近五年英语四级听力
近五年的英语四级听力，大家看好了。下面是学习啦小编给大家整理的近五年英语四级听力，供大家参阅!
近五年英语四级听力：2016
Passages
Passage One
The massive decline in sleep happened so slowly and quietly that few seemed to notice the trend. Was it because of the growing attraction of the Internet, video games and endless TV channels? Never disconnecting from work? No matter how it happened, millions of Americans are putting their health, quality of life and even length of life in danger.
New evidence shows why getting enough sleep is a top priority. Some 40% of Americans get less than 7 hours of shut-eye on week nights. "The link between sleep and health, and bad sleep and disease is becoming clearer and clearer." says Lawrence Alberstaine, a sleep expert at Harvard University. For example, sleep duration has declined from some 8 hours in the 1950s to 7 in recent years. At the same time, high blood pressure has become an increasing problem. Blood pressure and heart rate are typically at their lowest levels during sleep. People who sleep less tend to have higher blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes, weight gain and other problems.
Sleeping better may help fight off illness. "When people are sleep-derived, there are higher levels of stress hormones in their bodies which can decrease immune function." says Doctor Felice, of Northwestern University in Chicago. A university of Chicago study shows people who sleep well live longer. So say good night sooner and it may help you stay active and vital to a ripe old age.
Q16. What is the speaker mainly talking about?
Q17. What do we learn from the talk about today's Americans?
Q18. What does the speaker say will happen to people who lack sleep?
【答案】
16. A) The importance of sleep to a healthy life.
17. C) They get less and less sleep.
18. D) Their blood pressure will rise.
Passage Three
It is widely believed that German invented the first car in 1885. It was actually a tricycle with a petrol motor at the rear. Soon, members of the royal family and other wealthy people took up motoring as a sport. Many of the early cars had 2 seats. There were no petrol pumps and few garages, so every driver had to be his own engineer for the frequent breakdowns.
By 1905, cars began to look like cars of today, with head lamps, wind screen, rubble tires and number plates. Henry Ford's Model T introduced in America in 1909 was cheaper because it was made on the assembly line. It brought cars closer towards the reach of ordinary people. With the popularity of the car, registration became a must in 1903 with the motor car act. Competency tests were introduced in 1935.
Today, the legal driving age for a car in the UK is 17. You are not allowed to drive a car unsupervised until you have passed a driving test. In 1958, Britain celebrated the opening of its first motor way – the Preston Bypass. Until then, no one really understood what a motor way was, not even the laborers who were building it. The bypass held a new era in motor travel and was greeted with excitement and optimism. Service stations came with the motor way and the legend of the transport cafe was born. Of course, the service station has diversified greatly. But whether it’s an English-cooked breakfast or a coffee and a sandwich, one thing has remained the same: the prices.
Q22. What does the speaker say about the first motor car?
Q23. What was the problem with the early cars in Britain?
Q24. Why did Henry Ford's Model T cars cost less?
Q25. What do we learn about the Preston Bypass?
【答案】
22. B) It was built in the late 19th century.
23. D) They often broke down.
24. A) They were produced on the assembly line.
25. C) It marked a new era in motor travel.
近五年英语四级听力：2015
Short conversations
1.
W: I’m going to give up playing chess. I lost again today.
M: Just because you lost? Is that any reason to quit?
Q: What does the man imply?
2.
M: Do you know Sally’s new address? She’s got some mail here, and I’d like to forward it to her.
W: Well, we’ve not been in touch for quite a while. Let’s see. Mary should know it.
Q: What does the woman mean?
3.
W: I missed classes this morning. Could you please lend me your notes?
M: My notes? You’ve never see my handwriting, have you?
Q: What does the man imply?
4.
M: I’m taking my girlfriend to the fancy new restaurant for her birthday tonight.
W: I went there last weekend, I found it rather disappointing.
Q: What does the woman mean?
5.
W: Winter is over at last. Time to put away my gloves and boots.
