1、art II Listening ComprehensionSection ADirections:In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, oneor more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation andthe questions will be spoken only once. After each questi
2、on there will be apause. 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 onAnswer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Now lets begin with the eight shortconversations.1.W:Tom, would you be i
3、nterested in serving on the membership committee this year?M:Can I get back to you on that in a few days?Q:What does the man mean?2.W:We should buy a good guide book and study it before our trip to Vancouver.M:We could. But they are overpriced. What about the library?Q:What does the man mean?3.W:You
4、 took a history course this term, didnt you? What can you say about it?M:Well, the trouble is that I never get through the weekly reading list, though some books are quite interesting.Q:What does the man mean?4.M:Im taking my girlfriend to the fancy new restaurant for her birthday tonight.W:I went t
5、here last weekend. I found it rather disappointing.Q:What does the woman mean?5.W:Winter is over at last. Time to put away my gloves and boots.M:Ive been waiting for this for months.Q:What does the man mean?6.M:Look, the curtain is going up slowly and all the lights over the stage are lit up.W:Yeah,
6、 the play is starting. Oh, something caught my sleeve. Give me a hand please, Bob.Q:Where are the speakers now?7.W:You only have water to serve your guests?M:This isnt just plain water. This is mineral water from Tibet.Q:What does the man imply?8.W:When do you have time to discuss our environmental
7、report? I think we will have to make some revisions.M:Ill be free at 3 oclock this afternoon. But what exactly needs to be changed?Q:What are the speakers going to do this afternoon?Now youll hear the two long conversations.Conversation OneW:Why is it important to recycle?M:There are many reasons. R
8、ecycling is one way to keep waste out of landfills. Landfills are places to dump waste.But they are unpopular, because they can pollute the soil used to cover them and thats bad for people who may build new homes there.Recycling also reuses valuable raw materials, such as aluminum and paper.Finally,
9、 recycling can leave a lower garbage bill.Recycling lowers the amount of waste put into landfills, therefore, less money is spent for garbage disposal.W:How has recycling changed over the years?M:Ten or twenty years ago, you could buy milk in returnable, refillable, glass bottles, and many people re
10、cycled voluntarily.Now you buy milk and other products in plastic bottles or paper containers.Because of the high cost of disposing of these things in landfills, many city governments now have recycling programs.W:How does recycling help the environment?M:Recycling helps the environment mainly by sa
11、ving energy.For example, it takes 95 percent less energy to produce recycled aluminum than to produce new aluminum.W:Can one person really make a difference? If only a few people recycle, then whats the point?M:If not you, then who? If we combine our efforts, we can make a difference. Each of us con
12、tributes to the waste problem.All the millions of tons of waste that go into landfills started as an old pair of slippers, a broken TV set, or a used magazine that came from somebodys housemaybe yours!9. Why are landfills unpopular according to the man?10. What does the man say has contributed to th
13、e increasing amount of waste over the years?11. According to the man, how does recycling help the environment?12. Why does the man say everybody should make an effort to recycle?Conversation TwoW:Could you please give me information on airfares from Miami to Bellingham, Washington? Wed like to buy a
14、 good flight as cheaply as possible.M:Lets see. I want to advise you to pay the normal one-way economy class fare of $555.If you can fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday and buy your tickets at least 21 days in advance, I suggest you book a round-trip excursion flight.W:But we may not need the return ticke
15、ts.M:Thats all right. Even if you dont use them, you should be able to save $89 over the one-way fare.Of course, Id recommend early booking. You ought to try to reserve the “Super Saver” seats.There are only a few of them and they are 50% cheaper than the others.W:That sounds like a good idea.M:Wait
16、, to save another hundred dollars or so, why dont you book a flight to Vancouver, Canada?W:But thats farther than where we want to go.M:I know, but you can take a bus from Vancouver back to Bellingham and still save money.And if you are travelling with children, you might be able to get a discount i
17、f you fly economy class. But they dont get any discount.But to take the advantage of the airlines guarantee fare policy, youd have to make reservations and pay for your tickets at least six weeks in advance.Try and begin the search for available seats.W:No, thank you.M:Excuse me?W:Ill call you back
18、if we dont decide to drive.13.Where is the woman planning to go?14.What is the womans purpose in calling the man?15.What does the man advise the woman to do?Section BDirections:In this section, you will hear3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Boththe passage a
19、nd the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear aquestion, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B),C), and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a singleline through the centre.Passage OneWhat makes a person famous? This is a mystery that
20、many people have carefully thought about.All kinds of myths surround the lives of well-known people.Most people are familiar with the works of William Shakespeare, one of the greatest English writers of the 16th and 17th centuries.Yet how many know Shakespeare, the person, the man behind the works?A
