2010年12月英语六级听力原文完整版
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2010年12月英语六级听力原文完整版
Section A
短对话(11~18)
11
W: This is one of our best and least expensive two-bedroom listings. It‘s located in a quiet
building and it‘s close to bus lines.
M: That may be true. But look at it, it‘s awful, the paint has peeled off and the carpet is worn and the stove is ancient.
Q: What can we infer from the conversation?
12
M: The pictures we took at the botanical garden should be ready tomorrow.
W: I can‘t wait to see them, I‘m wondering if the shots I took are as good as I thought.
Q: What is the woman eager to know?
13
W: The handle of the suitcase is broken. Can you have it fixed by next Tuesday?
M: Let me see, I need to find a handle that matches but that shouldn‘t take too long.
Q: What does the man mean?
14
M: This truck looks like what I need but I‘m worried about maintenance. For us it‘ll have to
operate for long periods of time in very cold temperatures.
W: We have several models that are especially adaptive for extreme conditions. Would you like to
see them?
Q: What do we learn about the man from the conversation?
15
M: I think your boss would be very upset when he gets your letter of resignation.
W: That may be so. But in the letter, I just told him frankly I could no longer live with his poor
management and stupid decisions.
Q: What do we learn about the woman?
16
W I‘d like to exchange the shirt. I‘ve learned that the person I bought it for is allergic to wool. M Maybe we can find something in cotton or silk. Please come this way.
Q;What does the women want to do,
17
M: Excuse me, Miss,Did anyone happen to turn in a new handbag? You know, it‘s a birthday gift
for my wife.
W: Let me see. Oh, we‘ve got quite a lot of women‘s bags here. Can you give me more detailed information, such as its color, the size and the trademark?
Q: Where does this conversation most probably take place?
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18
M What are you going to do with the old house you inherited from your grandfather?
W I once intended to sell it, but now, I‘m thinking of turning it into a guest house, because it's still a solid structure.
Q: What does the man plan to do with his old house?
长对话(19~25)
W: When you write a novel, do you know where you‘re going, Dr. James?
M: Yes, you must, really, if you‘re writing the classical detective story, because it must be so carefully plotted and so carefully clued. I have schemes. I have charts. I have diagrams. It doesn‘t mean to say I always get it right, but I do plan before I begin writing. But what is so fascinating is how a book changes during the process of writing. It seems to me that creative writing is a process of revelation, really, rather than of creativity in the ordinary sense.
W: When you‘re planning the basic structure, do you like to go away to be sure that you‘re by yourself?
M: I need to be by myself certainly, absolutely. I can‘t even bear anybody else in the house. I don‘t
mind much where I am as long as I‘ve got enough space to write, but I need to be completely alone.
W: Is that very important to you?
M: Oh, yes. I‘ve never been lonely in all my life.
W: How extraordinary! Never?
M: No, never.
W: You‘re very lucky. Someone once said that there‘s a bit of ice at the heart of every writer.
M: Yes. I think this is true. The writer can stand aside from experience and look at it, watch it happening. There is this ?detachment‘ and I realize that there are obviously experiences which would overwhelm everyone. But very often, a writer can appear to stand aside, and this detachment makes people feel there‘s a bit of ice in the heart.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. What is the key to write a good classical detective story according to the man?
20. What does the man mainly need when working on a book?
21. What does the man say about writers?
W: There is an element there about competition then, isn‘t there? Because British railways are a nationalized industry. There‘s only one railway system in the country. If you don‘t like a particular
kind of big beans, you can go and buy another. But if you don't like a particular railway, you can‘t go and use another.
M: Some people who write to me say this. They say that if you didn‘t have a monopoly, you
wouldn‘t be able to do the things you do. Well, I don‘t think we do anything deliberately to upset our customers. We have particular problems. Since 1946, when the Transport Act came in, we were nationalized.
W: Do you think that‘s a good thing? Has it been a good thing for the railways, do you think, to be
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nationalized?
M: Oh I think so, yes. Because in general, modes of transport are all around. Let‘s face the fact. The car arrived. The car is here to stay. There is no question about that.
W: So what are you saying then? Is it if the railways happen being nationalized, they would simply have disappeared?
M: Oh, I think they would have. They‘re disappearing fast in America. Er, the French railways lose 1 billion pounds a year. The German railways, 2 billion pounds a year. But you see, those governments are preparing to pour money into the transport system to keep it going.
W: So in a sense, you cope between two extremes. On the one hand, you‘re trying not to lose too much money. And on the other hand, you‘ve got to provide the best service.
M: Yes, you are right.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
22. What does the woman say about British railways?
23. What do some people who write to the man complain about?
24. What does the man say threatens the existence of railways?
25. What does the man say about railways in other countries?
Section B
Passage One
Among global warming‘s most frightening threats is the prediction that the polar ice-caps will
melt, raising sea level so much that coastal cities from New York to Los Angles to Shanghai will be flooded. Scientists agree that the key player in this scenario is the West Antarctic ice sheet, a Brazil-size mass of frozen water that is much as 7000 feet thick. Unlike floating ice shelves which have little impact on sea level when they break up, the ice sheet is anchored to bedrock well below
the sea surface. Surrounded by open ocean, it is also vulnerable, but Antarctic experts disagree strongly on just how unstable it is. Now, new evidence reveals that all or most of the west
Antarctic ice sheet collapsed at least once during the past 1.3 million years, a period when global temperatures probably were not significantly higher than they are today. And the ice sheet was assumed to have been stable. In geological time, a million years is recent history. The proof, which was published last week in Science, comes from a team of scientists from Uppsala University in Sweden and the California Institute of Technology who drill deep holes near the edge of the ice
sheet. Within samples collected from the solid substances lying beneath the ice. They found fossils of microscopic marine plants which suggest that the region was once an open ocean, not solid ice.
As Herman Engelhard, a co-author from the California Institute of Technology says, ?the West Antarctic ice sheet disappeared once and can disappear again.‘
26. What is one of the most frightening threats of global warming according to the passage?
27. What did scientists disagree on?
28. What is the latest information revealed about the West Antarctic ice sheet?
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29. What does the scientists‘ latest finding suggest?
Passage Two
It's always fun to write about research that you can actually try out for yourself.
Try this: Take a photo and upload it to Facebook, then after a day or so, note what the URL link to the picture is and then delete it. Come back a month later and see if the link works. Chances are: It will.
Facebook isn't alone here. Researchers at Cambridge University have found that nearly half of the social networking sites don't immediately delete pictures when a user requests they be removed. In general, photo-centric websites like Flickr were found to be better at quickly removing deleted photos upon request.
Why do "deleted" photos stick around so long? The problem relates to the way data is stored on large websites: While your personal computer only keeps one copy of a file, large-scale services like Facebook rely on what are called content delivery networks to manage data and distribution. It's a complex system wherein data is copied to multiple intermediate devices, usually to speed up access to files when millions of people are trying to access the service at the same time. But because changes aren't reflected across the content delivery networks immediately, ghost copies of files tend to linger for days or weeks.
In the case of Facebook, the company says data may hang around until the URL in question is reused, which is usually "after a short period of time", though obviously that time can vary considerably.
30. What does the speaker ask us to try out?
31. What accounts for the failure of some websites to remove photos immediately?
32. When will the unwanted data eventually disappear from Facebook according to the company?
Passage Three
Enjoying an iced coffee? Better skip dinner or hit the gym afterwards, with a cancer charity warning that some iced coffees contain as many calories as a hot dinner.
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) conducted a survey of iced coffees sold by some popular chains in Britain including Starbucks, Café Nero and Costa Coffee to gauge the calories as studies increasingly link obesity with cancer.
The worst offender - a coffee from Starbucks -- had 561 calories. Other iced coffees contained more than 450 calories and the majority had an excess of 200.
Health experts advise that the average woman should consume about 2,000 calories a day and a
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man about 2,500 calories to maintain a healthy weight. Dieters aim for 1,000 to 1,500 calories a day.
"The fact that there is an iced coffee on the market with over a quarter of a woman's daily calories allowance is alarming," Dr Rachel Thompson, science program manager at London-based WCRF, said in a widely-reported statement.
"This is the amount of calories you might expect to have in an evening meal, not in a drink."
The WCRF has estimated that 19,000 cancers a year in Britain could be prevented if people lost their excess weight with growing evidence that excess body fat increases the risk of various cancers.
"If you are having these types of coffee regularly then they will increase the chances of you becoming overweight, which in turn increases your risk of developing cancer, as well as other diseases such as heart disease." she added.
33. What warning did some health experts give?
34. What does the author suggest people do after they have an iced coffee?
35. What could British people expect if they maintain a normal body weight according to the WCRF?
Section C
Psychologists are finding that hope plays a surprisingly vital role in giving people a measurable advantage in rounds as diverse as academic achievement, bearing up in tough jobs, and coping with tragic illness. And, by contrast, the loss of hope, is turning out to be a stronger sign that a person may commit suicide than other factors long thought to be more likely risks. ?Hope has proven a powerful predictor of outcome in every study we've done so far,‘ said Doctor Charles R.
Snyder, a psychologist, who has devised a scale to assess how much hope a person has. For example, in research with 3920 college students, Doctor Snyder and his colleagues found that the level of hope among freshmen at the beginning of their first semester was a more accurate predictor of their college grades, than were their SAT scores or their grade point averages in high school, the two measures most commonly used to predict college performance. ?Students with
high hope set themselves higher goals and know how to work to attain them,‘ Doctor Snyder said. ?When you compare students of equivalent intelligence and past academic achievements, what sets them apart is hope.‘ In devising a way to assess hope scientifically, Doctor Snyder went
beyond the simple notion that hope is merely the sense that everything will turn out all right. ?That notion is not concrete enough and it blurs two key components of hope,‘ Doctor Snyder said, ?Having hope means believing you have both the will and the way to accomplish your goals,
whatever they may be.‘
2010年06月英语六级听力原文完整版
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Section A
Short Conversation
11. M: Oh, I‘m so sorry I forgot to bring along the book you borrowed from the library.
W: What a terrible memory you have! Anyway, I won‘t need it until Friday night. As long as I can get it by then, OK?
