大学英语四级考试巅峰 Track 25

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[00:02.30]Model Test Four

[00:04.27]Section A

[00:05.96]Directions: In this section,

[00:09.24]you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations.

[00:14.71]At the end of each conversation,

[00:19.08]one or more questions will be asked about what was said.

[00:22.26]Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.

[00:27.72]After each question there will be a pause.

[00:31.77]During the pause, you must read the four choices

[00:36.69]marked A) , B) , C) and D) , and decide which is the best answer.

[00:43.36]Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2

[00:48.83]with a single line through the centre.

[00:52.99]Now let's begin with the 8 short conversations.

[00:57.03]11. W: I'm tired of Bill's remarks.

[01:01.84]I don't know why he wants to look at everything in such a negative way.

[01:07.20]M: Why don't you do what I do

[01:12.13]Just take his comments with a grain of salt.

[01:14.53]Q: What does the man mean?

[01:30.84]12. M: John doesn't stand a chance of winning a gold medal in the Olympics.

[01:39.04]W: True, but he's doing his best.

[01:42.22]Q: What does the man think of John?

[02:03.65]13. W: So you need someone to watch your cat while you are away.

[02:09.34]M: Will that be a problem for you?

[02:11.96]Q: What does the man mean?

[02:30.58]14. W: If we hurry we can take the express train

[02:35.69]instead of the local and save an hour. Couldn't we?

[02:38.86]M: Yes, the express train takes only three hours to get to New York.

[02:44.44]Q: How long does it take the local train to get to New York?

[03:07.53]15. W: This doesn't look at all familiar. We must be lost.

[03:11.47]We'd better get some directions.

[03:13.98]M: There is a policeman over there.

[03:16.72]Let's pull in right here and ask him for help.

[03:20.77]Q: Where are the two speakers?

[03:39.62]16. W: Professor Jackson's lectures are tremendous.

[03:44.22]Hardly anyone skips class.

[03:46.84]M: Yeah, you can even hear a pin drop during class.

[03:51.43]Q: What do we learn from this conversation?

[04:13.93]17. W: West London Air Terminal, please. I have to be there by 11: 10.

[04:18.30]M: I can't promise, Miss, but I'll do my best.

[04:22.57]Q: Who is the woman most probably talking to?

[04:42.80]18. W: It's going to be fine tomorrow.

[04:46.53]M: Anyway, I'll bring a raincoat. I don't want to get wet like this again.

[04:51.99]Q: What is the weather like today?

[05:11.47]Now you will hear the 2 long conversations.

[05:14.54]Conversation One

[05:17.27]M:  I think life here suits you very well,

[05:20.44]and I suggest you settle down.

[05:22.74]W:  I wish I could agree with you.

[05:24.71]M:  Why? You don't like it here?

[05:27.22]W:  Yes, I do. But I wonder

[05:30.83]whether I can lead an even better life in Shanghai.

[05:33.35]M:  That depends on what you want and how you define “better life”.

[05:37.91]W:  True.

[05:38.67]M:  Well, if youre looking for excitement,

[05:41.08]in terms of career and living style, Hong Kong is the place.

[05:44.69]But if you want stable life style and quietness, Canada is a good choice.

[05:50.26]W:  I don't know. I seem to want both.

[05:53.33]M:  If you're financially well off,

[05:55.84]you can go back and forth 1 between these two places if you want to.

[05:59.35]It'll be nice if you can spend summer in Canada and winter in Hong Kong.

[06:03.61]That way you're taking advantage of living in the best weather of the two places.

[06:08.09]W:  That's a great suggestion. I'll ask my husband.

[06:11.92]I must agree with what he says.

[06:14.66]Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

[06:21.98]19. What's the man's last suggestion to the woman?

[06:44.55]20. What's the man's opinion about Hong Kong and Canada?

[07:05.78]21. Which is true according to the man?

[07:25.60]Conversation Two

[07:27.25]W:  Would you tell us the sequence of events in the ancient Games?

