训练1

王橹杰Part II Listening ComprehensionSection A News ReportsNews Report OneA woman was charged with allegedly violating a Rhode Island city law against feeding wild animals. The fifty-five-year-old woman's neighbors blame her for making the area's rat problem worse. Newly installed cameras captured several rats active in the middle of the day.Neighbors say that it’s even worse during the night.The woman and her parents who own the home told reporters that she’s being charged for feeding birds. “Who would have known? Just loving animals gets you that much trouble,” she said. It is prohibited to feed any wild animals including birds in Rhode Island City. Nevertheless, while the woman’s intention was to feed birds, it is clear that rats were also benefiting.Anthony Moretti, director of the city administration, said he saw more than twenty rats near the woman’s home. He said it will take months to get the problem under control.Questions 1. What do we learn about the fifty-five-year-old woman?2. What did the city administration director say at the end of the report?

穆祉丞News Report TwoTo prepare for eventually sending astronauts to Mars, NASA began taking applications Friday for four people to live for a year in Mars Dune Alpha. That’s a 1,700-square-foot Martian habitat inside a building in Houston. The paid volunteers will work in conditions similar to what astronauts would face on Mars.They will live on simulated Mars food, exercise daily and perform research projects. They will also grow their own vegetables inside the habitat. The goal is to study how humans adapt to long-term isolation and limited resources before real Mars missions launch. Applications close next month.Questions 3. What will the four selected volunteers do?4. What food will the volunteers grow themselves?

王橹杰News Report ThreeA Japanese mayor apologized publicly Thursday after he accidentally scratched an Olympic gold medal with his ring during an award ceremony. Kawamura, mayor of Nagoya, told reporters he felt extremely sorry for damaging the precious medal belonging to swimmer Miu Goto.The mayor explained he forgot to take off his metal ring before handing out medals. He offered to fully cover the cost of a replacement medal. Fortunately, experts later examined the medal and confirmed the scratch was shallow and did not ruin the medal’s surface. Athlete Miu Goto said she accepted the mayor’s apology and would keep the original medal.Questions 5. What mistake did the Japanese mayor make?6. What did the mayor offer to do after the incident?7. What result did experts get after checking the medal?

穆祉丞Section B Long Conversation.Conversation OneHey, you look exhausted these days. Did you stay up late working again?Yeah, I’m not so sure that sleep is nearly as important as people always say it is. I haven’t slept enough in months because I have too much work to do, and I feel fine. It’s the same for most of my classmates. Poor sleep might be a problem for elderly people, but young people can totally handle staying up late.Well, the research I’ve read shows that sleep is probably even more important than we thought. Lack of sleep can lead to serious health issues like obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease. Besides, all the blue light from phones and laptops messes up our body clock, so we have to make more effort to sleep well.That makes sense. I spend almost every night staring at my computer until midnight, that’s definitely why I struggle to fall asleep quickly. I even bought blue-light blocking glasses last week, but I haven’t worn them much.You really should put them on when working at night. I also set my computer screen to warmer light after 9 p.m., it helps a lot.I’ll try that starting tonight. Thanks for the advice.Questions 8. What did the woman adjust on her computer?9. What does the woman say about electronic blue light?10. Why hasn’t the man gotten enough sleep for months?11. What key point did the woman learn from sleep research?

王橹杰Conversation TwoWhen you were a little kid, did you already know what career you wanted to have as an adult?Not at all. I changed my dream job every single year back then. When I was 7, I wanted to be a train driver. At 10, I dreamed of becoming a famous painter.Wow, that’s a big shift. What job attracted you most in high school.Mechanical engineer. I loved taking apart old machines and putting them back together. My parents worried it was just a passing hobby, but my physics teacher said I was really imaginative and suited for engineering.Do your parents support your career choice now?They do, but they always remind me to balance study and life. They also tell me parents’ main job is to help their kids figure out who they truly are, not force them into a fixed career path.That’s really wise parenting. My mom keeps pushing me to be a teacher, but I prefer design work.Questions 12. What did the man want to be at age seven?13. What job did the man fancy in high school?14. What word did the physics teacher use to describe the man?15. What do the man’s parents believe is their main responsibility as parents?

穆祉丞Section C PassagesPassage OneA mobile phone brand has launched new low-cost cell phones specially designed for African customers. Unlike mainstream smartphones filled with advanced functions, these devices focus on practical local demands. Most Africans use phones mainly for calls and text messages, rather than surfing the Internet.The phones keep an old-school physical keypad instead of full touch screens, which works better in dusty rural areas. The brand’s manager said their products successfully cater to Africans’ daily needs, so sales have grown rapidly across East and West Africa. Though they also sell Internet-ready smartphones in big cities, the simple keypad versions remain their best-sellers.Questions 16. What is NOT the main purpose of most Africans using mobile phones?17. Why do the new cheap phones sell well in Africa?18. What special design do these African-oriented phones have?

王橹杰Passage TwoScientists have developed a new plastic made from plant waste instead of fossil fuels. This eco-friendly material costs less to produce than traditional petroleum plastic and breaks down naturally in soil within two years.However, plastic manufacturers in the U.S. are still hesitant to widely adopt it. The industry has seen a rapid increase in petroleum chemical production in recent years, and factories have invested billions in old plastic production lines. Environmental groups urge the government to carry out strict policies to encourage recycled and plant-based plastic use, to cut plastic pollution globally.Questions 19. What advantage does plant-based plastic have over fossil fuel plastic?20. What trend exists in America’s plastic chemical industry recently?21. What do environmental organizations advise the government to do?

穆祉丞Passage ThreeA new nap-rental store has opened in downtown Chicago, offering quiet private rooms for office workers to take short naps during lunch breaks. Many office buildings ban napping at desks because some managers link daytime naps with laziness.The store owner says short naps greatly improve workers’ concentration and work efficiency. Most customers are young office staff whose daily work tasks highly depend on their ability to stay focused. The shop holds free lectures every weekend to help local people realize the clear benefits of proper napping.Questions22. What service does the new Chicago store provide?23. Why does the store hold free weekend lectures?24. Why do most customers need to take midday naps?25. Why do many bosses dislike employees napping at work?