M: I’ve been waiting for this for months.
Q: What does the man mean?
6.
W: Thank you for bringing the books back.
M: I thought you need them over the weekend. Many thanks for letting me use them.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
7.
W: Are you working flexible hours?
M: No, I’m not. The weather today is so nice, so I decided to walk to work, and that meant I had to leave an hour earlier than usual.
Q: What did the man decided to do?
8.
W: Our plane has been circling for a long time. Why the delay?
M: The airport is closed for a while this morning, and things are still not back to normal.
Q: What does the man mean?
Long conversation 1
Woman: Morning, this is TGC!
Man: Good morning, Walter Barry here, calling from London. Could I speak to Mr. Grand, please?
Woman: Who’s calling, please?
Man: Walter Barry, from London.
Woman: What is it about, please?
Man: Well, I understand that your company has a chemical processing plant. My own company LCP, Liquid Control Products, is a leader in safety from leaks in the field of chemical processing. I’d like to speak to Mr. Grand to discuss ways in which we could help TGC to protect itself from such problems and save money at the same time.
Woman: Yes, I see. Well, Mr. Grand is not available just now.
Man: Can you tell me when I could reach him?
Woman: He’s very busy for the next few days. Then he’ll be away in New York. So it’s difficult to give you a time.
Man: Could I speak to someone else, perhaps?
Woman: Who, in particular?
Man: A colleague, for example?
Woman: You are speaking to his personal assistance. I can deal with calls for Mr. Grand.
Man: Yes, well, could I ring him tomorrow?
Woman: No, I’m sorry, he won’t be free tomorrow. Listen, let me suggest something. You send us details of your products and services, together with references from other companies. And then we’ll contact you.
Man: Yes, that’s very kind of you. I have your address.
Woman: Very good, Mr…?
Man: Barry. Walter Barry, from LCP in London.
Woman: Right, Mr. Barry. We look forward to hearing from you.
Man: Thank you, goodbye.
Woman: Bye.
9. What do we learn about the woman’s company?
10. What do we learn about the man?
11. What’s the woman’s position in her company?
12. What does the woman suggest the man do?
Long conversation 2
Man: Miss Yamada, did you ever think that you would find yourself living and working in the western world?
Woman: No, not really, although I’ve always listened to recordings of great orchestras from Europe.
Man: So you enjoyed classical music even when you were very young?
Woman: Oh, yes. I was an only child.
Man: You were born in 1955, is that right?
Woman: Yes, I began violin lessons at school when I was 6.
Man: As young as that, did you like it?
Woman: Oh, yes, very much.
Man: When did you first play on your own? I mean, when did you give your first performance?
Woman: I think I was 8…? No, Nine. I just had my birthday a week before, and my father had bought me a new violin. I played a small piece at the school concert.
Man: Did you know then that you would become a professional violinist?
Woman: Yes, I think so. I enjoy playing the violin very much, and I didn’t mind practicing, sometimes three or four hours a day.
Man: And when did you first come to Europe?
Woman: I was very lucky. When I was fifteen, I won a scholarship to a college in Paris. That was for a three-year course.
Man: How did your parents feel about that?
Woman: I think they were pleased and worried at the same time. It was the chance of a lifetime. But of course I would be thousands of miles from home. Anyway, I studied in Paris for three years and then went back to Tokyo.
13. What do we know about the woman before she went to Europe?
14. What does the woman say about her music experience?
15. What does the woman say about her study in Paris?
Passage One
What makes a person famous? This is a mystery that many people have carefully thought about. All kinds of myths surround the lives of well-known people.
Most people are familiar with the works of William Shakespeare, one of the greatest English writers of the 16th and 17th centuries. Yet how many know Shakespeare the person, the man behind the works?
After centuries of research, scholars are still trying to discover Shakespeare's personal history. It is not easily found in his writings. Authors of the time could not protect their works. An acting company, for example, could change a play if they wanted to. Nowadays, writers have copyrights that protect their work.
