1、News Report 1A 16th century castle in Scotland is close to collapsing after lumps of soil were washed away by floods, threatening its foundations. On Sunday, the castles owner John Gordon, 76, was forced to move out of his property after the River Dee swept away about 60 feet of land, leaving the ca
2、stle dangerously close to the river, according to the Scottish Daily Record. Abergeldie Castle, located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, was built by Sir Alexander Gordon of Midmar who later became the Earl of Huntly. The castle, which is located on 11,700 acres, was leased to members of the royal family
3、 between 1848 and 1970, including King Edward VII and George V. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued more than 35 flood warnings covering several regions, as Scotland continues to clean up after Storm Frank hit the country last Wednesday. “This means that rivers will rise more slowl
4、y, but then stay high for much longer, “ the environmental agency said.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.Question 1.Why did John Gordon move out of the Abergeldie Castle?Question 2.What happened in Scotland last Wednesday?在洪水将大量土地冲走、对地基造成威胁之后，苏格兰一座 16 世纪的城堡接近倒塌。根据苏格兰
5、每日纪事报报道，在迪河的河水冲走了大约 60 英尺的土地，导致城堡离河太近，十分危险之后，该城堡的主人、76 岁的约翰戈登于周日被迫搬离。位于阿伯丁郡的阿伯杰尔迪城堡，是由亚历山大戈登爵士、也就是之后的亨特利伯爵建造的。这座城堡占地约11700 英亩，在 1848 年至 1970 年出租给了包括爱德华七世、乔治五世在内的皇室家族的成员。自法兰克风暴于上周三袭击苏格兰后，苏格兰环境保护署已经发布了超过 35 次覆盖多个地区的洪水警报。该环境保护署表示：“这意味着河水上涨将会变慢，但之后会持续居高很长时间。”请根据你刚刚听到的新闻报道回答问题 1 和问题 2。问题 1：为什么约翰戈登从阿伯杰尔迪城
6、堡搬出？问题 2：上周三，苏格兰发生了什么？News Report 2Rescue efforts were underway Thursday morning for 17 miners who were stuck in an elevator below ground at a Cargill rock salt mine near Lansing, New York, according to Marcia Lynch, Public information officer with Tompkins Countys Emergency Response Department. Eme
7、rgency workers have made contact with the miners via a radio, and they all appear to be uninjured, said Jessica Verfuss, the emergency departments assistant director. Crews have managed to provide heat packs and blankets to the miners so that they can keep warm during the rescue operation, Verfuss s
8、aid. Details about what led to the workers being trapped in the elevator werent immediately available. The mine, along New Yorks Cayuga Lake, processes salt used for road treatment. It produces about 2 million tons of salt that is shipped to more than 1,500 places in the northeastern United States.
9、The rock salt mine is one of three operated by Cargill with the other two in Louisiana and Ohio.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.Question 3. What does the news report say about the salt miners?Question 4. What did the rescue team do?周四上午，在纽约州兰辛附近的嘉吉岩盐矿中，有 17 名矿工被困在了
10、地下电梯，救援工作正在进行当中。这是汤普金斯县紧急情况部门一位名叫玛西亚林奇的公共信息官员透露的。据该急救部门的助理局长杰西卡韦弗斯表示，紧急救援人员已经通过无线电与矿工取得了联系，应该没有人员受伤。韦弗斯称，救援人员已经想办法为受困矿工提供了保暖带和毛毯，好让矿工可以在救援期间保持温暖。而导致矿工困在地下电梯的细节并未及时给出。在纽约卡尤加湖附近的这座盐矿，是为道路处理所需的盐进行加工的。其产出的 200 万吨盐会运往美国东北部 1500 余个地区。该岩盐矿是嘉吉公司开采的三个岩盐矿中的一个，另外两个则位于路易斯安那州及俄亥俄州。请根据你刚刚听到的新闻报道回答问题 3 和问题 4。问题 3
11、关于这些盐矿工，这则新闻报道描述了什么？问题 4 救援部队做了什么？News Report 3The U.S. Postal Service announced today that it is considering closing about 3,700 post offices over the next year because of falling revenues.Facing an $8.3 billion budget deficit this year, closing post offices is one of several proposals the Postal S
12、ervice has put forth recently to cut costs.Last week, for example, Postmaster General Pat Donahoe announced plans to stop mail delivery on Saturdays, a move he says could save $3 billion annually.“We are losing revenue as we speak,“ Donahoe said. “We do not want taxpayer money. We want to be self-su
