大学英语四级听力2011年12月真题

　　Part III Listening Comprehension
　　Section A
　　Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and2 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 centre.
　　11.
　　W: This crazy bus schedule has got me completely confused. I can’t figure out when my bus to Cleveland leaves?
　　M: Why don’t you just go to the ticket window and ask?
　　Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?
　　12.
　　W: I really enjoyed the TV special about drafts last night. Did you get home in time to see it?
　　W: Oh, yes, but I wish I could have stayed awake long enough to see the whole thing.
　　Q: What does the man mean?
　　13.
　　W: Airport, please. I’m running a little late. So just take the fastest way even if it’s not the most direct.
　　M: Sure, but there is a lot of traffic everywhere today because of the football game.
　　Q: What do we learn about the woman from the conversation?
　　14.
　　W: May I make a recommendation, sir? Our seafood with this special sauce is very good.
　　M: Thank you, but I don’t eat shellfish. I’m allergic to it.
　　Q: Where does this conversation most probably take place?
　　15. W: now one more question if you don’t mind, what position in the company appeals to you most?
　　M: Well, I’d like the position of sales manager if that position is still vacant.
　　Q: What do we learn about the man?
　　16. M: I don’t think I want to live in the dormitory next year. I need more privacy.
　　W: I know what you mean. But check out the cost if renting an apartment first. I won’t be surprised if you change your mind.
　　Q: What does the woman imply?
　　17. M: You’re on the right track. I just think you need to narrow the topic down.
　　W: Yeah, you’re right. I always start by choosing two boarder topics when I’m doing a research paper.
　　Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
　　18. W: This picnic should beat the last one we went to, doesn’t it?
　　M: Oh, yeah, we had to spend the whole time inside. Good thing, the weather was cooperative this time.
　　What do we learn about the speakers from the conversation?
　　Long Conversation
　　Conversation One
　　M: When I say I live in Sweden, people always want to know about the seasons.
　　W: The seasons?
　　M: Yeah, you know how cold it is in winter? What is it like when the days are so short?
　　W: So what is it like?
　　M: Well, it is cold ,very cold in winter. Sometimes it is cold as 26 degrees below centigrade. And of course when you go out, you’ll wrap up warm. But inside in the houses it’s always very warm, much warmer than at home. Swedish people always complain that when they visit England, the houses are cold even in the good winter.
　　W: And what about the darkness?
　　M: Well, yeah, around Christmas time there’s only one hour of daylight, so you really looks forward to the spring. It is sometimes a bit depressing. But you see the summers are amazing, from May to July in the North of Sweden the sun never sets. It’s still light in the midnight. You can walk in the mountains and read a newspaper.
　　W: Oh, yeah, the land of the midnight sun.
　　M: Yeah, that’s right, but it’s wonderful. You won’t stay up all night. And the Swedes makes most of it often they started work earlier in summer and then leave at about 2 or 3 in the afternoon, so that they can really enjoy the long summer evenings. They’d like to work hard, but play hard, too. I think Londoners work longer hours, but I’m not sure this is a good thing.
　　Q19: What do we learn about the man from the conversation?
　　Q20: What do Swedish people complain about when they visit England in winter?
　　Q21: How does the man describe the short hour of daylight around Christmas in Sweden?
　　Q21: What does the man say about the Swedish people?
　　Conversation Two
　　W: What kind of training does one need to go into this type of job?
　　M: That’s a very good question. I don’t think there is any, specifically.
　　W: For example, in your case, what was your educational background?
　　M: Well, I did a degree in French at Nottingham. After that, I did careers work in secondary schools like the careers guidance people. Here is in the university. Then I went into local government because I found I was more interested in the administrative side. Then progressed on to universities. So there wasn’t any plan and there was no specific training. There are plenty of training courses in management techniques and committee work which you can attend now.
　　W: But in the first place, you did a French degree.
　　M: In my time, there wasn’t a degree you could do for administration. I think most of the administrators I’ve come across have degrees and all sorts of things.
　　W: Well, I know in my case, I did an English literature degree and I didn’t really expect to end up doing what I am doing now.
　　M: Quite.
　　W: But you are local to Nottingham, actually? Is there any reason why you went to Nottingham University?
　　M: No, no, I come from the north of England, from west Yorkshire. Nottingham was one of the universities I put on my list. And I like the look of it. The campus is just beautiful.
