2013年12月四级听力模拟试题一

　　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: Do you have a larger size for this shirt?

　　W: Ill check, but...to tell you the truth, I think this ones right for you.

　　Q: What does the woman mean?

　　12.M: Oh, Im sorry, I just realized that I forgot to bring the tape recorder you lent me. I left it back in my dorm.

　　W: Thats all right. I wont need it until tonight. As long as Ive got it by then, itll be fine.

　　Q: What does the woman imply?

　　13.W: Im thinking of getting a new pantsuit to wear to James wedding.

　　M: I just hope that my old suit still fits. You know how I feel about shopping.

　　Q: What does the man imply?

　　14.M: Whats my share of the bill? $18.50? That cant be right! I only had a salad for dinner.

　　W: Dont get excited. Let me check it out.

　　Q: What will the woman probably do next?

　　15.W: Id like to enroll in the free seminar you advertised in the newspaper. I mean the one on managing your personal finances.

　　M: Okay. Now the ad said that you have to have a savings account at our bank to be eligible. Do you have one here?

　　Q: What does the man want to know?

　　16.W: Tomorrow we are having our first test in my history class. Im really worried about it. Youve taken one of Dr. Parkers tests, havent you? I hear theyre impossible to pass.

　　M: I dont know who youve been talking to. My experience was just the opposite.

　　Q: What does the man imply?

　　17.W: Whats the problem, Paul? You really look panicked.

　　M: I am speaking to a group of high school students about engineering this afternoon, but I have no idea how I am going to simplify some of the concepts for them.

　　Q: What is the mans problem?

　　18.M: I havent turned on my air-conditioner at all this summer.

　　W: Thats surprising, considering how hot its been lately.

　　Q: What does the woman find surprising?

　　Conversation One

　　M:This food is terrible! I cant even finish my dinner.

　　W: I know. You think with all the money we paid for room and board, the university could have better food service. Where are you headed next?

　　M: Im going over to the student recreation center to play some bridge.

　　W:Youre spending your time on a card game?

　　M:Not just any card game. Its one of the most strategic games.

　　W:So Ive heard. Dont you play with a partner?

　　M:Yeah! Four people play, two against the other two.

　　W: So, you try to play in cooperation with your partner?

　　M: Actually, the cards of one of the four plays are turned face up. That player is called the dummy.

　　W: I wouldnt want to be called that. When you are the dummy, what do you do while the cards are being played?

　　M: Anything you want. Sit there and study, shuffle another deck, get snacks for everyone I like to stand behind my partner and watch.

　　W: You know, Ive heard that bridge is habit forming. You should be careful not to play so much that you dont get your studying done.

　　M: Dont worry about me. I only play Thursdays after dinner, and sometimes when they need a fourth player. If you like, I could teach you.

　　W: Thanks, but I have a pretty heavy workload this semester. I already spend my evenings doing things I dont really know how to do yet.

　　Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

　　19. Where does the conversation take place?

　　20. How does the woman plan to spend her evening?

　　21. What will the man probably do if he is the dummy?

　　22. What does the woman warn the man not to do?

　　Conversation Two

　　W:Hi, Zach.

　　M:Hey, Lisa. What are you doing here?

　　W: I work here on weekends. How come you decided to come to the travel agency? Planning a trip?

　　M: Yeah, well, you know our break is coming, and I need a quick getaway trip somewhere.

　　W:Well, someones got money to burn. But we hardworking students need a break too.

　　M: Im going to tell you up-front Lisa. Its not what you think. Im on a tight budget like everyone else here but Ive got to get out of this town for a while.

　　W:Where to?

　　M:Florida, maybe. Ill go see a Miami Dolphins football game.

　　W: And you need a flight for next week? Well, you are one who leaves things for the last minute but hmm let me take a look at the screen United has one to Miami but its a bit expensive so let me see if theres anything else available.

　　M:Preferably below $400 for round trip tickets. Can you swing it?

