Part II Listening Comprehension

Section A

Conversation One

1.C

【听前预测】

1.四项均以it开头。

2.四项提到的内容均与气候变化相关。

结论：该题可能考查与it有关的内容。听音时首先要确定it所指代的对象，然后结合选项作出判断。

【解析】对话中女士提问：“您能简短地概述一下您的工作内容、工作地点及主要研究领域吗？”接下来男士回答：“我所在的气候研究中心将气候变化科学与围绕经济学和政策的问题联系在一起。”因此C项与对话内容相符，故为正确答案。

2.B

【听前预测】

1.四项均以it开头，均表示某种程度的消极意义。

2.两项开头的it指代某种事物，两项提到its impact或its consequences。

结论：该题可能考查it的某种特性。听音时首先要确定it所指代的对象，然后结合选项作出判断。

【解析】对话中男士提到：“通过避免气候变化来规避风险要比处理（气候变化）可能造成的后果成本更低。”即：处理气候变化带来的后果要比避免气候变化的成本高，因此B项与对话内容相符，故为正确答案。对话中只是提到大国关于签署气候协议的问题尚未达成共识，并没有提到达成共识所需的时间长短，故A项错误；C项是对“向低碳能源系统的转变是各国的当务之急”的曲解。D项在对话中未提及，故排除。

3.A

【听前预测】

1.四项均是名词词组，推测本题可能是以what提问。

2.前三项提到的内容与全球发展或合作相关。

结论：该题可能以what提问，考查的内容可能与全球发展或合作相关。听音时需留意与transition,cooperation,global agreement相关的语句。

【解析】对话中男士提到：“我们需要掌握避免气候变化的最好方法，这会涉及向低碳能源系统的巨大转变，而这个转变是目前的当务之急。”因此A项与对话内容相符，为正确答案。对话中提到要解决当务之急需要签署全球协议，因此C项是前提条件，故排除；B、D两项在对话中未提及，故排除。

4.C

【听前预测】四项均以动词原形开头，可能考查某种行为或建议。

结论：该题可能以what提问，考查的内容可能与某人提出的建议相关。听音时留意与research,energy consumption,plan in advance,new technology相关的语句。

【解析】对话中男士提到：“我们还需要提前计划，这样我们才有能力应对那些已经不可避免的气候变化。”因此C项与对话内容相符，为正确答案。A、B、D三项在对话中未提及，故排除。

Conversation Two

5.B

【听前预测】四项均以特殊疑问词开头，信息点比较散，并且都具有概括性。

结论：该题可能以what提问，考查对话的主题。听音时留意与luck,success,practice,talent相关的语句，并注意从整体把握对话的中心意思。

【解析】对话中女士提到：“上课时，我们经常讨论诸如成功以及取得成功的要素等话题。”因此B项与对话内容相符，故为正确答案。A、C、D三项虽然在对话中也有提到，但是只是说话者提到的影响成功的要素，并不是对话的主题，故排除。

6.D

【听前预测】

1.四项均以it开头。

2.四项均描述it的某种特征。

结论：该题考查的内容可能与it的某个特征相关。听音时首先要确定it所指代的对象，听到问题后再结合选项作出判断。

【解析】对话中女士先提到：“我想人们认为的运气很大程度上取决于你如何回应即将到来的机会。”后面又解释说“抓住机会”，因此可知，在女士看来，运气意味着抓住机会，D项与对话内容相符，故为正确答案。A项和C项在对话中未提及，故排除。男士说：“人们可以在一定程度上创造所谓的运气。”女士表示赞同，B项与对话内容正好相反，也可排除。

7.D

【听前预测】

1.四项均是陈述性语气。

2.前两项提到了成功。

结论：该题可能考查某人对于成功的看法或观点。听音时要留意与态度或观点相关的描述，重点关注与选项内容相关的表达。

【解析】男士在对话中提到：“从视频内容我们可以看到，擅长做某事并不是因为有这方面的天赋，而是练习，练习，再练习。”因此可得知，TED演讲视频中的主要观点是练习对擅长做某事起到重要的作用，D项与对话内容相符，故为正确答案。其余三项都不是视频中的观点，故均可排除。

