English Weekly CET-4 Listening Practice Test 18
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: I ran into our friend Tom yesterday on the street and he said he hadnt heard from you for two months。
W: Yes, I know. But Ive been too busy to phone him。
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
12. W: You seem very confident about the job interview, dont you?
M: Yes, I feel ready for it. I had my hair cut and bought a good suit at the clothing store. I studied almost everything about finance and economics。
Q: Where is the man probably going to work?
13. M: I had a hard time getting through this novel。
W: I share your feeling. Who can remember the names of 38 different characters?
Q: What does the woman imply?
14. W: Hello. This is Dr. Grays office. Were calling to remind you of your 5:00 appointment for your annual check-up tomorrow。
M: Oh, thanks. Its a good thing you called. I thought it was 5:00 today。
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
15. M: What was the weather like when you left New York last week?
W: It was very much like the weather here in Beijing. So you neednt take a lot of clothes if you dont plan to stay there long。
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
16. W: Jerry, can you pick me up after work today? I left my car at the garage。
M: Im afraid I cant. I have scheduled an appointment with my friend at dinner time。
Q: What is the man going to do?
17. W: I waited until 10:20 for you。
M: I must have arrived 8 minutes after you left。
Q: When did the man arrive?
18. M: Im still waiting for my sister to come back and type the application letter for me。
W: Why bother her. Ill show you how to use the computer. Its quite easy。
Q: What does the woman mean?
Now youll hear two long conversations。
W: Hi. What can I do for you?
M: Yes, Id like to return this shirt for a refund. I bought it last week。
W: Well, could you tell me what seems to be the problem?
M: The first time I washed and dried it, the thing shrank at least four sizes。
W: Oh, I see, dont you follow the washing instructions? You see on the label: to hand wash it then to dry it on low heat。
M: How do I know this? The label is written in French!
W: Im sorry to hear that. But what I can do is allow you to exchange the shirt for another one。
M: I dont want to exchange it for anything! I just want my money back。
W: Well, I can give you credit on your next purchase or a discount and since the item you purchased was on clearance, we cant give you a refund。
M: What? A clearance item! I dont know about this。
W: I guess you didnt read our ad. Look here is the ad and the information about the clearance sale is at the bottom。
M: Where? Where? That small print! You need an electron microscope to see those words。
W: And anyway, you can only return items with a receipt within six days, but unfortunately, that was yesterday in your case。
M: Ok. Ok. I give up. Take your shirt. You can open up a pet store and sell it as a cat shirt。
Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard。
19. Why did the man want to return the shirt?
20. What did the store clerk not offer to do for the man?
21. Which of the following is not the reason that the store clerk didnt return the money to the customer?
22. How about the result?
Conversation Two
W: Hello, Tom! How are you?
M: Good! What about you?
W: Fine. Tom, you didnt show up yesterday evening, did you?
M: Im sorry about that. I had planned to go to your party, but I was caught up by a TV program about Natalie. I could not help sticking to the conversation until it was too late for your party。
W: Natalie?
M: Yes, she is a US talk show hostess, she is really great! Oh, come on! Havent you ever heard of her?
W: Oh, I remember. She is very famous in US, and she is enormously influential. She must have a distinguished family background, dont you think so?
M: No. On the contrary, her birth place was notorious for its poverty. But she studied hard and worked hard and later she became Americas first African-American news anchor。
W: She is wonderful! Have you been watching her talk show for a long time?
M: Of course! I like her very much. She is frank and genuine. She never spreads gossip!
W: That would make a difference among all the trash TV we have today。
M: Yes. That program I watched last night will be shown again this afternoon。
W: Really? I will make sure not to miss it! Bye for now!
M: See you later!
Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard。
23. Why didnt the man show up yesterday evening?
24. Who is Natalie?
25. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the conversation?
