TEST 2

新题型大学英语四级听力全真模拟试题听力原文

Test 2

TEST 2

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 center.

1. W: You have arranged to meet Mr. Smith on Wednesday. So I don’t have to write to him, do I? M: There’s no need to write to him. Q: What are the speakers talking about?

2. W: Did Paul find the tape he borrowed from Jack? Do you know?

M: He looked everywhere for it, but in the end he had to go to the party without it. Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

3. W: Bob, are you going straight home after school today?

M: No. I have a class until one o’clock, and after that I’m going to spend a couple of hours at the library before going home. Q: When is Bob going home this afternoon?

4. M: Excuse me, would you please tell me when the next flight to Los Angeles is? W: Sure, the next direct flight to Los Angeles is 2 hours from now, but if you don’t mind transferring at San Francisco, you can board now. Q: What do we learn from this conversation?

5. M: Prof. Kennedy has been very busy this semester. As far as I know, he works until

midnight every day.

W: I wouldn’t have troubled him so much if I had known he was so busy. Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

6. M: Our English Club is having a party on Saturday night. Can you come? W: I would like to, but I work at a restaurant on weekends. Q: Why can’t the woman go to the party? 7. M: What an uncomfortable-looking chair.

W: Well, it may look that way—but just try it out! Q: What does the woman imply?

8. M: So, where are the rose gardens? Didn’t you say they were here on the west of the park? W: No, no. I said they were on the eastside. Q: What does the woman mean?

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新题型大学英语四级听力全真模拟试题听力原文

Test 2

Now you will hear two long conversations.

Conversation One

M: May I help you?

W: Yes, my nephew is graduating from college next week and I’d like to get him a nice gift. M: What price gift are you interested in? We’ll need to know that before we begin looking.

W: Well, I usually spend about twenty dollars for a gift. Do you have anything nice for that price? M: How about a pen and pencil? We could engrave his initials on them. W: No, my brother gave him that for his birthday last year. M: Well, then, would he enjoy a chess set?

W: No, he doesn’t go in much for chess, but he is quite athletic. M: Then you could get him a handball set. W: That’s a good idea. I’ll take it.

Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

9. Who is the woman buying the gift for?

10. How much does the woman want to spend on the gift? 11. What is the first gift the clerk suggests to the woman?

Conversation Two

M: Did you see that TV program last night about the sky-diver whose parachutes didn’t open after he had jumped from his plane? W: No, I didn’t. Did he die?

M: No. It’s really unbelievable how he could have survived such a free fall, much less live to tell about it on television! W: What happened?

M: Neither of his chutes opened as he dropped to the ground. When they found him, they thought he was dead. Doctors said he’d never walk again, but he proved them wrong. W: How long was he recovering?

M: He spent eighteen months in the hospital while his bones were mending, most of which were broken. He was no sooner discharged than he went back and jumped out of a plane again. W: Gee, some people sure do crazy things!

Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

12. Why was the man in the hospital? 13. Where did the interview take place? 14. What caused the man's accident?

15. What happened to the man soon after he was released from the hospital?

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新题型大学英语四级听力全真模拟试题听力原文

Test 2

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 center.

Passage One

The water clock was an ancient clock. It could be used on cloudy days, at night, and indoors. Such clocks were probably first used in Egypt about 2,000 B. C. They were also used for many years in Arabia, India, China and all of Europe.

The simplest water clock needed just two parts—a small bowl and a large bowl. The small bowl had a tiny hole in the bottom; the large bowl was divided into equal parts and marked by lines. Water was poured into the small bowl, and it fell slowly down into the large bowl in tiny drops. Usually it took an hour for the water to rise from one line to the next in the large bowl.

A beautiful water clock was made in Persia over a thousand years ago. It was presented as a gift to the emperor of France. That water clock could be heard as well as seen. The dial of the clock was made up of twelve doors, each representing an hour. Every hour a door opened and the proper number of metal balls dropped onto a thin brass plate to strike the hour. At twelve o’clock, twelve tiny horsemen came out and shut all the doors. This was probably one of the first striking clocks.

Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.

16. Where was the first water clock probably made?

17. What do we know about the structure of the simplest water clock? 18. What did the striking water clock use to strike hours?

Passage Two

Do you have a tough math test coming up? Then listen to some classical piano music just before the test. You might end up with a higher score. Researchers at a university in California conducted an experiment. They asked a group of college students to listen to some piano music by a famous 18th century composer before taking a math test. They were surprised to find that the students’ scores jumped 8 to 9 points. The music seems to excite nerve activity in the brain; similar to the activity that occurs when a person is figuring out a math problem. However, the scientists warn before you get too excited about applying this method to your math tests. You should remember that brain’s exciting effects last only 10 to 15 minutes. Would rock music work as well as the piano music did? No, the scientists say. In fact, the less complex music might even interfere with the brain’s reasoning ability.

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Test 2

Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.

19. What is this passage mainly about?

20. Why can classical music play a positive role in problem solving? 21. What is one of the findings of the research?

Passage Three

The male and female mosquitoes make an odd couple. The female eats and lives on blood. The male is a vegetarian that sips plant juices. Females of different species choose different hosts on which to dine. Some feed exclusively on cattle, horses, birds, and other warm-blooded creatures. Some favor cold-blooded animals. Still others prefer man.

While the female’s menu varies, her bite remains the same. She drives her sharp, needle-like snout through the skin, injects a fluid to keep the blood from clotting, and drinks her fill, which takes a minute or less. It is the fluid she injects that carries disease. After her blood meal, she rests while eggs develop. She then looks for a moist or flooded place to lay them.

Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.

22. What conclusion can you make about the male mosquitoes? 23. What do you learn about female mosquitoes?

24. Which of the following are natural breeding places for mosquitoes? 25. Which justifies the conclusion that mosquitoes should be destroyed?

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 for its general idea. Then listen to the passage again. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 26 to 33 with the exact words you have just heard. For the blanks numbered from 34 to 36 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.

Everybody wants to stay young. But youthful innocence only reflects the (26) immaturity of the “half adult” generation. For many young people, adulthood means being ordinary and (27) struggling under a load of onerous responsibilities. “Being an adult is no fun,” said an (28) 18-year-old girl. “You are a (29) serious person and a conformist. You wear normal clothes and have to think a lot.” (30) Generally speaking, adulthood means no more partying, no easy money, and no (31) rose-colored glasses. An adult is seen largely as someone able and (32) ready to take over responsibility for his or her life.

The anxiety of growing up is (33) attributed to the lack of adult role models and a break in

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Test 2

communications between generations. (34) The youth culture in our society is another possible cause. (35) Anybody who admits too early that he is old has had it. The adoration of youth is also to blame. “(36) If you are young, attractive and dynamic, you’ve got it made in this society,” a sociologist says. No wonder that getting old causes anxiety.

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