1、2006 年 6 月 17 日四级听力原文Section A1. M: I think the hostess really went out of her way to make the party a success.W: Yes, the food and drinks were great, but if only we had known a few of the other guests.Q: What did the two speakers say about the party?2. M: Can you stop by the post office and get me
2、some envelopes and 39 cents stamps?W: Well, I am not going to stop by the post office, but I can buy you some at the bookstore after I see the dentist on Market street. Q: Where will the woman go first?3. M: How do you like the new physician who replaced Dr. Andrews?W: He may not seem as agreeable o
3、r as thorough as Dr. Andrews, but at least he doesnt keep patients waiting for hours.Q: What can we infer from the womans answer?4. W: Tom must be in a bad mood today. He hasnt said half a dozen words all afternoon.M: Oh, really? Thats not like the Tom we know.Q: What does the man imply?5. W: Do you
4、 have the seminar schedule with you? Id like to find out the topic for Friday.M: I gave it to my friend, but there should be copies available in the library. I can pick one up for you.Q: What does the man promise to do?6. W: I wonder if you could sell me the Psychology textbooks. You took the course
5、 last semester, didnt you?M: As a matter of fact, I already sold them back to the school bookstore.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?7. W: Here is this weeks schedule, Tony. On Monday, there is the board meeting. Your speech to the lions club is on Tuesday afternoon. Then on Wednesday you ha
6、ve an appointment with your lawyer andM: Wait, you mean the business conference on Tuesday is cancelled?Q: What will the man do this Tuesday?8. M: Can you believe it? Jessie told her boss he was wrong to have fired his marketing directorW: Yeah, but you know Jessie. If she has something in mind, eve
7、ryone will know about it.Q: What does the woman mean?9. M: Weve got three women researchers in our group: Mary, Betty and Helen. Do you know them?W: Sure. Mary is active and sociable. Betty is the most talkative woman Ive ever met. But guess what? Helens just the opposite.Q: What do we learn from th
8、e womans remark about Helen?10. W: Jimmy said that he was going to marry a rich French businesswoman.M: Dont be so sure. He once told me that he had bought a big house. Yet hes still sharing an apartment with Mark.Q: What does the man imply?Section BPassage 1Unless you have visited the southern Unit
9、ed States, you probably have never heard of Kudzu. Kudzu, as any farmer in the south will sadly tell you, is a super-powered weed. It is a strong climbing plant. Once it gets started, Kudzu is almost impossible to stop. It climbs to the tops of the tallest trees. It can cover large buildings. Whole
10、barns and farm houses have been known to disappear from view. Wherever it grows, its thick twisting stems are extremely hard to remove. Kudzu was once thought to be a helpful plant. Originally found in Asia, it was brought to America to help protect the land from being swallowed by the sea. It was p
11、lanted where its tough roots which grow up to five feet long could help hold back the soil. But the plant soon spread to places where it wasnt wanted. Farmers now have to fight to keep it from killing other plants. In a way, Kudzu is a sign of labor shortage in the south. Where there is no one to wo
12、rk the fields, Kudzu soon takes over. The northern United States faces no threat from Kudzu. Harsh winters kill it off. The plant loves the warmth of the south, but the south surely doesnt love it. If someone could invent some use for Kudzu and remove it from southern farmland, his or her fortune wo
13、uld be assured.11. What do we learn about “Kudzu” from the passage?12. What will happen if the fields are neglected in the southern United States?13. Why isnt Kudzu a threat to the northern United States?Passage 2The word “university” comes from the Latin word “universitas”, meaning “the whole”. Lat
14、er, in Latin legal language, “universitas” meant a society or corporation. In the Middle Ages, the word meant “ an association of teachers and scholars”. The origins of universities can be traced back to the 12th to14th centuries. In the early 12th century, long before universities were organized in
15、 the modern sense, students gathered together for higher studies at certain centers of learning. The earliest centers in the Europe were at Bolonia in Italy, founded in 1088. Other early centers were set up in France, the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany from 1150 to 1386. The first universities
16、in Britain were Oxford and Cambridge. They were established in 1185 and 1209 respectively. The famous London University was founded in 1836. This was followed by the foundation of several universities such as Manchester and Birmingham, which developed from provincial colleges. It was in the 1960s th
