四级听力 短文理解常设题处(11)

四级听力短文理解
第11堂短文理解常设题处
了解短文理解的常设题处，明确听音时应该重点关注哪些地方。

一、短文首尾处
短文的开头与结尾是重要的设题处之一，经常是考查对短文主旨或重要细节的把握。

短文的主题句一般都出现在开头，而且常常是第一道题的答案出处；短文的结尾往往对整篇文章的内容起一个概括和提示的作用，同样不可忽视。

【例1】(10-6-26）
［A］District managers.
［B］Regular customers.
［C］Sales directors.
［D］Senior clerks. As the new sales director for a national computer firm, Alex Gordon was looking forward to his first meeting with the company’s district managers. Everyone arrived on time, and Alex’s presentation went extremely well……
26.Who did Alex Gordon speak to at the first meeting?
27.【提示】选项均为人物身份，但均为复数，故应该不是考查某个人的职业或身份，而更可能是某件事的行为主体或客体。

听音时留意选项中的人物身份，并注意相关信息。

【解析】选［A］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在短文开头。

短文第一句提到，作为新的销售总监(sales directer)，Alex Gordon正在期待着和公司的区域经理们(district managers)的第一次会议，由此可知，Alex Gordon在第一次会议上要对区域经理们讲话，故答案为［A］。

【例2】(07-12-32)
［A］People came to see the role of women in the business world.
［B］Katharine played a major part in reshaping American’s mind. …Her friends said she would be remembered as a woman who had an important influence on events in the United States and the world. Katharine once wrote, “The world without
［C］American media would be quite different without Katharine.
［D］Katharine had exerted an important influence on the world. newspapers would not be the same kind of world.” After her death, the employees of The Washington Post wrote: “The world without Katharine will not be the same at all.”
32.What does the comment by employees of The Washington Post suggest?
33.【提示】选项中的Katharine played a major part, important influence表明，问题应该与Katharine的重要地位有关。

【解析】选［D］。

推断题。

本题的设题处在短文结尾。

短文末句提到，the employees of The Washington Post 曾经写到：“没有Katharine的世界将会与现在完全不同”，由此可推知，Katharine对世界产生了重要的影响(exerted an important influence)，故答案为［D］。

二、短文中因果或目的处
短文后的问题所使用的疑问词中，除了what以外，出现最多的就是why，而what提问也有很多是考查原因的，可见，因果关系是短文理解的考查重点之一。

另外，短文中涉及到目的、目标的地方也经常会受到出题人的青睐，这类题目的选项多为动词原形或不定式短语。

因此，当短文中出现because, since, so，lead to, result from/in, contribute to, aim to, in order to, so as to等词或短语时，需重点关注。

【例3】(09-6-34)
［A］She wants Amanda to get professional care.
［B］She has no experience in raising children.
［C］She wants to show off her wealth.
［D］She has no time to do it herself.Parents buy care and attention for their children because they have no time to give it themselves. Amanda’s mother employs a personal trainer, a bodyguard, a singing coach and a councilor to look after all her fifteen year old daughter’s needs.
34. Why does Amanda’s mother employ other people to look after her needs?
【提示】选项［A］、［B］提示，She应该是一位母亲，Amanda很可能是她的女儿，wants to，has no以及professional care, show…wealth提示，问题可能是问Amanda的母亲请专人照看Amanda的原因。

【解析】选［D］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在因果处。

文中提到，好莱坞的父母都会雇人来照顾他们的孩子，因为他们自己没有时间，接着举出Amanda的事例来说明这一点，由此可知，Amanda的母亲是因为自己没有时间照顾Amanda所以才雇人来照顾她，故答案为［D］。

三、短文中并列、转折、条件处
表示并列、转折、条件等其他逻辑关系的地方也往往是短文理解的出题重点。

因此，当短文中出现as well as, not only…but also, but, however, if, even if/even though等表示逻辑关系的连接词的时候，需重点关注。