8.C

【听前预测】

1.两项以people开头，两项提到了与金钱有关的内容，两项提到了工作。

2.三项均表示积极的观点（profitable,wealthy,work hard）。

结论：该题考查的内容可能与人们的工作或财务状况相关，听音时应关注与选项重点词汇相关的内容。

【解析】女士在对话中提到：“如果你喜欢你所做的事情，对此真正充满激情，并真正付诸努力，自然就会容易赚到钱了。”因此可知C项与对话内容相符，故为正确答案。

Section B

Passage One

【听力原文】

［9］Devil's Tower,the first national monument in America,could almost be mistaken for the stump of an enormous tree.Its sheer rock sides sweep up from a broad base until they cut off abruptly at the flat summit.Rising more than 1,000 feet in the middle of the gently rolling plains of Wyoming,the massive column of rock,looks as though it was dropped down into this location from a different time and place.In a sense,it was.

Devil's Tower is a relic of the past.When the molten rock of the earth's core forced its way to the surface to form the throat of a volcano,as the centuries passed,the rock cooled and hardened,shrinking and cracking into long columns.［10］Born in fire and fury,Devil's Tower was then shaped by the slow,gentle work of wind and water.The outer layers of the volcano were worn away until the hard core stood completely exposed.［11］Small wonder that an Indian legend described Devil's Tower as being formed by supernatural powers.［12］The legend says that when seven girls were attacked by bears,they took refuge on top of a small rock,and they appealed to the Rock God for help.The God caused the rock to grow and to lift the girls far above the ground,while its sides were scored by the claws of the angry bears.Even today,says the legend,the girls can be seen above the towering rock as seven shining stars in the night sky.

9.What does Devil's Tower look like?

10.What caused the volcano's outer layer to wear away?

11.What does an Indian legend say about Devil's Tower?

12.How did the Rock God help the seven girls in the Indian legend?

9.A

【解题思路】

1.四项都是名词短语。

2.四项描述都含有表示“高”或“大”的词。

3.三项与自然景观有关，一项与人类劳动的产物有关。

结论：本题考查的内容可能是一处自然景观，可能是文章的某个细节，也可能是文章的主题。听音时应将重点放在四个选项的关键信息上（stump of a giant tree,huge piece of rock,peak of a mountain,chimney）。

【解析】题目问的是魔鬼峰看起来像什么。文章开头提出，魔鬼峰是美国第一个国家纪念物，几乎被误认为一根巨大的木桩。也就是说魔鬼峰看上去就像根巨大的木桩，由此可以得出A项正确。魔鬼峰本身就是一块巨大的岩石，因此不能说它像岩石，故B不对；C项与D项在文中均未被提及，因此均可排除。

10.B

【解题思路】

1.四项都是名词短语。

2.两项与人类活动有关，两项为自然现象。

结论：本题可能以what开头提问，考查的内容可能是文章的某个细节，也有可能是文章的主题。听音时应将重点放在四个选项的关键信息上（human activity,wind and water,chemical processes,fire and fury）。

【解析】题目问是什么导致火山外层被磨蚀了。文章中间部分提到，魔鬼峰诞生于炽热猛烈的天气之中，之后被风轻柔地吹拂，被水慢慢地冲刷，才得以形成。火山的外层被不断磨蚀，直到坚硬的内核完全裸露出来。由此可知，是风和水的力量使得火山外层遭到磨蚀，故B项正确。D项是火山形成的原因，故不可选；火山外层是在自然力的作用下被磨蚀的，与人类活动无关，故A项和C项都不可选。