　　W: Yes, indeed. Let’s see. Were you from the industrial part of Yorkshire?
　　M: Yes, from the Woolen District.
　　Q23. What was the man’s major at university?
　　Q24: What was the man’s job in secondary schools?
　　Q25: What attracted the man to Nottingham University?
　　Section B
　　Passage One
　　While Gail Obcamp, an American artist was giving a speech on the art of Japanese brush painting to an audience that included visitors from Japan, she was confused to see that many of her Japanese listeners have their eyes closed. Were they tuned off because an American had the nerve to instruct Japanese in their own art form or they deliberately tried to signal their rejection of her? Obcamp later found out that her listeners were not being disrespectful. Japanese listeners sometimes closed their eyes to enhance concentration. Her listeners were showing their respect for her by chewing on her words. Some day you may be either a speaker or a listener in a situation involving people from other countries or members of minority group in North America. Learning how different cultures signal respect can help you avoid misunderstandings. Here are some examples. In the deaf culture of North America, many listeners show applause not by clapping their hands but by waving them in the air. In some cultures, both overseas and in some minority groups in North America, listeners are considered disrespectful if they look directly at the speaker. Respect is shown by looking in the general direction but avoiding direct eye contact. In some countries, whistling by listeners is a sign of approval while in other courtiers it is a form of insult.
　　Questions:
　　26, What did Obcamp’s speech focus on?
　　27, Why do Japanese listeners sometimes close their eyes while listening to a speech?
　　28, What does the speaker try to explain?
　　Passage Two
　　Chris is in charge of purchasing and maintaining equipment in his Division at Taxlong Company. He is soon going to have an evaluation interview with his supervisor and the personnel director to discuss the work he has done in the past year. Salary, promotion and plans for the coming year will also be discussed at the meeting. Chris has made several changes for his Division in the past year. First, he bought new equipment for one of the departments. He has been particularly happy about the new equipment because many of the employees have told him how much it has helped them. Along with improving the equipment, Chris began a program to train employees to use equipment better and do simple maintenance themselves. The training saved time for the employees and money for the company. Unfortunately, one serious problem developed during the year. Two employees the Chris hired were stealing, and he had to fire them. Chris knows that a new job for a purchasing and maintenance manager for the whole company will be open in a few months, and he would like to be promoted to the job. Chris knows, however, that someone else wants that new job, too. Kim is in charge of purchasing and maintenance in another Division of the company. She has also made several changes over the year. Chris knows that his boss likes Kim’s work, and he expects that his work will be compared with hers.
　　Questions 29 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
　　29. What is Chris’s main responsibility at Taxlong Company?
　　30. What problem did Chris encounter in his Division?
　　31. What does Chris hope for in the near future?
　　32. What do we learn about Kim from the passage?
　　Passage Three
　　Proverbs, sometimes called sayings, are examples of folk wisdom. They are little lessons which older people of a culture pass down to the younger people to teach them about life. Many proverbs remind people of the values that are important in the culture. Values teach people how to act, what is right, and what is wrong. Because the values of each culture are different, understanding the values of another culture helps explain how people think and act. Understanding your own culture values is important too. If you can accept that people from other cultures act according to their values, not yours, getting along with them will be much easier. Many proverbs are very old. So some of the values they teach may not be as important in the culture as they once were. For example, Americans today do not pay much attention to the proverb “Haste makes waste”, because patience is not important to them. But if you know about past values, it helps you to understand the present and many of the older values are still strong today. Benjamin Franklin, a famous American diplomat, writer and scientist, died in 1790, but his proverb “Time is money” is taken more seriously by Americans of today than ever before. A study of proverbs from around the world shows that some values are shared by many cultures. In many cases though, the same idea is expressed differently.
　　Questions 33- 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
　　33. Why are proverbs so important?
　　34. According to the speaker what happens to some proverbs with the passage of time?
　　35 What do we learn from the study of proverbs from around the world?
　　Section C
　　Compound Dictation
　　Our lives are woven together. As much as I enjoy my own company, I no longer imagine I can get through a single day much less all my life completely on my own. Even if I am on vacation in the mountains, I am eating food someone else has grown, living in a house someone else has built, wearing clothes someone else has sewn from cloth woven by others, using electricity someone else is distributing to my house. Evidence of interdependence is everywhere; we are on this journey together.
