历年英语四级听力原文下载

历年英语四级听力原文下载 06年12月大学英语四级真题听力原文 Section A: Conversations Short Conversations 11. M: Christmas is around the corner. And I’m looking for a gift for my girlfriend. Any suggestions ? W: Well you have to tell me something about your girlfriend first. Also, what’s your budget? Q: What does the woman want the man to do? 12. M: What would you like for dessert? I think I’ll have apple pie and ice cream. W: The chocolate cake looks great, but I have to watch my weight. You go ahead and get yours. Q: What would the woman most probably do? 13. W: Having visited so many countries, you must be able to speak several different languages. M: I wish I could. But Japanese and of course English are the only languages I can speak. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? 14. M: Professor Smith asked me to go to his office after class. So it’s impossible for me to make it to the bar at ten. W: Then it seems that we’ll have to meet an hour later at the library. Q: What will the man do first after class? 15. M: It’s already 11 now. Do you mean I ought to wait until Mr. Bloom comes back from the class? W: Not really. You can just leave a note. I’ll give it to her later. Q: What does the woman mean? 16. M: How is John now? Is he feeling any better? W: Not yet. It still seems impossible to make him smile. Talking to him is really difficult and he gets upset easily over little things. Q: What do we learn about John from the conversation? 17. M: Do we have to get the opera tickets in advance? W: Certainly. Tickets at the door are usually sold at a higher price. Q: What does the woman imply? 18. M: The taxi driver must have been speeding. W: Well, not really. He crashed into the tree because he was trying not to hit a box that had fallen off the truck ahead of him. Q: What do we learn about the taxi driver? Long Conversations Conversation 1 W: Hey, Bob, guess what? I’m going to visit Quebec next summer. I’m invited to go to a friend’s wedding. But while I’m there I’d also like to do some sightseeing. M: That’s nice, Shelly. But do you mean the province of Quebec, or Quebec City? W: I mean the province. My friend’s wedding is in Montreal. I’m going there first. I’ll stay for five days. Is Montreal the capital city of the province? M: Well, Many people think so because it’s the biggest city. But it’s not the capital. Quebec City is. But Montreal is great. The Saint Royal River runs right through the middle of the city. It’s beautiful in summer. W: Wow, and do you think I can get by in English? My French is OK, but not that good. I know most people there speak French, but can I also use English? M: Well, People speak both French and English there. But you’ll hear French most of the time. And all the street signs are in French. In fact, Montreal is the third largest French speaking city in the world. So you’d better practice your French before you go. W: Good advice. What about Quebec City? I’ll visit a friend from college who lives there now. What’s it like? M: It’s a beautiful city, very old. Many old buildings have been nicely restored. Some of them were built in the 17th or 18th centuries. You’ll love there. W: Fantastic. I can’t wait to go. Questions: 19. What’s the woman’s main purpose of visiting Quebec? 20. What does the man advice the woman to do before the trip? 21. What does the man say about the Quebec City? Conversation 2 M: Hi, Miss Rowling, how old were you when you started to write? And what was your first book? W: I wrote my first Finnish (finished) story when I was about six. It was about a small animal, a rabbit, I mean. And I’ve been writing ever since? M: Why did you choose to be an author? W: If someone asked me how to achieve happiness. Step 1 would be finding out what you love doing most. Step two would be finding someone to pay you to do this. I consider myself very lucky indeed to be able to support myself by writing M: Do you have any plans to write books for adults? W: My first two novels were for adults. I suppose I might write another one. But I never really imagine a target audience when I’m writing. The ideas come first. So it really depends on the ideas that grasp me next. M: where did the ideas for the “Harry Potter” books come from? W: I’ve no ideas where the ideas came from. And I hope I’ll never find out. It would spoil my excitement if it turned out I just have a funny wrinkle on the surface of my brain, which makes me think about the invisible train platform. M: How did you come up with the names of your characters? W: I invented some of them. But I also collected strange names. I’ve got one from ancient saints, maps, dictionaries, plants, war memoirs and people I met. M: Oh, you are really resourceful. Questions: 22. What do we learn from the conversation about Miss Rowling’s first book? 23. Why does Miss Rowling consider her so very lucky? 24. What dictates Miss Rowling’s writing? 25. According to Miss Rowling where did she get the ideas for the Harry Porter books? Section B Passage 1 Reducing the amount of sleep students get at night has a direct impact on their performance at school during the day. According to classroom teachers, elementary and middle school students who stay up late exhibit more learning and attention problems. This has been shown by Brown Medical School and Bradley Hospital research. In the study, teachers were not told the amount of sleep students received when completing weekly performance reports, yet they rated the students who had received eight hours or less as having the most trouble recalling all the material，learning new lessons and completing high-quality work. Teachers also reported that these students had more difficulty paying attention. The experiment is the first to ask teachers to report on the effects of sleep deficiency in children. Just staying up late can cause increased academic difficulty and attention problems for otherwise healthy, well-functioning kids, said Garharn Forlone, the study’s lead author. So the results provide professionals and parents with a clear message: when a child is having learning and attention problems, the issue of sleep has to be taken into consideration. “If we don’t ask about sleep, and try to improve sleep patterns in kids’ struggling academically, then we aren’t doing our job”, Forlone said. For parents, he said, the message is simple, “getting kids to bed on time is as important as getting them to school on time”. Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard. 26. What were teachers told to do in the experiment? 27. According to the experiment, what problem can insufficient sleep cause in students? 28. What message did the researcher intend to convey to parents? Passage 2 Patricia Pania never wanted to be a public figure. All she wanted to be was a mother and home-maker. But her life was turned upside down when a motorist, distracted by his cell phone, ran a stop sign and crashed into the side of her car. The impact killed her 2-year-old daughter. Four months later, Pania reluctantly but courageously decided to try to educate the public and to fight for laws to ban drivers from using cell phones while a car is moving. She wanted to save other children from what happened to her daughter. In her first speech, Pania got off to a shaky start. She was visibly trembling and her voice was soft and uncertain. But as she got into her speech, a dramatic transformation took place. She stopped shaking and spoke with a strong voice. For the rest of her talk, she was a forceful and compelling speaker. She wanted everyone in the audience to know what she knew without having to learn it from a personal tragedy. Many in the audience were moved to tears and to action. In subsequent presentations, Pania gained reputation as a highly effective speaker. Her appearance on a talk show was broadcast three times, transmitting her message to over 40 million people. Her campaign increased public awareness of the problem, and prompted over 300 cities and several states to consider restrictions on cell phone use. Questions 29 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard. 29. What was the significant change in Patricia Pania’s life? 30. What had led to Pania’s personal tragedy? 31. How did Pania feel when she began her first speech? 32. What could be expected as a result of Pania’s efforts? Passage 3 Many people catch a cold in the spring time or fall. It makes us wonder if scientists can send a man to the moon. Why can’t they find a cure for the common cold? The answer is easy. There’ re actually hundreds of kinds of cold viruses out there. You never know which one you will get, so there isn’t a cure for each one. When a virus attacks your body, your body works hard to get rid of it. Blood rushes to your nose and causes a blockade in it. You feel terrible because you can’t breathe well, but your body is actually eating the virus. Your temperature rises and you get a fever, but the heat of your body is killing the virus. You also have a running nose to stop the virus from getting into your cells. You may feel miserable, but actually your wonderful body is doing everything it can to kill the cold. Different people have different remedies for colds. In the United States and some other countries, for example, people might eat chicken soup to feel better. Some people take hot bath and drink warm liquids. Other people take medicines to relieve various symptoms of colds. There was one interesting thing to note. Some scientists say taking medicines when you have a cold is actually bad for you. The virus stays in you longer, because your body doesn’t develop a way to fight it and kill it. Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard. 33. According to the passage, why haven’t scientists found a cure for the common cold? 34. What does the speaker say about the symptoms of the common cold? 35. What do some scientists say about taking medicines for the common cold, according to the passage? Section C: Compound dictation You probably have noticed that people express similar ideas in different ways depending on the situation they are in. This is very natural. All languages have two general levels of usage: a formal level and an informal level. English is no exception. The difference in these two levels is the situation in which you use a particular level. Formal language is the kind of language you find in textbooks, reference books and in business letters. You would also use formal English in compositions and essays that you write in school. Informal language is used in conversation with colleagues, family members and friends, and when we write personal notes or letters to close friends. Formal language is different from informal language in several ways. First, formal language tends to be more polite. What we may find interesting is that it usually takes more words to be polite. For example, I might say to a friend or a family member “Close the door, please”, but to a stranger, I probably would say “Would you mind closing the door?” Another difference between formal and informal language is some of the vocabulary. There are bound to be some words and phrases that belong in formal language and others that are informal. Let’s say that I really like soccer. If I am talking to my friend, I might say “I am just crazy about soccer”, but if I were talking to my boss, I would probably say “I really enjoy soccer”. 2007年12月大学英语四级真题听力原文 Section A Conversations Short Conversations 11. W: I ran into Sally the other day. I could hardly recognize her. Do you remember her from high school? M: Yeah, she was a little out of shape back then. Well, has she lost a lot of weight? Q: What does the man remember of Sally? 12. W: We don’t seem to have a reservation for you, sir. I’m sorry. M: But my secretary said that she had reserved a room for me here. I phoned her from the airport this morning just before I got on board the plane. Q: Where does the conversation most probably take place? 13. W: What would you do if you were in my place? M: If Paul were my son, I’d just not worry. Now that his teacher is giving him extra help and he's working hard himself, he’s sure to do well in the next exam. Q: What’s the man’s suggestion to the woman? 