11.D

【解题思路】

1.四项均以it开头。

2.两项描述的是“它”是什么，两项与“它”的来历有关。

结论：本题考查的内容与“它”有关，可能是问“它”是什么，可能考查“它”的来历，涉及文章的某个细节。听音时应重点判断“它”的指代对象，并将重点放在四个选项的关键信息上（historical monument,built in ancient times,Indians' sacred place for worship,created by supernatural powers）。

【解析】题目问的是印度传说是如何讲述魔鬼峰的。文章中间部分提到：难怪印度的一个传说把魔鬼峰描述成是由超自然力量造成的。由此可以得出D项正确。其他三项都与印度传说无关，因此均排除。

12.C

【解题思路】

1.四项均以by开头。

2.四项描述的都是一种做法。

结论：本题考查的内容可能是某人的做法，涉及文章的某个细节。听音时应将重点放在四个选项的关键信息上（sheltering them in a cave,killing the attacking bears,lifting them well above the ground,taking them to the top of a mountain）。

【解析】题目问的是在印度传说中石神是如何帮助那七个女孩的。文章最后提到了一个印度传说的内容，七个女孩遭到几头熊的袭击，于是躲到一块小的岩石顶上避难，并请求石神的帮助。石神让岩石长高，把几个女孩举到远离地面的地方。由此可以得出C项正确。其他三项均不是传说中石神的做法，因此均排除。

Passage Two

【听力原文】

It's no accident that most gas stations have convenience stores attached.［13］Few of us can fill up the tank without buying a few snacks,cigarettes,soft drinks or other items we can live without."I deserve it."That's what hard-working men and women say to justify their lavish vacations,big stereo systems or regular restaurant meals.They do deserve such indulgences.However,they also deserve a home of their own—a secure retirement and freedom from worrying about unpaid bills.No one should have to live with what a Texas mother described as constant stress,tension,even fear about money.［14］Sadly,the pleasure that comes from extravagances often disappears long before the bills do.The video camera that one single mother bought for a special occasion,for example,is not much fun now.She's figured out that it will take her another three years to pay it off at $30 a month.And the New Yorkers who spent a bundle on an outdoor hot tub now admit they rarely use it,"because we can't afford to heat it in winter."The solution: set priorities—add up the annual cost of each item,then consider what else you could buy with the same money.That will help you decide which items are really worth it.［15］One Chicago woman,for example,discovered that daily lunches with coworkers cost her $2,000 a year.She decided to take lunch to work instead."I now put $20 a week into my vacation fund and another 20 into retirement savings,"she says,"those mean more to me than lunch.”

13.What does the speaker say about drivers who stop at gas stations?

14.What does the speaker say about extravagances?

15.What does the speaker want to show by the example of the Chicago woman?

13.A

【解题思路】

1.四项均以they will开头。

2.四项描述的都是they的动作。

3.两项与买东西有关。

结论：本题考查的内容可能是某些人的具体做法，涉及文章的某个细节。听音时应首先判断they指代的对象，并将重点放在四个选项的关键信息上（buy something,rest a while,have their vehicles washed or serviced,pick up some souvenirs or gift items）。

【解析】题目问的是关于在加油站停留的司机，讲话者是如何说的。文章开头指出，很少有人去加油时不买一些非生活必需的小吃、软饮料或者其他日常用品。由此可以得出A项正确。其他三项在讲话中均未提及，因此排除。

14.A

【解题思路】

1.四项均以they开头。

2.三项描述的都是消极结果。

结论：本题考查的内容可能是一个看法、一种观点或一个结论，可能是文章的某个细节。听音时应首先判断they指代的对象，并将重点放在四个选项的关键信息上（temporary pleasures,extremely wealthy,be done away with altogether,drive one to bankruptcy）。

【解析】题目问的是关于挥霍放纵，讲话者说了些什么。文章中提到，遗憾的是，挥霍放纵带来的快乐往往在账单付清之前很久就消失了。由此可知这种快乐是非常短暂的，因此A项正确。其他三项在讲话中均未被提及，因此均排除。

