《英语周报大学综合版》大学英语四级考试模拟试题（29）

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English Weekly CET-4  Listening Practice Test 29

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 couldn’t get a hold of Thomas regarding the ticket I got for him. His mobile cannot be reached.

   W: I’ll see him tomorrow anyway, so I could pass it to him. That is, if you don’t mind..

   Q: What will the woman probably do?

12. M. White goes well with Sherry, but her favorite color is blue.

   W: Well, we’d better be safer and go with her favorite color.

   Q: What can be inferred about the conversation?

13. M: My flight will take off at quarter to seven, so I’m afraid I cannot attend your meeting.

   W: Well, if so, why we don’t get together at the lobby instead?

   Q: What does the woman suggest?

14. M: I really like the native handcrafts here. Give me your thoughts about this one.

   W: Ha, sorry, art’s something I haven’t acquired a taste for yet.

   Q: What does the woman think of art?

15: M: It’ll be nice if Lucy can join in our hiking trip to Xinjiang this summer.

   W: To be frank, I’d imagine the chance is pretty slim.

   Q: What can be inferred from the speakers?

16: M: Madam, how would you like your steak done?

   W: Uh … Let me think. Ok… Well done, please.

   Q: What does the woman imply?

17: M: If you open Linda’s closet, you’ll see most of her shirts are bright in color.

   W: That’s the trend these days. You can’t miss that kind of design in the mall nowadays.

   Q: What does the woman mean?

18. M: Have you ever tried kayaking? It’s so exciting to hit the rapids. It’s been my favorite water sport since childhood.

   W: I’d feel the same if I didn’t have a fear of fast rapids.

   Q: What can be inferred about the woman?

 

Now you’ll hear two long conversations.

Conversation One

M:  Oh, hello, Lee Dong. Come on in, and how have you been keeping lately?

W:  Quite all right, thanks, Dr. Francis. How is your project going?

M:  Very smoothly, I should say. I’m playing a consultancy role, really. I have only been here a

month, but I’m already on very good terms with my colleagues in the Department of

Computer Science. Well, I’m happy that you could come. Do sit down, please.

W:  Dr. Francis, do you know I’ve got a chance to go to Cambridge in August? I wonder if you

could tell me something about Britain.

M:  Certainly. Well, I was actually brought up in Scotland. Erm, in fact, I’ve never been to

Cambridge. But well… yes, I’m sure I can give you some useful tips. Now, what do you

want to know, Lee Dong?

W:  Things like weather. What’s the usual temperature there?

M:  Mmm, the temperature in Scotland is 22, or 23 degrees Centigrade on average, I think. But

Cambridge would be warmer, around 25, I would guess, because it’s down south.

W:  Oh, that’s nice. Do you know it is 34 here? Last year it reached 39. By the way, where do you think I should stay?

M:  Oh, that’s important. You can, er… I suppose, stay in the college-owned flats, which are often near where you have your classes and some are even on the campus. That would certainly be convenient.

W:  Yes, it would.

M:  But it can also be a disadvantage because you are, in a sense, separate from ordinary society.

You are a language teacher, and I think learning from society is a valuable experience.

W:  Yes, yes, exactly. So what’s the alternative?

M:  Maybe finding an English host family. I know of a student Ali from the Middle East. He told

me that he had learned a lot by staying with the British family.

W:  Thank you, I think it’s quite a good suggestion. By the way, Dr. Francis, do you think I could…?

 

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

19. Who is Dr. Francis?

20. What is the approximate temperature in Cambridge in the summer?

21. Where does Dr. Francis suggest Lee Dong stay in Cambridge?

22. What is the point Dr. Francis is making when he mentions Ali?

Conversation Two
W: Good morning. This is Jenny speaking. 

M: Hi, Jenny, this is Andy.

W: Oh, hi, Andy! What’s up?

M: Well, our student union needs a couple of volunteers to give guided tours to the new students during orientation next week. Would you be able to give us a hand?

W: Yes, fore sure. But it depends on the days you had in mind, for I am working part-time at the supermarket next week.

M: Ok, I get it. What about Saturday? I assume most new students will arrive on the weekend.

W: Sorry, I have to work all day Saturday. How about Friday or Sunday?

M: Well, I don’t have the detailed schedule on me. .. Sam is responsible for arranging that and I will ask him to get in touch with you later this day. Is that okay?