　　As I was growing up, I remember being carefully taught that independence not interdependence was everything. “Make your own way”,” Stand on your own two feet” or my mother’s favorite remark when I was face-to-face with consequences of some action: Now that you’ve made your bed, lie on it.
　　Total independence is a dominant thing in our culture. I imagine that what my parents were trying to teach me was to take responsibilities for my actions and my choices. But the teaching was shaped by our cultural imagines. And instead, I grew up believing that I was supposed to be totally independent and consequently became very reluctant to ask for help. I would do almost anything not to be a burden, and not require any help from anybody.
　　Part III Listening Comprehension
　　Section A
　　11.
　　W: This crazy bus schedule has got me completely confused. I can’t figure out when my bus to Cleveland leaves?
　　M: Why don’t you just go to the ticket window and ask?
　　Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?
　　【答案】B) Go and ask the staff.
　　【解析】这是一道事实细节题。从对话中可知，女士搞不清楚列车时刻表，男士建议她去售票窗口咨询。ticket window售票窗口。
　　12.
　　W: I really enjoyed the TV special about drafts last night. Did you get home in time to see it?
　　W: Oh, yes, but I wish I could have stayed awake long enough to see the whole thing.
　　Q: What does the man mean?
　　【答案】A) He fell asleep in the middle of the TV program.
　　【解析】这是道推理判断题，考查男士的言下之意以及虚拟语气。could have done意为本可以做某事，但未做。从对话中可知，男士确实回家看了电视节目，但是他说道：I wish I could have stayed awake long enough to see the whole thing. 我真希望自己当时能再晚点睡着，这样我就可以看完整场节目了。说明他没有看完整场节目就睡着了。
　　13.
　　W: Airport, please. I’m running a little late. So just take the fastest way even if it’s not the most direct.
　　M: Sure, but there is a lot of traffic everywhere today because of the football game.
　　Q: What do we learn about the woman from the conversation?
　　【答案】B) She is worried about missing her flight.
　　【解析】这是道场景题，略有难度。刚开始，我们还无法很快判断出该对话发生的场景，很多同学一听到airport可能会误以为对话发生在机场，但如果我们继续听下去，就会发现，该对话应该发生在出租车上，因为女士说了句“请选择最快的路”，而男士说“因为有球赛，所以到处都交通拥堵”可以帮助我们再次确认对话发生的场景。选项A不对，原文是说要挑the fastest way哪怕不是the most direct way；选项C也不准确，才刚上车，并没有拥堵，司机只是提前说明因为球赛会碰到拥堵；选项D错误，女士是为了赶去乘飞机的，而不是去看球赛。
　　14.
　　W: May I make a recommendation, sir? Our seafood with this special sauce is very good.
　　M: Thank you, but I don’t eat shellfish. I’m allergic to it.
　　Q: Where does this conversation most probably take place?
　　【答案】A) At a restaurant
　　【解析】这是道场景题，较为简单。从对话中可知，女士希望向男士推荐一道菜，从首句中即可推断出该对话最有可能发生在餐馆中，男士说，他过敏，不吃贝壳类海鲜，可以帮助我们再次确认对话发生的场景。
　　15.
　　W: Now one more question if you don’t mind, what position in the company appeals to you most?
　　M: Well, I’d like the position of sales manager if that position is still vacant.
　　Q: What do we learn about the man?
　　【答案】A) He is being interviewed for a job.
　　【解析】这是较为简单的细节推理题。 从position, company这几个关键词中，我们就可以快速判断出此题的场景为面试，因此男士应该正在接受一场面试。 C选项错误，他想要销售经理的职位，但并不表示他本身就是销售经理。
　　16.
　　M: I don’t think I want to live in the dormitory next year. I need more privacy.
　　W: I know what you mean. But check out the cost if renting an apartment first. I won’t be surprised if you change your mind.
　　Q: What does the woman imply?
　　【答案】B) The man is unlikely to move out of the dormitory.
　　【解析】这是推理判断题，询问女士的言下之意。最后一句，女士表示“你改变主意的话，我不会觉得奇怪”，可知，男士不太可能搬出宿舍。A选项是个干扰项，虽然该选项看上去意思和B选项差不多，但对话中并没有提到男士想找一个更安静的地方，他想搬离寝室，是为了更多的个人空间。
　　17.
