雅思考试听力指南Listening Test 4

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[00:03.03]This is a listening practice test that resembles the International English Language Testing System Listening Test.
[00:13.58]The test consists of four sections. Answer the questions as you listen to the recording.
[00:21.50]Note that the recording will be played once only. Please turn to Section 1.
[00:29.52]Listening Section 1
[00:31.92]In a moment, you will hear a conversation between two university students, Steven and Claudia.
[00:39.97]It is their first day at the university, and they will both be attending the same lecture this morning.
[00:47.05]Before you listen, look at Questions 1 to 6.
[00:52.22]First, Steven and Claudia try to locate their lecture classroom.
[00:58.36]As you listen to the first part of the conversation, answer Questions 1 to 6.
[01:04.97]Steven:Well Claudia, how is your first day on campus working out?
[01:09.28]Claudia:Actually I'm overwhelmed. This campus is too large.
[01:14.14]I am not really sure how to get around it. How about you?
[01:18.21]Steven:Yeah, I'm having the same problem. That's why we should leave a bit early to get to our biology class on time.
[01:26.26]Claudia:That sounds like a good plan to me! It's 9:30 right now. I think our class starts at 10:00 am.
[01:34.07]Steven:Actually, it starts at 10:15 am, which leaves us 45 minutes to find it.
[01:40.36]The schedule says the class is at the Darwin building, but I can't seem to find it on the map.
[01:47.83]Claudia:Since we both don't know where we are going,why don't you ask that woman sitting on the bench,
[01:54.05]she seems to know her way around here.
[01:56.53]Steven:All right, it can't hurt to ask.
[01:59.17]Steven:Excuse me Ms.,Could you tell us how to get to the Darwin Building?
[02:04.73]Woman:The Darwin Building? Oh yes, I remember...Do you see that building to our right there?
[02:11.97]That's the East Dormitory. Next to it is the Science Library.
[02:16.99]What you should do is follow the path between those two buildings until you reach the other side.
[02:23.52]Then take the left-hand path and follow it to the end. It leads straight to the Darwin Building.. Got it?
[02:30.36]Claudia:I think so, after we pass between the Dorm and the Library, we follow the path to the left until the end of the road, then we should be there, right?
[02:40.65]Woman:Yes that's perfect.
[02:43.13]Announcer:Steven and Claudia later arrive at the Lobby of the Darwin Building.
[02:51.00]Claudia:Well,we made really excellent time.We have fifteen minutes to find the right classroom.
[02:56.95]Which room is it supposed to be in again?
[03:00.04]Steven:It's supposed to be in Lecture Hall K. Who knows where that is?
[03:05.68]Well, the building has ten floors. Why don't we start walking the halls and...?
[03:11.58]Claudia:Don't be silly, there is a much easier way.
[03:15.87]Let's look at the directory next to the stairs. Look here, it says that Lecture Hall A and C are on the second floor,
[03:25.09]Hall H, I and J are on the fifth floor and Hall K is on the...
[03:32.53]Steven:Tenth floor! Come on, quick let's find the lift. We have less than ten minutes.
[03:38.07]Claudia:Why are you so lazy? Why don't we save ourselves the trouble and use the stairs.
[03:43.32]After all, we already know where the stairs are.
[03:46.90]Steven:Are you out of your mind?
[03:49.15]Man invented the lift so that we don't have to act like primitives. After all we are in the Darwin Building.
[03:57.71]Claudia:Ok Steven, if you must insist on being lazy.
[04:01.58]Steven:On second thoughts, let's take the stairs.
[04:05.26]Announcer:Steven and Claudia read a sign that states that the lift is out of order,
[04:12.24]and begin to take the stairs to the tenth floor.
[04:16.16]Claudia:Well, we're finally here, and it's exactly 10:15. I hope it doesn't take us this long next time.
[04:23.89]Steven:If we've on time, why is nobody in the lecture hall?
[04:29.24]Claudia:This is strange, are you sure today is the first day of class?