13、fficient. So like any other business, you have to make choices.“ Dean Granholm, the vice president for delivery and post office operations, said the first waves of closings would begin this fall. He estimated that about 3,000 postmasters, 500 station managers and between 500 and 1,000 postal clerks
14、could lose their jobs.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.Question 5. What is the U.S. Postal Service planning to do?Question 6. What measure has been planned to save costs?Question 7. What will happen when the proposed measure come into effect?美国邮政总局今日宣布，由于收入减少，他们正考虑在明
15、年关闭约 3700 个邮局。面对今年83 亿美元的预算赤字，关闭邮局这一做法是邮政总局为精简开支所提出的若干建议中的一条。比如就在上周，邮政总局局长帕特多诺霍宣布，他们计划停止周六的邮件派送服务，这一措施每年可节省 30 亿美元。多诺霍说道：“就像我们所讲的，我们的收入正在减少。我们不想要纳税人的钱。我们要自给自足。因此，像其他行业一样，你必须做出选择。”邮政总局运营和递送业务的副总裁迪恩格兰霍姆表示，第一波邮局关闭工作将在今年秋天开始。他预计会有大约 3000 名邮政局长、500 名站长以及 500 到 1000 名邮政人员失业。请根据你刚刚听到的新闻报道回答问题 5 至问题 7。问题 5
16、美国邮政总局正在计划做什么？问题 6 为了节省开支，计划实行什么方法？问题 7 当提议的方法生效时会发生什么？News report 4New York State plans to shut off the thundering waters of Niagara Falls again. At least, the American side of the falls. This “once in a lifetime“ event actually may take place twice in some folks lives. The New York State parks sys
17、tem wants to turn off the falls on the American side sometime in the next two to three years to replace two 115-year-old stone bridges that allow pedestrians, park vehicles and utilities access to Goat Island. The American side of the falls were shut off in 1969 to study the buildup of rock at the b
18、ase of the falls. When that happened, people came from all over the world to see the falls turned off. People are curious by nature. They want to see whats underneath. In fact, those who first came to have a look did see something. They found millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 1 and 2 are bas
19、ed on the news report you have just heard.Question 1.Why does New York State want to turn off Niagara Falls?Question 2.What did people find when Niagara Falls were shut off in 1969?纽约州计划再一次关停尼亚加拉瀑布奔腾的水流。至少是美国部分的瀑布。这种“生平仅见”的事情其实对于某些人来说这辈子可能见过两次了。纽约州公园系统准备在接下来的两到三年时间内关停一段时间美国部分的瀑布，以替换两座已有 115 年历史的桥梁，这
20、两座桥用于行人、公园车辆等通行至公羊岛。美国部分的大瀑布曾经在 1969 年关闭过，当时是为了研究瀑布下的岩基。关停的时候，世界各地的人们都前来围观。人们对于自然都非常好奇。他们都想看看瀑布下面到底有什么。实际上，来得早的人确实看见了点东西。他们在瀑布底下发现了上百万枚硬币。请根据你刚刚听到的新闻报道回答问题 1 和问题 2。问题 1.为什么纽约州想要关停尼亚加拉瀑布？问题 2.1969 年瀑布关停的时候，人们发现了什么？News report 5The Tunisian government said Monday that 45 people have been killed after
21、gunmen attacked a town near the border with Libya. The Interior and Defense ministries said that the Tunisian government has closed its two border crossings with Libya because of the attack. The Tunisian military has sent reinforcements and helicopters to the area, and authorities have been hunting
22、several attackers who were still at large. The violence came amid increasing international concern about Islamic State extremists in Libya. Officials of the Tunisian government are especially worried after dozens of tourists were killed in the attacks in Tunisia last year. Defense Minister Farhat Ho
23、rchani said last week that German and American security experts were expected to come to help Tunisia devise a new electronic video supervision system on its border with Libya. Tunisia was targeted last year by three attacks that left 70 people dead and were claimed by Islamic State.Questions 3 and
24、4 are based on the news report you have just heard.Question 3.What did the Tunisian government do after the gunmens attack?Question 4. What were German and American security experts expected to do in Tunisia?突尼斯政府声称，周一发生在利比亚边境一座村镇的枪击事件造成 45 人丧生。国土防卫部表示，由于袭击，突尼斯政府已经关闭了通往利比亚的两处关卡。突尼斯军方已经派出增援部队及直升机到该区域
25、，官方也正在追捕几名在逃人员。这次的暴力事件发生后，使国际社会更加关注在利比亚的伊斯兰国极端分子。在去年的袭击当中有数十名游客丧生，这让突尼斯政府官员尤为担心。国防部长 Farhat Horchani 上周说，德国和美国的安全专家准备帮助突尼斯在其与利比亚边境处安装新型电子监控设备。突尼斯去年遭到三起伊斯兰国袭击，造成 70 人丧生。请根据你刚刚听到的新闻报道回答问题 3 和问题 4。问题 3.枪击事件发生后，突尼斯政府采取了什么措施？问题 4.德国和美国的安全专家在突尼斯要做什么？News report 6Three university students in Santiago, Chil
