英语四级新闻听力20191205
2019年12月大学英语四级听力VOA慢速英语(34)
2019年12月大学英语四级听力VOA慢速英语(34)WASHINGTON— Washington is refocused on aviation security after last week’s EgyptAir disaster over the Mediterranean that killed all 66 on board the flight from Paris to Cairo. Although the cause of the deadly crash has yet to be determined, U.S. lawmakers are renewing demands that airport screening be both thorough and speedy.The EgyptAir disaster raises questions and concerns at a time when U.S. air travelers already experience record lines and delays passing through security. Some lawmakers arepoint ing a finger at Islamic State for last week’s crash.“We know they successfully took down an airliner flying from Egypt to Russia,” said Republican Congressman Ed Royce on ABC-TV’s This Week program. “We know that they are working on a bomb that’s undetectable.”FILE An airline passenger is patted down by a TSA agent after passing through a full-body scanner at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California, Feb. 20, 2014. The TSA is under fire as waiting periods for passenger screenings grow.If lawmakers are assuming a heightened terrorist threat until evidence proves otherwise, pressure will mount on federal airport screeners, widely reported to be understaffed and overburdened even on the best of days.“One of the difficulties we’ve had is with a great deal of turnover at TSA, and there are certainly management problems at TSA,” Royce added.Last year, reports surfaced that federal screeners had failed to detect fake weapons and explosives in an alarming percentage of tests. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) insists that gaps and vulnerabilities have been fixed.Complex task“We have retrained our entire workforce, corrected procedures, improved our technology and analyzed systemic issues,” said TSA Adminis trator Peter Neffenger testifying on Capitol Hill earlier this year. “I am also confident that TSA is able to deter, detect and disrupt threats to our aviation system.”Security may be improved, but tempers have been flaring at U.S. airports with some travelers waiting hours to board their flights, or missing flights because of long security check lines.“On the one hand, we are looking for 100 percent security,” said Republican Senator Ron Johnson at a hearing where TSA whistleblowers came forward. “On the other hand, we are looking for complete efficiency so that lines don’t back up. It’s an enormously complex and difficult task.”As America enters the busy summer travel season, the White House has a simple message – safety comes first.“Obviou sly, our first priority is making sure that people are safe,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz said Friday. “TSA must continue its rigorous security screenings and we're not going to lower our standards for the sake of convenience.”Once pinpointed, the cause of the EgyptAir disaster may or may not heighten concerns about the ability of terrorists to down airliners. But lawmakers aren’t waiting and will be pressing for answers at hearings this week.。
2019年四级12月听力原文
2019年12月大学英语四级听力部分原文Part I Section ALong ConversationText 1M: I’m so lucky to have found this job. I really enjoy my work and I think I get on very well with my colleagues.W: That’s great. It’s always so important to get on well with the people you work with, isn’t it?Text 2M: I just think the amount of money people spend on weddings is ridiculous.W: But it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event. You don’t want to look back and regret not having a proper celebration, do you?Part I Section BPassagePassage 1Sharks are scary creatures, aren’t they? When you look at them, they remind you of the dinosaurs. It’s quite unnerving to think that they have been around for over 400 million years. But in truth, sharks are not the dangerous predators movies and TVshows make them out to be. The fact is that sharks are quite shy and from reports we receive from divers, sharks are more likely to swim away from you than approach you.Passage 2In the future, we may live in a world that includes robots and other forms of intelligent life. If we want that toe true, we have to treat robots with respect now. It is important, therefore, to teach young people to have good manners and to treat robots with respect, to treat them as colleagues and not as slaves.Part II Section AShort Conversations1.M: Would you like a cup of tea?W: That would be lovely, thank you.2.W: Did you see the news about the new subway line they’re building?M: Yes, it’s supposed to make a big difference in the city’s transportation system.Part II Section BNews BroadcastNews 1Two people were injured in a shooting at a shopping mall in the downtown area. Police are looking for the shooter, who is believed to have fled the scene.News 2The government is considering a proposal to ban single-use plastic bags in order to reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste.Part III Section AListening Comprehension1. Short ConversationW: What do you think of the new restaurant down the street? M: I haven’t been there yet, but I’ve heard good things about it.2. Short PassageHumans are not particularly good at multitasking, which is not surprising. Some people may think that doing more than one thing at once is a good skill to have. But psychologists say that our br本人ns simply are not capable of doing more than one thing at a time.Part III Section BListening and Translation1. Sentence Translation我们志愿者用体育项目帮助残疾人士提高自信心和体格。