　　W: One by Phoenix Air for $350. Its a small plane though. Are you sure you dont want me to check again for other flights? It would only take a second.

　　M:No, that sounds like its within my range.

　　W:All right. Just let me call and confirm the times.

　　Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

　　23. Why is the man at the travel agency?

　　24. What is the womans concern about the Phoenix Air flight?

　　25. What will the woman do after the man agrees to take the flight?

　　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

　　When Americans refer to various parts of the country, the way in which they divide the country and the terms they use may be confusing to foreign visitors. When referring to the part of the United States that lies between Canada and Mexico, citizens of Alaska speak of the Lower Forty-Eight. Citizens of the Lower Forty-Eight have long referred to this same territory as the United States. People living in the state of Hawaii refer to the rest of the country as the Mainland and refer to their own state as the Islands.

　　People in the Lower Forty-Eight divide that part of the United States in ways that are partly political, partly geographical. New England is that section of the country north and east of New York State, settled 300 years ago by the English. The South is the area of the country east of the Mississippi River and south of the Ohio River.

　　The Midwest is defined differently by different dictionaries. Perhaps the most accepted definition is: the area between the Appalachian Mountains on the east and the Rocky Mountains on the west and north of the Ohio and Missouri Rivers.

　　Americans also speak of the Southwest, which includes particularly Arizona, New Mexico, and Western Texas.

　　The Northwest is clearly the states of Washington and Oregon. The state of California is often referred to as the West Coast.

　　Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　26What do citizens of Alaska call the rest of the mainland part of the country?

　　27.Which section of the country is New England?

　　28.Which state is not included in the Southwest?

　　Passage Two

　　Most people picture sharks as huge, powerful, frightening predators, ready at any moment to use their sharp teeth to attack unwary swimmers for no reason. This idea of sharks, however, contains many misconceptions.

　　First, there are about 350 species of shark, and not all of them are large. They range in size from the dwarf shark, which can be only 6 inches long and can be held in the palm of the hand, to the whale shark, which can be more than 55 feet long.

　　A second misconception concerns the number and type of teeth, which can vary tremendously among the different species of shark. A shark can have from one to seven sets of teeth at the same time, and some types of sharks can have several hundred teeth in each jaw. It is true that the fierce and predatory species do possess extremely sharp and brutal teeth used to rip their prey apart. Many other types of sharks, however, have teeth more adapted for grabbing and holding than for cutting and slashing.

　　Finally, not all sharks are predatory animals ready to strike at humans without warning. In fact, only 12 of the 350 species of shark have been known to attack humans, and a shark needs to be provoked in order to attack. The types of shark that have the worst record with humans are the tiger shark, the bull shark, and the great white shark. However, for most species of shark, even some of the largest types, there are no known instances of attacks on humans.

　　Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　29.Which of the following is true about sharks?

　　30.What is a misconception about the teeth of sharks?

　　31.Which of the following is NOT true concerning sharks attacks on humans?

　　Passage Three

　　The United States is well known for its network of major highways designed to help a driver get from one place to another in the shortest possible time. Although these wide modern roads are generally smooth and well maintained, with few sharp curves and straight sections, a direct route is not always the most enjoyable one. Large highways often pass by scenic areas and interesting small towns. Furthermore, these highways generally connect large urban centers, which means that they become crowded with heavy traffic during rush hours, when the fast, direct route becomes a very slow route.

　　However, there is almost always another route to take if you are not in a hurry. Not far from the relatively new superhighways, there are often older, less heavily traveled roads which go through the countryside. Some of these are good two lane roads; others are uneven roads curving through the country. These secondary routes may go up steep slopes, along high cliffs, or down frightening hillside to towns lying in deep valleys. These less direct routes, though longer and slower, generally go to places where the air is clean and scenery is beautiful. In addition the driver may have a chance to get a fresh, clean view of the world.

　　Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　32.Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of American major highways?

　　33.Why do major highways become very crowded during rush hour?

　　34.What is the advantage in taking a secondary route?

　　35.What can we infer from the passage?