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Part II
Listening Comprehension

Section A

Conversation One

M: Excuse me. Where's your rock music section?

W: Rock music? I'm sorry,[1] we're a Jazz store. We don't have any rock and roll.

M: Oh, you only have Jazz music? Nothing else?

W: That's right. We're the only record store in London dedicated exclusively to Jazz. Actually, we're more than just a record store. We have a cafe and library upstairs and a ticket office down the hall where you can buy tickets to all the major Jazz concerts in the city. Also, we have our own studio next door, where we produce albums for up-and-coming artists. We are committed to fostering new music talent.

M: Wow! That's so cool.[2] I guess there's not much of a Jazz scene anymore, not like they used to be. But here you're trying to promote this great music genre.

W: Yes, indeed. Nowadays most people like to listen to pop and rock music. Hip hop music from America is also getting more and more popular.[3] So, as a result, there are fewer listeners of Jazz, which is a great shame because it's an incredibly rich genre. But that's not to say there isn't any good new Jazz music being made out there anymore, far from it.[2] It's just a much smaller market today.

M: So how would you define Jazz?

W: Well, interestingly enough,[3] there's no agreed-upon definition of Jazz. Indeed, there are many different styles of Jazz. Some have singing, but most don't. Some are electric and some aren't. Some contain live experimentation, but not always. While there's no simple definition for it, and while there are many different styles of Jazz, you simply know it when you hear it.[4] Honestly, the only way to know what Jazz is, is listen to it yourself. As a great trumpet player, Louis Armstrong said, “if you gotta ask, you'll never know.”

1. What do we learn about the woman's store?

2. What does the man say about Jazz music?

3. What does the woman say about Jazz?

4. What should you do to appreciate different styles of Jazz according to the woman?

1. A

【听前预测】

1. 四个选项均为以it开头的句子,可推知题目应该就it所指代的事物进行提问。

2. 两项提到的内容与爵士乐有关,一项提到伦敦分店,一项提到新音乐人才的唱片专辑。

结论:本题考查的内容可能是与爵士乐相关的某处细节,因此听对话时应首先确认it所指代的事物,并留意对it的相关描述,结合选项内容作答。

【解析】 对话开头,男士问女士:“你们的摇滚乐(唱片)售卖区在哪?”女士回答:“我们是一家爵士乐唱片店。我们店里没有摇滚乐唱片。”即女士的唱片店只卖爵士乐唱片,因此A项正确。女士提到在这家店可以买到伦敦市所有大型爵士音乐会的门票,而并未提及该店赞助大型爵士音乐会,因此B项是对原文的曲解,故排除。对话中,女士提到:“我们是伦敦唯一一家爵士乐唱片专卖店。”C项与原文不符,故排除。女士提到“我们致力于培养新的音乐人才”,而并未提到展示新音乐人才的唱片专辑,故排除D项。

2. B

【听前预测】

1. 两个选项以it开头,两个选项以its开头。

2. A项描述it的起源,B项描述it的市场,C项描述it的听众,D项是it与hip pop music的比较。

结论:结合选项内容可知,本题可能考查某种音乐的相关细节信息,因此听对话时,应首先确认it所指代的事物,留意与选项关键词originated、market、listeners和widespread相关的语句。

【解析】 对话中,男士提到:“我想现在爵士乐的圈子已经不大了,不像它们过去那样。”随后女士说:“……听爵士乐的人更少了……只是它现在的市场要小得多。”由此可知,爵士乐没有过去受欢迎,其市场正在萎缩,结合选项可知,B项为正确答案,同时排除D项。A项和C项对话中并未提及,故均排除。

3. A

【听前预测】

1. 两个选项以its开头,两个选项以it开头。

2. 两项分别提到it的定义(definition)和类型(style),一项与实验有关(experimentation),一项提到了歌唱(singing)。

结论:结合选项内容可知,本题可能考查某种音乐的相关细节信息,因此听对话时,应首先确认it所指代的事物,并留意与选项关键词definition、experimentation、singing和style相关的语句。

【解析】 女士说“爵士乐是内容极其丰富的音乐流派”,“关于爵士乐,尚无大众一致认可的定义。事实上,爵士乐有很多不同的风格。”由此可知,爵士乐有很多不同的风格,因此人们对其定义也是复杂多样的,所以A项为正确答案,同时排除D项。B项和C项与女士所说的话不符,故均排除。

