英语周报：2008年12月四级听力模拟试题(十五)

　　In general, overseas visitors don’t have difficulty knowing where to buy things. Most shops sell the things that you would expect them to. One problem is stamps. In Britain you can only buy these at the post office.

　　Many large food shops are self-service. When you go into one of these shops you take a basket and put into it the things you wish to buy. You line up at the cash desk and pay for everything just before you leave.

　　When you are waiting to be served in a shop it is important to wait for your turn and not to try to be served before people who arrived before you.

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

　　26. How long a day do most shops in Britain stay open?

　　27. What shops are not closed until about 8 o’clock one or two days a week?

　　28. Where can we get cigarettes on Sunday morning according to the passage?

　　Passage Two

　　Most people are aware that the earth is a delicate thing, and that it cannot last forever, if we do not take care of it. Apart from the dangers of blowing each other up, there is the problem of polluting the environment, and the destruction of wildlife by hunters.

　　Many species of whales, for example, are in danger of extinction because of hunters who continue whaling despite the world’s attempts to limit the annual catch. Seals are also threatened; and with the increasing use of nuclear power to generate electricity, a new danger has arisen: the pollution of oceans by nuclear waste.

　　The Greenpeace organization exists to draw our attention to these problems. Its aim is to protect the environment and maintain the balance of nature. It takes direct actions to prevent the killing of whales and seals, and to stop the dumping of nuclear waste at sea.

　　As well as actually hindering activities in these areas, Greenpeace exerts diplomatic pressure to persuade governments to pass new laws to make these things illegal.

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

　　29. What does the speaker mean by saying “the earth is a delicate thing”?

　　30. Why are many species of whales in danger of extinction?

　　31. Why is the earth faced with a new danger with the use of nuclear power to generate electricity?

　　Passage Three

　　The purpose of education is not only to train youngsters for the employment market, but to prepare them for tomorrow’s society. Because of the rapidly changing world, one can argue that changes will be continuous, which will make lifelong learning necessary for those who expect to handle the changes successfully. While some may argue that their education commenced when they began school and concluded when they had completed it, modern reality suggests that education is a lifelong process, and the classroom is merely the beginning of the education process. The very nature of its definition implies that education is lifelong.

　　Lifelong education means enabling people to learn at different times, in different ways, for different purposes at various stages of their lives and careers.

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

　　32. What is the purpose of education?

　　33. Why is lifelong learning necessary?

　　34.What is the beginning of education according to modern reality?

　　35. What is the most important feature of education?

　　Section C

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.