年3月高級口譯聽力真題Listening Comprehension 含解析

Listening comprehension 1

W: Professor White, I hope I'm not interrupting, but you wanted to see me?

M: Oh, hello, Susan. Yes, yes. Come right in. Well, the reason I wanted to talk to you was that while you're presenting your linguistics project in class the other day, I was thinking you're a perfect candidate for the Deans Undergraduate Research Fund.

W: Emm... Professor, I am really not sure what that is.

M: Undergraduate Research Fundis... It is a mouth for…, I suppose... OK, here is the thing. Every year the school has a pool of money to fund a number of research projects of undergraduate students, because as you can imagine, in-depth research often requires monetary support.

W: I would like to expand on my research.

M: Good. First, a panel of professors reviews the applicants for the grant, and then they decide which project should be funded. A lot of money could be used for travel expenses to attend a conference for example, or things like supplies, research equipment, resources that are necessary to conduct the research.

W: I see.

M: Right. And I think you should apply for this grant. Your project is definitely eligible and you can expand it if you haven't necessary resources. So does it sound like something you would be interested in?

W: Oh, yeah, sounds great! I thought the topic I work on was very interesting and it is certainly relevant to my linguistics major. I assume it we'll also look good when I try to get into a graduate school, but how do I apply for the grant?

M: It is pretty straightforward. A brief description of your proposed project and an estimated budget —how much you need to spend and what you intend to spend it on. Also a glowing letter of recommendation from our linguistics professor wouldn't hurt, which I've been more than happy to write up for you.

W: OK, cool! I’m pretty clear on how to carry out my project, but I'm not sure where I can find more information on the subject.

M: Well, I've already thought of that. There is this private library at university in Boston. By the way, because I graduated from that school, I can get you access to it, no problem. You see, the library houseslots of unpublished documents that are relevant to your topic.

W: So I can put that on the application for the grant that I plan on using material from that library for my research and figure a trip to Boston into my budget?

M: Exactly. I really think judging from your work in class and the relevance and clarity of this project, you really have a good chance of getting the funding.

W: OK, I'll definitely apply then.

M: The sooner, the better. It is due in a few of weeks. And I'll get that letter written up right away.

Q1: What is Susan most probably?

Q2: What is Susan talking about with Professor White?

Q3: Who will decide which project should be funded?

Q4: Which of the following cannot be covered by the research fund?

Q5: Apart from a brief description of the proposed project and a letter of recommendation, what else is needed for a plan for the grant?

【解析】

本對話選自校園日常生活，相對簡單。主要內容是教授與學生談論如何申請學校的研究項目。文章一開篇談到教授爲什麼認爲學生是該研究項目最合適的人選，緊接着學生針對自己對該項目不清楚的一些地方進行了詢問。教授給出了詳盡的思路：包括申請材料準備、項目計劃、項目目標、預算等；他還指出自己能幫忙從他的母校獲取資料以及給學生寫推薦信。總體而言，在一問一答的對話中，抓聽時，注意聽問題的答案是關鍵！Listening comprehension 2

Brussels, Belgium
Negotiators in Brussels have clinched a deal on the 2014 EU budget after a night of hard talks, cutting spending by about 6% compared to 2013. Spending will total 135.5bn euros, or 0.5bn less than the Commission sought and 0.9bn short of the European Parliament's target. It reflects stricter new terms agreed by EU leaders in February. The deal was reached after 16 hours of negotiation, and still requires final approval from the parliament and EU ministers next week.

Dubai, Reuters
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif rejected U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's pinning of blame on Iran for the lack of a deal on its nuclear program last week, saying splits between Western powers prevented a breakthrough. Kerry’s remarks only served to undermine confidence in the Geneva negotiations. The United States, European Union powers and Iran worked hard for months on a proposal to help end the 10-year standoff over Iran's nuclear activity. Hopes for a deal rose so high that foreign ministers of six world powers traveled to Geneva to put their weight behind the talks. But by Saturday, the unscheduled third day of negotiations, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Paris could not accept a "fool's game", and the negotiations broke off without agreement. Diplomats from other Western nations at first reacted angrily and accused the French of trying to upstage the other powers and causing unnecessary trouble for the talks. On Monday though, Kerry said the major powers were unified on Saturday when they presented a proposal to the Iranians. Everybody agreed it was a fair proposal. There was unity, but Iran couldn't take it at that particular moment.

