2012年12月英语四级考试答案（听力部分）

Part III  Listening Comprehension

Section A

11.

W: I just heard about a really beautiful park in the east end of the town. There are a lot of roses in bloom.

M: Why don’t we walk over there and see for ourselves?

Q: What will the speakers probably do?

答案：C. Go to the park to enjoy the flowers.

点评：对话中女士介绍了一处漂亮的公园，从男士的回答“为什么不去看看呢？”可以判断，接下去两人可能会去这个公园。see for 看见

12.

M: My presentation is scheduled for 9:30 tomorrow morning at the lecture hall. I hope to see you there.

W: Oh, sorry. I was about to tell you that I have an appointment with my dentist at 9:00 o’clock tomorrow.

Q: What do we learn about the woman?

答案：C. She cannot attend the presentation.

点评：从对话中可知，女士九点要去看牙医，无法参加男士的讲座了。

13.

W: How long have you been running this company?

M: Twenty years if you can believe that. I brought it from a small operation to what it is today.

Q: What do we learn about the man?

答案：B. He is a very successful businessman.

点评：从对话中可知，男士经营这家公司20年了，而且成功把公司从一家小公司发展到了现在较大的规模。run v. 经营，管理

14.

M: Have you read the news on the campus net? Susan has won the scholarship for next year.

W: I knew she would from the very beginning. Such a brilliant and diligent girl! She certainly deserves it.

Q: What does the woman mean?

答案：D. She has every confidence in Susan.

点评：从对话中可知，女士一直很看好Susan, 觉得她肯定能拿到奖学金。sb. deserves it. 某人应得的。

15.

W: Taking a bus to Miami, it’s cheaper than going by train.

M: That’s true. But I’d rather pay a little more for the added comfort and convenience.

Q: What does the man mean?

答案：D. It is worth the money taking a train to Miami.

点评：从对话中可知，坐车去迈阿密比火车便宜，但火车更舒适便捷。

16.

M: I think it’s time we got rid of all this old furniture.

W: You’re right. We need to promote our image besides it’s not a     real antique.        

Q: What do the speakers mean?

答案：C. The old furniture should be replaced.

点评：从对话中可知，男士和女士都认为应该把旧家具换掉，以改善形象。对话中有些生词，但不影响对主要含义的把握，可以忽略。

get rid of 处理掉

17.

M: That was some storm yesterday. How was I afraid I couldn’t make it home.

W: Yeah, most of the roads to my house were flooded. I didn’t get home from the lab until midnight.

Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

答案：B. The man got home late due to the storm.

点评：从对话中可知，昨天有暴风雨，女士担心自己回不了家，男士直到半夜才回家。

18.

W: My boys are always complaining that they’re bored.

M: Why don’t you get them into some team sports? My son and daughter play soccer every Saturday. And they both look forward to it all week.

Q: What does the man mean?

答案：A. The woman’s sons might enjoy team sports.

点评：从对话中可知，男士建议女士可以让自己的儿子们参加一些团队运动，这样他们就不会觉得无聊了。

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

W: So John, I hear you and Arthur share a job, don’t you?

M: Yes. We’ve shared a sales job at Sonatechfor about two years now.

W: Well, how do you divide up your schedule?

M: You know we are both sales representatives, and we take orders over the phone. When we started job sharing it was difficult, because we both worked all day Monday. I worked Tuesday and Thursday and Arthur worked Wednesday and Friday. The problem was that when I was in the office on Tuesday. I would talk to people, then they would call back on Wednesday with a question. But Arthur couldn’t answer the question and he couldn’t ask me about it because I wasn’t in the office. So he had to ask the people to call me back the next day, Thursday. Of course, they didn’t like to wait until the next day to have their questions answered.

W: Yes, that sounds like a problem.

M: So, finally we decided that Arthur would work in the mornings and I would work in the afternoons. Now if someone calls with the question for me in the morning, Arthur tells them to call me in the afternoon. This way, people get their questions answered the same day.

W: What do you do about vacations?

M: Well,Sonatechgives the usual two weeks of vacation to full-time employees, I take a week and Arthur takes a week.

W: It sounds like job sharing has worked out well for you.

M: Yes, it has. We are both happy with it.

Q19. What do John and author do at Sonatech?

答案：C. Take orders over the phone.

Q20. What problem did John and Arthur have when they started job sharing?

答案：A. Customers’ questions could not be answered on the same day.

Q21. What does John say about their annual vacation?

答案：D. They each take a week.

点评：

本长对话的内容主要是关于合伙工作。对话内容相较以往的长对话而言，比较简单。依然是主要针对回答问题的人提问，就是对话中的男士。男士一开始主要是谈他们在最初开始合作工作时遇到的问题，接下来谈到问题最终如何得到解决，最后是他和同伴如何轮休年假。当然，对话中公司名称听不懂，形成干扰。依然要强调的是不能纠结个别词汇，而因小失大。

对话中围绕工作的话题词汇有：schedule：（工作）计划，安排；sales representative：销售代表；vacation：假期，休假；full-time employee：全职员工。

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

W: May I see your license, please?

M: But officer, did I do something wrong?