[07:32.17]M:  The exact sequence of events is uncertain,

[07:35.34]but events included boy's gymnastics, horse-racing,

[07:38.95]field events such as discus and javelin 2 throwing,

[07:42.34]and the very important foot races.

[07:45.29]W:  There were much fewer items than nowadays.

[07:48.90]M:  Yes.But there were also boxing and wrestling

[07:52.30]and special tests of varied 3 ability such as pentathlon.

[07:56.12]By the way,do you know which five items it included?

[07:59.95]W:  Let me see. Pentathlon at that time

[08:03.78]included running,jumping,discus and javelin throwing and wrestling.

[08:08.92]M:  You really know a lot about the ancient Olympic Games.

[08:12.64]W:  Thank you. But I don't know how the Games organized at that time.

[08:16.90]M:  I can only give you a rough description.

[08:19.53]The evening of the third day was devoted 4 to sacrificial offerings

[08:23.91]to the heroes of the day,and the fourth day,that of the full moon,

[08:28.28]was set aside as a holy day.

[08:30.25]On the sixth and last day,

[08:32.76]all the victors were crowned with holy garlands of wild olive

[08:36.81]from a sacred wood.

[08:38.01]Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

[08:45.23]22. What did the ancient Olympic Games consist of?

[09:06.09]23. What events did pentathlon include then?

[09:28.15]24. How was the ancient Olympic Games organized?

[09:45.09]25. Which of the following is true according to the dialogue?

[10:06.53]Section B

[10:07.74]Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages.

[10:14.73]At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions.

[10:19.22]Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.

[10:23.71]After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer

[10:28.19]from the four choices marked A) , B) , C) and D).

[10:33.55]Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2

[10:38.69]with a single line through the centre.

[10:40.98]Passage One

[10:43.94]I had to go to Amsterdam last week for a conference.

[10:49.96]I arrived at the airport in plenty of time and checked in,

[10:54.55]but I only had one small case

[10:57.28]so I decided 5 to take it on the plane as hand luggage.

[11:00.67]As the flight was not due to board for 45 minutes,

[11:05.60]I went to a cafe, sat down, and ordered a cup of coffee.

[11:10.08]While I was sitting there drinking my coffee and reading the paper,

[11:14.67]I was vaguely 6 aware of a woman and her child coming to the next table.

[11:19.70]I did not pay much attention to them, though,

[11:23.31]and when my flight was called I reached for my case and left.

[11:27.25]An hour later, the plane was in the air

[11:31.08]and I decided to look at the conference program to see

[11:33.81]what I wanted to attend.

[11:36.11]Imagine my horror when I opened the case and found

[11:39.75]that it was full of picture books and children's toys

[11:43.15]and imagine what the woman must have thought

[11:45.77]about a case full of men's clothes and scientific papers.

[11:49.71]Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.

[11:55.83]26. Why did the speaker go to a cafe?

[12:18.35]27. What was in the speaker's case?

[12:33.28]28. What did the speaker find out on board the plane?

[12:57.31]Passage Two

[12:58.18]The exhibition of children's books

[13:01.35]will give the Scottish people a wonderful opportunity to see

[13:05.40]and buy the latest books.

[13:07.04]The books range from wordless picture books

[13:10.65]for the youngest to almost adult novels.

[13:13.38]In its early years,

[13:15.79]the Children's Book Show was intended mainly for teachers and librarians.

[13:20.06]As it became more widely known and successful,

[13:24.11]however, more and more families and school parties began to come

[13:28.26]so that it grew into a real children's book show,

[13:31.43]and a show with a double purpose.

[13:34.17]For years it was held in various halls in London.

[13:38.43]In answer to enthusiastic invitations

[13:41.93]to bring it to different parts of the country,

[13:44.01]the decision was made to move outside the capital.

[13:47.29]One year it was held in Leeds, then in Bristol as well as in London,

[13:53.31]and now it is coming to Glasgow.

