2001年1月英语四级听力真题

Section A

1.

M: Hi, Jane, do you have some change? I have to make a call on the pay phone.

W: Pay phone? Why not use my mobile¹ phone? Here you are.

Q: What would the man most probably do?

2.

M: Can you tell me the title of this oil painting?

W: Sorry, I don't know for sure. But I guess it's an early 18th century work. Let me look it up in the catalog².

Q: Where does this conversation most probably take place?

3.

M: I'm worried about those classes I missed when I was sick.

W: I'll try to bring you up today on what we have done.

Q: What does the woman mean?

4.

W: Hey, Dan, I hear you are meeting Susan's parents for the first time.

M: Yeah, next weekend. Fortunately her father loves to fish, so we'll have something to talk about.

Q: What can be inferred³ about Dan?

5.

W: professor White's presentation seemed to go on forever. I was barely⁴ able to stay awake.

M: How could you sleep through it? It's one of the best that I've heard on this topic.

Q: What does the man think of professor white's presentation?

6.

W: I'm looking for a quality paper to type my essay. I don't see any on the shelf.

M: I saw some in the stock⁵ room in the morning. I'll go and check.

Q: What does the woman want to buy?

7.

M: It seems we'll have another fine day tomorrow. Let's go to the seaside.

W: OK, but we'll have to leave very early, or else sell get cut in the traffic

Q: What does the woman suggest?

8.

M: Do you know James? He's in your class.

W: Certainly, in fact he was the first person I got to know in my class. I still remember the look on his face when he showed up late on the first day of school.

Q: Why did the woman remember James so well?

9.

W: The man at the garage thinks that I take good care of my car.

M: So do I. I don't see any scratches on the outside and the inside is clean, too.

Q: What does the man think of the woman's car?

10.

M: Wonderful day, isn't it? Want to join me for a swim?

W: If you don't mind waiting while I get prepared.

Q: What does the woman mean?

Section B

Passage One

A friend of mine told me that when he was a young man, he went to work as a teacher in one of the states of India. One day he received an invitation to dinner at the ruler's palace. Very pleased, he went to tell his colleagues. They laughed and told him the meaning of the invitation. They had all been invited and each person who was invited has to bring with him a certain number of silver and gold coins. The number of coins varied⁶ according to the person's position in the service of the government.

My friend's income was not high, so he did not have much to pay. Each person bound⁷ before the ruler, his gold went onto one hip⁸, his silver went onto another hip, and in this way he paid his income tax for the year. This was a simple way of collecting income tax.

The tax on property was also collected simply: The ruler gave a man the power to collect a tax from each owner of land or property in a certain area if this man promised to pay the ruler a certain amount of money. Of course the tax collector managed to collect more money than he paid to the ruler. The difference between the sum of money he collected and the sum of money he gave to the ruler was his profit.

Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.

11. What do we know about the speaker's friend?

12. What was the real purpose of the ruler's invitation?

13. What does the passage say about the tax collectors?

Passage two

Around the year 1000A.D., some people from Northwest India began to travel westwards. Nobody knows why. After leaving their homes, they did not settle down again but spent their lives moving from one place to another. Their later generations are called the Romany people or Gypsies. There are Gypsies all over the world. And many of them are still traveling with no fixed⁹ homes. There are about 8 million of them, including 3 million in Eastern Europe.

Gypsies sometimes have a hard time in the countries where they travel, because they are different. People may be afraid of them, look down on them or think that they are criminals. The Nazis¹⁰ treated the Gypsies cruelly, like the Jews. And nobody knows how many of them died in Hitler's death camps.

Gypsies have their own language, Romany. They like music and dancing, and they often work in fairs and traveling shows.

Travelling is very important to them and many Gypsies are unhappy if they have to stay in one place. Because of this, it is difficult for Gypsies children to go to school. And Gypsies are often unable to read and write. In some places, the education authorities¹¹ try to arrange special travelling schools for Gypsy children so that they can get the same education as other children.

Questions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.

14. Why did the ancestors of Gypsies leave their home?

15. What is the attitude of some people towards Gypsies?

16. What measure has been taken to help Gypsy children?

Passage three

As the car industry develops, traffic accidents have become as familiar as the common cold. Yet their cause and control remain a serious problem that is difficult to solve.

Experts have long recognized that this discouraging problem has multiple¹² causes. At the very least it is a problem that involves three factors: the driver, the vehicle and the roadway. If all drivers exercised good judgement at all times, there would be few accidents. But this is rather like saying that if all people were honest, there would be no crime. Improved design has helped to make highways much safer. But the title of accidents continues to rise because of human failure and an enormous¹³ increase in the number of automobiles¹⁵ on the road. Attention is now turning increasingly¹⁶ to the third factor of the accident are the car itself. Since people assume¹⁷ that the accidents are bound to occur, they want to know how cars can be built better to protect the drivers.