Q: What do we learn from this conversation?
12. W: Doctor, I haven‘t been able to get enough sleep lately, and I‘m too tired to concentrate in
class.
M: Well, you know, spending too much time indoors with all that artificial lighting can do that to you. Your body loses track of whether it‘s day or night.
Q: What does the man imply?
13. M: I think I‘ll get one of those new T-shirts, you know, with the school‘s logo on both the front
and the back.
W: You‘ll regret it. They are expensive, and I‘ve heard the printing fades easily when you wash them.
Q: What does the woman mean?
14. W: I think your article in the school newspaper is right on target, and your viewpoints have certainly convinced me.
M: Thanks, but in view of the general responses, you and I are definitely in the minority.
Q: What does the man mean?
15. M: Daisy was furious yesterday because I lost her notebook. Should I go see her and apologize to her again?
W: Well, if I were you, I‘d let her cool off a few days before I approach her.
Q: What does the woman suggest the man do?
16. M: Would you please tell me where I can get batteries for this brand of camera?
W: Let me have a look. Oh, yes, go down this aisle, pass the garden tools, you‘ll find them on the shelf next to the light bulbs.
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Q: What is the man looking for?
17. M: Our basketball team is playing in the finals but I don‘t have a ticket. I guess I‘ll just watch
it on TV. Do you want to come over?
W: Actually I have a ticket. But I‘m not feeling well. You can have it for what it cost me.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
18. M: Honey, I‘ll be going straight to the theatre from work this evening. Could you bring my suit and tie along?
W: Sure, it‘s the first performance of the State Symphony Orchestra in our city, so suit and tie is a must.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
Long Conversations
Conversation 1
M: I got two letters this morning with job offers, one from the Polytechnic, and the other from the Language School in Pistoia, Italy.
W: So you are not sure which to go for?
M: That‘s it. Of course, the conditions of work are very different: The Polytechnic is offering two-year contract which could be renewed, but the Language School is only offering a year‘s contract, and that‘s a definite minus. It could be renewed, but you never know.
W: I see. So it‘s much less secure. But you don‘t need to think too much about steady jobs when you are only 23.
M: That‘s true.
W: What about the salaries?
M: Well, the Pistoia job pays much better in the short term. I‘ll be getting the equivalent of about
22,000 pounds a year there, but only 20,000 pounds at the Polytechnic. But then the hours are different. At the Polytechnic I‘d have to do 35 hours a week, 20 teaching and 15 administration, whereas the Pistoia school is only asking for 30 hours teaching.
W: Mmm…
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M: Then the type of teaching is so different. The Polytechnic is all adults and mostly preparation for exams like the Cambridge certificates. The Language School wants me to do a bit of exam preparation, but also quite a lot of work in companies and factories, and a couple of children‘s
classes. Oh, and a bit of literature teaching.
W: Well, that sounds much more varied and interesting. And I‘d imagine you‘d be doing quite a lot of teaching outside the school, and moving around quite a bit.
M: Yes, whereas with the Polytechnic position, I‘d be stuck in the school all day.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard:
Q19. What do we learn about the man from the conversation?
Q20. What do we learn about the students at the Polytechnic?
Q21. What does the woman think of the job at the Language School?
Conversation 2
Good evening and welcome to tonight's edition of Legendary Lives. Our subject this evening is James Dean, actor and hero for the young people of his time. Edward Murray is the author of a new biography of Dean.
W: Good evening, Edward.
M: Hello Tina.
W: Edward, tell us what you know about Dean's early life.
M: He was born in Indiana in 1931, but his parents moved to California when he was five. He wasn't there long though because his mother passed away just four years later. Jimmy's father sent him back to Indiana after that to live with his aunt.
W: So how did he get into acting?
M: Well, first he acted in plays at high school, then he went to college in California where he got seriously into acting. In 1951 he moved to New York to do more stage acting.
W: Then when did his movie career really start?
M: 1955. His first starring role was in East of Eden. It was fabulous. Dean became a huge success. But the movie that really made him famous was his second one, Rebel Without a Cause, that was
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about teenagers who felt like they didn't fit into society.
W: So how many more movies did he make?
M: Just one more, then he died in that car crash in California in 1955.
W: What a tragedy! He only made three movies! So what made him the legend he still is today?
M: Well I guess his looks, his acting ability, his short life, and maybe the type of character he played in his movies. Many young people saw him as a symbol of American youths.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard:
Q22 What is the woman doing?
Q23 Why did James Dean move back to Indiana when he was young?
Q24 What does the man say James Dean did at college in California?
Q25 What do we learn about James Dean from the conversation?
Section B
Passage 1
The time is 9 o‘clock and this is Marian Snow with the news.
The German authorities are sending investigators to discover the cause of the plane crash late yesterday on the island of Tenerife. The plane, a Boeing 737, taking German holiday makers to the island crashed into a hillside as it circled while preparing to land. The plane was carrying 180 passengers. It‘s thought there are no survivors. Rescue workers are at the scene.
The British industrialist James Louis, held by kidnappers in Central Africa for the past 8 months, was released unharmed yesterday. The kidnappers had been demanding 1 million pounds for the release of Mr. Louis. The London Bank and their agents who had been negotiating with the kidnappers have not said whether any amount of money has been paid.
The 500 UK motors workers who had been on strike in High Town for the past 3 three weeks went back to work this morning. This follows successful talks between management and union representatives, which resulted in a new agreement on working hour and conditions. A spokesman for the management said that they‘d hope they could now get back to producing cars, and that they lost a lot of money and orders over this dispute.
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And finally the weather. After a cold start, most of the country should be warm and sunny. But towards late afternoon, rain will spread from Scotland to cover most parts by midnight.
Questions 26 – 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.
Q26 What does the news say about the Boeing 737 plane?
Q27 What happened to British industrialist James Louis?
Q28 How did the 3-week strike in High Town end?
Q29 What kind of weather will be expected by midnight in most parts of the country?
Passage 2
Juan Louis, a junior geology major, decided to give an informative speech about how earthquakes occur. From his audience analysis he learned that only 2 or 3 of his classmates knew much of anything about geology. Juan realized then that he must present his speech at an elementary level and with a minimum of scientific language.
As he prepared the speech, Juan kept asking himself, ―How can I make this clear and meaningful to someone who knows nothing about earthquakes or geological principles?‖ Since he was speaking in the Midwest, he decided to begin by noting that the most severe earthquake in American history took place not in California or Alaska but at New Madrid, Missouri in 1811. If such an earthquake happened today, it would be felt from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean and would flatten most of the cities in the Mississippi valley. That, he figured, should get his classmates‘ attention.
Throughout the body of the speech, Juan dealt only with the basic mechanics of earthquakes and carefully avoided technical terms. He also prepared visual aids, diagramming fold lines, so his classmates wouldn‘t get confused. To be absolutely safe, Juan asked his roommate, who was not a geology major, to listen to the speech. ―Stop me,‖ he said, ―any time I say something you don‘t understand.‖ Juan‘s roommate stopped him four times. And at each spot, Juan worked out a way to
make his point more clearly. Finally, he had a speech that was interesting and perfectly understandable to his audience.
Questions 30 – 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
Q30 What did Juan Louis learn from the analysis of his audience?
Q31 How did Juan Louis start his speech?
Q32 What did Juan ask his roommate to do when he was making his trial speech?
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Passage 3
Esperanto is an artificial language, designed to serve internationally as an auxiliary means of communication among speakers of different languages. It was created by Ludwig Lazar Zamenhof, a Polish Jewish doctor specialized in eye diseases. Esperanto was first presented in 1887. An international movement was launched to promote its use. Despite arguments and disagreements, the movement has continued to flourish and has members in more than 80 countries.
Esperanto is used internationally across language boundaries by at least 1 million people, particularly in specialized fields. It is used in personal contexts, on radio broadcasts and in a number of publications as well as in translations of both modern works and classics. Its popularity has spread form Europe, both east and west, to such countries as Brazil and Japan. It is, however, in China that Esperanto has had its greatest impact. It is taught in universities and used in many translations, often in scientific or technological works. EL POPOLA CHINIO, which means ―From People‘s China‖, is a monthly magazine in Esperanto and is read worldwide. Radio
Beijing‘s Esperanto program is the most popular program in Esperanto in the world.
Esperanto‘s vocabulary is drawn primarily from Latin, the Romance languages, English and German. Spelling is completely regular. A simple and consistent set of endings indicates grammatical functions of words. Thus for example, every noun ends in ―o‖, every adjective in ―a‖, and the basic form of every verb in ―i‖. Esperanto also has a highly productive system of constructing new words from old ones.
Questions 33 – 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
Q33 What does the speaker tell us about Esperanto?
Q34 What is said about the international movement to promote the use of Esperanto?
Q35 What does the speaker say about Esperanto in China?
Section C
George Herbert Mead said that humans are "talked into" humanity. He meant that we gain personal identity as we communicate with others. In the earliest years of our lives, our parents tell us who we are. "You're intelligent." "You're so strong." We first see ourselves through the eyes of others. So their messages form important foundations of our self-concepts. Later, we interact with teachers, friends, romantic partners and co-workers who communicate their views of us. Thus, how we see ourselves reflects the views of us that others communicate.