14. M: You’ve had your hands full and have been overworked during the last two weeks. I think you really need to go out and get some fresh air and sunshine. W: You are right. That’s just what I’m thinking about. Q: What is the woman most probably going to do? 15. W: Hello, John. How are you feeling now? I hear you’ve been ill. M: They must have confused me with my twin brother Rods. He’s been sick all week, but I’ve never felt better in my life. Q: What do we learn about the man? 16. M: Did you really give away all your furniture when you moved into the new house last month? W: Just the useless pieces, as I’m planning to purchase a new set from Italy for the sitting room only. Q: What does the woman mean? 17. M: I’ve brought back your Oxford Companion to English Literature. I thought you might use it for your paper. Sorry not to have returned it earlier. W: I was wondering where that book was. Q: What can we infer from the conversation? 18. W: To tell the truth, Tony, it never occurs to me that you are an athlete. M: Oh, really? Most people who meet me, including some friends of mine, don’t think so either. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? Long Conversations Conversation 1 M: Mary, I hope you're packed and ready to leave. W: Yes, I’m packed, but not quite ready. I can’t find my passport. M: Your passport? That’s the one thing you mustn’t leave behind. W: I know. I haven’t lost it. I’ve packed it, but I can’t remember which bag it’s in. M: Well, you have to find it at the airport. Come on, the taxi is waiting. W: Did you say taxi? I thought we were going in your car. M: Yes, well, I have planned to, but I’ll explain later. You’ve got to be there in an hour. W: The plane doesn’t leave for two hours. Anyway, I’m ready to go now. M: Now, you’re taking just one case, is that right? W: No, there is one in the hall as well. M: Gosh, what a lot of stuff! You’re taking enough for a month instead of a week. W: Well, you can’t depend on the weather. It might be cold. M: It’s never cold in Rome. Certainly not in May. Come on, we really must go. W: Right, we're ready. We’ve got the bags, I’m sure there's no need to rush. M: There is. I asked the taxi driver to wait two minutes, not twenty. W: Look, I’m supposed to be going away to relax. You’re making me nervous. M: Well, I want you to relax on holiday, but you can’t relax yet. W: OK, I promise not to relax, at least not until we get to the airport and I find my passport. Questions 19-22 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Q19: What does the woman say about her passport? Q20: What do we know about the woman’s trip? Q21: Why does the man urge the woman to hurry? Q22: Where does the conversation most probably take place? Conversation 2 W: Oh, I’m fed up with my job. M: Hey, there’s a perfect job for you in the paper today. You might be interested. W: Oh, what is it? What do they want? M: Wait a minute. Uh, here it is. The European Space Agency is recruiting translators. W: The European Space Agency? M: Well, that’s what it says. They need an English translator to work from French or German. W: So they need a degree in French or German, I suppose. Well, I’ve got that. What’s more, I have plenty of experience. What else are they asking for? M: Just that. A university degree and three or four years of experience as a translator in a professional environment. They also say the person should have a lively and inquiring mind, effective communication skills and the ability to work individually or as a part of the team. W: Well, if I stay at my present job much longer, I won’t have any mind or skills left. By the way, what about salary? I just hope it isn’t lower than what I get now. M: It’s said to be negotiable. It depends on the applicant’s education and experience. In addition to basic salary, there's a list of extra benefits. Have a look yourself. W: Hm, travel and social security plus relocation expenses are paid. Hey, this isn’t bad. I really want the job. Questions 23-25 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Q23: Why is the woman trying to find a new job? Q24: What position is being advertised in the paper? Q25: What are the key factors that determine the salary of the new position? Section B Short Passages Passage 1 When couples get married, they usually plan to have children. Sometimes, however, a couple can not have a child of their own. In this case, they may decide to adopt a child. In fact, adoption is very common today. There are about 60 thousand adoptions each year in the United States alone. Some people prefer to adopt infants, others adopt older children, some couples adopt children from their own countries, others adopt children from foreign countries. In any case, they all adopt children for the same reason ---- they care about children and want to give their adopted child a happy life. Most adopted children know that they are adopted. Psychologists and child-care experts generally think this is a good idea. However, many adopted children or adoptees have very little information about their biological parents. As a matter of fact, it is often very difficult for adoptees to find out about their birth parents because the birth records of most adoptees are usually sealed. The information is secret so no one can see it. Naturally, adopted children have different feelings about their birth parents. Many adoptees want to search for them, but others do not. The decision to search for birth parents is a difficult one to make. Most adoptees have mixed feelings about finding their biological parents. Even though adoptees do not know about their natural parents, they do know that their adoptive parents want them, love them and will care for them. Questions 26-29 are based on the passage you have just heard. Q26. According to the speaker, why do some couples adopt children? Q27. Why is it difficult for adoptees to find out about their birth parents? Q28. Why do many adoptees find it hard to make the decision to search for their birth parents? Q29. What can we infer from the passage? Passage 2 Katherine Gram graduated from University of Chicago in 1938 and got a job as a news reporter in San Francisco. Katherine’s father used to be a successful investment banker. In 1933, he bought a failing newspaper, the Washington Post. Then Katherine returned to Washington and got a job, editing letters in her father’s newspaper. She married Philip Gram, who took over his father-in-law’s position shortly after and became publisher of the Washington Post. But for many years, her husband suffered from mental illness and he killed himself in 1963. After her husband’s death, Katherine operated the newspaper. In the 1970s, the newspaper became famous around the world and Katherine was also recognized as an important leader in newspaper publishing. She was the first woman to head a major American publishing company, the Washington Post company. In a few years, she successfully expanded the company to include newspaper, magazine, broadcast and cable companies. She died of head injuries after a fall when she was 84. More than 3 thousand people attended her funeral including many government and business leaders. Her friends said she would be remembered as a woman who had an important influence on events in the United States and the world. Katherine once wrote, “The world without newspapers would not be the same kind of world”. After her death, the employees of the Washington Post wrote, “The world without Katherine would not be the same at all.” Questions 30-32 are based on the passage you have just heard. Q30. What do we learn from the passage about Katherine’s father? Q31. What does the speaker tell us about Katherine Gram? Q32. What does the comment by employees of the Washington Post suggest? Passage 3 Obtaining good health insurance is a real necessity while you are studying overseas. It protects you from minor and major medical expenses that can wipe out not only your savings but your dreams of an education abroad. There are often two different types of health insurance you can consider buying, international travel insurance and student insurance in the country where you will be going. An international travel insurance policy is usually purchased in your home country before you go abroad. It generally covers a wide variety of medical services and you are often given a list of doctors in the area where you will travel who may even speak your native language. The drawback might be that you may not get your money back immediately, in other words, you may have to pay all you medical expenses and then later submit your receipts to the insurance company. On the other hand, getting student heath insurance in the country where you will study might allow you to only pay a certain percentage of the medical cost at the time of service and thus you don’t have to have sufficient cash to pay the entire bill at once. Whatever you decide, obtaining some form of health insurance is something you should consider before you go overseas. You shouldn’t wait until you are sick with major medical bills to pay off. Questions 33-35 are based on the passage you have just heard. Q33. Why does the speaker advise overseas students to buy health insurance? Q34. What is the drawback of students buying international travel insurance? Q35. What does the speaker say about students getting health insurance in the country where they will study? Section C Compound Dictation More and more of the world’s population are living in towns or cities. The speed at which cities are growing in the less developed countries is alarming. Between 1920 and 1960, big cities in developed countries increased two and a half times in size, but in other parts of the world the growth was eight times their size. The sheer size of growth is bad enough, but there are now also very disturbing signs of trouble in the comparison of percentages of people living in towns and percentages of people working in industry. During the 19th century, cities grew as a result of the growth of industry. In Europe, the proportion of people living in cities was always smaller than that of the work force working in factories. Now, however, the reverse is almost always true in the newly industrialized world. The percentage of people living in cities is much higher than the percentage working in industry. Without a base of people working in industry, these cities cannot pay for their growth. There is not enough money to build adequate houses for the people that live there, let alone the new arrivals. There has been little opportunity to build water supplies or other facilities. So the figures for the growth of towns and cities represent proportional growth of unemployment and underemployment, a growth in the number of hopeless and despairing parents and starving children. 2008年6月听力 11. M: Today is a bad day for me. I fell off a step and twisted my ankle. W: Don’t worry, usually ankle injuries heal quickly if you stop regular activities for a while. What does the woman suggest the man do? 12. W: May I see you ticket, please? I think you’re sitting in my seat. M: Oh, you’re right. My seat is in the balcony. I’m terribly sorry. Q: Where does conversation most probably take place? 13. W: Did you hear Mr. Smith die in his sleep last night? M: Yes, it’s very sad. Please let everybody know that whoever wants to may attend the funeral. Q: What are the speakers talking about? 14. M: Have you taken Professor Yang’s exam before? I’m kind of nervous. W: Yes. Just concentrate on the important ideas she’s talked about in the class and ignore the details. Q: How does the women suggest the man prepare for Professor Yang’s exam, 15. W: I’m so sorry sir, and you’ll let me pay to have your jacket cleaned, won’t you? M: That’s all right. It could happen to anyone. And I’m sure that coffee doesn’t leave lasting marks on clothing. Q: What can we infer from the conversation? 16. W: Have you seen the movie The Departed? The plot was so complicated that I really got lost. M: Yeah, I felt the same, but after I saw it a second time, I could put all the pieces together. Q: How did the two speakers find the movie? 17. M: I’m really surprised you got an A on the test; you didn’t seem to have done a lot of reading. W: Now you know why I never missed the lecture. Q: What contributes to the woman’s high score? 