26、e, have developed a plant-powered device to charge their mobile phones. The three engineering students got the idea for the device while sitting in their schools courtyard. Their invention is a small biological circuit they call E-Kaia. It captures the energy which plants produce during photosynthes
27、is a process of converting sunlight into energy. A plant uses only a small part of the energy produced by that process. The rest goes into the soil. E-Kaia collects that energy. The device plugs into the ground and then into a mobile phone. The E-Kaia solved two problems for the engineering students
28、. They needed an idea for a class project. They also needed an outlet to plug in their phones. One of the student inventors, Camila Rupcich, says the device changes the energy released from the plant into low-level power to charge phones. The E-Kaia is able to fully recharge a mobile phone in less t
29、han two hours.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.Question 5.What did the three university students invent?Question 6.When did they get the idea for the invention?Question 7.What does the speaker say about the invention?智利圣地亚哥的三个大学生发明了能给手机充电的植物供能设备。这三个工程系学生是在学校操场上坐着的时候有
30、的灵感。他们的发明是一个小的生物电路，取名叫 E-Kaia。当植物光合作用产能的时候，这个电路就会汲取能量。光合作用是把光能转化为植物自身的能量。植物本身只会利用光合过程中的一小部分能量。其余的部分就进入了土壤。E-Kaia 就收集那一部分能量。这个设备先插入土壤中然后再插入手机里。E-Kaia 为工程系学生解决了两个问题。他们的这个灵感用于课堂项目。他们同时也需要有个地方插手机。发明者之一的 Camila Rupcich 说，这个设备把植物释放的能量转换成较低的水平从而为手机充电。 E-Kaia 能在两小时内把手机充满电。请根据你刚刚听到的新闻报道回答问题 5 至问题 7。问题 5.三个大学
31、生发明了什么？问题 6.他们什么时候有的灵感？问题 7.说话的人怎么评价这个发明？News report 7Automakers and tech companies are working hard to offer the first true self-driving car, but 75% of drivers say they wouldnt feel safe in such a vehicle. Still, 60% of drivers would like to get some kind of self-driving feature, such as automatic
32、 braking or self-parking, the next time they buy a new car. The attitudes are published in a new AAA (Triple A) survey of 1,800 drivers. Advocates of self-driving cars argue they would be safer than cars driven by humans because they wouldnt get distracted or drive when tired. But those surveyed by
33、AAA say they trust their own driving skills. Many feel the technology is too new and unproven. John Nielsen, AAAs managing director of automotive engineering and repair, said tests suggest drivers may be overestimating their own abilities. He also believes they will be more likely to trust self-driv
34、ing cars as they become more familiar with features such as automatic braking or parking. He estimated that the “comfort level“ will increase considerably in five to ten years.Questions 1 to 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.Question 1: What is the finding of the AAA survey?Question
35、 2: What does John Nielsen say about self-driving cars?汽车制造商以及科技公司正在努力研发推出第一辆真正的“自动汽车” ，但 75%的司机表示，在这种汽车里，他们不会觉得很安全。不过有 60%的司机希望在下次他们买车的时候，能获得一些“自动汽车” 具备的功能，比如可以自动刹车或是自动停车。这些看法发布在一项针对 1800 名司机的“AAA”调查上面。自动汽车的支持者认为，自动汽车要比人类驾驶的汽车更安全，因为它们不会转移注意力或者疲劳驾驶。不过这些参与 AAA 调查的司机们表示，他们相信自己的驾驶技能。很多人觉得这种技术太新了，且没有被证明
36、。AAA 的汽车工程维修总经理约翰尼尔森表示，测试表明，这些司机可能高估了自己的开车水平。他还认为，当这些司机更熟悉自动汽车的某些特征，比如自动刹车和自动停车之后，他们会更相信自动汽车。他估计这种“舒适度”会在未来的五到十年里有所提高。请根据你刚刚听到的新闻报道回答问题 1 和问题 2。问题 1：AAA 的调查结果是什么？问题 2：约翰尼尔森对自动驾驶汽车谈到了是什么 ?News report 8One dog has been killed and multiple dogs have been injured by a snowmobile driver in what appears t
37、o be an intentional attack on competitors in the Iditarod Race in Alaska. Aliy Zirkle was the first to report an attack. A snowmobile driver had repeatedly attempted to harm her and her team, and one of Zirkle s dogs had received a non-life-threatening injury. Zirkle reported the attack when she arr