2019年12月大学英语四级真题试卷及答案(三套全)
2019年12月四级真题及答案（全三套）第一套Part I Writing (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to teach English in China. Please recommend a city to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part ⅡListening Comprehension (25 minutes) Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and then 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 1with a single line through the centre.Questions l and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) Many facilities were destroyed by a wandering cow.B) A wandering cow knocked down one of its fences.C) Some tourists were injured by a wandering cow.D) A wandering cow was captured by the police.2. A) It was shot to death by a police officer. B) It found its way back to the park’s zoo.C) It became a great attraction for tourists. D) It was sent to the animal control department. Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) It is the largest of its kind. B) It is going to be expanded.C) It is displaying more fossil specimens. D) It is staring an online exhibition.4. A) A collection of bird fossils from Australia. B) Photographs of certain rare fossil exhibits.C) Some ancient wall paintings from Australia. D) Pictures by winners of a wildlife photo contest. Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Pick up trash. B) Amuse visitors.C) Deliver messages. D) Play with children.6. A) They are especially intelligent. B) They are children’s favorite.C) They are quite easy to tame. D) They are clean and pretty.7. A) Children may be harmed by the rooks. B) Children may be tempted to drop litter.C) Children may contract bird diseases. D) Children may overfeed the rooks.Section BDirections:In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) It will be produced at Harvard University. B) It will be hosted by famous professors.C) It will cover different areas of science. D) It will focus on recent scientific discoveries.9. A) It will be more futuristic. B) It will be more systematic.C) It will be more entertaining. D) It will be easier to understand.10. A) People interested in science. B) Youngsters eager to explore.C) Children in their early teens. D) Students majoring in science.11. A) Offer professional advice. B) Provide financial support.C) Help promote it on the Internet. D) Make episodes for its first season.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) Unsure. B) Helpless. C) Concerned. D) Dissatisfied.13. A) He is too concerned with being perfect. B) He loses heart when faced with setbacks.C) He is too ambitious in achieving goals. D) He takes on projects beyond his ability.14. A) Embarrassed. B) Unconcerned. C) Miserable. D) Resentful.15. A) Try to be optimistic whatever happens. B) Compare his present with his past only.C) Always learn from others’ achievements.D) Treat others the way he would be treated.Section CDirections:In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four 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 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) They have a stronger sense of social responsibility.B) They are more likely to succeed in the humanities.C) They are more likely to become engineers.D) They have greater potential to be leaders.17. A) Praise girls who like to speak up frequently.B) Encourage girls to solve problems on their own.C) Insist that boys and girls work together more.D) Respond more positively to boys’ comments.18. A) Offer personalized teaching materials. B) Provide a variety of optional courses.C) Place great emphasis on test scores. D) Pay extra attention to top students. Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It often rains cats and dogs. B) It seldom rains in summer time.C) It does not rain as much as people think. D) It is one of the most rainy cities in the US.20. A) They drive most of the time. B) The rain is usually very light.C) They have got used to the rain. D) The rain comes mostly at night.21. A) It has a lot of places for entertainment.B) It has never seen thunder and lighting.C) It has fewer cloudy days than any other coastal city.D) It has mild weather both in summer and in winter.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) It occurs when people are doing a repetitive activity.B) It results from exerting one’s muscles continuously.C) It happens when people engage in an uncommon activity.D) It comes from staining one’s muscles in an unusual way.23. A) Blood flow and body heat increase in the affected area.B) Body movements in the affected area become difficult.C) They begin to make repairs immediately.D) They gradually become fragmented.24. A) About one week. B) About two days.C) About ten days. D) About four weeks.25. A) Apply muscle creams. B) Drink plenty of water.C) Have a hot shower. D) Take pain-killers..Part ⅢReading Comprehension (40 minutes) Section ADirections:In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.When travelling overseas, do