2013年12月英语四级听力短文理解原文

Section C

16. A)They have destroyed several small towns.
B)They will soon spread to San Francisco.
C)They have injured many residents.
D)They are burning out of control.

17. A) They have been hospitalized.
B) They have got skin problems.
C) They were choked by the thick smoke.
D) They were poisoned by the burning chemicals.

18. A)It failed because of a sudden rocket explosion.
B) It has been re-scheduled for a midday takeoff.
C) It has been canceled due to technical problems.
D) It was delayed for eleven hours and thirty minutes.

19. A)They made frequent long-distance calls to each other.
B) They illegally used government computers in New Jersey.
C) They were found to be smarter than computer specialists.
D) They were arrested for stealing government information.

Passage Two Questions 20 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.

20. A)Peaceful
B)Considerate
C)Generous D)
Cooperative

21. A)Someone dumped the clothes left in the washer and dryer.
B)Someone broke the washer and dryer by overloading them.
C)Mindy Lance’s laundry blocked the way to the laundry room.
D)Mindy Lance’s threatened to take revenge on her neighbors.

22. A)Asking the neighborhood committee for help.
B)Limiting the amount of laundry for each wash.
C)Informing the building manager of the matter.
D)Installing a few more washers and dryers. 　

Passage Three Questions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.

23.A) She is both a popular and a highly respected author.
B) She is the most loved African novelist of all times.
C) She is the most influential author since the 1930's.
D) She is the first writer to focus on the fate of slaves.

24. A) The Book Critics Circle Award.
B) The Pulitzer Prize for fiction
C) The Nobel Prize for literature.
D) The National Book Award.

25. A)She is a relative of Morrison's.
B) She is a skilled storyteller.
C) She is a slave from Africa.
D) She is a black woman

参考原文

Passage 1

Donna Fredrick’s served with the Peace Corps for two years in Brazil. She joined the Peace Corps after she graduated from the college because she wanted to do something to help other people. She had been brought up on a farm, so the Peace Corps assigned her to a agricultural project. Before she went to Brazil, she studied Portuguese for three months. She also learnt a great deal about its history and culture. During her two years with the Peace Corps, Donna lived in a village in northeast Brazil. That part of Brazil is very dry and farming is often difficult there. Donna helped the people of the village to organise an arrigation project, and she also advised them on planting corps. They didn’t require much water. When Donna returned to the States, she couldn’t settle down. She tried several jobs, but they seemed very boring to her. She couldn’t get Brazil out of her mind. Finally, one day she got on an plane and went back to Brazil. She wasn’t sure what she’s going to do. She just wanted to be there. After a few weeks, Donna found a job as an English teacher, teaching five classes a day. Like most of the teachers, she doesn’t make much money. She shares a small apartment with another teacher. And she makes a little extra money by sending stories to newspapers in the States. Eventually she wants to quit teaching and work as a full-time journalist.

16.Why did Donna join the Peace Corps after she graduated from college?

17.What was Donna assigned to do in Brazil?

18.Why did Donna go back to Brazil once again?

19.How did Donna make extra money to support herself?

Passage 2

Results of a recent Harry’s pool on free time showed that the average work week for many Americans is 50 hours. With the time spent eating, sleeping and taking care of the household duties, there’s little time left for leisure activities for many Americans. However, having free time to relax and pursue hobbies is important. People need time away from the pressures of study or work to relax and enjoy time with friends and family. In many countries free time is spent in different ways. The results of a Harry’s pool showed that reading was the most popular spare time activity in the US. This was followed by watching TV. In a UK survey on leisure time activities, watching TV and videos was the most popular. Listening to the radio came second. In a similar survey conducted in Japan, the most popular free time activity was eating out. The second most popular activity was driving. There were also differences in the most popular outdoor pursuits between the three countries. The most popular outdoor activity for Americans was gardening. In the UK, it was going to the pub. In Japan, going to bars ranked eighth in popularity and gardening ranked ninth. Although people around the world may enjoy doing similar things in their free time, there’s evidence to suggest that these interests are changing. In the US, for example, the popularity of computer activities is increasing. Many more people in the States are spending their free time surfing the web, emailing friends or playing games online.

20.What is the recent Harry Pole about?

21.What was the most popular leisure activity in the US?

22.What was the most popular outdoor pursuit in the UK?

Passage 3

On March 13th, while on duty Charles Mclocklin, a very careless driver employed by the company Lummis was involved in another accident. The accident occurred in Riverside California. Not paying attention to his driving, Mclocklin turned right on main street and 33rd street and hit Volkswagen rabbit. This caused minor damage to his truck and serious damage to the car. On the basis of the police report, the Lummis accident committee correctly determined that Mclocklin had been quite careless. As a result of the committee’s conclusion, the branch manager Mr. David Rossi reported that he had talked with Mclocklin about his extremely poor driving record. Further evidence of Mclocklin’s irresponsibility occurred on May 6th when he was returning from his shift. That day he ran into a roll-up door at the Lummis facility in Valero, causing significant damage to the door. Damage to the truck, however, was minor. Finally, on June 7th, Mclocklin once again demonstrated his carelessness by knocking down several mail boxes near the edge of the company’s parking lot. There was damage to the mailboxes and minor damage to the truck. Mr. David Rossi stated that he had spoken with Mclocklin on several occasions about his driving record. He added that he had warned Mclocklin that three preventable accidents in one year could lead to his discharge, as indeed it should.

23. What did the Lummis accident committee find out about the accident that occurred on March 13th?

24. What did Mclocklin do on June 7th near the edge of the company’s parking lot?

25. What is most probably going to happen to Mclocklin?