　　M: You’re on the right track. I just think you need to narrow the topic down.
　　W: Yeah, you’re right. I always start by choosing two boarder topics when I’m doing a research paper.
　　Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
　　【答案】D) The woman is going to make her topic more focused.
　　【解析】这是推理判断题。从对话中可知，男士希望女士缩小主题的范围，女士回答“你是对的。”说明女士会采纳男士的建议，缩小主题。
　　18.
　　W: This picnic should beat the last one we went to, doesn’t it?
　　M: Oh, yeah, we had to spend the whole time inside. Good thing, the weather was cooperative this time.
　　Q: What do we learn about the speakers from the conversation?
　　【答案】B) They didn’t quite enjoy their last picnic.
　　【解析】这是推理判断题。beat一词是个难点，beat本意有“打败”的意思，这次的野餐打败了上次，即这次比上次好，下文中，男士说“上次我们不得不呆在室内，但这次天气不错。”可以再次确认他们不喜欢上次的野餐，因此，正确答案为B。
　　Conversation One
　　【听力原文】
　　M: When I say I live in Sweden, people always want to know about the seasons.
　　W: The seasons?
　　M: Yeah, you know how cold it is in winter? What is it like when the days are so short?
　　W: So what is it like?
　　M: Well, it is cold, very cold in winter. Sometimes it is cold as 26 degrees below centigrade. And of course when you go out, you’ll wrap up warm. But inside in the houses it’s always very warm, much warmer than at home. Swedish people always complain that when they visit England, the houses are cold even in the good winter.
　　W: And what about the darkness?
　　M: Well, yeah, around Christmas time there’s only one hour of daylight, so you really looks forward to the spring. It is sometimes a bit depressing. But you see the summers are amazing, from May to July in the North of Sweden the sun never sets. It’s still light in the midnight. You can walk in the mountains and read a newspaper.
　　W: Oh, yeah, the land of the midnight sun.
　　M: Yeah, that’s right, but it’s wonderful. You want to stay up all night, and the Sweden’s made most of it. Often they started work earlier in summer and then leave at about 2 or 3 in the afternoon, so that they can really enjoy the long summer evenings. They’d like to work hard, but play hard, too. I think Londoners work longer hours, but I’m not sure this is a good thing.
　　【听力材料评析】这篇长对话是围绕瑞典的天气展开，主要谈到瑞典冬天的极寒和夏天的极昼天气。文章一开头即说到人们喜欢询问瑞典的季节情况。接下来对具体情况进行了描述，包括：极寒天气下的气温、室外和室内温度状况，另外，就瑞典室温与英国室温进行了对比，再次强调证明瑞典室温很高；而极昼天气则谈的是瑞典人的工作时间和工作习惯，另外，就瑞典人工作时认真忙、能玩时拼命玩的习惯和英国人工作勤奋、工作时间长进行了对比。
　　这篇对话考查细节信息抓取能力。整体难度不大，并且以男士提供的信息为主。但许多考生可能因为对瑞典（Sweden）和与瑞典相关的一系列名词不熟悉而纠结，因此忽略了真正需要听清的其实并不太难的关键信息。这就提醒大家在做题时，切勿因为个别词语不熟悉，而慌张。
　　19.
　　A）He likes Sweden better than England.
　　B）He prefers hot weather to cold weather.
　　C）He is an English living in Sweden.
　　D）He visits London nearly every winter.
　　19. What do we learn about the man from the conversation?
　　【答案】B）He prefers hot weather to cold weather.
　　【解析】本题为推断题。根据文章大意可推断得出。整篇文章中，分别有两处暗示信息，一处是男士说，“Swedish people always complain that when they visit England, the houses are cold even in the good winter.”，瑞典人在冬天去拜访英格兰时，会抱怨英格兰室温太冷。另一处是男士在谈到冬天天气时，说道：“It is sometimes a bit depressing.”长时间寒冷的天气令人沮丧。因此可推断得出，男士更喜欢hot weather，热天气。所以，答案为：He prefers hot weather to cold weather.
　　20.
　　A）The bad weather
　　B）The cold houses.
　　C）The gloomy winter.
　　D）The long night.