you buy water in plastic bottles or take your chances with tap water? Imagine you are wandering about on a Thai island or 26 the ruins of Angkor. It’s hot so you grab a bottle of water from a local vendor. It’s the safe, sane thing to do, right? The bottle is27 , and the label says “pure water”, but maybe what’s inside is not so28 . Would you still be drinking it if you knew that more than 90 percent of all bottled water sold around the world 29 microplastics?That’s the conclusion of a recently30 study, which analyzed 259 bottles from 11 brands sold in nine countries, 31 an average of 325 plastic particles per liter of water. These microplastics included a 32 commonly known as PET and are widely used in the manufacture of clothing and food and 33 containers. The study was conducted at the State University of New York on behalf of Orb Media, a journalism organization. About a million bottles are bought every minute, not only by thirsty tourists but also by many of the 2.1 billion worldwide who live with unsafe drinking water.Confronted with this 34 , several bottled-water manufacturers including Nestle and Coco-Cola undertook their own studies using the same methodology. These studies showed that their water did contain microplastics, but far less than the Orb study suggested. Regardless, the World Health Organization has now launched a review into the 35 health risks of drinking water from plastic bottles.Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The Quiet Heroism of Mail Delivery[A] On Wednesday, a polar wind brought bitter cold to the Midwest. Overnight, Chicago reached a low of 21 degrees Fahrenheit below zero, making it slightly colder than Antarctica, Alaska, and the North Pole. Wind chills were 64 degrees below zero in Park Rapids, Minnesota, and 45 degrees below zero in Buffalo, North Dakota, according to the National Weather Service. Schools, restaurants, and businesses closed, and more than 1,000 flights have been canceled.[B] Even the United States Postal Service (USPS) suspended mail delivery temporarily. “Due to this arctic outbreak and concerns for the safety of USPS employees,” USPS announced Wednesday morning, “the Postal Service is suspending delivery Jan. 30 in the following 3-digit ZIP Code locations.” Twelve regions were listed as unsafe on Wednesday; on Thursday, eight remained.[C] As global surface temperatures increase, so does the likelihood of extreme weather. In 2018 alone, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, mudslides, and other natural disasters cost at least $49 billion in the United States. As my colleague V ann Newkirk reported, Puerto Rico is still confronting economic and structural destruction and resource scarcity from 2017’s Hurrican e Maria. Natural disasters can wreck a community’s infrastructure, disrupting systems for months or years. Some services, however, remind us that life will eventually return, in some form, to normal.[D] Days after the deadly 2017 wildfires in Santa Rosa, California, a drone caught footage of a USPS worker, Trevor Smith, driving through burned homes in that familiar white van, collecting mail in an affected area. Thevideo is striking: The operation is familiar, but the scene looks like the end of the world. According to Rae Ann Haight, the program manager for the national-preparedness office at USPS, Smith was fulfilling a request made by some of the home owners to pick up any mail that was left untouched. For Smith, this was just another day on the job. “I followed my route like I normally do,” Smith told a reporter. “As I’d come across a box that was up but with no house, I checked, and there was mail—outgoing mail—in it. And so we picked those up and carried on.”[E] USPS has sophisticated emergency plans for natural disasters. Across the country, 285 emergency-management teams are devoted to crisis control. These teams are trained annually using a framework known as the three Ps: people, property, product. After mail service stops due to weather, the agen cy’s top priority is ensuring that employees are safe. Then it evaluates the health of infrastructure, such as the roads that mail carriers drive on. Finally, it decides when and how to re-open operations. If the destruction is extreme, mail addressed to the area will get sent elsewhere. In response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, USPS redirected incoming New Orleans mail to existing mail facilities in Houston. Mail that was already processed in New Orleans facilities was moved to an upper floor so it would be protected from water damage.[F] As soon as it’s safe enough to be outside, couriers start distributing accumulated mail on the still-accessible routes. USPS urges those without standing addresses to file change-of-address forms with their new location. After Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, mail facilities were set up in dozens of other locations across the country in the two weeks that USPS was unable to provide street delivery.