四六级考试网

 

　　Section A

　　11. M: Good news, I’m not going to have surgery after all. The doctor says I can start working out again soon and maybe play football like before in a few weeks.

　　W: That’s terrific. It would be great if you could get back in shape in time for the World Cup.

　　Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

　　12. M: I really need to make some extra money. You know I’ve practically spent my entire budget for this semester.

　　W: Why not check out the new cafeteria at Market Street? I think there are still a few openings suitable for seniors like you.

　　Q: What does the woman suggest the man do?

　　13. M: I hear John left his cat in your care while he’s on vacation abroad. How are you getting along with it?

　　W: Well, it never comes when I call it. It spills its food and sheds all over the place. I can’t wait till John gets back.

　　Q: How does the woman find the cat?

　　14. W: Hello, Professor White, I got my grade in the mail this morning, but I think there might be a mistake in my mark.

　　M: Yeah, I’ve got several calls just like yours. There must be a problem with the computing system. It should be straightened out in a couple of hours.

　　Q: What does the man mean?

　　15. M: Professor Johnson, last night when I was putting the finishing touches on my paper, a computer failure completely wiped out my files, do you think I can have another day to retype it?

　　W: I’m sorry, Rod. I’m leaving for a conference tomorrow and I’ll be away two weeks. I suppose you could send me an E-copy.

　　Q: Why does the man say he can’t submit his assignment on time?

　　16. W: I just called the travel agency, it’s all set. On June l st, we are heading for the mountains and will be camping there for a whole week.

　　M: Have you checked the academic calendar? My classes aren’t over until the 8th.

　　Q: What does the man imply?

　　17. W: I thought there was still time for me to apply for a student loan. But someone just told me that the closing date was last Tuesday.

　　M: Are you sure? I thought we still had another month. Wait, I’ve got a brochure right here. Last Tuesday was the opening date.

　　Q: What does the man imply?

　　18. W: Look at all the pollutants going into the air from those factories. Do you think they’ll ever get that under control?

　　M: Now with the new laws in effect and social awareness increasing, we are sure to turn things around.

　　Q: What does the man mean?

　　Conversation One

　　W: Tell me, Peter, what makes Harrods so famous?

　　M: Well, it’s the biggest department store in the UK. And its food hall and the Egyptian hall are very famous. People come to Harrods just to see them.

　　W: What is special about the food hall?

　　M: It sells many different kinds of food. For example, it has 250 kinds of cheese from all over the world and more than 180 kinds of bread. Customers also love all the different kinds of chocolate. They buy a hundred tons every year.

　　W: That’s amazing! And why is the Egyptian hall so famous?

　　M: Well, when people see it, they feel they are in another world. It looks like in Egyptian building from 4,000 years ago. And it sells beautiful objects. They are not 4,000 years old, of course.

　　W: Is it true that Harrods produces its own electricity?

　　M: Yes, it does.70%, enough for a small town. To light the outside of the building, we use 11,500 light bulbs.

　　W: Really? Tell me, how many customers do you have on an average day? And how much do they spend?

　　M: About 30,000 people come on an average day. But during the sales, the number increases to 300,000 customers a day. How much do they spent? Well, on average, customers spend about 1.5 million pounds a day. The record for one day is nine million pounds.

　　W: Nine million pounds in one day?

　　M: Yes, on the first day of the January sales.

　　W: Harrods says it sells everything to everybody, everywhere. Is that really true?

　　M: Oh, yes. of course! Absolutely everything!

　　19. What is the food hall of Harrods noted for?

　　20. What does the Egyptian hall seem like to the customers?

　　21. What may customers find surprising about Harrods?

　　22. About how many customers come to Harrods on an average day?

　　Conversation Two

　　W: Hi Kevin!

　　M: Hi Laura, long time no see! What have you been up to lately?

　　W: Not much. I can assure you. And you?

　　M: Much the same except I do have some big news.

　　W: Come on. This suspense is killing me.

　　M: No, really, what have you been doing these past few weeks? The last time I saw you, you were looking for a new job.

　　W: Well, that’s not exactly true. I was thinking about changing jobs. Luckily, they offered me a new position in the accounting department.

　　M: A step up in the big business world.

　　W: I wouldn’t exaggerate, but I am pleased. I had been hoping to get a promotion for a while. So when it finally came through, I was relieved. Actually, that’s why I was looking for a new job. I just didn’t want to work there anymore if they weren’t going to recognize my efforts.

　　M: Right, sometimes you can do your best and it seems like the others don’t know you exist. I hope the money’s better.

　　W: I got a reasonable raise, now enough about me. I’m dying to hear your news.

　　M: I am getting married.

　　W: No, you said you’d never get married.

　　M: That was then and this is now. You’ve got to meet Andrea, she’s great!

　　W: This is all news to me. I didn’t even know you were dating.

　　M: We weren’t. We’ve just been dating for two weeks now.

　　W: And you getting married?

　　M: I know. I can’t help it. I just know she’s the one.

　　W: Well, congratulations! That’s fantastic!

　　M: Thanks, I’m glad to hear you feel way.