[04:34.00]Steven:Of course. That's not the problem. The blackboard says there has been a schedule change, and class will start this Thursday instead of today.
[04:43.72]Claudia:You mean we spent forty-five minutes to discover where we'll be this Thursday?
[04:49.02]Steven:(laughing)...er, at least we know where to go.
[04:52.41]Announcer:Later, Steven and Claudia discuss her schedule for the rest of the week.
[04:59.02]Now look at Questions 7 to 11. Note the examples that have been done for you.
[05:07.07]As the conversation continues, answer Questions 7 to 11.
[05:13.21]Steven:Well, today is turning out to be uneventful.
[05:16.94]Claudia:Maybe for you, but I still have two other lectures today.
[05:20.99]Every Tuesday I have our Biology class at 10:15,
[05:25.28]followed by Classical Literature at 11:30. I don't even get to eat lunch until close to one o'clock.
[05:32.30]Then at 2 o'clock I have Accounting until fifteen minutes before 4 o'clock. By the end of the day I'll be exhausted!
[05:40.27]Steven:You make me want to study more often. What's the rest of your week like?
[05:45.57]Claudia:Wednesday is even worse. I have two tutorials, a lecture and a chemistry lab.
[05:53.02]The Lab is first thing in the morning at 9 o'clock, and doesn't end until 11:30.
[05:58.61]Then I have an hour of tutoring for Biology, plus time for lunch.
[06:04.02]My next tutorial starts at 2:30 for Classical Literature and doesn't end until 3:45.
[06:11.83]Finally, at 4 o'clock, I have my Chemistry Lecture, I probably won't get home until after 6:30 for dinner.
[06:20.58]Steven:You weren't kidding about being busy on Wednesday. How about the rest of the week?
[06:26.06]Claudia:Well, Thursday is identical to Tuesday, But Friday I only go to class from 10:30 until noon for my yoga class.
[06:37.14]It will give me a chance to rest up for the weekend.
[06:41.01]Announcer:That is the end of Section 1. You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Section 1.
[06:50.36]Now turn to Section 2.
[06:53.62]Listening Section 2
[06:55.95]In a moment, you are going to hear a talk given by Hugh Thomas, a travel writer.
[07:03.08]He will be giving a talk about travel to Northern Ireland.
[07:07.13]Before you listen, look at Questions 12 to 15. An example has been provided for you.
[07:16.01]As you listen to the first half of the talk, answer Questions 12 to 15.
[07:22.80]Hugh Thomas:Good morning everyone! My name is Huge Thomas, and my profession is travel journalism.
[07:30.01]Some of you may have read my work in the travel book series "The Lonely Planet".
[07:34.95]Anyway I'm not here to tell you about my job, but about a magical place in the northeast of the U K called Northern Ireland.
[07:44.25]Now I'm sure most of you have heard of this section of the U K, most likely because of the long history of fighting between the British and Irish governments over the territory.
[07:55.04]Nowadays these problems have been settled allowing the tourism industry to blossom.
[08:00.94]With a population of 279,240, Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland is a city that is quickly rebuilding and reinventing itself.
[08:13.27]Massive investment during the past few years combined with the optimism engendered by the peace process has transformed Belfast into something of a boom town.
[08:25.00]A string of up-market hotels, including a Belfast Hilton, opened in the late 1990s,
[08:31.79]along with dozens of smart restaurants, bars, and cafes.
[08:36.55]Step into a contemporary bar or restaurant and it's difficult to avoid picking up a sense of excitement,
[08:43.39]a general feeling and buzz that after 30 years of fighting Belfast is ready to join the rest of the world.
[08:52.01]Announcer:Now look at Questions 16 to 23. Note the examples that have been done for you.
[08:59.51]As the talk continues, answer Questions 16 to 23.
[09:05.33]Hugh Thomas:The city of Belfats is home to about 30 percent of Northern Ireland's population and is compact and easy to get around in,
[09:13.53]with most points of interest within easy walking distance of each other. Like any city worth its salt,
[09:20.33]Belfast contains some architectural and cultural gems, such as the impressive City Hall and the excellent Linen Hall Library.
