Conversation two
W: Hello, Gary. How’re you?
M: Fine! And you?
W: Can’t complain. Did you have time to look at my proposal?
M: No, not really. Can we go over it now?
W: Sure. I’ve been trying to come up with some new production and advertising strategies. First of all, if we want to stay competitive, we need to modernize our factory. New equipment should’ve been installed long ago.
M: How much will that cost?
W: We have several options ranging from one hundred thousand dollars all the way up to half a million.
M: OK. We’ll have to discuss these costs with finance.
W: We should also consider human resources. I’ve been talking to personnel as well as our staff at the factory.
M: And what’s the picture?
W: We’ll probably have to hire a couple of engineers to help us modernize the factory.
M: What about advertising?
W: Marketing has some interesting ideas for television commercials.
M: TV? Isn’t that a bit too expensive for us? What’s wrong with advertising in the papers, as usual?
W: Quite frankly, it’s just not enough anymore. We need to be more aggressive in order to keep ahead of our competitors.
M: Will we be able to afford all this?
W: I’ll look into it, but I think higher costs will be justified. These investments will result in higher profits for our company.
M: We’ll have to look at the figures more closely. Have finance draw up a budget for these investments.
W: All right. I’ll see to it.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
Q22. What are the two speakers talking about?
Q23. What does the woman say about the equipment of their factory?
Q24. What do we know from the conversation?
Q25. What does the man say about advertising?
Passage one
Next time you bring your kids in for a checkup, don't be surprised if the doctor asks about their tastes in entertainment. The American Academy of Medicine suggested last week that doctors work with parents to evaluate how much TV kids watch and what they see, what video and computer games they play, which websites they visit on the Internet, whether they view R-rated videos without the company of their parents, what music they like and what books they read. Doctors are worried that kids who spend too much time in front of the tube don't get enough exercise and can become overweight. The academy is also concerned that the messages kids get from entertainment media can make them more violent and sexually active.
The academy recommends that children under age two not watch any TV. "Children need activities to stimulate the brain during the first two years of life," says Dr. Miriam Baron, who chairs the academy's committee on public education. "They need feedback and socialization." Older children, she says, should watch TV in a common area. Their bedrooms should be "electronic media-free" zones where they can have a quiet place to read, study, play or just relax.
Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.
Q26. What unusual question may doctors ask when giving kids a checkup next time?
Q27. The academy suggests that children under age two.
Q28. According to the report, children's bedrooms should.
Passage two
American visitors to Eastern Asia are often surprised and puzzled by how Asian cultures and customs differ from those in the United States. What’s considered typical or proper social conduct in one country may be regard as odd, improper or even rude in the other. For example, people from some Eastern Asian countries may begin a conversation with a stranger by asking personal questions about family, home or work. Such questions are thought to be friendly, whereas they might be considered offensive in the United States. On the other hand, people in most Asian cultures are far more guarded about expressing their feelings publicly than most Americans are. Openly displaying annoyance or anger, yelling, arguing loudly and so forth is considered ill-mannered in countries such as Japan. Many Eastern Asians prefer to hold their emotions in check and instead express themselves with great politeness. They try not to be blunt and avoid making direct criticisms. In fact, they often keep their differences of opinion to themselves and merely smile and remain silent rather than engage in a confrontation. By comparison, Americans are often frank about displaying both positive and negative emotions on the street and in other public places. Americans visiting Asia should keep in mind that such behavior may cause offense. A major difference between Americans culture and most Asian cultures is that in Asia, the community is more important than the individual. Most Americans are considered a success when they make a name for themselves.
Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.
Q29. How would some Asians start their conversation when they meet for the first time?
Q30. What would a Japanese do when he feels annoyed?
Q31. What is encouraged in American culture according to the passage?
相关链接：2008年6月英语四级考试模拟试卷及参考答案
2008年大学英语四级考试听力模拟试题汇总
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