18. W: Have you heard about the new digital television system? It lets people get about 500 channels. M: Yeah. But I doubt they’ll have anything different from what we watch now. Q: What does the man mean? Long conversation Conversation One: W: Gosh! Have you seen this, Richard? M: See what? W: In the paper. It says, there is a man going around pretending he’s from the electricity board. He’s been calling at people’s homes, saying he is coming to check that all their appliances are safe. Then he gets around them to make him a cup of tea, and while they are out of the room he steals their money, handbag whatever and makes off with it. M: But you know, Jane, it’s partly their own fault; you should never let anyone like that in unless you’re expecting them. W: It’s all very well to say that. But someone comes to the door, and says electricity or gas and you automatically think they are OK, especially if they flash a card to you M: Does this man have an ID then? W: Yes, that’s just it. It seems he used to work for the electricity board at one time according to the paper the police are warning people especially pensioners not to admit anyone unless they have an appointment. It’s a bit sad. One old lady told them she’d just been to the post-office to draw her pension when he called. She said he must have followed her home. He stole the whole lot. M: But what does he look like? Surely they must have a description. W: Oh, yes they have. Let’s see, in his thirties, tall, bushy dark hair, slight northern accent, sounds a bit like you actually. Questions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard. 19. What does the woman want the man to read in the newspaper? 20. How did the man mention in the newspaper try to win further trust from the victims? 21. What is the warning from the police? 22. What does the woman speaker tell us about the old lady? Conversation Two: M: Miss Jones, could you tell me more about your first job with hotel marketing concept? W: Yes, certainly. I was a marketing consultant responsible for marketing 10 UK hotels. They were all luxury hotels in a leisure sector all of a very high standard. M: Which markets were you responsible for? W: For Europe and Japan. M: I see from your resume that you speak Japanese. Have you ever been to Japan? W: Yes, I have, I spent months in Japan 2006. I met all the key people in the tourist industry, the big tour operators and the tourist organizations. As I speak Japanese I had a very big advantage. M: Yes, of course. Have you had any contact with Japan in your present job? W: Yes, I’ve had a lot. Cruises have become very popular with the Japanese both for holidays and for business conferences. In fact, the market for all types of luxury holidays for the Japanese has increased a lot recently. M: Really, I’m interested to hear more about that, but first tell me have you ever traveled on the luxury train, the Orient Express, for example? W: No, I haven’t. But I’ve traveled on the Glacial Express through Switzerland and I traveled across China by train about 8 years ago. I love train travel. That’s why I’m very interested in this job. 23. What did the woman do in her first job? 24. What give the woman an advantage during her business trip in Japan? 25. Why is the woman applying for the new job? Passage 1 Time. I think a lot about time and not just because it's the name of the news organization I work for. Like most working people, I find time, or the lack of it, and never-ending frustration and an unwinnable battle. My every day is a race against the clock that I never ever seem to win. This is hardly a lonesome complaint. According to the families and work institutes, national study of the changing workforce, 55 percent of employees say they don't have enough time for themselves, 63 percent don't have enough time for their spouses or partners, and 67 percent don't have enough time for their children. It's also not a new complaint. I bet our ancestors returned home from hunting wild animals and gathering nuts and complained about how little time they had to paint battle scenes on their cave walls. The difference is that the boss of animal hunting and the head of nut gathering probably told them to shut up or no survival for you. Today's workers are still demanding control over their time. The difference is today's bosses are listening. I've been reading a report issued today called "when work works" produced jointly by three organizations. They set up to find and warn the employers who employ the most creative and most effective ways to give their workers flexibility. I found this report worth reading and suggest every boss should read it for ideas. Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard. Question 26. What is the speaker complaining about? Question 27. What does the speaker say about our ancestors? Question 28. Why does the speaker suggest all bosses read the report by the three organizations? Passage 2 Loving a child is a circular business. The more you give, the more you get, the more you want to give, *** said. What she said proves to be true of my blended family. I was born in 1931. As the youngest of six children, I learned to share my parents' love. Raising six children during the difficult times of the Great Depression took its toll on my parents' relationship and resulted in their divorce when I was 18 years old. Daddy never had very close relationships with his children and drifted even farther away from us after the divorce. Several years later, a wonderful woman came into his life and they were married. She had two sons, one of them still at home. Under her influence, we became a blended family and a good relationship developed between the two families. She always treated us as if we were her own children. It was because of our other mother, Daddy's second wife, that he became closer to his own children. They shared over 25 years together before our father passed away. At the time of his death, the question came up of my mother, Daddy's first wife, attending his funeral. I will never forget the unconditional love shown by my step mother. When I asked her if she would object to mother attending Daddy's funeral, without giving it a second thought, she immediately replied. "Of course not, honey. She is the mother of my children." Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard. Question 29. According to the speaker, what contributed to her parents' divorce? Question 30. What brought the father closer to his own children? Question 31. What message does the speaker want to convey in this talk? Passage 3 In February last year, my wife lost her job. Just as suddenly, the owner of the Green House where I worked as manager died of a heart attack. His family announced that they were going to close the business because no one in the family wanted to run it. Things looked pretty gloomy. My wife and I read the want ads each day. Then one morning, as I was hanging a "going out of business" sign at the green house, the door opened and in walked a customer. She was an office manager whose company had just moved into the new office park on the edge of the town. She was looking for potted plants to place in the reception areas in offices. "I don't know anything about plants", she said, "I am sure in a few weeks, they'll all be dead.” While I was helping her select her purchases, my mind was racing. Perhaps as many as a dozen firms that recently opened offices in the new office park and there were several hundred more acres with construction under way. That afternoon, I drove up to the office park. By 6 o'clock that evening, I had signed contacts with 7 companies to rent plants from me and pay me a fee to maintain them. Within a week, I had worked down to an agreement to lease the Green House from the owner's family. Business is now increasing rapidly. And one day we hope to be the proud owners of the Green House. Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard. Question 32. What do we learn about the green house? Question 33. What was the speaker doing when the customer walked in one morning? Question 34. What did the speaker think of when serving the office manager? Question 35. When was the speaker's hope for the future? 复合式听写 We are now witnessing the emergence of an advanced economy based on information and technology. Physical labor, raw materials, and capital are no longer the key ingredients in the creation of wealth. Now the vital raw material in our economy is knowledge. Tomorrow's wealth depends on the development and exchange of knowledge. And individuals entering the workforce offer their knowledge not their muscles. Knowledge workers get paid for their education and their ability to learn. Knowledge workers engage in mind work. They deal with symbols, words, figures, and data. What does all this mean for you? As a future knowledge worker, you can expect to be generating, processing as well as exchanging information. Currently three out of 4 jobs involve some form of mind work. And that number will increase sharply in the future. Management and employees alike will be making decisions in such areas as product development, quality control, and customer satisfaction. in the new world of work, you can look forward to be in constant training to acquire new skills that will help you keep up with improved technologies and procedures. You can also expect to be taking greater control of your career. Gone are the nine-to-five jobs, life-time security, predictable promotions and even a conventional workplace as you are familiar with. Don't expect the companies to provide you with a clearly-defined career path and don't wait for someone to empower you. You have to empower yourself. 08年12月大学英语四级真题听力原文 Section A 11( M: I just received an Email from one of my former classmates. I was surprised, I hadn’t heard from him for ages. W: Well, I’ve been out of touch with most of my old friends, only one or two still drop me a line occasionally, Q: What does the woman mean? 12. M: If you can make up your mind about the color, I can start on the outside of your house early next week. W: Well, right now I think I want white for the window frames and yellow for the walls, but I’ll let you know tomorrow. Q: Who is the woman talking to? 13. W: Excuse me; do you have any apartments available for under 500 dollars a month? I need to move in next week when my new job starts. M: The only vacant one I have is 600 dollars, have you inquired at the apartment complex down the street? Q: What does the man suggest the woman do? 14. W: You bought a pair of jeans yesterday, didn’t you? What are they like? M: Oh, they are pretty much like my other ones, except with a larger waist. I guess I haven’t spent much time exercising lately. Q: What can we infer from the conversation about the man? 15. W: I really like those abstract paintings we saw yesterday. What do you think? M: I guess it’s something I haven’t acquired a taste for yet. Q: What does the man imply? 16. W: You haven’t seen a blue notebook, have you? I hope I didn’t leave it in the reading room. M: Did you check that pile of journals you’ve borrowed from the library the other day? Q: What is the man trying to say to the woman? 17. M: How about joining me for a cup of coffee? W: I’d love to, but I’m exhausted. I was up till 3 this morning, writing a paper for my literature class. Q: Why does the woman decline the man’s invitation? 18. W: You had a job interview yesterday, didn’t you? How did it go? M: Not too bad, Guess. There were about 20 candidates competing for the sales manager’s job. And finally it was down to three of us, but the other two seemed better qualified. Q: What does the man imply? 听力长对话1 F: Simon, how does it feel to be retired? M: Well, not so bad. F: How have you been spending your time? M: I have been spending more time with my family. I’ve also traveled a bit, you know, off season when everywhere is less crowded and hotels cost less. F: Great. M: You know I haven’t stopped work completely. F: Yes, could you tell us more about this? M: I’m on a scheme that’s called phased retirement; I had a six-month break from work, after that I could apply for project work with the company I used to work for. F: How does the scheme work? M: Well, it’s a trial at the moment. Instead of hiring temporary stuff, the company advertises posts on its website that retired employees like myself can access. F: What sort of works advertised? M: Well, all sorts of things, really. Administrative work and more specialized work, the sort of thing I can do. Some of the projects can last five or six months, and others can just be a couple of days. I can decide more or less when to work. So I can manage my own time. F: I can see it’s good for you. What is your company get out of this? M: Well, I still have all my old contacts at work, so I know who to contact to get something done. The company gets flexibility, too. Once the job’s over, that’s it. I’m not on their books any more. Questions 19-21 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 19. Why does Simon find his retired life enjoyable? 