4. C

【听前预测】

1. 四个选项均为动词原形开头的祈使句。

2. 四个选项的内容均是对不同行为的描述。

结论:结合选项内容可知,本题可能考查某一种具体行为。听对话时,应注意听与选项关键词learn to play、music lessons、listen to them yourself和consult相关的语句。

【解析】 对话结尾处,女士说“鉴赏爵士乐的唯一方法就是亲自去听”,故C项为正确答案。A项和B项对话中未提及,故均排除。由对话结尾处女士引用的路易斯·阿姆斯特朗所说的话“如果你只是问,你将永远不会知道”,可排除D项。

Conversation Two

M:[5] How did it go at the bank this morning?

W: Not well. My proposal was rejected.

M: Really? But why?

W:[6] Bunch of reasons. For starters, they said my credit history was not good enough.

M: Do they say how you could improve that?

W: Yes. They said that after five more years of paying my mortgage, then I would become a more viable candidate for a business loan. But right now it's too risky for them to lend me money. They fear I will default on any business loan I'm given.

M: Well, that doesn't sound fair. Your business idea is amazing. Did you show them your business plan? What did they say?

W: They didn't really articulate any position regarding the actual business plan. They simply looked at my credit history and determined it was not good enough. They said the bank has strict guidelines and requirements as to who they can lend money to. And I simply don't meet their financial threshold.

M: What if you asked for a smaller amount?[8] Maybe you could gather capital from other sources. Smaller loans from more lenders?

W: You don't get it. It doesn't matter the size of the loan I ask for, or the type of business I propose. That's all inconsequential. The first thing every bank will do is study how much money I have and how much debt I have before they decide whether or not to lend me any more money.[7] If I want to continue ahead with this dream of owning my own business, I have no other choice but to build up my own finances. I need around 20% more in personal savings and 50% less debt. That's all there is to it.

M: I see now. Well, it's a huge pity that they rejected your request, but don't lose hope. I still think that your idea is great and that you would turn it into a phenomenal success.

5. What did the woman do this morning?

6. Why was the woman's proposal rejected?

7. What is the woman planning to do?

8. What does the man suggest the woman do?

5. D

【听前预测】

1. 四个选项均以she开头。

2. 四个选项的内容均是描述she的不同行为。

结论:本题可能考查she的某一特定行为,听对话时应注意与各选项关键词(paid her mortgage、called on the man、made a business plan和went to the bank)相关的语句。

【解析】 本题问女士今天上午做了什么。对话开头,男士问女士:“今天上午去银行,事情进展如何?”由此可知,女士今天上午去了银行,故D项为正确答案。A项、B项和C项均不是女士今天上午做的事,故排除。

6. B

【听前预测】

1. 两项以her开头,两项以she开头。

2. 三项内容与债务、信用记录或贷款相关。

结论:本题可能考查与she相关的某件事情或某一行为。听对话时应注意听与各选项关键词(previous debt 、credit history、asked for too much和pay her mortgage)相关的语句。

【解析】 本题问女士的申请被拒绝的原因。女士在解释原因时说:“有很多原因。首先,他们说我的信用记录不够好。”即女士的信用记录不佳,所以贷款申请被拒绝了。结合选项可知,B项为正确答案。A项和D项是利用对话中女士提到的“在我还完五年的抵押贷款之后,才更有可能有资格申请商业贷款”设置的干扰项,故均排除。C项在对话中并未提及,故排除。

7. C

【听前预测】

1. 四个选项均为动词原形开头的祈使句。

2. 四个选项的内容均是对不同行为的描述。

结论:结合选项内容可知,本题可能考查某一项具体行为。听对话时,应注意听与选项关键词(pay a debt、buy...property、start...business和check...credit history)相关的语句。

【解析】 本题问女士打算做什么。对话结尾处,女士说:“如果我想继续实现自己创业的这个梦想,我别无选择,只能积累资产。”即女士不会放弃自己的追求,将开创自己的事业,故C项为正确答案。A项、B项和D项对话中均未提及,故均可排除。

8. B

【听前预测】

1. 四个选项均为动词原形开头的祈使句。

2. 四个选项的内容均是对不同行为的描述。

结论:结合选项内容可知,本题可能考查某一项具体行为。听对话时,应注意听与选项关键词(seek advice from、ask for smaller loans、build up her own finances和revise her business proposal)相关的语句。

