练习七 听力原文及解析
Section C
Now listen to the following recording and answer questions 16 to 19.
So we have been fairly thorough in our discussion about coral reefs，which of course are prominent，oceanic features made of hard limestone skeletons produced by tiny coral animals.We’ve gone over where coral reefs are usually formed-along the edges of shallow ocean banks in tropical or subtropical regions，and the fact that they are declining at an alarming rate.But I don’t want to leave you with the impression that all is lost.There are several techniques being employed today that could prove useful in assuring the future of the reefs.
Now，we’ve talked in depth about coral bleaching，or whitening，which as you recall，is a symptom of …well that the coral is suffering.As you know，coral is very sensitive to water temperature.Even though one or two degree Celsius rise in sea surface temperature for a relatively short amount of time can cause bleaching.Recently，researchers have used data collected by monitoring surface water temperatures to improve the ability of a reef to recover from bleaching.One future possibility is that improved monitoring can help predict where and when bleaching will occur，which might potentially enable us to mitigate its effects.
And there’s another technique that’s been experimented with to try to help coral reefs recover from bleaching.It’s called coral transplantation.This involves moving young coral from a healthy reef onto a degraded reef，you know，in an attempt to regenerate the degraded reef by encouraging young healthy coral to take over.There has been some success with this，but it’s still somewhat controversial.Some scientists support it because，well，for one thing，it means you don’t have to rely on the existing coral to reestablish itself because it might not be able to.But in my opinion，transplanting coral should only be used as … well，as a last resort.I mean，this method is not only costly but it’s...well，even if it’s successful，it still fails to address the ongoing problem，the root causes of the degradation，which really is paramount to devising an effective solution.So I don’t really take comfort in the successes they have had with transplantation.
Perhaps some more constructive use of our time could be spent at researching corals that do survive，like in areas known as refugia.Refugia are areas on the reef that are seemingly…well，resistant to bleaching.See，when coral reefs experience bleaching，it’s rarely a case of the whole reef being affected.There are almost always pockets of coral on the reefs that remain unaffected.And these are often the lower areas of the reef，those located in deeper water，where temperatures are lower.
16.What is the lecture mainly about？
A.the transplantation of young coral to new reef sites
B.effortstoimprovethechancesofsurvivalofcoralreefs
C.the effects of temperature change on coral reefs
D.confirming the reasons behind the decline of coral reefs
17.According to the speaker，how might researchers predict coral bleaching in the future？
A.by monitoring the amount of time that causes bleaching
B.by monitoring degraded reefs that have recovery
C.by monitoring the potential effects of coral symptoms
D.bymonitoringseasurfacetemperatures
18.What is the professor’s opinion about coral transplantation？
A.It is cost-effective.
B.It is long-term solution.
C.It is producing encouraging results.
D.Itdoesnotsolvetheunderlyingproblems.
19.What do we learn about refugia from the lecture？
A.Refugiaareareasonthereefthatareseeminglyresistanttobleaching.
B.Refugia are some coral species that are more susceptible to bleaching.
C.Refugia are areas in shallower or warmer water.
D.Refugia are some coral species that have a low vulnerability to bleaching.
【解析】讲座介绍了保护珊瑚礁的一些举措。第一题是内容主旨题。讲座开头讲到人们应用经试验证明有效的技术确保珊瑚礁的未来，下文讲了一些保护珊瑚的方法。所以全文主要在讲为提高珊瑚存活机会而做出的努力，因此选择B。第二题是细节题，通过提高对海水表面温度的监测，可以预测珊瑚白化发生的时间和地点，因此答案选D。第三题是态度题。教授表示：即使移植成功也不能从根源上解决退化问题。即教授对珊瑚移植方法持有的态度是其不能解决深层次的问题。正确答案为D。第四题是细节题，教授详细解释了残遗种保护区refugia，在这里的珊瑚虫可以免于白化。所以选择选项A。
Now listen to the following recording and answer questions 20 to 22.
The number of under-25s out of work and claiming jobseeker’s allowance has increased by more than 200，000 to 456，000，over the past year，according to the latest government figures released last week.On the wider labor market survey measure，an alarming 18.3% of 16-to-25-year-olds are unemployed.
Brendan Barber，the TUC general secretary，says youth unemployment is at its highest rate for 15 years.Unemployment leaves a permanent scar on young people’s lives and the government must do all it can to stop joblessness blighting another generation.David Blanchflower，the labor market expert who recently stepped down from the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee，says that even short periods of unemployment can have a long-term scarring effect，affecting people’s job prospects for many years.
A recent report by the CIPD revealed that nearly half of the employers it surveyed were not planning to recruit school leavers or graduates this summer.For many young adults hit by the downturn，who are relying on the generosity of parents or claiming state benefits，the normal process of growing up has been delayed：35 is the new 25.
Wes Streeting，president of the National Union of Students，fears that graduates emerging from university this year will fare even worse than his cohorts.Labor has already announced a number of measures to help：Alistair Darling promised in the budget that young people would be guaranteed a job or training place.However，with cash tight，this promise only applies to those who have already been searching for work for 12 months and Streeting says that’s far too long to wait.
