一、Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension
1、Question 1 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、It tries to predict the possible trends of global climate change.
B、It studies the impacts of global climate change on people’s lives.
C、It links the science of climate change to economic and policy issues.
D、It focuses on the efforts countries can make to deal with global warming.
解析：
听力原文
W: Professor Henderson, could you give us a brief overview of what you do, where you work and your main area of research?
M: Well, the Center for Climate Research where I work links the science of climate change to issues around economics and policy. Some of our research is to do with the likely impacts of climate change and all of the associated risks.
W: And how strong is the evidence that climate change is happening that it’s really something we need to be worried about?
M: Well, most of the science of climate change, particularly that to do with global warming, is simply fact. But other aspects of the science are less certain or at least more disputed. And so we’re rarely talking about risk. What the economics tells us is that it’s probably cheaper to avoid climate change—to avoid the risk—than it has to deal with the likely consequences.
W: So what are we doing? What can we do about it?
M: Well, I would argue that we need to develop the science specifically to understand the likely impacts of climate change in different contexts. As I said, we need to understand the best ways of avoiding climate change and this will involve a huge transition to low carbon energy systems. And the transition is a tremendous priority. And for this to happen, we may need action on a global scale from a political perspective. We need to understand the terms on which major countries like China and the USA might sign up to a global agreement because at the moment we don’t have that consensus.
W: Right.
M: And we also need to plan ahead so that we’re in a position to deal with the likely levels of climate change which are already inevitable. And even more so, too, for the levels that are likely if we don’t get those global agreements.
1. What does Professor Henderson say about his main area of research?
解析：C。本题目为细节题。问题为：Henderson教授说他主要的研究领域是什么？正确选项原文所在句：Well, the Center for Climate Research where I work links the science of climate change to issues around economics and policy. 可见，他所在的气象调查中心的工作，是将气候变化的科学和经济政策有关问题相关联起来。C) It links the science of climate change to economic and policy issues，与原文信息完全一致。其他选项干扰性较弱。
2、Question 2 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、It will take a long time before a consensus is reached on its impact.
B、It would be more costly to deal with its consequences than to avoid it.
C、It is the most pressing issue confronting all countries.
D、It is bound to cause endless disputes among nations.
解析：
2. What does Professor Henderson say about climate change?
解析：B。本题目为细节题。问题为：Henderson教授说了什么有关气候变化的信息？出题点位置在转折后的递进，以及强调处（比较级）。正确选项原文所在句：What the economics tells us is that it’s probably cheaper to avoid climate change—to avoid the risk—than it has to deal with the likely consequences。经济学家告诉我们：避免气候变化即避免风险，要比直接应对气候变化所带来的后果要经济很多。B) It would be more costly to deal with its consequences than to avoid it，直接处理气候变化所带来的后果比直接避免气候变化要花费更多，是文中信息的同义替换。同时，此选项中关键词在原文中重复出现，也提示此选项是备选的正确选项，应予以重视和理解，其他选项干扰性较弱。
3、Question 3 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、The transition to low-carbon energy systems.
B、The cooperation among world major powers.
C、The signing of a global agreement.
D、The raising of people’s awareness.
解析：
3. What does Professor Henderson say is a top priority in combating climate change?
解析：A。本题目为细节题。问题为：Henderson教授说对抗气候变化最重要的是什么？出题点位置在强调处（最高级）。正确选项原文所在句：As I said, we need to understand the best ways of avoiding climate change and this will involve a huge transition to low carbon energy systems. And the transition is a tremendous priority.我们需要了解避免气候变化的最佳方式，并且这涉及向低碳能量系统的巨大转变，而这种转换是最重要的。A) The transition to low-carbon energy systems（向低碳能量系统转变），与该信息完全一致。其他选项干扰性较弱。本题关键在于抓住关键词priority和low-carbon energy system。
4、Question 4 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、Carry out more research on it.
B、Cut down energy consumption.
C、Plan well in advance.
D、Adopt new technology.
解析：
4. What does Professor Henderson advise us to do to better deal with climate change?
解析：C。本题目为细节题。问题为：Henderson教授建议我们怎么做以更好地处理气候变化？正确选项原文所在句：And we also need to plan ahead so that we’re in a position to deal with the likely levels of climate change.我们需要提前计划，这样我们才能更好地应对气候变化。C) Plan well in advance（提前计划），和原文信息完全一致，选项在关键词上对原文进行了替换：ahead与advance均表示“提前”的意思。
5、Question 5 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、When luck plays a role.
B、What determines success.
C、Whether practice makes perfect.
D、How important natural talent is.
解析：
听力原文：
W: I have many business English students. When I teach the classroom, we often end up talking about things like success and what leads to success. And it’s interesting that many of them mention the element of luck.
M: Right.
W: Luck is important to success. But since you’ve seen that fantastic video on the TED Talks website by Richard St. John, he doesn’t mention luck at all.
M: Well, I’m a firm believer that people can make their own luck. I mean what people regard as luck, you can actually create, to a degree.
W: Sure. I think a lot of what people consider luck is attributed to how you respond to the opportunities that come your way.
M: Yes. Very good point.
W: Seizing the opportunities. But was there any point in the video that you thought was particularly interesting?
M: Yes. Actually there was. Something very impressive to me is many people think that luck is important and that natural talent is something you must have in order to be successful. And in the video we saw, the point about getting good at something is not about having some natural talent. It’s all about practice, practice, practice.
