25年6月四级考试参考答案
听力原文
NEWS 1
Everything changed for 7-year-old Tariq when he slapped some butter on an ear of corn. He knew it tasted good, but butter made it better. His passion for produce got him a position as South Dakota's Official Corn Ambassador. Tariq profession of love for his favorite vegetable earned him the name, the Corn kid. This was after his online interview attracted millions of views and was made into a song. South Dakota is one of the top corn producers in America. The corn provides nourishment across the globe. Tariq said, not everyone has to like corn, but everyone should definitely try it, especially with butter. Tariq and his family were invited to South Dakota to attend the honorary ceremony at the State's Corn Palace. Officials wanted to highlight South Dakota's two largest industries, tourism and agriculture. Tariq couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the palace made of corn.
Q1: How did Tariq make corn taste better?
Q2: Why were Tariq and his family invited to South Dakota?
NEWS 2
Two arrests were announced Thursday. The arrests were in connection with a string of mail thefts from US post services collection boxes in Marion County, and for the possession of a stolen postal key according to the Department of Justice. Jordan Jax and Tarod Goodman, both 23, were arrested after evidence gathered in an investigation showed the pair stole mail on multiple occasions using a postal key. According to a news release, Jax and Goodman stole mail for around four months. Investigators reviewed videos of the collection boxes. The video showed the two men loading the stolen mail into Jacks's vehicle. Investigators were also able to recover the key that was used to open the collection boxes. Jax and Goodman each face up to five years in federal prison in the mail thefts, and up to 10 years for possession of the postal key.
Q3: What did Jordan Jax and Tarod Goodman do according to a news release?
Q4: What do Jordan Jax and Tarod Goodman face?
NEWS 3
Can fast fashion be sustainable? Researchers think yes. Identifying why the fast fashion business model creates waste and determining whether regulators can establish incentives for consumers and manufacturers are steps to reduce waste. Recently, the clothing industry has come under attack for creating a waste problem with serious environmental consequences. In the absence of environmentally and economically feasible recycling options fast fashion manufacturers pump out low quality clothes produced in high volumes that are worn only a few times, and then discarded. The researchers put forth policy contributions ranging from sustainable disposal of leftover stock to production tax to incentivize both manufacturers and consumers to be more waste conscious. In order to devise effective policies to curb the environmental impact of the clothing industry, it is important to identify the source of the problem in the supply chain. Manufacturers, consumers, and regulatory bodies can then take an informed approach to recognize the environmental impact of fast fashion and to design an ecosystem to reduce waste, incentivize innovation, and create new business models to manage waste.
Q5: Why has the clothing industry come under attack?
Q6: Why do the researchers put forth such policies as production tax?
Q7: What should be done first to eliminate the harm caused by the clothing industry?
Conversation 1
M: Hey Mariah, you seem to be very much annoyed. What happened?
W: Rush hour in this city is killing me.
M: Ah, yes. Rush hour is terrible, especially in the morning between 8 and 9. But what else can you expect in a city this big?
W: Well, I think the local government could help improve things. I mean, getting rid of rush hour may be impossible. But it could be made more tolerable, don't you think?
M: Um, but I'm not sure how.
W: Well, for example, the subway system could have air conditioning. I know many cities in the world have air conditioning in their subway, so why can't we? It gets so hot in the summer, I can hardly breathe down there. And add to that, the rush hour crowds with strangers packed close together in the subway carriages. The whole thing is just horrible.
M: Ah, yes, you are completely right. The trains here are too old. The government should definitely invest in new ones with air conditioning. I guess I'm fortunate I take the bus instead.
W: Oh, that's much better.
M: Yeah, it's more convenient. Bus number 36 goes straight from my house to the office. It's a 30-minute ride and I don't have to make any changes.
W: That sounds nice. I tell you, my current commute is killing me. Maybe I should move closer to the office.
M: Well, I know a great housing agent. I found the flat I'm living in now through him. And I love it.
W: Hmm. Could you send me his number please?
M: Sure thing. Just tell him exactly what you are looking for and I'm sure he will find something good.
Q8: Why is the woman complaining?
Q9: What does the woman suggest doing?
Q10: What do we learn about the man from the conversation?
Q11: What does the woman ask the man to do at the end of the conversation?