【解析】 本题问男士给了女士什么建议。在女士申请贷款被银行拒绝后,男士建议女士从其他渠道筹集资金,从更多的贷款机构那里获得小额贷款。结合选项可知,B项为正确答案。女士说计划积累资产,而不是男士的建议,故排除C项。A项和D项对话中并未提及,故均排除。

Section B

Passage One

【听力原文】

[9] There's a lot about Leo Sanchez and his farm in Salinas, California, that seems unusual. The national average farm size is around 440 acres, but his is only one acre. The average age of farmers hovers around 58 years old, but he is just 26. And Sanchez constantly attempts to improve everything from seeding techniques out in the field to the promotion and sale of his produce online. This is evidence of an experimental approach. It's an approach not dictated by the confines of conventional, large-scale agriculture led by international corporations.[10] While farming is often difficult for both the body and mind, Sanchez says he and many of his fellow young farmers are motivated by a desire to set a new standard for agriculture.

Many of them are employing a multitude of technologies, some new and some not so new.[11] Recently, Sanchez bought a hand-operated tool which pulls out weeds and loosens soil. It actually dates back to at least 1701. It stands in sharp contrast to Sanchez's other gadget, a gas-powered flame weed killer invented in 1997. He simply doesn't discriminate when it comes to the newness of tools. If it works, it works. Farmers have a long history of invention, and it's no different today. Young farmers are guided by their love for agriculture and aided by their knowledge of technology. To find inexpensive and appropriately sized tools, they collaborate and innovate. Sometimes the old stuff just works better or more efficiently.

9. What do we learn about Leo Sanchez's farm?

10. What has motivated Leo Sanchez and his fellow young farmers to engage in farming?

11. Why did Leo Sanchez buy a hand-operated weeding tool?

【整体预测】

快速浏览本部分的所有选项,根据profitable, completely automated, unconventional, fertile and productive, farming, farming equipment, traditional farming, new farming standard, loosens soil, weeding可大致推断本文所讲的内容与农业相关,可能涉及传统农业与新型农业发展模式、农业设备和工具的介绍等。听录音时需特别注意相关的内容,注重对短文细节信息的提取。

9. C

【解题思路】 四项都以it开头,都描述了it的特点。

结论:本题很可能以what提问,可能询问的是it的特点,很可能考查文中的细节信息。听录音时应首先判断it指代的对象,并注意将重点放在四个选项的关键信息上(profitable, environmentally friendly, well located, completely automated, small, unconventional, fertile and productive)。

【解析】 题目问的是我们得知了有关利奥·桑切斯的农场的什么信息。文章第一句话就提及了利奥·桑切斯及其在加利福尼亚州萨利纳斯的农场,有很多事情似乎都不太寻常,之后介绍了利奥的农场具体的不同寻常之处:与全国农场的平均面积有很大不同,他的农场面积很小;他不断尝试改良技术和在线销售等;他的方法不受国际公司领导的常规大规模农业的限制所束缚。由此可知,选项C正是对该部分内容的总结概括,为正确选项。其他三项原文并未提到,故均可排除。

10. D

【解题思路】

1. 四项都以their开头,their后面的urge, desire, hope和wish都有“渴望;愿望;希望”的意思,说明四个选项都是关于their的愿望的。

2. 四项都含有farming,说明their的愿望都与农业有关。

结论:本题很可能以what提问,可能询问的是their的愿望,很可能考查文中的细节信息。听录音时应首先判断their指代的对象,并注意将重点放在四个选项的关键信息上(make farming more enjoyable, improve farming equipment, revitalize traditional farming, set a new farming standard)。

【解析】 题目问的是,是什么激励利奥·桑切斯和他年轻的农民伙伴们从事农业。文章中间部分提到:桑切斯说,尽管农耕常常是对身心的双重考验,但是制定出一套新的农业标准的愿望激励着他和他的许多年轻的农民伙伴们。题干中的his fellow young farmers和motivated都是原文内容的复现,由此可知,选项D正是对该部分内容的同义转述,为正确选项。其他三项原文并未提到,故均排除。

11. D

【解题思路】 四项都以it开头,描述的是it的功能、作用或特点。

结论:本题很可能询问的是it的功能、作用或特点,很可能考查文中的细节信息。听录音时应首先判断it的指代对象,并注意将重点放在四个选项的关键信息上(saves...electricity, needs little maintenance, causes hardly any pollution, loosens soil while weeding)。