W: Definitely yeah. Natural talent helps in some way but at the end of the day you really do need to work hard and get really really good at what you do.
M: Sure.
W: I thought one interesting thing in the video was the idea of passion being so important, and there’re people who really love what they do. Of course, you’re going to want to work harder and put the time and effort into it. And the funny thing is that if you love what you do and are really passionate about it and work really hard, then money kind of comes automatically.
5. What are the speakers mainly talking about?
解析：B。本题目为主旨题。问题为：讲话人主要说了什么内容？主旨题考对全文讨论内容的归纳能力，文章提到了luck、talent、practice、passion和success，讲述的是成功的四个因素。选项中分别出现了luck、talent、practice和success，但是文章主要讲述的是成功的影响因素，而不是重点讨论某个具体因素。所以与选项B) What determines success（成功的决定因素），与对话主旨相一致。其他干扰选项属于细节干扰。
6、Question 6 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、It knocks at your door only once in a while.
B、It is something that no one can possibly create.
C、It comes naturally out of one’s self-confidence.
D、It means being good at seizing opportunities.
解析：
6. What is the woman’s view of luck?
解析：D。本题目为细节题。问题为：女士对成功的观点是什么？原文所在句：W: Sure. I think a lot of what people consider luck is attributed to how you respond to the opportunities that come your way. M: Yes. Very good point. W: Seizing the opportunities.女士表示，幸运取决于你对出现的机会是如何把握的。男士表示同意。女士接着说，要抓住这些机会。选项D) It means being good at seizing opportunities，与文中信息相一致。其他选项干扰性较弱。
7、Question 7 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、Luck rarely contributes to a person’s success.
B、One must have natural talent to be successful.
C、One should always be ready to seize opportunities.
D、Practice is essential to becoming good at something.
解析：
7. What is the chief point the TED Talks video makes?
解析：D。本题目为细节题。问题为：TED视频中演讲者的主要观点是什么？原文所在句：And in the video we saw, the point about getting good at something is not about having some natural talent. It’s all about practice, practice, practice.在这个视频中我们看到，擅长某件事不是源于天赋，而全在于练习、练习、练习。选项D) Practice is essential to becoming good at something（练习对于擅长某事是必要的），与文中这一信息相一致。解题关键在于定位，要抓住问题中的TED video。
8、Question 8 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、Putting time and effort into fun things is profitable.
B、People who love what they do care little about money.
C、Being passionate about work can make one wealthy.
D、People in need of money work hard automatically.
解析：
8. What does the woman think is the funny thing in the TED Talks video?
解析：C。本题目为细节题。问题为：女士认为TED视频中最有趣的是什么？原文所在句：And the funny thing is that if you love what you do and are really passionate about it and work really hard, then money kind of comes automatically.有趣的是如果你做自己喜欢的事情，充满热情并且努力工作，之后钱某种程度上会自动找上来。选项C) Being passionate about work can make one wealthy（充满热情地工作，钱自然会来），与原文信息相一致。此题其他选项干扰性较低。关键词passionate和wealthy较明显。
9、Question 9 is based on the passage you have just heard.
A、The stump of a giant tree.
B、A huge piece of rock.
C、The peak of a mountain.
D、A tall chimney.
解析：
听力原文
Devil’s Tower, the first national monument in America, could almost be mistaken for the stump of an enormous tree. Its sheer rock sides sweep up from a broad base until they cut off abruptly at the flat summit. Rising more than 1,000 feet in the middle of the gently rolling plains of Wyoming, the massive column of rock, looks as though it was dropped down into this location from a different time and place.
In a sense, it was, Devil’s Tower is a relic of the past. When the melt rock of the earth’s core forced its way to the surface to form the throat of a volcano, as the centuries passed, the rock cooled and hardened, shrinking and cracking into long columns, born in fire and fury. Devil’s Tower was then shaped by the slow, gentle work of wind and water. The outer layers of the volcano were worn away until the hard core stood completely exposed.
It is small wonder that an Indian legend described Devil’s Tower as being formed by supernatural powers. The legend says that when seven girls were attacked by bears, they took refuge on top of a small rock, and they appealed to the Rock God for help. The God caused the rock to grow and to lift the girls far above the ground, while it sides were scored by the claws of the angry bears. Even today, says the legend, the girls can be seen above the towering rock. As seven shining stars in the night sky.
9. What does the Devil’s Tower look like?
解析：A。本题目为细节题。问题为：魔鬼塔看起来像什么？原文所在句：Devil’s Tower, the first national monument in America, could almost be mistaken for the stump of an enormous tree. 魔鬼塔是美国第一个国家历史文物，很可能被误认为是巨大的树桩。选项A) The stump of a giant tree（巨大的树桩），与这一信息相一致。此题其他选项干扰性较低。正确选项只替换了一个形容词，giant与原文enormous，都表示“巨大”的意思。
10、Question 10 is based on the passage you have just heard.
A、Human activity.
B、Wind and water.
C、Chemical processes.
D、Fire and fury.
