2019年6月大学英语四级考试听力原文(卷二)

SectionANews1(1)A9-year-oldCentralCaliforniaboybravedstrongcurrentsandcoldwatertoswimfromSanFranciscotoAlcatrazIslandandback.ACaliforniatelevisionstationinFresnoreportedTuesdaythatJamesSavagesetarecordastheyoungestswimmertomakethejourneytotheformerprison.TheTVstationreportedthatbycompletingtheswim,thefourth-graderstudentfromLosBanosbrokearecordpreviouslyheldbya10-year-oldboy.JamessaidthatwavesintheSanFranciscoBayhittinghimintheface30minutesintohisswimmadehimwanttogiveup.(2)Hisfathersaidhehadofferedhisson$100asareward.Toencouragehisstrugglingson,hedoubleditto$200.Jamespushedforward,makingittoAlcatrazIslandandbackinalittlemorethantwohours.Alcatrazisoveramilefromthemainland.1.WhatdidtheboyfromCentralCaliforniadoaccordingtothereport?2.Whatdidthefatherdotoencouragehisson?News2Onthe1stofJanuary,newregulationswillcomeintoeffectwhicheliminateanannualleavebonusforpeoplewhoputoffmarryinguntiltheageof23forwomen,and25formen,theSouthChinaMorningPostreports.(3)TheholidaybonuswasdesignedtoencourageyoungpeopletodelaygettingmarriedinlinewithChina’sonechildpolicy.Butwiththatpolicynowbeingabolished,thisholidayincentiveisnolongernecessary,thegovernmentsays.InShanghai,ayoungcoupleatamarriageregistrationofficetoldthepaperthattheydecidedtoregistertheirmarriageassoonaspossibletotakeadvantageoftheexistingpolicy,becauseanextraholidaywasabigdealforthem.InBeijing,oneregistrationofficehadabout300couplesseekingtogetmarriedthedayafterthechangeswereannounced,ratherthantheusualnumberofbetween70and80.(4)Butonelawyertellsthepaperthatthechangesstillhavetobeadoptedbylocalgovernmentsandtheseprocedurestaketime,sopeoplewhoarerushingtoregisterformarriagecanrelax.Question3:WhatwasthepurposeoftheannualleavebonusinChina?Question4:Whatdowelearnaboutthenewregulations?News3(6)Everyonelovesagoodhouseparty,butthecleaningupthenextmorningisn’tasenjoyable.(5)Now,however,aNewZealand-basedstartupcompanyaimstobringmessyhomes–andevensplittingheadaches–backtonormal.Theproperly-namedstartupMorning-AfterMaidswaslaunchedaboutamonthagoinAucklandbyroommatesRebeccaFoleyandCatherineAshurst.Asidefromcleaningup,thetwowillalsocookbreakfastandevengetcoffeeandpainkillersforrecoveringmerrymakers.Althoughthey’rebothgainfullyemployed,theyfitcleaningjobsintotheirnightsandweekends(whichiswhentheirserviceisinmostdemandanyway).(7)Besidesbeingfloodedwithrequestsfromacrossthecountry,FoleyandAshursthavealsoreceivedrequestsfromtheUSandCanadatoprovideservicesthere.Theyarereportedlymeetingwithlawyerstoseehowbesttotakethebusinessforward.Question5:Whatisthenewsreportmainlyabout?Question6:Whatisacommonproblemwithahouseparty?Question7:WhatareRebeccaFoleyandCatherineAshurstplanningtodo?SectionBConversation1W:Kyle,howdidyour(8)driver'stheoryexamgo?Itwasyesterday,right?M:Yes,IprepareditasmuchasIcould,butIwassonervoussinceitwasmysecondtry.Thepeoplewhoworkedatthetestcenterwereverykind,though.Wehadalittleconversationwhichcalmedmedownabit,andthatwasjustwhatIneeded.Then,aftertheexam,theyprintedoutmyresult,butIwasafraidtoopenituntilIwasoutside.Itwassucharelieftopass.W:Congratulations!Iknewyoucoulddoit!(9)Iguessyouunderestimatedhowdifficultitwouldbethefirsttime,didn'tyou?Ihearalotofpeoplemakethatmistakeandgoinunderprepared.Butgoodjobinpassingthesecondtime.I'msoproudofyou.Nowallyouhavetodonextisyourroadtest.Haveyouhadanylessonsyet?M:(10)Yes,thanks.I'msohappytobeactuallyontheroadnow.I'veonlyhadtwodrivinglessonssofarandmyinstructorisveryunderstanding.SoI'mreallyenjoyingitandIcan'twaitformynextsessionalthoughthelessonsareratherexpensive.Twentypoundsanhour,andtheinstructorsays,I'llneedabout30to40lessonsintotal.That'swhat--sixtoeighthundredpounds!(11)SothistimeI'llneedtomakealotmoreeffortandhopefullywillbesuccessfulthefirsttime.M:Well,goodluck!8.Whatdidthemandoyesterday?9.Whydidhefailtheexamthefirsttime?10.Whatdoesthemansayabouthisdrivinglessons?11.Whatdoesthemanhopetodonext?Longconversation2M:Emma,IgotacceptedtotheUniversityofLeeds.Sinceyou'regoingtouniversityinEngland,(12)doyouknowhowmuchitisforinternationalstudentstostudythere?W:Congratulations!Yes,Ibelieveforinternationalstudents,you'llhavetopayaround13,000poundsayear.It'sjustabitmorethanthelocalstudents.M:Ok,sothat'sabout17,000dollarsforthetuitionandfees.