【例4】(06-12-34)
［A］They reveal the seriousness of the problem.
［B］They indicate how fast the virus spreads.
［C］They tell us what kind of medicine to take.
［D］They show our body is fighting the virus.You feel terrible because you can’t br eathe well, but your body is actually eating the virus. Your temperature rises and you get a fever, but the heat of your body is killing the virus. You also have a running nose to stop the virus from getting to your cells.
34.What does the speaker say about the symptoms of the common cold?
35.【提示】选项中的reveal, indicate, tell, show表明，问题与They能表明什么有关，seriousness, virus spreads, medicine to take, fighting the virus提示，They可能与某种疾病表现有关。

【解析】选［D］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在转折处。

作者在提到各种感冒症状(can’t breathe well, temperature rises，have a running nose)之后又通过but转折句强调，出现这些症状的时候，你的身体其实正在吃掉、杀死、阻拦病毒，由此可知答案为［D］。

四、短文中含有年代、数量、价格、时间等信息处
当听到录音中出现这些数字信息时，除了关注数字本身以外，还要注意记录与数字相联系的重要信息。

【例5】(10-6-28）
［A］Some of them were political minded.
［B］Fifty percent of them were female.
［C］One third of them were senior managers.
［D］Most of them were rather conservative.“Things were going so well until the end”, Alex said disappointedly. “Obviously, I said the wrong thing.” “Yes”, the district manager replied. “Half of our managers are women…”
28.What do we learn about the audience at the meeting?
29.【提示】选项中的some, fifty percent, one third, most表明，本题应该考查与数量相关的
信息，听音时除了留意表示数量的信息以外，还要注意与数字相关联的其他信息。

【解析】选［B］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在数字信息处。

短文中提到，Alex跟一位区域经理说，他觉得自己说错了什么，经理回答说“是的”，并向其解释了原因：“有一半的区域经理都是女性。

…”，由此可知答案为［B］。

五、短文中比较或对比处
短文中的形容词、副词的比较级和最高级，以及as…as, compared with, while, whereas等引出的比较或对比结构经常被作为设题点。

【例6】(06-6-16)
［A］Private donations.
［B］Fees paid by students.
［C］Government funding.
［D］Grants from corporations.In Britain finance for universities comes from three sources: the first, an d the largest source, is grants from the government, the second source is… and the third one is …
16.What is the main financial source for British universities?
17.【提示】选项均表示资金来源，［B］项提示，本题可能是关于学校的资金来源。

【解析】选［C］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在最高级处。

文中列举了英国大学的三种财政来源，第一种来源，也是最大的来源(the largest source)，即问题中的the main financial source，是政府拨款(grants from the government)，即选项中的government funding，由此可知答案为［C］。

六、短文中举例或列举处
短文中为说明一个问题，常常会使用列举或进行举例，这些地方往往是出题的重点。

因此当听到such as, for example, for instance, the first, the second等一类的词语时，应加以留意。

【例7】(07-6-34)
［A］By bringing an animal rarely seen on nearby farms.
［B］By bringing a bag of grain in exchange for a ticket.
［C］By offering to do volunteer work at the fair.During the early 1930’s, officials of the fair ruled that the people could attend by paying with something other than money. For example, farmers brought a bag of grain in exchange for a ticket.
［D］By performing a special skill at the entrance.the fair in the early 1930’s?
34.How did some farmers gain entrance to
【提示】选项均以by开头，本题是考查做某事的方法。

【解析】选［B］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在举例处。

该例子中提到，农民可以拿一袋谷物(a bag of grain)来交换(in exchange for)集市的门票，故答案为［B］。

七、短文中建议或告诫处
短文中，尤其是短文结尾，经常会向人们提出一些建议、告诫或呼吁，因此，考生在听音时要留意You’d better…, Why not do…?, may as well, should, warn, remind等典型的句式或短语。

【例8】(05-6-17)
［A］Looking sideways to see how fast your neighbor eats.
［B］Eating from the outside toward the middle.
［C］Swallowing the pie with water.
［D］Holding the pie in the right position.It is usually better to start at the outside and work toward the middle. This method gives you a goal to focus on.
17.What suggestion is offered for eating off the pie quickly?
18.【提示】从选项内容来看，问题很可能与吃馅饼的方法有关，很可能是某人的建议。