解析：
10. What cause the volcano’s outer layers to wear away?
解析：B。本题目为细节题。问题为：什么导致火山外层的磨损？原文所在句：Devil’s Tower was then shaped by the slow, gentle work of wind and water. The outer layers of the volcano were worn away until the hard core stood completely exposed. 魔鬼塔随后被风和水逐渐风化，火山外层磨损，坚硬的内核完全暴漏在外面。选项B) Wind and water，与文中信息相一致。此题目干扰选项D) Fire and fury是火山形成的原因，问题问的是外层磨损的原因。此题目需要根据问题做选择。因此正确选项为B。
11、Question 11 is based on the passage you have just heard.
A、It is a historical monument.
B、It was built in ancient times.
C、It is Indians’ sacred place for worship.
D、It was created by supernatural powers.
解析：
11. What does the Indian legend say about the Devil’s Tower?
解析：D。本题目为细节题。问题为：关于魔鬼塔的印第安传说是什么？原文所在句：It is small wonder that an Indian legend described Devil’s Tower as being formed by supernatural powers。难怪在印第安人关于魔鬼塔的传说中，塔是由于超自然力量形成的。选项D) It was created by supernatural powers，与原文信息相一致。此题目干扰较少。正确选项替换了动词，being form与created by均表示“被创造”。
12、Question 12 is based on the passage you have just heard.
A、By sheltering them in a cave.
B、By killing the attacking bears.
C、By lifting them well above the ground.
D、By taking them to the top of a mountain.
解析：
12. How did the Rock God help the seven girls in the Indian legend?
解析：C。本题目为细节题。问题为：在印第安传说中，石神是如何帮助这七个女孩的？原文所在句：The God caused the rock to grow and to lift the girls far above the ground, while it sides were scored by the claws of the angry bears.石神让岩石变大进而可以将女孩抬高离开地面，这样岩石四周都是愤怒的熊留下的抓痕。选项C) By lifting them well above the ground（通过把她们抬离地面），与文中信息相一致。其他选项的干扰性较弱。
13、Question 13 is based on the passage you have just heard.
A、They will buy something from the convenience stores.
B、They will take advantage of the time to rest a while.
C、They will have their vehicles washed or serviced.
D、They will pick up some souvenirs or gift items.
解析：
听力原文：
It’s no accident that most gas stations have convenience stores attached. Few of us can fill up the tank without buying a few snacks, cigarettes, soft drinks or other items we can live without. I deserve it. That’s what hard working men and women say to justify their lavish vacations, big stereo systems or regular restaurant meals. They do deserve such indulgences. However, they also deserve a home of their own—a secure retirement and freedom from worrying about unpaid bills. No one should have to live with what a Texas mother described as constant stress, tension, even fear about money. Sadly the pleasure that comes from extravagances often disappears long before the bills do. The video camera that one single mother bought for a special occasion, for example, is not much fun now. She’s figured out that it will take her another three years to pay it off at $30 a month. And the New Yorkers who spent a bundle on an outdoor hot tub now admit they rarely use it, because we can’t afford to heat it in winter. The solution set priorities add up the annual cost of each item. Then consider what else you can buy with the same money. That will help you decide which items are really worth it. One Chicago woman, for example, discovered that daily lunches with coworkers cost her $2000 a year; she decided to take lunch to work instead. “I now put $20 a week into my vacation fund and another 20 into retirement savings,” she says, “Those mean more to me than lunch.”
13. What does the speaker say about drivers who stop at gas stations?
解析：A。本题目为细节题。问题为：关于停在加油站的司机，讲话人说了什么？根据关键项gas station可定位原文所在句。原文所在句：It’s no accident that most gas stations have convenience stores attached. Few of us can fill up the tank without buying a few snacks, cigarettes, soft drinks or other items we can live without.加油站都会有便利商店绝非偶然。我们会在加完油后买一些小吃、香烟、饮料和其他的非生活品。选项A) They will buy something from the convenience stores（他们会从便利店买一些东西），与这一信息相一致。原文使用了双重否定表示肯定：没有人不会买，也就是会买。
14、Question 14 is based on the passage you have just heard.
A、They can bring only temporary pleasures.
B、They are meant for the extremely wealthy.
C、They should be done away with altogether.
D、They may eventually drive one to bankruptcy.
解析：
14. What does the speaker say about extravagances?
解析：A。本题目为推理题。问题为：关于奢侈浪费，讲话人说了什么？原文所在句：Sadly the pleasure that comes from extravagances often disappears long before the bills do.遗憾的是，奢侈浪费所带来的快乐常常在我们付账之后消失。选项A) They can bring only temporary pleasures（它们仅仅带来短暂的快乐），与原文信息完全一致。选项中的bring是对原文的come from的替换，奢侈带来快乐和快乐源自于奢侈消费，只是表达方式变了。此题目需要充分理解原文所在句，因此将题目归入推理题。然而此题目也可以按照细节题的方式解答，按照关键词的视听一致原则即可。
15、Question 15 is based on the passage you have just heard.
A、A good way to socialize is to have daily lunch with one’s colleagues.
B、Retirement savings should come first in one’s family budgeting.
C、A vacation will be affordable if one saves 20 dollars a week.
D、Small daily savings can make a big difference in one’s life.
