附：听力原文
Section A NEWS
News1
A 16th century castle in Scotland is on the verge of collapse after chunks of soil were washed away by floods, threatening its foundations.
On Sunday, the castle's owner, John Gordon, 76, was forced to evacuate his property after the River Dee swept away about 60 feet of land, leaving the castle dangerously close to the river, according to the Scottish Daily Record.
Abergeldie castle, located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, was built by Sir Alexander Gordon of Midmar who later became the Earl of Huntly.
The castle, which is located on 11,700 acres, was leased to members of the royal family between 1848 and 1970, including King Edward VII and George V.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued more than 35 flood warnings covering several regions as Scotland continues to clean up after Storm Frank hit the country last Wednesday.
"This means that rivers will rise more slowly but then stay high for much longer," the environmental agency said.
Q1. Why did John Gordon move out of Abergeldie castle?
A. It was dangerous to live in.
B. It was going to be renovated.
C. He could no longer pay the rent.
D. He had sold it to the royal family.
答案: A
Q2. What happened in Scotland last Wednesday?
A. A strike.
B. A storm
C. A forest fire.
D. A terrorist attack.
答案: B
News2
Rescue efforts were underway Thursday morning for 17 miners who were stuck in an elevator below ground.
a Cargill rock salt mine in Lansing, N.Y. ccording to Marcia Lynch, public information officer with Tompkins County’s emergency response department.
Emergency workers have made contact with the miners through a radio, and they all appear to be uninjured, said Jessica Verfuss, the emergency department’s assistant director.
Crews have managed to provide heat packs and blankets to the miners so that they can keep warm during the rescue operation, Verfuss said.
Details about what led to the workers’ being trapped in the elevator weren’t immediately available.
The mine, near New York's Cayuga Lake, processes salt used for road treatment. It produces about 2 million tons of salt that is shipped to more than 1,500 places in the northeastern United States.
The rock salt mine is one of three operated by Cargill, with the other two being in Louisiana and Ohio.
Q3. What does the news report say about the salt miners?
A. They lost contact with the emergency department.
B. They were trapped in an underground elevator.
C. They were injured by suddenly falling rocks.
D. They sent calls for help via a portable radio.
答案 B
Q4. What did the rescue team do?
A. They tried hard to repair the elevator.
B. They released the details of the accident.
C. They sent supplies to keep the miners warm.
D. They provided the miners with food and water.
答案 C
News3
The U.S. Postal Service announced today that it is considering closing about 3,700 post offices over the next year because of falling revenues.
Facing an $8.3 billion budget deficit this year, closing post offices is one of several proposals the Postal Service has put forth recently to cut costs.
Last week for example, Postmaster General Pat Donahoe announced plans to stop mail delivery on Saturdays, a move he says could save $3 billion annually.
"We are losing revenue as we speak," Donahoe said. "We do not want taxpayer money. We want to be self-sufficient. So like any other business, you have to make choices."
Dean Granholm, the vice president for delivery and post office operations, said the first wave of closings would begin this fall.
He estimated that about 3,000 postmasters, 500 station managers and between 500 and 1,000 postal clerks could lose their jobs.
Q5. What is the US Postal Service planning to do?
A. Raise postage rates.
B. Improve its services.
C. Redesign delivery routes.
D. Close some of its post office.
答案 D
Q6. What measure has been planned to save costs?
A. Shortening business hours.
B. Closing offices on holidays.
C. Stopping mail delivery on Saturdays.
D. Computerising mail sorting processes.
答案 C
Q7. What will happen when the proposed measure comes into effect?
A. Many post office staff will lose their jobs.
B. Many people will begin to complain.
C. Taxpayers will be very pleased.
D. A lot of controversy will arise.
答案 A
Section B Conversation
conversation 1
M: Mrs. Hampton, we’ve got trouble in the press room this morning.
W: Oh, dear. What it about?
M: One of the press operators arrived one hour and half late.
W: But that’s a straightforward affair. He will simply lose part of his pay. That’s why we have a clock-in system.
M: But the point is the man was clocked in at eight o’clock. We have John standing by the time clock and he swears he saw nothing irregular.
W: Is John reliable?
M: Yes, he is. That’s why we chose him for the job.
W: Have you spoken to the man who is late?
M: Not yet. I thought I’d have a word with you first. He is a difficult man and I think there has been some trouble on the shop floor. I’ve got a feeling that a trade union representative is behind this. The manager told me that Jack Green’s been very active around the shop the last few days.
W: Well. What do you want me to do?
M: I was wondering if you’d see Smith, the man who was late, because you are so much better at handling things like this.
W: Oh, all right. I will see him. I must say I agree with you about there being bad feelings in the works. I’ve have the idea for sometime that Jack Green’s been busy stirring things up in connection with the latest wage claim. He’s always tried to make trouble. Well, I will get the manager to send Smith up here.
Q8. What will happen to the press operator who is late for work according to the woman?
Q9. What does the man say about John who stands by the time clock?
Q10. Why does the man suggest the woman see the worker who was late?