W: Do you mean to say you didn’t see the speed limit sign back there?

M: Um, no, madam, I guess I didn’t.

W: In other words, you drove by too fast to read it. The sign says 35m/h. A school is just nearby, you know?

M: Don’t get me wrong, but my speedometer didn’t read much faster than that.

W: Then, why is it that my radar showed you are going 45? Let me put it another way. I’m going to give you a ticket. Again, may I see your license, please?

M: Here it is, officer. But let me explain. I was late for an important appointment and I was worried that I wouldn’t make it on time. So...

W: Uha, just a minute, here. Your license is no longer valid. You should have renewed it two weeks ago. I’m going to have to write you up for that, too.

M: What? Really?

W: Your license becomes invalid on your birthday and that was two weeks ago according to the date here. You are in violation of the law—driving without a valid license.

M: I’m sorry, madam. I hadn’t realized that.

W: Here’s the ticket for not having a valid license. But I’m only going to give you a warning about exceeding the speed limit. Be careful next time.

M: Yes, madam, officer, I will. Thank you.

Q22. Where was the man stopped by the police officer?

答案：B. Near a school.

Q23. What did the man claim about the speed limit sign?

答案：A. He did not notice it.

Q24. What did the woman say about the man’s driving license?

答案：C. It is no longer valid.

Q25. What was the man’s penalty?

答案：B. He got a ticket.

点评：

本长对话主要是关于超速被罚。本对话中涉及到较多交通词汇，有一定难度。对话一开始女士作为交警在学校附近逼停超出该路段限速的男士，但男士狡辩自己的速度计（speedometer）并没显示超速；女士再次提出要求审查男士的驾照，发现其驾照已经过期。最后，男士因驾照过期而收到警告。本选材非常生活化，相信大部分考生应该对这一话题并不陌生，通过日常常识也能做出不少判断。

本对话中关于交通话题的词汇：speed limit：限速；give you a ticket：开罚单；license：执照，驾照；speedometer：n. 速度计；里程计。

Section B

Passage 1

Since I started working part-time at a grocery store, I have learned that a customer is more than someone who buy something. To me, a customer is a person whose memory fails entirely once he or she starts to push a shopping card. One of the first things customers forget is how to count. There is no other way to explain how so many people get in their express line, which is clearly marked 15 items or less, with 20, 25 or even a cart load of items. Customers also forget why they came to the store in the first place. Just as I finish ringing up an order, a customer will say, “Oops, I forgot to pick up a fresh loaf of bread. I hope you don’t mind waiting while I go get it.” Five minutes later, he’s back with the bread, a bottle of milk, and three rolls of paper towels. Strange is that seems customers also seem to forget that they have to pay for their groceries. Instead of writing a check or looking for a credit card while I am ringing up the groceries, my customers will wait until I announce the total. Then, in surprise, she says, “Oh no, what did I do with my check book?” After 5 minutes of digging through her purse, she borrows my pen because she’s forgotten hers. But I have to be tolerant of customers because they pay my salary, and that’s something I can’t afford to forget. 

Q26. What does the speaker say about customers’ entering the grocery store?

答案：A. They behave as if their memories have failed totally.

Q27. Which customers are supposed to be in the express line?

答案： D. Those with 15 items or less.

Q28. What does the speaker say some customers do when they arrive at the check-out counter?

答案：B. Go back and pick up more items.

Q29. What does the speaker say about his job at the end of the talk?

答案： A. It requires tolerance.

点评：本篇短文主要讲述了作者在一家杂货店兼职工作的经历和感受，并深刻地体会到顾客不仅仅是来商店买东西的人。作者认为，当顾客推起一辆购物车时，所有的事情就抛之脑后了。他们不会算计一件商品值多少钱，他们忘了自己来商店要买什么，他们甚至忘记要为商品付钱，他们不知道东西买够没有就去收银台排队结账，当收银员开始扫顾客的商品时，顾客又会跑回去拿很多商品回来，更需要收银员提醒付钱，但这都是作者作为收银员所应忍受的，因为“顾客是上帝”，这是作者不敢忘记也是从这次经历中学到的事情。

这篇文章基本上没有生僻的词汇，以叙述为主。但是其中有几个短语需要关注：grocery store意为“杂货店”；ring up意为“用收银机记录收入的钱，收银机扫条形码”；credit card意为“信用卡”。理解了这些词，对听力的整体理解会有提升。

Passage 2

The speech delivery style of Europeans and Asians tends to be very formal.Speakers of these cultures often read oral presentations from carefully retain manual scripts. On the other hand, American speakers are generally more informal relative to speakers and other cultures. American audiences prefernatural, spontaneous delivery that conveys a lively sense of communication. They don’t relay well to speakers who read from a manual script. If you use an outline of your ideas instead of a prepare text, your speech will not only sound more natural, but you will also be able to establish better relationship with your listeners and keep their attention. The language and style you use when making an oral presentation should not be the same as the language in style you use when writing. Well retain information, that is meant to be read, does not work aswell when it is heard. It is, therefore, important for you to adapt retain texts or outlines for presentations. Good speakers are much more informal when speaking than when writing. They also use their own words and develop their own speaking styles. Whenever possible, they use short words. Listeners are appreciated when speakers use simple, everyday words in a presentation. One advantage is that it is much easier for speakers to pronounce short words correctly. Another is that long and sophisticated vocabulary choices make listening more difficult.