20. How does Simon get to know about the company’s available posts? 21. Why does the company adopt the phased retirement scheme? 长对话2 W: Oh, where are we going? M: I want to show you something. W: I know, but what is it? M: A farm. It’s just down this road. It’s a small place, but at least it would be our own. W: A farm? How can we afford to buy a farm? M: It isn’t very large, only 40 acres. We wouldn’t have to pay very much right now. W: Is there a house on the place? M: A small one, two bedrooms, but it needs to be fixed up a little. I can do the job myself. W: OK. Is there enough space for a kitchen garden? M: There is about half an acre around the house. That’s plenty of space. W: Then we can grow our own fresh vegetables. And maybe keep a few chickens, couldn’t we? M: Yes, and we can probably grow a lot of our own food. W: What are you thinking about growing, if we do take this place? M: Well, it really isn’t big enough for corn. I thought we might try to raise a crop of potatoes. W: Potatoes? There are a lot of work. M: We are used to hard work, aren’t we? W: Yes, we are, but the money. Do we have enough to get started? It seems like a dream. M: I think we’ve saved enough. We can pay a little on the farm and maybe put a few dollars down on the tractor, too. Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Q 22: What are the speakers going to do at the time of the conversation? Q 23: What does the man say about the farm? Q 24: Why does the man intend to grow potatoes rather than corn on the farm? Q 25: What is the woman’s greatest concern about the man’s plan? 篇章1 Members of the city council and distinguished guests, it is my privilege to introduce to you today Mr. Robert Washington, chief of our city’s police force. He will address us on the subject of the Community Policing Program. Most of you know that Mr. Washington has a distinguished record as head of our police force for more than ten years. However, you may not know that he also holds a master’s degree in criminology and studied abroad for a year with the international police force which deals with crimes around the world. Mr. Washington first introduced the Community Policing Program 8 years ago. The idea behind the program is to get the police officers out of their cars and into our neighborhoods where they can talk directly to merchants and residents about the real dynamics of our city. These officers do more than make arrests. They try to find ways to help solve the problems that contribute to crime in the first place. Often that means hooking people up with services offered by other city agencies, such as schools, hospitals, housing, drug treatment centers. And the program seems to be working: crime is down and our citizens report that they feel more secure. Today Mr. Washington is going to tell us more about this program. Now let’s welcome Mr. Robert Washington. 26. What is the purpose of the speaker’s remarks? 27. What does the speaker say about Mr. Robert Washington? 28. What is the idea behind the Community Policing Program? 29. How has the Community Policing Program turned out to be? 篇章2 There are between 3000 and 6000 public languages in the world, and we must add approximately 6 billion private languages since each one of us necessarily has one. Considering these facts, the possibilities for breakdowns in communication seem infinite in number. However, we do communicate successfully from time to time. And we do learn to speak languages. But learning to speak languages seems to be a very mysterious process. For a long time, people thought that we learned a language only by imitation and association. For example, a baby touches a hot pot and starts to cry. The mother says, “Hot, hot!” And the baby, when it stops crying, imitates the mother and says, “Hot, hot!” However, Noam Chomsky, a famous expert in language, pointed out that although children do learn some words by imitation and association, they also combine words to make meaningful sentences in ways that are unique, unlearned and creative. Because young children can make sentences they have never heard before, Chomsky suggested that human infants are born with the ability to learn language. Chomsky meant that underneath all the differences between public and private languages, there is a universal language mechanism that makes it possible for us, as infants, to learn any language in the world. This theory explains the potential that human infants have for learning language. But it does not really explain how children come to use language in particular ways. Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard. Question 30. Why does the speaker say there are great possibilities for communication breakdowns? Question 31. What is Chomsky’s point on the ability to learn a language? Question 32. What does Chomsky’s theory fail to explain according to the speaker? 复合式听写 Compound Dictation: Crime is increasing worldwide. There is every reason to believe the trend will continue through the next few decades. Crime rates have always been high in multi-cultural industrialized societies such as the United States. Buta new phenomenon has appeared on the world scene: rapidly rising crime rates in nations that previously reported few offences. Street crimes such as robbery, rape, murder and auto theft are clearly rising, particularly in Eastern European countries, such as Hungary, and in Western European nations, such as the Untied Kingdom. What is driving this crime explosion? There are no simple answers. Still, there are certain conditions associated with rising crime. Increasing heterogeneity of population, greater cultural pluralism, higher immigration, democratization of governments, changing national borders, greater economic growth and the lack of accepted social ideas of right and wrong. These conditions are increasingly observable around the world. For instance, cultures that were previously isolated and homogenous, such as Japan, Denmark and Greece, are now facing the sort of cultural variety that has been common in America for most of its history. Multiculturalism can be a rewarding, enriching experience, butut can also lead to a clash of values. Heterogeneity in societies will be the rule in the 21st century, and failure to recognize and plan for such diversity can lead to serious crime problems. 2009年6月听力 11. W: There were more than a hundred people at Kate's birthday party. How come she's got so many friends? M: It's really no surprise. You know she was popular even when she was a child Q: What does the man imply about Kate? 12. M: They say there'll be a snow-storm tonight, and the cold weather will last quite a few days. W: Oh! We're so lucky, we'll be getting away for a while, and having a holiday in Florida. But let's call right now to confirm our flight. Q: What do we learn about the two speakers? 13. W: Tony was awarded a medal for rescuing several families from the forest fire. M: I really admire his courage. Q: What do we learn about Tony from the conversation? 14. M: My washing machine is more than fifteen years old and it has worked just fine until last night. W: You’ll never be able to get parts for it, even from Japan. So it might be time to invest a more recent model. Q: What does the woman suggest the man do? 15. W: I heard about your promotion, you must be thrilled. M: Not really, the new office is huge, but the word load has doubled. Q: What do we learn about the man from the conversation? 16. W: I can’t decide what to do about the party tomorrow. M: You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, but I’ll be glad to give you a ride if you do. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? 17. M: Now if you have any questions about the contract. I’ll be happy to answer them. W: Nothing comes to mind right now, but I’d like to go over all the articles of the contract once more before signing it. Q: What are the speakers doing right now? 18. M: We are out of paper for the printer. Can you please order some? W: I completed the order form online yesterday and it will be here by noon. I’ll let you know when it comes in. Q: What did the woman do? Long Conversation Conversation One W: Bob, do you know who I saw the other day? Old Jake, looking terribly depressed. Did he get pensioned off at last? M: Yes. They made him retire after 50 years at sea. He is pretty upset about it, but what can you do? He really is pasted. W: He is all alone, isn’t he? M: Yes, his wife has been dead for years. They had one daughter, Dories. But she went off to town as soon as she left school. And he hasn’t heard from her since. I hear she is making good money as a model. W: Maybe someone could get in touch with her. Get her to come back for a while to help? M: I don’t suppose she come. She never got on with her father. He is bit of a tough character and she is rather selfish. Oh, I expect old Jake will get by. He is healthy at least, comes into a clinic for a check regularly. W: Are you his doctor? M: No, my partner doctor Johnson is. W: That bad-tempered old thing? M: Oh, he isn’t bad-tempered. He just looks it. He is an excellent doctor, taught me a lot, and he has a very nice family. His wife invites me over there to supper every week. Very pleasant. W: yes. I teach their daughter Pen at school. She is a bit careless and lazy about her school work, but a bright little thing and very popular with her age group. Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you’ve just heard. 19. Why does old Jake look terribly depressed? 20. What do we learn about Jake’s wife? 21. What does the man say about Jake’s daughter? 22. What does the man say about Jake’s doctor? Conversation Two W: Hello, Mr. Summerfield. How are you today? M: Very well. Thank you, Ms. Green. W: What can I do for you? M: Well, unfortunately, there is a problem with the order we received from you yesterday. It seems we haven’t seen the right quantity of manuals to support the telephone system. W: Oh, dear, that’s bad news. I’m very sorry to hear that, and you don’t know how many packs are without manuals? M: No, because we haven’t opened every pack. But in several of those that have been opened there are none, no manuals. W: I’m very sorry about this inconvenience, Mr. Summerfield. We’ll send out the manuals this afternoon by express mail entirely at our cost, and the manuals should arrive tomorrow or the day after at the latest. M: All of them, right? W: Yes. It maybe that some have them already, but we cannot be sure. So the best thing is to send out the manual for every pack. M: Yes. Yes, I see. That would be great. W: Please accept our apologies for this mix-up. I assure you we will do everything possible to find out why the mistake happened M: Right. Thanks for your swift action. W: Not at all. Thank you and goodbye for now. Do call if there is anything else. M: All right. Thank you. Goodbye, Ms Green. W: Goodbye. Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you’ve just heard. 23. What problems are the speakers discussing? 24. What does the woman promise to do? 25. What does the man think of the solution? Passage Passage 1 Attracting and feeding wild birds are entertaining activities that have long been enjoyed by people all over the world. Feeding birds has become so popular that prepared feed mixtures are readily available. We feed birds for many reasons. Many pleasant hours can come from watching birds. A hobby often develops into a serious study of their habits. Accurate identification of birds is usually the first goal. But observations that an amateur bird-watcher can make are really limitless. There is, however, responsibility associated with bird feeding, including a disease hazard. Attracting numbers of birds continually to the same spot can be harmful to them, particularly species that pick food from the ground contaminated by the droppings of other birds. In winter feeding efforts are most satisfying to people and are of greatest benefit to birds. During this time when fewer natural foods are available and air temperatures are lower, extra feeding can keep a bird warm and well. Once begun, feeding should never stop during these lean months. If you start a local increase of birds, be prepared to do what may be required to eliminate hazards to those you want to befriend. A constant supply of food should be given until the cold is over and spring has come. If feeding is stopped during severe weather, birds used to relying upon the feeders must starve. Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you’ve just heard. Q26 What does the speaker say about bird watching? Q27 What does the speaker say about birds fed continually on the same spot? Q28 What does the speaker suggest we do in feeding birds in winter? Passage 2 My friend Leo makes up weak and poor excuses whenever there is something he doesn’t want to do. Just two weeks ago, he was at my house when he decided he didn’t want to go into work. He called his boss and said he had to get a new set of tires put on his truck. Then he sat down and watched TV with me. Not only had he lied but his excuse wasn’t a very convincing one. Another time, he cancelled a date with his girlfriend at the last minute telling her he had to get a new battery for his truck. She was angry and refused to go out with him again until he apologized. Last weekend, Leo offered the poorest excuse yet. He’d promised he’d help me move some furniture, from my parents’ house to my new apartment. He was supposed to bring his truck over about 8 o’clock Saturday morning. I waited, and then called and left a message on his machine. About 11:30, he called and said he was sorry but he’d been getting a new set of tires put on his truck. I guess he’d forgotten he used the same excuse when he called his boss from my house. I think I need a new set of friends. I’m beginning to get tired of Leo’s excuses. Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you’ve just heard. Q29 What does the speaker tell us about her friend Leo? Q30 What did his girlfriend do when Leo canceled a date with her at the last minute? Q31 What favor did the speaker ask Leo to do last weekend? Passage 3 In Hollywood, everybody wants to be rich, famous and beautiful. Nobody wants to be old, unknown and poor. For Hollywood kids, life can be difficult because they grow up such an unreal atmosphere. Their parents are ambitious and the children are part of the parents’ ambitions. Parents pay for wasteful grand parties, expensive cars and designer clothes. When every dream can come true, kids don’t learn the value of anything because they have everything. A thirteen-year-old boy, Trent Maguire, has a driver, credit cards and unlimited cash to do what he wants when he wants to. “One day, I’ll earn more than my dad!” he boasts. Parents buy care and attention for their children because they have no time to give it themselves. Amender’s mother employs a personal trainer, a bodyguard, a singing coach and a councilor to look after all her fifteen-year-old daughter’s needs. Often, there is no parent at home most days, so children decide whether to make their own meals or go out to restaurants, when to watch television or do homework. They organize their social life. They play no childhood games. They become adults before they’re ready. Hollywood has always been the city of dreams. The kids there live unreal lives where money, beauty and pleasure are the only gods. Will children around the world soon start to think the same? Or do they already? Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you’ve just heard. Q32 Why is life said to be difficult for Hollywood kids? Q33 What does the speaker say about Trent Maguire, a thirteen-year-old boy? Q34 Why does Amender’s mother employ other people to look after her needs? Q35 What will probably have negative effects on the lives of Hollywood kids? Compound Dictation Around 120 years ago, Ebbinghaus began his study of memory. He concentrated on studying how quickly the human mind can remember information. One result of his research is known as the total time hypothesis, which simply mean the amount you learn depends on the time you spend trying to learn it. This can be taken as our first rule of learning. Although it is usually true that studying for 4 hours is better than studying for 1, there is still the question of how to use the 4 hours. For example, is it better to study for 4 hours straight or to study for 1 hour a day for 4 days in a row? The answer, as you may have suspected, is that it is better to spread out the study times. This phenomenon through which we can learn more efficiently by dividing our practice time is known as the distribution of practice effect. Thus, our second rule of learning is this. It’s better to study fairly briefly but often. But we are not finished yet. We haven’t considered how we should study over very short periods of time. Let’s say you are trying to learn some new and rather difficult English vocabulary using a stack of cards. Should you look at the same word in rapid succession or look at the word and then have some delay before you look at it again? The answer is it is better to space up the presentations of the word you are to learn. 2009年12月英语四级真题听力原文完整版 短对话Short conversation 11. M: Excuse me, do you have change for a ten-dollar note? I need to pay the parking meter. W: I'm sorry, but I think you can get it through the money changer in the shopping center across the street. Q: What is the man trying to do? 12. M: Can you recommend something that a school boy of 7 or 8 will really like? W: I'd suggest this toy train, sir. It's an excellent brand, very popular all over the world these days. Q: What is the man doing? 13. W: Do you let people know when you're taking pictures of them? M: I try not to. You know any picture of a person who poses for the camera would look dull and unnatural. Q: What are the speakers talking about? 14. W: I need to talk to someone who knows Baltimore well. I'm told you lived there. M: Oh, but I was really young at the time. Q: What does the man mean? 15. W: Aren't you disappointed that you didn't get the promotion? M: Maybe a little, but I know I need more experience before I'm ready for that kind of responsibility. Q: What do we learn about the man from this conversation? 16. W: I've been working out the gym since January. I was a bit out of shape. M: You look terrific. It seems that your effort has paid off. Q: What does the man imply about the woman? 17. W: Professor Clark suggested I get a tutor for advanced physics. M: Well, that might help. Advanced physics is a pretty difficult course. Q: What does the man mean? 18. W: Bill, have you heard the latest news? It appears we two won't be laid off after all. M: Oh, I'm somewhat tired of working here. I've been wondering whether I should resign. Anyway, the news seems to be good for you. Q: How does the man feel about the news? Long conversations Conversation 1 W: Hello, Cartson College, may I help you? M: Yes. I'm looking for information on courses in computer programming. I would need it for the fall semester. W: Do you want a day or evening course? M: Well, it would have to be an evening course since I work during the day. W: Aha. Have you taken any courses in data processing? M: No. W: Oh! Well, data processing is a course you have to take before you can take computer programming. M: Oh, I see. Well, when is it given? I hope it is not on Thursdays. W: Well, there's a class that meets on Monday evenings at 7:00. M: Just once a week? W: Yes. But that's almost 3 hours from 7:00 to 9:45. M: Oh! Well, that's all right, I could manage that. How many weeks does the course last? W: Mm, let me see. 12 weeks. You start the first weekends September and finish…Oh, just before Christmas, December 21st. M: And how much is the course? W: That's 300 dollars including the necessary computer time. M: Ah-hum. Okay, Eh, where do I go to register? W: Registration is on the second and third of September between 6 and 9 in Frost Hall. M: Is that the round building behind the parking lot? W: Yes, that's the one. M: Oh, I know how to get there. Is there anything that I should bring with me? W: No, just your check book. M: Well, thank you so much. W: You're very welcome. Bye! M: Bye! Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Q19: Why does the man choose to take an evening course? Q20: What does the man have to do before taking the course of computer programming? Q21: What do we learn about the schedule of evening course? Q22: What does the man want to know at the end of the conversation? Long Conversation 2: W: So why exactly does your job have a reputation for being stressful? M: Stress is generally driven by the feeling of being out of control of a situation, and a feeling of a situation controlling you. Trading in financial markets combines both. W: How do you relax in the evening? M: I very rarely do anything work-related. So it's easy to escape the markets. I generally go to the gym or go for a run, especially if I've had a bad day. I always cook a meal, rather than have a take-away., to do something my brain would regard as creative. W: Do you think what you do to relax is an effective way to beat stress? M: I don't think there's a specific rule about how to beat stress. I generally find that what I do is effective for me. W: Would you consider changing your job because of the high-stress factor? W: I have considered leaving my job due to stress-related factors. However, I do think that an element of stress is a good thing, and if use the right way, can actually be a positive thing. W: What do you enjoy about the stressful aspects of your job? M: Having said all that, I do actually enjoy an element of uncertainty. I enjoy a mental challenge. Trading generates a wide range of emotions second by second. How you deal with and manage those emotions dictates short, medium, and long term trading performance and success. Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you've just heard. Q23. What is the man's job? Q24. Why does the man prefer to cook a meal rather than have a take-away? Q25. What does the man say about an element of stress in his job? Section B Passage 1 Since early times, people have been fascinated with the idea of life existing somewhere else besides earth. Until recently, scientists believe that life on other planets was just a hopeful dream. But now they are beginning to locate places where life could form. In 1997, they saw evidence of planets near other stars like the sun. But scientists now think that life could be even nearer in our own solar system. One place scientists are studying very closely is Europa, a moon of Jupiter. Space probes have provided evidence that Europa has a large ocean under its surface. The probes have also made scientists think that under its surface Europa has a rocky core giving off volcanic heat. Water and heat from volcanic activity are two basic conditions needed for life to form. A third is certain basic chemicals such as carbon, oxygen and nitrogen. Scientists believe there might be such chemicals lying at the bottom of Europa's ocean. They may have already created life or may be about to. You may wonder if light is also needed for life to form. Until recently, scientists thought that light was essential. But now, places have been found on earth that are in total blackness such as caves several miles beneath the surface. And bacteria, primitive forms of life, have been seen there. So the lack of light in Europa's sub-surface ocean doesn't automatically rule out life forming. Questions 26 to 28 26. What did scientists once believe according to the passage? 27. What have scientists found about Europa, a moon of Jupiter? 28. What have scientists come to know recently about formation of life? Passage 2 In her early days as an emergency room physician, Doctor Joanna Myer treated a child who had suffered a second degree burn. After the child had been treated and was being prepared for discharge, Doctor Myer talked to the parents about how they should care for the child at home. Also listening to her were a half a dozen other family members. A few hours later, when she came to say goodbye, the family asked her to settle an argument they'd been having over exactly what advice she had given. “As I talked to them, I was amazed.” she said, ”All of them had heard the simple instructions I have given just a few hours before, but they have three or four different versions. The most basic details were unclear and confusing. I was surprised, because these were intelligent people.” This episode gave Doctor Myer her first clue to something every doctor learns sooner or later—most people just don't listen very well. Nowadays, she says she repeats her instructions, and even conducts a reality check with some patients. She asks them to tell her what they think they are supposed to do. She also provides take-home sheets which are computer printouts tailored to the patients' situation. Dr. Myer's listeners are not unusual. When new or difficult material is presented, almost all listeners are faced with the challenge because human speech lacks the stability and permanence of the printed word. Oral communication is fast-moving and impermanent. Question 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard: 29. What did the child's family members argue about in the hospital? 