　　20. What do Swedish people complain about when they visit England in winter?
　　【答案】B）The cold houses.
　　【解析】对话中，当男士介绍瑞典的极寒天气时，谈到只要穿暖，出门很暖，而室内更暖和，为了强调这一观点，男士继续说道：“Swedish people always complain that when they visit England, the houses are cold even in the good winter.”说是瑞典人在冬天去拜访英格兰时，会抱怨英格兰室温太冷。所以，答案为：The cold houses.
　　21.
　　A）Delightful.
　　B）Painful.
　　C）Depressing.
　　D）Refreshing.
　　21. How does the man describe the short hour of daylight around Christmas in Sweden?
　　【答案】C）Depressing.
　　【解析】女士问：“And what about the darkness?”男士答道：“around Christmas time there’s only one hour of daylight, so you really looks forward to the spring.”临近圣诞节的时候，每天仅有一小时为白天，所以人们都非常向往春天，希望春天快点到来。然后，进一步强调性地评论道：“It is sometimes a bit depressing.”有时候真有点令人沮丧。因此，本题答案为：Depressing.
　　22.
　　A）They often stay up late reading.
　　B)They work hard and play hard.
　　C) They like to go camping in summer.
　　D) They try to earn more and spend more.
　　22. What does the man say about the Swedish people?
　　【答案】B）They work hard and play hard.
　　【解析】男士在谈到瑞典的极昼天气时，着重谈了瑞典人在极昼天气的工作情况，并进一步对瑞典人的工作习惯进行了评价。男士说道：“They’d like to work hard, but play hard, too.”瑞典人既能在工作时努力工作，又能在能玩时拼命玩。所以，本题答案为：They work hard and play hard.
　　Conversation Two
　　【听力原文】
　　Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
　　W: What kind of training does one need to go into this type of job?
　　M: That’s a very good question. I don’t think there is any, specifically.
　　W: For example, in your case, what was your educational background?
　　M: Well, I did a degree in French at Nottingham. After that, I did careers work in secondary schools like the careers guidance people here is in the university. Then I went into local government because I found I was more interested in the administrative side. Then progressed on to universities. So there wasn’t any plan and there was no specific training. There are plenty of training courses in management techniques and committee work which you can attend now.
　　W: But in the first place, you did a French degree.
　　M: In my time, there wasn’t a degree you could do for administration. I think most of the administrators I’ve come across have degrees and all sorts of things.
　　W: Well, I know in my case, I did an English literature degree and I didn’t really expect to end up doing what I am doing now.
　　M: Quite.
　　W: But you are local to Nottingham, actually? Is there any reason why you went to Nottingham University?
　　M: No, no, I come from the north of England, from west Yorkshire. Nottingham was one of the universities I put on my list. And I like the look of it. The campus is just beautiful.
　　W: Yes, indeed. Let’s see. Were you from the industrial part of Yorkshire?
　　M: Yes, from the Woolen District.
　　【听力材料评析】这篇长对话围绕男士的教育背景和职业发展展开。按顺序分别谈到男士从诺丁汉大学法语专业，毕业之后去了中学和政府工作，然后又进入了大学管理层。这期间，他并没有刻意做过任何的职业发展计划，也没有接受过专门的相关职业培训，主要是因为在他的读书时代，并没有可攻读的管理学学位。对话最后谈到了男士去诺丁汉大学读书的原因是被其校园的优美风景所吸引。
　　这篇对话有一定难度。特别是关于男士职业的说法，考生未必熟悉。但考生不必紧张，因为主要的细节考查中，专业是法语、因为环境优雅所以选择诺丁汉大学这两题都不难听出。
　　23. A）Management.
　　B）French
　　C）English literature
　　D）Public Administration
　　23. What was the man’s major at university?
　　【答案】B）French.
　　【解析】细节题。在第二轮对话中，女士问，“what was your educational background?”你是什么教育背景，男士回答说：“I did a degree in French at Nottingham.” 我在诺丁汉大学攻读了法语学位，所以男士的专业是French。
　　24. A）English teaching.
　　B）Staff training.
　　C）Careers guidance.
　　D）Psychological counseling
　　24. What was the man’s job in secondary schools?
　　【答案】C）careers guidance.