15.D

【解题思路】

1.三项均提到savings或save。

2.两项描述的是存钱带来的积极结果。

结论：本题考查的内容可能是一个看法、一种观点或一个结论，可能是文章的某个细节。听音时应将重点放在四个选项的关键信息上（have daily lunch with one's colleagues,retirement savings,a vacation will be affordable,small daily savings can make a big difference）。

【解析】题目问的是讲话者举芝加哥妇女的例子是想说明什么。文章最后举了一个芝加哥妇女存钱的例子，她原来每天中午与同事一起吃饭，一年下来午饭钱要花费一大笔，后来她决定自带午饭。这样一来她每个星期都有一小笔钱存入假期基金，还有一小笔存入退休储蓄账户，而这样做将为她的生活带来积极的影响。由此可以得出D项正确。其他三项均是对这一事例的主观引申，与讲话者意图不符，因此均排除。

Section C

Recording One

【听力原文】

Let's say you start to brainstorm a list of all the emotions you've ever experienced,just for fun.Try it now.

What's on your list? Chances are,you included things like: happy,sad,excited,angry,afraid,grateful,proud,scared,confused,stressed,relaxed and amazed.Now sort your list into two categories: positive emotions and negative emotions.

［16］Feeling both positive and negative emotions is a natural part of being human.We might use the word"negative"to describe more difficult emotions but it doesn't mean those emotions are bad or we shouldn't have them.Still,most people would probably rather feel a positive emotion than a negative one.It's likely you'd prefer to feel happy instead of sad or confident instead of insecure.

What matters is how our emotions are balanced,how much of each type of emotion,positive or negative,we experience.

Negative emotions warn us of threats or challenges that we may need to deal with.For example,fear can alert us to possible danger.It's a signal that we might need to protect ourselves.Angry feelings warn us that someone is stepping on our toes,crossing a boundary or violating our trust.Anger can be a signal that we might need to act on our own behalf.

Negative emotions focus on our awareness.They help us to zero in on a problem so we can deal with it.［17］But too many negative emotions can make us feel overwhelmed,anxious,exhausted or stressed out.When negative emotions are out of balance,problems might seem too big to handle.

The more we dwell on negative emotions,the more negative we begin to feel.Focusing on negativity just keeps it going.

Positive emotions balance out negative ones,but they have other powerful benefits,too.［18］Instead of narrowing our focus,like negative emotions do,positive emotions affect our brains in ways that increase our awareness,attention and memory.They help us take in more information,hold several ideas in mind at once and understand how different ideas relate to each other.

When positive emotions open us up to new possibilities,we are more able to learn and build on our skills.That leads to doing better on tasks and tests.

People who have plenty of positive emotions in their everyday lives tend to be happier,healthier,learn better and get along well with others.

16.What does the speaker say about negative emotions?

17.What happens to people whose negative emotions are out of balance?

18.How do positive emotions affect us?

16.B

【解题思路】

1.四项均以they开头，且都是陈述性语气，听音时要注意听清they的指代对象。

2.两项表达积极意义，两项表达消极意义，本题可能考查they的影响或作用。

【解析】本题问关于消极情绪，讲话者说了什么。讲话开头部分提到：“身为人类自然会有积极情绪和消极情绪。”也就是说消极情绪必然会出现在人们的生活中，人不可能只有积极情绪或只有消极情绪。由此可知，答案选B。讲话中没有提及选项A和C。讲话中提到了消极情绪太多的话会对健康不利，D项与讲话内容有出入，也排除。

17.B

【解题思路】

1.四项均以they开头，由选项内容可知，they应该指的是某类人，在听音时要注意听清其指代对象。

2.四项均描述的是they的消极情绪，本题可能考查消极情绪对they的影响。

【解析】本题问消极情绪过多的人身上会发生什么。讲话内容中间部分提到：“但太多的消极情绪会使我们感到不知所措、焦虑、疲惫不堪或者压力重重。当消极情绪多于积极情绪时，问题可能看起来就太大而无法处理了。”选项B的说法与此处内容一致，其中overwhelmed属于原词复现。其余三项的说法均与原文不符。

