大学英语六级改革适用（听力）模拟试卷504

M: Hello. W: Hello, Frank. This is Susan. I’m sorry to phone you at this hour, but I’m experiencing a sticky issue that I can’t think of anyone to get advice beside you. M: What’s up? W: Well, I moved to my present apartment couple months ago and now I plan to return to my parents’ place next month. [1]/[2]Today, I gave notice to my landlord but he said he’s unable to give my deposit back since I have to stay a minimum of six months. M: [3]Are you giving him a-month-in-advance notice to move? W: Yes, that’s exactly what I did today. In the tenancy agreement that’s the timeframe requested to notify the landlord. M: [3]Yes, that’s the usual practice. Well, in the tenancy agreement, did it state that there’s a minimum of six months stay or the deposit would be forfeited? W: Not that I could remember. Besides, I have never heard of such clause in the contract. M: Well, perhaps you should pull your contract out and have a word with the landlord. W: Yes, that’s exactly what I’m thinking of. But he said he spent time and money on advertisements to get tenant and it wouldn’t be fair on him if I just stayed for two months. M: Well, that’s not the point, Susan, the fact is he shouldn’t force a tenant to stay. Besides, if the contract does not state the time frame, then he shouldn’t impose it on himself. W: You are right, Frank. You just confirmed my reasoning. M: Look, Susan, I’ll go with you to see the landlord tomorrow and if he still insists on forfeiting your deposit, [4]we’ll go to the small claims court to get your money back. W: Thanks, Frank. Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 1. Why is Susan worried? 2. What does the landlord plan to do? 3. When should the notice be given to the landlord in regular practice? 4. What are Susan and Frank planning to do as a last resort? She can’t find a new place to live. She thinks she will lose her deposit money. The contract states she must stay at least 6 months. The landlord wants her to move out after 2 months.

W: Dad, can I go to a movie with Sharon? M: Yeah, sure, but wait. [5]Weren’t you supposed to get a report card sometime this past week? W: Well, oh yeah. Can I call Sharon now? M: Uh-hum. You didn’t answer my question. Did you receive it or not? W: I love you, Dad! [5]You’re the best! M: [5]Don’t try to butter me up. I can guess that your answer means that you didn’t do well in some of your classes? W: Well, my English teacher is so boring, and he blows up every time someone talks. M: In other words, you’re not doing so well? W: Uh, a C... minus. M: Oh. Well, how are you doing in your Spanish class? You said you liked that one. W: Well, I do, but I forgot to turn in a couple of assignments, and I had problems on the last test. All those verbs tripped me up. I got them all mixed up in my head! M: Okay, and [6]what about algebra? W: [6]Ah, I’m acing that class. No sweat. M: Oh! W: Can I go now? M: [7]And how are you doing in history? W: Oh, [7]that’s my favorite class. Mr. Jones is always passing out candy if you know the answers to his questions. M: Great. Now, [7]I have a bright daughter with tooth decay. W: Ah, Dad. Can I go now? M: You can go if you answer my history question. [8]How old am I? W: Uh, fifty-five? M: Fifty-five! [8]You just failed a math and history test at the same time! W: Dad... M: Well, okay, but you need to come straight home from the movie. W: Gotta run, Dad. Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 5. Why does the girl flatter her father by saying “You are the best”? 6. Which subject does the girl find the easiest? 7. What do we learn about the girl’s performance on history class? 8. What does the father mean by saying the girl failed a math and history test at the same time? To get some pocket money from her father. To persuade him into allowing her more freedom. To distract him from asking about her performance at school. To help her boy friend leave a good impression on her father.