(13)Anyway,I'monlygoingtobethereforayeardoingmymasters,soit'sprettygood.IfIstayedintheUS,it'dtaketwoyearsandcostatleast50,000dollarsintuitionalone.(14)Also,IhaveagoodchanceofwinningascholarshipatLeeds,whichwillbeprettyawesome,thebenefitsofbeingamusicgenius.W:(14)Yeah,Iheardyou'reatalentedpianoplayer.Soyou'redoingapost-graduatedegreenow?I'mstillinmylastyeargraduatingnextJune.FinallyI'llbedonewithmystudiesandcangoontoearninloadsofmoney.M:Areyoustillplanningonbeingateacher?Nomoneyinthatjobthen?W:You'dbesurprised.(15)I'mstillgoingtobeateacher.ButtheplanistoworkataninternationalschooloverseasafterIgetayearorsoofexperienceinEngland.It'sbetterpaidandIgettotravel,whichremindsmeI'mlateformyclassandI'vegotsomedocumentsIneedtoprintoutfirst.I'dbetterrun.12.Whatdoesthemanwanttoknow?13.Whatisthemangoingtodo?14.WhatmightqualifythemanforascholarshipatLeedsUniversity?15.Whatisthewomanplanningtodoaftergraduation?SectionCShortpassage1Scientistshaveidentifiedthousandsofknownantspeciesaroundtheworld.Andonlyafewofthembughumans.Mostantsliveinthewoodsoroutinnature,theretheykeepothercreaturesincheck,distributeseedsandcleandeadanddecayingmaterialsfromtheground.(16)Averysmallpercentageofantsdoharmtohumans.Butthoseareincrediblychallengingtocontrol.Theyaresmallenoughtoeasilyslipinsideyourhouse,liveincoloniesthatnumberinthetensofthousandstothehundredsofthousands,andreproducequickly.Thatmakesthemgoodatgettinginandhardtokickout.Oncetheysettlein,theseinsectsstartaffectingyourhome.Inadditiontobitingants,otherspeciescancausedifferentkindsofdamage.(17)Some,likecarpenterantscanundermineahomestructure,whileothersinterferewithelectricalunits.Unfortunatelyourhomesareveryattractivetoantsbecausetheyprovideeverythingthecolonyneedstosurvive,suchasfood,waterandshelter.Sohowcanwepreventantsfromgettingintoourhomes?(18)Mostimportantofall,avoidgivingantsanyaccesstofood,particularlysugaryfoodbecauseantshaveasweettooth.Wealsoneedtocleanupspillsassoonastheyoccurandstorefoodinairtightcontainers.Evengarbageattractsants,soemptyyourtrashasoftenaspossible,andstoreyouroutsidegarbageinaliddedcanwellawayfromdoorsandwindows.16.Whatdoesthepassagesayaboutants?17.Whatdowelearnfromthepassageaboutcarpenterants?18.Whatcanwedotopreventantsfromgettingintoourhomes?Passage2(19)Myresearchfocusisonwhathappenstoourimmunesystemasweage.Sothejoboftheimmunesystemistofightinfections.Italsoprotectsusfromviruses,andfromautoimmunediseases.Weknowthataswegetolder,it’seasierforustogetinfections.Soolderadultshavemorechancesoffallingill.Thisisevidencethatourimmunesystemreallydoesn’tfunctionsowellwhenweage.Inmostofourwork,whenwe’relookingatolderadultswho’vegotanillness,wealwayshavetohavehealthcontrols.Soweworkverycloselywithagreatgroupofvolunteerscalledthe‘OneThousandElders’.Thesevolunteersareall65orover,butingoodhealth.(20)Theycometotheuniversitytoprovideuswithbloodsamples,tobeinterviewed,andtohelpuscarryoutawholerangeofresearch.(21)Therealimpactofourresearchisgoingtobeonhealthinoldage.Atthemoment,we’relivingmuchlonger.Lifeexpectancyisincreasingattwoyearsforeverydecade.Thatmeansanextrafivehoursaday.Iwanttomakesurethatolderadultsarestillabletoenjoytheiroldage,andthatthey’renotspendingtimeinhospitalwithinfections,feelingunwellandbeinggenerallyweak.(21)Wewantpeopletobehealthy,evenwhenthey’reold.Questions19–21:19.Whatisthefocusofthespeaker’sresearch?20.Whatarethevolunteersaskedtodointheresearch?21.Whatdoesthespeakersaywillbetheimpactofhisresearch?Passage3WhenTedCamardastartedteaching14yearsagoatKillipelementary,hedidn’tknowhowtomanageaclassroomandwasstrugglingtoconnectwithstudents.(22)Henoticedacoupleofdaysafterschool,thatagroupofkidswouldgettogethertoplaychess.“Iknowhowtoplaychess,letmegoandshowthesekidshowtodoit”,hesaid.NowCamardacoachestheschool’schessteam.Thewholeprogramstartedasasafeplaceforkidstocomeafterschool.(23)Andthisweek,doze