解析：
15. What does a speaker want to show by the example of the Chicago woman?
解析：D。本题目为推理题。问题为：讲话人用芝加哥一女士的例子，想表达什么？原文所在句：One Chicago woman, for example, discovered that daily lunches with coworkers cost her $2000 a year; she decided to take lunch to work instead. “I now put $20 a week into my vacation fund and another 20 into retirement savings,” she says, “Those mean more to me than lunch.” 芝加哥的这位女士发现和同事一起吃午餐一年花费2000美元，她决定自己带午餐，将每周节省下来的20美元作为假期基金，另外20美元作为退休储蓄，她说这些要比午餐的意义大。此题需要基于理解文章的主旨才能选出，文章批判了奢侈浪费、生活中不规划而进行随性消费等行为，认为从小的方面积累和节约会积少成多，做更有意义的事情。选项D) Small daily savings can make a big difference in one’s life（日常小小的节省可以给生活带来很大的不同），与文中主旨相一致。
16、Question 16 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、They should be done away with.
B、They are necessary in our lives.
C、They enrich our experience.
D、They are harmful to health.
解析：
听力原文
Let’s say you start to brainstorm a list of all the emotions you’ve ever experienced.
Just for fun, try it now. What’s on your list? Chances are, you included things like happy, sad, excited, angry, afraid, grateful, proud, scared, confused, stressed, relaxed and amazed. Now sort your list into two categories—positive emotions and negative emotions. Feeling both positive and negative emotions is a natural part of being human. We might use the word “negative” to describe more difficult emotions, but it doesn’t mean those emotions are bad or we shouldn’t have them. Still, most people would probably rather feel a positive emotion than a negative one. It’s likely you’d prefer to feel happy instead of sad, or confident instead of insecure.
What matters is how our emotions are balanced—how much of each type of emotion, positive or negative, we experience. Negative emotions warn us of threats or challenges that we may need to deal with. For example, fear can alert us to possible danger. It’s a signal that we might need to protect ourselves. Angry feelings warn us that someone is stepping on our toes, crossing a boundary, or violating our trust. Anger can be a signal that we might need to act on our own behalf. Negative emotions focus our awareness. They help us to zero in on a problem so we can deal with it. But too many negative emotions can make us feel overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted or stressed out. When negative emotions are out of balance, problems might seem too big to handle. The more we dwell on negative emotions, the more negative we begin to feel. Focusing on negativity just keeps it going. Positive emotions balance out negative ones, but they have other powerful benefits, too. Instead of narrowing our focus like negative emotions do, positive emotions affect our brains in ways that increase our awareness, attention and memory. They help us take in more information, hold several ideas in mind at once, and understand how different ideas relate to each other. When positive emotions open us up to new possibilities, we are more able to learn and build on our skills. That leads to doing better on tasks and tests. People who have plenty of positive emotions in their everyday lives tend to be happier, healthier, learn better, and get along well with others.
16. What does the speaker say about negative emotions?
解析：B。问题为：关于消极情绪，讲话人说了什么？原文所在句Feeling both positive and negative emotions is a natural part of being human. We might use the word “negative” to describe more difficult emotions, but it doesn’t mean those emotions are bad or we shouldn’t have them.积极和消极的情绪都是我们人类情绪的一部分。我们用“负面”去描述更加困难的情绪，但是不意味着它对我们不好，也不意味着我们不应该有这样的情绪。此题需要基于理解文章，录音靠后的位置说到，“Negative emotions warn us of threats or challenges that we may need to deal with”，即负面情绪能够预警生活中我们需要应对的威胁和挑战，之后进行了举例说明。选项B) They are necessary in our lives（在我们的生活中是必要的），体现了文中这一观点。此题目较难，需要基于对文章整体含义的把握进行解答。
17、Question 17 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、They feel stressed out even without any challenges in life.
B、They feel too overwhelmed to deal with life’s problems.
C、They are anxious to free themselves from life’s troubles.
D、They are exhausted even without doing any heavy work.
解析：
17. What happens to people whose negative emotions are out of balance?
解析：B。问题为：消极情绪失衡后，人们会怎么样？原文所在句：But too many negative emotions can make us feel overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted or stressed out. When negative emotions are out of balance, problems might seem too big to handle. 太多的负面情绪会使我们感到手足无措、焦虑、疲劳或紧张。当负面情绪失衡，我们面临的问题将会显得很难处理。选项 B) They feel too overwhelmed to deal with life’s problems（感觉不知所措，难以处理生活中的问题），与原文信息完全一致。其他选项干扰性较弱。
18、Question 18 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、They expand our mind.
B、They prolong our lives.
C、They narrow our focus.
D、They lessen our burdens.
解析：
18. How do positive emotions affect us?
解析：A。问题为：积极情绪是如何影响我们的？原文所在句Instead of narrowing our focus like negative emotions do, positive emotions affect our brains in ways that increase our awareness, attention and memory. They help us take in more information, hold several ideas in mind at once, and understand how different ideas relate to each other.相比消极情绪集中了我们的注意力，积极的情绪增加我们的意识、注意力和记忆，以影响我们的大脑。积极情绪帮助我们接收更多的信息，让我们在心里同时产生多想法，并且理解这些想法之间的不同之处。选项A) They expand our mind（扩大我们的心智心理），与文中信息完全一致。
19、Question 19 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、It is not easily breakable.
B、It came from a 3D printer.
C、It represents the latest style.
D、It was made by a fashion designer.
