[00:00.00]Questions 14--16 are based on a report on the world changing climate.
[00:07.39]You now have 15 seconds to read Questions 14--16
[00:14.05]Let me begin this commentary on the world's changing climate
[00:19.49]by saying that climatology,the study of long-range trends in weather
[00:27.04]is at best an inexact science.
[00:32.10]It is based on hypotheses.
[00:36.15]Currently,a major argument among climatologists
[00:41.80]concerns the long-range weather outlook for the earth.
[00:47.05]The question that occupies them so much is this:
[00:52.40]Is the earth cooling off,or is it in fact heating up?
[00:58.75]Is the earth going through a cooling trend or a warming trend?
[01:04.39]A cooling trend could bring mass starvation and fuel shortage.
[01:11.34]But on the other hand,
[01:14.40]a warming trend could melt the polar ice caps
[01:19.86]and cause flooding of the coastal cities of the world.
[01:25.00]In either case,
[01:28.24]the consequences for man might be alarming,
[01:33.00]and possibly disastrous.
[01:37.46]Let me just point out that rains and floods of record proportions
[01:43.42]have recently struck some geographic areas around the world
[01:49.06]while droughts have devastated other areas.
[01:54.21]Climatologists,in general,
[01:58.15]are truly puzzled by the change taking place today.
[02:03.40]As I already said,
[02:06.75]some parts of the world are cooling off
[02:11.19]while others are growing warmer
[02:15.65]Climatologists hope to discover why this is so
[02:21.09]and perhaps to predict what will come next.
[02:26.34]A number of climatologists believe the earth is,in fact,
[02:32.37]undergoing a cooling trend,
[02:36.34]and is returning to the conditions of the "Little Ice Age."
[02:41.99]This "Little Ice Age"
[02:45.64]could best be described as the cold,damp weather
[02:51.00]that was the characteristic of the period
[02:55.44]from approximately the 14th century to the mid-19th century.
[03:02.00]Climatologists generally agree
[03:06.15]that whatever the long-term trend in the earth's climate is,
[03:11.79]we are witnessing a period of increasing climatological change,
[03:18.24]a period that is making seasonal weather predictions
[03:23.31]and agricultural planning more and more difficult,
[03:28.56]if not altogether impossible.
[03:33.21]You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Questions 14--16.
[03:40.87]Question 14-16 according to Part B (2).
[03:42.90]14.What would a cooling trend in weather bring to the world?
[03:44.91](A)Floods along the sea coasts (B)A shortage of food and fuel
[03:47.06](C)Unpredictable weather conditions.
[03:49.12](D)Disappointment to some climatologists.
[03:51.16]15.What can be learned about the hypotheses of climatologists?
[03:53.20](A)They are often quite accurate.
[03:55.26](B)They are not reliable (C)They are short-sighted.
[03:57.30](D)They generally fall into two categories.
[03:59.36]16.What was characteristic of the "Little Ice Age"?
[04:01.40](A)Cold and damp climate (B)Change in geographic conditions
[04:03.46](C)World-Wide drought (D)Reduction of water resources
[04:05.50]Questions 17--20
[04:09.36]are based on an introductory talk about manufacturing.
[04:15.22]You have 20 seconds to read Questions 17--20.
[04:21.77]Manufacturing includes all occupations
[04:26.71]that are involved in making products by hand or by machine.
[04:32.48]These products range from simple plastic or wooden objects,
[04:38.13]such as clothespins or toothpicks,
[04:42.17]to highly complicated electronic computers
[04:46.93]Manufactured goods also vary in size,
[04:51.58]from microscopic electronic parts
[04:55.73]to giant aircraft carriers and supertankers.
[05:00.88]About two-thirds of the workers in manufacturing actually make products.
[05:07.15]These employees include craftworkers,
[05:11.48]skilled and semiskilled workers,and unskilled laborers.
[05:17.44]Craftworkers are highly skilled in such trades as tool designing,
[05:23.60]tool and die making,and tailoring.
[05:27.65]Many craftworkers supervise other employees.
[05:32.70]Skilled workers,who include engravers,machinists,printers,and welders,
[05:39.96]use special job skills to make items or to operate machinery.
[05:45.91]Semiskilled workersb include machine operators
[05:50.75]and assistants to skilled workers.
[05:54.98]Many semiskilled occupations
[05:58.95]require workers to repeat the same task again and again.
[06:04.80]Unskilled laborers perform jobs that require no special skills,
[06:10.65]such as sorting,packing,or moving materials.
[06:15.98]Most employees in manufacturing work in factories or shops.
[06:22.12]Common working conditions include high levels of dust,heat,or noise.
[06:28.68]Some factory jobs require great strength
[06:33.12]or standing for long periods.
[06:36.88]Many scientists,engineers,and technicians also work in manufacturing.
[06:43.83]Scientists perform laboratory tests
[06:48.08]and other research to develop new products and improve old ones.
[06:54.33]Engineers design and test airplanes,
[06:58.80]automobiles,household appliances,machine parts,
[07:05.14]and countless other products.
[07:08.98]They also design production equipment
[07:13.24]and improved manufacturing techniques.
[07:17.79]Some technicians assist scientists and engineers.
[07:23.04]Others plan or supervise production activities,
[07:27.87]such as packing or storing products.
[07:32.41]The manufacturing cluster also includes management workers.
[07:38.76]They develop and enforce company policies,
[07:43.41]plan and direct production activities,
[07:47.57]purchase equipment and materials,
[07:51.41]or work in labor relations or public relations.
[07:56.66]You now have 40 seconds to check your answers to Questions 17--20.
[08:03.92]Question 17-20 according to Part B (3).