The profound connection between identity and communication is dramatically evident in children who are deprived of human contact. Case studies of children who are isolated from others reveal that they lack a firm self-concept, and their mental and psychological development is severely
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hindered by lack of language.
Communication with others not only affects our sense of identity, but also directly influences our physical and emotional well-being. Consistently, research shows that communicating with others promotes health, whereas social isolation is linked to stress, disease, and early death. People who lack close friends have greater levels of anxiety and depression than people who are close to others. A group of researchers reveal scores of studies that trace the relationship between health and interaction with others. The conclusion was that social isolation is statistically as dangerous as high blood pressure, smoking and obesity. Many doctors and researchers believe that loneliness harms the immune system, making us more vulnerable to a range of miner and major illnesses.
2009年12月英语六级真
题
快递公司问题件快递公司问题件货款处理关于圆的周长面积重点题型关于解方程组的题及答案关于南海问题
听力原文(完整版)
Section A 对话部分
11.
W: Did you use credit cards on your vacation last month in Europe?
M: Sure I did. They certainly beat going around with a wallet full of bills. But carrying lots of cash is still very common among some older people traveling abroad.
Q: What does the man say about some elderly people?
12.
W: Rod must be in a bad mood today. What‘s wrong with him?
M: He was passed over in the selection process for the dean of the admission‘s office. He‘d been hoping for the position for a long time.
Q: What does the man mean?
13.
M: What a great singer Justin is! His concert is just awesome.And you‘ll never regret the money you paid for the ticket.
W: Yeah. Judging by the amount of the applause, everyone was enjoying it.
Q: What does the woman mean?
14.
W: I received an email yesterday from Henry. Do you remember? He was one of the chairpersons of our students union.
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M: Yes, but I haven‘t heard from him for ages. Actually I‘ve been out of touch with him
since our first reunion after graduation.
Q: What do we learn about the speakers?
15.
M: Driving at night always makes me tired. Let‘s stop for dinner.
W: Fine. And let‘s find a motel, so that we can get an early start tomorrow. Q: What will the speakers probably do?
16.
W: Let‘s look at the survey on consumer confidence we conducted last week. How reliable
are these figures?
M: They have a 5% margin of error
Q: What are the speakers talking about?
17.
W: Look at this catalogue, John. I think I want to get this red blouse.
M: Err, I think you‘ve already one like this in blue. Do you need every color in the rainbow? Q: What does the man mean?
18.
W: This notice says that all the introductory marketing classes are closed. M: That can‘t be true. There‘s supposed to be 13 of them this semester. Q: What does the man mean?
Conversation One
M: I see on your resume that you worked as a manager of a store called ―Computer Country‖.
Could you tell me a little more about your responsibilities there?
W: Sure. I was responsible for overseeing about 30 employees. I did all of the ordering for
the store, and I kept track of the inventory.
M: What was the most difficult part of your job?
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W: Probably handling angry customers. We didn‘t have them very often, but when we did, I needed to make sure they were well taking care of. After all, the customer is always right.
M: That‘s how we feel here too. How long did you work there?
W: I was there for three and a half years. I left the company last month.
M: And why did you leave?
W: My husband has been transferred to Boston. And I understand your company has an opening there too.
M: Yes, that‘s right. We do. But the position won‘t start until early next month. Would that be a problem for you?
W: No, not at all. My husband‘s new job doesn‘t begin for a few weeks. So we thought we would spend some time driving to Boston and stop to see my parents.
M: That sounds nice. So tell me, why are you interested in this particular position?
W: I know that your company has a great reputation, and a wonderful product. I‘ve thought
many times that I would like to be a part of it. When I heard about the opening in Boston, I jumped to the opportunity.
M: Well I‘m glad you did.
19. What was the woman‘s previous job?
20. What does the woman say was the most difficult part of her job?
21. Why is the woman looking for a job in Boston?
22. When can the woman start to work if she gets the job?
Conversation Two
W: Today in the studio we have Alberto Quatells, the well-known Brazilian of the anti-global movement. He‘s here to talk about the recent report, stating that by 2050 Brazil will be the one ot the word‘s wealthiest and most successful countries. Alberto, what do you say to the report?
M: You know this isn‘t the first time that people are saying Brazil will be a great economic
power. The same thing was said over a hundred year ago. But it didn‘t happen.
W: Yes, but you must admit the world‘s a very different place now.
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M: Of course. In fact I believe there‘s maybe some truth in the prediction this time around.
First of all, though, we must remember the problems facing Brazil at the moment.
W: Such as…?
M: There‘s an enormous gap between the rich and the poor in this country. In Sal Paulo, you can see shopping malls full of designed goods right next door to the slam areas without water and electricity supplies. A lot of work needs to be done to help people in those areas improve their lives.
W: What needs to be done?
M: Education, for example. For Brazil to be successful, we need to offer education to all Brazilians. Successful countries like South Korea and Singapore have excellent education systems. Brazil needs to learn from these countries.
W: So you are hopeful for the future.
M: As I said earlier, I‘m hopeful. This isn‘t an easy job. We need to make sure that these
important opportunities for Brazilians aren‘t wasted, as they were in the past.
23. What does the recent report say about Brazil?
24. What problem does Alberto say Brazil faces now?
25. What does Alberto say about economically successful countries?
Section B 听力短文
Passage One
Wilma Subra had no intention of becoming a public speaker. After graduating from college with degrees in chemistry and microbiology, she went to work at Gulf South Research Institute in Louisiana. As part of her job, she conducted field research on toxic substances in the environment, often in minority communities located near large industrial polluters. She found many families were being exposed high, sometimes deadly, levels of chemicals and other toxic substances, but she was not allowed to make her information public.
Frustrated by these restrictions, Subra left her job in 1981, created her own company, and has devoted the past two decades to helping people fight back against giant industrial polluters. She works with families and community groups to conduct environmental tests, interpret test results, and organize for change. Because of her efforts, dozens of toxic sites across the country have been cleaned up, and one chemical industry spokesperson calls her ―a top gun for the
environmental movement.‖
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How has Wilma Subra achieved all this? Partly through her scientific training, partly through her commitment to environmental justice. But just as important is her ability to communicate with people through public speaking. ―Public speaking,‖ she says, ―is the primary vehicle I use for reaching people.‖
If you had asked Subra before 1981, ―Do you see yourself as a major public speaker?‖ She would have laughed at the idea. Yet today she gives more than 100 presentations a year. Along the way she has lectured at Harvard, testified before Congress, and addressed audiences in 40 states, as well as in Mexico, Canada, and Japan.
26. What did Wilma Subra do as part of her job while working at Gulf South Research Institute?
27. What did Wilma Subra leave her job in 1981?
28. What results have Wilma Subra‘s efforts had in the part two decades?
29. What does the speaker say has contributed to Wilma Subra‘s success?
Passage 2
One of the biggest challenges facing employers and educators today is the rapid advance of globalization. The market place is no longer national or regional, but extends to all corners of the world. And this requires a global ready workforce. Universities have a large part to play in preparing students for the 21st century labor market by promoting international educational experiences. The most obvious way universities can help develop global workforce is by encouraging students to study abroad as part of their course. Students who have experienced another culture first hand are more likely to be global ready when they graduate.
Global workforce development doesn‘t always have to involve travel abroad however. If students learn another language and study other cultures, they will be more global ready when they graduate. It is important to point out that students also need to have a deep understanding of their own culture before they can begin to observe, analyze and evaluate other cultures. In multi-cultural societies, people can study each other‘s cultures, to develop intercultural competencies, such as critical and reflective thinking, and intellectual flexibility. This can be done both through the curriculum and through activities on campus, outside of the classroom, such as art exhibitions, and lectures from international experts. Many universities are already embracing this challenge, and providing opportunities for students to become global citizens. Students themselves, however, may not realize that when they graduate, they will be competing in a global labor market, and universities need to raise awareness of these issues amongst undergraduates.
Questions 30-32
Q30: What is one of the biggest challenges facing employers ?and educators today?
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Q31: What should students do first before they can really understand other cultures?
Q32: What should college students realize according to the speaker?
Passage 3
To see if hair color affects a person‘s chances of getting a job, researchers at California State University asked 136 college students to review the resume and photograph of a female applicant for a job as an accountant. Each student was given the same resume. But the applicant‘s picture was altered, so that in some photos her hair was golden, in some red and in some brown. The result? With brown hair, the woman was rated more capable, and she was offered a higher salary than when she had golden or red hair. Other studies have found similar results. Many respondents rate women with golden hair with less intelligent than other people, and red heads as more temperamental. Women with red or golden hair are victims of the common practice of stereotyping.
A stereotype is a simplistic or exaggerated image that humans carrying in their minds about groups of people. For example, lawyers are shrewd dishonest is a popular stereotype. Stereotyping can occur in public speaking classes. When trying to choose a speech topic, some males think that women are uninterested in how to repair cars, while some females think that men are uninterested in creative hobbies, such as knitting and needle point. We should reject stereotypes, because they force all people in a group into the same simple pattern. They fail to account for individual differences, and the wide range of characteristics among members of any group. Some lawyers are dishonest, yes! But many are not. Some women are uninterested in repairing cars, yes! But some are enthusiastic mechanics.
Section C 复合听写
The ancient Greeks developed basic memory systems called ―Numonyx‖. The name is
derived from their Goddess of memory ―Mnemosyne‖. In the ancient world, a trained memory was an immense asset, particularly in public life. There were no convenient devices for taking notes and early Greek orators delivered long speeches with great accuracy because they learned their speeches using Numonyx systems. The Greeks discovered that human memory is largely an associative process. That works by linking things together. For example, think of an apple. The instinct of your brain registers the word apple. It recalls the shape, color, taste, smell and texture of that food. All these things are associated in your memory with the word apple. This means that any thought about a certain subject will often bring up more memories that are related to it. An example could be when you think about a lecture you will have.