解析：
听力原文
In the past few months, I’ve been traveling for weeks at a time with only one suitcase of clothes. One day, I was invited to an important event, and I wanted to wear something special for it. I looked through my suitcase but couldn’t find anything to wear. I was lucky to be at the technology conference then, and I had access to 3D printers. So I quickly designed a skirt on my computer, and I loaded the file on the printer. It just printed the pieces overnight. The next morning, I just took all the pieces, assembled them together in my hotel room, and this is actually the skirt that I’m wearing right now. So it wasn’t the first time that I printed clothes. For my senior collection at fashion design school, I decided to try and 3D print an entire fashion collection from my home. The problem was that I barely knew anything about 3D printing, and I had only nine months to figure out how to print five fashionable looks.
I always felt most creative when I worked from home. I loved experimenting with new materials, and I always tried to develop new techniques to make the most unique textiles for my fashion projects. One summer break, I came here to New York for an internship at a fashion house in Chinatown. We worked on two incredible dresses that were 3D printed. They were amazing—like you can see here. But I had a few problems with them. They were made from hard plastics and that’s why they were very breakable. The models couldn’t sit in them, and they even got scratched from the plastics under their arms. So now, the main challenge was to find the right material for printing clothes with, I mean the material you feed the printer with.
The breakthrough came when I was introduced to Filaflex, which is a new kind of printing material. It’s strong, yet very flexible. And with it, I was able to print the first garment, a red jacket that had the word “freedom” embedded into it. And actually, you can easily download this jacket, and change the word to something else, for example, your name or your sweetheart’s name. So I think in the future, materials will evolve, and they will look and feel like fabrics we know today, like cotton or silk.
19. What does the speaker say about the skirt she is wearing now?
解析：B。本题目为细节题。问题为：关于她身上所穿的短裙，讲话人说了什么？原文所在句：I was lucky to be at the technology conference then, and I had access to 3D printers. So I quickly designed a skirt on my computer, and I loaded the file on the printer. It just printed the pieces overnight. 她非常幸运当时自己在科技大会现场，可以接触到3D打印机，她快速地在电脑上设计了一条裙子，并且下载到打印机的文件里，打印机一晚上就把衣服打好了。选项 B) It came from a 3D printer，与原文这一信息相匹配。
20、Question 20 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、When she had just graduated from her college.
B、When she attended a conference in New York.
C、When she was studying at a fashion design school.
D、When she attended a fashion show nine months ago.
解析：
20. When did the speaker start experimenting with 3D printing?
解析：C。本题目为细节题。问题为：讲话人的3D打印实验是从什么时候开始的？原文所在句：For my senior collection at fashion design school, I decided to try and 3D print an entire fashion collection from my home.她在时尚设计学校时，为了她的高级藏品，决定尝试3D打印出她家里的所有时尚藏品。选项 C) When she was studying at a fashion design school（当她在时尚设计学校学习的时候），与文中信息相匹配。
21、Question 21 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、It was difficult to print.
B、It was hard to come by.
C、It was hard and breakable.
D、It was extremely expensive.
解析：
21. What was the problem with the material the speaker worked on at a New York fashion house?
解析：C。本题目为细节题。问题为：讲话人在纽约的时尚店工作时材料有何问题？原文所在句：But I had a few problems with them.They were made from hard plastics and that’s why they were very breakable.对于这些材料，确实有一些问题，它们用坚硬的塑料制成，这就是为什么它们非常易碎。选项C) It was hard and breakable（它们非常坚硬易碎），与文中信息一致。其他选项干扰较小，属于无中生有。
22、Question 22 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、It is the latest model of a 3D printer.
B、It is a plastic widely used in 3D printing.
C、It gives fashion designers room for imagination.
D、It marks a breakthrough in printing material.
解析：
22. What does the speaker say about Filaflex?
解析：D。本题目为细节题。问题为：关于Filaflex，讲话人说了什么？原文所在句：The breakthrough came when I was introduced to Filaflex, which is a new kind of printing material.当有人给讲话人介绍Filaflex这种打印材料的时候，重大突破来了。选项D) It marks a breakthrough in printing material（它标志了在打印材料方面的重大突破），与文中信息完全一致，并且其他选项在文中均没有提到。
23、Question 23 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、They arise from the advances in technology.
B、They have not been examined in detail so far.
C、They are easy to solve with modern technology.
D、They can’t be solved without government support.
解析：
听力原文
Welcome to the third lecture in our series on the future of small businesses in Europe.
The purpose of today’s lecture, as you have seen from the title and the abstract, is to examine in more detail the problems facing small- and medium-sized enterprises which arise at least in part from having to adapt to rapid advances in technology. And I want to look at these both from a financial and from a personnel point of view and to offer a few hopefully effective solutions. Here we have three of the most important problems facing small businesses that I want to look at today. First, keeping up with the pace of technological change, recruiting high quality staff in a time of skills shortages in IT as a whole and in a highly competitive market, and the issue of retaining staff once they’ve been recruited and trained. Now, all of these problems involve significant costs for all businesses. But there are particularly challenging issues for small- and medium-sized enterprises. And those costs would vary depending on the size and scale of the businesses. So let’s come to the first issue on our list which is keeping pace with developments in technology. Now we all know that the technology industry is intensely competitive with new products being launched all year round as the various companies strive to compete with each other, rather than, say once a year or every couple of years. And this is a real headache for smaller businesses. So, let’s imagine we have a small company which is doing OK. It’s just about making a profit and it spends most of its income on overheads. So for a company in this situation, keeping up to date with the latest technology, even if it’s only for the benefit of key staff, this can be hugely expensive. So in my view, some creative thinking needs to come in here to find ways to help companies in this situation to stay ahead in the game, but at the same time, to remain technologically competitive. Well, there’s a possibility that small groups of companies with similar requirements but not directly competing with each other—they could share the cost of upgrading in much the same way as, let’s say, an intranet operates within large organizations. In fact, cost-sharing could be a very practical solution, especially in times of financial difficulty. If there’s downward pressure on costs, because of a need for investment in other areas, I would argue that this is a perfectly feasible solution.