[11] Senators are people who are elected every 6 years and they represent a whole state. This means there are fewer senators than Congress Representatives but they do have the power to defeat any bill that has been passed by the Congress. [9]Their function is to provide more scrutiny over the decisions and actions of the Congress Representatives, and to make sure that bills, passed by the House of Representatives, are not driven by narrow local interests. In England, the British have an appointed House of Lords to provide a “second sober thought” about new laws. [10]In America, senators are thought to do the same thing, but the primary difference is that they are elected and very responsive to public opinion. However, because they do not have to face [11]elections for 6 years, it was thought that they may be more rational than populists, although in practice the Senate and the Congress are still very much swayed by the views of public opinion or by powerful lobby groups. If the bill is passed in the Senate, then it goes to the President to either sign or reject. If he signs it, it becomes law, but [12]if he rejects it, that is to say he vetoes the bill, or refuses to sign it, or as they say, “pocket vetoes it”, it will be sent back to the Congress. If the Congress disagrees with the President enough and does not want to change or amend the bill, they can set aside the President’s rejection—called setting aside the veto. Questions 9 to 12 are based on the passage you have just heard. 9. What aspect of the Senate does the speaker talk about? 10. What is the main difference between the American Senate and British House of Lords? 11. How often are senators elected? 12. According to the speaker, what is a veto? The senators’ duties. The senators’ wealth. The senators’ hobbies. The senators’ function.

Most people have had a dog or wanted one as their companion at some time in their lives. [13]If you are thinking of buying a dog, however, you should first decide what sort of companion you need and whether the dog is likely to be happy in the surroundings you can provide. Specialist advice is available to help you choose the most suitable breed of dog. But in part, the decision depends on common sense. Most breeds were originally developed to perform specific tasks. So, if you want a dog to protect you or your house, for example, you should choose a breed that has the right size and characteristics. You must also be ready to devote a good deal of time to train the dog when it is young and give it the exercise it needs throughout its life, unless you live in the country and can let it run freely. Dogs are demanding pets. Whereas cats identify with the house and so are content if their place there is secure, [14]a dog identifies with its master and consequently wants him to show proof of his affection. The best time to buy a baby dog is when it’s between 6 and 8 weeks old so that [15]it can transfer its affection from its mother to its master. If baby dogs have not established a relationship with the human being until they are over three months old, their strong relationship will always be with dogs. They are likely to be too shy when they are brought out into the world to become good pets. Questions 13 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard. 13. What is mentioned as a consideration in buying a dog? 14. In what way is a dog said to be more demanding than a cat? 15. Why is it advised to buy a baby dog under three months old? The dog’s color and size. The dog’s price and breed. Whether the dog will need its companion. Whether the dog will fit the environment.

In New York City public schools, 176 different languages are spoken among the more than 1 million students. For 160,000 children, English is not their first language. New York’s Department of Education makes learning better for these students by providing dual-language programs. Students are taught in two languages, English and another one, like Russian or Chinese. Math, social studies, science and all other regular courses are taught in both languages. And they learn about the culture of the other country. Milady Baez is Deputy Chancellor of English Language Learners and Student Support. [16]She says these dual-language programs will help children succeed in the future. “The jobs of the future require that our students know more than one language. They are going to be traveling abroad. They are going to be communicating with people from all over the world. This will open doors for them.” Shuya Zhang teaches a dual language class. She says the program helps children get ready to work with people in other countries. “Look at nowadays, America started economic relationships with China. Lots of factories have been built, companies moved to China. They need people with both language skills so when the kids are grown up, they already have this skill.” Middle-schoolers might not have jobs on their minds yet. [17]For Kequing Jaing, she likes keeping up her first language, Chinese. “It makes me feel that I am home because I can speak in Chinese, learn in Chinese, while learning in English. So it makes me feel better and makes me understand more about the task I’m learning.” Anastasia Hudikova came to the United States when she was 2 years old. She says the Russian-English program keeps her connected to her heritage and her parents happy. [18]“They’re really happy about the program that exists. They are really happy that I can preserve my culture and my language, that I can speak it fluently in school.” The New York schools also offer dual-language programs in seven other languages: Arabic, French, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Korean, Polish and Spanish. There are plans to add even more languages in the future. While these dual-language programs are popular, some groups in the U.S. say teaching English comes first. U.S. English wants to make English the official language of the United States. “We have no problem with folks speaking multiple languages… if people want to speak a different language at home,” says Todd DuBois with U.S. English. [19]“What we do think is schools should prioritize English.” He says studies show that children who learn English early will be more successful later. And, he says, focusing on English in the classroom will help the students learn the language faster. Questions 16 to 19 are based on the recording you have just heard. 16. How can students benefit from the dual-language program? 17. What is Kequing Jaing’s first language? 18. What do the parents of Anastasia Hudikova think of the dual-language program? 19. What does Todd DuBois think of English? They can learn their future major in another language. They can communicate with their classmates freely. They can succeed in the future with the programs’ help. They can learn English better with the programs’ help.

