模拟题新闻听力文字材料.doc

2015-2016（2）14级模拟题4—10
新闻听力文字材料
Test 4
News item 1
Last October, a NASA rocket, traveling at a speed of 9000 kilometers per hour smashed into a deep, dark hole on the moon’s south pole.
Upon impact, the centaur rocket kicked up a cloud of dust and elements from the moon’s surface, creating a so-called “ejecta-plume” that was monitored by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO.
Scientists analyzed the findings, and preliminary results from this mission suggested that there was some form of water on the moon. NASA lunar scientist Michael Wargo said those days that wave of findings during the past year makes it certain.
“We’ve confirmed that there was indeed water ice in the ejecta-plume, and at an abundance that was about 50 percent greater than our initial estimates.”
That means that the impact site has more water than some deserts on Earth.
1. According to the news report, what has happened last October?
2. What did preliminary results from this mission suggest?
News item 2
An American government panel has recommended that pregnant women, health-care workers, children and young adults up to the age of 24 should get priority for the flu vaccine released later this year. But the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices conceded the policy may change if not enough vaccine is produce by October. Doctor Ann Schuchat of the Center for Disease Control said it is vital for pregnant women who have breathing illness and fever to get early treatment. We think some suitable medicines for them can be lifesaving, and that’s a very important message. We also think it is important for them to get seasonal influenza vaccine, and today the committee recommended that when vaccine is available, and we have a decision to go forward that the pregnant women really put of consider getting the H1NI vaccine.
3. Who are less necessary to receive the flu vaccination?
4. Why do pregnant women enjoy the top priority to get vaccine?
News item 3
Hundreds of residents and holidaymakers along southern Australia’s popular Great Ocean Road were forced to move out on Thursday as hot, windy weather threatened to recharge bushfires that destroyed more than 100 homers on Christmas Day.
Residents in three coastal towns in the popular holiday area were advised to leave their homes as temperatures were forecast to reach a high of almost 40 degrees Celsius. The hot summer weather threatened to expand fires that have been burning for almost two weeks.
The fires were started by a lightning strike on Dec.19 and continue to burn and spread. The Country Fire Authority estimates the fire has burnt out more than 25 square kilometers of land. Authorities estimate that 116 homes were destroyed by the fires on Christmas Day.
The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s biggest tourist draws with its spectacular scenery and unusual offshore rock formations. Parts of the road remained closed to traffic on Thursday during what is typically one of its busiest times of the year.
5. What happened to Australia’s Great Ocean on Thursday?
6. Why should the local residents leave their homes?
7. When did the bushfires start?
Test 5
News item 1
Fifteen passengers were burned alive when a passenger bus was set on fire by unknown men in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, an official said.
Naseer Ahmed Nasir, deputy commissioner in the city of Sibi, said four men on motorcycles initially opened fire on a parked passenger bus at a hotel. “The armed men then came close to the bus and splashed petrol, setting it on fire,” he said.
He said most of the dead were either children or women.
Balochistan, near the Afghan border, is rich in natural resources. But it is also in under a riot.
Militants there have for years complained that the central government has paid little attention to them and their economic needs. They have been fighting Pakistani military force for self-rule.
Pakistan has said the militants in Balochistan do not have links to the Islamic hard-liners who have launched attacks in other parts of the country.
1. Who were most of the victims according to the news?
2. What are the militants in Balochistan dissatisfied with?
News item 2
A UN agency says there are major funding gaps in efforts to help the agricultural sector adapt to climate change. The Food and Agriculture Organization, the FAO, says this could affect food security. The warning comes as the UN Climate Change Conference continues in Cancun, Mexico.
The World Bank estimates it will cost about ﹩2.5 billion a year---for the next 40 years----to help agriculture in developing countries adapt to climate change. Other estimates say costs could run as high as ﹩14billion a year.
However, the FAO say, “Available financing mechanisms are substantially insufficient to meet the climate change and food security challenges faced by the agricultural sector.” This, despite the fact that the FAO says there are many examples of how agriculture can become more.