23. What does the speaker say about the problems facing small- and medium-sized enterprises?
解析：A。本题目为细节题。问题为：关于中小企业所面临的问题，讲话人说了什么？原文所在句：The purpose of today’s lecture, as you have seen from the title and the abstract, is to examine in more detail the problems facing small- and medium-sized enterprises which arise at least in part from having to adapt to rapid advances in technology.演讲的主题是更加深入地审视中小型企业所面临的问题，这些问题至少部分源于被迫快速适应科技进步。选项A) They arise from the advances in technology（源于科技进步），与文中信息完全一致。讲话想表达科技的进步带给中小企业的问题。
24、Question 24 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、It is attractive to entrepreneurs.
B、It demands huge investment.
C、It focuses on new products.
D、It is intensely competitive.
解析：
24. What does the speaker say about the technology industry?
解析：D。本题目为细节题。问题为：关于技术型产业，讲话人说了什么？原文所在句：Now we all know that the technology industry is intensely competitive with new products being launched all year round as the various companies strive to compete with each other, rather than, say once a year or every couple of years.技术型产业在新产品的发布上竞争激烈，因为不同的公司间全年都在竞争，而不是一年或者几年。选项D) It is intensely competitive（竞争激烈），与文中信息完全一致。
25、Question 25 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、Cooperation with big companies.
B、Recruiting more qualified staff.
C、In-service training of IT personnel.
D、Sharing of costs with each other.
解析：
25. What is a practical solution to the problems of small- and medium-sized businesses?
解析：D。本题目为细节题。问题为：中小企业所面临的问题的实际解决方案是什么？原文所在句：In fact, cost-sharing could be a very practical solution, especially in times of financial difficulty.分担成本可能是一个非常实际的解决方案，尤其是在财务困难的时候。选项D) Sharing of costs with each other（彼此分担成本花销），与文中信息完全一致。此题目难度较小，能听到关键词并正确定位即可选出正确答案。
二、Part III Reading Comprehension
It is important that scientists be seen as normal people asking and answering important questions. Good, sound science depends on (26)_____, experiments and reasoned methodologies. It requires a willingness to ask new questions and try new approaches. It requires one to take risks and experience failures. But good science also requires (27)_____ understanding, clear explanation and concise presentation.
Our country needs more scientists who are willing to step out in the public (28)_____ and offer their opinions on important matters. We need more scientists who can explain what they are doing in language that is (29)_____ and understandable to the public. Those of us who are not scientists should also be prepared to support public engagement by scientists, and to (30)_____ scientific knowledge into our public communications.
Too many people in this country, including some among our elected leadership, still do not understand how science works or why robust, long-range investments in research vitally matter. In the 1960s, the United States (31)_____ nearly 17% of discretionary (可酌情支配的) spending to research and development, (32)_____ decades of economic growth. By 2008, the figure had fallen into the single (33)_____. This occurs at a time when other nations have made significant gains in their own research capabilities.
At the University of California (UC), we (34)_____ ourselves not only on the quality of our research, but also on its contribution to improving our world. To (35)_____ the development of science from the lab bench to the market place, UC is investing our own money in our own good ideas.