[13:55.83]This year's show will again interest both the general public and specialists.

[14:01.29]Admission will be free, but school parties must be booked  in advance.

[14:06.44]In a large room near the entrance

[14:09.82]there will be a self-service bookshop

[14:12.12]where every book on show will be on sale.

[14:15.73]Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.

[14:21.85]29. What are the books in the exhibition intended for?

[14:44.43]30. Whom was the show intended for in its early years？

[15:03.37]31. What must parties of schoolchildren do this year?

[15:25.16]Passage Three

[15:26.25]The living condition for the poor and for immigrants in New York City

[15:30.96]during the late nineteenth century was truly wretched.

[15:34.13]Over one and a half million poor people lived in tenements 7,

[15:39.15]a form of barracks-like buildings

[15:41.78]that could house some five hundred people in a structure

[15:45.07]lacking heat and plumbing 8 and often fatal.

[15:47.90]Almost as shocking as the city-condoned horror of the tenements

[15:52.94]was the government's neglect of city functions.

[15:56.77]Real estate development was uncontrolled,

[15:59.28]resulting in factories,

[16:00.92]stories and residences springing up randomly 9

[16:04.31]without consideration to zoning or building codes.

[16:07.70]Pollution of waterways was unrestricted, streets were poorly paved,

[16:13.66]lighting was inadequate 10, and sewage disposal was insufficient 11.

[16:18.58]Some of the poor housing can be blamed on New York's rapid population growth.

[16:23.72]But most of the wretched living conditions in the city

[16:27.22]must be attributed to the corrupt 12 city government of the late 19th century.

[16:31.71]Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

[16:38.16]32. Who suffered most from poor housing condition in New York City?

[17:01.43]33. What were tenements?

[17:21.18]34. Why were factories, stores,

[17:25.12]and residences built with little consideration for zoning or building codes?

[17:45.41]35. Who or what was responsible for most of these poor living conditions?

[18:06.02]Section C

[18:08.10]Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times.

[18:16.19]When the passage is read for the first time,

[18:19.58]you should listen carefully for its general idea.

[18:22.97]When the passage is read for the second time,

[18:26.69]you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43

[18:33.59]with the exact words you have just heard.

[18:36.43]For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required

[18:42.22]to fill in the missing information.

[18:44.52]For these blanks, you can either use the exact words

[18:49.88]you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words.

[18:54.69]Finally, when the passage is read for the third time,

[18:59.29]you should check what you have written.

[19:02.31]Now listen to the passage.

[19:05.37]Many insurance companies share

[19:09.53]in appreciation 13 of the importance of the driver education program

[19:14.67]in reducing the soaring accident rate.

[19:17.95]Most large insurance companies charge more money

[19:23.31]for automobile 14 insurance coverage 15

[19:25.82]when a car is to be driven by a man under twenty-five.

[19:28.89]However, if the driver has successfully completed

[19:33.59]a state-approved driver education course,

[19:37.20]a reduction in the rates is possible.

[19:40.37]In a number of states,

[19:43.33]a person under eighteen

[19:45.73]who wishes to obtain a motor vehicle operator's license 16

[19:50.10]must successfully complete a state-approved driver education program.

[19:55.91]The courses in driver education are given to pupils who have already reached,

[20:02.36]or are about to reach, the legal driving age.

[20:06.03]The age at which a driver may apply for a license varies in different places.

[20:11.38]Typical programs consist of thirty hours of classroom instruction

[20:16.85]and six hours of behind-the-wheel instruction.

[20:20.35]These figures represent the minimum number of hours

[20:25.16]and many programs exceed them.

[20:27.79]The students use cars that are equipped with two controls.

[20:32.38]The instructor 17 has an extra brake on his side of the car

[20:36.76]that enables him to bring the car to a halt, if necessary.

[20:40.92]In the practice-driving sessions, the pupil learns to operate the car.