【解析】选［B］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在建议处。

文中提到，吃pie时最好是从外朝里吃(start at the outside and work toward the middle)，由此可知答案为［B］。

It is better to…(最好是…)用来表达建议。

八、短文中引言处
短文中有时也会涉及对他人话语或别处文字的引用，这些地方也常会受到出题人的青睐。

【例9】(06-12-28)
［A］They should make sure their children are always punctual for school.
［B］They should ensure their children grow up in a healthy environment.
［C］They should help their children accomplish high quality work.“If we don’t ask about sleep and try to improve sleep patterns in kids’ struggling academically, then we aren’t doing our job”, Forlone said. “For parents,” he said, “the message is simple: Getting kids to bed on time is as important as getting them to school on time.” ［D］They should see to it that their children have adequate sleep.28. What message did the researcher intend to convey to parents?
【提示】选项中的their children表明，they指父母；make sure, ensure, help, see to提示，问题可能与父母应该对孩子负的责任有关。

【解析】选［D］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在引言处。

文中直接引用了the researcher的话，他说：“父母应该了解一点：让孩子准时上床和让他们准时上学是同样重要的”，由此可知，the researcher是想告诉父母，他们应该确保孩子有足够的睡眠，故答案为［D］。

九、短文中强调处
强调的地方肯定是短文的重点所在，因此短文中的强调句型、助动词强调以及actually，particularly等表示强调的副词也是出题的重点之一。

【例10】(08-6-30)
［A］His advanced age.
［B］His children s efforts.
［C］His improved financial condition.
［D］His second wife s positive influence.Under her influence, we became a blended family and a good relationship developed between the two families. She always treated us as if we were her own children. It was because of our other mother, Daddy s second wife, that he became closer to his own children.
30.What brought the father closer to his own children?
31.【提示】选项中的his以及efforts, improved, positive influence提示，问题可能是关于促成男士家里某件事情的原因。

【解析】选［D］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在强调处。

该句强调的是原因状语because of…，由该句可知，父亲和自己的孩子变得更加亲近是因为他的第二任妻子的积极影响，故答案为［D］。

十、短文中时间状语处
短文中(尤其是人物故事类)经常会叙述什么时间发生了什么事或描述某人、某事在某个时候的状态，这些地方经常成为设题点。

因此，当短文中出现while, when, as等引导的时间状语从句或是其他时间状语时，一定要注意与其相关的细节信息。

【例11】(10-6-33）
［A］Fashion designer.
［B］Architect.
［C］City planner.
［D］Engineer. Before Barbara had children, she worked as an architect for the government, designing government housing. She quit her job when she became pregnant, but is now interested in returning to work.
33.What was Barbara s profession before she had children?
【提示】选项均为职业，故问题很可能是考查某人的职业。

【解析】选［A］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在时间状语处。

短文中提到，Barbara在有孩子以前(Before Barbara had children)，她是政府的建筑师(architect)，由此可知答案为［B］。

Passage One
【做题提示】预览三道题各选项，短文可能与有关，可能涉及某人的。

1．问题可能是关于。

2．听音时应留意，听清问什么。

3．问题可能与有关。

1.［A］A pharmacist.［B］A policeman.
［C］A doctor.［D］A tobacconist.
2.［A］One.［B］Two.
［C］Twelve.［D］Twenty.
3.［A］Going straight back to home.
［B］Hiding the cigarettes in her pocket.
［C］Taking the side street.
［D］Avoiding passing by a police station.Passage Two
【做题提示】预览三道题各选项，短文可能与有关。

1．问题可能是关于某人。

1.［A］It is a way to cover embarrassment.
［B］It is an unusual and even suspicious behavior.
［C］It is a custom to show politeness and friendship.
［D］It is an expression of lack of respect.
2．问题可能与有关。

3．问题可能与某些人的有关。

［A］We shouldn’t judge all the people with one culture.
［B］We shouldn’t smile in front of a Russian.
［C］We shouldn’t conceal our true feelings from others.
［D］We shouldn’t express our emotions to others.
3.［A］There are great individual and ethnic differences.
［B］They show too many facial expressions.
［C］They have different religions.
［D］There are too many different faces. Passage Three
【做题提示】预览三道题各选项，短文可能与某个事迹有关。