London, the United Kingdom
UK researchers have been awarded an emergency grant to track a vast iceberg in Antarctica that could enter shipping lanes. Latest images show several kilometers of water between the iceberg, estimated to be about 270 square miles, and the glacier that spawned the block. The £50,000 award will fund a six-month project that will also predict its movement through the Southern Ocean. The icy giant broke away from the Pine Island Glacier (PIG) in July. “It often takes a while for bergs from this area to get out of Pine Island Bay, but once they do that they can either go eastwards along the coast or they can circle out into the main part of the Southern Ocean”, explained principal investigator Grant Bigg from the University of Sheffield. If the iceberg did follow this trajectory, it would bring the Singapore-size ice island into busy international shipping lanes.

Manila, the Philippines
Typhoon Haiyan has killed too many people to count so far and pushed to the brink of survival thousands more who have lost everything, have no food or medical care and are drinking filthy water to stay alive. By Tuesday, officials had counted 1,774 of the bodies, but say that number may just be scratching the surface. They fear Haiyan may have taken as many as 10,000 lives. The storm has injured 2,487 more since it made landfall six times last Friday, the government said. It has displaced at least 800,000 people. Rescue work is continuing.

New York, the United States
A 1969 painting by Francis Bacon set a world record for most expensive artwork ever sold at auction. "Three Studies of Lucian Freud" was purchased for $142,405,000 at Christie's postwar and contemporary art sale on Tuesday night. The work sold after "6 minutes of fierce bidding in the room and on the phone," Christie's said in a statement. The price includes the buyer's premium. Christie's did not say who bought the painting. The price surpassed nearly $120 million paid for Edvard Munch's "The Scream," which set a world record when it was sold at Sotheby's in a 2012 sale. In May 2012, Christie's sold Rothko's "Orange, Red, Yellow" for $86.8 million, a record for any contemporary artwork at auction. Christie's also has an iconic Andy Warhol, "Coca-Cola (3)," estimated to sell for $40 million to $60 million.

Q6: What can we know from the news about the 2014 EU Budget?
Q7: According to Iranian Foreign Minister, why was the agreement not reached over Iran’s nuclear activity last week?
Q8: For what purpose has an emergency grant been awarded to some UK researchers?
Q9: How many lives do Philippine officials fear Typhoon Haiyan may have taken?
Q10: A painting set a world record for most expensive artwork sold at auction on Tuesday. Who painted this work?

【解析】

本題着重考查考生對國際新聞報道中要點的理解和把握，分別取材自BBC、Reuters、Huffpost以及CNN的新聞報道。第一則新聞考查布魯塞爾議員經過反覆協商最終就2014年歐盟預算達成一致意見；第二則新聞考查西方几大國就伊朗核問題的分歧以及伊朗的態度；第三則新聞考查英國設立緊急撥款以追蹤南極洲可能會影響大洋航線的巨大冰山；第四則新聞考查超強颱風“海燕”在菲律賓造成的巨大破壞；第五則新聞考查著名英國畫家弗蘭西斯-培根的名畫《盧西安-弗洛伊德肖像畫習作》（三聯畫）以1.42億美元創下全球藝術品拍賣最高價的歷史記錄。Listening comprehension 3

M: Now I'll take some questions.
W: Well, Mr. Brown, I have a question. Isn't it true that the public supports the death penalty? I read that according to recent statistics, 67% of Americans favor the death penalty in cases of murder. That's two thirds of the population.
M: It's true that there is a support for the death penalty. But it's also true that people's moods and opinions are difficult to understand through statistics. I think this figure might reflect people's concern about violent crime in general. United States is by far the most violent industrialized nation. In the United States, there're about 9 murders a year per 100,000 people. In Japan, for example, that figure is 0.5. In France, it's 1.1. So Americans are understandably concerned about violence.
W: Excuse me, Mr. Brown. What did you say the figure was in the United States?
M: It's about 9 murders per year per 100,000 people.
W: I'd like to make a comment. I mean, if someone commits a really bad crime, don't they deserve to be punished just severely?
M: As I often tell my students at the university, the problem of the death penalty is that on an emotional level. You can understand why people want it. If you suffer the loss of a loved one, your immediate response is to want revenge. It's a normal natural reaction. But I feel that the reason we have laws is that they allow us to rise above our personal emotional response to crime. This form of retribution is not the answer. The idea of having laws in a society is that together as society we're stronger than a sum of our parts, we can rise above our personal emotional response to crime. The legal system is supposed to elevate us. It is set up so that it is better than us. Individually, we are flawed. But as a society, we are strong.
W: I thought it was interesting what you said about the death penalty not being fair, because it was applied to some people but not to others. Could you talk a little bit more about that 12 students?
M: Yes. In many ways, capital punishment is very arbitrary. If you really believed in the death penalty as a principle, as a punishment for a horrific crime, then every single person who has committed this crime would have to be executed. But that would mean that we would have about 50,000 executions a year. That's absurd! Nobody would stand for that. It would mean that the state was some kind of killing machine. The fact is that we do not execute some people, but other people who have committed similar crimes are not executed. So the death penalty is not applied equally to all people.
W: Mr. Brown, I'd like to thank you for your comments today. I'm opposed to the death penalty myself, and I don't think we talk enough about the issues.