21、fter centuries of research, scholars are still trying to discover Shakespeares personal history. It is not easily found in his writings.Authors of the time could not protect their works. An acting company, for example, could change a play if they wanted to. Nowadays, writers have copyrights that pro
22、tect their work.Many myths arose about Shakespeare. Some said he had no formal education. Others believed that he began his career by tending the horses of wealthy men.All of these myths are interesting, but are they true? Probably not.Shakespeares father was a respected man in Stratford-on-Avon, a
23、member of the town council. He sent young William to grammar school.Most people of Elizabethan times did not continue beyond grammar school; so, Shakespeare did have, at least, an average education.Some parts of Shakespeares life will always remain unknown.The Great London Fire of 1666 burned many i
24、mportant documents that could have been a source of clues.We will always be left with many questions and few facts.16. What does the speaker say about William Shakespeare?17. What do we learn about Shakespeares father?18. Why does the speaker say parts of Shakespeares life will remain a mystery?Pass
25、age TwoAlmost everyone suffers from a headache occasionally. But some people suffer from repeated, frequent headaches.A headache is important because it can be the first warning of a serious condition that could probably be controlled if discovered early.If a person removes the warning, day after da
26、y, with a pain-killer, he or she may pass the point of easy control.The professional name for covering up a symptom is “masking.”A headache specialist once said, “Masking symptoms is not the best way of treatment. Sometimes it is wiser to stand still than to advance in darkness.”A headache often int
27、erferes needlessly with normal, happy living.The employee with a headache does less work.In a flash of temper he or she may upset fellow workers or customers, causing a direct or indirect loss to the organization.The mother with a headache suffers and disturbs the family. She upsets her husband and
28、children.Rest, quiet and fresh air stop many common headaches. Lying down and possibly falling asleep may help.One can often handle tension headaches by rubbing and pressing back neck muscles.Heat from an electric pad or a warm bath can also help.Because hunger may be overlooked as a headache source
29、, one must make a habit of regular meals.If a meal must be postponed for more than an hour, a snack helps to avoid a hunger headache.19. Why does the speaker say a headache is important?20. What do specialists suggest we do with headaches?21. What does the speaker say helps relieve the symptoms of c
30、ommon headaches?Passage ThreeIf your paycheck seems to be disappearing into thin air, you may be stuck in money traps.But dont despair. Most people can get unstuck without going bankrupt.The biggest budget mistake is no budget at all.As one reader put it, “we just put all the bills in a pile, and tr
31、y to decide which to pay.As she and others have learned, however, the money usually runs out before the bills do.The same problem plagues many who do have budget.In letter after letter we read, “It looks good on paper, but it never seems to work.” Why not?Often because the budgets are unrealistic.Th
32、e solution: make a detailed record of where all your money goes now; then study it carefully.Look for expenses that can be cut back. And dont give up in the face of high fixed expenses. Many of these can be reduced too.In fact, its often easier to save on essentials than on enjoyable extras.If housi
33、ng takes more than 25 percent of your income, for example, consider moving to a cheaper place, or renting out an extra room.If utility bills are high, get the whole family involved in a conservation plan.Some bills can be eliminated altogether.When one mother realized that cable TV was costing her $
34、500 a year, she decided that network TV wasnt so bad.If you question every expense, you can find a few that can be reduced.22. What does the speaker say is the biggest budget mistake?23. What does the speaker say about the so-called fixed expenses?24. What does the speaker suggest people do to save
35、housing expenses?25. What is mainly discussed in the talk?Section CDirections:In this section, you will heara 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 secondtime, you are required to fill in t
36、he blanks with the exact words you have justheard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should checkwhat you have written.Now listen to the passage.Perhaps because going to college is so much a part of the American dream, many people go for no particular reason.Some go because t
37、heir parents expect it, others because its what their friends are doing.Then, theres the belief that a college degree will automatically ensure a good job and high pay.Some students drag through four years, attending classes, or skipping them as the case may be,reading only what cant be avoided, loo
38、king for less demanding courses, and never being touched or changed in any important way.For a few of these people, college provides no satisfaction， yet because of parental or peer pressure, they cannot voluntarily leave.They stop trying in the hope that their teachers will make the decision for th
39、em by failing them.To put it bluntly， unless youre willing to make your college years count, you might be better off doing something else.Not everyone should attend college, nor should everyone who does attend begin right after high school.Many college students profit from taking a year or so off.A
40、year out in the world helps some people to sort out their priorities and goals.If youre really going to get something out of going to college, you have to make it mean something,and to do that you must have some idea why youre there, what you hope to get out of it, and probably even what you hope to become.