Many myths arose about Shakespeare. Some said he had no formal education. Others believe that he began his career by tending the horses of wealthy men. All of these myths are interesting, but are they true? Probably not. Shakespeare's father was a respected man in Stratford-on-Avon, a member of the town council. He sent young William to grammar school. Most people of Elizabethan times did not continue beyond grammar school; so, Shakespeare did have, at least, an average education.
Some parts of Shakespeare's life will always remain unknown. The Great London Fire of l666 burned many important documents that could have been a source of clues. We will always be left with many questions and few facts.
Question16 What does the speaker say about William Shakespeare?
Question 17 What do we learn about Shakespeare's father?
Question 18 Why does the speaker say parts of Shakespeare's life will remain a mystery?
Passage Three
The British are supposed to be famous for laughing at themselves, but even their sense of humour has a limit, as the British retailer Gerald Ratner found out to his cost. When Ratner took over his father's chain of 130 jewelry shops in 1984, he introduced a very clear company policy. He decided that his shops should sell down market products at the lowest possible prices. It was a great success. The British public loved his cheap gold earrings and his tasteless silver ornaments. By 1991, Ratner's company had 2,400 shops and it was worth over 680 million pounds. But in April of that year, Gerald Ratner made a big mistake. At a big meeting of top British businesspeople, he suited up and explained the secret of his success. People say "How can we sell our goods for such a low price?" I say "Because they are absolute rubbish." His audience roared with laughter. But the British newspapers and the British public were not so amused. People felt insulted and stayed away from Ratner's shops. Sales fell and 6 months after his speech, Ratner's share price had fallen by 42%. The following year, things got worse and Gerald Ratner was forced to resign. By the end of 1992, he lost his company, his career and his house. Even worse, 25,000 of his employees had lost their jobs. It had been a very expensive joke.
Question 22 What did Gerald Ratner decide to do when he took over his father's shops?
Question 23 On what occasion did Gerald Ratner explained the secret of his success?
Question 24 How did people feel when they leaned of Gerald Ratner's remarks?
Question 25 What does the story of Gerald Ratner suggest?
Spot Dictation
Looking at the basic biology systems, the world is not doing very well. Yet economic indicators show the world is prospering. Despite a slow start at the beginning of the eighties, global economic output increased by more than a fifth during the decade. The economy grew, trade increased, and millions of new jobs were created. How can biological indicators show the opposite of economic indicators?
The answer is that the economic indicators have a basic fault: they show no difference between resources uses that sustain progress and those uses that will hurt it. The main measure of economic progress is the gross national product (GNP). In simple terms, this totals the value of all goods and services produced and subtracts loss in value of factories and equipment. Developed a half-century ago, GNP helped establish a common way among countries of measuring change in economic output. For some time, this seemed to work reasonably well, but serious weakness are now appearing. As indicated earlier, GNP includes loss in value of factories and equipment, but it does not take into account the loss of natural resources, including nonrenewable resources such as oil or renewable resources such as forests.
This basic fault can produce a misleading sense of national economic health. According to GNP, for example, countries that overcut forest actually do better than those that preserve their forest. The trees cut down are counted as income but no subtraction is made for using up the forests.
近五年英语四级听力：2014
Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions 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 corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.
1. W: I can’t seem to reach the tea at the back of the cupboard.
M: Oh… Why don’t you use the ladder? You might strain your shoulder.
Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?
2. W: Since it’s raining so hard, let’s go and see the new exhibits.
M: That’s a good idea. Mary Johnson is one of my favorite painters.
Q: Where does the conversation most probably take place?
3. M: I hear the students gave the new teacher an unfair evaluation.
W: It depends on which student you are talking about.
Q: What does the woman imply?
4. W: It must have taken you a long time to fix up all these book shelves.
M: It wasn’t too bad. I got Doris to do some of them.
Q: What does the man mean?