26、(1)
A、indulge
B、pride
C、warrant
D、contextual
E、convincing
F、indefinite
G、digits
H、impairing
I、reaping
J、inertia
K、hypotheses
L、incorporate
M、devoted
N、arena
O、hasten
解析：
名词
arena 场合
digits 数字
hypotheses 假设
inertia 惯性，惰性
pride 骄傲，自豪
warrant 许可证
动词
devoted 把……专用于，符合
hasten 赶紧，催促，促进
impairing 损害，削弱
incorporate 纳入，收录
indulge 迁就，纵容
pride 以……而自豪
reaping 收割，收获
warrant 担保，保证
形容词
B）contextual 背景的，与上下文相关的
C）convincing 令人信服的
J）indefinite 无期限的
26. hypotheses
解析：名词辨析题。空格前是 depend on，空格后应填名词。备选项有A）arena （场合），E）digits（数字），G）hypotheses（假设），L）inertia（惯性、惰性），M）pride（骄傲、自豪），O）warrant（许可证）。空格处在一个并列关系中，要与experiments（实验）and reasoned methodologies（方法）并列。所以空格处应是与实验、方法并列的名词，故应填hypotheses（假设）。
27. contextual
解析：形容词辨析题。空格前是动词requires，空格后是名词understanding，空格处应填形容词。备选项有B）contextual（背景的、与上下文相关的），C）convincing（令人信服的），J）indefinite（无期限的）。understanding 后有clear explanation and concise presentation这一并列结构，故空白处应填和clear、concise含义相近的形容词，因此应填B）contextual。
28. arena
解析：名词辨析题。空格前是形容词public，可知空格处应填入名词。备选项有A）arena（场合），E）digits（数字），L）inertia（惯性、惰性），M）pride（骄傲、自豪），O）warrant（许可证）。根据语意，应填入A）arena，表示“公共场合”。
29. convincing
解析：形容词辨析题。空格前是系动词is，空格后是and understandable，可知空格处应填入和understandable 并列的形容词，备选项有C）convincing（令人信服的），J）indefinite（无期限的）。从词义上看，应填入convincing，与understandable构成语义上的并列关系。
30. incorporate
解析：动词辨析题。空格前是to，空格处应填入动词原形。备选项有F）hasten （赶紧、催促、促进），I）incorporate（纳入、收录），K）indulge（迁就、纵容），M）pride（以……而自豪），O）warrant（担保、保证）。再看空格之后有into，可知空格处的动词应该能跟into搭配。因此应填入incorporate。
31. devoted
解析：动词辨析题。空格前是名词the United States，空格后是副词nearly，因此空格处应填动词作谓语。备选项有D）devoted（把……专用于），F）hasten（赶紧、催促、促进），K）indulge（迁就、纵容），M）pride（以……而自豪），O）warrant（担保、保证）。再看空格后出现了介词to，因此应填入可与之搭配的devoted。
32. reaping
解析：动词辨析题。空格位于一个完整的句子之后，可见此处应填入动词的非谓语形式，作状语。备选项有H）impairing（损害、削弱），N）reaping（收割、收获）。再结合语义，空格前是“美国投入17%的可支配收入用于研究和发展”，空格后说“数十年的经济增长”，可知研究和发展之后收获了经济增长，故正确答案为reaping。
33. digits
解析：名词辨析题。空格前是形容词single，空格处应填名词。备选项有E）digits （数字），L）inertia（惯性、惰性），M）pride（骄傲、自豪），O）warrant（许可证）。再看句意，上文中出现了figure，可知是跟数字相关，因此应填digits。
34. pride
解析：动词辨析题。空格前是we，空格后是ourselves ，空格处应填入动词作谓语。备选项有F）hasten（赶紧、催促、促进），K）indulge（迁就、纵容），M）pride（以……而自豪），O）warrant（担保、保证）。根据语义，下文出现“不仅……我们研究的质量，而且……对改进世界的贡献”，故此处应填pride，sb. pride oneself on sth.表示某人在某方面感到自豪。
35. hasten
解析：动词辨析题。空格前是to, 空格后是名词，因此空格处应填入动词原形，备选项有F）hasten（赶紧、催促、促进），K）indulge（迁就、纵容），O）warrant （担保、保证）。根据语义，“为了……科学从实验室到市场的发展，UC正在给我们的想法投资”，推断此处应填hasten。
27、(2)
A、indulge
B、pride
C、warrant
D、contextual
E、convincing
F、indefinite
G、digits
H、impairing
I、reaping
J、inertia
K、hypotheses
L、incorporate
M、devoted
N、arena
O、hasten
解析：见上一题！
28、(3)
A、indulge
B、pride
C、warrant
D、contextual
E、convincing
F、indefinite
G、digits
H、impairing
I、reaping
J、inertia
K、hypotheses
L、incorporate
M、devoted
N、arena
O、hasten
解析：见上一题！
29、(4)
A、indulge
B、pride
C、warrant
D、contextual
E、convincing
F、indefinite
G、digits
H、impairing
I、reaping
J、inertia
K、hypotheses
L、incorporate
M、devoted
N、arena
O、hasten
解析：见上一题！
30、(5)
A、indulge
B、pride
C、warrant
D、contextual
E、convincing
F、indefinite
G、digits
H、impairing
I、reaping
J、inertia
K、hypotheses
L、incorporate
M、devoted
N、arena
O、hasten
解析：见上一题！
31、(6)
A、indulge
B、pride
C、warrant
D、contextual
E、convincing
F、indefinite
G、digits
H、impairing
I、reaping
J、inertia
K、hypotheses
L、incorporate
M、devoted
N、arena
O、hasten
解析：见上一题！
32、(7)
A、indulge
B、pride
C、warrant
D、contextual
E、convincing
F、indefinite
G、digits
H、impairing
I、reaping
J、inertia
K、hypotheses
L、incorporate
M、devoted
N、arena
O、hasten
解析：见上一题！
33、(8)
A、indulge
B、pride
C、warrant
D、contextual
E、convincing
F、indefinite
G、digits
H、impairing
I、reaping
J、inertia
K、hypotheses
L、incorporate
M、devoted
N、arena
O、hasten
解析：见上一题！
34、(9)
A、indulge
B、pride
C、warrant
D、contextual
E、convincing
F、indefinite
G、digits
H、impairing
I、reaping
J、inertia
K、hypotheses
L、incorporate
M、devoted
N、arena
O、hasten
解析：见上一题！
35、(10)
A、indulge
B、pride
C、warrant
D、contextual
E、convincing
F、indefinite
G、digits
H、impairing
I、reaping
J、inertia
K、hypotheses
L、incorporate
M、devoted
N、arena
O、hasten
解析：见上一题！
Are We in an Innovation Lull?