【解析】 题目问的是利奥·桑切斯为什么购买了一个手动除草工具。文章中间部分提及利奥·桑切斯近期购买了一个手动除草工具(a hand-operated tool),并介绍说这个工具在拔除杂草的同时还可以疏松土壤。选项D中的loosens soil在该部分原文中有复现,weeding是对该部分原文中的pulls out weeds的同义转述,因此选项D正是对该部分内容的同义转述,为正确选项。原文并未提及该手动除草工具省电、不需要维修和不污染环境的特点,因此排除选项A、B和C。

Passage Two

【听力原文】

[12] Eat Grub is Britain's first new food company that breaks western food boundaries by introducing edible insects as a new source of food. And Sainsbury's is the first UK supermarket to stock the company's crunchy roasted crickets.

Sainsbury's insists that such food is no joke and could be a new sustainable source of protein. Out of curiosity, I paid a visit to Sainsbury's. As I put my hand into a packet of crickets with their tiny eyes and legs, the idea of one going in my mouth made me feel a little sick,[13] but the first bite was a pleasant surprise, a little dry and lacking of taste. But at least a wing didn't get stuck in my throat. The roasted seasoning largely overpowered any other flavour, although there was slightly bitter aftertaste. The texture was crunchy, but smelt a little of cat food. Eat Grub also recommends the crickets as a topping for noodles, soups and salads.

[14] The company boasts that its dried crickets contain more protein than beef, chicken, and pork, as well as minerals like iron and calcium. Unlike the production of meat, bugs do not use up large amounts of land, water or feed.[15] And insect farming also produces far fewer greenhouse gases. However, despite 2 billion people worldwide already supplementing their diet with insects, consumer disgust remains a large barrier in many western countries. I'm not sure bugs will become a popular snack anytime soon, but they're definitely food for thought.

12. What do we learn from the passage about the food company Eat Grub?

13. What does the speaker say about his first bite of roasted crickets?

14. What does Eat Grub say about its dried crickets?

15. What does the passage say about insect farming?

【整体预测】

快速浏览本部分的所有选项,根据certain insects, new food source, exotic foods, pet insects, more tasty, more nutritious, protein等可大致推断本文与昆虫和食物相关,可能涉及对某种昆虫或某种食品的介绍。听录音时需特别注意与选项关键信息相关的内容,注重对短文细节信息的提取。

12. A

【解题思路】

1. 四项都以it开头,都描述了it的某种做法或行动。

2. 两项含有insects,两项含有food或foods。

结论:本题很可能以what提问,可能询问的是it所做的事情,很可能考查文中的细节信息,也有可能考查的是文章的主题。听录音时应注意将重点放在四个选项的关键信息上(turned certain insects into a new food source, expand business, imported some exotic foods from overseas, sell pet insects)。

【解析】 题目问的是从短文中我们可以得知食品公司Eat Grub的什么信息。文章开头部分第一句话就是对Eat Grub的介绍:Eat Grub是英国第一家新型食品公司,它通过引入食用昆虫作为新型食品来源,打破了西方食物的界限。选项A中的turned certain insects into a new food source正是对该部分内容中的introducing edible insects as a new source of food的同义转述,故为正确选项。其他三项原文并未提到,故均排除。

13. B

【解题思路】

1. 四项都以it开头,都描述了it给人带来的某种感受或影响。

2. 两项含有his或him。

结论:本题很可能以what提问,可能询问的是it给人带来的感受或影响,很可能考查文中的细节信息。听录音时应首先判断it和his或him的指代对象,注意it与his或him之间的关系,并将重点放在四个选项的关键信息上(unforgettable, pleasant surprise, hurt his throat, made him feel strange)。

【解析】 题目问的是关于吃的第一口烤蟋蟀,讲话者说了什么。文章中间部分提到:但是第一口却是令人愉快的惊喜。选项B正是对讲话者感受的正确表达,为正确选项。选项A的unforgettable和选项D的strange原文并没有提到,故排除这两项。选项C是对原文细节信息的错误理解,原文说第一口却是令人愉快的惊喜,之后又说有点干,没有什么味道,但至少没有一片翅膀卡在“我”的喉咙里,并不是选项C的“有点弄疼了他的喉咙”,故排除选项C。

