英语四级听力全真模拟题(七)

　　听力部分

　　English Weekly CET-4 Listening Practice Test 23

　　Part III Listening Comprehension

　　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. 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。

　　11. M: Mary, would you join me for dinner tonight?

　　W: You treated me last weekend. Now, its my turn. Shall we try some Italian?

　　Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

　　12. W: Do you think that Bob is serious about Sally?

　　M: Well, I know this. Ive never seen him go out so often with the same person。

　　Q: What does the man mean?

　　13. W: I didnt see John last month. Where was he?

　　M: He went to London on business and to see his wife。

　　Q: What did John do last month?

　　14. M: The taxi is waiting downstairs. Lets hurry。

　　W: Wait a minute. Ill take some food with us. I dont like the meal served on the train。

　　Q: What are the speakers going to do?

　　15. W: Hi! Im calling about the three-bedroom house you advertised in yesterdays paper. It sounds really nice。

　　M: It is -- especially if you have children。

　　Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

　　16. W: Its cool today. You should put on your jacket or youll catch a cold。

　　M: I cant believe summer is over and fall is here already。

　　Q: What is the season now?

　　17. W: John, are you doing research for Professor Williams this semester?

　　M: Actually, I am working as his teaching assistant。

　　Q: What does the man mean?

　　18. M: There is a limit of three books per person。

　　W: Fine, Ill be certain to return them on time。

　　Q: Where did this conversation probably take place?

　　Now youll hear two long conversations。

　　Conversation One

　　W: Tom, what are the stories were looking at for the 9 oclock news tonight?

　　M: Well, Lucy, weve got an update on South Africa about the regional elections in Transkei. But weve run into problems in getting a live report from Adrian in Port Elizabeth。

　　W: Never mind. Well just run the film and let Kate fill in the details on the news itself. Now what about that story which is breaking in Germany?

　　M: Well, its still quite difficult to make out exactly what is going on there. It seems that the President and the Prime Minister have seriously fallen out and it is possible that the Prime Minister may be thinking of leaving office。

　　W: Have we got anything on film to back up this story?

　　M: No, nothing yet, but we can run the interview again that we showed at 6。

　　W: Fine. Now let me just run through the other stories weve got. Check them off as I go through them. Famine in Sudan, storms in Americas mid-west, economic problems in Japan, a big fire at the World Health Organization building in Geneva, bombs in Northern Ireland, a new computer from China that understands spoken Mandarin, and a new world record by a British athlete in Sydney。

　　M: What about putting in the story on the growing number of homeless people living on the streets of Mexico City?

　　W: No, I dont think so. Thats not really hard news. Tom, lets settle down and go through the films on video first

　　Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard。

　　19. What are the speakers doing?

　　20. According to the passage, it seems that_______________。

　　21. The other stories are checked such as ___________________。

　　Conversation Two

　　M: Come in. Ah, good morning. Its Miss Jenny, isnt it? Do sit down. Now, what can I do for you?

　　W: Well, Ive looked through all the literature about opening an account with the City Bank, and I think I want two accounts。

　　M: I see. Are you therefore thinking of opening a savings account as well as a current account?

　　W: Yes, thats right. Ive been asking around at a number of banks during the last week or so, and two accounts certainly seems like the best idea。

　　M: Are you thinking of putting a fairly large sum of money into a deposit or an investment account, may I ask?

　　W: Well, not really a large amount at this stage. Perhaps a few hundred pounds in a deposit account and rather less in a current account for day to day expenditure. I dont expect to take money out of the deposit account at all, except maybe for holidays and the odd big expense。

　　M: Now do you have any personal references with you?

　　W: Yes, of course. Ive got one from my boss and one from my cousin because he also works in a bank。

　　M: Good. Could you pass them over to me, please? Thank you. Now Ill just run through them quickly if you dont mind. Yes, well that all seems to be fine. Now, lets go through this form together. Its not difficult but we dont want to make any mistakes. Okay

　　Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard。

　　22. The conversation may take place______________。

　　23. What is the passage mainly about?

　　24. Miss Jenny is thinking of_______________。

　　25. According to the passage, Miss Jenny will______________。

　　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

　　Cars are an important part of life in the United States. Without a car most people feel that they are poor. And even if a person is poor he doesnt feel really poor when he has a car。

　　There are three main reasons the car became so popular in the United States. First of all the country is huge and Americans like to move around in it. The car provides the most comfortable and cheapest form of transportation. With a car people can go any place without spending a lot of money。

　　The second reason cars are popular is the fact that the United States never really developed an efficient and inexpensive form of public transportation. Long-distance trains have never been as common in the United States as they are in other parts of the world. Nowadays there is a good system of air service provided by planes. But it is too expensive to be used frequently。

　　The third reason is the most important one, though. The American spirit of independence is what really made cars popular. Americans dont like to wait for a bus, or a train or even a plane。

　　They dont like to have to follow an exact schedule. A car gives them the freedom to schedule their own time. And this is the freedom that Americans want most to have。

　　Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard。

　　26. Which of the following is not the reason for the popularity of cars in America?

　　27. When a poor American owns a car, ________。

　　28. According to the passage, ________。

　　29. Americans prefer cars to other means of transport because ________。

　　Passage Two

　　The convenience and economy of small cars account for their popularity. They are easy to park quickly and take smaller parking spaces. Small cars are also a means of conserving energy because they use less gas than big cars. Small cars are inconvenient and uncomfortable on long trips. However, because of their limited passenger and trunk space, they are also more economical to operate and maintain. And they cost less. Because of all these advantages, the next car I buy is going to be an Econo-Midget。

　　Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard。

　　30. According to the passage, which is not true about small cars?

　　31. Whats the title of the passage?

　　32. The speaker said small cars are economical. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason?

　　Passage Three

　　People face many choices when buying insurance policies. They commonly choose an insurance company based on several criteria. Some of the most important of these include: 1) the financial stability of the unit, 2) the price of policies, and 3) details of coverage and service。

　　Only a financially sound company can fulfill its promise to pay in all circumstances. Companies with good records of stability can provide insurance security. Otherwise, it may result in poor service and coverage, even if the company boasts of its high quality service。

　　Policy price varies significantly among companies. So a detailed examination of coverage in policies provided by different companies can help consumers make the best choice based on the risks they face, their needs, and their finances。

　　People seeking to buy insurance often use the services of an insurance agent or broker to assist in their purchase. Those who purchase insurance should keep the following in mind. There are four main categories, according to what it covers. They are 1) property and casualty, 2) life, 3) health and disability, and 4) old-age and unemployment。

　　Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard。

　　33. What does the passage discuss?

　　34. What is your first concern while choosing an insurance company?

　　35. What will happen to the insurance security if the company you choose is not financially sound?

　　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。

　　If you are like most people, your intelligence varies from season to season. You are probably a lot sharper in the spring than you are at any other time of the year. A noted scientist, Ellsworth Huntington ， concluded from other mens work and his own among peoples in different climates that climate and temperature have a definite effect on our mental abilities。

　　He found that cool weather is much more favorable for creative thinking than is summer heat. This does not mean that all people are less intelligent in the summer than they are during the rest of the year. It does mean, however, that the mental abilities of large numbers of people tend to be lowest in the summer。

　　Spring appears to be the best period of the year for thinking. One reason may be that in the spring mans mental abilities are affected by the same factors that bring about great changes in all nature。

　　Fall is the next best season, then winter. As for summer, it seems to be good time to take a long vacation from thinking!