2016年12月四级听力原文第一套

College English Test Band Four

Part

Ⅱ

Listening Comprehension

Section A

News Report One

A 16th century castle in Scotland is close to collapsing after lumps of soil were washed away

by

floods,threatening

its

Sunday,the

castle's

owner

John

Gordon,

76,was

forced

to

move

out

of

his

property

after

the

River

Dee

swept

away

about

60

feet

of

land,leaving the castle dangerously close to the river,according to the Scottish Daily Record.

Abergeldie Castle,located in Aberdeenshire,Scotland,was built by Sir Alexander Gordon of

Midmar who later became the Earl of castle, which is located on 11,700 acres,

was leased to members of the royal family between 1848 and 1970,including King Edward

VII

and

George

V

.The

Scottish

Environment

Protection

Agency

has

issued

more

than

35

flood warningscovering several regions,as Scotland continues to clean upafter Storm Frank

hit the country last Wednesday.

high for much longer,

Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news reportyou have just heard.

1. Why did John Gordon move out of Abergeldie Castle?

2. What happened in Scotland last Wednesday?

News Report Two

Rescue

efforts

were

underway

Thursday

morning

for

17

miners

who

were

stuck

in

an

elevator

below

ground

at

Cargill

rock

salt

mine

near

Lansing,

New

York,according

to

Marcia

Lynch,public

information

officer

with

Tompkins

County's

emergency

response

ncy workers have made contact with the miners via a radio,and they all

appear

to

be

uninjured,said

Jessica

Verfuss,the

emergency

department's

assistant

have managed to provide heat packs and blankets to the miners so that they

can

keep

warm

during

the

rescue

operation,Verfuss

s

about

what

led

tothe

workers' being trapped in the elevator weren't immediately mine, along New

York's Cayuga Lake,processes salt used for road produces about 2 million tons

of salt that is shipped to more than 1,500 places in the northeastern United States. The rock

salt mine is one of three operated by Cargill with the other twoin Louisiana and Ohio.

Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report

you have just heard.

3. What does the news report say about the salt miners?4. What did the rescue team do?

News Report Three

The Service announced todaythat it is considering closingabout 3,700 post offices

over the next yearbecause of falling an $$8.3 billion budget deficit this year,

closing post offices is one of several proposalsthe Postal Service has put forth recently to cut

week, for example,Postmaster General Pat Donahoe announced plansto stop mail

delivery on Saturdays,a move he says could save $$3 billion annually.

as we speak,

So like any other business,you have to make choices.

deliveryand

post

office

operations,said

the

first

wave

of

closingswould

begin

this

estimated

that

about

3,000

postmasters,500

station

managers

andbetween

500

and

1,000

postal clerkscould lose their jobs.

Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news reportyou have just heard.

5. What is the Service planning to do?

6. What measure has been planned to save costs?

7. What will happen when the proposed measurecomes into effect?

Section B

Conversation One

M: n, we've got trouble in the press room this morning.

W: Oh dear, what about?

M: One of the press operators arrived an hour and a half late.

W:

But

that's

a

straightforward affair.

He will

simply

lose part of

his

pay. That's why we

have a clock-in system.

M: But the point is the man was clocked inat 8 o' have John standing by the time

clock,and he swears he saw nothing irregular.

W: Is John reliable?

M: Yes, he 's why we chose him for the job.

W: Have you spoken to the man who was late?

M: Not yet.I thought I'd have a word with you 's a difficult man,and I think there's

been

some

troubleon

the

shop

floor.I've

got

a

feeling

that

trade

union

representative

is

behind manager told me thatJack Green's been very active around the shop the last

few days.

W: Well, what do you want me to do?

M: I was wondering if you'd see Smith

—

the man who was late

—

because you are so much

better at handling things like this.

W: Oh, alright.I'll see him.I must say I agree with youabout there being bad feelings in the

works.I've

had

the

idea

for

some

timethat

Jack

Green's

been

busy

stirring

things

up

in

connection with the latest wage 's always trying to make , I'll get the

manager to send Smith up here.

Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

8. What will happen to the press operator

who was late for work according to the woman?

9. What does the man say about John who stands by the time clock?

10. Why does the man suggest the woman see the worker who was late?

11. What does the woman say about Jack Green?

Conversation Two

W:

Our

topic

today

is

about

something

that

foreigners

nearly

always

say

when

they

visit

's

are

the

British

so

cold?

they're

talking

aboutthe

British

personality

—the famous British “reserve”.It means that we aren't very friendly...we aren't

very open.

M: So, do you think it's true?

W: It's a difficult many people who visit Britain sayit's difficult to make friendswith

British people.

They say we're cold, reserved,unfriendly...

M:

I

think

it's

true.

Look

at

Americans or

speak

the

same

language,but