1、2016年 12 月英语四级听力原文（沪江网校版）2016 年 12 月 17 日全国大学英语四级考试已结束，本次考试为多题多卷，本站第一时间收集整理不同版本试题，供考生参考：Section AA 16th century castle in Scotland is close to collapsing after lumps of soils were washed away by floods, threatening its foundations.On Sunday, the castles owner John Gordon, 76, was forced to move out
2、his property after the River Dee swept away about 60 feet of land, leaving the castle dangerous 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 w
3、hich is located on 11,700 acres was leased to members of the royal family 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 the after Storm Frank
4、hit the country last Wednesday.“This means that rivers will rise more slowly, but then stay high for much longer.” the environmental agency said.Q1. Why did John Gordon move out of Abergeldie castle?Q2. What happened in Scotland last Wednesday?Section A - 2Rescue efforts were underway Thursday morni
5、ng 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, emergency workers have made contact with the miners via a radio. And they all app
6、ear 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 said. Details about what led to the workers being trapped in the elevator went
7、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, the rock salt mine is one of three operated by Cargill with the other two in Lou
8、isiana and Ohio.Q3. What does the news report say about the salt miners? Q4.What did the rescue team do? Section A - 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
9、this year, closing post officers is one of several proposals the Postal Service 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
10、speak,” Donahoe said. “We do not want taxpayer money. We want to be self-sufficient. 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 pos
11、tmasters, 500 station managers and between 500 and 1,000 postal clerks could lose their jobs. Q5.What is the U.S. Postal Service planning to do? Q6.What measure has been planned to save costs?Q7.What will happen when the proposed measure come into effect? Conversation 1A: Mrs. Hampton, weve got trou
12、ble in the press room this morning.B: Oh dear. What about?A: One of the press operators arrived an hour and a half late.B: But thats a straightforward affair. He will simply lose part of his pay. Thats why we have a clock-in system.A: But the point is the man was clocked-in at 8 oclock. We have John
13、 standing by the time clock, and he swears he saw nothing irregular.B: Is John reliable?A: Yes, he is. Thats why we chose him for the job.B: Have you spoken to the man who was late?A: Not yet. I thought Id have a word with you first. Hes a difficult man, and I think theres been some trouble on the s
14、hop floor. Ive got a feeling that trade union representative is behind this. The manager told me that Jack Greens been very active around the shop the last few days.B: Well, what do you want me to do?A: I was wondering if youd see Smith, the man who was late, because you are so much better at handli
15、ng things like this.B: Oh, alright. Ill see him. I must say I agree with you about there being bad feelings in the works. Ive had the idea for some time that Jack Greens been busy stirring things up in connection with the latest wage claim. Hes always trying to make trouble. Well, Ill get the manage
16、r to send Smith up here.Q8. What will happen to the press operator who was late for the work according to the woman?Q9. What does the man say about John who stands by the time clock?Q10. Why does the man suggest the woman see the worker who was late?Q11. What does the woman say about Jack Green?Conv
17、ersation 2A: Our topic today is about somethings that foreigners nearly always say when they visit Britain. Its Why are the British so cold? And theyre talking about the British personality the famous British reserve. It means that we arent very friendly, we arent very open.B: So do you think its tr
18、ue?A: Its a difficult one. So many people who visit Britain say its difficult to make friends with British people. They say were cold, reserved, unfriendly.B: I think its true. Look at Americans or Australians. They speak the same language, but theyre much more open. And you see it when you travel,
19、people - I mean strangers - speak to you on the street or on the train. British people seldom speak on the train. Or the bus. Not in London, anyway.A: Not in London. Thats it. Capital cities are full of tourists and are never very friendly. People are different in other parts of the country.B: Not c
20、ompletely. I met a woman once, an Italian. Shes been working in Manchester for two years,and no one - not one of her colleagues - had ever invited her to their home. They were friendly to her at work, but nothing else. She couldnt believe it. She said that would never happen in Italy.A: You know wha
21、t they say an Englishmans home is his castle. Its really difficult to get inside.B: Yeah. Its about being private. You go home to your house and your garden and you close the door. Its your place.A: Thats why the British dont like flats. They prefer to live in houses.B: Thats true.Q12. What do forei
22、gners generally think of British people according to the woman?Q13. What may British people typically do one the train according to the man?Q14. What does the man say about the Italian woman working in Manchester?Q15. Why do British people prefer houses to flats?Passage OneIn college, time is scarce
23、, and consequently, very precious. At the same time, expenses in college pile up surprisingly quickly. A part time job is a good way to balance costs while ensuring there is enough time left over for both academic subjects and after-class activities.If you are a college student looking for a part ti
24、me job, the best place to start your job search is right on campus. There are tons of on-campus job opportunities, and as a student, youll automatically be given hiring priority. Plus, on-campus jobs eliminate commuting time, and could be a great way to connect with academic and professional resourc
25、es at your university. Check with your schools career service or employment office for help to find a campus job. Of course, there are opportunities for part-time work off-campus, too. If you spend a little time digging for the right part time jobs, youll save yourself time when you find a job that