　　【解析】细节题。在说完“I did a degree in French at Nottingham.”之后，男士又接着说“After that, I did careers guidance in secondary schools.”因此，此题的答案应为：careers guidance。
　　25. A）Its pleasant environment.
　　B）Its worldwide fame.
　　C）Its generous scholarship.
　　D）Its well-designed courses.
　　25. What attracted the man to Nottingham University?
　　【答案】B）Its pleasant environment.
　　【解析】细节题。女士问：“Is there any reason why you went to Nottingham University?”你去诺丁汉大学是出于什么原因？男士在回答中说到，诺丁汉是我心中理想大学之一。紧接着他就说道：“And I like the look of it.”还进一步补充说明道：“ The campus is just beautiful. ”因此，男士是因被其优雅环境所吸引而选择去诺丁汉大学。所以，本题的答案为：Its pleasant environment.
　　Section B
　　Passage One
　　While Gail Obcamp, an American artist was giving a speech on the art of Japanese brush painting to an audience that included visitors from Japan, she was confused to see that many of her Japanese listeners have their eyes closed. Were they tuned off because an American had the nerve to instruct Japanese in their own art form? Were they deliberately tried to signal their rejection of her? Obcamp later found out that her listeners were not being disrespectful. Japanese listeners sometimes close their eyes to enhance concentration. Her listeners were showing their respect for her by chewing on her words. Some day you may be either a speaker or a listener in a situation involving people from other countries or members of a minority group in North America. Learning how different cultures signal respect can help you avoid misunderstandings. Here are some examples. In the deaf culture of North America, Many listeners show applause not by clapping their hands but by waving them in the air. In some cultures, both overseas and in some minority groups in North America, listeners are considered disrespectful if they look directly at the speaker. Respect is shown by looking in the general direction but avoiding direct eye contact. In some countries, whistling by listeners is a sign of approval while in other courtiers it is a form of insult.
　　【听力点睛】本文主要介绍不同文化中都是如何表示尊重的，以及如何利用这点来避免跨文化交流中的误会产生。一开始先用一位美国艺术家Gail Obcamp做演讲的故事来举例子，引出对闭上眼睛这样一种动作不同的理解；继而发表了作者的看法：在和不同文化的人交流的时候，如果你懂得其他文化中是如何表达尊重的，可以避免误会；接着又是例子，是关于北美洲聋哑人是如何用动作来交流的。还有一些国家，对同样的手势会有截然不同的理解，进一步验证了作者的观点。
　　做这篇题目的重点在于能够迅速拎出来作者的观点。
　　Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.
　　26. What did Obcamp’s speech focus on?
　　A) Characteristics of Japanese artists
　　B) Some features of Japanese culture
　　C) The art of Japanese brush painting
　　D) The uniqueness of Japanese art
　　【答案】C) The art of Japanese brush painting
　　27. Why do Japanese listeners sometimes close their eyes while listening to a speech?
　　A) To calm themselves down
　　B) To enhance concentration
　　C) To show their impatience
　　D) To signal their lack of interest
　　【答案】B) To enhance concentration.
　　28. What does the speaker try to explain?
　　A) How listeners in different cultures show respect
　　B) How speakers can win approval from the audience
　　C) How speakers can misunderstand the audience
　　D) How different Western and Eastern art forms are
　　【答案】A) How listeners in different cultures show respect.
　　Passage Two
　　Chris is in charge of purchasing and maintaining equipment in his Division at Taxlong Company. He is soon going to have an evaluation interview with his supervisor and the personnel director to discuss the work he has done in the past year. Salary, promotion and plans for the coming year will also be discussed at the meeting. Chris has made several changes for his Division in the past year. First, he bought new equipment for one of the departments. He has been particularly happy about the new equipment because many of the employees have told him how much it has helped them. Along with improving the equipment, Chris began a program to train employees to use equipment better and do simple maintenance themselves. The training saved time for the employees and money for the company. Unfortunately, one serious problem developed during the year. Two employees that Chris hired were stealing, and he had to fire them. Chris knows that a new job for a purchasing and maintenance manager for the whole company will be open in a few months, and he would like to be promoted to the job. Chris knows, however, that someone else wants that new job, too. Kim is in charge of purchasing and maintenance in another Division of the company. She has also made several changes over the year. Chris knows that his boss likes Kim’s work, and he expects that his work will be compared with hers.