30. What did Dr. Myer do to insure her patients understand her instructions? 31. What does the speaker say about human speech? Passage 3 It's logical to suppose that things like good labor relations, good working conditions, good wages and benefits and job security motivate workers, but one expert, Fredrick Herzberg argued that such conditions do not motivate workers. They are merely satisfiers. Motivators, in contrast, include things such as having a challenging and interesting job, recognition and responsibility. However, even with the development of computers and robotics, there're always plenty of boring, repetitive and mechanical jobs and lots of unskilled people who have to do them. So how do mangers motivate people in such jobs? One solution is to give them some responsibilities, not as individuals, but as a part of a team. For example, some supermarkets can buy office stuff to people who fill the shelves, and the people who work at the check out into a team, and let them decide what product lines to stock, how to display them and so on. Many people now talk about the importance of a company's shared values or culture with which all the staff can identify, for example, being the best hotel chain, or making the best, the most user-friendly or the most reliable products in a particular field. Such values are more likely to motivate workers than financial targets which automatically only concern a few people. Unfortunately, there's only a limited number of such goals to go around and by definition, not all the competing companies in that industry can seriously plan to be the best. Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard. 32. What can actually motivate workers according to Fredrick Herzberg? 33. What does the speaker say about jobs in the computer era? 34. What do some supermarkets do to motivate their employees? 35. Why does the speaker say financial targets are less likely to motivate workers? Section C In the humanities, authors write to inform you in many ways. These methods can be classified into three types of informational writing: factual, descriptive, and process. Factual writing provides background information on an author, composer or artist or on a type of music, literature, or art. Examples of factual writing include notes in the book jacket or album cover and longer pieces, such as an article describing a style of music which you might read in a music appreciation course. This kind of writing provides a context for your study of humanities. As its name implies, descriptive writing simply describes or provides an image of, a piece of music, art or literature. For example, descriptive writing might list the colors an artist used in a painting or the instruments a composer included in the musical composition. So as to make pictures of sounds in the readers' mind by calling up the specific details of the work. Descriptive writing in the humanities, particularly in literature is often mixed with critical writing. Process writing explains a series of actions that bring about a result. It tells the reader how to do something, for example, explaining the technique used to shoot a film. This kind of writing is often found in art, where understanding how an artist created a certain effect is important. Authors may actually use more than one type of technique in the given piece of informational writing. 2010年6月大学英语四级真题听力原文 Section A Short Conversation 11. W: Just imagine! We have to finish reading 300 pages before Monday! How can the professor expect us to do it in such a short time? M: Yeah, but what troubles me is that I can’t find the book in the library or in the university bookstore. Q: What does the man mean? 12. M: Do you think I could borrow your car to go grocery shopping? The supermarkets outside the city are so much cheaper. I’d also be happy to pick up anything you need. W: Well, I don’t like to let anyone else drive my car. Tell you what, why don’t we go together? Q: What does the woman mean? 13. M: Forgive the mess in here. We have a party last night. There were a lot of people and they all brought food. W: Yeah, I can tell. Well, I guess it’s pretty obvious what you’ll be doing most of today. Q: What does the woman think the man will do? 14. W: What time would suit you for the first round talks with John Smith? M: Well, you know my schedule. Other than this Friday, one day is as good as the next. Q: What does the man mean? 15. W: I was so angry yesterday! My biology teacher did not even let me explain why I missed the field trip. He just wouldn’t let me pass! M: That doesn’t seem fair. I’d feel that way too if I were you. Q: What does the man imply? 16. M: I really can’t stand the way David controls the conversation all the time. If he is going to be at your Christmas party, I just won’t come. W: I’m sorry you feel that way, but my mother insists that he come. Q: What does the woman imply? 17. W: You’re taking a course with Professor Johnson. What’s your impression so far? M: Well, many students could hardly stay awake in his class without first drinking a cup of coffee. Q: What does the man imply? 18. W: Have you ever put a computer together before? M: No, never. But I think if we follow these instructions exactly, we won’t have much trouble. Q: What are the speakers going to do? Long Conversations Conversation 1 W: What sort of hours do you work, Steve? M: Well I have to work very long hours, about eleven hours a day. W: What time do you start? M: I work 9 to 3, then I start again at 5:30 and work until 11, six days a week. So I have to work very unsocial hours. W: And do you have to work at the weekend? M: Oh, yes, that’s our busiest time. I get Wednesdays off. W: What are the things you have to do and the things you don’t have to do? M: Uh, I don’t have to do the washing-up, so that’s good. I have to wear white, and I have to keep everything in the kitchen totally clean. W: What’s hard about the job? M: You are standing up all the time. When we are busy, people get angry and shout, but that’s normal. W: How did you learn the profession? M: Well, I did a two-year course at college. In the first year we had to learn the basics, and then we had to take exams. W: Was it easy to find a job? M: I wrote to about six hotels and one of them gave me my first job, so I didn’t have to wait too long. W: And what’s the secret of being good at your job? M: Attention to detail. You have to love it. You have to show passion for it. W: And what are your plans for the future? M: I want to have my own place when the time is right. Q19. What does the man say about his job? Q 20. What does the man think is the hardest part of his job? Q 21. Where did the man get his first job after graduation? Q 22. What does the man say is important to being good at his job? Conversation 2 W: Now you’ve seen this table of figures about the pocket money children in Britain get? M: Yes. I thought it was quite interesting, but I don’t quite understand the column entitled change. Can you explain what it means? W: Well, I think it means the change from the year before. I am not a mathematician, but I assume the rise from 70p to 90p is a rise of 25 percent. M: Oh yes, I see. And the inflation rate is there for comparison. W: Yes. Why do you think the rise in pocket money is often higher than inflation? M: I am sorry I’ve no idea. Perhaps parents in Britain are too generous. W: Perhaps they are. But it looks as if children were not better off in 2001 than they were in 2002. That’s strange, isn’t it? And they seem to have been better off in 2003 than they are now. I wonder why that is. M: Yes, I don’t understand that at all. W: Anyway, if you had children, how much pocket money would you give them? M: I don’t know. I think I’ll probably give them 2 pounds a week. W: Would you? And what would you expect them to do with it? M: Well, out of that, they have to buy some small personal things, but I wouldn’t expect them to save to buy their own socks, for example. W: Yes, by the way, do most children in your country get pocket money? M: Yeah, they do. Q23 What is the table of figures about? Q24 What do we learn from the conversation about British children’s pocket money? Q25 Supposing the man had children, what would he expect them to do with their pocket money? Passage 1 As the new sales director for a national computer firm, Alex Gordon was looking forward to his first meeting with the company’s district managers. Everyone arrived on time, and Alex’s presentation went extremely well. He decided to end the meeting with the conversation about the importance of the district managers to the company’s plans. “I believe we are going to continue to increase our share of the market,” he began, “because of the quality of the people in this room. The district manager is the key to the success of the sales representatives in his district. He sets the term for everyone else. If he has ambitious goals and is willing to put in long hours, everyone in his unit will follow his example.” When Alex was finished, he received polite applauses, but hardly the warm response he had hoped for. Later he spoke with one of the senior managers. “Things were going so well until the end”, Alex said disappointedly. “Obviously, I said the wrong thing.” “Yes”, the district manager replied. “Half of our managers are women. Most have worked their way up from sales representatives, and they are very proud of the role they played in the company’s growth. They don’t care at all about political correctness. But they were definitely surprised and distressed to be referred to as ‘he’ in your speech.” Q26 Who did Alex Gordon speak to at the first meeting? Q27 What did Alex want to emphasize at the end of his presentation? Q28 What do we learn about the audience at the meeting? Q29 Why did Alex fail to receive the warm response he had hoped for? Passage 2 The way to complain is to act business-like and important. If your complaint is immediate, suppose you got the wrong order at a restaurant, make a polite but firm request to see the manager. When the manager comes, ask his or her name. And then state your problem and what you expect to have done about it. Be polite! Shouting or acting rude will get you nowhere. But also be firm in making your complaint. Besides, act important. This doesn’t mean to put on airs and say “do you know who I am?” What it means is that people are often treated the way they expect to be treated. If you act like someone who expects a fair request to be granted, chances are it will be granted. The worst way to complain is over the telephone. You are speaking to a voice coming from someone you cannot see. So you can’t tell how the person on the line is reacting. It is easy for that person to give you the run-around. Complaining in person or by letter is generally more effective. If your complaint doesn’t require an immediate response, it often helps to complain by letter. If you have an appliance that doesn’t work, send a letter to the store that sold it. Be business-like and stick to the point. Don’t spend a paragraph on how your uncle John tried to fix the problem and couldn’t. Q30 What does the speaker suggest you do when you are not served properly at a restaurant? Q31 Why does the speaker say the worst way to complain is over the telephone? Q32 What should you do if you make a complaint by letter? Passage 3 Barbara Sanders is a wife and the mother of two children, ages 2 and 4. Her husband, Tom, is an engineer and makes an excellent salary. Before Barbara had children, she worked as an architect for the government, designing government housing. She quit her job when she became pregnant, but is now interested in returning to work. She's been offered an