This could trigger a memory about what you are talking about through that lecture, which can then trigger another memory. The associations do not have to be logical. They just have to make a good link. An example given on the website I was looking at follows: ―do you remember the shape of Austral, Canada, Belgium or Germany.‖ Probably not. What about Italy, though? If
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you remember the shape of Italy, it is because you have been told sometime that Italy is shaped like a boot. You made an association with something you‘ve already known—the shape of a boot.
And Italy‘s shape could not be forgotten once you‘ve made the association
2009年6月大学英语六级听力文本
短对话
11. W: I forgot to tell you that Fred called last night to borrow your sleeping bag.
M: Oh, I saw him at the gym this morning, but he didn‘t say anything. So he must have asked somebody else.
Q: What does the man imply?
12. W: These summer days are getting to be more than I can take. It was even too hot to go to the pool yesterday.
M: Hang in there. According to the weather report we should have some relief by the end of the week.
Q: What does the man mean?
13. W: Well, tonight we have Professor Brown in our studio to talk about the famous oil painting of Queen Victoria. Good evening, professor.
M: Good evening, madam, my pleasure to be here tonight.
Q: What is the woman doing?
14. M: The plants next to the window always look brown. You wouldn‘t know by looking at them
that I water them every week.
W: Maybe they don‘t like direct sunlight. I had the same problem with some of my plants. And a little shade helps them immensely.
Q: What does the woman imply?
15. M: I‘m really exhausted, Mary. But I don‘t want to miss the Hollywood movie that comes on
at 11.
W: If I were you, I‘d skip it. We both have to get up early tomorrow. And anyway I‘ve heard it‘s not as exciting as advertised.
Q: What does the woman suggest the man do?
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16. M: Those modern sculptures over there are really weird. Don‘t you think so?
W:Well, I couldn‘t stand them either at first. But now I‘ve come to like modern art, particularly those sculptures carved by Italian artists.
Q: What does the woman mean?
17. M: I‘m really glad our club
decided to raise money for the children‘s hospital. And most of the people we phoned seemed happy to contribute.
W: Yeah! I agree. Now that we‘ve gone through all the numbers on our list, I guess we can call it a day.
Q: What do we learn about the speakers?
18. M: Have you heard of Professor Smith?
I‘m thinking of taking an advanced engineering course with him. What do you think?
W: Yeah! You really should. He‘s published dozens of books so far, once been recommended as a textbook for postgraduates.
Q: What does the woman imply?
长对话
Long conversation one
W: You‘re the editor of Public Eye. What kind of topics does your program cover?
M: Well, there are essentially domestic stories. We don‘t cover international stories. We don‘t cover party politics or economics. We do issues of general social concern to our British audience. They can be anything from the future of the health service to the way the environment is going downhill.
W: How do you choose the topic? Do you choose one because it‘s what the public wants to know
about or because it‘s what you feel the public ought to know about?
M: I think it‘s a mixture of both. Sometimes you have a strong feeling that something is important and you want to see it examined and you want to contribute to a public debate. Sometimes people come to you with things they are worried about and they can be quite small things. They can be a story about corruption in local government, something they cannot quite understand, why it doesn‘t seem to be working out properly, like they are not having their litter collected properly or
the dustbins emptied.
W: How do you know that you‘ve got a really successful program? One that is just right for the time?
M: I think you get a sense about it after working in it in a number of years. You know which stories are going to get the attention. They are going to be published just the point when the public are concerned about that.
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Q19-21
19. What kind of topics does Public Eye cover?
20. How does Public Eye choose its topics?
21. What factor plays an important role in running a successful program?
Passage 1
Getting behind the wheel of a car can be an exciting new step in a teen‘s life. But along with that excitement comes a new responsibility---understanding the need for common sense and maturity to avoid accidents. In an effort to spread awareness to teens across the nation, the Allstate Foundation sponsored a Keep-The-Drive Summit at Sunset Station on January 23rd. Students from Kennedy and Alamo Heights High schools participated in the summit which was held here for the first time. The goal of the year-long effort is to educate teens on the rules of safe driving and the severe consequences that can result if those rules are not followed, and then have them communicate that information to their peers. The students watched videos that told them about the numbers of teenage driving injuries and deaths. They listen to the videos as students from other cities share their stories of how their reckless driving affected not only their lives but also those of their passengers. ―We are trying to create awareness in high schools across the countries,‖ said Westerman, an Allstate representative, ―we focus on changing how teens think behind the wheel.‖ According to the presentation, more teens die in automobile crashes in the United States each year than from drugs, violence, smoking and suicide. An average of 16 teens die every day in motor vehicle crashes and nearly forty percent of those are caused by speeding. Texas is the state with the most teen driving deaths according to the presentation. Students agreed that the statistics were amazing and made them think twice about how they drive.
Questions 26 to 28 are based on the question you have just heard.
Q26. For what purpose did the Allstate Foundation sponsor the Keep-The-Drive Summit? Q27. What causes the greatest number of deaths among American teens according to the presentation?
Q28. What can we conclude about the Keep-The-Drive Summit?
Passage 2
Dr. Allen Hersh designs smells for businesses. He says that it doesn‘t take a whole lot of smell to
affect you. Store owners can lure you to the candy aisle, even if you don‘t realize your are smelling candy. This idea scares a lot of people. Groups that protect the rights of shoppers are upset. They say the stores are using a kind of brainwashing which they call ―smell-washing‖. ―It‘s
pretty dishonest,‖ says Mark Silbergeld. He runs an organization that checks out products for consumers. The scientists hired to design the scents disagree. ―There‘s soft background music.
There‘s special lighting. There‘re all sorts of bells being used,‖ says Dr. Hersh, ―why not smells?‖ ―One reason why not,‖ says Silbergeld, ―is that some people are allergic to certain scents pumped into products or stores.‖ But there is a whole other side to this debate, ―do the smells really work?‖ So far, there is little proof one way or the other. But Dr. Hersh has run some interesting experiments. In one of Hersh‘s experiments, 31 volunteers were led into a shoe store that smells
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slightly like flowers. Later, another group shopped in the same store, but with no flower odor. Dr. Hersh found that 84% of the shoppers were more likely to buy the shoes in the flower-scented room, but Hersh found out something even stranger. ―Whether the volunteers like the flower scent
or not didn‘t matter,‖ Hersh says, ―Some reported that they hated the smell, but they still were more likely to buy the shoes in the scented room.‖
Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you‘ve just heard.
Q29. Why are some people against the use of smells to attract customers?
Q30. What is Dr. Hersh‘s attitude to the use of smells for business?
Q31. What did Hersh‘s experiment show?
Passage 3
This is Ray McCarthy with the news. Reports are coming in of a major train crash in Japan. A passenger train carrying hundreds of workers home from the center of Tokyo is reported to have hit an oncoming goods train. Both were traveling at high speed. Figures are not yet available but it is believed that the death toll could be as high as 300, with hundreds more injured. Emergency and rescue services rushed to the scene. But our reporter says it will take days to clear the track and to establish the numbers of the dead and injured. There was a similar accident on the same stretch of track four years ago.
There was another bomb scare in a large London store last night during late night shopping. Following a telephone call to the police from an anonymous caller, hundreds of shoppers were shepherded out of the store while roads in the area were sealed off. Police dogs spent hours searching the store for a bag which the caller claimed contained 50 pounds of explosives. Nothing was found and the store was given the all-clear by opening time this morning. A police spokesman said that this was the third bomb scare within a week and that we should all be on our guard.
And finally, the motoring organizations have issued a warning to drivers following the recent falls of snow in many parts of the country. Although the falls may be slight, they say extra care is needed.
Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
Q32: What accident happened recently in Japan?
Q33: What do the reports say about the recent accident in Japan?
Q34: Why did people have to leave the London store last night?
Q35: What did motoring organizations advise drivers to do?
2008年12月英语六级真题听力原文
Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the
end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said.
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Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question
there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B),
C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter
on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Now let’s begin with the eight short conversations:
11. M: I‘m asked to pick up the guest speaker Bob Russel at the airport this afternoon, do you
know what he looks like?
W: Well, he‘s in his sixties, he stands out, he‘s bald, tall and thin and has a beard.
Q: What do we conclude from the woman‘s remarks about Bob Russel?
12. M: I am considering dropping my dancing class. I am not making any progress.
W: If I were you, I stick with it. It‘s definitely worth time and effort.
Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?
13. W: You see I still have this pain in my back, this medicine the doctor gave me was supposed to make me feel better by now.
M: Maybe you should‘ve taken it three times a day as you were told.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
14. M: Frankly, when I sat the back of the classroom, I can‘t see the words on the board clearly.
W: Well, you‘ve been wearing those same glasses as long as I‘ve known you. Why not get a new pair? It wouldn‘t cost you too much.
Q: What does the woman imply about the man‘s glasses?
15. W: How come the floor is so wet? I almost slipped, what happened?
M: Oh, sorry! The phone rang the moment I got into the shower, anyway, I‘ll wipe it up right now.
Q: Why was the floor wet according to the man?
16. M: The instructions on the package say that you need to some assembly yourself. I‘ve spent all
afternoon trying in vain to put this bookcase together.
W: I know what you mean, last time I tried to assemble a toy train for my son and I almost gave up.
Q: What does the man find difficult?
17. M: I‘m getting worried about Jenny‘s school work. All she talks about these days is volleyball games and all she does is practice, training and things like that.
W: Her grades on the coming exams will fall for sure. It‘s high time we talk(ed) some sense to her.
