录音文本
　　Part III Listening Comprehension
　　Section A
　　11. W: Mr. Johnson, have you heard the morning news report? Mill has resigned his post as Prime Minister.
　　M: I didn’t turn on the radio this morning, but I did see the headlines. If you remember, he threatened to leave the office at the last cabinet meeting.
　　Q: How did Mr. Johnson learn that the Prime Minister has resigned?
　　12. M: I am assigned the work to Africa for one year and I want to rent my apartment during this period. But still no one would rent it.
　　W: It is the off-season of renting. Have you posted an advertisement in the local newspaper?
　　Q: What does the woman suggest the man do?
　　13. W: Are you listening to me? You are not really with you at the moment. What has happened to you today?
　　M: Sorry, maybe it is because of these cold drugs I’m taking. And I am feeling very sleepy.
　　Q: What is the man probably going to do?
　　14. M: I’m ashamed to say I can’t afford to go out tonight. I’ve spent all my money.
　　W: Don’t worry. I’m loaded right now.
　　Q: What does the woman mean?
　　15. W: Will the failure of the football team sponsored by our company affect our sales and marketing campaign?
　　M: No way! The team might not be the winner but the company is.
　　Q: What does the man mean?
　　16. M: I am so exhausted and I haven’t taken a holiday for a long time. My chances would be better if they hired more people.
　　W: Give up that idea. They always want to keep the cost down.
　　Q: What does the woman imply?
　　17. W: So, have you collected the blood sample so we could do our genetic research?
　　M: I’m afraid we are in trouble. The people we’re testing have religious concern about the work we’re doing, so I couldn’t collect the sample.
　　Q: What are the two speakers talking about?
　　18. W: Tom, we’re all going out for a drink after work. Fancy joining us?
　　M: Thanks, but I’m afraid I can’t. I’ve got to finish this report before I go home tonight.
　　Q: What does the man mean?
　　Now you will hear the two long conversations.
　　Conversation One
　　W: Oh, Ken, I have been meaning to talk to you.
　　M: Hi, Denise! What’s up?
　　W: I have this great job lined up to manage a clothing store at the mall.
　　M: Oh, say in detail, please.
　　W: Well, one of the professors in my department just told me about a summer practice program that is available. She thinks I might be able to practice in the office at the Wayfarer Hotel here in town.
　　M: That sounds like a great opportunity, too. Why not take advantage of it?
　　W: I’d love to, especially since I’m studying hotel management. It would be a great way to get some practical experience in my field.
　　M: And you never know, it might lead to something with them after graduation. They’re one of the biggest hotel chains in the area.
　　W: You’re right. But the problem is that I wouldn’t be making nearly as much money as I would be working in the clothing store. Not to mention the discount I’d get on clothes there.
　　M: How much money can you get from your practice work?
　　W: Very little money. But I can get a free room and board for the summer.
　　M: Well, if I were you, I’d take it anyway. You can always get a job during the school year next year to make a few extra bucks.
　　Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
　　19. Why does Denise like to talk to Ken?
　　20. Why might the summer practice be a good opportunity for Denise?
　　21. What’s the main disadvantage of the summer practice for Denise?
　　22. What does Ken suggest Denise do?
　　Conversation Two
　　M: Hello, this is John Burns from the Top Company Ltd. I’m phoning to return Ms. Thompson’s call.
　　W: Oh, hello, Mr. Burns. This is Susan Thompson speaking. I’m glad you ring back so soon. There’s a serious problem, I’m afraid. You know that order for 500 cases of Top Whiskey we put recently?
　　M: Oh, yes. I saw to it myself. What’s the problem? Hasn’t it arrived?
　　W: Well, in a way, but it’s stuck at the customs. There’s something wrong with the declaration, it seems. Some kind of omission or error.
　　M: Oh, really? That’s strange. Do you know what it is?
　　W: Well, I only heard that some of the details were incomplete and the customs can’t let the consignment through.
　　M: Ms. Thompson, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. Our forwarding agents are handling this delivery and they’re generally very reliable. Er, let me just get on to them.
　　W: Yes, if you would. And can you let me know as soon as possible when I can have the Whiskey? Time’s rather short and our customers are waiting for the wine, you know.
　　M: Of course. I’ll see to it, Ms. Thompson, and if at all possible, you’ll get a call today.
　　W: Well, getting the delivery today would suit me better. Oh, one other thing, I’m out of the office after 12 o’clock. If you call me after this time, would you leave a message with our switchboard operator? I’ll tell her to expect your call.
　　M: Yes, I spoke to her before. I’ll get things moving as quickly as I can.
　　W: Right. Thanks. Goodbye then, Mr. Burns.
　　M: Goodbye. You’ll be hearing from us very soon.
　　Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
　　23. What do we know from the woman’s complaint?
　　24. What does the man say about their forwarding agents?
　　25. What is the man asked to do at the end of the conversation?
　　Section B
　　Passage One
　　I was 9 years old when I found out my father was ill. It was 1994, but I can remember my mother’s words as if it were yesterday — “Carol, I don’t want you to take food from your father, because he has AIDS. Be very careful when you are around him.”
　　AIDS wasn’t something we talked about in my country when I was growing up. From then on, I knew that this would be a family secret. My parents were not together anymore, and my dad lived alone. For a while, he could take care of himself. But when I was 12, his condition worsened. My father’s other children lived far away, so it fell to me to look after him.
　　We couldn’t afford all the necessary medication for him, and because dad was unable to work, I had no money for school supplies and often couldn’t even buy food for dinner. I would sit in class feeling completely lost. The teacher’s words were drowned as I tried to figure out how I was going to manage.