1．问题可能是关于，听音时应留意，并听清问什么。

2．问题可能是关于。

3．问题可能与有关。

1.［A］In Iceland.
［B］In Ireland.
［C］Near Newfoundland.
［D］On the Atlantic coast.
2.［A］She was very courageous in her flight.
［B］She was the first woman who flew a plane.
［C］She brought new technology to England and Europe.
［D］She always made people feel full of hope.
3.［A］To bring honor to her country.
［B］To please President Hoover.
［C］To be the first woman to fly around the world.
［D］To show that aviation was not just for men.Passage Four
【做题提示】预览三道题各选项，短文是介绍，可能涉及她的和情况。

1．问题可能是关于女士，故可排除。

2．问题可能与女士有关。

1.［A］Her success in a speech contest.
［B］Her beauty and ability shown in the beauty contests.
［C］Her outstanding academic grades in high school.
［D］The recommendation of a famous professor.
2.［A］She became interested in discussions.
［B］She found a part time job in the TV station.
［C］She graduated from the college.
［D］She had an accident.
3．听音时应留意，并听清问什么。

3.［A］Men.
［B］Older people.
［C］Women.
［D］Children. Passage Five
【做题提示】预览四道题各选项，短文可能与有关。

1．选项具有概括性，问题可能考查。

2．问题可能是关于。

3．问题可能与有关，听音时应留意。

4．听音时应留意,并听清问什么。

1.［A］Two important tests of a new airplane.
［B］The process of the tank test in the water.
［C］The way pilots carry out the test flights.
［D］The dangers of an air disaster.
2.［A］To find out how much air can be pumped into a plane.
［B］To find out how much air is needed at different altitudes.
［C］To find out what would happen if the plane crashed in the water. ［D］To find out the weak parts of the plane.
3.［A］The water pressure is greater than air pressure.
［B］There will not be an explosion.
［C］The explosion cause less damage inside the water tank.
［D］It will be much easier to deal with the pollution.
4.［A］In the air.
［B］On open ground.
［C］In the water.
［D］In the vacuum environment. Passage One
【听力原文】
Now that smoking is considered to be very dangerous to the health, it is especially difficult for children to buy cigarettes or tobacco. ［1］Our tobacconist, Mr. Smith, has always been very careful about this. If his customers are very young, he always asks them whom the cigarettes are for.One day, ［2］a little girl whom he had never seen before walked boldly into his shop and demanded twenty cigarettes. She had the exact amount of money in her hand and seemed very sure of herself. Mr. Smith was so surprised by her confident manner that he forgot to ask his usual question. Instead, he asked her what kind of cigarettes she wanted. The girl replied promptly and handed him the money. While he was giving her the cigarettes, ［3］Mr. Smith said laughingly, “You are so young that you should hide the packet in your pocket in case a policeman saw it.” However, the little girl did not seem to find this very funny. Without even smiling she took the packet and walked towards the door. Suddenly she stopped, turned round, and looked steadily at Mr. Smith. There was a moment’s deathly silence and the tobacconist wondered what she was going t o say. All at once, in a clear, solemn voice, the girl declared, “My dad is a policeman,” and with that she walked quickly out of the shop.
【答案解析】
预览三道题各选项，短文可能与吸烟有关，可能涉及某人的职业。

1. Who is Mr. Smith?
【提示】问题可能是关于某人的身份。

【解析】选［D］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在开头处。

短文开头处提到，烟草商(tobacconist)史密斯先生总是对儿童买烟十分谨慎，故答案为［D］。

2. How many cigarettes did the girl want to buy?
【提示】听音时应留意与数字相关的信息，并听清问什么。

【解析】选［D］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在数量处。

文中提到，一个史密斯先生从未见过的小女孩大摇大摆地走进店里，要20只香烟(demanded twenty cigarettes)，由此可知答案为［D］。

3. What was Mr. Smith s suggestion to the gir l when he gave her the cigarettes?
【提示】选项［B］中的her提示问题可能针对女士提问，选项均为 ing动词短语，问题可能与某人对女士的建议有关。