excellent job with the government. Her husband feels it's unnecessary for her to work since the family does not need the added income. He also thinks that a woman should stay home with her children. If Barbara feels the need to do socially important work, he thinks that she should do volunteer work one or two days a week. Barbara, on the other hand, has missed the excitement of her profession and does not feel she would be satisfied doing volunteer work. She would also like to have her own income, so she does not have to ask her husband for money whenever she wants to buy something. She does not think it's necessary to stay home every day with the children and she knows a very reliable babysitter who's willing to come to her house. Tom does not think a babysitter can replace a mother and thinks it's a bad idea for the children to spend so much time with someone who's not part of the family. Q33 What was Barbara's profession before she had children? Q34 What does Barbara's husband suggest she do if she wants to work? Q35 What does Tom think about hiring a babysitter? Section C Almost every child, on the first day he sets foot in the school building, is smarter, more curious， less afraid of what he doesn't know, better at finding and figuring things out, more confident, resourceful, persistent and independent, than he will either be again in his schooling or, unless he is very unusual and very lucky, for the rest of his life. Already, by paying close attention to and interacting with the world and people around him, and without any school-type formal instruction, he has done a task far more difficult, complicated and abstract than anything he will be asked to do in school, or than any of his teachers has done for years-he has solved the mystery of language. He has discovered it. Babies don't even know that language exists. And he has found out how it works and learnt to use it appropriately. He has done it by exploring, by experimenting, by developing his own model of the grammar of language, by trying it out and seeing whether it works, by gradually changing it and refining it until it does work. And while he has been doing this, he has been learning other things as well, including many of the concepts that the schools think only they can teach him, and many that are more complicated than the ones they do try to teach him. 2010年12月听力 11. M: Oh my god! The heat is simply unbearable here. I wish we’ve gone to the beach instead. W: Well, with the museums and restaurants in Washington I’ll be happy here no matter what the temperature. Q:What does the woman mean? 12. M: How’s the new job going? W: Well, I’m learning a lot of new things, but I wish the director would give me some feedback. Q:What does the woman want to know? 13. M: Can you help me work out a physical training program John? W: Sure, but whatever you do be careful not to overdo it. Last time I had two weeks’ worth of weight-lifting in three days and I hurt myself. Q: What does the man suggest the woman do? 14. M: I have an elderly mother and I’m worried about her going on a plane. Is there any risk? W: Not if her heart is all right. If she has a heart condition, I’d recommend against it. Q: What does the man want to know about his mother? 15. M: Why didn’t you stop when we first signaled you at the crossroads? W: Sorry, I was just a bit absent-minded. Anyway, do I have to pay a fine? Q: what do we learn from the conversation? 16. M: I’m no expert, but that noise in your refrigerator doesn’t sound right. Maybe you should have it fixed. W: You’re right. And I suppose I’ve put it off long enough. Q: What will the woman probably do? 17. M: I did extremely well on the sale of my downtown apartment. Now, I have enough money to buy that piece of land I’ve had my eye on and build a house on it. W: Congratulations～Does that mean you’ll be moving soon? Q: What do we learn about the man from the conversation? 18. W: My hand still hurts from the fall on the ice yesterday. I wonder if I broke something. M: I’m no doctor, but it’s not black and blue or anything. Maybe you just need to rest it for a few days. Q: what do we learn about the woman from the conversation? 长对话 (19~21) M: Mrs. Dawson, thanks very much for coming down to the station. I just like to go over some of the things that you told police officer Parmer at the bank. W: All right. M: Well, could you describe the man who robbed the bank for this report that we’re filling out here? Now, anything at all that you can remember would be extremely helpful to us. W: Well, just, I can only remember basically what I said before. M: That’s all right. W: The man was tall, six foot, and he had dark hair, and he had moustache. M: Very good. All right, did he have any other distinguishing marks? W: Um, no, none that I can remember. M: Do you remember how old he was by any chance? W: Well, I guess around 30, maybe younger, give or take a few years. M: Mm, all right. Do you remember anything about what he was wearing? W: Yes, yes, he had on a dark sweater, a solid color. M: OK. Um, anything else that strikes you at the moment? W: I remember he was wearing a light shirt under the sweater. Yes, yes. M: All right. Mrs. Dawson, I really appreciate what you’ve been through today. I’m just going to ask you to look at some photographs before you leave if you don’t mind. It won’t take very long. Can you do that for me? W: Oh, of course. M: Would you like to step this way with me, please? W: OK, sure. M: Thank you. Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 19. What do we learn about the woman? 20. What did the suspect look like? 21. What did the man finally asked the woman to do? 长对话 (22~25) W: Good morning, I’m calling about the job that was in the paper last night. M: Well, could you tell me your name? W: Candider Forsett. M: Oh yes. What exactly is it that interests you about the job? W: Well, I thought it was just right for me. M: Really? Um… Could you tell me a little about yourself? W: Yes. I’m 23. I’ve been working abroad. M: Where exactly have you been working? W: In Geneva. M: Oh, Geneva. And what were you doing there? W: Secretarial work. Previous to that, I was at university. M: Which university was that? W: The University of Manchester. I’ve got a degree in English. M: You said you’ve been working in Geneva. Do you have any special reason for wanting to come back? W: I thought it would be nice to be near to the family. M: I see, and how do you see yourself developing in this job? W: Well, I’m ambitious. I do hope that my career as a secretary will lead me eventually into management. M: I see. You have foreign languages? W: French and Italian. M: Well, I think the best thing for you to do is do reply a writing to the advertisement. W: Can’t I arrange for an interview now? M: Well, I’m afraid we must wait until all the applications are in, in writing, and we’ll then decide on the short list. If you are on the short list, of course we should see you. W: Oh, I see. M: I look forward to receiving your application in writing in a day or two. W: Oh, yes, yes, certainly. M: Ok, thank you very much. Goodbye. W: Thank you. Goodbye. Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 22. How did the woman get to know about the job vacancy? 23. Why did the woman find the job appealing? 24. What had the woman been doing in Geneva? 25. What was the woman asked to do in the end? Section B Passage One One of the greatest heartbreaks for fire fighters occurs when they fail to rescue a child from a burning building because the child, frightened by smoke and noise, hides under a bed or in a closet and is later found dead. Saddest of all is when children catch a glimpse of the masked fire fighter but hide because they think they have seen a monster. To prevent such tragedies, fire fighter Eric Velez gives talks to children in his community, explaining that they should never hide during a fire. He displays fire fighters’ equipment, including the oxygen mask, which he encourages his listeners to play with and put on. “If you see us,” Velez tells them, “don’t hide! We are not monsters. We have come to rescue you.” Velez gives his presentations in English and Spanish. Growing up in San Francisco, he learnt Spanish from his immigrant parents. Velez and other fire fighters throughout North America, who give similar presentations, will never know how many lives they save through their talks. But it’s a fact that informative speaking saves lives. For example, several months after listening to an informative speech, Pete Gentry in North Carolina rescued his brother who is choking on food, by using the method taught by student speaker, Julie Paris. In addition to saving lives, informative speakers help people learn new skills, solve problems and acquire fascinating facts about the exciting world in which they live. 26 Why do some children trapped in a burning building hide from masked fire fighters? 27 What does the passage tell us about fire fighter Eric Velez? 28 What do we learn about Pete Gentry? 29 What message is the speaker trying to convey? Passage Two Some people want to make and save a lot of money in order to retire early. I see people pursuing higher paying and increasingly demanding careers to accomplish this goal. They make many personal sacrifices in exchange for income today. The problem is that tomorrow might not come. Even if it all goes according to plan, will you know how to be happy when you are not working if you spend your entire life making money? More importantly, who will be around for you to share your leisure time with? At the other extreme are people who live only for today. Why bother saving when I might not be here tomorrow, they argue. The danger of this approach is that tomorrow may come after all. And most people don't want to spend all their tomorrows working for a living. The earlier neglect of saving, however, makes it difficult not to work when you are older. You maybe surprise to hear me say that if you must pick an extreme I think it's better to pick the spend-all approach. As long as you don't mind continuing to work, assuming your health allows, you should be OK. At least, you are making use of your money, and hopefully deriving value and pleasure from it. Postponing doing what you love and being with people you love until retirement can be a mistake. It may never come. Retirement can be a great time for some people. For others, it is a time of boredom, loneliness and poor health. 30 Why do some people pursue higher paying but demanding careers? 31 What is the danger facing people who live only for today? 32 What does the speaker seem to advocate? Passage Three Imagine that someone in your neighborhood broke the law, and the judge put the whole neighborhood under suspicion. How fair will that be? Well, it happens everyday to high schoolers. Just because some students have stolen things in shops, all of us are treated like thieves. Even though I’d never steal. Store employees looked at me like I’m some kind of hardened criminal. For example, during one lunch period, my friend Denny and I went to the Graben Gore Restaurant to have a hot dog. We arrived to find a line of students waiting outside. A new sign in the window told the story. “No more than two students at a time”. After 15 minutes, we finally got in. But the store manger laid the evil eye on us. I asked him about the new sign, and he said, “You kids are stealing too much stuff.” You kids? Too much stuff? We were not only assumed to be thieves, but brilliant, greedy thieves. The most annoying thing though, is the way employees watched my friends and me. It’s horrible. Once, at a drug store, I was looking around and found a guy standing on a large box, stocking the shelves. He was watching my hands, more than he was watching his own. I showed him that my hands were empty. He got down off his box and rushed off, as if he was going to get the store manger. How crazy is that! 33. What does the speaker find to be unfair? 34. What measure did the Graben Gore Restaurant take to stop stealing? 