With jobs hard to find，young people are increasingly putting their lives on hold.The National Association of Estate Agents said last week that almost seven out of 10 would-be first-time buyers have now given up hope of ever owning their own home.
There have been some tentative signs of green shoots in the UK over recent weeks and some economists have bravely begun to suggest that we may be at the end of the beginning.But even if they are right，the impact of this 21st-century recession will last for many years.Just as the hardship of postwar rationing taught a generation of Britons to waste not，want not，grow their own and make ends meet，today’s youngsters are learning tough lessons that will last a lifetime.
20.Which effect of unemployment is stressed by both Brendan Barber and David Blanchflower？
A.Unemployment rate has reached the highest point in history.
B.The government should prevent the situation from worsening.
C.Unemploymentaffectsyoungpeople’slifeforalongtime.
D.More people under 25 will be jobless in the future.
21.What does the saying“35 is the new 25”mean？
A.The growing process of people’s bodies has slowed down.
B.Middle-aged people still have to fight like the young.
C.It may take a decade for some college graduates to be employed.
D.Manyadultsstillcannotmakealivingontheirown.
22.According to National Association of Estate Agents，how do young people respond to unemployment？
A.Theyhaveabandonedthedreamofbuyingahouse.
B.They have stopped wasting and learned to be independent.
C.They choose to return to campus for further education.
D.They count on the government to tackle the issue.
【解析】这是关于年轻一代面临失业问题的一篇报道。第一题细节题，Brendan Barber和David Blanchflower在就此情形均提到永久性的伤害，即permanent scar on young people’s live与long-term scarring effect affecting people’s job prospects，因此答案选C。第二题是细节题，因经济低迷而受打击的年轻人依靠父母和政府接济度日，正常成长过程延缓，35岁的人却像个25岁的人，因此答案选D。第三题是细节题，全国房地产经纪人协会称，70%想首次购房的年轻人已经不抱有拥有住房的希望了，确定答案选A。
Now listen to the following recording and answer questions 23 to 25.
Hi，everybody.Sunday is International Women’s Day — a day to celebrate remarkable women and girls worldwide，and to re-dedicate ourselves to defending the fundamental rights and dignity of all people.
That’s why，this week，Michelle and I launched a new initiative on a topic that’s close to both our hearts：girls’ education.It’s called“Let Girls Learn.”And its goal is to help more girls around the world go to school and stay in school.Right now，62 million girls who should be in school are not.And that’s not an accident.It’s the direct result of barriers，large and small，that stand in the way of girls who want to learn.
Maybe their families can’t afford the school fees.Maybe the risk of being hurt or kidnapped or even killed by men who will do anything to stop girls from learning is just too great.Or maybe they aren’t in school because they’re expected to get married and become mothers while they’re still teenagers — or even earlier.In too many parts of the world，girls are still valued more for their bodies than for their minds.That’s just plain wrong.And we all have to do more to stop it.
That’s the idea behind“Let Girls Learn.”We’re making it clear to any country that’s our partner — or that wants to be our partner — that they need to get serious about increasing the number of girls in school.Our diplomats and development experts are already hard at work.Our Peace Corps volunteers will play a big role，too.
I come to this issue as the leader of the world’s largest economy，and Commander-in-Chief of the world’s most powerful military，and I’m convinced that a world in which girls are educated is a safer，more stable，more prosperous place.When girls are educated，their future children are healthier and better nourished.Their future wages increase，which in turn strengthens their families’ security.National growth gets a boost，too.And places where women and girls are treated as full and equal citizens tend to be more stable and more democratic.
It’s a privilege to be the parent of girls.And we want to make sure that no girl out there is denied her chance to learn — that no girl is prevented from making her unique contributions to the world.Because every girl — every girl — deserves our respect.And every girl deserves an education.Thanks.
23.What is the purpose behind the topic“Let Girls Learn”？
A.to defend the basic survival rights for girls
B.to celebrate remarkable women and girls worldwide
C.to win more respect and dignity for girls
D.toassistgirlsworldwidetogaineducationalopportunity
24.What is the possible reason for girl drop-outs？
A.Women are acknowledged with lower intelligence than men.
B.Girlsstepintomarriageatanearlystage.
C.Kidnappers merely target girl students.
D.Girls value their appearance more than education.
25.How does education benefit a girl’s next generation？
A.Theyareraisedinamorereasonableway.
B.They will live in a more democratic atmosphere.
C.They’re capable of winning high salary without much effort.
D.They enjoy the equal rights of common citizens.
【解析】这是奥巴马总统呼吁让女孩上学的讲话。第一题是主旨题，奥巴马希望更多女孩能够go to school and stay in school，因此答案选D。第二题是细节题，文中涉及诸多女孩辍学的因素，其中之一是她们在青少年时期就已结婚生子，确定答案为B，其他选项的细节经对照均不符。第三题是细节题，涉及女孩受教育对下一代的好处，通过future children are healthier and better nourished可推测她们抚养孩子的方式更加合理，确定答案选A。