2009年6月英语四级听力冲刺练习下载(2)

Passage One

Do you remember the time when people were a litter nicer and gentler with each other?（12） I certainly do. And I feel that much of the world has somehow gotten away form that. Too often I see people rushing into elevators without giving those inside a chance out first, or never saying "Thank you" when others hold the door open for them. We get lazy. And in our laziness, we think that something, like a simple "Thank You" doesn't really matter. But it can matter very much. The fact that no matter how nicely we dress, or how beautifully we decorate we home, we can't be truly elegant without good manners because elegance and good manners always go hand in hand. In fact, I think of the good manners as a sort of hidden beauty secret. Haven't you noticed that the kindest, most generous people seem to keep getting prettier? It's funny how that happens. But it does. Take the long-lost art of saying "Thank you" like wearing a little makeup or making sure your hair is neat. Getting into the habit of saying "Thank you" can make you feel better about yourself. Good manners add to you image while an angry face makes the best dressed person look ugly.（13）

Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.

Q11: What is the passage mainly about?

Q12: What does the speaker say about the people of the past?

Q13: According to the speaker, how could we best improve our image?

Passage Two

"Go to the playground and have fun." Parents will often say to their kids. But they should remember playgrounds can be dangerous. Each year about 200,000 children end up in hospital emergency rooms with playground injures. Many injures involve falls from too-high equipment onto too-hard surfaces. Nearly 70% of the injures happen on public playgrounds. Recent studies show they maybe badly designed that protective services are inadequate and their equipments is poorly maintained.（14） Parents should make sure that the equipment in playground is safe and that children are playing safely. Last year the national programme for playground safety gave the nation's playground a grade of "C" for safety after visiting more than 3,000 playgrounds nationwide. Parents should watch closely. They should always be within shouting and running distance of their children.(15) Young children don't understand cause-and-effect, so they may run in front of moving swings. They're also better at climbing up than getting down, so they may panic at the top of a ladder. It's important for children to know you're watching them. Once they feel that sense of security, that's when they can be creative (16).Questions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.

Q14: What is the cause of playground injures?

Q15: What should parents do to prevent playground injures?

Q16: What does the speaker say about young children?

Passage Three

For 25 years I was a full-time thief, specializing in picking pockets. Where I come from in southeast London, that's an honorable profession. Anyone can break into a house and steal things. But picking somebody's pocket takes skill.（17） My sister and I were among the most successful pickpocket teams in London. We worked hotel and theatre lobbies, airports, shopping centers, restaurants. Now we don't steal anymore, but this crime is worldwide. Here is how to protect yourself:

Professional pickpockets do not see victims, only handbags, jewels and money. Mothers with babies, the elderly, the disabled are all fair game. My preferred target was the lone female, handbag at her side, the right side to be exact.（18） So if I'm next to her I can reach it cautiously with my right hand across my body. Only about one woman in a thousand carries her bag on the left, and I tended to steer clear of them. Women whose bags are hanging in front of them are tricky for the pickpocket, as there isn't a blind side. If you want to make it even harder, use a bag with handles rather than a strap. For men, one of the best places to keep a wallet is in the back pocket of tight trousers.（19）You'll feel any attempts to move it. Another good place is in the buttoned-up inside pocket of a jacket. There's just no way in. Even better, keep wallets attached to a cord or chain that is fasten to a belt.
A pickpocket needs targets who are relaxed and off guard. The perfect setting is clothing store. When customs wander among the racks, they are completely absorbed in the items they hold up（20）. The presence of a uniformed security guard is even better. A false sense of security makes a pickpocket's job much simpler.

Questions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.

Q17: Why does the speaker say that picking somebody's pocket is an honorable job in southeast London?

Q18: According to the speaker, who is most likely to become a victim of pickpockets?

Q19: In the speaker's opinion, what is the best place for a man to keep his wallets?

Q20: What is the perfect setting for picking pockets, according to the speaker?