3. According the world bank, how much does it cost to tackle agricultural challenges yearly?
4. According to FAO, what is the problem faced by the agricultural sector?
News item 3
The U.S. Federal Reserve announced yesterday it was raising interest for the fist time since 2006. Known as the Fed, it’s America’s central bank. It’s led by Janet Yellen. Its job is to help stabilize America’s financial system. The Fed makes moves to try to lower unemployment and control inflation when the price of goods goes up too fast for people to afford them.
Because the U.S. economy is growing, the Fed raised its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point, not much. But gradual rate increases are likely in the New Year. That means you’ll have to pay more interest if borrow money, higher loan rates for home buyers, higher interest rates if you finance a car, higher student loan for people who enter colleges afterwards.
Eventually, savings accounts could earn a little more interest. A decade since the last “Star Wars”, and nearly just as long, nine years, since the Fed last changed interest rates. But now, it’s time for the Fed to awaken, because after three episodes of quantitative easing, Janet Yellen must now use her most powerful weapon to restore balance in the economy.
5. What will happen to interest rates in the U.S?
6. Why did the Fed change interest rates?
7. Who will benefit from the change of interest rates?
Test 6
News item 1
A new study on climate change says a disastrous 4-degree rise in global temperature is increasingly likely to occur within many people’s lifetimes. The studies have been adopted by one of the world’s leading research bodies monitoring climate change, the Hadley Centre in Britain.
This latest prediction from the Hadley Centre brings the prospect of destructive change much closer. He challenges the assumption that severe warming is a threat only for future generations. A four-degree average temperature rise by 2050s would bring increases of 10 degrees or more in some areas such as the Arctic and Africa. It could mean a sharp decline in rainfall in some areas, flooding in others and disappearance of about half of all the world’s animal and plant species.
1. How many temperatures are expected to rise globally by the 2050s?
2. What is the result of the temperature rise by the 2050s?
News item 2
As many as a million Cubans are said to have attended the free concert in Havana’s revolution square that featured some of the Latin America’s most popular musicians. Many in the crowd came dress in white to symbolize peace. The 5-hour event included the bands from seven countries, it was organized by the Miami base Colombian rock star Wallace.
“This concert is just about peace, is just about possibility to get together, you know, through music, through art. And this particular case of Cuba have isolated from the rest of community for many years, just because of political belief. So we just want to come here and saying well, we are here, we are the same. So that is the reason why are here to promote peace.”
3. What is the theme of the concert?
4. What can we learn about the concert?
News item 3
Crude oil is measured in barrels. Last summer, its global price was ＄100 per barrel. Yesterday, it was trading at less than half of that, at about ＄46.50 a barrel.
Why does that matter? Well, the price of crude affects everything from gas prices to car prices, to stock prices. And it determines the number of jobs in the large global oil industry. The current surplus of oil gives us a clear lesson in the economic principle of supply and demand. When it comes to oil, it used to be all about the Middle East. Today, the Persian Gulf still has plenty of crude, but the boom is global. We produced a surplus of 2 million to 3 million barrels per day.
Oil buried deep beneath the earth surface in rock can now be accessed with new technologies like fracking and horizontal drilling. Two years ago, U.S. oil production saw its biggest jump in more than 100 years, and it’s not the only country to gain a large flood of crude. Production in Canada and Brazil has also hit record levels. At the same, there are more alternatives to oil, like natural gas and renewables. When oil supply exceeds demand, prices fall.
5. What happened to oil price?
6. What caused the change of oil price?
7. Why does oil production increase grammatically?
Test 7
News item 1
How do you choose a college? Some of you might choose a school based on the courses that it offers. Some might choose one that’s close to home, or really far away. But how about for a money-back guarantee? Lansing Community College in Michigan is offering that deal to some students. If you take certain classes, and if you don’t get a job within one year after you finish, you can get your money back! There is some fine print to this. You can’t miss any classes, you have to do all your assignments, and you have to prove that you’ve been looking for a job. It’s an interesting idea, especially in a state whose unemployment rate is nearly 12 percent.