Q11. What does the woman say about Jack Green?
conversation 2
W: Our topic today is about something that foreigners nearly always say when they visit Britain. It’s why are the British so cold and they are talking about the British personality, the famous British reserve. It means that we aren’t very friendly; we aren’t very open.
M: So do you think it is true?
W: it is a difficult one. So many people who visit Britain say it’s difficult to make friends with British people. They say we are cold, reserved and unfriendly.
M: I think it’s true. Look at Americans or Australians. They speak the same language, but they are much more open. And you see it when you travel, people, I mean strangers speak to you on the street or on the train. British people seldom speak on the train or the bus not in London anyway.
W: Not in London. That’s it. Capital cities are full of tourists and are never friendly. People are different in other parts of the country.
M: Not completely. I met a woman once, an Italian. She has been working in Manchester for 2 years and no one, not one of the colleagues had ever invited her to their home. They were friendly to her at work but nothing else. She can’t believe it. She said that it would never happen in Italy.
W: You know what they says. An Englishman’s home is his castle. It is really difficult to get inside.
M: Yeah it’s about being private. You go home to your house and your garden and you close the door. It’s your place.
W: That’s why the British don’t like flats. They prefer to living in the houses.
M: That’s true.
Q12 What do foreigners generally think of British people according to the woman?
Q13 What may British people typically do on train according to the man?
Q14 What does the man say about the Italian woman working in Manchester?
Q15 Why do British people prefer houses to flats?
Section C
Passage1
In college, time is scarce and consequently very precious. At the same time, expenses in college pile up surprisingly quickly. A part-time job is a good way to balance costs while insuring there is enough time left over for both academic subjects and after-class activities.
If you are a college student looking for a part-time job, the best place to start your job search is right on campus. There are tons of on-campus job opportunities and as a student, you’ll automatically be given hiring priority. Plus, on-campus jobs eliminate commuting time, and could be a great way to connect with academic and professional resources at your university. Check with your school’s career service or employment office for help to find a campus job.
Of course, there are opportunities for part-time work off campus, too. If you spend a little time digging for the right part-time jobs, you’ll save yourself time when you find a job that leaves you with enough time to get your schoolwork done, too.
If you were a college student looking for work, but worried you won’t have enough time to devote to academic subjects, consider working as a study hall or library monitor. Responsibility is generally include supervising study spaces, to insure that a quiet atmosphere is maintained. It’s a pretty easy job. But one with lots of done time, which means you’ll have plenty of time to catch up on reading, do homework or study for an exam.
16. What does the speaker say about college students applying for on campus jobs?
17. What can students do to find a campus job according to the speaker?
18. What does the speaker say is a library monitor’s responsibility?
Passage2
Agricultural workers in green tea fields near Mountain Kenya are gathering the tea leaves. It is beautiful to see the rows of tea bushes are straight. All appears to be well. But the farmers who planted the bushes are worried.Nelson Kibara is one of them. He has been growing tea in the Kerugoya area for 40 years.
He says the prices this year have been so low that he has made almost no profit. He says he must grow different kinds of tea if he is to survive.
Mr. Kibara and hundreds of other farmers have been removing some of their tea bushes and planting a new kind of tea developed by the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya. Its leaves are purple and brown. When the tea is boiled, the drink has a purple color. Medical researchers have studied the health benefits of the new tea. They say it is healthier than green tea and could be sold for a price that is three to four times higher than the price of green tea.
But Mr. Kibara says he has not received a higher price for his purple tea crop.
He says the market for the tea is unstable and he is often forced to sell his purple tea for the same price as green tea leaves. He says there are not enough buyers willing to pay more for the purple tea.
Q 19 Why have tea farmers in Kenya decided to grow purple tea?
Q 20 What researchers say about the purple tea ?
Q 21 What Mr. Kibara found about the purple tea?
Passage3
Today's consumers want beautiful hand crafted objects to wear and the help them to home. They prefer something unique and they demand quality. Craftsman today are meeting this demand, people in homes are showing great change as more and more unique handcrafted items become available. Handcrafts are big business, no longer does good craftsman have to work the job they dislikes all day, and then try to create at night. He has earned his professional status, he has now are respected member of the society. Part of the fun of being a craftsman is meeting other craftsman, they love to share their ideas and materials and help others find market for their work. Craftsman have helped educated consumers to make wise choices, they help them to become aware of design and the technique, they help them to relay their choices to its intended use. They often involve in the consumers in trying the craft themselves. When a group of craftsman expands to include more members, a small craftsman organization is formed, such organization does a lot in training work shops in special media and crafts marketing techniques, crafts fail in sales, first of all TV appearances and demonstrations. State art councils help sponsor local art and crafts festivals, which draw crowds in tourist consumers, this blew the local economy considerably because this not only by crafts but it also used by the restaurant and hotels and other services of the area
Q22 what does the speaker say about today's consumers?
Q23 what does the speaker say about the good craftsman in the past?
Q24 what does craftsman help consumers do?
Q25 why do state art councils help to sponsor local arts and crafts festivals?