17、at the largest expansion of higher education took place in Britain. This expansion took 3 basic forms: existing universities were enlarged, new universities were developed from existing colleges and completely new universities were set up. In Britain, finance for universities comes from three source
18、: the first, and the largest source, is grants from the government, the second source is fees paid by students and the third one is private donations. All the British universities except one receive some government funding. The exception is Buckingham, which is Britains only independent university.1
19、4. What did the word “Universitas” mean in the Middle Ages?15. Why was the 1960s so significant for British Higher Education?16. What is the main financial source for British universities?Passage 3One of the biggest problems in developing countries is hunger. An organization called Heifer Internatio
20、nal is working to improve the situation. The organization sends farm animals to families and communities around the world. An American farmer, Dan West, developed the idea for Heifer International in the 1930s. Mr. West was working in Spain where he discovered a need for cows. Many families were sta
21、rving because of the civil war in that county. So Mr. West asked his friends in the United States to send some cows. The first Heifer animals were sent in 1944. Since that time, more than 4,000,000 people in 115 countries have had better lives because of Heifer animals. To receive a Heifer animal, f
22、amilies must first explain their needs and goals. They must also make a plan which will allow them to become self-supporting. Local experts usually provide training. The organization says that animals must have food, water, shelter, health care and the ability to reproduce. Without them, the animals
23、 will not remain healthy and productive. Heifer International also believes that families must pass on some of their success to others in need. This belief guarantees that each person who takes part in the program also becomes a giver. Every family that receives a Heifer animal must agree to give th
24、at animals first female baby to other people in need . Families must also agree to pass on the skills and training they receive from Heifer International. This concept helps communities become self-supporting.17. What does the speaker tell us about Mr. West?18. What is the ultimate goal of Heifer In
25、ternational?19. What are families required to do after they receive support from Heifer International?20. What is the major achievement of Heifer International?Page2006 年 12 月 23 日新四级听力原文Section B11. M: Christmas is around the corner. And Im looking for a gift for my girlfriend. Any suggestions?W: W
26、ell you have to tell me something about your girlfriend first. Also, whats your budget?Q: What does the woman want the man to do?12. M: What would you like for dessert? I think Ill have apple pie and ice cream.W: The chocolate cake looks great, but I have to watch my weight. You go ahead and get you
27、rs.Q: What would the woman most probably do?13. W: Having visited so many countries, you must be able to speak several different languages.M: I wish I could. But Japanese and, of course English are the only languages I can speak.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?14. M: Professor Smith asked
28、me to go to his office after class. So its impossible for me to make it to the bar at ten.W: Then it seems that well have to meet an hour later at the library.Q: What will the man do first after class?15. M: Its already 11 now. Do you mean I ought to wait until Mr. Bloom comes back from the class?W:
29、 Not really. You can just leave a note. Ill give it to her later.Q: What does the woman mean?16. M: How is John now? Is he feeling any better?W: Not yet. It still seems impossible to make him smile. Talking to him is really difficult and he gets upset easily over little things.Q: What do we learn ab
30、out John from the conversation?17. M: Do we have to get the opera tickets in advance?W: Certainly. Tickets at the door are usually sold at a higher price.Q: What does the woman imply?18. M: The taxi driver must have been speeding.W: Well, not really. He crashed into the tree because he was trying no
31、t to hit a box that had fallen off the truck ahead of him.Q: What do we learn about the taxi driver?Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.W: Hey, Bob, guess what? Im going to visit Quebec next summer. Im invited to go to a friends wedding.But while Im there Id also lik
32、e to do some sightseeing.M: Thats nice, Shelly. But do you mean the province of Quebec, or Quebec City?W: I mean the province. My friends wedding is in Montreal. Im going there first. Ill stay for five days. Is Montreal the capital city of the province?M: Well, Many people think so because its the b
33、iggest city. But its not the capital. Quebec City is. But Montreal is great. The Saint Royal River runs right through the middle of the city. Its beautiful in summer.W: Wow, and do you think I can get by in English? My French is OK, but not that good. I know most people there speak French, but can I