14. C

【解题思路】 四项都以they开头;三项将they与其他食品进行了对比,得出they的优势,一项预测了they的美好前景。

结论:本题很可能以what提问,可能询问的是they的优势及前景,很可能考查文中的细节信息。听录音时应首先判断they的指代对象(很可能是某种食品),并注意将重点放在四个选项的关键信息上(more tasty, more nutritious, contain more protein, will soon gain popularity)。

【解析】 题目问的是Eat Grub公司说了什么关于它生产的蟋蟀干的信息。文章中关于Eat Grub公司自夸其蟋蟀干的内容在中间靠后的部分,原文说:该公司自夸说其蟋蟀干的蛋白质含量比牛肉、鸡肉和猪肉还要高,而且其矿物质含量,诸如铁和钙也更高。选项C正是对这部分内容的总结概括,为正确选项。选项A、B原文中并未提到,故均排除。原文最后一句提到:“我”不敢肯定昆虫很快会在某个时候成为一种流行的零食,可见选项D与原文内容相反,故排除。

15. A

【解题思路】 四项都以it开头,都描述了it的特点。

结论:本题很可能以what提问,可能询问的是it的特点,很可能考查文中的细节信息,也可能考查文章的主题。听录音时应首先判断it的指代对象,并注意将重点放在四个选项的关键信息上(environmentally friendly, a promising industry, requires new technology, saves labour)。

【解析】 题目就昆虫养殖进行提问。文章结尾部分提及昆虫养殖产生的温室气体也少得多,也就是说昆虫养殖是非常环保的,因此选项A符合昆虫养殖的特点介绍,为正确选项。选项C、D原文并未提到,因此可排除。选项B与原文内容正好相反,原文说,在许多西方国家,消费者的反感仍然是一大障碍,这说明昆虫养殖前途未卜,故排除选项B。

Section C

Recording One

【听力原文】

Have you ever had someone try to explain something to you a dozen times with no luck? But, then, when you see a picture, the idea finally clicks. If that sounds familiar, maybe you might consider yourself a “visual learner”. Or if reading or listening does the trick, maybe you feel like you're a “verbal learner”. We call these labels “learning styles”. But is there really a way to categorize different types of students? Well, it actually seems that multiple presentation formats, especially if one of them is visual, help most people learn.

[16] When psychologists and educators test for learning styles, they're trying to figure out whether these are inherent traits that affect how well students learn instead of just a preference. Usually they start by giving a survey to figure out what style a student favors, like visual or verbal learning. Then they try to teach the students something with a specific presentation style, like using visual aids, and do a follow-up test to see how much they learned. That way, the researchers can see if the self-identified verbal learners really learned better when the information was just spoken aloud, for example.

[17] But, according to a 2008 review, only one study that followed this design found that students actually learned best with their preferred style. But the study had some big flaws. The researchers excluded two thirds of the original participants because they didn't seem to have any clear learning style from the survey at the beginning, and they didn't even report the actual test scores in the final paper. So it doesn't really seem like learning styles are an inherent trait that we all have. But that doesn't mean that all students will do amazingly if they just spend all their time reading from a textbook.

[18] Instead, most people seem to learn better if they're taught in several ways, especially if one is visual. In one study, researchers tested whether students remembered lists of words better if they heard them, saw them, or both. And everyone seemed to do better if they got to see the words in print—even the self-identified auditory learners. Their preference didn't seem to matter. Similar studies tested whether students learned basic physics and chemistry concepts better by reading plain text or viewing pictures too. And everyone did better with the help of pictures.

16. Why do psychologists and educators study learning styles?

17. What does the speaker say about one study mentioned in the 2008 review?

18. What message does the speaker want to convey about learning at the end of the talk?

【整体预测】

快速浏览本部分各选项,由选项中出现的与学习相关的词汇learners, learn, learning可知,本篇录音内容应该与学习有关,可能涉及学习者的类型或者不同的学习风格、学习方法或者学习教具等内容。听音时需重点关注与各选项相关的细节,注意对录音中细节内容的提取。

16. D

【解题思路】

1. 四项都是不定式短语,本题可能考查做某事的原因或目的。

2. 三项提到了与学习有关的信息(types of learners, what students prefer to learn, inherent traits affecting learning),听录音时要注意听与各项关键信息相关的细节内容。

