英语专四 短文听力 Passage 3-1

 短文

Questions 11 to 13 are based on the following passage.

It’s interesting to note that insurance has existed in some form for a very long time. The earliest insurance policies were what were called bottomry contracts. (11) They provided shipping¹ protection for merchants as far back as 3000 B.C.. In general, the contracts were often no more than verbal agreements. They granted loans to merchants with the understanding that if a particular shipment of goods was lost at sea, the loan didn’t have to be repaid. (12) Interest on the loans varied² according to how risky³ it was to transport the goods. During periods of heavy piracy⁴ at sea，for example, the amount of interest and the cost of the policy went up considerably⁵. So, you can see how insurance helped encourage international trade. Even the most cautious merchants became willing to risk shipping their goods over long distances—not to mention in hazardous⁶ weather conditions—when they had this kind of protection available. (13) Generally speaking，the basic form of an insurance policy has been pretty much the same since the Middle Ages. There are four points that were salient then and remain paramount⁷ in all policies today.

 

题目

Passage 3

In this section you will hear several passages. Listen to the passages carefully and then answer the questions that follow.

Questions 11 to 13 are based on the following passage. At the end of the passage, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions.

Now, listen to the passage.

11. Who were the first insurance contracts designed to protect?

A. Insurance companies. B. Sailors.

C. Manufacturers.   D. Merchants.

12. According to the passage, what determined⁸ the cost of early insurance policies?

A. The distance the merchandise had to be shipped.

B. The number of insurance companies available at the time.

C. The amount of danger involved in shipping the goods.

D. The type of vessel⁹ used to transport the goods.

13. What does the passage tell us about current insurance policies?

A. Only four types of policies still exist today.

B. They cost less than the ones in the Middle Ages.

C. They include features similar to earlier policies.

D. The interest rates are based on early methods of calculation.

 

答案解析

Passage 3

11. D细节题。文章开头提到早期的保险就是为商人提供海上运输的保障。故应选D 项。其他选项文中并无提及。

12. C细节题。文中指出早期保险的价格是依据货物运输过程中的风险性来决定的。 故C项正确。

13. C细节题。文章结尾处说到现在的保险业与中世纪时期的差不多，那时候很重要 的四项条款在今天的保险政策中也是具有首要地位的。故C项陈述正确。

1 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

2 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。

3 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

4 piracy   

n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害

参考例句：

• The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。
• They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。

5 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

6 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

7 paramount   

a.最重要的，最高权力的

参考例句：

• My paramount object is to save the Union and destroy slavery.我的最高目标是拯救美国，摧毁奴隶制度。
• Nitrogen is of paramount importance to life on earth.氮对地球上的生命至关重要。

8 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

9 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。