18.A

【解题思路】四项还是都以they开头，且均表示积极意义，听音时要注意听清they的指代对象。

【解析】本题问积极情绪如何影响我们。讲话最后部分对积极情绪进行了具体阐述，其中提到：“与消极情绪缩小我们的关注点不同，积极情绪通过增强我们的意识、提高我们的注意力和记忆力来影响我们的大脑活动。积极情绪帮助我们领会更多信息，使我们脑中同时冒出几种想法……”选项A是对此部分内容的概括总结。选项B和D文中没有提及，选项C是消极情绪对人们的影响，故均可排除。

Recording Two

【听力原文】

In the past few months,I've been travelling for weeks at a time with only one suitcase of clothes.One day,I was invited to an important event,and I wanted to wear something special for it.I looked through my suitcase but couldn't find anything to wear.I was lucky to be at the technology conference then,and I had access to 3D printers.［19］So I quickly designed a skirt on my computer,and I loaded the file on the printer.It just printed the pieces overnight.The next morning,I just took all the pieces,assembled them together in my hotel room,and this is actually the skirt that I'm wearing right now.

So it wasn't the first time that I printed clothes.［20］For my senior collection at fashion design school,I decided to try and 3D print an entire fashion collection from my home.The problem was that I barely knew anything about 3D printing,and I had only nine months to figure out how to print five fashionable looks.

I always felt most creative when I worked from home.I loved experimenting with new materials,and I always tried to develop new techniques to make the most unique textiles for my fashion projects.

One summer break,I came here to New York for an internship at a fashion house in Chinatown.We worked on two incredible dresses that were 3D printed.They were amazing—like you can see here.But I had a few problems with them.［21］They were made from hard plastics and that's why they were very breakable.The models couldn't sit in them,and they even got scratched from the plastics under their arms.

So now,the main challenge was to find the right material for printing clothes with.I mean the material you feed the printer with.［22］The breakthrough came when I was introduced to Filaflex,which is a new kind of printing material.It's strong,yet very flexible.And with it,I was able to print the first garment,a red jacket that had the word"freedom"embedded into it.And actually,you can easily download this jacket,and change the word to something else,for example,your name or your sweetheart's name.

So I think in the future,materials will evolve,and they will look and feel like fabrics we know today,like cotton or silk.

19.What does the speaker say about the skirt she is wearing now?

20.When did the speaker start experimenting with 3D printing?

21.What was the problem with the material the speaker worked on at a New York fashion house?

22.What does the speaker say about Filaflex?

19.B

【解题思路】四项均以it开头，且由其中的the latest style和made by a fashion designer可知，it可能指的是某件衣服。

【解析】本题问关于她现在穿的裙子，讲话者说了什么。讲话者在一开始就提到，她为了参加一次重要的活动，专门用3D打印机打印了一件衣服，也就是她现在穿的连衣裙。故本题选B。其余三项均与原文不符。

20.C

【解题思路】四项都以when she开头，且描述的都是过去的事，两项与she的学习经历有关。

【解析】本题问讲话者开始试验3D打印的时间。讲话者提到，当她在时装设计学院进修高级时装设计专业时，曾决定尝试在家使用3D技术打印一整套时装。故选C。其余三项均与其所说的事实不符。

21.C

【解题思路】四项均以it开头，且描述的都是某种缺点，推测本题考查it的问题或缺点，应重点听清it的指代对象和描述其问题或缺点的内容。

【解析】本题问纽约时装店的服装打印材料有什么问题。讲话者提到，她在纽约的一家服装店实习时用3D打印机打印了两件非常漂亮的连衣裙，但打印连衣裙的材料是硬塑料，很容易碎，故选C。