【解析】 本题就心理学家和教育家研究学习风格的原因进行提问。录音前半部分中,讲话者提到:“当心理学家和教育家测试学习风格时,他们试图弄清楚这些学习风格是否是影响学生学习效果的天生的特质,而不只是一种学习偏好。”因此,选项D的说法与此相符,为正确答案,其中该项的inherent traits是原文再现,if对应原文中的whether。其余三项都不是心理学家和教育家研究学习风格的原因,故均可排除。

17. A

【解题思路】 四项都以it开头,且都是对it的某种描述或者评价,前两项是负面的评价,后两项是正面的评价,听录音时应先弄清楚it的指代对象,同时注意听与各选项关键词(defective, misguided, original in design, thought-provoking)相关的信息。

【解析】 本题就2008年报告中提到的一项研究进行提问。在录音的中间部分,讲话者提到了一份2008年的报告,该报告中提到了一项研究。这项研究发现,学生们用他们更喜欢的学习风格学习时实际上会学得最好。但讲话者接着又说:“但这项研究有一些大的缺陷。”接下来讲话者具体介绍了这些缺陷。很明显,答案选A,defective对应原文中的had some big flaws。选项B和D讲话中没有提及,均可排除;报告中并没有说这项研究的设计方案是原创的,故排除选项C。

18. B

【解题思路】 三项提到了visual aids,一项提到了auditory aids,本题考查内容与学习教具有关。听录音时应注意讲话者提到的与这两种教具相关的信息,特别是对这两种教具的作用或影响进行比较的内容。

【解析】 本题就讲话者在最后提到的有关学习的内容进行提问。在讲话最后,讲话者明显肯定了视觉展示方法的作用,并提到了一项研究:“在一项研究中,研究人员测试了如果让学生听单词表、看单词表或者既听又看单词表,他们是否能更好地记住单词。如果学生看了打印出来的单词,每个人似乎都能更好地记住单词——即使是那些自我认定为‘听觉型学习者’的学生。”由此可知,选项B的说法是对原文的概括总结。原文中的everyone seemed to do better对应选项中的are helpful to all types of learners。选项A是强干扰项,在讲话的最后,讲话者重点提及了视觉教具的重要性,并没有把听觉教具与视觉教具的重要性进行对比,故排除选项A。讲话者最后提到,类似的研究也测试了通过阅读纯文本或观看图片,学生能否把基础物理和化学概念学得更好。借助图片,每个学生都能学得更好。选项C的说法与此相反,故排除;而且,研究只是表明,借助视觉教具,学生能把科学概念学得更好,而不是说没有视觉教具,科学概念很难理解,故也排除选项D。

Recording Two

【听力原文】

Free-market capitalism hasn't freed us; it has trapped us. It's imperative for us to embrace a workplace revolution. We are unlikely to spend our last moments regretting that we didn't spend enough of our lives slaving away at work.[19] We may instead find ourselves feeling guilty about the time we didn't spend watching our children grow, or with our loved ones, or travelling, or on the cultural leisure pursuits that bring us happiness. Unfortunately, the average full-time employee in the world works 42 hours a week—well over a third of the time we're awake. Some of our all too precious time is being stolen. Office workers do around 2 billion hours of unpaid overtime each year, so it's extremely welcome that some government coalitions have started looking into potentially cutting the working week to four days.

The champions of free-market capitalism promised their way of life would bring us freedom, but it wasn't freedom at all. From the lack of secure, affordable housing to growing job insecurity and rising personal debt, the individual is trapped.[20] Nine decades ago, leading economists predicted that technological advances and rising productivity would mean that we'd be working a 15-hour week by now. That target has been somewhat missed.

Here is the most malignant fret to our personal freedom, particularly as the balance of power in the workplace has been shifted so dramatically from worker to boss. A huge portion of our lives involves surrender of our freedom and personal autonomy.[21] It's time in which we are directed by the needs and desires of others, and denied the right to make our own choices. That's bad for us. It's hardly surprising that over half a million workers suffer from work-related mental health conditions each year. All that 15.4 million working days were lost to work-related stress last year—a jump of nearly a quarter. Yes, there are those who, far from being overworked, actually seek more hours, but a shorter working week would enable us to redistribute hours from the overworked to the underworked.

We need to look at ways of cutting the working week without slashing living standards. After all, the world's workers have already suffered the worst deduction in wages since the early 1800s. And cutting the working week would be conducive to the individual, giving millions of workers more time to spend as they see fit.