[G] Every day, USPS processes, on average, 493.4 million pieces of mail—anything from postcards to Social Security checks to medicine. Spokespeople from both USPS and UPS told me all mail is important. But some mail can be extremely sensitive and timely. According to data released in January 2017, 56 percent of bills are paid online, which means that just under half of payments still rely on delivery services to be completed. [H] It can be hard to identify which parcels are carrying crucial items such as Social Security checks, but USPS and UPS try their best to prioritize sensitive material. They will coordinate with the Social Security Administration to make sure that Social Security checks reach the right people in a timely fashion. After Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael last fall, USPS worked with state and local election boards to make sure that absentee ballots were available and received on time.[I] Mail companies are logistics companies, which puts them in a special position to help when disaster strikes. In a 2011 USPS case study, the agency emphasized its massive in frastructure as a “unique federal asset” to be called upon in a disaster or terrorist attack. “I think we’re unique as a federal agency,” USPS official MikeSwigart told me, “because we’re in literally every community in this country … We’re obligated to d eliver to that point on a daily basis.”[J] Private courier companies, which have more dollars to spend, use their expertise in logistics to help revitalize damaged areas after a disaster. For more than a decade, FedEx has supported the American Red Cross in its effort to get emergency supplies to areas affected by disasters, both domestically and internationally. In 2012, the company distributed more than 1,200 MedPacks to Medical Reserve Corps groups in California, and donated space for 3.1 million pounds of charitable shipping globally. Last October, the company pledged $1 million in cash and transportation support for Hurricanes Florence and Michael. UPS’s charitable arm, the UPS Foundation, uses the company’s logistics to help disaster-struck areas rebu ild. “We realize that as a company with people, trucks, warehouses, we needed to play a larger role,” said Eduardo Martinez, the president of the UPS Foundation. The company employs its trucks and planes to deliver food, medicine, and water. The day before I spoke to Martinez in November, he had been touring the damage from Hurricane Michael in Florida with the American Red Cross. “We have an obligation to make sure our communities are thriving, prosperous,” he said.[K] Rebuilding can take a long time, and even then, impressions of the disaster may still remain. Returning to a sense of normalcy can be difficult, but some small routines—mail delivery being one of them—may help residents remember that their communities are still their communities. “When they see that carrier back out on the street,” Swigart said, “that’s the first sign to them that life is starting to return to normal.”36. The United States Postal Service has a system to ensure its employees’ safety.37. One official says USPS is unique in that it has more direct reach to communities compared with other federal agencies38. Natural disasters can have a long-lasting impact on community life.39. Mail delivery service i$ still responsible for the completion of almost half of payments.40. The sight of a mailman on the street is a reassuring sign of life becoming normal again.41. After Hurricane Katrina interrupted routine delivery, temporary mail service points were set up.42. Postal service in some regions in the U.S. was suspended due to extreme cold weather.43. Private postal companies also support disaster relief efforts by distributing urgent supplies.44. A dedicated USPS employee was on the job carrying out duties in spite of extreme conditions.45. Postal services work hard to identify items that require priority treatment.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Professor Ashok Goel of Georgia Tech developed an artificially intelligent teaching assistant to help handle the enormous number of student questions in the online class, Knowledge Based Artificial Intelligence. This online course is a core requirement of Georgia Tech’s online Master of Science in Computer Science program. Professor G oel already had 8 teaching assistants, but that wasn’t enough to deal with the overwhelming number of questions from students.Many students drop out of online courses because of the lack of teaching support. When students feel isolated or confused and reach out with questions that go unanswered, their motivation to continue begins to fade. Professor Goel decided to do something to remedy this situation and his solution was to create a virtual assistant named Jill Watson, which is based on the IBM Watson platform.Goel and his team developed several versions of Jill Watson before releasing her to the online forums. At first, the virtual assistant wasn’t too great. But Goel and his team sourced the online discussion forum to find all 40,000 questions that had ever been asked since the class was launched. Then they began to feed Jill the questions and answers. After some adjustment and sufficient time, Jill was able to answer the students’ questions correctly 97% of the time. The virtual assistant became so advanced and realistic that the students didn’t know she was a