2015年英语四级听力突破必备语音及讲义：短文_第2页

　　真题练习

　　Passage One

　　Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　26. A) Monitor students’ sleep patterns.

　　B) Help students concentrate in class.

　　C) Record students’ weekly performance.

　　D) Ask students to complete a sleep report.

　　27. A) Declining health.

　　B) Lack of attention.

　　C) Loss of motivation.

　　D) Improper behavior.

　　28. A) They should make sure their children are always punctual for school.

　　B) They should ensure their children grow up in a healthy environment.

　　C) They should help their children accomplish high-quality work.

　　D) They should see to it that their children have adequate sleep.

　　【答案】

　　26.What were teachers told to do in the experiment? (C)

　　27.According to the experiment, what problem can insufficient sleep cause in students? (B)

　　28.What message did the researcher intend to convey to parents? (D)

　　【原文】

　　Reducing the amount of sleep students get at night has a direct impact on their performance at school during the day. According to classroom teachers, elementary and middle school students who stay up late exhibit more learning and attention problems. This has been shown by Brown Medical School and Bradley Hospital research. In the study, teachers were not told the amount of sleep students received when completing weekly performance reports, yet they rated the students who had received eight hours or less as having the most trouble recalling all the material, learning new lessons and completing high-quality work. Teachers also reported that these students had more difficulty paying attention. The experiment is the first to ask teachers to report on the effects of sleep deficiency in children. Just staying up late can cause increased academic difficulty and attention problems for otherwise healthy, well-functioning kids, said Garharn Forlone, the study’s lead author. So the results provide professionals and parents with a clear message: when a child is having learning and attention problems, the issue of sleep has to be taken into consideration. “If we don’t ask about sleep, and try to improve sleep patterns in kids’ struggling academically, then we aren’t doing our job”, Forlone said. For parents, he said, the message is simple, “getting kids to bed on time is as important as getting them to school on time”.

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 29 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　29. A) She stopped being a homemaker.

　　B) She became a famous educator.

　　C) She became a public figure.

　　D) She quit driving altogether.

　　30. A) A motorist’s speeding.

　　B) Her running a stop sign.

　　C) Her lack of driving experience.

　　D) A motorist’s failure to concentrate.

　　31. A) Nervous and unsure of herself.

　　B) Calm and confident of herself.

　　C) Courageous and forceful.

　　D) Distracted and reluctant.

　　32. A) More strict training of women drivers.

　　B) Restrictions on cell phone use while driving.

　　C) Improved traffic conditions in cities.

　　D) New regulations to ensure children’s safety.

　　【答案】

　　29.What was the significant change in Patricia Pania’s life? (C)

　　30.What had led to Pania’s personal tragedy? (D)

　　31.How did Pania feel when she began her first speech? (A)

　　32.What could be expected as a result of Pania’s efforts? (B)

　　【原文】

　　Patricia Pania never wanted to be a public figure. All she wanted to be was a mother and home-maker. But her life was turned upside down when a motorist, distracted by his cell phone, ran a stop sign and crashed into the side of her car. The impact killed her 2-year-old daughter. Four months later, Pania reluctantly but courageously decided to try to educate the public and to fight for laws to ban drivers from using cell phones while a car is moving. She wanted to save other children from what happened to her daughter. In her first speech, Pania got off to a shaky start. She was visibly trembling and her voice was soft and uncertain. But as she got into her speech, a dramatic transformation took place. She stopped shaking and spoke with a strong voice. For the rest of her talk, she was a forceful and compelling speaker. She wanted everyone in the audience to know what she knew without having to learn it from a personal tragedy. Many in the audience were moved to tears and to action. In subsequent presentations, Pania gained reputation as a highly effective speaker. Her appearance on a talk show was broadcast three times, transmitting her message to over 40 million people. Her campaign increased public awareness of the problem, and prompted over 300 cities and several states to consider restrictions on cell phone use.

　　Passage Three

　　Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　33. A) They haven’t devoted as much energy to medicine as to space travel.

　　B) Three are too many kinds of cold viruses for them to identify.

　　C) It is not economical to find a cure for each type of cold.

　　D) They believe people can recover without treatment.

　　34. A) They reveal the seriousness of the problem.

　　B) They indicate how fast the virus spreads.

　　C) They tell us what kind of medicine to take.

　　D) They show our body is fighting the virus.

　　35. A) It actually does more harm than good.

　　B) It causes damage to some organs of our body.

　　C) It works better when combined with other remedies.

　　D) It helps us to recover much sooner.

　　【答案】

　　33.According to the passage, why haven’t scientists found a cure for the common cold? (B)

　　34.What does the speaker say about the symptoms of the common cold? (D)

　　35.What do some scientists say about taking medicines for the common cold, according to the passage? (A)

　　【原文】

　　Many people catch a cold in the spring time or fall. It makes us wonder if scientists can send a man to the moon. Why can’t they find a cure for the common cold? The answer is easy. There’re actually hundreds of kinds of cold viruses out there. You never know which one you will get, so there isn’t a cure for each one. When a virus attacks your body, your body works hard to get rid of it. Blood rushes to your nose and causes a blockade in it. You feel terrible because you can’t breathe well, but your body is actually eating the virus. Your temperature rises and you get a fever, but the heat of your body is killing the virus. You also have a running nose to stop the virus from getting into your cells. You may feel miserable, but actually your wonderful body is doing everything it can to kill the cold. Different people have different remedies for colds. In the United States and some other countries, for example, people might eat chicken soup to feel better. Some people take hot bath and drink warm liquids. Other people take medicines to relieve various symptoms of colds. There was one interesting thing to note. Some scientists say taking medicines when you have a cold is actually bad for you. The virus stays in you longer, because your body doesn’t develop a way to fight it and kill it.