[09:30.20]There are dozens of splendid Victorian pubs to explore and, for a city of its size,
[09:36.57]Belfast boasts a pretty good nightlife.
[09:39.89]The city is also pleasantly situated:the Belfast Hills are visible to the west,
[09:46.37]the rocks and green slopes of Cave Hill loom over the city to the north,
[09:52.14]and the sweep of Belfast Lough cuts into the city centre from the north-east.
[09:57.55]The city centre is compact, with the imposing City Hall in Donegall Square as a convenient central landmark.
[10:05.41]Belfast's principle shopping district is north of the square along and off Donegall Palace/Royal Ave.
[10:13.46]The streets around here are in part a by-product of the past fighting. At their height in the 1970's,
[10:21.27]terrorist activities turned the centre into a heavily militarised zone,
[10:26.39]but the security presence is very low key now. A little farther north the once run down area around Donegall St and St Anne's Cathedral,
[10:36.89]the Cathedral Quarter, is being rapidly redeveloped, with trendy restaurants,
[10:42.46]Bars and clubs springing up among the red-brick warehouses and fortified pubs.
[10:48.65]Reminders of the Victorian era can be found in the stately buildings surrounding City Hall,
[10:54.37]in the narrow alleys know as the Entries off Ann and High Streets,
[10:59.67]and in the ornate Grand Opera House and Crown Liquor Saloon on Great Victoria Street.
[11:06.20]Heading south from Donegall Square, Great Victoria St and Dublin Rdlead to University Rd,
[11:13.28]where you will find Queen's University, the Botanical Gardens and the Ulster Museum.
[11:19.84]There are dozens of restaurants and bars in this area - it is called the Golden Mile - and at night it's the most energetic and cheerful area of a generally hard-working city.
[11:31.33]Most of the city's accommodation options, including several hotels, are also south of the center, around the university area.
[11:40.50]To the east of Donegall Square is Chichester St, which runs down to Oxford St,
[11:46.33]where you will find the Royal Courts of Justice, St George's Market,
[11:51.81]the new Belfast Hilton and the Waterfront Hall, a large conference and concert centre.
[11:58.84]East of the river are Samson and Goliath, the giant cranes dominating the Harland and Wolff shipyards.
[12:07.12]Well, I hope I have given you a good idea of the sights and places to stay in Belfast.
[12:13.78]Next we will see some slides and talk about tours of the countryside...
[12:19.32]Announcer:That is the end of Section 2. You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Section 2.
[12:28.67]Now turn to Section 3.
[12:32.12]Listening Section 3
[12:34.08]In a moment, you are going to hear an interview between Mr.Barry White,
[12:39.07]a radio interviewer, and Mrs.Carol Brady, a scientist working in the British fisheries industry.
[12:46.51]Before you listen, look at Questions 24 to 31. Note the example done for you.
[12:56.46]As you listen to the conversation, answer Questions 24 to 31.
[13:03.36]Barry White:Our next guest is Carol Brady. Carol is a spokesperson with the British Fisheries Council.
[13:11.69]She's come here to chat with us about recent problems with the European Union and its affect on the fishing industry. How are you today, Carol?
[13:20.08]Carol Brady:I'm very well. Thank you for asking, Barry.
[13:23.29]Barry:I must admit something about our topic before we go on Carol.
[13:28.18]I'm not too keen on fish, unless it comes with a side order of chips.
[13:32.83]Carol:Well, don't worry about that Barry. At least you are eating fish in your diet,
[13:38.13]after all there are many benefits to your health if you include fish as one of your staples.
[13:44.32]Barry:I wouldn't say I eat fish as often as that. It's just, well, you know...
[13:50.04]fish are so slimy.
[13:52.18]Carol:Well, there are other reasons to eat fish other than its health benefits.
[13:56.70]Barry:Oh really, and what would they be?