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
What makes it rain? Rain falls from clouds for the same reason anything falls to Earth. The Earths gravity pulls it. But every cloud is made of water droplets or ice crystals. Why doesnt rain or snow fall constantly from all clouds? The droplets of ice crystals in clouds are very small. The effect of gravity on them is minute. Air currents move and lift droplets so that net downward displacement is zero, even though the droplets are in constant motion。
Droplets and ice crystals behave somewhat like dust in the air made visible in a shaft of sunlight. To the casual observer, dust seems to act in a totally random fashion without fixed direction. But in fact dust particles are much larger than water droplets and they finally fall. The cloud droplet of average size is only 1/2500 inch in diameter. It is so small that it would take sixteen hours to fall a mile in perfectly still air, and it does not fall out of moving air at all. Only when the droplet grows to a diameter of 1/125 inch or larger can it fall from the clouds. The average raindrop contains a million times as much water as a tiny cloud droplet. The growth of a cloud droplet to a size large enough to fall out is the cause of rain and other forms of precipitation. This important growth process is called coalescence。
Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard。
26. What is the main topic of the passage?
27. Why dont all ice crystals in clouds immediately fall to Earth?
28. In this passage, what does the term coalescence refer to?
Passage Two
Good locks on all outside doors and first floor windows are essential to a homes security and will go a long way towards discouraging burglars. But an added protective device that is increasingly being used in homes is the burglar alarm system, which sounds a loud bell when someone tries to break in. Although this will not always prevent entry by a professional burglar, it is often enough to scare off thieves who account for a high percentage of residential break-ins。
Security alarm systems have all been available for many years and have long been common in commercial and industrial establishments and in large homes. But until the last few years, these system were almost always professionally installed because they required complicated wiring techniques, individualized design and sometimes lots of carpentry---all of which made them expensive。
To answer the demand for low-cost alarm systems that can be easily installed, several companies now make alarms that are specifically designed as do-it-yourself。 These systems come with detailed installation instructions and usually do not require inside-the-wall-wiring。
Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard。
29. Which statement is true according to the passage?
30. According to the passage, why have security alarm system been expensive for many years?
31. Whats the main idea of this passage?
Passage Three
Around the world more and more people are taking part in dangerous sports and activities. Of course, there have been people who have looked for adventure---those who have climbed the highest mountains, explored unknown parts of the world or sailed in small boats across the greatest oceans. Now, however, there are people who seek an immediate thrill from a risky activity which may only last a few minutes or even seconds。
I would consider bungee jumping to be a good example of such an activity. You jump from a high place 200 meters above the ground with an elastic rope tied to your ankles. You fall at up to 150 kilometers an hour until the rope stops you from hitting the ground. It is estimated that 2 million people around the world have now tried bungee jumping. Why do people take part in such activities as these? Some psychologists suggest that it is because life in modern societies has become safe and boring. Not very long ago, peoples lives were constantly under threat. They had to go out and hunt for food, diseases could not easily be cured, and life was a continuous battle for survival。
Nowadays, according to many people, life offers little excitement. They live and work in a comparatively safe environment; they buy food in shops; and there are doctors and hospitals to look after them if they become ill. The answer for some of these people is to seek danger in activities such as bungee jumping。
Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard。
32. What does the bungee jumping mean?
33. Why do people take part in dangerous sports nowadays?
34. Whats the authors attitude towards dangerous sports?
35. Which title is suitable for this passage?
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。
Internet use appears to cause a decline in psychological well-being, according to research at Carnegie Mellon University。
Even people who spent just a few hours a week on the Internet experienced more depression and loneliness than those who logged on less frequently, the two-year study showed. And it wasnt that people who were already feeling bad spent more time on the Internet, but that using the Net actually appeared to cause the bad feelings
Researchers are puzzling over the results, which were completely contrary to their expectations. They expected that the Net would prove socially healthier than television, since the Net allows users to choose their information and to communicate with others。
The fact that Internet use reduces time available for family and friends may account for the drop in well-being, researchers hypothesized. Faceless, bodiless virtual communication may be less psychologically satisfying than actual conversation, and the relationships formed through it may be shallower. Another possibility is that exposure to the wider world via the Net makes users less satisfied with their lives。
But its important to remember this is not about the technology; its about how it is used, says psychologist Christine Riley of Intel, one of the studys sponsors. It really points to the need for considering social factors in terms of how you design applications and services for technology。
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