a special innovation facility for its employees. Sometimes its employees are released from their daily jobs for weeks and spend their time interacting in the innovation facility instead. In conclusion, the article says innovative ideas alone do not ensure success. It's pointless unless there is a repeatable process in place to turn inspiration into financial performance.Q5. What is the problem with many companies according to the news report? Q6. What do many people tend to think of innovation?Q7. What does the company Procter & Gamble owe its success to?Conversation OneM: So, Linzy, do you like to text message on your cell phone?W: Yeah, I text message a lot.M: I don't do it so much. I prefer to make a call if I'm in a hurry.W: Yeah, I go both ways. Sometimes I don’t really want to talk to the person. I just want to ask them one question, so it's much easier for me just to text message. If I call them, I'll have to have a long conversation.M: Yeah, I can see what you mean. But I get off the phone pretty quickly when I call. I'm not a big talker.W: Yeah, that's true. You don't talk a lot.M: So are you fast at writing the messages with your thumb?W: Well, when I first got a cell phone, I was so slow. I thought I would never text message. But then people kept text messaging me, so I felt obliged to learn how to text message. So now I'm pretty fast. What about you?M: Actually I have the opposite problem. When I first got my cell phone, I thought it was so cool to text message all my friends who have one, and I was pretty fast with my thumb then. But it seems like now I don't use it so much, I've got slower actually.W: Yeah, I think text messaging actually is what you have to do with your age. For example, people in high school, they text message a lot. But I ask my father if he texted messages, and guess what he said?M: What?W: He said he'd never text message. He thinks it's very childish and unprofessional to text message.M: Yeah, I can see what he means. It's considered pretty informal to text message to someone.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you've just heard.Q8: What does the man say about himself?Q9: What does the woman tend to do while she is on the phone?Q10: Why did the man text message all his friends when he first got his cell phone?Q11: What does the woman's father think of text messaging? Conversation TwoW: Good morning, Mr. Johnson. How can I help you?M: Well, I'd like to talk to you about Tim Bond, the department manager. W: What seems to be the problem?M: Well, ever since Sandra left the department, I feel like I've been targeted to do all her work as well as mine. I'm expected to attend too many meetings and I seem to be spending a lot of my time doing unnecessary paper work.W: I'm sorry to hear that.M: And, on top of that, I'd specifically asked if I could leave early last Friday as I done a lot of overtime during the week. But that afternoon, even though I'd finished my assigned work, I was told to help other colleagues finish their work, too.W: But surely that's a positive sign showing that Mr. Bond has a lot of trust in you.M: Yes, but other colleagues get to leave early, and they don't have such a lot of work to do.W: So you feel he's really making unrealistic demands on you?M: Yes, absolutely.W: Have you approached Mr. Bond about this particular problem?M: I've tried, but it seems like he just has no time for me.W: Well, at this stage, it would be better if you approached him directly. If nothing else showing that you've tried to solve the problem yourself before you take it further. Makes it clear that you're just not a complainer. Why don't you send an email requesting a meeting with him in private?M: Hmm, I've been a bit worried about his reaction. But anyway I'll send him an email to request a meeting, and I'll see what happens from there. Thanks foryour advice.W: Good luck. And let us know the outcome.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you've just heard.Q12. What do we learn about the man from the conversation?Q13. What is the man's chief complaint?Q14. How does the woman interpret the fact that the man was asked to help his colleagues with their work?Q15. What did the woman advise the man to do?PassagesPassage OneThe massive decline in sleep happened so slowly and quietly that few seemed to notice the trend. Was it because of the growing attraction of the Internet, video games and endless TV channels? Never disconnecting from work? No matter how it happened, millions of Americans are putting their health, quality of life and even length of life in danger.New evidence shows why getting enough sleep is a top priority. Some 40% of Americans get less than 7 hours of shut-eye on week nights. "The link between sleep and health, and bad sleep and disease is becoming clearer and clearer." says Lawrence Alberstaine, a sleep expert at Harvard University. For example, sleep duration has declined from some 8 hours in the 1950s to 7 in recent years. At the same time, high blood pressure has become an increasing problem. Blood pressure and heart rate are typically at their lowest levels during sleep. People who sleep less tend to have higher blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes, weight gain and other problems.Sleeping better may help fight off illness. "When people are sleep-derived, there are higher levels of stress hormones in their bodies which can decrease immune function." says Doctor Felice, of Northwestern University in Chicago. A university of Chicago study shows people who sleep well live longer. So say good night sooner and it may help you stay active and vital to a ripe old age.Q16. What is the speaker mainly talking about?Q17. What do we learn from the talk about today's Americans?Q18. What does the speaker say will happen to people who lack sleep?Passage TwoParents and teachers will tell you not to worry when applying for a place at a university. But in the same breath will remind you that it is the most important decision of your life.The first decision is your choice of course. It will depend on what you want to get out of university, what you are good at and what you enjoy. The next decision is where to apply. Aim high but within reason. Do you have the right combination of subjects and are your expected grades likely to meet entry requirements? The deadline is January 15th. But it is best to submit your application early because universities begin work as soon as forms start rolling in.The most important part of the application is the much feared personal statement. This is your chance to convey boundless enthusiasm for the subject. So economy of expression is foremost. Omit dull and ineffective generalities and make sure you give concrete examples.Admissions officers read every personal statement that arrives. It is not convincing if you say you have chosen the subject because you enjoy it. You have to get across what it is about a particular area that has inspired you. They will look for evidence that you have reflected and thought about the subject. Applicants should be honest. There is no point saying you run marathons, if you are going to be out of breath arriving at the interview on the second floor.Q19. What is the first decision you should make in preparing to apply for a place at a university?Q20. What is the most important part of the application?Q21. What must applicants do in their personal statements?Passage ThreeIt is widely believed that German invented the first car in 1885. It was actually a tricycle with a petrol motor at the rear. Soon, members of the royal family and other wealthy people took up motoring as a sport. Many of the early cars had 2 seats. There were no petrol pumps and few garages, so every driver had to be his own engineer for the frequent breakdowns.By 1905, cars began to look like cars of today, with head lamps, wind screen, rubble tires and number plates. Henry Ford's Model T introduced in America in 1909 was cheaper because it was made on the assembly line. It brought cars closer towards the reach of ordinary people. With the popularity of the car, registration became a must in 1903 with the motor car act. Competency tests were introduced in 1935.Today, the legal driving age for a car in the UK is 17. You are not allowed to drive a car unsupervised until you have passed a driving test. In 1958, Britain celebrated the opening of its first motor way – the Preston Bypass. Until then, no one really understood what a motor way was, not even the laborers who were building it. The bypass held a new era in motor travel and was greeted with excitement and optimism. Service stations came with the motor way and the legend of the transport cafe was born. Of course, the service station has diversified greatly. But whether it’s an English-cooked breakfast or a coffee and a sandwich, one thing has remained the same: the prices.Q22. What does the speaker say about the first motor car?Q23. What was the problem with the early cars in Britain?Q24. Why did Henry Ford's Model T cars cost less?Q25. What do we learn about the Preston Bypass?。