35. What happened in a drug store that greatly annoyed the speaker? Section C Writing keeps us in touch with other people. We write to communicate with relatives and friends. We write to preserve our family histories so our children and grandchildren can learn and appreciate their heritage. With computers and Internet connections in so many households, colleges, and businesses, people are e-mailing friends and relatives all the time -- or talking to them in writing in online chat rooms. It is cheaper than calling long distance, and a lot more convenient than waiting until Sunday for the telephone rates to drop. Students are e-mailing their professors to receive and discuss their classroom assignments and to submit them. They are e-mailing classmates to discuss and collaborate on homework. They are also sharing information about concerts and sports events, as well as jokes and their philosophies of life. Despite the growing importance of computers, however, there will always be a place and need for the personal letter. A hand-written note to a friend or a family member is the best way to communicate important thoughts. No matter what the content of the message, its real point is, "I want you to know that I care about you." This writing practice brings rewards that can’t be seen in bank accounts, but only in the success of human relationships. 2011年6月听力 11. M:Sean has been trying for month to find a job, but I wonder how he could get a job when he looks like that。 W: Oh, poor guy, he really should shave himself every other day at least, and put on something clean。 Q: What do we learn about Sean? 12. W: I wish Jane would call when she know she’ll be late. This is not the first time we had to wait for her。 M: I agree, but she does have to drive through very heavy traffic to get here。 Q: What does the man imply? 13. M: Congratulations. I heard your baseball team is going to the Mid-Atlantic Championships。 W: Yeah. We are all working real hard right now。 Q: What is the woman’s team doing? 14. W: John has been looking after his mother in the hospital. She was injured in a car accident two weeks ago and is still in critical condition 。 M: Oh, that’s terrible. And you know, his father passed away last year。 Q: What do we learn about John? 2011年6月英语四级短对话听力原文15-18 15. M: What a boring speaker! I could hardly stay awake. W: Well, I don’t know. In fact I think it’s been a long time since I’ve heard anyone is good. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? 16. W: I’m having a lot of trouble with logic and it seems my professor can’t explain it in a way that makes sense to me. M: You know, there is a tutoring service on campus. I was about to drop statistics before they helped me out. Q: What does the man mean? 17. M: this is a stylish overcoat. I saw you wearing it last week, didn’t I ? W: oh, that wasn’t me. That was my sister Jill. She is in your class. Q: What does the woman mean? 18. M: Jane, suppose you lost all your money while taking a vacation overseas, what would you do? M: well, I guess I’d sell my watch or computer or do some odd jobs till I can afford a return plane ticket. Q: what are the speakers talking about? 2011年6月英语四级听力长对话1 M: Hello, Professor Johnson. W: Hello, Tony, so what shall we work on today? M: Well, the problem is that this writing assignment isn’t coming out right. What I thought I was writing on was to talk about what a particular sport means to me when I participate in. W: What sport did you choose? M: I decided to write about cross-country skiing. W: What are you going to say about skiing? M: That’s the problem. I thought I would write about how peaceful it is to be out in the country. W: So why is that a problem? M: I’d like to start describing how quite it is to be out in the woods. I keep mentioning how much effort it takes to keep going. Cross-country skiing isn’t as simple as some people think. It takes a lot of energy, but that’s not heart of my paper, so I guess I should leave it out. But now I don’t know how to explain that feeling of peacefulness without explaining how hard you have to work for it. It all fits together. It’s not like just sitting down somewhere and watching the clouds roll by. That’s different. W: Then you have to include that in your point. The peacefulness of cross-country skiing is the kind you earn by effort. Why leave that out? Part of the point you knew beforehand, but part you discovered as you wrote. That’s common, right? M: Yeah, I guess so. Q19. What is the topic of the man’s writing assignment? Q20. What problem does the man have while working on his paper? Q21. What does the woman say is common in writing papers? 听力长对话2原文 W: Good evening, and welcome to this week’s Business World, a program for and about business people. Tonight we have Mr. Angelino who came to the United States six years ago and now he is an established businessman with three restaurants in town .Tell us , MR Angelino, how did you get started ? M : well ,I started off with a small diner ,I did all the cooking myself and my wife waited on tables ,it was really too much work for two people , my cooking is great and word got around downtown about the food .With in a year ,I had to hire another cook and four waitresses .when that restaurant became very busy . I decided to expand my business .now with three places, my main concern is keeping the business successful and running smoothly W : Do you advertise ? M : oh ,yes . I don’t have any TV commercials because they are too expensive .but I have advertised a lot on radio and in local newspapers .My children used to distribute Ads in nearby shopping centers ,but we don’t need to do that any more W : why do you believe you’ve been very successful M : I always served fresh possible food ,and I make the atmosphere as comfortable and as pleasant as I can so that my customers will want to come back again W : so you will always aim to please the customers M : absolutely W :without them ,I would have no business at all M :thank you MR Angelino . I think your advice would be helpful to those just starting out in business Question 22-25 are just based on what you have just heard: 22: what is the woman’s occupation? 23: what do we learn about MR Angelino’s business at its beginning ? 24:what did MR Angelino say about advertising in business ? 25:what does the man say contribute the success of the business ? 听力理解短文原文 Section B Passage One There are many commonly held beliefs about eye glasses and eyesight that are not proven facts. For instance, some people believe that wearing glasses too soon weakens the eyes. But there is no evidence to show that the structure of eyes is changed by wearing glasses at a young age. Wearing the wrong glasses, however, can prove harmful. Studies show that for adults there is no danger, but children can develop loss of vision if they have glasses inappropriate for their eyes. We have all heard some of the common myths about how eyesight gets bad. Most people believe that reading in dim light causes poor eyesight, but that is untrue. Too little light makes the eyes work harder, so they do get tired and strained. Eyestrain also results from reading a lot, reading in bed, and watching too much television. However, although eyestrain may cause some pain or headaches, it does not permanently damage eyesight. Another myth about eyes is that they can be replaced, or transferred from one person to another. There are close to one million nerve fibres that connect the eyeball to the brain, as of yet it is impossible to attach them all in a new person. Only certain parts of the eye can be replaced. But if we keep clearing up the myths and learning more about the eyes, some day a full transplant may be possible. Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard. 26. What does the speaker want to tell us about eyesight? 27. What do studies about wearing the wrong glasses show? 28. What do we learn about eye transplanting from the talk? Passage Two When people care for an elderly relative, they often do not use available community services, such as adult day care centers. If the care givers are adult children, they are more likely to use such services, especially because they often have jobs and other responsibilities. In contrast, a spouse, usually the wife, is much less likely to use support services or to put the dependent person in a nursing home. Social workers discover that the wife normally tries to take care of her husband herself for as long as she can in order not to use up their life savings. Researchers have found that caring for the elderly can be a very positive experience. The elderly appreciated the care and attention they received. They were affectionate and corporative. However, even when care giving is satisfying, it is hard work. Social workers and experts on aging offer care givers and potential care givers help when arranging for the care of an elderly relative. One consideration is to ask parents what they want before they become sick or dependent. Perhaps they prefer going into a nursing home can select one in advance. On the other hand, they may want to live with their adult children. Care givers must also learn to state their needs and opinions clearly and ask for help from others especially brothers and sisters. Brothers and sisters are often willing to help but they may not know what to do。 Question 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard。 Q29. Why are adult children more likely to use community services to help care for elderly parents? Q30. Why are most wives unwilling to put their dependent husbands into nursing homes? Q31. According to the passage, what must care givers learn to do? Passage Three Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard。 Since a union representative visited our company to inform us about our rights and protections. My coworkers have been worrying about health conditions and complaining about safety hazards in the workplace. Several of the employees in the computer department, for example, claim to be developing vision problems from having to stare at a video display terminal for about 7 hours a day. The supervisor of the laboratory is beginning to get headaches and dizzy spells because she says it’s dangerous to breathe some of the chemical smoke there. An X-rays technician is refusing to do her job until the firm agrees to replace its out-dated equipment. She insists that it’s exposing workers to unnecessarily high doses of radiation. She thinks that she may have to contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and asked that government agency to inspect the department. I’ve heard that at a factory in the area two pregnant women who were working with paint requested a transfer to a safer department, because they wanted to prevent damage to their unborn babies. The supervisor of personnel refused the request. In another firm the workers were constantly complaining about the malfunctioning heating system, but the owners was too busy or too mean to do anything about it. Finally, they all met an agree to wear ski-clothing to work the next day. The owner was too embarrassed to talk to his employees. But he had the heating system replaced right away。 Questions 32- 35 are based on the passage you have just heard。 32 What does the talk focus on? 33 What did the X-ray technician ask her company to do? 34 What does the speaker say about the two pregnant women working with paint? 35 Why did the workers in the firm wear ski-clothing to work? 2011年6月四级考试听力复合式听写原文 Contrary to the old warning that time waits for no one. Time slows down when you are on the move. It also slows down more as you move faster, which means astronauts someday may survive so long in space that they would return to earth in a distant future. If you could move at the speed of light, your time will stand still. If you could move faster than light, your time will move backwards. Although no form of matter yet discovered move as fast as or faster than light, scientific experiments have already confirmed that the accelerated motion causes a traveller’s time to be stretched。 Albert Einstein predicted this in 1905, when he introduced the concept of relative time as part of his special theory of relativity. A search is now underway to confirm the suspected existence of particles of matter that move at the speed greater than light, and therfore might serve as a passport to the past And obsession with time, saving, gaining, wasting, losing and mastering it, seems to have been part of humanity for as long as human’s have existed。 Humanity also has been obsessed with trying to capture the meaning of time. Einstein used a definition of time for experimental purposes, is that which is measured by a clock, thus time and time’s relativity are measurable by any hour glass, alarm clock or an atomic clock that can measure a billionth of a second。