Q: What are the speakers probably going to do?
18. W: Do you understand why the local people are opposed to the new dam up the river?
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M: They are worried about the potential danger if the dam should break. The river is very wide above the proposed site.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
Now you’ll hear the two long conversations:
Conversation One
W: Mr. White, what changes have you seen in the champagne market in the last ten to fifteen years?
M: Well the biggest change has been the decrease in sales since the great boom years of the 1980s when champagne production and sales reached record levels.
W: Which was the best year?
M: Well the record was in 1989 when 249 million bottles of champagne was sold. The highest production level was reached in 1990 with a total of 293 million bottles. Of course since those boom years sales have fallen.
W: Has the market been badly hit by the recession?
M: Oh certainly, the economic problems in champagnes‘ export markets that‘s Europe, the United
States, Japan, and of course the domestic market in France, the economic problems have certainly been one reason for the decrease in champagne sales.
W: And the other reasons?
M: Another important factor has been price. In the early 90s, champagne was very overpriced, so many people stop buying it. Instead they bought sparkling wines from other countries, in particular from Australia and Spain. And then there was another problem for champagne in the early 90s.
W: What was that?
M: There was a lot of rather bad champagne on the market. This meant the popularity of good sparkling wines increased even more. People was surprised by their quality and of course they were a lot cheaper than champagne.
W: Do you think the champagne market will recover in the future?
M: Oh, I‘m sure it will. When the economic situation improves, I believe the market will recover.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. What does the man say about champagne in the 1980s?
20. Why did sparkling wines become more popular than champagne in the early 90s?
21. What does the man think of the champagne market in the future?
Conversation Two
W: Right, well, in the studio this morning, for our interview spot is Peter Wilson. Peter works for Green Peace. So, Peter, welcome.
M: Thanks a lot. It‘s good to be here.
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W: Great! Now, Peter, perhaps you can tell us something about Green Peace and your job there.
M: Sure. Well, I‘ll start by telling you roughly what Green Peace is all about. I actually work in
London for the Green Peace organization. We‘ve been going for a few decades and we‘re a non-violent, non-political organization. We‘re involved in anti-nuclear activity, conservation and
protection of animals and protection and support of our eco-system. I‘m the action organizer and
arrange any protests.
W: Right! A pretty important role, Peter. What sort of protest would you organize?
M: Well, recently we‘ve been involved in anti-nuclear campaigns. I, personally arranged for the
demonstration against radioactive waste dumping in the Atlantic Ocean. We‘ve got a few small Green Peace boats that we harass the dumping ship with.
W: Say? Hold on, Peter. I thought you said your organization was non-violent. What do you mean by "harass"?
M: Well, we circle round and round the ships and get in the way when they try to dump the drums of nuclear waste in the sea. We talk to the men and try to change, you know, yell at them to stop. We generally make ourselves as much of a nuisance as possible.
M: Well, people may think differently of your methods, but there‘s no doubt you‘re doing a great job. Keep it up and good luck. And thanks for talking with us.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversations you have just heard.
22. What is the man‘s chief responsibility in the Green Peace organization?
23. What has Green Peace been involved in recently?
24. How does Green Peace try to stop people from dumping nuclear waste?
25. What is the woman‘s attitude towards the Green Peace‘s campaigns?
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will
hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.
After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices
marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
To find out what the weather is going to be, most people go straight to the radio, television, or newspaper to get an expert weather forecast. But if you know what to look for, you can use your own senses to make weather predictions. There are many signs that can help you. For example, in fair weather the air pressure is generally high, the air is still and often full of dust, and far away objects may look vague. But when the storm is brewing, the pressure drops, and you are often able to see things more clearly. Sailors took note of this long ago, and came up with the saying, ―The farther the sight, the nearer the rain.‖ Your sense of smell can also help you detect the weather changes. Just before it rains, odors become stronger, this is because odors are repressed in a fair high pressure center. When a bad weather low moves in, air pressure lessens and odors are released. You can also hear an approaching storm. Sounds bounce off heavy storm
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clouds and return to earth with increased force. An old saying describes it this way, ―Sounds traveling far and wide a stormy day will be tied‖. And don‘t laugh at your grandmother if she says
she can feel a storm coming. It is commonly known that many people feel pains in their bones or joints while the humidity rises, the pressure drops, and bad weather is on the way.
Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard:
26. Why does the speaker say we can see far away objects more clearly as a storm is approaching?
27. What does the speaker want to show by quoting a couple of old sayings?
28. What does the passage mainly talk about?
Passage Two
Many days seem to bring numerous tasks and responsibilities. All of which apparently must be tackled right away. You spend a day putting out files, but by the end of the day, you haven‘t accomplished any of the really important things you set out to do. In desperation, you draft a ―to-do‖ list, but most days, you can make little progress with it. When you look at the list each morning, a big fat cloud of doom is right at the top. Those difficult, complex, important tasks, that are so crucial to get done, and so easy to avoid. Plenty of us create a ―to-do‖ list to address
feelings of being overwhelmed, but we rarely use these tools to their best effect. They wind out being guilt-provoking reminders of the fact that will over-committed and losing control of our priorities. According to Timothy Pikle, a professor of psychology at Carlton University in Ottawa, people often draw up a ―to-do‖ list, and then that‘s it. The list itself becomes the day‘s
achievement, allowing us to feel we‘ve done something useful without taking on any real work. In fact, drawing up the list becomes a way of avoiding the work itself. Too often, the list is seen as the accomplishment for the day, reducing the immediate guilt of not working on the tasks at hand by investing energy in the list, says Pikle. When a list is used like this, it‘s simply another way in which we lie to ourselves.
Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have heard.
29. What is the problem that troubles many people nowadays according to the speaker?
30. According to the speaker, what too many people do to cope with their daily tasks?
31. According to psychologist Timothy Pikle, what do people find by the end of the day?
Passage Three
In many stressful situations, the body‘s responses can improve our performance. We become more energetic, more alert, better able to take effective action. But when stress is encountered continually, the body‘s reactions are more likely to be harmful than helpful to us. The continual speeding up of bodily reactions and production of stress related hormones seem to make people more susceptible to heart disease. And stress reactions can reduce the disease fighting effectiveness of the body‘s immune system, thereby increasing susceptibility to illnesses ranging from colds to cancer. Stress may also contribute to disease in less direct ways by influencing moods and
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behavior. People under stress may become anxious or depressed, and as a result may eat too much or too little, have sleep difficulties or fail to exercise. These behavioral changes may in turn be harmful to the health. In addition, people are more likely to pay attention to certain bodily sensations such as aches and pains when they are under stress and to think that they‘re sick. If the person were not under stress, the same
bodily sensations might not be perceived as symptoms and the person might continue to feel well. Some researchers have suggested that assuming the role of a sick person is one way in which certain people try to cope with stress. Instead of dealing with the stressful situation directly, these people fall sick. After all, it is often more acceptably in our society to be sick and to seek medical help than it is to admit that one can not cope with the stresses of life.
Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
32. What does the speaker say about people who encounter stress once in a while?
33. What does the speaker say frequent stress reactions may lead to?
34. What are people more likely to do when they are under stress?
35. What does the passage mainly talk about?
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the
first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read
for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with
the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are
required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the
exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words.
Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have
written.
Now listen to the passage:
One of the most common images of an advanced, Western-style culture is that of a busy, traffic-filled city. Since their first(36)appearance on American roadways, automobiles have
become a(37)symbol of progress, a source of thousands of jobs and an almost inalienable right for citizens‘ personal freedom of movement. In recent(38)decades, our ―love affair‖ with the car
is being(39)exported directly to the developing world, and it is increasingly(40)apparent that
this transfer is leading to disaster.
American‘s almost complete dependence on automobiles has been a terrible mistake. As late as the 1950s, a large(41)percentage of the American public used mass transit. A(42)combination
of public policy decisions and corporate scheming saw to it that countless(43)convenient and
efficient urban streetcar and intra-city rail systems were dismantled(拆除).(44)Our air quality
now suffers from the effects of pollutants emitted directly from our cars. Our lives have been
planned along a road grid — homes far from work, shopping far from everything, with ugly
stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.
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Developing countries are copying Western-style transportation systems down to the last detail.(45)The problems caused by motorized vehicles in the West are often magnified in developing nations. Pollution control measures are either not strict or nonexistent, leading to choking clouds of smog. Gasoline still contains lead, which is extremely poisonous to humans.(46)Movement in some cities comes to a virtual standstill as motorized traffic competes with bicycles and pedestrians.
In addition to pollution and traffic jams, auto safety is a critical issue in developing nations.
2008年6月大学英语六级真题听力原文
Section A
11. M: Good news, I‘m not going to have surgery after all. The doctor says I can start working out
again soon and maybe play football like before in a few weeks.
W: That‘s terrific. It would be great if you could get back in shape in time for the World Cup.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
12. M: I really need to make some extra money. You know I‘ve practically spent my entire budget for this semester.
W: Why not check out the new cafeteria at Market Street? I think there are still a few openings suitable for seniors like you.
Q: What does the woman suggest the man do?
13. M: I hear John left his cat in your care while he‘s on vacation abroad. How are you getting along with it?
W: Well, it never comes when I call it. It spills its food and sheds all over the place. I can‘t wait till John gets back.
Q: How does the woman find the cat?
14. W: Hello, Professor White, I got my grade in the mail this morning, but I think there might be a mistake in my mark.
M: Yeah, I‘ve got several calls just like yours. There must be a problem with the computing
system. It should be straightened out in a couple of hours.
Q: What does the man mean?
15. M: Professor Johnson, last night when I was putting the finishing touches on my paper, a computer failure completely wiped out my files, do you think I can have another day to retype it?
