英语周报：2008年12月四级听力模拟试题(十三)

　　Section B

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

　　Passage one

　　It’s an age-old dispute: Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus. Males and females show different behaviors almost from birth. Researchers say these behaviors are due to basic differences in brain structure and activity. Studies show men are better at hitting targets and solving math problems while women are better memorizing words and recognizing faces. Why the difference?

　　A test of the brain’s electrical activity shows that women commonly use both sides of their brain while men rely more on one. Scientists already know that the two sides of the brain control different functions- one controlling the sense of space, for example, the other controlling language. Some researchers believe that the different ways men and women use their brain evolved from ancient times, when cave men hunted and women cared for the children. Men had to have good aim. Women had to talk to the kids.

　　Whatever the explanation, the battle of the sexes continues. And although their brains are constructed slightly differently, men and women may be equally capable. They may simply rely on different abilities. Take a couple arguing over the location of their car in a parking lot. The man might use his sense of space to find it, while the woman relies on her recognition of landmarks. They both find the car. But chances are, they’ll still argue about who’s the better driver and who’s better at finding the way home.

　　Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　26. When do men and women begin to show different behaviors?

　　27. According to the speaker, why do women commonly use both sides of the brain?

　　28. In a parking lot, men and women rely on what to find their cars?

　　Passage Two

　　When the prices of stocks go up, it’s called a bull market. When the prices of stocks go down, it’s called a bear market. No one is really sure where these names come from, but they have been around since the 1800s. Some people think they are based on how real bulls and bears behave. When a bull catches you, it tosses you up with its horns. When a bear catches you, it pulls you down with its paws.

　　Because you can lose money buying stock, it is very important to learn everything you can about a business before investing in its stock. All businesses, no matter how good they are, have their ups and downs. But if you learn all you can about a business before buying the stock, and are prepared to hold on to the stock for many years, you will probably be able to sell it for more than you paid for it.

　　More than seventeen million Americans own stock. It is very likely that your parents or some of your relatives own some. Who knows, someone in your family may own a piece of McDonald’s or Disney or Wal-mart. Find out. Then the next time you go to one of these places you can tell the people who work there that you know an owner.

　　Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　29. Why do people call the market “bull-market” and “bear-market”?

　　30. How could you earn money from the stock market?

　　31. How many Americans own stock?

　　Passage Three

　　I’m sure almost everyone looked at their watch or at a clock before coming to class today. Watches and clocks seem as much part of our life as breathing or eating. And yet, did you know that watches and clocks were rare in the United States until the 1850s? In the late 1700s, people didn’t know the exact time unless they were near a clock. Those delightful clocks in the squares of European towns were built for the public. After all, most citizens simply couldn’t afford a personal time piece. Well into the 1800s, in Europe and the United States, the main purpose of a watch, which by the way was off and on a gold chain, was to show others how wealthy you were. The word “wrist watch” didn’t even enter the English language until nearly 1900. By then the rapid pace of industrialization in the United States meant that measuring time had become essential. How could the factory worker get to work on time unless he or she knew exactly what time it was? Since the efficiency was now measured by how fast the job was done, everyone was interested in time. And since industrialization made possible the manufacturing of large quantities of goods, watches became fairly inexpensive. Furthermore electric lights kept factories going around the clock. Being “on time” had entered the language and life of every citizen.

　　Questions 32to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　32. What does the professor mainly discuss?

　　33. What was true of watches before the 1850s?

　　34. According to the speaker, why did some people wear watches in the 1800s?

　　35.Why is everyone now interested in time?