computer. The students, who were studying artificial intelligence, were interacting with artificial intelligence and couldn’t tell it apart from a real human being. Goel didn’t inform them about Jill’s true identity until April 26. The students were actually very positive about the experience.The goal of Professor Goel’s virtual assistant next year is to take over answering 40% of all questions posed by students on the online forum. The name, Jill Watson, will of course, change to something else next semester. Professor Goel has a much rosier outlook on the future of AI than say, Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates or Steve Wozniak.46. What do we learn about Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence?A) It is a robot that can answer students’ questions.B) It is a course designed for students to learn online.C) It is a high-tech device that revolutionizes teaching.D) It is a computer program that aids student learning.47. What problem did Professor Goel meet with?A) His students were unsatisfied with the assistants.B) His course was too difficult for the students.C) Students’ questions were too many to handle.D) Too many students dropped out of his course.48. What do we learn about Jill Watson?A) She turned out to be a great success. B) She got along pretty well with students.C) She was unwelcome to students at first. D) She was released online as an experiment.49. How did the students feel about Jill Watson?A) They thought she was a bit too artificial. B) They found her not as capable as expected.C) They could not but admire her knowledge. D) They could not tell her from a real person.50. What does Professor Goel plan to do next with Jill Watson?A) Launch different versions of her online.B) Feed her with new questions and answers.C) Assign her to answer more of students’ questions.D) Encourage students to interact with her more freely.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Thinking small, being enga ging, and having a sense of humor don’t hurt. Those are a few of the traits of successful science crowdfunding efforts that emerge from a recent study that examined nearly 400 campaigns. But having a large network and some promotional skills may be more crucial.Crowdfunding, raising money for a project through online appeals, has taken off in recent years for everything from making movies to building water-saving gadgets. Scientists have tried to tap Internet donors, too, with mixed success. Some raised more than twice their goal, but others have fallen short of reaching more modest targets.To determine what separates science crowdfunding triumphs from failures, a team led by science communications scholar Mike Schäfer of the University of Zurich in Switzerland examined the content of the WebPages for 371 recent campaigns.Four traits stood out for those that achieved their goals, the researchers report in Public Understanding of Science. For one, they use a crowdfunding platform that specializes in raising money for science, and not just any kind of project. Although sites like Kickstarter take all comers, platforms such as , , and only present scientific projects. For another, they present the project with a funny video because good visuals and a sense of humor improved success. Most of them engage with potential donors since projects that answered questions from interested donors and posted lab notes fared better. And they target a small amount of money. The projects included in the study raised $4000 on average, with 30% of projects receiving less than $1000. The more money a project sought, the lower the chance it reached its goal, the researchers found.Other factors may also significantly influence a project’s success, most notably, the size of a scientist’s personal and professional networks, and how much a researcher promotes a project on his or her own. Those two factors are by far more critical than the content on the page. Crowdfunding can be part of researc hers’ efforts to reach the public, and people give because “they feel a connection to the person” who is doing the fundraising—not necessarily to the science.51. What do we learn about the scientists trying to raise money online for their projects?A) They did not raise much due to modest targets.B) They made use of mixed fundraising strategies.C) Not all of them achieved their anticipated goals.D) Most of them put movies online for the purpose.52. What is the purpose of Mike Schäfer’s research of rece nt crowdfunding campaigns?A) To create attractive content for science websites.B) To identify reasons for their different outcomes.C) To help scientists to launch innovative projects.D) To separate science projects from general ones.53. What trait contributes to the success of a crowdfunding campaign?A) The potential benefit to future generations. B) Its interaction with prospective donors.C) Its originality in addressing financial issues. D) The value of the proposed project.54. What did the researchers think of the financial targets of crowdfunding projects?A) They should be small to be successful. B) They should be based on actual needs.C) They should be assessed with great care. D) They should be ambitious to gain notice.55. What motivates people to donate in a crowdfunding campaign?A) The ease of access to the content of the webpage.B) Their desire to contribute to the cause of science.C) The significance and influence of the project itself.D) Their feeling of connection to the scientists themselves.Part ⅣTranslation (30 minutes) Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国家庭十分重视孩子的教育。