【A】Scan the highlights of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and you may get a slight feeling of having seen them before. Many of the coolest gadgets this year are the same as the coolest gadgets last year—or the year before, even. The booths are still exciting, and the demos are still just as crazy. It is still easy to be dazzled by the display of drones (无人机), 3D printers, virtual reality goggles (眼镜) and more “smart” devices than you could ever hope to catalog. Upon reflection, however, it is equally easy to feel like you have seen it all before. And it is hard not to think: Are we in an innovation lull (间歇期)?
【B】In some ways, the answer is yes. For years, smartphones, televisions, tablets, laptops and desktops have made up a huge part of the market and driven innovation. But now these segments are looking at slower growth curves—or shrinking markets in some cases—as consumers are not as eager to spend money on new gadgets. Meanwhile, emerging technologies—the drones, 3D printers and smart-home devices of the world—now seem a bit too old to be called “the next big thing”.
【C】Basically the tech industry seems to be in an awkward period now. “There is not any one-hit wonder, and there will not be one for years to come,” said Gary Shapiro, president and chief executive of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). In his eyes, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean that innovation has stopped. It has just grown up a little. “Many industries are going out of infancy and becoming adolescents,” Shapiro said.
【D】For instance, new technologies that are building upon existing technology have not found their footing well enough to appeal to a mass audience, because, in many cases, they need to work effectively with other devices to realize their full appeal. Take the evolution of the smart home, for example. Companies are pushing it hard but make it almost overwhelming even to dip a toe in the water for the average consumer, because there are so many compatibility issues to think about. No average person wants to figure out whether their favorite calendar software works with their fridge or whether their washing machine and tablet get along. Having to install a different app for each smart appliance in your home is annoying; it would be nicer if you could manage everything together. And while you may forgive your smartphone an occasional fault, you probably have less patience for error messages from your door lock.
【E】Companies are promoting their own standards, and the market has not had time to choose a winner yet as this is still very new. Companies that have long focused on hardware now have to think of ecosystems instead to give consumers practical solutions to their everyday problems. “The dialogue is changing from what is technologically possible to what is technologically meaningful,” said economist Shawn DuBravac. DuBravac works for CTA—which puts on the show each year—and said that this shift to a search for solutions has been noticeable as he researched his predictions for 2016.
【F】“So much of what CES has been about is the cool. It is about the flashiness and the gadgets,” said John Curran, managing director of research at Accenture. “But over the last couple of years, and in this one in particular, we are starting to see companies shift from what is the largest screen size, the smallest form factor or the shiniest object and more into what all of these devices do that is practical in a consumer’s life.” Even the technology press conferences, which have been high- profile in the past and reached a level of drama and theatrics fitting for a Las Vegas stage, have a different bent to them. Rather than just dazzling with a high cool factor, there is a focus on the practical. Fitbit, for example, released its first smartwatch Monday, selling with a clear purpose—to improve your fitness—and promoting it as a “tool, not a toy”. Not only that, it supports a number of platforms: Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows phone.
【G】That seems to be what consumers are demanding, after all. Consumers are becoming increasingly bored with what companies have to offer: A survey of 28,000 consumers in 28 countries released by Accenture found consumers are not as excited about technology as they once were. For example, when asked whether they would buy a new smartphone this year, only 48 percent said yes—a six-point drop from 2015.
【H】And when it comes to the hyper-connected super-smart world that technology firms are painting for us, it seems that consumers are growing more uneasy about handing over the massive amounts of consumer data needed to provide the personalized, customized solutions that companies need to improve their services. That could be another explanation for why companies seem to be strengthening their talk of the practicality of their devices.
【I】Companies have already won part of the battle, having driven tech into every part of our lives, tracking our steps and our very heartbeats. Yet the persistent question of “Why do I need that?”—or, perhaps more tellingly, “Why do you need to know that?”—dogs the steps of many new ventures. Only 13 percent of respondents said that they were interested in buying a smartwatch in 2016, for example—an increase of just one percent from the previous year despite a year of high-profile launches. That is bad news for any firm that may hope that smartwatches can make up ground for maturing smartphone and tablet markets. And the survey found flat demand for fitness monitors, smart thermostats (恒温器) and connected home cameras, as well.
【J】According to the survey, that lack of enthusiasm could stem from concerns about privacy and security. Even among people who have bought connected devices of some kind, 37 percent said that they are going to be more cautious about using these devices and services in the future. A full 18 percent have even returned devices until they feel they can get safer guarantees against having their sensitive information hacked.
【K】That, too, explains the heavy Washington presence at this year’s show, as these new technologies intrude upon heavily regulated areas. In addition to many senior officials from the Federal Trade and Federal Communications Commissions, this year’s list of policy makers also includes appearances from Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, to talk about smart cities, and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta, to talk about drones.
【L】Curran, the Accenture analyst, said that increased government interest in the show makes sense as technology becomes a larger part of our lives. “There is an incompatibility in the rate at which these are advancing relative to the way we’re digesting it,” he said. “Technology is becoming bigger and more aspirational, and penetrating almost every aspect of our lives. We have to understand and think about the implications, and balance these great innovations with the potential downsides they naturally carry with them.”
36、36. Consumers are often hesitant to try smart-home devices because they are worried about compatibility problems.
A、A
B、B
C、C
D、D
E、E
F、F
G、G
H、H
I、I
J、J
K、K
L、L
解析：36. Consumers are often hesitant to try smart-home devices because they are worried about compatibility problems.