Questions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.

17. What does the speaker think are the causes of automobile¹⁴ accidents?

18. What measure has been taken to reduce car accidents?

19. What remains¹⁸ an important factor for the rising number of road accidents?

20. What's the focus of people's attention today according to the passage?

Part Ⅰ Listening Comprehension(20 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked ［A］, ［B］, ［C］and ［D］, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding¹⁹ letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Example: You will hear:

You will read:

［A］ At the office.

［B］ In the waiting room.

［C］ At the airport.

［D］ In a restaurant.

From the conversation we know that the two were talking about some work they had to finish in the evening. This is most likely to have taken place at the office. Therefore, ［A］ “At the office” is the best answer. You should choose ［A］ on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the centre.

Sample Answer ［A］［B］［C］［D］

1. ［A］ Get some change from Jane

［B］ Use the woman's phone.

［C］ Go to look for a pay phone.

［D］ Pay for the phone call.

2. ［A］ At a bookstore.

［B］ In a workshop.

［C］ At an art gallery.

［D］ In a department store.

3. ［A］ She's bought the man a pair of glasses today.

［B］ She will help the man to catch up.

［C］ She is worried about the man's health.

［D］ She has bought the man an up|to|date map.

4. ［A］ He is going to give a talk on fishing.

［B］ He thinks fishing is a good way to kill time.

［C］ He has the same hobby as Susan's father.

［D］ He is eager to meet Susan's parents.

5. ［A］ He finds the presentation hard to follow.

［B］ He considers the presentation very dull.

［C］ He thinks Professor White has chosen an interesting topic.

［D］ He speaks highly²⁰ of the presentation.

6. ［A］ High quality paper.

［B］ typewriter.

［C］ A bookshelf.

［D］ Some stocks²¹.

7. ［A］ They go to the seaside.

［B］ They set off early.

［C］ They go sightseeing.

［D］ They wait for a fine day.

8. ［A］ He was late for school on the first day.

［B］ He had a funny face.

［C］ He was the first person she met at school.

［D］ He liked to show off in class.

9. ［A］ Her car can stand any crash.

［B］ Her car is not as good as his.

［C］ Her car is maintained²² as well as his.

［D］ Her car is kept in good condition.

10.［A］ She is too busy to go.

［B］ She doesn't want to wait long.

［C］ She's willing to go swimming.

［D］ She enjoys the wonderful weather.

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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.

11. ［A］ He was once a friend of the ruler.

［B］ He was a tax collector.

［C］ He was a government official.

［D］ He was once a school teacher in India.

12. ［A］ To declare new ways of collecting tax.

［B］ To entertain those who had made great contributions to the government.

［C］ To collect money from the persons invited.

［D］ To reward outstanding tax collectors.

13. ［A］ They tried to collect more money than the ruler asked for.

［B］ They were given some silver and gold coins by the ruler.

［C］ They were excused from paying income tax.

［D］ They enjoyed being invited to dinner at the ruler's palace.

Passage Two

Questions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.

14. ［A］ They liked travelling.

［B］ They wanted to find a better place to live in.

［C］ They were driven out of their homes.

［D］ The reasons are unknown.

15. ［A］ They try to put up with Gypsies.

［B］ They are envious²³ of Gypsies.

［C］ They are unfriendly to Gypsies.

［D］ They admire the musical talent of the Gypsies.

16. ［A］ Special schools have been set up for them.

［B］ Pemp3anent homes have been built for them.

［C］ They are now taught in their own language.

［D］ They are now allowed to attend local schools.

Passage Three

Questions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.

17. ［A］ The causes are obvious.

［B］ The causes are very complicated²⁴

［C］ The causes are familiar.

［D］ The causes are not well understood.

18. ［A］ Regular driver training.

［B］ Improved highway

［C］ Stricter traffic regulations.

［D］ Better public transportation.

19. ［A］ Highway crime.

［B］ Poor traffic control.

［C］ Confusing road signs.

［D］ Drivers' errors.

20. ［A］ Designing better cars.

［B］ Building more highways.

［C］ Increasing people's awareness²⁵ of traffic problems.

［D］ Enhancing²⁶ drivers' sense of responsibility.