2019年12月大学英语四级考试听力真题-第二套
2019年12月大学英语四级考试真题听力（第二套）Part ⅠWriting (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to learn Chinese. Please recommend a city to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions l and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A) The number of male nurses has gone down.B) There is discrimination against male nurses.C) There is a growing shortage of medical personnel.D) The number of nurses has dropped to a record low.2.A) Working conditions.B) Educational system.C) Inadequate pay.D) Cultural bias.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3.A) He fell out of a lifeboat.B) He was almost drowned.C) He lost his way on a beach.D) He enjoyed swimming in the sea.4.A) The lifeboats patrol the area round the clock.B) The beach is a good place to watch the tide.C) The emergency services are efficient.D) The beach is a popular tourist resort.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5.A) It climbed 25 storeys at one go.B) It broke into an office room.C) It escaped from a local zoo.D) It became an online star.6.A) Release it into the wild.B) Return it to its owner.C) Send it back to the zoo.D) Give it a physical checkup.7.A) A racoon can perform acts no human can.B) A racoon can climb much higher than a cat.C) The racoon did something no politician could.D) The raccoon became as famous as some politicians.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A) She received a bonus unexpectedly.B) She got a well-paying job in a bank.C She received her first monthly salary.D) She got a pay raise for her performance.9.A) Two decades ago.B) Several years ago.C) Just last month.D) Right after graduation.10.A) He sent a small check to his parents.B) He treated his parents to a nice meal.C) He took a few of his friends to a gym.D) He immediately deposited it in a bank.11.A) Join her colleagues for gym exercise.B) Visit her former university campus.C) Buy some professional clothes.D) Budget her salary carefully.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A) He has just too many things to attend to.B) He has been overworked recently.C) He has a difficult decision to make.D) He has just quarreled with his girlfriend.13.A) Turn to his girlfriend for assistance.B) Give priority to things more urgent.C) Think twice before making the decision.D) Seek advice from his family and advisor.14.A) His girlfriend does not support his decision.B) He is not particularly keen on the job offered.C) He lacks the money for his doctoral program.D) His parents and advisor have different opinions.15.A)They need time to make preparations.B) They haven’t started their careers yet.C) They need to save enough money for it.D) They haven’t won their parents’approval.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four 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 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A) Expressing ideas and opinions freely.B) Enriching social and intellectual lives.C) Acquiring information and professional knowledge.D) Using information to understand and solve problems.17.A) Traveling to different places in the world.B) Playing games that challenge one’s mind.C) Improving mind-reading strategies.D) Reading classic scientific literature.18.A) Participate in debates or discussions.B) Expose themselves to different cultures.C) Discard personal biases and prejudices.D) Give others freedom to express themselves.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) Why dogs can be faithful friends of humans.B) The nature of relationships between dogs.C) The reason a great many people love dogs.D) How dogs feel about their bonds with humans.20.A) They behave like other animals in many ways.B) They have an unusual sense of responsibility.C) They can respond to humans’questions.D) They can fall in love just like humans.21.A) They stay with one partner for life.B) They have their own joys and sorrows.C) They experience true romantic love.D) They help humans in various ways.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A) A rare animal.B) A historical site.C) A cow bone.D) A precious stone.23. A) Dating it.B) Preserving it.C) Measuring it.D) Identifying it.24.A) The channel needs to interview the boy.B) The boy should have called an expert.C) The boy's family had acted correctly.D) The site should have been protected.25.A) Conduct a more detailed search.B) Ask the university to reward Jude.C) Search for similar fossils elsewhere.D) Seek additional funds for the search.1-5 DACBA 6-10 BDCBD 11-15 CACBC 16-20 BCDAC 21-25 DABBD。
2019年12月英语四级听力新闻：经济
