英语周报：2009年6月英语四级听力全真模拟题(六)

　　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

　　Smoking can be harmful to your health. But why do people smoke?

　　One reason is that people become addicted to cigarettes. To be addicted means that your body comes to need them. The addictive substance in cigarettes is nicotine. When people smoke, the nicotine goes right into the blood stream and makes people feel relaxed. A smoker's body gets accustomed to the nicotine and if he stops smoking he feels nervous. Many smokers try to stop smoking, but because of the addiction to nicotine they feel so uncomfortable that they often find it too difficult to stop。

　　Another reason is that people simply enjoy smoking and what it symbolizes. Having a cigarette for many people means taking a break. For some people smoking becomes part of certain social rituals, for example, the cigarette after dinner. Many people enjoy smoking because it gives them something to do with their hands. Reaching for a cigarette, lighting it, flicking the ashes are especially comforting in situations where a person feels tense。

　　Many people also like the taste of tar in cigarettes. However, it is the tar that causes cancer. While governments and health experts have tried to get people to give up smoking entirely, cigarette manufacturers have tried to keep selling them by producing cigarettes with less tar. Many people in Western countries have welcomed these cigarettes since they find it hard to stop smoking but want to reduce the risk to their health。

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

　　26. What is the substance in cigarettes that causes cancer?

　　27. What are health experts trying to do?

　　28. What is the best title for this passage?

　　Passage Two

　　A poor farmer had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apple trees which he grew. One day, his friend gave the farmer a young tree and told him to take it home and plant it. The farmer was pleased with the gift, but when he got home he did not know where to plant it. He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the fruit. If he planted the tree on one of his fields, his neighbours would come at night and steal some of the apples. If he planted the tree near his house, his children would take the fruit. Finally he planted the tree in the woods where no one could see it. But without sunlight and good soil, the tree soon died。

　　Later the friend asked the farmer why he had planted the tree in such a poor place。

　　“What's the difference?” the farmer said angrily. “If I had planted the tree near the road, strangers would have stolen the fruit. If I had planted the tree on one of my fields, my neighbours would have come at night and stolen some of the apples, if I had planted it near my house, my own children would have taken the fruit。”

　　“Yes, ”said the friend, “but at least someone could have enjoyed the fruit. Now you have robbed everyone of the fruit and you have also destroyed a good tree。

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

　　29. What was the gift that the farmer's friend gave him?

　　30. Why did the tree die?

　　31. What is the best title for this passage?

　　Passage Three

　　There are different ideas about pets in different parts of the world. In most cultures, animals have an inferior position to human beings. However, some people treat their pets like members of their families, or perhaps better. In the United States and Europe, where pets are very popular, there are special shops that sell jewelry, clothing, and delicious food for cats and dogs. There are shops on fashionable streets in New York City, for example, that sell gold and diamond collars, fur jackets, mittens and hats for pets。

　　Of course, in most parts of the world, pets don't live in such wealth and luxury. There is a more practical and functional attitude toward pets. People own cats and dogs because they keep away mice and other unwanted animals. Certainly owners generally have some affectionate feelings for their pets. However, they do not see them as equal to family members. Some even have to work for their masters. So we can say that pets around the world live in a great variety of ways, just as people do。

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

　　32. What kinds of shops are mentioned in the United States and Europe?

　　33. Why do most people own cats and dogs according to the writer?

　　34. What is not true according to the passage?

　　35. Do pets around the world all live in the same way?