W: Yes, no problem. I will wait for his call.

M: Oh, thank you so much. Bye, Jenny!

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

23: Why did Andy call Jenny?

24: What does Jenny offer to do?

25: What will probably happen as a result of this 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

Climate, more than any other single factor, determines the distribution of life on Earth. Climate boundaries establish the limits with in which organisms can survive. Plants, even more than animals, must be adapted to climate in order to survive. They cannot move out or take shelter but must be equipped to endure whatever weather conditions are likely to occur. Animals, despite their ability to move about and find shelter, are just as much influenced by climate as plants are. Creatures such as the camel and the penguin are so highly specialized that they have an extremely limited distribution. Others, such as bears, are flexible enough to adapt to a broad range of climates. Oceanic organisms are just as sensitive to climate changes as land animals. Coral reefs can survive only in clear warm seawater. Human beings are among the least specialized of all animals and can live almost anywhere. Their clothes and their homes act as a sort of “mini-climate” that can be taken with them everywhere.

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

26: Which factor plays an important role where life is found on earth?

27: What could be found in the greatest number of different climate areas on Earth?

28: Why can human beings survive almost anywhere on Earth?

 

Passage Two

One hundred and thirteen million Americans have at least one credit card. The banks give their clients automatic credit in stores, restaurants, hotels, at home, across the country, and even abroad. More and more of these credit cards can be read automatically, making it possible to withdraw money from any accessible ATM, if the local bank is not open. While credit cards offer these conveniences to consumers, they have many advantages for sellers as well, because they can record who sold what, when, and to whom. This information allows businessmen to keep track of their list of goods. At the same time these cards can record which hours are busiest and which employees are the most efficient, allowing personnel and staffing assignments to be made accordingly. And they also identify preferred customers for promotional campaigns. In addition, credit cards can even provide manufacturers with information to decide which products to emphasize, which to develop for the future, and which to stop making. 

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

29: What is this passage mainly about?

30: What can credit cards enable its owners to do?

31: How can credit-card based marketing reports help manufacturers?

 

Passage Three

Have you ever tried to figure out whether something is a star or a planet by looking at the light shining from them？The easiest way to tell the difference is that stars twinkle, planets do not. Why is this true? It’s fairly simple actually. Stars are so far away that the light from a single star – even the nearest ones (besides the Sun) – take years to get to your eye. By that time, the beam of light star light that enters your eyes is actually a delicate filament of light, easily affected by the ripples in the atmosphere. The rippling effect of the air around us is what makes the star appear to twinkle. Planets, on the other hand, are much closer to us. Even with eyes, we can see the round discs of planets. This light is from such a large, nearby source that is not as easily affected by the turbulence in our atmosphere. Planets appear to have a strong, steady beam of light. If you’re not sure whether you’re looking at a planet or a star, compare your target object with another source of light nearby. See if either of them twinkles.

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

32: What is the main topic of this passage?

33: How can we distinguish planets from stars?

34: Why do stars twinkle?

35: If we are not sure, what can we compare the star or planet with?

 

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.

 

In a family where the (36) roles of men and women are not sharply separated and where many (37) household tasks are shared to a greater or less extent, notions of male superiority are hard to (38) maintain. The pattern of sharing in tasks and in decisions makes for equality, and this in turn leads to further sharing. In such a home, the growing boy and girl learn to accept that equality more easily than did their parents and to prepare more fully for (39) participation in a world (40) characterized by cooperation rather than by the “battle for the sexes”.

   If the process goes too far and man’s role is regarded as less (41) important－and that has happened  in some cases－we are as badly as before, only in reverse.

It is time to reassess the role of the man in the American family. We are getting a little tired of “Momism” . What we need, rather, is the (42) recognition that bringing up children involves a partnership of equals. There are signs that psychologists, social workers, and specialists on the family are becoming more (43) aware of the part men play and that they have decided that women should not receive all the credit － nor the blame. (44)We have almost given up saying that a woman’s place is in the home. We are beginning, however, to analyze man’s place in the home and to insist that he does have a place in it. (45)Nor is that place irrelevant to the healthy development of the child.

(46)The family is a co-operative enterprise for which it is difficult to lay down rules. The reason is that each family needs to work out its own ways for solving its own problems.