34、 also use English?M: Well, People speak both French and English there. But youll hear French most of the time. And all the street signs are in French. In fact, Montreal is the third largest French speaking city in the world. So youd better practice your French before you go.W: Good advice. What abou
35、t Quebec City? Ill visit a friend from college who lives there now. Whats it like?M: Its a beautiful city, very old. Many old buildings have been nicely restored. Some of them were built in the 17th or 18th centuries. Youll love there.W: Fantastic. I cant wait to go.19. Whats the womans main purpose
36、 of visiting Quebec?20. What does the man advise the woman to do before the trip?21. What does the man say about the Quebec City?Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.M: Hi, Miss Rowling, how old were you when you started to write? And what was your first book?W: I wro
37、te my first Finnish (finished) story when I was about six. It was about a small animal, a rabbit, I mean. And Ive been writing ever since?M: Why did you choose to be an author?W: If someone asked me how to achieve happiness. Step One would be finding out what you love doing most. Step two would be f
38、inding someone to pay you to do this. I consider myself very lucky indeed to be able to support myself by writingM: Do you have any plans to write books for adults?W: My first two novels were for adults. I suppose I might write another one. But I never really imagine a target audience when Im writin
39、g. The ideas come first. So it really depends on the ideas that grasp me next.M: where did the ideas for the “Harry Potter” books come from?W: Ive no ideas where the ideas came from. And I hope Ill never find out. It would spoil my excitement if it turned out I just have a funny wrinkle on the surfa
40、ce of my brain, which makes me think about the invisible train platform.M: How did you come up with the names of your characters?W: I invented some of them. But I also collected strange names. Ive got one from ancient saints, maps, dictionaries, plants, war memoirs and people I met.M: Oh, you are re
41、ally resourceful.22. What do we learn from the conversation about Miss Rowlings first book?23. Why does Miss Rowling consider her so very lucky?24. What dictates Miss Rowlings writing?25. According to Miss Rowling where did she get the ideas for the Harry Porter books?Section BDirections: In this se
42、ction, 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
43、on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneReducing the amount of sleep students get at night has a direct impact on their performance at school during the day. According to classroom teachers, elementary and middle school students who stay up late exhibit more learning and a
44、ttention problems. This has been shown by Brown Medical School and Bradley Hospital research. In the study, teachers were not told the amount of sleep students received when completing weekly performance reports, yet they rated the students who had received eight hours or less as having the most tro
45、uble recalling all the material, learning new lessons and completing high-quality work. Teachers also reported that these students had more difficulty paying attention. The experiment is the first to ask teachers to report on the effects of sleep deficiency in children. Just staying up late can caus
46、e increased academic difficulty and attention problems for otherwise healthy, well-functioning kids, said Garharn Forlone, the studys lead author. So the results provide professionals and parents with a clear message: when a child is having learning and attention problems, the issue of sleep has to
47、be taken into consideration. “If we dont ask about sleep, and try to improve sleep patterns in kids struggling academically, then we arent doing our job”, Forlone said. For parents, he said, the message is simple, “getting kids to bed on time is as important as getting them to school on time”.26. Wh
48、at were teachers told to do in the experiment?27. According to the experiment, what problem can insufficient sleep cause in students?28. What message did the researcher intend to convey to parents?Passage TwoQuestions 29 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.Patricia Pania never wanted
49、to be a public figure. All she wanted to be was a mother and home-maker. But her life was turned upside down when a motorist, distracted by his cell phone, ran a stop sign and crashed into the side of her car. The impact killed her 2-year-old daughter. Four months later, Pania reluctantly but courageously decided to try to educate the public and to fight for laws to ban drivers from using cell phones while a car is moving. She wanted to save other children from what happened to her daughter. In her first speech, Pania got off to a