[13:59.44]Carol:Well, Britain is one of Europe's leading fishing nations. We operate in the continental waters,
[14:06.94]the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the Atlantic.
[14:10.86]The fishing industry is important to the national economy, and has been centred on a number of ports around the British coast.
[14:20.03]Barry:Well, if it supports the economy, I suppose I should eat fish a bit more often.
[14:25.67]Carol:That is a good idea, Barry, because employment in and income from fishing have declined substantially in recent years.
[14:34.97]Barry:Oh really? And why is that?
[14:37.53]Carol:Well mainly this is due to the reduction in available fish stocks in European waters because of overfishing,
[14:46.10]and fluctuations in fish breeding patterns. Many fishermen have become unemployed,
[14:53.60]and traditional fishing towns, such as Grimsby and the Scottish ports, have suffered.
[15:00.57]But the fishing industry still accounts for some 55 per cent of Britain's fish consumption.
[15:07.18]Barry:I feel so responsible. You know, tonight I'm going to fry some mackerel.
[15:13.19]Carol:Really Barry, you're so dramatic!
[15:16.22]Barry:Well I'm not joking. Currently, how many fishermen still find employment in the industry?
[15:22.12]Carol:The number of fishermen is now about 17,000, with some 5,000 occasionally employed and about three jobs in associated occupations for every one fisherman.
[15:35.31]Barry:I had no idea the industry was so large! Now, earlier in the program I mentioned that currently,
[15:41.92]because of the E U, Our fishing industry is in some trouble.
[15:46.21]Can you expand on this for our listeners?
[15:48.77]Carol:Certainly Barry. But the European Union is not the only institution causing these problems.
[15:55.61]The British government has also put some restrictions on the fishermen's ability to fish.
[16:00.91]The E U insists on the need to conserve fish resources and prevent over-fishing.
[16:06.64]Zones have been established in which fisherman may operate.
[16:10.79]Barry:And what happens inside these 'zones'?
[16:13.58]Carol:Now, EU countries and some non-members can fish in specified areas up to Britain's 10 km fishing limit.
[16:22.88]Quota systems are in force inside and beyound the zones in order to restrict fish catches to prescribed amounts.
[16:30.98]British government measures to limit the time fishing vessels spend at sea have further restricted employment.
[16:39.31]These EU and government policies have affected the fishermen's old freedom of choice and operation.
[16:46.29]Barry:This problem sounds even more serious than the recent debate about waiting too long in line at the bank!
[16:53.55]What is being done about this problem?
[16:55.75]Carol:Well, things have been improving. The conflicting interests of EU emembers and other nations have gradually been improved by fishing agreements.
[17:06.53]Barry:Well, it's good to know that the situation is coming under control...
[17:10.16]Carol:Actually, there are still a lot of problems.
[17:13.43]Critics argue that the British governments have not acted in the best interests of their own national fisheries.
[17:21.24]Many fishermen are angry about the new policies, EU quotas and fishing zones,
[17:27.72]and their resulting loss of livelihood.
[17:31.17]Barry:Yes, but if there isn't fish conservation, these fishermen will not have jobs in the future anyway.
[17:38.01]Carol:Yes, I'm afraid the problem is quite complicated.
[17:41.33]Barry:On a lighter note, what kind of fish are British waters famous for?
[17:46.68]Carol:The most important British fish catches are cod, haddock, whiting, herring, mackerel,
[17:54.55]plaice, sole and various types of shellfish.
[17:58.36]Barry:I've heard that the fish farming industry has been expanding here in the UK.
[18:03.77]Tell our listeners a little about this subject, if you would, please.
[18:07.27]Carol:The fish-farming business is a large and expanding business,
[18:11.37]particularly in Scotland, and is chiefly concerned with salmon, trout and shellfish.
[18:18.81]Barry:Well, I'm afraid we're out of time. I want to thank our guest Carol Brady from the British Fisheries Council.
[18:25.42]Thank you, Carol.
[18:27.51]Announcer:That is the end of Section 3. You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Section 3.