Our country is home to some of the most beautiful God-given landscapes in the world. We’re blessed with natural treasures—from the Grand Tetons to the Grand Canyon; from lush forests and vast deserts to lakes and rivers teeming with wildlife. [22]And it’s our responsibility to protect these treasures for future generations, just as previous generations protected them for us. Since taking office, I’ve set aside more than 260 million acres of public lands and waters—more than any President in history. Last month, we announced that 11 states had come together with farmers, and industry groups to protect some threatened species, without bringing negative influences on the local economies. Two weeks ago, [20]we joined an alliance of countries cracking down on illegal fishing that threatens jobs and food security around the globe. And I’m going to keep protecting the places that make America special, and the livelihoods of those who depend on them. We’ll also keep doing what we can to prevent the worst effects of climate change before it’s too late. [21]Over the past six years, we’ve led by example, generating more clean energy and lowering our carbon emissions. Our businesses have stepped up in a big way, including just this past week. Some of our biggest companies made new commitments to act on climate—not just because it’s good for the planet, but because it’s good for their bottom line. This is how America is leading on the environment. And because America is leading by example, 150 countries, representing over 85% of global emissions, have now laid out plans to reduce their levels of the harmful carbon pollution that warms our planet. And it gives us great strength going into Paris this December, where the world needs to come together and build on these individual commitments with an ambitious, long-term agreement to protect this Earth for our kids. After all, as Pope Francis reminds us so eloquently, this planet is a gift from God—and our common home. [22]We should leave it to our kids in better shape than we found it. Questions 20 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard. 20. Why does the alliance crack down on illegal fishing? 21. What did Americans do to prevent the climate from getting worse? 22. What’s the speaker’s purpose by delivering the speech? Jobs and food security worldwide are threatened. Negative effects are triggered on economies. Fish in the oceans are on the verge of extinction. The balance of nature is being destroyed.

I grew up on a steady diet of science fiction. In high school I took a bus to school an hour each way every day. And I was always absorbed in science fiction books, which took my mind to other worlds and satisfied my sense of curiosity. And my love of science fiction actually seemed to mirror what was happening in the world around me. Later, I wrote this piece called Avatar, which was meant to absolutely push the envelope of visual effects. [23]When I came to make my movie, “Avatar,” I tried to apply the principle of leadership which is that you respect your team, and you earn their respect in return. And it really changed the dynamic. So, here I was again with a small team, in unknown territory doing “Avatar”, coming up with new technology that didn’t exist before. Tremendously exciting. Tremendously challenging. And we became a family, over a four-and-half-year period. [23]And it completely changed how I do movies. So, people have commented on how, well, you know, you brought back the ocean organisms and put them on the planet of Pandora. To me it was more of a fundamental way of doing business, the process itself, that changed as a result of that. So, what can we synthesize out of all this? You know, what are the lessons learned? Well, I think number one is curiosity. It’s the most powerful thing you own. Imagination is a force that can actually manifest a reality. And the respect of your team is more important than all the honors in the world. I have young film makers come up to me and say, “Give me some advice for doing this.” And I say, “Don’t put limitations on yourself. Other people will do that for you. Don’t do it to yourself. [24]Don’t bet against yourself. And take risks.” NASA has this phrase that they like: “Failure is not an option.” [25]But failure has to be an option in art and in exploration, because it’s a leap of faith. And no important endeavor that required innovation was done without risk. You have to be willing to take those risks. [25]So, the thought I would leave you with, is that in whatever you’re doing, failure is an option, but fear is not. Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard. 23. What completely changed the speaker’s way of making movies? 24. What is the speaker’s advice for young filmmakers? 25. What did the speaker think of failure in art? The spirit of exploration. The intellectual curiosity. The principle of respect. The visual technique.