星火英语2008年12月英语四级听力预测试卷

　　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.
　　All that we really need to plot out the future of our universe are a few good measurements. This does not mean that we can sit down today and (36) the future course of the universe with anything like (37) . There are still too many things we do not know about the way the universe is put together. But we do know (38) what information we need to fill in our knowledge, and we have a pretty good (39) of how to go about getting it.
　　Perhaps the best way to think of our present situation is to (40) a train coming into a switchyard. All of the switches are set before the train arrives, so that its path is completely (41) . Some switches we can see, others we cannot. There is no doubt if we can see the setting of a switch: we can say with confidence that some (42) futures will not be realized and others will. At the unseen (43) , however, there is no such certainty about it. (44) .The unseen switches are the true decision points in the future, and what happens when we arrive at them determines the entire subsequent course of events.
　　(45) , but after that there are decision points to be dealt with and possible fates to consider. (46) .
　　Part Ⅲ　Listening Comprehension
　　Section A
　　11. M: Gordon needs to find another place to live. The apartment he rents now has been sold to a new owner.
　　W: He'd better start looking right away. When all the students come back in a few weeks, he won't find any near the campus.
　　Q: What does the woman suggest Gordon do?
　　A)。从选项可以猜测本题是对行为的考查，考查某人应该做某事，因此听录音时要侧重建议性的句型信息。男士说Gordon needs to find another place to live,可知此考试&大人想找房子，接着女士说He'd better start looking right away。had better do sth.是建议句型的提示信息，后面的内容即是答案所在。
　　12. W: Judy earned a lot of money over the summer as an advisor for that agency.
　　M: I don't doubt it. What surprises me is that she is still working there, now that classes have started again.
　　Q: What does the man say about Judy?
　　B)。由选项预测本题考查男士的观点，听录音时应着重理解男士的话。从女士话中的earn money，over the summer可知对话涉及学校兼职工作，男士的回答中出现了What surprises me is that...，这是明显的提示信息，其后即是答案所在。
　　13. M: There is an article here in this magazine that might interest you. It's about buying running shoes.
　　W: If it's not chemistry and it's not on the final exam, I can read it now.
　　Q: What is the woman probably doing now?
　　B)。由选项预测本题考查正在发生的动作。对话中男士在向女士推荐一篇文章，解题关键在于理解女士答话中的if条件句，"如果不是因为化学和期末考试，我现在就能读了"。那么真实情况也就是"我在准备考试，没时间读文章"。
　　14. W: Please turn down the television. I can't hear anything my friend is saying on the phone.
　　M: Hurry up and finish your call. I don't like standing so close. The light hurts my eyes.
　　Q: Why is the woman upset?
　　C)。由选项预测本题是对原因提问，并且是针对女士，听录音时应着重体会因果关系。对话中女士要求关闭电视，并直接说明了理由，can't hear anything on the phone，与C)相符。至于男士的要求及其理由是本题的干扰项，注意辨别。
　　15. W: I was quite surprised when I heard William play the violin. From the way he talked I thought he was just starting his lessons.
　　M: Oh, that's the way he always talks.
　　Q: What do we learn about William from this conversation?
　　C)。由选项预测本题是对William的行为进行判断。听力考试中考生不仅要辨别细节和事实，还要具备根据内涵、语气等进行推断的能力。本题女士话中的surprised暗示William的violin表现出人意料，但从From the way...his lessons可推出他说话谦虚，让女士原以为他刚开始学习violin。
　　16. W: It's really a big problem to teach our children how to behave. When I get angry, I say things I don't mean.
　　M: If you want your kids to be polite, you'll have to be polite to them.
　　Q: What conclusion can be drawn from this conversation?
　　A)。由选项预测本题是对孩子的行为进行判断。从女士话中的children，teach，behave可知对话是在讨论孩子教育问题。本题关键在于理解男士的回答，"如果你希望孩子们有礼貌，你就必须对他们有礼貌"，强调父母的榜样力量，由此可归纳出Children learn by example的结论。