5. W: Rod, I hear you’ll be leaving at the end of this month. Is it true?
M: Yeah. I’ve been offered a much better position with another firm. I’d be a fool to turn it down.
Q: Why is the man quitting his job?
6. W: I honestly don’t want to continue the gardening tomorrow, Tony?
M: Neither do I. But I think we should get it over with this weekend.
Q: What does the man mean?
7. W: You’ve already furnished your apartment?
M: I found some used furniture that was dirt cheap.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
8. W: Has the mechanic called the bus repairers?
M: Not yet .I’ll let you know when he calls.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
Conversation one
M: Hello. Matt Ellis speaking.
W: Hello, Dr. Ellis, my name’s Pan Johnson. My roommate, Janet Holmes, wanted me to call you.
M: Janet Holmes? Oh, that’s right. She’s in my Shakespearean English class. Has anything happened to her?
W: Nothing, it’s just that she submitted a job application yesterday and the company asked her in for an interview today. She’s afraid she won’t be able to attend your class this afternoon though. I’m calling to see whether it would be OK if I gave you her essay. Janet said it’s due today.
M: Certainly, that would be fine. Uh, you can either drop it off at my class or bring it to my office.
W: Would it be all right to come by your office around 4:00? I’m afraid I can’t come any earlier because I have three classes this afternoon.
M: Uh, I won’t be here when you come. I’m supposed to be at a meeting from 3:00 to 6:00, but how about leaving it with my secretary? She usually stays until 5:00.
W: Fine, please tell her I’ll be there at 4:00. And Dr. Ellis, one more thing, could you tell me where your office is? Janet told me where your class is, but she didn’t give me directions to your office.
M: Well, I’m in Room 302 of the Gregory Building. I’ll tell my secretary to put the paper in my mail box, and I’ll get it when I return.
W: I sure appreciate it. Goodbye, Dr. Ellis.
M: Goodbye, Ms. Johnson.
Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
9. Why couldn’t the woman’s roommate attend the Shakespearean English class that afternoon?
10. What favor is the woman going to do for her roommate?
11. What does the woman want to know at the end of the conversation?
Conversation two
W: How are things going, Roald?
M: Not bad, Jane. I’m involved in several projects and it’s a long working day. But I’m used to that so it doesn’t bother me too much.
W: I heard you have moved to a new house in the suburb. How do you like commuting to London every day? Don’t you find it a string?
M: It was terrible at first, especially getting up before dawn to catch that 6:30 train. But it’s bearable now that I’ m used to it.
W: Don’t you think it’s an awful waste of time? I couldn’t bear to spend three hours sitting in a train every day.
M: I used to feel the same as you. But now I quite enjoy it.
W: How do you pass the time? Do you bring some work with you to do on the train?
M: Ah, that’s a good question. In the morning, I just sit in comfort and read the papers to catch up with the news. On the way home at night, I relax with a good book or chat with friends or even have a game of bridge.
W: I suppose you know lots of people on the train now.
M: Yes, I bumped into someone I know on the platform every day. Last week I came across a couple of old school friends and we spend the entire journey in the bar.
W: It sounds like a good club. You never know. I may join it too.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. What does the man say about his job?
13. Which train does the man take to work every day?
14. How does the man feel about commuting to work every day now?
15. How does the man spend his time on the morning train?
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 passages 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 1 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Most American college students need to be efficient readers. This is necessary because full-time students probably have to read several hundred pages every week. They don't have time to read a chapter three or four times. They need to extract as much information as possible from the first or second reading.
An extraordinarily important study skill is knowing how to mark a book. Students mark the main ideas and important details with a pen or pencil, yellow or blue or orange. Some students mark new vocabulary in a different color. Most students write questions or short notes in the margins. Marking a book is a useful skill, but it's important to do it right. First, read a chapter with one pen in your hand and others next to you on the desk. Second, read a whole paragraph before you mark anything. Don't mark too much. Usually you will mark about 10% of a passage. Third, decide on your own system for marking. For example, maybe you will mark main ideas in yellow, important details in blue and new words in orange. Maybe you will put question marks in the margin when you don't understand something and before an exam. Instead, you just need to review your marks and you can save a lot of time.