2019年12月英语四级听力新闻：经济类词汇（四）英语四级听力新闻：经济类词汇interest利息International Finance Corporation/IFC国际金融公司International Monetary Found/IMF国际货币基金组织investment trust投资信托investment投资，资产investor投资人issue发行股票land tax地租，地价税lender债权人liberal economy自由经济London Stock Market伦敦股票市场long term loan长期贷款manufactured goods/finished goods制成品，产成品maturity到期日，偿还日medium term loan中期贷款mixed economy混合经济money货币mortgage抵押National city Bank of New York花旗银行national income国民收入net income纯收益，净收入，收益净额New York Stock Exchange/NYSE纽约证券交易所opening price开盘operating costs生产费用，营业成本operating expenses营业费用Organization for Economic cooperation and Development/DECD经济合作与开发组织Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries/OPEC石油输出国组织output产出，产量overhead costs营业间接成本overheads杂项开支，间接成本overproduction生产过剩par value股面价格，票面价格petrodollar石油美元planned economy计划经济political economy政治经济学preference stock优先股price index物价指数price-curbing policy抑制物价政策primary sector初级成分private sector私营成分，私营部门producer生产者，制造者productive/producing生产的productiveness赢利性productivity生产率。
2019年12月大学英语四级听力VOA慢速英语(5)
2019年12月大学英语四级听力VOA慢速英语(5)The annual Washington Auto Show opened its doors to the general public Tuesday, after a three-day delay caused by a snowstorm that hit the U.S. East Coast. More than 30 world-class auto makers exhibited their latest models, placing special emphasis on connectivity.Coming on the heels of the larger shows in Los Angeles and Detroit, the Washington Auto Show has carved out a niche as the one that emphasizes new technologies, especially those that cause less damage to the environment.But with falling oil prices, the promotion of thriftier hybrid or all-electric vehicles was somewhat muted, shifting the auto show's focus to connectivity and automatization.Automotive engineering professor, Zoran Filipi, says the technology in this Mercedes S-class model shows that we are at the dawn of cars that almost drive themselves.“It has lane-keeping ability, it has advanced radar-based system to keep the vehicle’s speed also in sync with other vehicles and this can completely alleviate your effort, driving effort, in stop-and-go situations too, and finally the collision avoidance," said Filipi.Very soon we will see these technologies trickling-down to more affordable models as car makers work to develop fully autonomous-driving cars.In the meantime, says Filipi, fuel efficiency has improved 20 percent over the last 10 years.“This has mostly been achieved with advanced engine technologies – direct injection, turbo-charging, coupled to very modern transmissions, eight, nine, ten speeds that keep the engine running in the best possible region," he said.Almost all new models have built-in display screens that connect the vehicle to the driver’s smartphone and the Internet, helping in navigation, taking voice commands, and sending and receiving messages.“Therefore you can use all the applications you are used to, everything that is tailored to your needs in your car and it’s very seamless," said Filipi.Larger manufacturers, such as Toyota, say their all-electric fuel-cell cars are ready for the market and the only obstacle is the lack of charging stations.Others promote their hybrid gas-electric models, saying that the number of charging stations is constantly rising while the price of home chargers is dropping.South Korean carmaker Hyundai even offers a lifetime warranty for the battery in its top-of-the-line model, hoping to make the hybrid car more attractive to customers.。
2019年12月英语四级听力新闻：生活篇(二)
2019年12月英语四级听力新闻：生活篇（二）英语四级听力新闻词汇：生活篇express train 快车extended family 大家庭extension 范围，扩展family tree 家谱flat 居住单元，套房freight train 货运车gross wages 全部收入high street 大街，主要街道hydrant 消火栓immunity 豁免，豁免权inhabitants 居民junk shop 旧货店lease 租约legislation 立法lighting 照明limited express 特快locality 所在地metropolis 大都市minutes 备忘录monument 纪念碑movables 动产municipality 市政*net/real wages 实际收入newsstand 报摊nuclear family 核心家庭occupational disease 职业病offender 罪犯old-age pension 退休金，养老金 origin 出身outskirts 郊区overtime 超时，加班passenger train 客运车pavement/sidewalk人行道，便道 pedestrian 行人private car 私人汽车race/breed 种族real estate 不动产residential area 居民区，住宅区 revocation 撤销round-trip ticket 往返票 rush hour 高峰时间sanction 制裁shift work 换班工作。
2019年12月大学英语四级听力VOA慢速英语(35)
2019年12月大学英语四级听力VOA慢速英语(35)RFE/RL Journalist Released From Azerbaijan Prison自由欧洲电台被关押在记者从阿塞拜疆释放A journalist from Azerbaijan was released from prison on Wednesday.周三阿塞拜疆监狱释放了一名记者。
Khadija Ismayilova will now be permitted to serve her sentence at home. The country’s supreme court also reduced her sentence from seven years to just over three years.阿塞拜疆记者伊斯马·伊洛娃(Khadija Ismayilova)现被允许在家中服刑。
阿塞拜疆法院也将其服刑期由原来的7年缩短到3年。
Ismayilova is a reporter for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She has won awards for her investigative journalism.伊洛娃是自由欧洲电台的记者。
她曾凭借自己的新闻调查赢得了奖。
In 2015, Ismayilova was sentenced to prison on charges of tax evasion and abuse of power. Many think the charges were motivated by politics.2015年，她因非法营商及逃税等经济罪名被判刑。
很多人认为这样的指控是出于某种政治原因。
John Lansing is the CEO and director of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Lansing said her release was a“positive develop ment for the people of Azerbaijan and a step forward for press freedom.”约翰·兰辛(John Lansing)是美国广播理事会的CEO。
- 1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性，平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
- 2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
- 3、如文档侵犯您的权益，请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间：9:00-18:30)。
一、听力练习
1.