W: I‘m sorry, Rod. I‘m leaving for a conference tomorrow and I‘ll be away two weeks. I suppose you could send me an E-copy.
Q: Why does the man say he can‘t submit his assignment on time?
16. W: I just called the travel agency, it‘s all set. On June l st, we are heading for the mountains and will be camping there for a whole week.
M: Have you checked the academic calendar? My classes aren‘t over until the 8th.
Q: What does the man imply?
17. W: I thought there was still time for me to apply for a student loan. But someone just told me that the closing date was last Tuesday.
M: Are you sure? I thought we still had another month. Wait, I‘ve got a brochure right here. Last Tuesday was the opening date.
Q: What does the man imply?
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18. W: Look at all the pollutants going into the air from those factories. Do you think they‘ll ever get that under control?
M: Now with the new laws in effect and social awareness increasing, we are sure to turn things around.
Q: What does the man mean?
Conversation One
W: Tell me, Peter, what makes Harrods so famous?
M: Well, it‘s the biggest department store in the UK. And its food hall and the Egyptian hall are very famous. People come to Harrods just to see them.
W: What is special about the food hall?
M: It sells many different kinds of food. For example, it has 250 kinds of cheese from all over the world and more than 180 kinds of bread. Customers also love all the different kinds of chocolate. They buy a hundred tons every year.
W: That‘s amazing! And why is the Egyptian hall so famous?
M: Well, when people see it, they feel they are in another world. It looks like in Egyptian building from 4,000 years ago. And it sells beautiful objects. They are not 4,000 years old, of course.
W: Is it true that Harrods produces its own electricity?
M: Yes, it does.70%, enough for a small town. To light the outside of the building, we use 11,500 light bulbs.
W: Really? Tell me, how many customers do you have on an average day? And how much do they spend?
M: About 30,000 people come on an average day. But during the sales, the number increases to 300,000 customers a day. How much do they spent? Well, on average, customers spend about 1.5 million pounds a day. The record for one day is nine million pounds.
W: Nine million pounds in one day?
M: Yes, on the first day of the January sales.
W: Harrods says it sells everything to everybody, everywhere. Is that really true?
M: Oh, yes. of course! Absolutely everything!
19. What is the food hall of Harrods noted for?
20. What does the Egyptian hall seem like to the customers?
21. What may customers find surprising about Harrods?
22. About how many customers come to Harrods on an average day?
Conversation Two
W: Hi Kevin!
M: Hi Laura, long time no see! What have you been up to lately?
W: Not much. I can assure you. And you?
M: Much the same except I do have some big news.
W: Come on. This suspense is killing me.
M: No, really, what have you been doing these past few weeks? The last time I saw you, you were looking for a new job.
W: Well, that‘s not exactly true. I was thinking about changing jobs. Luckily, they offered me a new position in the accounting department.
M: A step up in the big business world.
W: I wouldn‘t exaggerate, but I am pleased. I had been hoping to get a promotion for a while. So
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when it finally came through, I was relieved. Actually, that‘s why I was looking for a new job. I just didn‘t want to work there anymore if they weren‘t going to recognize my efforts.
M: Right, sometimes you can do your best and it seems like the others don‘t know you exist. I hope the money‘s better.
W: I got a reasonable raise, now enough about me. I‘m dying to hear your news.
M: I am getting married.
W: No, you said you‘d never get married.
M: That was then and this is now. You‘ve got to meet Andrea, she‘s great!
W: This is all news to me. I didn‘t even know you were dating.
M: We weren‘t. We‘ve just been dating for two weeks now.
W: And you getting married?
M: I know. I can‘t help it. I just know she‘s the one.
W: Well, congratulations! That‘s fantastic!
M: Thanks, I‘m glad to hear you feel way.
23. What was the woman doing when the man last saw her?
24. Why does the woman say she was relieved?
25. Why is the woman surprised at the man‘s news?
Section B
Passage One
Water scooters are water vehicles that look very much like motorcycles. Nowadays, speedy, colorful water scooters are gaining in popularity. They can travel anywhere a small boat can and particularly popular with young people. The rising popularity of the craft has raised the question of water scooter regulation. In this case, the argument for strict regulation is compelling. Water scooters are a particularly deadly form of water recreation. For example, two women were vacationing in Longboat Key while they were floating on the rubber boat along the shore, a water scooter crashed into them and kill them. Also water scooter operators have been killed or seriously injured in collisions with other water craft. Others have been stranded at the sea when their scooters either failed or sank far from shore. Many water scooter operators are inexperienced and ignorant of navigational rules, which increase the potential for accidents. The increasing popularity of the scooter has aggravated the problem, providing more water vehicles to compete for the same space. Crowded water waves are simply an open invitation to disaster. In addition to the inherent operational hazards of water scooters, they are proving to be an environmental nuisance. Beach residents complain of the noise of the scooters. The Pacific Whale Foundation on the west coast expressed concern that the scooters are frightening away an endangered species of whale that migrates to Hawaii for breeding. Regulations such as minimum operating age, restricted operating areas and compulsory classes in water safety are essential. Without such regulations, tragedies involving water scooters are sure to multiply, which makes many beaches unsafe for recreation.
26. What does the speaker say about water scooters?
27. What is mentioned as one of the causes of water accidents?
28. In what way are water scooters said to be an environmental nuisance?
29. What does the speaker propose to ensure the safety of beaches for recreation?
Passage Two
It seems to me that neighbors are going out of style in America. The friend nest door from whom
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you borrowed for eggs or a ladder has moved and the people in there now are strangers. Some of the traditional stories of neighborliness are impractical or silly and maybe just as well that our relations with our neighbors are changing. The saying in the Bible ―Love thy neighbor‖ was probably a poor translation of what must have originally been, ―respect thy neighbor‖. Love can be called up on order. Fewer than half the people in the United States live in the same house they lived in five years ago. So there is no reason to love the people who live next door to you, just because they happen to wander into a real estate office that listed the place next door to yours. The only thing neighbors have in common, to begin with, is proximity and unless something more develops that isn‘t reason enough to be best friends. It sometimes happens naturally, but the
chances are very small that your neighbors will be your choices friends or that you will be theirs, either. The best relationship with neighbors is one of friendly distance. You say ―hello‖, use small talk if you see them in the yard, you discuss problems as they arise and you help each other in an emergency. The drive way or the fence between you is not really a cold shoulder but a clear boundary. We all like clearly-defined boundaries for ourselves.
30. What does the speaker say about the relations among neighbors nowadays?
31. Why does speaker say it may be difficult for people to love their neighbors?
32. What should neighbors do in the speaker‘s opinion?
Passage Three
Articles in magazines and newspapers and special reports on radio and television reflect the concern of many Americans about the increasing drop-out rate in our junior and senior high schools. Coupled with this fact is the warning that soon we will no longer have a work force to fill the many jobs that require properly educated personnel. The high student drop-out rate is not a recent development. Ten years ago, many urban schools were reporting drop-out rates between 35 and 50 percent. Some administrators maintain that drop-outs remain the single greatest problem in their schools. Consequently, much effort has been spent on identifying students with problems in order to give them more attention before they become failures. Since the drop-out problem doesn‘t
start in senior high school, special programs in junior high school focus on students who show promise but have a record of truancy—that is staying away from school without permission.
Under the guidance of counselors, these students are placed in classes with teachers who have had success in working with similar young people. Strategies to motivate students in a high school include rewarding academic excellence by designating scholars of the month, or by issuing articles of clothing, such as school letter jackets formerly given only to athletes. No one working with these students claims to know how to keep all students in school. Counselors, teachers and administrators are in the frontlines of what seems at times to be a losing battle. Actually, this problem should be everyone‘s concern since uneducated, unemployed citizens affect us all.
33. Why are many Americans concerned with the increasing drop-out rate in school?
34. What do we learn about the student drop-out problem in America?
35. What is mentioned as one of the strategies used to motivate students?
Section C
I‘m interested in the criminal justice system of our country. It seems to me that something has to be done, if we‘re to survive as a country. I certainly don‘t know what the answers to our problems are. Things certainly get complicated in a hurry when you get into them, but I wonder if something couldn‘t be done to deal with some of these problems. One thing I‘m concerned about is our practice of putting offenders in jail who haven‘t harmed anyone. Why not work out some
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system whereby they can pay back the debts they owe society instead of incurring another debt by going to prison and, of course, coming under the influence of course, coming under the influence of hardened criminals. I‘m also concerned about he short prison sentences people are serving for
serious crimes. Of course one alternative to this is to restore capital pu8nishment, but I‘m not sure I would be for that. I‘m not sure it‘s right to take an eye . The alternative to capital punishment is longer sentences but they would certainly cost the tax-payers much money. I also think we must do something about the insanity plea. In my opinion, anyone who takes another person‘s life intentionally is insane; however, that does not mean that the person isn‘t guilty of the crime or that
he shouldn‘t pay society the debt he owes. It‘s sad, of course, that a person may have to spend the rest of his life, or a large part of it in prison for acts that he committed while not in full control of his mind.
2007年12月大学英语六级听力原文
Section A Short Conversations
11. M: The biological project is now in trouble. You know, my colleague and I have completely different ideas about how to proceed.
W: Why don‘t you compromise? Try to make it a win-win situation for you both.
Q: What does the woman suggest the man do?
12. M: How does Nancy like the new dress she bought in Rome?
W: She said she would never have bought an Italian style dress if she had known Mary had already got such a dress.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
13. M: You are not going to do all those dishes before we leave, are you? If we don‘t pick up George and Martha in 25 minutes, we‘ll never get to the theater on time.
W: Oh, didn‘t I tell you? Martha called to say her daughter was ill and they could not go tonight.