　　I did not share my burden with anyone. I had seen how people reacted to AIDS. Kids laughed at classmates who had parents with the disease. And even adults could be cruel. When my father was moved to the hospital, the nurses would leave his food on the bedside table even though he was too weak to feed himself.
　　I had known that he was going to die, but after so many years of keeping his condition a secret, I was completely unprepared when he reached his final days. Sad and hopeless, I called a woman at the non-profit National AIDS Support. That day, she kept me on the phone for hours. I was so lucky to find someone who cared. She saved my life.
　　I was 15 when my father died. He took his secret away with him, having never spoken about AIDS to anyone, even me. He didn’t want to call attention to AIDS. I do.
　　Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.
　　26. What does Carol tell us about her father?
　　27. Why did Carol keep her father’s disease a secret?
　　28. Why did Carol write the passage?
　　Passage Two
　　To get a driver’s license, you must take a series of tests. The first test is the vision test. This test checks your eyes to see if you have to wear glasses when you drive. The second test is a written test that checks your knowledge of highway and traffic regulations. You can prepare for this test by studying a booklet that you can get at the driver’s license office. After you pass the written test, you receive an instruction permit. This permit allows you to practice driving with an experienced driver. The last test you have to take is a road test. This checks your driving ability. If you pass it, you will receive your driver’s license.
　　When you go to the driver’s license office to take the road test, you must provide your own vehicle. First, the license examiner checks the mechanical condition of your car. Then, the examiner gets into the car with you and asks you to drive in regular traffic. While you are driving, the examiner tests you for such things as starting, stopping, turning, backing up, and parking. If you can’t control the car properly, or if you violate a traffic regulation while you are taking the test, you fail the examination. You will have to practice driving more until you take the road test again and pass it.
　　Questions 29 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
　　29. What does the second test check?
　　30. What does the instruction permit allow you to do?
　　31. What do we learn about the road test?
　　32. Who are the most probable readers of the passage?
　　Passage Three
　　Margaret, married with two small children, has been working for the last seven years as a night cleaner, cleaning offices in a big building.
　　She trained as a nurse, but had to give it up when her elder child became seriously ill. “I would have liked to go back to it, but the shifts are all wrong for me, as I have to be home to get the children up and off to school.”
　　So she works as a cleaner instead, from 9 p.m. till 6 a.m. five nights a week for just ￡90, before tax and insurance. “It’s better than it was last year, but I still think that people who work unsocial hours should get a bit extra.”
　　The hours she’s chosen to work mean that she sees plenty of the children, but very little of her husband. However, she doesn’t think that puts any pressure on their relationship.
　　Her work isn’t physically very hard, but it’s not exactly pleasant, either. “I do get angry with people who leave their offices like a place for raising pigs. If they realized people like me have to do it, perhaps they’d be a bit more careful.”
　　The fact that she’s working all night doesn’t worry Margaret at all. Unlike some dark buildings at night, the building where she works is fully lit, and the women work in groups of three. “Since I’ve got to be here, I try to enjoy myself — and I usually do, because of the other girls. We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags.”
　　Another challenge Margaret has to face is the reaction of other people when she tells them what she does for a living. “They think you’re a cleaner because you don’t know how to read and write,” said Margaret. “I used to think what my parents would say if they knew what I’d been doing, but I don’t think that way any more. I don’t dislike the work though I can’t say I’m mad about it.”
　　Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
　　33. Why did Margaret quit her job as a nurse?
　　34. Why does Margaret get angry with people who work in the office?
　　35. How does Margaret feel when at work?
　　Section C
　　Many businesses, such as department stores, restaurants, hotels and airline companies, use a credit system for selling their products and (36) services. In a credit system, the seller (37) agrees to sell something to the buyer without (38) immediately receiving cash. The buyer (39) receives the goods or services immediately and (40) promises to pay for them later. This “buy-now-pay-later” credit system is quite old. People have been buying things on credit for centuries. But (41) nowadays people use credit cards. There are two types of credit cards. One type is (42) issued directly by a store to a customer. Many large department stores issue credit cards to their customers. The store credit card can be used to make (43) purchases only at a particular store. The other kind of credit card is issued by a credit company. (44) Credit cards from credit companies can be used to buy things almost anywhere. If you have a major credit card, you can buy airplane ticket, stay at hotels, and eat at restaurants with it. (45) Most large credit companies are connected to large banks. So if you want a credit card from a credit company, you generally have to make an application at a bank. (46) After an applicant receives a credit card, he or she can use the card to make purchases.

　　考前模拟训练：
　　2011年12月英语四级全真模拟试卷汇总
　　2011年12月英语四级全真预测试卷及答案汇总

　　作文预测汇总：
　　2011年12月英语四级预测话题作文汇总
　　英语四级作文模板汇总

　　每日一练： 2011年12月英语四级仔细阅读每日一练汇总

　　首发试题答案：2011年12月英语四级考试试题及答案首发通知