A. To defend Africa against sandstorm.
B. To restore damaged land across areas south of the Sahara.
C. To protect natural recourses.
D. To improve living standard by selling fruits.
2.
A. Being drought resistant.
B. Providing nutrients.
C. Providing a way to make money.
D. Requiring a lot of rainfall.
二、听力文本
Many areas of North Africa have seen a sharp decrease in rainfall over the last 50 years. Some experts say the lack of rainfall will worsen in the future. In Tunisia, fresh groundwater supplies are decreasing quickly. About two-thirds of the land is threatened by a lack of rain and loss of trees. A report by the Netherlands Foreign Ministry from 2018 says that the effects of climate change may slow Tunisia's growth in its two main industries - tourism and agriculture. Tunisian officials plan to cut the amount of carbon dioxide the country produces to 41 percent of levels measured in 2010 by the 2030s. Carbon dioxide gas is linked to warming of the Earth's atmosphere. However, critics say Tunisia has been slow to match words with action. The African Union is leading an effort called the ‘Great Green Wall' initiative. The project aims to restore damaged land across areas south of the Sahara, commonly called the Sahel. In North Africa, some national projects to fight climate change are making a difference. Tunisia will reportedly present an oases protection project at the Madrid climate conference. Local farmers in northern Algeria are seeking help from Mexican experts to plant prickly pear cactus. The desert plant needs little rainfall and provides nutrients and a way to make money. Algeria is also trying to renew efforts for a reforestation project that did not have good results.
Question 1: According to the news report, what’s the aim of the ‘Great Green Wall' initiative?
Question 2: According to the news report, which of the following is not mentioned as a feature of prickly pear cactus?
三、重点词汇
1. worsen: to become worse or to make something become worse （使）恶化；（使）更糟
2. initiative: a new plan or process to achieve something or solve a problem 倡议；新措施
3. restore: to return something or someone to an earlier good condition or position 修复；使复位；使复职
4. reportedly: according to what many people say 据传闻，据称
5. oasis: a place in a desert where there is water and therefore plants and trees and sometimes a village or town绿洲（复数oases）
6. prickly pear cactus:仙人掌
7. nutrient: any substance that plants or animals need in order to live and grow 养分；营养物，滋养物
8. reforestation: the act of planting trees on an area of land that has become empty or spoiled重新造林
四、背景知识
“非洲绿色长城”计划由非洲联盟主导，旨在积极应对撒赫尔和撒哈拉地区气候变化导致土地退化和沙漠化后对当地社会、经济、环境的不利影响，从而使干旱地区的林地、牧地及其他自然资源得到可持续管理或使用，应对当地贫困和食品安全等问题。
此计划最初的构想，是建立东西向横越非洲大陆的一排树，已演变成一个绿色长城的愿景，以解决撒赫尔和撒哈拉地区所面临挑战的居民的一项人为干预措施。
作为乡村发展的一项程序，这项次区域的合作关系的整体目标为使当地居民与自然自然环境在健全的环境保育与经营管理之下强化其环境回复力。
绿色长城撒哈拉和萨赫尔倡议（英语：Great Green Wall of the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative）（GGWSSI）将成为在乡村地区的自然资源退化和干旱的共同影响的全球性的因应，也有助于提高当地收入。
该倡议是一种支持在地社区为环境努力的合作伙伴关系，使干旱地区的林地、牧地及其他自然资源，都能做可持续性管理或使用。
另外，还寻求撒赫尔和撒哈拉地区的气候变迁的减缓和调适，以及提升当地的食品安全。
五、参考答案
Question 1: B
Question 2: D。