[20:46.60]In class, he is taught the theory of driving and the rules

[20:51.64]he must know in order to take his place behind the wheel.

[20:55.35]In addition to helping 18 students realize

[20:58.30]the importance of developing proper attitudes and skills,

[21:01.80]driver education stresses the relationship

[21:05.64]between alcohol and the responsibility of driving

[21:08.81]and the dangers in the combination.

[21:11.61]Now the passage will be read again.

[21:14.90]Many insurance companies share

[21:18.94]in appreciation of the importance of the driver education program

[21:23.75]in reducing the soaring accident rate.

[21:27.26]Most large insurance companies charge more money

[21:32.61]for automobile insurance coverage

[21:34.91]when a car is to be driven by a man under twenty-five.

[21:38.08]However, if the driver has successfully completed

[21:42.89]a state-approved driver education course,

[21:46.39]a reduction in the rates is possible.

[21:49.78]In a number of states,

[21:52.41]a person under eighteen

[21:54.82]who wishes to obtain a motor-vehicle operator's license

[21:59.19]must successfully complete a state-approved driver education program.

[22:05.20]The courses in driver education are given to pupils who have already reached,

[22:11.99]or are about to reach, the legal driving age.

[22:16.02]The age at which a driver may apply for a license varies in different places.

[22:21.96]Typical programs consist of thirty hours of classroom instruction

[22:26.23]and six hours of behind-the-wheel instruction.

[22:30.93]These figures represent the minimum number of hours

[22:33.99]and many programs exceed them.

[23:28.77]The students use cars that are equipped with two controls.

[23:32.26]The instructor has an extra brake on his side of the car

[23:36.42]that enables him to bring the car to a halt, if necessary.

[23:42.22]In the practice-driving sessions, the pupil learns to operate the car.

[23:47.47]In class, he is taught the theory of driving and the rules

[23:51.41]he must know in order to take his place behind the wheel.

[24:46.55]In addition to helping students realize

[24:48.19]the importance of developing proper attitudes and skills,

[24:51.73]driver education stresses the relationship

[24:55.33]between alcohol and the responsibility of driving

[24:58.40]and the dangers in the combination.

[25:52.70]Now the passage will be read for the third time.

[25:56.09]Many insurance companies share

[26:00.02]in appreciation of the importance of the driver education program

[26:05.05]in reducing the soaring accident rate.

[26:08.45]Most large insurance companies charge more money

[26:13.70]for automobile insurance coverage

[26:16.10]when a car is to be driven by a man under twenty-five.

[26:19.28]However, if the driver has successfully completed

[26:24.09]a state-approved driver education course,

[26:27.70]a reduction in the rates is possible.

[26:30.87]In a number of states,

[26:33.71]a person under eighteen

[26:36.12]who wishes to obtain a motor-vehicle operator's license

[26:40.60]must successfully complete a state-approved driver education program.

[26:46.51]The courses in driver education are given to pupils who have already reached,

[26:52.74]or are about to reach, the legal driving age.

[26:56.46]The age at which a driver may apply for a license varies in different places.

[27:01.71]Typical programs consist of thirty hours of classroom instruction

[27:07.29]and six hours of behind-the-wheel instruction.

[27:11.34]These figures represent the minimum number of hours

[27:15.38]and many programs exceed them.

[27:18.67]The students use cars that are equipped with two controls.

[27:22.82]The instructor has an extra brake on his side of the car

[27:27.41]that enables him to bring the car to a halt, if necessary.

[27:31.24]In the practice-driving sessions, the pupil learns to operate the car.

[27:37.04]In class, he is taught the theory of driving and the rules

[27:42.40]he must know in order to take his place behind the wheel.

[27:45.57]In addition to helping students realize

[27:48.85]the importance of developing proper attitudes and skills,

[27:52.13]driver education stresses the relationship

[27:55.96]between alcohol and the responsibility of driving

[27:59.02]and the dangers in the combination.