19. What do people often feel guilty about according to the speaker?

20. What did leading economists predict 90 years ago?

21. What is the result of denying workers' right to make their own choices?

【整体预测】

快速浏览本部分各题选项,由选项中出现的与工作或赚钱相关的词汇workplace, earning enough money, working, jobs, workers, working hours可知,本篇讲话内容与工作有关,可能涉及员工、职场、工作时间或薪酬等内容。听录音时需听清与各选项相关的细节,注意对讲话细节内容的提取。

19. D

【解题思路】

1. 四项都是以not开头的动名词短语,描述的都是某种不好的行为。

2. 根据选项内容,本题很可能考查某些人所做的不好的事情,这种事情可能与他们对待工作或家庭时的不当行为有关。

【解析】 本题就人们经常感到内疚的事情进行提问。在讲话开头部分,讲话者对自由市场资本主义进行了批判,指出它束缚住了我们。讲话者说,我们不太可能在生命的最后时刻后悔自己没有努力工作,而是会“因为没有把时间花在看着孩子长大、陪伴我们爱的人、旅游或者能给我们带来快乐的文化休闲活动上而感到内疚”,由此可知,选项D的表述与原文相符,为正确答案。讲话者说接受职场革命势在必行,但没有说人们因不能在职场革命中起作用而内疚,故排除选项A。选项B的说法本身没有问题,但不是人们感到内疚的原因,故排除。讲话者没有提到选项C,故也排除。

20. A

【解题思路】 四项描述的是将来可能发生的事情,一项提到了工作时长,一项提到了职场中权力的平衡,一项提到了技术进步,一项描述了员工的收入状况。听录音时要重点听与选项关键词(working only fifteen hours a week, balance of power in the workplace, technological advances, afford to have a house of their own)相关的内容。

【解析】 本题就主流经济学家90年前预测的内容进行提问。讲话者在录音中间部分提到:“90年前,一些主流经济学家们预测,到现在,技术进步和不断提高的生产力将意味着我们每周只需要工作15个小时。”因此,选项A与原文表述相符,为正确答案。讲话中指出,职场中的权力平衡已经很明显地从员工转移到老板身上,但这不是经济学家预测的内容,故排除选项B。经济学家们预测,技术进步会缩短人们的周工作时间,而不是会创造很多新的工作,故排除选项C。选项D讲话中没有提及,故也可排除。

21. C

【解题思路】

1. 四项都是名词短语,描述的都是不好的结果。

2. 三项提到了workers,一项提到了working,该题提问内容可能与员工的工作状态有关。

【解析】 本题就不让员工自己做选择的后果进行提问。讲话者提到:“我们的时间由其他人的需求和意愿所控制,我们被剥夺了自主选择的权利。这对我们来说是不利的。每年有超过50万的员工面临与工作相关的心理健康问题,这不足为奇。”也就是说,剥夺员工自主选择权的后果就是,他们会遇到严重的心理健康问题,故答案选C。讲话中没有提到员工失去自尊、创造力被剥夺的问题,故排除选项A和B。讲话者在最后提到了重新分配工作时间,但工作时长分配不公不是员工自主选择权被剥夺的后果,故排除选项D。

Recording Three

【听力原文】

Today I'm going to talk about Germany's dream airport in Berlin. The airport looks exactly like every other major modern airport in Europe, except for one big problem: more than 7 years after it was originally supposed to open, it still stands empty. Germany is known for its efficiency and refined engineering, but when it comes to its new “ghost airport”, this reputation could not be further from the truth.[22] Plagued by long delays, perpetual mismanagement and ever-soaring costs, the airport has become something of a joke among Germans and a source of frustration for local politicians, business leaders and residents alike. Planning for the new airport began in 1989.[23] At the time, it became clear that the newly-reunified Berlin would need a modern airport with far greater capacity than its existing airports. The city broke ground on the new airport in 2006.

The first major sign of problems came in summer 2010, when the construction corporation pushed the opening from October 2011 to June 2012. In 2012, the city planned an opening ceremony. But less than a month beforehand, inspectors found significant problems with the fire safety system and pushed the opening back again to 2013.[24] It wasn't just the smoke system. Many other major problems subsequently emerged. More than 90 metres of cable were incorrectly installed; 4,000 doors were wrongly numbered; escalators were too short. And there was a shortage of check-in desks.