38、ived in Nulato, Alaska, in the early hours of the morning. Then Jeff King, a four-time champion, reported a similar attack. His team was hit by a snowmobile driver, injuring several dogs and killing a 3-year- old male dog. Reporter Zachariah Hughes says that neither King nor Zirkle was injured. Alth
39、ough this incident very much alters the race of the two participants competing for a win, both are going to continue on their way toward the finishing line. Alaska State Troopers released a statement saying theyve arrested Arnold Demoski. He faces a trial on several charges.Questions 3 to 4 are base
40、d on the news report you have just heard.Question 3: What is the news report mainly about?Question 4: What do we learn about Jeff King?在阿拉斯加州举行的艾迪塔罗德狗拉雪橇比赛中，在针对参赛者的一起故意袭击事件里，一名摩托雪橇手杀死了一条狗，并使多条狗受伤。Aliy Zirkle 是第一个报告此次袭击的人。一名摩托雪橇手曾多次试图攻击她和她的团队，而 Zirle 的一只狗也受到了非致命性的伤害。当 Zirkle 于清晨早些时候抵达阿拉斯加洲努拉托后，她报告了此次
41、袭击事件。随后四次冠军得主 Jeff King 也报告了一起相似的袭击。一名摩托雪橇手撞击了他的团队，有几只狗受了伤，还有一只三岁大的公狗不幸被害。记者 Zachariah Hughes 报道称，Jeff 和 Zirkle 都没有受伤。虽然这次事件在很大程度上影响了这两位力争夺冠的参赛者的比赛，但是他们二人仍将继续向着终点线而去。阿拉斯加州警方随后发布了一则声明，表示他们已经拘捕了 Arnold Demoski。他面临着多项指控的审判。请根据你刚刚听到的新闻报道回答问题 3 和问题 4。问题 3：这篇新闻报道的主要内容是什么?问题 4：关于 Jeff King，我们获悉了什么信息?News r
42、eport 9A tour boat turned over off the coast of Nicaragua, killing at least 13 people and leaving more passengers missing, officials said. The boat was carrying 32 people-25 Costa Ricans, four Americans and three Nicaraguans. The 13 dead were all Costa Rican, the foreign ministry said. The boat, tra
43、veling between Nicaraguas Big Com Island and Little Com Island, turned over Saturday near the larger island. Some passengers remain missing, the Costa Rican foreign ministry said, but did not specify how many. A local radio said an unspecified number of people were rescued, including the tour boats
44、owner, Hilario Blandon. Nicaraguan naval authorities had banned sea travel in the area because of bad weather and strong winds, but the tour boat proceeded anyway. Blandon, the boats owner, has been arrested by Nicaraguan authorities, the state-run news agency said. Both he and a crew member, are be
45、ing investigated for unintentional murder and exposing people to danger, according to police.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.Question 5: What happened to the tour boat sailing off the Nicaraguan coast?Question 6: How many people was the boat carrying?Question 7: Wha
46、t do we know about the owner of the boat?据官方表示，一艘观光船在尼加拉瓜的海岸附近翻了船，造成至少 13 人死亡，有更多的乘客失联。这艘船上共有 32 人-其中有 25 个哥斯达黎加人， 4 个美国人和 3 个尼加拉瓜人。外交部表示，死亡的 13 名乘客均为哥斯达黎加人。这艘在尼加拉瓜大海岛与小海岛之间游览的船，是在周六时于尼加拉瓜大海岛附近翻船的。哥斯达黎加外交部表示，仍有一些乘客失联，但没有明确提出人数。当地的一家电台称，获救者的具体数字不明，这其中包括了这艘船的船主 Hilario Blandon。尼加拉瓜的海军当局曾因恶劣天气和强风禁止了海上游
47、览，但这艘游览船仍继续出游。国营新闻社报道称，这艘船的主人 Blandon 已经被尼加拉瓜当局逮捕。警方表示，他和他的船员正因非故意谋杀和将人们置身于危险中而接受调查。请根据你刚刚听到的新闻报道回答问题 5 至问题 7。问题 5：这艘在尼加拉瓜海岸航行的游船发生了什么事？问题 6：这艘船载了多少人？问题 7：关于这艘船的主人，我们获悉了什么？News report 10One of Googles self-driving cars crashed into a bus in California last month. There were no injuries.It is not the
48、 first time one of Googles famed self-driving cars has been involved in a crash,but it may be the first time it has caused one. On February 14th the self-driving car, travelling at 2mph (3km/h) , pulled out in front of a public bus going 15mph (24km/h) . The man in the Google vehicle reported that h
49、e assumed the bus would slow down to let the car out, and so he did not switch to the manual mode. In a statement, Google said: “We clearly bear some responsibility, because if our car hadnt moved, there wouldnt have been a crash.“ That said, our test driver believed the bus was going to slow or stop to allow us to merge into the traffic, and that there would be sufficient space to do that.“ The companys self-driving cars have done well over a million miles across various states in the US, and until now have only reported minor accidents.Questions 1 and 2
