2013年6月听力原文第二套

Section A

1. W: I was shocked to hear of your wife's illness. Is she going to be all right?

M: At first, the doctors weren't sure, but she's really improved. She'll be home next week.

Q: What do we learn about the man's wife from the conversation?

2. M: Excuse me,can I get a ticket for a sleeping compartment on this train?

W: Yes, there are four left. The price is ￡60 per person including a continental breakfast.

Q: What is the man doing?

3. M: Janet, here's the book I borrowed from you, but I'm so sorry that I can't find its jacket.

W: It doesn't matter. Anyway, you are one of the few people who actually return books to me.

Q: What does the woman imply?

4. M: Lisa, have you been to the new supermarket yet?

W: Yes, and no. I went there last Saturday for their grand opening sale, but I drove around the parking lot for nearly an hour, looking for a space before I finally gave up and came home.

Q: What does the woman mean?

5. W: You've been sitting at the computer for hours.Let's take a coffee break, shall we?

M: I wish I could.You know, I'm up to my neck in work.I've got to finish this report. I don't want to miss the deadline.

Q: What does the man mean?

6. M: What do you think of this gallery space? They offer to let me exhibit some of my paintings here.

W: Are you kidding? Any art student I know would die to have an exhibition here.

Q: What can we infer from the conversation?

7. W: Gary, my assistant is in hospital now.Is there anyone in your department who could give a hand for a few days?

M: I think so. I'll ask around and get back to you.

Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

8. W: Did you read the article in the paper about the mayor's speech at the economic forum?

M: Sure I did, but I think they twisted the meaning of what he said. It's not the first time for them to do so.

Q: What does the man say about the paper's article?

Conversation One

W: Oh, hello, John. Are you using your dictating machine this morning? I've got a long report I must dictate. Can I borrow your machine?

M: Of course. But can you spare me a second? It's the message you sent me about the delivery delay of the control desks. What's gone wrong?

W: Everything, John. We have to get the steel sheets we need for these desks from new suppliers. Well, the suppliers have got some trouble or other.They say they will be a bit late with the delivery.

M: But they can't be. Those control desks are a special order. They are wanted for one of the big computer companies. It's a very important contract.

W: When did we promise the delivery?

M: On Thursday next week. And there's a penalty clause. We stand to lose 10 percent of our price for each week of overdue delivery.

W: Oh, these penalty clauses! Why did you sales people accept them?

M: We have to accept them; otherwise, we don't get the contracts.

W: Well, let's get on to the Buying Department. I only heard about the delay yesterday because we kept the production line clear to handle these special sheets. It's a dreadful nuisance.

M: It will be more than a nuisance if we don't meet on delivery date. It will cost us a lot of money. W: Keep calm, John. We can perhaps claim compensation from the steel suppliers for failure to deliver on time. Then we will offset the penalty clause.

M: Well, if you can.

Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversationyou have just heard.

9. Why did the woman send the message to the man?

10. What does the woman say about the new suppliers?

11. How did the man get the contracts?

12. What does the woman suggest they do?

Conversation Two

M: Kathy, chaos theory seems to be a branch of physics or mathematics. You are an economist, so how does it influence your work?

W: Well, in several ways. I am responsible for financial development programs in many parts of the world, so forecasting long range trends and making predictions on the basis of present evidence is what I do. Chaos theory was developed by scientists, trying to explain the movement of the planets and the changes in environmental conditions. Both of these things are also about making long-term predictions on the basis of present evidence.

M: Are many economists involved in this field?

W: An increasing number. In the 1990s, many economists began to look at chaos theory as a way of providing models for forecasting.

M: What kind of "models" are we talking about here?

W: Well, that's a good question, because the basic idea of chaos theory is that there aren't any "models" as such—there aren't guaranteed forms, but rather patterns of change in development. M: Doesn't that mean that forecasting is impossible?

W: No, but it certainly makes it more of a challenge.]Mandelbrot, who did the experiment with stock exchanges prices, for example, noted that although the outcomes were variable, there were in fact certain constancy. What we have to do is make sure we know what these are and take into account all the possible variables.

M: But do economics and finance work in the same way as weather conditions or the movement of planets?

W: Well, no, of course not. There are certain underlying similarities. But we have to leave them for the other time.