[18:36.68]Now turn to Section 4.
[18:40.31]Listening Section 4
[18:42.69]Listening Section 4. You are attending a talk for overseas students on the history of the BBC.
[18:48.65]The speaker is Ronald Thatcher, a historian.
[18:52.56]Before you listen, look at Questions 32 to 40. An example has been done for you.
[19:00.72]As you listen to the talk, answer Questions 32 to 40.
[19:07.06]Ronald Thatcher:The BBC is based at Broadcasting House in London,
[19:11.58]but has studios and local facilities throughout the country,
[19:15.76]which provide regional and national networks for radio and television.
[19:20.46]It was created by a Royal Charter and has a board of governors who are responsible for supervising the BBC programs and suitability for the public.
[19:31.77]The governors are appointed by the Crown and are supposed to constitute an independent element in the organization of the BBC.
[19:40.66]The daily operation of the corporation is controlled by the Director-General,
[19:45.83]who is chosen by the board of governors and the Prime Minister.
[19:50.64]The BBC is financed by a grant from Parliament, which comes from the revenue received from the sale of television licenses.
[19:58.60]These are payable by anyone who owns a television set,
[20:02.83]and are relatively low by international standards.
[20:06.70]Under the government's reforms in the Broadcasting Act of 1990, the BBC,
[20:12.24]while keeping the license-fee system, has been encouraged to develop alternative forms of funding,
[20:18.30]such as subscription pay services. They also now must include independent productions in 25 per cent of its television schedules.
[20:28.12]The BBC also generates considerable income from selling its programmes abroad,
[20:33.66]and from the sale of a programme guide called 'Radio Times,' books, magazines and videos.
[20:40.97]The BBC's external service, which consist of radio broadcasts in English and some 39 other languages,
[20:49.18]was founded in 1932 and receives direct financing from the government, through the Foreign Office.
[20:56.80]These services have a high reputation for objective news reporting and programmes. But, because of a declining radio audience,
[21:06.39]the World Service began television services in 1991 to Europe on cable subscription channels,
[21:13.78]and by satellite links to Africa and Asia. The BBC intends to develop the television service into a world leader.
[21:23.55]In 1994, the government recognized that the BBC's recent internal reforms and reorganization had led to a slimmer and more efficient organization.
[21:35.57]The BBC was given a ten-year extension of the Charter, based on the license fee,
[21:41.47]to continue its role as a public service broadcaster.
[21:45.52]Government pressures upon the BBC have thus now been reduced.
[21:50.41]Historically, the BBC has been profoundly influenced by the invention of television,
[21:56.55]which changed the entertainment habits of the people and created a dominant source of news.
[22:02.68]The BBC has two television channels, BBC 1 and BBC 2.
[22:08.59]BBC1 programmes feature news, plays and drama series, comedy, quiz shows, variety performances,
[22:15.61]sports and documentaries. BBC2 features more serious items such as news analysis and discussion,
[22:23.76]documentaries, adaptations of novels into plays and series, operas, concerts and some sport.
[22:31.81]BBC2 tends to be the minority channel, watched by 10 per cent of viewers,
[22:37.71]although it is now increasing its audience.
[22:40.56]But it is a crucial element in the provision of Open University courses.
[22:45.21]BBC radio audiences have declined somewhat recently, but it still provides an important service.
[22:52.24]The BBC has five national radio channels; 39 local radio stations serving many districts in England;
[22:59.89]and regional and community radio services in Scotland,
[23:03.81]Wales and Northern Ireland. All of these compete for listeners with independent stations.
[23:10.84]The national channels specialize in different tastes. Radio 1 caters for pop music;
[23:17.08]Radio 2 has light music, news and comedy; Radio 3 provides classical and modern serious music,
[23:25.00]reports and analysis, talks and plays, and news; Radio 5 provides sport and educational programmes.
[23:34.87]Announcer:That is the end of Section 4. You now have half a minute to check your answers to Section Four.
[23:43.75]You now have one minute to check your answers for the entire test.