So why, with so many problems discovered, didn't the airport corporation decide to give up on the project and start over? The reason is simple. People are often hesitant to terminate a project when they've already invested time or resources into it, even if it might make logical sense to do so. The longer the delays continued, the more problems inspectors found. Leadership of the planning corporation has changed hands nearly as many times as the opening date has been pushed back. Initially, rather than appointing a general contractor to run the project, the corporation decided to manage it themselves despite lack of experience with an undertaking of that scale.

[25] To compound the delays, the unused airport is resulting in massive costs. Every month it remains unopened costs between €9 and €10m. Assuming all goes well, the airport should open in October 2020. But the still empty airport stands as the biggest embarrassment to Germany's reputation for efficiency and a continuing drain on city and state resources.

22. What does the speaker say about the dream airport in Berlin?

23. Why was there a need for a new airport in Berlin?

24. Why did Berlin postpone the opening of its dream airport again and again?

25. What happens while the airport remains unused?

【整体预测】

由选项关键词airport, German, efficiency, city, problems, Berlin等可基本判断,本篇讲话的内容很可能与一座机场遇到的问题有关,还涉及德国和柏林。

22. C

【解题思路】

1. 四个选项都以it开头,两项是一般现在时,两项是现在完成时。听录音时要注意弄清楚it的指代对象。

2. 其中三个选项跟德国或德国人有关,两项包含airport(机场)。

【解析】 本题问关于柏林的梦想机场,讲话者说了什么。讲话者在一开始提到,柏林的梦想机场依然处于空置状态。由于长期的(开放)延误、持续的管理不善和不断飙升的成本,该机场成为德国人的笑谈对象,并给当地政客、商业领袖,同样还有当地居民带来挫败感。所以选项C的说法与讲话内容一致,故为正确答案。讲话中虽然提到,机场一直延迟开放的一个原因便是管理不善,但是并没有说它是德国历史上管理最差的机场,选项A推理过度,可排除。讲话者提到,德国一向以高效闻名,而这座“幽灵机场”一直推迟开放日期,可以说它是德国效率的反面典型,而非典型象征,故选项D正反混淆。讲话者并未提及选项B,可排除。

23. B

【解题思路】

1. 四个选项以the city作主语,其中两项为一般过去时,一项为过去完成时。可推测,本题问的是过去发生的事情。

2. 四个选项的关键词分别为outdated, reunified, boost its economy, attract more tourists。

【解析】 本题问柏林当时为何需要一座新机场。讲话者在讲话中间部分提到,新机场的规划始于1989年。当时,刚统一的柏林明显需要一个容量远远超过其现有机场的现代化机场。即柏林当时刚刚统一,急需一座容量极大的机场,选项B的说法符合讲话内容,故为正确答案。其余三项讲话者并未提及,均可排除。

24. D

【解题思路】

1. 三个选项描述了三种不同的负面情况,可推测本题可能考查过去发生的某件不好的事。

2. 四个选项的关键词分别为government...changing hands, breached the contract, shortage of funding, problems of different kinds。

【解析】 本题问柏林一再推迟开放梦想机场的原因。讲话者在讲话中间提到,检查员发现柏林梦想机场的消防安全系统存在重大问题,后来许多其他重大问题也随后出现。即柏林一再推迟梦想机场的开放日期是因为各种各样的问题不断出现,选项D的说法与讲话内容一致,故为正确答案。讲话中提到,最初,规划公司决定自己管理项目,而它的领导层的更换次数几乎都赶得上开放日期被推迟的次数了,而非市政府的领导一直在更换,选项A偷换概念。其余两项讲话并未提及,可排除。

25. C

【解题思路】

1. 四个选项描述了四种不同的负面情况。

2. 四个选项的关键词分别为tourism...suffers, equipment gets rusted, maintenance costs, complaints by local residents。

【解析】 本题问机场不投入使用的后果。讲话者在结尾部分提到,让延迟开放更严重的是,未投入使用的机场正在造成巨额花费。每个月,未开放的机场耗费的成本达900万至1000万欧元。所以选项C的说法与原文相符,故为正确答案。讲话者并未提及其余三项,均可排除。 y8+OMC6OHA29UQDPBEmkq7ZPnhVzmwK3ZK78LfZu1zqplXHmjs36MoOUILvybZRh

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