Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage one

It’s an age-old dispute: Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus. Males and females show different behaviors almost from birth. Researchers say these behaviors are due to basic differences in brain structure and activity. Studies show men are better at hitting targets and solving math problems while women are better memorizing words and recognizing faces. Why the difference?

A test of the brain’s electrical activity shows that women commonly use both sides of their brain while men rely more on one. Scientists already know that the two sides of the brain control different functions- one controlling the sense of space, for example, the other controlling language. Some researchers believe that the different ways men and women use their brain evolved from ancient times, when cave men hunted and women cared for the children. Men had to have good aim. Women had to talk to the kids.

Whatever the explanation, the battle of the sexes continues. And although their brains are constructed slightly differently, men and women may be equally capable. They may simply rely on different abilities. Take a couple arguing over the location of their car in a parking lot. The man might use his sense of space to find it, while the woman relies on her recognition of landmarks. They both find the car. But chances are, they’ll still argue about who’s the better driver and who’s better at finding the way home.

Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.

26. When do men and women begin to show different behaviors?

27. According to the speaker, why do women commonly use both sides of the brain?

28. In a parking lot, men and women rely on what to find their cars?

Passage Two

When the prices of stocks go up, it’s called a bull market. When the prices of stocks go down, it’s called a bear market. No one is really sure where these names come from, but they have been around since the 1800s. Some people think they are based on how real bulls and bears behave. When a bull catches you, it tosses you up with its horns. When a bear catches you, it pulls you down with its paws.

Because you can lose money buying stock, it is very important to learn everything you can about a business before investing in its stock. All businesses, no matter how good they are, have their ups and downs. But if you learn all you can about a business before buying the stock, and are prepared to hold on to the stock for many years, you will probably be able to sell it for more than you paid for it.

More than seventeen million Americans own stock. It is very likely that your parents or some of your relatives own some. Who knows, someone in your family may own a piece of McDonald’s or Disney or Wal-mart. Find out. Then the next time you go to one of these places you can tell the people who work there that you know an owner.

Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.

29. Why do people call the market “bull-market” and “bear-market”?

30. How could you earn money from the stock market?

31. How many Americans own stock?

Passage Three

I’m sure almost everyone looked at their watch or at a clock before coming to class today. Watches and clocks seem as much part of our life as breathing or eating. And yet, did you know that watches and clocks were rare in the United States until the 1850s? In the late 1700s, people didn’t know the exact time unless they were near a clock. Those delightful clocks in the squares of European towns were built for the public. After all, most citizens simply couldn’t afford a personal time piece. Well into the 1800s, in Europe and the United States, the main purpose of a watch, which by the way was off and on a gold chain, was to show others how wealthy you were. The word “wrist watch” didn’t even enter the English language until nearly 1900. By then the rapid pace of industrialization in the United States meant that measuring time had become essential. How could the factory worker get to work on time unless he or she knew exactly what time it was? Since the efficiency was now measured by how fast the job was done, everyone was interested in time. And since industrialization made possible the manufacturing of large quantities of goods, watches became fairly inexpensive. Furthermore electric lights kept factories going around the clock. Being “on time” had entered the language and life of every citizen.

Questions 32to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

32. What does the professor mainly discuss?

33. What was true of watches before the 1850s?

34. According to the speaker, why did some people wear watches in the 1800s?

35.Why is everyone now interested in time?

Section C

Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.

Do you know that Americans buy over 14 billion [36] gallons of soft drinks every year? That’s the same as everyone drinking 576 cans a year, or almost two cans a day. Does this sound like your life style? Some teenagers [37] claim they need a Coke to [38] start off the day. Many students [39] include a soft drink as part of their lunch at school. And it’s very common to [40] grab a can out of the fridge to drink with your dinner.

If you’re a teenage boy, you’re in the group of the biggest soft drink [41] consumers in the nation! Teenage boys may rank high in soft drink [42] consumption, but they rank low when it comes to other parts of the food pyramid. Only 11% of boys and 16% of girls eat the [43] recommended amount of fruit each day, and only 36% of boys and 14% of girls get the right amount of calcium. [44] Will soft drinks give you strong bones? No way!

The advertising has obviously worked, but we might experience more health problems as a result of the amount of soft drinks we consume. Drinking soft drinks instead of milk may increase the chance of osteoporosis, a disease which weakens your bones. [45] The added calories, coupled with less exercise, can also put on the pounds, putting you at risk for diseases like diabetes. Your teeth are also in danger. Not even two trips to the dentist a year can save you from the potential damage from too many soft drinks. [46] There’s a high concentration of sugar in soft drinks and when that sugar sits on your teeth for any length of time, it can cause tooth decay.

英語周報07年12月四級考試聽力模擬(二)

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