Question 30 to 32

30. What does the speaker say American audiences prefer?

答案：D. A natural and spontaneous style of speech.

31. What should one pay attention to when making an oral presentation?

答案： B. Differences in style between writing and speaking.

32. What does the speaker focus on in the talk?

答案：A. The key to becoming a good speaker.

点评：本篇文章重点分析了成为一名优秀的演讲者的关键因素。欧洲人和亚洲人的演讲风格往往是趋于比较正式的，而美国人的演讲风格是自然、自发、生动地传递表达信息，这也正是听众所喜欢的方式。同时，做口头报告时应注意写作和口语所要求的风格差异，有了这样的认识后，你才能在今后的演讲中运用简短贴近生活的言语表达自己的想法，形成自己的演讲风格，成为一名优秀的演讲者。

这篇文章相对简单，没有出现太难的生词，较容易理解。整个内容就围绕一个主题展开，清晰明了，只要能抓住此主题线索，整篇文章的结构就一目了然了。

Passage 3

A child learning to talk does not learn by being corrected all the time. If corrected too much, he will stop talking. He compares a thousand times a day the difference between language as he uses it and language as those around him use it. Bit by bit, he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people’s. In the same way, kids learning to do all the other things they learn without adult teachers, to walk, run, climb, ride a bike, play games, compare their own performance with what more skilled people do, and slowly make the needed changes. But in school we never give a child a chance to detect his mistakes. We do it all for him. We act as if we thought he would never notice a mistake unless it was pointed out to him. Soon he becomes dependent on the expert. We should let him do it himself. Let him figure out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what this word says, what is the answer to that problem, whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or that.

If right answers need to be given, as in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such tedious work? Our job should be to help the children when they tell us that they can’t find the way to get the right answer.

Question 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

Q33 How does a child learn to do something according to the speaker?

答案：D. By comparing his performance with others.

Q34 What belief do teachers commonly hold according to the speaker?

答案：C. Children cannot detect their own mistakes.

Q35 What does the speaker imply about the current way of teaching?

答案：A. It is unhelpful to students’ learning.

点评：

本篇文章主要论述要让孩子们学着自己判断事情。目前的教学方法对学生学习没有什么帮助作用，老师认为学生不能发现他们自己身上的错误，孩子习得一件事情是通过把自己的行为和其他人的行为作对比而来的，而这就逐渐让孩子们失去了自己，变成了其他人，从而慢慢产生依赖感。文章结尾暗示作者对这种教学方法是不赞成的，同时，提出老师的工作是应该帮助孩子们找到正确答案的方法，而不是什么都为他们做好安排好。

Section C

Time is, for the average American, of utmost importance.  To the foreign visitor, Americans seem to be more concerned with getting things accomplished on time (according to a predetermined schedule) than they are with developing deep interpersonal relations.  Schedules, for the American, are meant to be planned and then followed in the smallest detail.

It may seem to you that most Americans are completely controlled by the little machines they wear on their wrists, cutting their discussions off abruptly to make it to their next appointment on time.

Americans’ language is filled with references to time, giving a clear indication of how much it is valued.  Time is something to be “on,” to be “kept,” “filled,” “saved,” “wasted,” “gained,”  “planned,” “given,” “made the most of,” even “killed.”

The international visitor soon learns that it is considered very rude to be late -- even by 10 minutes -- for an appointment in America Time is so valued in America, because by considering time to be important one can clearly achieve more than if one “wastes” time and doesn’t keep busy.  This philosophy has proven its worth.  It has enabled Americans to be extremely productive, and productivity itself is highly valued in America.  Many American proverbs stress the value of guarding time, using it wisely, and setting and working toward specific goals. Americans believe in spending their time and energy today so that the fruits of their labor may be enjoyed at a later time.

答案：

36.  foreign

37. accomplished

38.  interpersonal

39.  detail.

40.  controlled

41.  abruptly

42.  references

43.  indication

44.  it is considered very rude to be late -- even by 10 minutes -- for an appointment in America.

45.  It has enabled Americans to be extremely productive, and productivity itself is highly valued in America.

46.  Americans believe in spending their time and energy today so that the fruits of their labor may be enjoyed at a later time.

【点评】本文讨论的是美国人的时间观念。开头提出美国人非常看重时间规划，以至于到了被认为“手表控制人”的地步，接下来从语言角度给出证明，最后又从原因角度解释说明。

本文的难点在于，开头有长难句，包含插入语、比较级等，容易造成困扰。而在语言角度探讨时，有给出一系列动词，容易出现漏听及注意力分散。同时，utmost, abruptly, reference, philosophy, productivity等较难词汇也会带来一定困扰。

空格整体分布较为均匀，除第三段两空间隔较近，第二个容易错过外，其它空填写时间均较为充足。所填词语格式比较重要，如-ed，-s等均是不可漏过的细节。