[08:05.96]17.What role do most people in the manufacturing trades play?
[08:07.99](A)Designers (B)Supervisors (C)Assistants (D)Employees
[08:10.06]18.Which of the following best characterizes the job of a semiskilled worker'
[08:12.09](A)Repetitive (B)Consistent (C)Exceptional (D)Complicated
[08:14.16]19.How are the working conditions for most manufacturing jobs?
[08:16.30](A)Disgraceful (B)Forceful (C)Harsh (D)Monotonous
[08:18.36]20.Who are responsible for planning and directing the manufacturing process?
[08:20.40](A)Scientists and engineers (B)Management workers
[08:22.47](C)Technicians (D)Public relation workers
[08:24.50]That is the end of Part B.
[08:28.21]Part C
[08:31.03]You will hear a talk given by one of the compilers of a book.
[08:36.49]As you listen,you must answer Questions 21--30.
[08:42.45]by writing NO MORE THAN THREE words in the space provided on the right.
[08:48.80]You will hear the talk TWICE.
[08:52.45]You now have 60 seconds to read Questions 21--30.
[08:59.40]This book is an attempt to introduce the reader to the United States.
[09:05.54]It intends to give a concise but fairly well rounded overview
[09:11.89]of present day American society;
[09:16.12]not only a picture of surface phenomena,
[09:20.85]but insights into American culture
[09:25.50]and insights about the American people.
[09:30.15]Various aspects of American life
[09:34.38]are presented through articles written mainly by Americans themselves,
[09:41.25]or by westerners familiar with the United States.
[09:46.89]Most were written by scholars or specialists on the topic of the field.
[09:54.34]A number of articles were written by sociologists.
[09:59.69]This gives a perspective that goes beyond the common articles
[10:05.75]written for the average tourist,
[10:09.70]for the person with passing curiosity,
[10:14.35]or for the ordinary man-in-the-street
[10:18.71]A number of articles were also selected with the idea
[10:24.17]of presenting different sometimes conflicting,points of view
[10:30.20]about the same topic.
[10:33.76]This,it is hoped,
[10:36.92]will help the reader to gain better understanding
[10:41.78]and to help him draw his own conclusions.
[10:46.53]It should be stressed that the viewpoints of the various authors
[10:52.07]are not necessarily those of the compilers of this book.
[10:57.14]We may agree with all of some articles,
[11:01.79]only partially with others,
[11:05.44]and possibly disagree considerably with a few of the selections.
[11:11.69]To allow the reader to use his own judgement,
[11:16.44]we have generally kept the articles in their original form.
[11:21.90]If changes were made they were to make the language easier
[11:27.33]or to make the articles more manageable for the reader
[11:32.69]Most of the articles in this book
[11:36.95]were selected on the basis of the following criteria:
[11:41.81]1.Their suitability for giving accurate information
[11:47.84]about a topic or some aspect of the topic.
[11:52.78]These articles should help present a well-rounded picture of the whole
[11:58.63]In this respect,
[12:01.48]we have sometimes given preference to an earlier article
[12:06.83]rather than a later one
[12:10.49]if the former gives a more insightful
[12:15.14]or more comprehensive treatment of the subject.
[12:20.00]2.Their appeal to the ordinary reader
[12:25.35]These articles should be authoritative and reliable,
[12:30.29]yet not too elementary.
[12:34.34]The contents should be of interest to most readers.
[12:38.99]3.Their linguistic quality and degree of difficulty.
[12:45.34]The level for which these articles are intended
[12:50.17]is college students of English,
[12:54.40]other college students with a fairly good command of English
[13:00.25]and the general reader interested in the U.S.
[13:05.50]and with fairly good comprehension of the language.
[13:10.44]4.Their general relevance to Chinese readers or Chinese society.
[13:18.38]These article should have some general significance to China,
[13:25.72]either present or future,and not be totally irrelevant.
[13:32.28]Obviously no one book can give a completely comprehensive picture or description
[13:40.01]of such a vast and complex nation.
[13:45.16]Many readers may disagree with our choice of topics;
[13:50.69]most likely a number will say we have left out important ones.
[13:56.65]Many may feel we did not use our best judgement in selecting the articles.
[14:03.70]We must admit that we did not always agree among ourselves.
[14:09.87]We were further restricted by the limited amount of materials to choose from.
[14:16.82]Needless to say,
[14:20.16]we welcome suggestions and criticisms from our readers.
[14:26.61]And in spite of all its shortcomings,
[14:30.97]if the book has helped the reader
[14:34.92]to gain some insight and understanding about the United States and its people
[14:42.57]and has stimulated the reader to go further and to study more,
[14:48.82]then in a modest way
[14:52.68]this book will have accomplished much of what it was intended to do.
[14:59.24]Now you are going to hear the talk a second time.
[15:04.39]You now have 100 seconds to check your answers to Questions 21--30.
[15:12.93]Question 21-30 according to Part C.
[15:14.99]21.What kind of overview does the book intend to give about American society?
[15:17.03]22.Who wrote most of the articles in the book?
[15:19.07]23.What is said about the points of views of some articles on the same topic?
[15:21.13]24.In what form do most articles appear in this book?
[15:23.17]25.What is the criteria for choosing
[15:25.23]an earlier article rather than a later one?
[15:27.27]26.What type of students is the book mainly compiled for?
[15:29.33]27.What English language level are the readers of this book expected to have?
[15:31.37]28.What does the speaker say they would welcome from the readers?
[15:33.43]29.What do the compilers hope that the readers would do after reading the book?
[15:35.50]30.In general,what aspects of America are introduced into this book?
[15:37.53]That is the end of Part C. |