Q: What is the woman probably going to do first?
14. M: You‘ve been hanging onto the phone for quite a while. Who were you talking with?
W: Oh, it was Sally. You know she always has the latest news in town and can‘t wait to talk it
over with me.
Q: What do we learn about Sally from the conversation?
15: W: It‘s always been hard to get this car into first gear and now the clutch seems to be sleeping.
M: If you leave the car with me, I‘ll fix it for you this afternoon.
Q: Who is the woman probably speaking to?
16. M: Kate, why does the downtown area look deserted now?
W: Well, there used to be some really good stores, but lots of them moved out to the mall.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
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17. W: I find the lounge such a cozy place to study in. I really like the feeling when sitting on the
sofa and doing the reading.
M: Well, for me the hardest part about studying here is staying awake.
Q: What does the man mean?
18: W: These mosquito bites are killing me. I can‘t help scratching.
M: Next time you go camping, take some precaution, say, wearing long sleeves. Q: Why does the man suggest the woman wear long sleeves?
Long Conversations
Conversation 1
M: Hello and welcome to our program ―Working Abroad‖. Our guest this evening is a Londoner who lives and works in Italy. Her name is Susan Hill. Susan, welcome to the program. You live in Florence. How long have you been living there?
W: Since 1982, but when I went there in 1982, I planned to stay for only 6 months. M: Why did you change your mind?
W: Well, I‘m a designer. I design leather goods, mainly shoes and handbags. Soon after I arrived in Florence, I got a job with one of Italy‘s top fashion houses, Ferragamo. So I decided to stay.
M: How lucky! Do you still work for Ferragamo?
W: No, I‘ve been a freelance designer for quite a long time now. Since 1988, in fact.
M: So, does that mean you design for several different companies now? W: Yes, that‘s right. I‘ve designed many fashion items for a number of Italian companies. And in
the last 4 years, I‘ve also been designing for the British company, Burberrys.
M: What have you been designing for them?
W: Mostly handbags and small leather goods.
M: Has the fashion industry in Italy changed since 1982?
W: Oh, yes, it's become a lot more competitive, because the quality of products from other countries has improved a lot, but Italian quality and design is still world famous. M: And do you ever think of returning to live in England?
W: No, not really. Working in Italy is more interesting, I also love the Mediterranean sun and the Italian life style.
M: Well, thank you for talking to us, Susan.
W: It was a pleasure.
Questions 19-22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. Where does this talk most probably take place?
20. What was the woman‘s original plan when she went to Florence?
21. What has the woman been doing for a living since 1988?
22. What do we learn about the change in Italy‘s fashion industry?、
Conversation 2
M: So, Claire, you're into drama.
W: Yes, I‘ve a master‘s degree in Drama and Theater. At the moment I am hoping to get onto a PHD program.
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M: What excites you about drama?
W: Well, I find it‘s a communicative way to study people and you learn how to read people in
drama. So usually I can understand what people are saying, even though they might be lying. M: That would be useful.
W: Yeah, it‘s very useful for me as well. I am an English lecturer, so I use a lot of drama in my classes, such as role-plays. And I ask my students to create mini-dramas. They really respond well. At the moment I'm hoping to get onto a PHD course. I would like to concentrate on Asian drama and try to bring Asian theater to the world attention. I don‘t know how successful I will be, but here's hoping.
M: Oh, I‘m sure you will be successful. Now, Claire, what do you do for stage fright?
W: Ah, stage fright. Well, many actors have that problem. I get stage fright every time I'm going to teach a new class. The night before, I usually can‘t sleep.
M: What? For teaching?
W: Yes! I get really bad stage fright, but the minute I step into the classroom or get onto the stage, it just all falls into place. Then I just feel like ―Yeah, this is what I mean to do.‖ and I am fine.
M: Well, that‘ cool.
Questions 23-25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
23. Why does the woman find studying drama and theater useful?
24. How did the woman students respond to her way of teaching English?
25. What does the woman say about her stage fright?
Section B Short Passages
Passage One
In January 1989, the Community of European Railways presented their proposal for a high speed pan-European train network, extending from Sweden to Sicily and from Portugal to Poland by the year 2020. If their proposal becomes a reality, it will revolutionize train travel in Europe.
Journeys between major cities will take half the time they take today. Brussels will be only one and a half hours from Paris. The quickest way to get from Paris to Frankfurt, from Barcelona to Madrid will be by train, not plane.
When the network is complete, it will integrate three types of railway line, totally new high-speed lines, with trains operating its speeds of 300kms per hour; upgraded lines, which allow for speeds up to 200 to 225kms per hour and existing lines, for local connections and distribution of freight. If business people can choose between a 3-hour train journey from city center to city center and a 1-hour flight, they'll choose the train, says an executive travel consultant. They won't go by plane anymore. If you calculate flight time, check in and travel to and from the airport, you‘ll find almost no difference. And if your plane arrives late due to bad weather or air traffic jams or strikes, then the train passengers will arrive at their destination first.
Since France introduced the first 260-km per hour high-speed train service between Paris and Lyons in 1981, the trains have achieved higher and higher speeds. On many routes, airlines have lost up to 90 percent of their passengers to high-speed trains. If people accept the community of European Railways‘ plan, the 21st century will be the new age of the train.
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Questions 26-29 are based on the passage you have just heard.
26. What is the proposal presented by the Community of European Railways?
27. What will happen when the proposal becomes a reality?
28. Why will business people prefer a 3-hour train journey to a 1-hour flight? 29. When did France introduce the first high-speed train service?
Passage Two
Western doctors are beginning to understand what traditional healers have always known that the body and the mind are inseparable. Untill recently, modern urban physicians heal the body, psychiatrists the mind and priests the soul. However, the medical world is now paying more attention to holistic medicine, which is an approach based on a belief that people‘s state of mind can make them sick or speed the recovery from sickness.
Several studies show that the effectiveness of a certain drug often depends on the patients expectations of it. For example, in one recent study, psychiatrists at a major hospital try to see how patients could be made calm. They divided them into two groups; one group was given a drug while the other group received a harmless substance instead of medicine without their knowledge. Surprisingly, more patients in the second group showed the desired effect than those in the first group.
In study after study, there is a positive reaction in almost one third of the patients taking harmless substances. How is this possible? How can such a substance have an effect on the body? Evidence from a 1997 study at the University of California shows that several patients who receive such substances were able to produce their own natural drug, that is, as they took the substance, their brains released natural chemicals that act like a drug. Scientists theorize that the amount of these chemicals released by a person‘s brain quite possibly indicates how much faith the person has in his or her doctor.
Questions 30-32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
30. According to the speaker, what are western doctors beginning to understand? 31. What does the recent study at a major hospital seem to prove?
32. What evidence does the 1997 study of the University of California produce?
Passage Three
So we‘ve already talked a bit about the growth of extreme sports like rock-climbing. As
psychologists, we need to ask ourselves ―Why is this person doing this?‖, ―Why do people take these risks and put themselves in danger when they don‘t have to?‖ One common trait among
risk-takers is that they enjoy strong feelings or sensations. We call this trait ―sensation seeking‖. A sensation-seeker is someone who is always looking for new sensations. What else do we know about sensation seekers? Well, as I said, sensation-seekers like strong emotions. You can see this trait in many parts of a person‘s life not just in extreme sports. For example, many sensation seekers enjoy hard rock music. They like the loud sound and strong emotion of the songs. Similarly, sensation-seekers enjoy frightening horror movies. They like the feeling of being scared
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and horrified while watching the movie. This feeling is even stronger for extreme sports where the person faces real danger. Sensation-seekers feel that danger is very exciting. In addition, sensation-seekers like new experiences that force them to push their personal limits. For them, repeating the same things everyday is boring. Many sensation-seekers choose jobs that involve risk, such as starting a new business or being an Emergency Room doctor. These jobs are different everyday, so they never know what will happen. That‘s why many sensation-seekers also like
extreme sports. When you do rock-climbing, you never know what will happen. The activity is always new and different.
Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
33. According to the speaker, what is a common trait among risk-takers?
34. What do sensation-seekers find boring?
35. What is the speaker‘s profession?
Section C Compound Dictation
If you are like most people, you‘ve indulged in fake listening many times. You go to history class, sitting in the third row, and look squarely at the instructor as she speaks, but your mind is far away, floating in the clouds of pleasant daydreams. Occasionally, you come back to earth. The instructor writes an important term on the chalkboard and you dutifully copy it in your notebook. Every once in a while the instructor makes a witty remark causing others in the class to laugh; you smile politely, pretending that you‘ve heard the remark and found it mildly humorous. You have a vague sense of guilt that you aren‘t paying close attention, but you tell yourself that any material you miss can be picked up from a friend‘s notes. Besides, the instructor is talking about road construction in ancient Rome and nothing could be more boring. So back you go into your private little world. Only later do you realize you‘ve missed important information for a test. Fake
listening may be easily exposed, since many speakers are sensitive to facial cues and can tell if you are merely pretending to listen. Your blank expression and the far-away look in your eyes are the cues that betray your inattentiveness. Even if you are not exposed, there is another reason to avoid fakery. It‘s easy for this behavior to become a habit. For some people, the habit is so
deeply-rooted that they automatically start daydreaming when the speaker begins talking on something complex or uninteresting. As a result, they miss lots of valuable information.
2007年6月23日六级听力原文
11. W: Jim, you are on the net again? When are you going to get off? It‘s the time for the talk
show.
M: Just a minute, dear. I‘m looking at a new jewelry site. I want to make sure I get the right
gift for Mum‘s birthday.
Q: What is the man doing right now?