　　23. What was the woman doing when the man last saw her?

　　24. Why does the woman say she was relieved?

　　25. Why is the woman surprised at the man’s news?

　　Section B

　　Passage One

　　Water scooters are water vehicles that look very much like motorcycles. Nowadays, speedy, colorful water scooters are gaining in popularity. They can travel anywhere a small boat can and particularly popular with young people. The rising popularity of the craft has raised the question of water scooter regulation. In this case, the argument for strict regulation is compelling. Water scooters are a particularly deadly form of water recreation. For example, two women were vacationing in Longboat Key while they were floating on the rubber boat along the shore, a water scooter crashed into them and kill them. Also water scooter operators have been killed or seriously injured in collisions with other water craft. Others have been stranded at the sea when their scooters either failed or sank far from shore. Many water scooter operators are inexperienced and ignorant of navigational rules, which increase the potential for accidents. The increasing popularity of the scooter has aggravated the problem, providing more water vehicles to compete for the same space. Crowded water waves are simply an open invitation to disaster. In addition to the inherent operational hazards of water scooters, they are proving to be an environmental nuisance. Beach residents complain of the noise of the scooters. The Pacific Whale Foundation on the west coast expressed concern that the scooters are frightening away an endangered species of whale that migrates to Hawaii for breeding. Regulations such as minimum operating age, restricted operating areas and compulsory classes in water safety are essential. Without such regulations, tragedies involving water scooters are sure to multiply, which makes many beaches unsafe for recreation.

　　26. What does the speaker say about water scooters?

　　27. What is mentioned as one of the causes of water accidents?

　　28. In what way are water scooters said to be an environmental nuisance?

　　29. What does the speaker propose to ensure the safety of beaches for recreation?

　　Passage Two

　　It seems to me that neighbors are going out of style in America. The friend nest door from whom you borrowed for eggs or a ladder has moved and the people in there now are strangers. Some of the traditional stories of neighborliness are impractical or silly and maybe just as well that our relations with our neighbors are changing. The saying in the Bible “Love thy neighbor” was probably a poor translation of what must have originally been, “respect thy neighbor”. Love can be called up on order. Fewer than half the people in the United States live in the same house they lived in five years ago. So there is no reason to love the people who live next door to you, just because they happen to wander into a real estate office that listed the place next door to yours. The only thing neighbors have in common, to begin with, is proximity and unless something more develops that isn’t reason enough to be best friends. It sometimes happens naturally, but the chances are very small that your neighbors will be your choices friends or that you will be theirs, either. The best relationship with neighbors is one of friendly distance. You say “hello”, use small talk if you see them in the yard, you discuss problems as they arise and you help each other in an emergency. The drive way or the fence between you is not really a cold shoulder but a clear boundary. We all like clearly-defined boundaries for ourselves.

　　30. What does the speaker say about the relations among neighbors nowadays?

　　31. Why does speaker say it may be difficult for people to love their neighbors?

　　32. What should neighbors do in the speaker’s opinion?

　　Passage Three

　　Articles in magazines and newspapers and special reports on radio and television reflect the concern of many Americans about the increasing drop-out rate in our junior and senior high schools. Coupled with this fact is the warning that soon we will no longer have a work force to fill the many jobs that require properly educated personnel. The high student drop-out rate is not a recent development. Ten years ago, many urban schools were reporting drop-out rates between 35 and 50 percent. Some administrators maintain that drop-outs remain the single greatest problem in their schools. Consequently, much effort has been spent on identifying students with problems in order to give them more attention before they become failures. Since the drop-out problem doesn’t start in senior high school, special programs in junior high school focus on students who show promise but have a record of truancy—that is staying away from school without permission. Under the guidance of counselors, these students are placed in classes with teachers who have had success in working with similar young people. Strategies to motivate students in a high school include rewarding academic excellence by designating scholars of the month, or by issuing articles of clothing, such as school letter jackets formerly given only to athletes. No one working with these students claims to know how to keep all students in school. Counselors, teachers and administrators are in the frontlines of what seems at times to be a losing battle. Actually, this problem should be everyone’s concern since uneducated, unemployed citizens affect us all.

　　33. Why are many Americans concerned with the increasing drop-out rate in school?

　　34. What do we learn about the student drop-out problem in America?

　　35. What is mentioned as one of the strategies used to motivate students?

　　Section C

　　I’m interested in the criminal justice system of our country. It seems to me that something has to be done, if we’re to survive as a country. I certainly don’t know what the answers to our problems are. Things certainly get complicated in a hurry when you get into them, but I wonder if something couldn’t be done to deal with some of these problems. One thing I’m concerned about is our practice of putting offenders in jail who haven’t harmed anyone. Why not work out some system whereby they can pay back the debts they owe society instead of incurring another debt by going to prison and, of course, coming under the influence of course, coming under the influence of hardened criminals. I’m also concerned about he short prison sentences people are serving for serious crimes. Of course one alternative to this is to restore capital pu8nishment, but I’m not sure I would be for that. I’m not sure it’s right to take an eye . The alternative to capital punishment is longer sentences but they would certainly cost the tax-payers much money. I also think we must do something about the insanity plea. In my opinion, anyone who takes another person’s life intentionally is insane; however, that does not mean that the person isn’t guilty of the crime or that he shouldn’t pay society the debt he owes. It’s sad, of course, that a person may have to spend the rest of his life, or a large part of it in prison for acts that he committed while not in full control of his mind.