26、leaves you with enough time to get your school work done, too. If you are a college student looking for work but worry you wont have enough time to devote to academic subjects, consider working as a study hall or a library monitor. Responsibilities generally include supervising study spaces to ensur
27、e that a quiet atmosphere is maintained. Its a pretty easy job, but one with lots of downtime-which means you will have plenty of time to catch up on reading, do homework or study for an exam.Q16: What does the speaker say about college students applying for on-campus jobs?Q17: What can students do
28、to find a campus job according to the speaker?Q18: What does the speaker say is a library monitors responsibility? Passage TwoAgricultural workers in green tea fields near Mt. Kenya are gathering the tea leaves. It is beautiful to see. The rows of tea bushes are straight. All appears to be well. But
29、 the farmers who planted the bushes are worried. Nelson Kibara is one of them. He has been growing tea in the Kerugoya area for 40 years.He says the prices this year have been so low that he has made almost no profit. He says he must grow different kinds of tea if he is to survive.Mr. Kibara and hun
30、dreds of other farmers have been removing some of their tea bushes and planting a new kind of tea developed by the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya. Its leaves are purple and brown. When the tea is boiled, the drink has a purple color. Medical researchers have studied the health benefits of the new
31、tea. They say it is healthier than green tea and could be sold for a price that is three to four times higher than the price of green tea.But Mr. Kibara says he has not received a higher price for his purple tea crop.He says the market for the tea is unstable and he is often forced to sell his purpl
32、e tea for the same price as green tea leaves. He says there are not enough buyers willing to pay more for the purple tea.Q19. Why have tea farmers in Kenya decided to grow purple tea?Q20. What do researchers say about purple tea?Q21. What does Mr. Kibara find about purple tea?Passage ThreeTodays con
33、sumers want beautiful handcrafted objects to wear and to have for their home environment. They prefer something unique and they demand quality. Craftsmen today are meeting this demand. People and homes are showing great change as more and more unique handcrafted items become available. Handcrafts ar
34、e big business. No long does a good craftsman have to work in a job he dislikes all day and then try to create at night. He has earned his professional status. He is now a respected member of society. Parts of the fun of being a craftsman is meeting other craftsmen. They love to share their ideas an
35、d materials and help others find markets for their work. Craftsmen have helped educate consumers to make wise choices. They help them become aware of design and technique. They help them relate their choice to its intended use. They often involve consumers in trying the craft themselves. When a grou
36、p of craftsmen expends to include more members, a small craft organization is formed. Such an organization does a lot in training workshops in special media, craft marketing techniques, craft fairs and sales, festivals, TV appearances and demonstrations. State art councils help sponsor local arts an
37、d crafts festivals which draw crowds of tourist consumers. This boosts the local economy considerably because tourists not only buy crafts, but they also use the restaurants and hotels and other services of the area.Q22. What does the speaker say about todays consumers?Q23. What does the speaker say
38、 about a good craftsman in the past?Q24. What do craftsmen help consumers do?Q25. Why do state art councilshelp sponsor local arts and crafts festivals?第一套详解：Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation. One is to find a job so
39、mewhere and the other to start a business of your own. You are to make a decision. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your decision. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.精彩范文In the past two years of my college life, I have never ceased to think what kind of work I sh
40、all take up upon graduation. Although my ideas are not consistent, I have now decided to start a business of my own as my lifelong career.A variety of factors have led me to make this decision over other more lucrative ones. To begin with, running my own business means freedom and independence. As a
41、 person having my own business, I am free to use my own ideas and make my own decisions, a privilege not everyone can have, even those with highly-paid positions. More importantly, I like starting my own business in that it offers a certain peace of mind. No more rushing to catch a morning bus, no m
42、ore anxiety to please a boss, no more worries about your paycheck which is steady, if not handsome.Nothing, not even a big salary, can equal for the satisfaction of being your own boss and a gentle peace of life.参考译文在过去两年的大学生活中，我一刻也没有停止过思考：我大学毕业以后要干什么工作。尽管我的想法很多，但我现在已决定，我将开创我自己的事业。有很多理由使我做出这个选择而不是其他
43、较赚钱职业的决定。首先，创业意味着自由和独立。当一名创业人员我可以有自己想法的自由，有自己作决定的自由，而这个特权不是每一个人，甚至拿高薪的人都能拥有的。其次，我喜欢创业，是因为这个工作给我一份安宁。我无须每天早上去赶汽车，无须为如何讨好老板，如何不落在人家后面而焦虑不安，无须担心自己的工作收入，虽然不那么丰厚，但却十分稳定。 没有什么东西，甚至高工资，可以抵得上自己做主人的乐趣和平静安宁的生活。亮点词汇cease 停止 take up 从事 upon graduation 毕业时 although 尽管 consistent 连续的 lifelong 终生的 career 职业 a vari
44、ety of 很多 factor 原因 lead to 导致 lucrative 诱惑性的 to begin with 首先 freedom 自由 independence 独立 privilege 特权 highly-paid position 高薪职位 more importantly 更为重要的是 in that 由于 offer 提供 certain 某种 peace 安静 rush 匆忙 anxiety 焦虑 please 取悦 paycheck 收入 steady 稳定的 handsome 丰厚的、英俊的 big salary 高工资 equal 抵得上 satisfaction
45、乐趣、满足 gentle 安宁的道长点评四级写作已经多次考察情景作文，如：2014-6：What is the Most Interest Place in China（中国最有趣的地方是哪儿） ，2014-6：What is the Most Interesting Place in Your Hometown? （你的家乡最有趣的地方是哪儿） ， 2014-6：What is the Most Interesting Place in Your Campus?（你们校园最有趣的地方是哪儿） ，希望考生引起高度重视。句型拓展1、To make my lectures more constru
46、ctive and stimulating, I have to read more books, explore new knowledge and gain a better understanding of the worldthe very thing I enjoy in my life.要使我的课更有启发性，更生动有趣，我就得读更多的书，探索新的知识，对世界要有更好的了解，而这正是我生活中最喜欢干的事。2、This is inevitable because ours is a society where ones income is still determined by the knowledge you possess.由于我们社会中一个人的收入仍然由你所拥有的知识所决定，因此这一点不可避免。3、 With the growing number of college graduates being turned out each year, the situation in the job market is getting tighter and tighter.随着每年毕业的大学毕业生越来越多，就业市场的形势越来越严峻。