　　【听力点睛】这篇文章讲述了Chris在职场上的一次经历。Chris在Taxlong公司负责采购和维修设备。他即将要和领导针对过去一年的工作进行一个回顾总结，他心里希望可以得到晋升。在过去这一年里，他也做了不少贡献，买了许多能够提高效率的设备，但是他手下有两个职员因为偷窃而被开除了。除此以外，公司里面还有一个女同事Kim，是他这次晋级的竞争对手，她也一样很优秀。
　　这篇文章没有什么生词，难度较低。题目中考察细节问题比较多，需要同学们可以准确地在看到题目之后locate文章中对应题目的是哪一部分。
　　Questions 29 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
　　29. What is Chris’s main responsibility at Taxlong Company?
　　A) Directing personnel evaluation.
　　B) Buying and maintain equipment.
　　C) Drawing up plans for in-service training.
　　D) Interviewing and recruiting employees.
　　【答案】 B) Buying and maintain equipment.
　　30. What problem did Chris encounter in his Division?
　　A) Some of his equipment was damaged in a fire.
　　B) The training program he ran was failure.
　　C) Two of his workers were injured at work.
　　D) Two of his employees committed theft.
　　【答案】D)Two of his employees committed theft.
　　31. What does Chris hope for in the near future?
　　A) A better relationship with his boss.
　　B) Advancement to a higher position
　　C) A better-paying job in another company
　　D) Improvement in the company’s management
　　【答案】B)Advancement to a higher position.
　　32 What do we learn about Kim from the passage?
　　A)She has more self-confidence than Chris.
　　B)She works with Chris in the same division.
　　C)She has more management experience than Chris.
　　D) She is competing with Chris for the new job.
　　【答案】D) She is competing with Chris for the new job.
　　Passage Three
　　Proverbs, sometimes called sayings, are examples of folk wisdom. They are little lessons which older people of a culture pass down to the younger people to teach them about life. Many proverbs remind people of the values that are important in the culture. Values teach people how to act, what is right, and what is wrong. Because the values of each culture are different, understanding the values of another culture helps explain how people think and act. Understanding your own culture values is important too. If you can accept that people from other cultures act according to their values, not yours, getting along with them will be much easier. Many proverbs are very old. So some of the values they teach may not be as important in the culture as they once were. For example, Americans today do not pay much attention to the proverb “Haste makes waste”, because patience is not important to them. But if you know about past values, it helps you to understand the present and many of the older values are still strong today. Benjamin Franklin, a famous American diplomat, writer and scientist, died in 1790, but his proverb “Time is money” is taken more seriously by Americans of today than ever before. A study of proverbs from around the world shows that some values are shared by many cultures. In many cases though, the same idea is expressed differently.
　　【听力点睛】这篇文章是一篇说明文。从科学客观的角度讲述了Proverb谚语的一些知识。包括它的定义-----是老一辈人传给后代的生活经验，生活价值观。不同国家，不同文化中的谚语往往可以揭示不同的价值观。如果能够理解其他文化的谚语，价值观，那么会在跨文化交际中避免很多麻烦。
　　作者又提到，一些谚语年代久远。其中包含的价值观随着时代的变迁可能重要性也发生了改变。并且举了Haste makes waste. 和Time is money. 这样两个例子。
　　作者最后再次表明，通过学习不同国家的谚语，会发现一些国家会有相同或者相似的价值观，只是有可能表达的方式有所不同而已。
　　这篇说明文对考生的要求在于快速划分出作者想说明的几个点。一般通常写说明文章的顺序都是先说明要点，然后用一些事实来进一步说明。
　　Questions 32- 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
　　33. Why are proverbs so important?
　　A) They help us see the important values of a culture.
　　B) They guide us in handling human relationships.
　　C) They help us express ourselves more effectively.
　　D) They are an infinite source of human knowledge.
　　【答案】A）They help us see the important values of a culture.
　　34. According to the speaker what happens to some proverbs with the passage of time?
　　A)Their wordings may become different.
　　B) The values they reflect may change.
　　C)Their origins can no longer be traced.
　　D) They may be misinterpreted.
　　【答案】B) The values they reflect may change.
　　35. What do we learn from the study of proverbs from around the world?
 

大学英语四、六级考试 --- 四级真题