Questions 13 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

13. What is the woman's profession?

14. What was chaos theory supposed to do when it was first formulated?

15. What are the speakers mainly talking about?

Section B

Passage One

People write to ask me if there's correlation between academic intelligence and emotional

intelligence.My answer is no.You can have a high IQ and a high EQ,which, of course, is a winning combination,or be high in one and low in the other.The best study was done at Bell Labs in New Jersey, a very high IQ place. They do research into development for the communications industry. In a division of electronic engineers, who were designing equipments so advanced that they work in teams of up to 150, co-workers and managers were asked to nominate the standouts the stars in productivity and effectiveness.They came up with 10 or 15 names,and that group of stars was compared with everyone else. It turned out there was no difference in IQ, no difference in academic qualifications, no difference in years on the job. The only difference was emotional intelligence. The stars were people who knew how to get along, who knew how to motivate themselves, usually the kind of people you like to hang out with. When these people ran up against a technical problem, to which they'd have to turn to someone else for an answer, they'd e-mail and get an answer right away, because they built up a network of people before they needed them. The other people would e-mail and wait up to two weeks for an answer. So you can see how being good in the interpersonal realm actually was a direct benefit, even for effectively pursuing a technical task.

Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.

16. What does the speaker say about Bell Labs?

17. What characterizes the stars nominated at Bell Labs?

18. What does the speaker say contributes to effectively pursuing a technical task?

Passage Two

J's (Biography of John Muir)—John Muir's own writings to bring readers a life story of this remarkable man who did so much to raise American's awareness of environmental issues. As America's first environmentalist, John Muir lived his life forever daring to undertake new adventures. He spent most of his days outdoors and had deep love for the wild lands. In the book, we meet John Muir as a youth fearlessly climbing the roof of his house. He captures birds only to let them go when he realizes the cruelty involved. He becomes an inventor and sells his inventions in order to attend the university. As a young man, he began walking over tens of thousands of miles during his lifetime, through the south to Florida, the west to California and north to Alaska, where readers are taken a long and particularly hair-raising adventure on a large mass of floating ice. Muir's learning in observation throughout his life led him to devote his last years to preserving the natural environment. His writing and speaking raised the awareness of the importance of conservation and helped bring about our national park system. Readers will feel they know John Muir after reading his story and may catch his passion for preserving the riches of our land. The other's portrayal of Muir's life is a testimony to what it means to be lifelong learners and to use that learning to inform and bring about change.

Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.

19. What kind of book is the speaker introducing?

20. What do we learn about John Muir when he was young?

21. What did John Muir intend to do through writing and speaking?

Passage Three

Disaster movies often portray catastrophes that destroy, or at least threaten to destroy earth's entire population. In fact, a virus emerged in the 1970s that could've been just that fatal. Named after a river that passes through the Congo, the Ebola virus originally manifested itself in the interior of Africa in 1976. Two strains of the disease, with almost identical symptoms, affected humans—

Ebola-Zaire and Ebola-Sudan. The Sudan version was deadly enough, killing 50% of those it infected. However, Zaire, with its 90% mortality rate, was even worse. The origins, though not the cause of Ebola-Sudan, can be traced back to a single individual in a Sudanese town. Ebola-Zaire seemed to erupt in over 50 villages simultaneously. Both strains quickly invaded local hospitals when needle sharing and other unhealthy practices ensured the rapid spreading of the infection by bringing people into contact with contaminated body fluids. If the virus had been capable of spreading through the air, or if one infected person had unknowingly entered a large population center, Ebola might have become a worldwide epidemic. However, soon after these fierce outbreaks, the virus died out, at least temporarily. Ebola was so deadly and killed so quickly that within a short period of time, there was no one around to infect. Hospital workers in at least one case deserted their workplace in panic, thus halting the administering of potentially unclean disease spreading injections, but Ebola has not disappeared. With no known vaccination or cure available, it seems only a matter of time until another epidemic erupts.

Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passageyou have just heard.

22. What is Ebola virus named after?

23. What do we learn about Ebola-Zaire and Ebola-Sudan?

24. How do people get infected with the disease according to the speaker?

25. What does the speaker believe?

Section C

The ideal companion machine would not only look, feel, and sound friendly but would also be programmed to behave in an agreeable manner. Those qualities that make interaction with other people enjoyable would be simulated as closely as possible, and the machine would appear to be charming stimulating, and easygoing. Its informal conversational style would make interaction comfortable, and yet the machine would remain slightly unpredictable and therefore interesting. In its first encounter it might be somewhat hesitant and unassuming, but as it came to know the user it would progress to a more relaxed and intimate style. The machine would not be a passive participant but would add its own suggestions, information, and opinions; it would sometimes take the initiative in developing or changing the topic and would have a personality of its own. The machine would convey presence. We have all seen how a computer’s use of personal names often fascinates people and needs them to treat the machine as if it were almost human. Such features are easily written into the software. By introducing a degree of forcefulness and humor, the machine could be presented as a vivid and unique character. Friendships are not made in a day, and the computer would be more acceptable as a friend if it simulated the gradual changes that occur when one person is getting to know another. At an appropriate time it might also express the kind of affection that stimulates attachment and intimacy.