16. What should American college students do to cope with their heavy reading assignments?
17. What suggestion does the speaker give about marking a textbook?
18. How should students prepare for an exam according to the speaker?
Passage Two
The thought of having no sleep for 24 hours or more isn't a pleasant one for most people. The amount of sleep that each person needs varies. In general, each of us needs about 8 hours of sleep each day to keep us healthy and happy. Some people, however, can get by with just a few hours of sleep at night.
It doesn't matter when or how much a person sleeps. But everyone needs some rest to stay alive. Few doctors would have thought that there might be an exception to this. Sleep is, after all, a very basic need. But a man named Al Herpin turned out to be a real exception, for supposedly, he never slept!
Al Herpin was 90 years old when doctors came to his home in New Jersy. They hoped to challenge the claim that he never slept. But they were surprised. Though they watched him every hour of the day, they never saw Herpin sleeping. He did not even own a bed. He never needed one.
The closest that Herpin came to resting was to sit in a rocking chair and read a half dozen newspapers. His doctors were puzzled by the strange case of permanent sleeplessness. Herpin offered the only clue to his condition. He remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he had been born. Herpin died at the age of 94, never, it seems, having slept at all.
19. What is taken for granted by most people?
20. What do doctors think of Al Herpin's case?
21. What could have accounted for Al Herpin's sleeplessness?
Passage Three
Hetty Green was a very spoiled, only child. She was born in Massachusetts USA in 1835. Her father was a millionaire businessman. Her mother was often ill, and so from the age of two her father took her with him to work and taught her about stocks and shares. At the age of six she started reading the daily financial newspapers and opened her own bank account. Her father died when she was 21 and she inherited 7.5 million dollars. She went to New York and invested on Wall Street. Hetty saved every penny, eating in the cheapest restaurants for 15 cents. She became one of the richest and most hated women in the world. At 33 she married Edward Green, a multi-millionaire, and had two children, Ned and Sylvia.
Hetty’s meanness was well-known. She always argued about prices in shops. She walked to the local grocery store to buy broken biscuits which were much cheaper, and to get a free bone for her much loved dog. Once she lost a two-cent stamp and spent the night looking for it. She never bought clothes and always wore the same long, ragged black skirt. Worst of all, when her son, Ned, fell and injured his knee, she refused to pay for a doctor and spent hours looking for free medical help. In the end Ned lost his leg. When she died in 1916 she left her children 100 million dollars. Her daughter built a hospital with her money.
22. What do we learn about Hetty Green as a child?
23. How did Hetty Green become rich overnight?
24. Why was Hetty Green much hated?
25. What do we learn about Hetty's daughter?
复合式听写
Among the kinds of social gestures most significant for second language teachers, are those which are identical in form, but different in meaning in the two cultures. For example, a Columbian who wants someone to approach him often signals with a hand movement, in which all the fingers of one hand cupped point downward as they move rapidly back and forth. Speakers of English have a similar gesture, though the hand may not be cupped and the fingers may be held more loosely. But for them, the gesture means "goodbye" or "go away", quite the opposite of the Columbian gesture. Again in Columbia, a speaker of English would have to know that when he indicates height, he must choose between different gestures depending on whether he is referring to a human being or an animal. If he keeps the palm of the hand parallel to the floor, as he would in his own culture when making known the height of a child for example, he will very likely be greeted by laughter. In Columbia, this gesture is reserved for the description of animals. In order to describe human beings, he should keep the palm of his hand at a right angle to the floor. Substitutions of one gesture for the other often create not only humorous but also embarrassing moments. In both of the examples above, speakers from two different cultures have the same gesture physically, but its meaning differs sharply.
