听力原文1994The American Family (1994)The American family unit is changing. There used to be mainly two types of families, the extended and the nuclear. The former included mother, father, children, and some other relatives such as grandparents, living in the same house or nearby. Then as the economy progressed from agricultural to industrial, people began moving to different parts of the country in order to search for job opportunities. These moves split up the extended family. The nuclear family consisting of only parents and children has therefore become far more wide spread. Today’s family, however, can be composed of diverse combinations. With the divorce rate nearly one in two, there's an increase in single-parent homes—a father or mother living with one or more children. Blended families occur when divorced men and women remarry and combine the children from former marriages into a new family. On the other hand, there is an increase in childless couples while one in rive Americans lives alone.PART ⅢLISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A STA TEMENT1. Ah, are you going to be busy this evening? I was wondering if you might like to come to the cinema with me.What does the speaker want to do?2. We have several kinds of accounts here, Mr. Way. The best interest rate is for the customer club account, but you must maintain a monthly balance of 150 dollars.What’s the speaker’s job?3. I wonder if you could shut the window. It’s getting windy now.What’s the intention of the speaker?4. If Mark had had enough money, he would have bought the sports car.What does the statement mean?5. Excuse me, Miss, how many books can I take out?Where is the speaker?6. Tom came and destroyed Jane’s hope of being undisturbed this evening.What does the statement mean?7. I woke at 7:30, knowing their appointment was at 8:45, but despite all my plans I still got there at 9:05.How late was the speaker for the appointment?8. To make French toast for five, you need two eggs, one cup of milk, half a teaspoon of salt and about ten spoons of butter.What is the recipe for?9. In the wardrobe she found a dress she thought she had never worn at Larry’s house before. What does the statement mean?10. Had I known that Jim had a past record of driving violations, I would never have lent him my car.What does the speaker mean?SECTION B CONVERSATION11. W: Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to the Rainbow Restaurant from here?M: Drive two blocks and turn left. Continue on until you reach Heath Street and turn right. Then turn left at the second stop light. You can’t miss it.Q: What should the woman do when she gets to Heath Street?12. M: Weren’t you in class Friday either?W: No, I came down with flu and had to stay in bed.Q: What do we learn from this conversation?13. W: I’m interested in buying one of these machines. Erm, which one would you recommend?M: Oh, this one here, Madam. It has three different programs and can take up three kilos.Q: What is the woman buying?14. W: Operator, can I help you?M: Yes. I’d like to make a collect call. My number is 7683384.W: And the number you’re dialing?M: That’s 7638558. Oh, no, I’m sorry, I forgot it’s just changed. It’s now 7643388.W: Please hold the line, caller.Q: What is the caller’s number?15. W: Yes, is there something wrong?M: I think you’ve made a mistake. This isn’t what I ordered. I asked for the red jacket, not the blue one!Q: What has happened?16. M: I can’t find the instant soup.W: Did you look next to the canned soup?M: Oh, I looked there. But I couldn’t see any on the shelf.W: Why don’t you try the spice section? It ought to be there.Q: Where does the conversation most probably take place?17. W. It’s good to see the sun out again.M: A big improvement on what we’ve been having lately.W: It’s supposed to be cloudy this evening.Q: What would the weather be like this evening?18. W: Where’s the novel that I left on the desk this morning? I have to return it to Mary.M: I gave it to your sister. I’ll get it back for you.Q: Whose novel does the sister have?19. M: Do you rent rooms by the week? You see, I’m not sure whether we will stay for a whole month.W: Well, it’s 30 dollars a week, plus 10 dollars for electricity, but only 130 dollars a month inclusive.Q: How much will the room cost for one month including electricity?20. M: Now Miss, do you feel all right now? What happened?W: Yes, I’m fine now. I just left the motorway. I was driving along the main road when suddenly, right before the crossroad, another car came out the side street. I didn’t see him and he hit me. Q: Where was the other car?SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTNews Item One (21-23)Two European leading automakers, the French Company Renault and Swedish V olvo, have agreed to merge a deal expected to be announced later today, which will create the world’s sixth largest auto producer. Observers said the move will create a European auto giant capable of competing with Japanese imports at a time when new car sales in Europe are declining.21. What has been agreed upon between the two auto companies?22. When is the deal going to be announced?23. Why are the two companies taking such an action?News Item Two (24-26)National law-makers in Ukraine have demanded the President Neonid Chaschoke leave office because of the agreement he reached Friday with Russia.Under the agreement, Ukraine’s nuclear warheads would be transferred to Russia for dismantling and its share of the Black Sea Fleet would come under Russian control. National law-makers said that the deal is a betrayal of Ukraine’s interest. The issue woul d be put to Parliament which was rectified in accord.24. What have the Ukraine’s National law-makers demanded?25. What would happen to Ukraine’s nuclear warheads under the agreement?26. Who has the final word on the agreement?News Item Three (27-28)The United States was expected to press leaders of the new alliance today to establish defenses against the new post-cold-war threat. The US fears that some states could acquire nuclear or chemical weapons and missiles to carry them. Mill has pledged to consider the issue at the summit of alliance leaders on January 10 and 11. U.S. defense secretary Las Aspin was expected to tell the defense minister yesterday that the alliance had good reasons to combat this new post-cold-war threat. The U. S. wants their help and cash to build defense system against ballistic missiles that could hit alliance countries, particularly in Southern Europe. The collapse of the Soviet Union, whi ch has the world’s biggest arsenal weapons of mass destruction, has raised fear that technology for nuclear and chemical arms could now be available on the black market. In an age of shrinking budgets, however, allied leaders are reluctant to spend hundreds and millions of dollars on a new anti-nuclear system when they cannot be assured that there is an immediate threat.27. What does the U. S. think is the new post-cold-war threat?28. Which statement can best express the main idea of this news item?News Item Four (29-30)The World Bank has approved a loan of $ 215 million to help restructure China’s telecommunications system. The project which needs a total finance of $ 623 million will support Beijing’s reform effort in telecommunications and help increase its long-distance and local telephone capacity. Peter Wright, the Bank’s Telecommunications Project engineer, said China has shown dramatic unprecedented growth in telecommunications which, if it continues, will make the sector a case of steady growth by the year 2000. The number of long-distance calls in China grew by 42. 2% from 1989 to 1992, but there are still some 1.6 million people in China who have applied for a phone but have yet to receive it. The Chinese government has embarked on a program to expand and improve telecommunications with planned investment of about $ 25billion between now and 1997.29. In addition to the World Bank’s loan, how much more money does the project require?30. What particular problem is the telecommunications industry currently facing?。