全国公共英语等级考试五级 a2

　　[00:00.00]Questions 14--16 are based on a report on the world changing climate.

[00:07.39]You now have 15 seconds to read Questions 14--16

[00:14.05]Let me begin this commentary on the world's changing climate

[00:19.49]by saying that climatology,the study of long-range trends in weather

[00:27.04]is at best an inexact science.

[00:32.10]It is based on hypotheses.

[00:36.15]Currently,a major argument among climatologists

[00:41.80]concerns the long-range weather outlook for the earth.

[00:47.05]The question that occupies them so much is this:

[00:52.40]Is the earth cooling off,or is it in fact heating up?

[00:58.75]Is the earth going through a cooling trend or a warming trend?

[01:04.39]A cooling trend could bring mass starvation and fuel shortage.

[01:11.34]But on the other hand,

[01:14.40]a warming trend could melt the polar ice caps

[01:19.86]and cause flooding of the coastal 1 cities of the world.

[01:25.00]In either case,

[01:28.24]the consequences for man might be alarming,

[01:33.00]and possibly disastrous 2.

[01:37.46]Let me just point out that rains and floods of record proportions

[01:43.42]have recently struck some geographic 3 areas around the world

[01:49.06]while droughts have devastated 4 other areas.

[01:54.21]Climatologists,in general,

[01:58.15]are truly puzzled by the change taking place today.

[02:03.40]As I already said,

[02:06.75]some parts of the world are cooling off

[02:11.19]while others are growing warmer

[02:15.65]Climatologists hope to discover why this is so

[02:21.09]and perhaps to predict what will come next.

[02:26.34]A number of climatologists believe the earth is,in fact,

[02:32.37]undergoing a cooling trend,

[02:36.34]and is returning to the conditions of the "Little Ice Age."

[02:41.99]This "Little Ice Age"

[02:45.64]could best be described as the cold,damp weather

[02:51.00]that was the characteristic of the period

[02:55.44]from approximately the 14th century to the mid-19th century.

[03:02.00]Climatologists generally agree

[03:06.15]that whatever the long-term trend in the earth's climate is,

[03:11.79]we are witnessing a period of increasing climatological change,

[03:18.24]a period that is making seasonal 5 weather predictions

[03:23.31]and agricultural planning more and more difficult,

[03:28.56]if not altogether impossible.

[03:33.21]You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Questions 14--16.

[03:40.87]Question 14-16 according to Part B (2).

[03:42.90]14.What would a cooling trend in weather bring to the world?

[03:44.91](A)Floods along the sea coasts  (B)A shortage of food and fuel

[03:47.06](C)Unpredictable weather conditions.

[03:49.12](D)Disappointment to some climatologists.

[03:51.16]15.What can be learned about the hypotheses of climatologists?

[03:53.20](A)They are often quite accurate.

[03:55.26](B)They are not reliable   (C)They are short-sighted.

[03:57.30](D)They generally fall into two categories.

[03:59.36]16.What was characteristic of the "Little Ice Age"?

[04:01.40](A)Cold and damp climate  (B)Change in geographic conditions

[04:03.46](C)World-Wide drought   (D)Reduction of water resources

[04:05.50]Questions 17--20

[04:09.36]are based on an introductory talk about manufacturing.

[04:15.22]You have 20 seconds to read Questions 17--20.

[04:21.77]Manufacturing includes all occupations

[04:26.71]that are involved in making products by hand or by machine.

[04:32.48]These products range from simple plastic or wooden objects,

[04:38.13]such as clothespins or toothpicks,

[04:42.17]to highly complicated electronic computers

[04:46.93]Manufactured goods also vary in size,

[04:51.58]from microscopic 6 electronic parts

[04:55.73]to giant aircraft carriers and supertankers.

[05:00.88]About two-thirds of the workers in manufacturing actually make products.

[05:07.15]These employees include craftworkers,

[05:11.48]skilled and semiskilled workers,and unskilled laborers 8.

[05:17.44]Craftworkers are highly skilled in such trades as tool designing,

[05:23.60]tool and die making,and tailoring.

[05:27.65]Many craftworkers supervise other employees.

[05:32.70]Skilled workers,who include engravers,machinists,printers,and welders 9,

[05:39.96]use special job skills to make items or to operate machinery 10.

[05:45.91]Semiskilled workersb include machine operators

[05:50.75]and assistants to skilled workers.

[05:54.98]Many semiskilled occupations

[05:58.95]require workers to repeat the same task again and again.

[06:04.80]Unskilled laborers perform jobs that require no special skills,

[06:10.65]such as sorting,packing,or moving materials.

[06:15.98]Most employees in manufacturing work in factories or shops.

[06:22.12]Common working conditions include high levels of dust,heat,or noise.

[06:28.68]Some factory jobs require great strength

[06:33.12]or standing 11 for long periods.

[06:36.88]Many scientists,engineers,and technicians also work in manufacturing.

[06:43.83]Scientists perform laboratory tests

[06:48.08]and other research to develop new products and improve old ones.

[06:54.33]Engineers design and test airplanes,

[06:58.80]automobiles,household appliances,machine parts,

[07:05.14]and countless 12 other products.

[07:08.98]They also design production equipment

[07:13.24]and improved manufacturing techniques.

[07:17.79]Some technicians assist scientists and engineers.

[07:23.04]Others plan or supervise production activities,

[07:27.87]such as packing or storing products.

[07:32.41]The manufacturing cluster also includes management workers.

[07:38.76]They develop and enforce company policies,

[07:43.41]plan and direct production activities,

[07:47.57]purchase equipment and materials,

[07:51.41]or work in labor 7 relations or public relations.

[07:56.66]You now have 40 seconds to check your answers to Questions 17--20.

[08:03.92]Question 17-20 according to Part B (3).

