新编四级听力练习 第228期

Passage One
Saving money is a first step toward wealth. Putting money away for the future also supports the banking system. Banks need a supply of savings to provide money for loans. In the United States, people who want to start a savings have many choices. [26]Banks, savings-and-loans and credit unions are traditional places to open an account. [27]Credit unions are cooperatives for people who are linked in some way. For example, the members may work for a university or a government agency. Most credit unions are non-profit organizations. Savers have their money guaranteed up to one hundred thousand dollars. Banks and other financial organizations pay interest on savings accounts. But the interest rates are low. Certificates of deposit are another way to save. They pay higher interest rates. With a certificate of deposit, a person agrees not to withdraw an amount of money for a period of time. The term could be three months, or it could be several years. Longer terms, and larger amounts, pay higher interest. People can withdraw their money early but at a cost. Another way to save is through a money market fund. This is a kind of mutual fund. Mutual funds invest money from many people. Money market funds pay higher interest than savings accounts. The money is usually placed in short-term government securities. [28]Money market funds, however, may not be federally guaranteed like other kinds of savings.

答案解析：
Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.
26. What are the traditional places to open an account in the United States?
[D]解析：短文中说到：传统的可以开账户的场所是银行、储蓄与贷款协会以及信贷互助会。D与此相符。四个选项均是名词并列成分。不管是问主旨还是问细节，都需要与听到的内容一一对应。读题时，要把各选项之间的异同加以辨别。
27. Which group can form a credit union?
[C]解析：短文中说，信贷互助会是以某种方式联系起来的人们组成的合作社组织，比如，其成员可能都为同一个大学或政府机构工作。尽管四个选项中提到的各类人均“以某种方式联系”着，但与短文中例子一致的只有C。短文中的例子是“为同一个大学或政府机构工作的人”，government agency是答题关键。其余选项中的city、seminar，subject均未在文中出现。
28. Which way of saving may not be federally guaranteed?
[C]解析：短文最后说：“然而，货币市场基金可能不像其他存款一样受联邦政府的保证。”与此相符的是C。本题符合“语义强调处出题”的规律。文章结尾处，用however独立地指出来的项目为答案。