1. What may be the advantage for Lansing Community College?
2. What is the unemployment rate in Michigan?
News item2
Well, we’re taking you to Australia next today, where the state of Queensland in northeast Australia is struggling through the effects of a powerful hurricane. If Queensland sounds familiar, this same region was hit with flooding recently. This time, the disaster is Cyclone’ Yasi. Yasi could be one of the worst hurricanes Australia has ever seen. We want you to look at this video. You can see what looks like a sign that got blown down, flying through the street, being ripped apart. People in Queensland were warned about Yasi a few days ago, so they had some time to get ready. But one official said it could be a tough couple days.
3. What are the Australians suffering from?
4. What can we learn about Yasi from the news?
News item 3
India is home to more than 1.2 billion people and second only to China’ population. Because of that huge population and the fact that it’s a federal republic like the U.S. India is often called the world’s largest democracy. India’s population is also young. Its median age is 27 years old. In the U.S. that age is closer to 37.
It’s no wonder why so many Indians who are close to the voting age of 18 are realizing they have political power. This is something that country’s politicians are noticing, too. Many young people are first time votes. Given that India’s youth makes up half of its billion plus population, how India’s young cote will determine the country’s future.
They are obviously really frustrated with current political situation in their country. The only government there youngsters have known is the current Congress party Led One, which is in power for the last ten years. During that time, prices have risen sharply. The price of petrol is doubled. Some young people are going to vote for a different party, one that will fight inflation and will take firm action to control inflation in the difficult global economy.
5. What is the median age in India?
6. What can we learn about the young people in India?
7. What is the current largest problem in India?
Test 8
News item 1
Research into the icecap of North Pole has found that it is melting so quickly that the Arctic Ocean could lose most of its during summer time it as little as ten years. Scientists of Cambridge University say recent exploration to Arctic led by explorer Pen Hadow found ice was much thinner than expected and less dense, subject to rapid melting. Mr. Hadow said the finding should act as wake-up call.
The long-term view for the global community, this is definitely not good news. But if we can see this for what it is which is the biggest visual cue that we are going to get manage our relationship with the planet better, then that is a good thing.
1. What is the news item mainly about?
2. How can the bad news become a good one?
News item2
Fifty-seven “militiamen”, including several high-ranking officers loyal to militia leader Gabriel Tang, were killed when Tang’s forces attacked the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Southern Sudan, officials said Sunday.
Tang’s forces launched the attack at Kaldak on Saturday, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) said in a statement issued on behalf of General Malaak Ayuen of the South Sudan Army. The SPLA is the military wing of the movement that governs Southern Sudan.
The SPLA killed 57 of Tang’ forces, including three major generals, according to the statement. In addition, one major general was captured, the statement said.
Tang himself “narrowly escaped” the fighting, according to the statement
Officials said it was unclear why Tang’s forces attacked the troops, the SPLA said it believe he has been in contact with other rebel groups in the region.
3. How many major generals were killed in the attack?
4. How was Gabriel Tang after the attack?
News item 3
Thousands will gather in the city center just after 5:00am on Tuesday, April 18, to remember victims of the Great Earthquake. Organizers say they will also celebrate the heroism of the Survivors. One hundred years ago, the first small shock struck at 5:12 in the morning, and the region shock violently for one minute. A center of culture and commerce, San Francisco was then known as the Paris of one West. Just hours earlier, Italian tenor Enrico Caruso had appeared in the opera Carmen at the city’s opera house. The singer later recalled trembling with fear as he looked out of the window of his room at the Palace Hotel. He saw buildings collapse, and heard the screams of men, women and children. Historian Eileen Keremitsis is a volunteer guide who describers the tragic story for visitors. The quake was massive and it was centered just off the coast close to the city. The shaking damaged or destroyed thousands of buildings over a wide area, but Keremistsis says most of the