22.D

【解题思路】四项还是以it开头，且都是对事实的陈述。由选项中的3D printer和3D printing可知，it可能指的是某种用于3D打印的材料。

【解析】本题考查有关Filaflex的内容。讲话者最后提到，当别人向她介绍了一款新型的打印材料——Filaflex时，有关打印衣服的材料问题才有了进展，这与选项D的说法一致。其余三项讲话者均未提及。

Recording Three

【听力原文】

Welcome to the third lecture in our series on the future of small businesses in Europe.The purpose of today's lecture,as you have seen from the title and the abstract,is to examine in more detail the problems facing small and medium-sized enterprises ［23］which arise at least in part from having to adapt to rapid advances in technology.And I want to look at these both from a financial and from a personnel point of view and to offer a few hopefully effective solutions.

Here we have three of the most important problems facing small businesses that I want to look at today.

First,keeping up with the pace of technological change.Recruiting high-quality staff in a time of skills shortages in IT as a whole and in a highly competitive market.And the issue of retaining staff once they've been recruited and trained.Now,all of these problems involve significant costs for all businesses.But there are particularly challenging issues for small and medium-sized enterprises.And those costs would vary depending on the size and scale of the businesses.

So let's come to the first issue on our list,which is keeping pace with developments in technology.［24］Now we all know that the technology industry is intensely competitive with new products being launched all year round as the various companies strive to compete with each other,rather than,say once a year or every couple of years.And this is a real headache for smaller businesses.So,let's imagine we have a small company which is doing OK.It's just about making a profit and it spends most of its income on the overheads.So for a company in this situation,keeping up to date with the latest technology,even if it's only for the benefit of key staff,this can be hugely expensive.

So in my view,some creative thinking needs to come in here to find ways to help companies in this situation to stay ahead in the game,but at the same time,to remain technologically competitive.

Well,there's a possibility that small groups of companies with similar requirements but not directly competing with each other,they could share the cost of upgrading in much the same way as,let's say,an intranet operates within larger organizations.［25］In fact,cost sharing could be a very practical solution,especially in times of financial difficulty.If there's a downward pressure on costs,because of a need for investment in other areas,I would argue that this is a perfectly feasible solution.

23.What does the speaker say about the problems facing small and medium-sized enterprises?

24.What does the speaker say about the technology industry?

25.What is a practical solution to the problems of small and medium-sized businesses?

23.A

【解题思路】四个选项均以they作主语，有两项出现了technology，两项出现了solve或solved。听音时应听清they指代的对象，并重点关注与技术相关的信息。

【解析】讲座开头提到，中小型企业面临一些问题，这些问题的产生，至少有一部分原因在于，它们不得不适应技术的快速发展。也就是说，这些问题是由技术进步引起的，故A项符合讲座内容。B项是根据讲座中to examine in more detail the problems而设置的干扰项，可排除。C、D两项讲座中并未提及，都应排除。

24.D

【解题思路】四个选项均以it作主语。各项关键信息分别为：entrepreneurs，huge investment，new products，intensely competitive。听音时应听清it指代的对象，并将重点放在与各个选项的关键词汇相关的内容上。

【解析】讲座中间提到：“众所周知，现在技术行业的竞争非常激烈。”由此可知D项与讲座内容相符。讲座中提到，不同的企业彼此间相互竞争，一年到头不断地推出新产品。但并没有说技术行业的重点都放在新产品上，C项属于主观臆测，应排除。其余两项讲座中并未提及，可排除。

25.D

【解题思路】两个选项是名词短语，两个选项是动名词短语，四项的关键词汇分别是cooperation、recruiting、in-service training和sharing of costs，描述的都是企业的某种做法或采取的某项措施，听音时应将重点放在与这些关键词汇相关的内容上。

【解析】讲座最后提到，小企业团体间共同承担技术升级的成本，这是个非常实际的解决方案。由此可知D项与讲座内容相符，为正确答案。讲座中提到小型企业面临的三个最重要的问题，其中包括招聘高水平员工，但并不是说中小企业实际的解决方案就是要招聘更合格的员工，故排除B项。其余两项在讲座中没有提及，排除。