大学英语四级考试听力预测试题(1)

　　1.W:The professors voice is so soft that I cant hear the end of this sentences.

　　M:Its because the traffic outside cancels the effect of the microphone.

　　Q:What seems to be bothering the students?

　　2.M:What did Mary think of the dance last weekend?

　　W:She hasnt been around this week.

　　Q:What does the woman mean?

　　3.M:Hello,this is Mr Williams.My heater is not getting power and the temperature is going down and down.

　　Could you come over and fix it?

　　W:OK.Ill send our man there sometime this afternoon.

　　Q:Who has Mr Williams called to come over?

　　4.W:Do we have enough time for the 7:40 train if we get off right away?

　　M:No,its too late.Its impossible for us to get to the railway station in 20 minutes.

　　Q:What time is it now?

　　5.W:I hear the mayor is planning a tax reduction.

　　M:Yes,it was one of his campaign promises and hes seriously trying to make it a reality.

　　Q:What will happen to taxes if the mayor succeeds?

　　6.W:I think the hostess really made every effort to see that the guests got the food and drinks they wanted.

　　M:Yes,but we would have had a better time at the party if we had known some of the other guests.

　　Q:What can we conclude from the conversation?

　　7.W:There are two new students in your class,arent there?

　　M:Yes,they are Henry and Jack.Henry is from Australia.

　　He is a football star.Jack is from Brazil.He likes to go to the cinema occasionally and go fishing a lot.

　　Q:What is Jacks hobby?

　　8.W:What happened to you? You look so happy?

　　M:I found out from my adviser that the graduate school where Im going to apply has done away with the review test.

　　Q:What do we learn from this conversation?

　　9.M:Can I borrow your car for the weekend,sister?

　　W:Its out of the question.

　　Q:What does the womans response mean?

　　10.W:Look at those beautiful parrots over there.I think you can teach them to talk.

　　M:Yes,but look at the price tag on them.Id rather have a pigeon instead.

　　Q:Where did this conversation take place?

　　Section B

　　Passage One

　　Human beings are never satisfied.They have always wanted things to be easier,faster,more comfortable or more convenient.Human history is the history of inventions.An invention is something totally original,something that nobody else has thought of.It may be something physical,like a new machine,or it may be a new way of doing something,like the reorganization of production methods in a factory.The earliset inventions,like boats and weapons,were simple but effective ways of meeting basic need and were developed independently by people in different parts of the world who needed to travel or to hunt.Modern inventions are more technical and more specialised.If you come up with an original idea,the first thing to do is to register your invention at the Patent Office.It will be given a special number,which acts as a guarantee against anyone else stealing your idea.

　　Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　11.Why are human beings never satisfied?

　　12.What inventions are mentioned in this passage?

　　13.Which of the following is true about modern inventions?

　　Passage Two

　　The United States is a federal union of 50 states.The capital of the national government is in Washington D.C.

　　The federal constitution sets up the structures of the national government and lists its powers and activities.The Constitution gives Congress the authority to make laws which are necessary for the common defense and the good of the nation.It also gives the federal government the power to deal with national and international problems that involve more than one state.All powers that are not given to the federal government by the Constitution are the responsibility of the individual states.The federal government has three branches--the executive,the legislative,and the judicialThe legislative branch makes the laws;the executive branch carries out the laws;and the judicial branch interprets the laws.The president heads the executive branch and the Supreme Court heads the judicial branch.The legislative branch includes both houses of Congress--the Senate and the House of Representatives.The Constitution limits the powers of each branch and prevents one branch from gaining too much power.For example.Congress can pass a law and the president may sign it.Nevertheless,the Supreme Court can declare the law unconstitutional and invalidate it.

　　Questions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　14.What does the Constitution set up?

　　15.What does the executive branch do?

　　16.Who heads the judicial branch?

　　Passage Three

　　The horse came before man on earth.Although the earliest remains of primitive horses have been found on the North American continent,many scientists believe this small speciestraveled over a land mass in the Bering Sea to find the beginning of the modem horse in Asia.This primitive horse became extinct in America.Other scientists believe that the horse may have originated in Asia.In any event the animal soon spread into China,Europe,and the Middle East.The first modern horses to be introduced into the American continent came with the early Spanish explorers.Horses were bred into many types.The heavey horses developed in the low countries of Europe and were used for work and by the medieval knights to hold them with their heavy armor.The oldest breed of horses is said to be the Arabian.The only true wild horses left in the 20th century are found in Mongolia.Horses are said to rate in intelligence after the ape,elephant and dog.They have excellent memories and can sometimes find their way home when lost,and sense danger better than their masters.The early civilizations of man that had horses and made use of them developed more rapidly than those which did not.

　　Qusetions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　17.What are some of the characteristics of the horse?

　　18.Where do some people believe the horse originated?

　　19.What was mans primary use of the horse in ancient times?

　　20.What can be said about the varieties of horses?