1 mobile   

adj.可移动的，易变的，机动的；n.运动物体

参考例句：

• The old lady sits on a mobile chair every morning.那位老妇人每天上午坐在一把可携带使用的椅子上。
• She's much more mobile now that she's bought a car.自从她买了汽车后，活动量就大多了。

2 catalog   

n.目录(册)vt.将…编入目录，将…编目

参考例句：

• Can you catalog all these books?你能给所有这些书编目录吗？
• You can look for the book in the library catalog.你可以在图书馆的图书目录上查找这本书。

3 inferred   

v.推断( infer的过去式和过去分词 )；间接地提出；暗示；意指

参考例句：

• Much of the meaning must be inferred from the context. 大部分含意必须从上下文中推断。
• I inferred this fact from the evidence I have gathered. 我根据收集到的证据推论出这件事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 barely   

adv.仅仅，几乎没有，几乎不

参考例句：

• The male bird is barely distinguishable from the female.雄鸟和雌鸟几乎无法辨别。
• He took barely enough money to keep the children in bread.他赚很少的钱仅够孩子们勉强糊口。

5 stock   

n.存货，储备；树干；血统；股份；家畜；adj.存货的；平凡的，惯用的；股票的；畜牧的；vt.进货，采购；储存；供给；vi.出新芽；进货

参考例句：

• The shop takes stock every week on Friday mornings.这家商店每星期五早晨盘点存货。
• Experts have forecast an upturn in the stock market.专家已预测股票市场价格有上升趋势。

6 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

7 bound   

adj.一定的，必然的；受约束的，有义务的

参考例句：

• I feel honor bound to repay the money I borrowed.我觉得有责任归还我借的钱。
• If he signs that paper,he will be bound hand and foot.如果他签署那份文件，他就会受到束缚。

8 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

9 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

10 Nazis   

n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Nazis were responsible for the mass murder of Jews during World War Ⅱ. 纳粹必须为第二次世界大战中对犹太人的大屠杀负责。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 authorities   

n.当局，权力，权威；权威( authority的名词复数 )；权力；学术权威；[复数]当权者

参考例句：

• They interceded with the authorities on behalf of the detainees. 他们为被拘留者向当局求情。
• At his instigation we conceal the fact from the authorities. 我们受他的怂恿向当局隐瞒了事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 multiple   

adj.多个(或多项、多种)的；n.（数）倍数

参考例句：

• The number 8 is a multiple of 4.八是四的倍数。
• The most common multiple births are twins,two babies born at the same time.最常见的多胎是双胞胎，两个婴儿同时出生。

13 enormous   

adj.巨大的；庞大的

参考例句：

• An enormous sum of money is injected each year into teaching.每年都有大量资金投入到教学中。
• They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。

14 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

15 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 increasingly   

adv.逐渐地，日益地，逐渐增加地

参考例句：

• Rivers are being increasingly made use of by man. 河流正在日益为人类所利用。
• I find it increasingly difficult to live within my income.我发现靠收入过日子越来越难了。

17 assume   

vt.假装；假定，设想；承担；呈现，采取

参考例句：

• I assume that he won't cheat you.想来他是不会骗你的。
• We can't assume anything in this case.在这种情况下我们不可能做出假设。

18 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

19 corresponding   

adj.符合的，一致的，相同的，相应的，相当的

参考例句：

• We shall take the corresponding measures.我们将采取相应措施。
• Finally,some corresponding advices are put forword based on the above experiments.最后提出了几个相应的建议。

20 highly   

adv.高度地，极，非常；非常赞许地

参考例句：

• It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
• The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。

21 stocks   

n.（树木等的）干( stock的名词复数 )；公债；家系；家族

参考例句：

• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse. 经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They want to unload the stocks on the market. 他们想把股票在市场上抛售掉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 maintained   

保持( maintain的过去式和过去分词 )； 保养； 坚持； 保卫

参考例句：

• He maintained a professional demeanour throughout. 他始终保持着专业人才的风度。
• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。

23 envious   

adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的

参考例句：

• I don't think I'm envious of your success.我想我并不嫉妒你的成功。
• She is envious of Jane's good looks and covetous of her car.她既忌妒简的美貌又垂涎她的汽车。

24 complicated   

adj.错综复杂的，麻烦的，结构复杂的

参考例句：

• The poem is so complicated that I cannot make out its meaning.这首诗太复杂，我理解不了它的意思。
• This is the most complicated case I have ever handled.这是我所处理过的最为复杂的案子。

25 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

26 enhancing   

v.提高( enhance的现在分词 )；增进；用计算机增强（照片等）；提高…的价值（或价格）；探溯语源，指示语源( etymologize的过去式和过去分词 )；增进；用计算机增强（照片等）；提高…的价值（或价格）

参考例句：

• Nanomedicine isn't just about getting fid of the bad--it's about enhancing the good. 纳米医学不只是为了摆脱医学弊病，还在于提高它的优越之处。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望
• We have been enhancing, but cannot be pleased with oneself. 我们一直在提高，但不能沾沾自喜。 来自互联网