[08:05.96]17.What role do most people in the manufacturing trades play?

[08:07.99](A)Designers  (B)Supervisors  (C)Assistants  (D)Employees

[08:10.06]18.Which of the following best characterizes the job of a semiskilled worker'

[08:12.09](A)Repetitive  (B)Consistent  (C)Exceptional  (D)Complicated

[08:14.16]19.How are the working conditions for most manufacturing jobs?

[08:16.30](A)Disgraceful  (B)Forceful  (C)Harsh  (D)Monotonous

[08:18.36]20.Who are responsible for planning and directing the manufacturing process?

[08:20.40](A)Scientists and engineers    (B)Management workers

[08:22.47](C)Technicians   (D)Public relation workers

[08:24.50]That is the end of Part B.

[08:28.21]Part C

[08:31.03]You will hear a talk given by one of the compilers of a book.

[08:36.49]As you listen,you must answer Questions 21--30.

[08:42.45]by writing NO MORE THAN THREE words in the space provided on the right.

[08:48.80]You will hear the talk TWICE.

[08:52.45]You now have 60 seconds to read Questions 21--30.

[08:59.40]This book is an attempt to introduce the reader to the United States.

[09:05.54]It intends to give a concise 13 but fairly well rounded overview 14

[09:11.89]of present day American society;

[09:16.12]not only a picture of surface phenomena 15,

[09:20.85]but insights into American culture

[09:25.50]and insights about the American people.

[09:30.15]Various aspects of American life

[09:34.38]are presented through articles written mainly by Americans themselves,

[09:41.25]or by westerners familiar with the United States.

[09:46.89]Most were written by scholars or specialists on the topic of the field.

[09:54.34]A number of articles were written by sociologists.

[09:59.69]This gives a perspective that goes beyond the common articles

[10:05.75]written for the average tourist,

[10:09.70]for the person with passing curiosity,

[10:14.35]or for the ordinary man-in-the-street

[10:18.71]A number of articles were also selected with the idea

[10:24.17]of presenting different sometimes conflicting,points of view

[10:30.20]about the same topic.

[10:33.76]This,it is hoped,

[10:36.92]will help the reader to gain better understanding

[10:41.78]and to help him draw his own conclusions.

[10:46.53]It should be stressed that the viewpoints of the various authors

[10:52.07]are not necessarily those of the compilers of this book.

[10:57.14]We may agree with all of some articles,

[11:01.79]only partially 16 with others,

[11:05.44]and possibly disagree considerably 17 with a few of the selections.

[11:11.69]To allow the reader to use his own judgement,

[11:16.44]we have generally kept the articles in their original form.

[11:21.90]If changes were made they were to make the language easier

[11:27.33]or to make the articles more manageable for the reader

[11:32.69]Most of the articles in this book

[11:36.95]were selected on the basis of the following criteria 18:

[11:41.81]1.Their suitability for giving accurate information

[11:47.84]about a topic or some aspect of the topic.

[11:52.78]These articles should help present a well-rounded picture of the whole

[11:58.63]In this respect,

[12:01.48]we have sometimes given preference to an earlier article

[12:06.83]rather than a later one

[12:10.49]if the former gives a more insightful

[12:15.14]or more comprehensive treatment of the subject.

[12:20.00]2.Their appeal to the ordinary reader

[12:25.35]These articles should be authoritative 19 and reliable,

[12:30.29]yet not too elementary.

[12:34.34]The contents should be of interest to most readers.

[12:38.99]3.Their linguistic 20 quality and degree of difficulty.

[12:45.34]The level for which these articles are intended

[12:50.17]is college students of English,

[12:54.40]other college students with a fairly good command of English

[13:00.25]and the general reader interested in the U.S.

[13:05.50]and with fairly good comprehension of the language.

[13:10.44]4.Their general relevance 21 to Chinese readers or Chinese society.

[13:18.38]These article should have some general significance to China,

[13:25.72]either present or future,and not be totally irrelevant 22.

[13:32.28]Obviously no one book can give a completely comprehensive picture or description

[13:40.01]of such a vast and complex nation.

[13:45.16]Many readers may disagree with our choice of topics;

[13:50.69]most likely a number will say we have left out important ones.

[13:56.65]Many may feel we did not use our best judgement in selecting the articles.

[14:03.70]We must admit that we did not always agree among ourselves.

[14:09.87]We were further restricted by the limited amount of materials to choose from.

[14:16.82]Needless to say,

[14:20.16]we welcome suggestions and criticisms from our readers.

[14:26.61]And in spite of all its shortcomings,

[14:30.97]if the book has helped the reader

[14:34.92]to gain some insight and understanding about the United States and its people

[14:42.57]and has stimulated 23 the reader to go further and to study more,

[14:48.82]then in a modest way

[14:52.68]this book will have accomplished 24 much of what it was intended to do.

[14:59.24]Now you are going to hear the talk a second time.

[15:04.39]You now have 100 seconds to check your answers to Questions 21--30.

[15:12.93]Question 21-30 according to Part C.

[15:14.99]21.What kind of overview does the book intend to give about American society?

[15:17.03]22.Who wrote most of the articles in the book?

[15:19.07]23.What is said about the points of views of some articles on the same topic?

[15:21.13]24.In what form do most articles appear in this book?

[15:23.17]25.What is the criteria for choosing

[15:25.23]an earlier article rather than a later one?

[15:27.27]26.What type of students is the book mainly compiled for?

[15:29.33]27.What English language level are the readers of this book expected to have?

[15:31.37]28.What does the speaker say they would welcome from the readers?

[15:33.43]29.What do the compilers hope that the readers would do after reading the book?

[15:35.50]30.In general,what aspects of America are introduced into this book?

[15:37.53]That is the end of Part C.