Q11: About what issue is Mr. Brown being interviewed?
Q12: What is the approximate number of murders a year per 100,000 people in the United States?
Q13: What is Mr. Brown most probably?
Q14: What does Mr. Brown actually say about the death penalty?
Q15: Which of the following statements is true according to the interview?

【解析】

本段採訪以“死刑（death penalty）”爲主題進行展開。受訪者Mr. Brown首先說明了對死刑的支持率並不能反映人們心裏真實的想法，並列舉了美國等工業國家謀殺案發生的概率；然後闡述了法律可以讓人們更加理智，使社會更加強大的觀點；最後說明了死刑的判決也會因人而異。對話的難度不大，但是大多數問題都無法在文中直接找到答案，因此需要考生真正理解對話後再進行作答。Listening comprehension 4

I'm Helen Wartman, Director of the Wartman Sports Academy, a school that helps promising young athletes fulfill their dreams. We coach youngsters who want to swim faster than anyone else in the world and children who dream of running the marathon at the Olympic Games one day. I've coached many athletes in my life, going back to the day when the daughter of a friend announced she had entered for the long jump in an amateur athletics event. I enjoyed coaching her, and that was the start of my career.

I also became interested in sports medicine at about that time, when my nephew fell off his bike and hurt his back. He'd been a keen athlete before his accident, but unfortunately, he never really got over his injury sufficiently to get back into serious training. That's when I realize the importance of sports medicine, and the staff of the academy includes two doctors.

Perhaps at this point I should answer a question often asked by young people when they enroll the academy. How important is an athlete's build? Well, nobody can deny the build does matter, and one cannot hope to be a world-class long distance runner, say, if one is built like a weight-lifter. But other factors also play a vital role. For a start, good general health and fitness. These are important, even in sports where you might not think they are a priority. In shooting for instance, athletes have to be fit to lower their heart rate. This enables them to fire between heart beats and so achieve maximum accuracy.

At the academy, we encourage healthy eating habits. Without a proper diet, young athletes cannot achieve their optimum physic, nor will they have the energy for training. Then there's the role of technology in sports. These days, athletes cannot compete successfully at the highest level without access to state-of-the-art equipment. I've already mentioned sports medicine, and it goes without saying that young athletes need to be able to consult specialists in case of an injury. But above all, at the academy, we stress the importance of attitude. Without the will to succeed, you may as well not bother to take up any sports seriously. In my opinion, it is this that is most important for our successful athlete.

Q16: What's Helen Wartman's job?
Q17: What was the start of her career?
Q18: About what do young people often ask when they enroll at her academy?
Q19: According to the speaker, how does an athlete achieve maximum accuracy in shooting?
Q20: What does the speaker stress in training at the academy?

【解析】
在本篇文章中，Waltmen體育學院的院長Helen Waltmen介紹了她教練生涯的起點和對於運動醫學（sports medicine）產生興趣的時間和原因，並且指出了體形（build）等條件不同的運動員適於從事不同的運動項目，最後強調了飲食（diet）、先進設備（state-of-the-art equipment）、運動醫學（sports medicine），特別是態度（attitude）對於運動員獲得成功的重要性。
文章後問題的答案在文中都有明確的提示，如that was the start of my career，a question often asked by young people，we stress the importance of attitude等，考生只要抓住這幾個提示點就不難選出正確答案。