12. W: I‘ve never seen you have such confidence before an exam.
M: It‘s more than confidence. Right now I feel that if I get less than an A, it‘ll be the fault of
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the exam itself.
Q: What does the man mean?
13. W: Just look at this newspaper, nothing but murder, death and war! Do you still believe
people are basically good?
M: Of course I do. But newspapers hardly ever report stories about peace and generosity.
They are not news.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
14. M: Tom must be joking when he said he plans to sell his shop and go to medical school.
W: You are quite right. He is just kidding. He‘s also told me time and time again he wished
he‘d studied for some profession instead of going into business.
Q: What will Tom probably do according to the conversation?
15. W: I hear your boss has a real good impression of you and he is thinking about giving you
two more days off each month.
M: I hope not. I‘d rather get more work hours so I can get enough bucks to help out my two
kids at college.
Q: What does the man truly want?
16. M: I heard you took a trip to Mexico last month. How did you like it?
W: Oh, I got sick and tired of hotels and hotel food. So now I understand the saying, ―East,
west, home‘s best‖.
Q: What does the woman mean?
17. W: I‘m worried about Anna. She is really been depressed lately. All she does is staying in her
room all day.
M: That sounds serious. She‘d better see a psychiatrist at the consoling center.
Q: What does the man suggest Anna do?
18. M: I could hardly recognize Sam after he got that new job. He‘s always in a suit and a tie
now.
W: Yeah, he was never like that at college. Back then he would‘ve run in an old T-shirt and
jeans.
Q: What do the speakers say about Sam?
Conversation One
M: Hi, Ann, welcome back. How‘s your trip to the states?
W: Very busy. I had a lot of meetings. So, of course, I didn‘t have much time to see New
York.
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M: What a pity. Actually I have a trip there myself next week.
W: Do you? Then take my advice. Do the well-being in the air program. It really works.
M: Oh, I read about that in a magazine. You say it works?
W: Yes. I did the program on the flight to the States. And when I arrived in New York, I
didn‘t have any problem. No jet leg at all. On the way back I didn‘t do it, and I felt terrible.
M: You are joking.
W: Not at all. It really made a lot of difference.
M: Hmm…So, what did you do?
W: Well, I didn‘t drink any alcohol or coffee and I didn‘t eat any meat or rich food. I drink a
lot of water and fruit juice and I eat the meals on the well-being menu. They are lighter. They
have fish, vegetables and noodles, for example. And I did some of the exercises in the program.
M: Exercises? On a plane?
W: Yes. I didn‘t do many, of course. There isn‘t much space on the plane.M: How many passengers did the exercises?
W: Not many.
M: And how much champagne did they drink?
W: A lot. It was more popular than mineral water.
M: So, basically it‘s a choice. Mineral water and exercises or champagne and jet lag.
W: That‘s right. It‘s a difficult choice.
Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. Why did the woman go to New York?
20. What does the woman say about the well-being in the air program?
21. What did the woman do to follow the well-being menu?
22. What did the woman say about other passengers?
Conversation Two
W: Morning. Can I help you?
M: Well, I‘m not really sure. I‘m just looking.
W: I see. Well, there‘s plenty to look at again this year. I‘m sure you‘d have to walk miles to
see each stand.
M: That‘s true.
W: Would you like a coffee? Come and sit down for a minute. No obligation.
M: Well, that‘s very kind of you. But…
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W: No, please, is this the first year you‘ve been to the fair, Mr. …?
M: Yes. Johnson. James Johnson.
W: My name‘s Susan Carter. Are you looking for anything in particular or are you just
interested in computers in general?
M: Well, actually, I have some specific jobs in mind. I own a small company. We‘ve grown
quite dramatically over the past 12 months and we really need some technological help to
enable us to keep on top of everything.
W: What‘s your line of business, Mr. Johnson?
M: We are a training consultancy.
W: I see. And what do you need to keep on top?
M: The first thing is correspondence. We have a lot f standard letters and forms. So I suppose
we need some kind of word processor.
W: Right. Well, that‘s no problem. But it may be possible for you to get a system that does a
lot of other things in addition to word processing. What might suit you is the MR5000.
That‘s over there. It‘s IBM compatible.
M: What about the price?
W: Well, the MR5000 costs 1,050 pounds. Software comes free with the hardware.
M: Well, I‘ll think about it. Thank you.
W: Here‘s my card. Please feel free to contact me.
Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
23. Where did the conversation take place?
24. What are the speakers talking about?
25. What is the man‘s line of business?
Passage One
The New Year always brings with it a cultural tradition of new possibilities. We see it as a chance for renewal. We begin to dream of new possible selves. We design our ideal self or an image that is quite different from what we are now. For some of us, we roll that dreamy film in our heads just because it is the beginning of the New Year, but we are serious about making changes. We just make some half hard resolution and it evaporates after a week or two. The experience makes us less successful and leads us to discount ability to change in the future. It‘s not the changes impossible, but it won‘t last unless our resolutions are supported with plans for
implementation. We have to make our intensions manageable by detailing the specific steps that will carry us to our goal.
Say your goal is to lose weight by dieting and cutting off sweets. But one night you just have to have a cookie and you know there is a bag of your favorites in the cupboard. You want one, you eat two, you check the bag and find out that you‘ve just shot 132 calories. You say to yourself,
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―What the hell. I‘ll polish off the whole bag.‖ Then you begin to draw all kinds of unpleasant
conclusions about yourself. To protect your sense of yourself, you begin to discount the goal. You may think, ―Well, dieting wasn‘t that important to me and I wouldn‘t make it anyhow.‖ So you‘ll abandon the goal and return to your bad habits.
Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you’ve just heard.
26. What do people usually wish to do at the beginning of the New Year?
27. How can people turn their New Year‘s resolutions into reality?
28. Why does the speaker mention the example of sweets and cookies?
Passage Two
25 years ago, Ray Anderson, a single parent with a one-year-old son, witnessed a terrible accident, which took place when the driver of a truck ran a red light and collided it with the car of Sandra Drinkens. The impact of the collision killed Sandra instantly, but her three-month-old daughter was left trapped in the burning car. While others looked on in horror, Anderson jumped out of his vehicle and crawled into the car through the shattered rear window to try to free the infant. Seconds later, the car was enclosed in flames, but to everyone‘s amazement, Anderson was able to pull the baby to safety. While the baby was all right, Anderson was seriously injured. Two days later, he died. But his heroic act was published widely in the media. His son was soon adopted by relatives.
The most remarkable part of this story unfolded only last week. Karen and her boyfriend Michael were looking through some old boxes when they came across some old newspaper clippings. ―This is me when I was a new born baby. I was rescued from a burning car but my mother died in the accident,‘‘ explained Karen. Although Michael knew Karen‘s mother had died years earlier, he never fully understood the circumstances until he skimmed over the news paper article. To Karen‘s surprise, Michael was absorbed in the details of the accident and he began to cry uncontrollably. Then he revealed that the man that pulled Karen from the flames was the father he never knew. The two embraced and shed many tears, recounting stories told to them about their parents.
Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you’ve just heard.
29. What happened 25 years ago?
30. What does the speaker say about Michael‘s father?
31. Why did Michael cry uncontrollably when he skimmed over the newspaper article?
Passage Three
Americans suffer from an overdose of work. Regardless of who they are or what they do, Americans spend more time at work than at any time since World War II. In 1950, the US had fewer working hours than any other industrialized country. Today it exceeds any country but Japan,
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where industrial employees log 2,155 hours a year, compared with 1,951 in the US, and 1,603 in the former West Germany. Between 1969 and 1989 employed Americans added an average of 138 hours to their yearly work schedules. The work week has remained at about 40 hours, but people are working more weeks each year. Specifically, paid time off, holidays, vacations, sick leave shrank by 50% in the 1980‘s. As co-operations have experienced stiff competition and slower
growth productivity, they have pressed employees to work longer. Cost cutting lay-offs in the 1980‘s reduced the professional and managerial ranks leaving fewer people to get the job done. In lower paid occupations, when wages have been reduced, workers have added hours in overtime or extra jobs to preserve their living standards. The government estimates that more than 7 million people hold a second job. For the first time, large numbers of people say they want to cut back on working hours even if it means earning less money. But most employers are unwilling to let them to do so. The government, which has stepped back from its traditional role as a regulator of work time should take steps to make shorter hours possible.
Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
32. In which country do the employees work the longest hours?
33. How do employed Americans manage to work more hours?
34. Why do corporations press the employees to work longer hours according to the speaker?
35. What does the speaker say many Americans prefer to do?
Compound Dictation
Nursing, as a typically female profession, must deal constantly with the false impression that nurses are there to wait on the position. As nurses, we are licensed to provide nursing care only. We do not have any legal or moral obligation to any physician. We provide health teaching, assess physical as well as emotional problems, coordinate patient-related services and make all of our nursing decisions based upon what is best or suitable for the patient. If, in any circumstance, we feel that the physician‘s order is inappropriate or unsafe, we have a legal responsibility to question that order or refuse to carry it out. Nursing is not a nine-to-five job with every weekend off. All nurses are aware of that before they enter the profession. The emotional and physical stress, however, that occurs due to hard working hours is a prime reason for a lot of the career for dissatisfaction. It is sometimes required that we work overtime and that we change shifts four or five times a month. That disturbs our personal lives, disrupts our sleeping and eating habits, and isolates us from everything except job-related friends and activities. The quality of nursing care is being affected dramatically by these situations. Most hospitals are now staffed by new graduates as experienced nurses finally give up trying to change the system. Consumers of medically-related services have evidently not been affected enough yet to demand changes in our medical system. But if trends continue as predicted, they will find that most critical hospital care will be provided by new, inexperienced and sometimes inadequately-trained nurses.
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