【解析】选［B］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在建议处和引言处。

文中提到，史密斯先生把香烟递给小女孩的时候，笑着建议她说：“你这么小，应该把烟藏到口袋里(hide the packet in her pocket)，以免被警察看见。

”由此可知答案为［B］。

Passage Two
【听力原文】
Facial expressions carry meaning that is determined by situations and relationships. For instance, A woman’s smile at a police officer does not carry the same meaning as the smile she gives to a young child. A smile may show affection, convey politeness, or disguise true feelings. ［1］For example many people in Russia consider smiling at strangers in public to be unusual and even suspicious behavior. Yet many Americans smile freely at strangers in public places. In Southeast Asian cultures, a smile is frequently used to cover emotional pain or embarrassment. ［2］Our faces reveal emotions and attitudes, but we should not attempt to “read” people from another culture as we would “read” someone from our own culture. The degree of facial expressiveness one exhibits varies among individuals and cultures. The fact that members of one culture do not
express their emotions as openly as members of another does not mean that they do not experience emotions. Rather, there are cultural restraints on the amount of nonverbal expressiveness permitted. For example, in public and formal situations many Japanese do not show their emotions as freely as Americans do. More privately and with friends, Japanese and Americans seem to show their emotions similarly.［3］It is difficult to generalize about Americans and facial expressiveness because of individual and ethnic differences in the United States. People from certain ethnic backgrounds in the United States tend to be more facially expressive than others. The key is to try not to judge people whose ways of showing emotions are different. If we judge according to our own cultural norms, we may make the mistake of “reading” the other person incorrectly.
【答案解析】
预览三道题各选项，短文可能与面部表情有关。

1. What do many Russians think of smiling at strangers in public places, according to the passage? 【提示】选项中的unusual，suspicious和pleasure提示，问题可能是关于某人对某事的观点态度。

【解析】选［B］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在举例处。

文中提到，俄罗斯人认为在公共场合对陌生人微笑是不正常的(unusual)，甚至是可疑(suspicious)的行为，故答案为［B］。

2.What can be inferred from the passage?
3.【提示】选项中的shouldn t提示，问题可能与建议有关。

【解析】选［A］。

推断题。

本题的设题处在建议处。

文中提到，虽然我们的面部表情能反映出我们的情感及观点，但是我们不应该像理解自己文化人群的面部表情那样去理解其他文化人群的面部表情，也就是说我们不应该用一种文化判断所有人，故答案为［A］。

3. Why is it hard to generalize Americans’ facial expressiveness?
【提示】问题可能与某些人的面部表情有关。

【解析】选［A］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在因果处。

短文结尾提到，很难归纳出美国人的面部表情所代表的意义(facial expressiveness)，这是由美国的个人及种族差异(individual and ethnic differences)造成的，故答案为［A］。

Passage Three
【听力原文】［1①］The year was 1932. Amelia Earhart was flying alone from North America to England in a small single engined airplane. At midnight, several hours after she had left Newfoundland, she ran into bad weather. To make things worse, her altimeter failed and she didn’t know how high she was flying. At night, and in a storm, a pilot is in great difficulty without an altimeter. At times, her plane nearly plunged into the sea. Just before daylight, there was further trouble. Amelia noticed flames coming from the engine. Would she be able to reach land? There was nothing to do except to keep going and to hope. ［1②］In the end, Amelia Earhart did reach Ireland, and ［2］for the courage she had shown, she was warmly welcomed in England and Europe. When she returned to the United States, she was honored by President Hoover at a special dinner in the White House. From that time on, Amelia Earhart was famous. What was so important about her flight? Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean alone, and she had set a record of 14 hours and 56 minutes. In the years that followed, Amelia Earhart made several flights across the United States, and on each occasion she set a new record for flying time. ［3］Amelia Earhart made these flights to show that women had a place in aviation and that air travel was useful.
【答案解析】
预览三道题各选项，短文可能与某个女飞行员的飞行事迹有关。

1. Where did Amelia Earhart land in her flight from North America in 1932?
【提示】结合主题推测，问题可能是关于女飞行员飞行中涉及的地点，听音时应留意与地点相关的信息，并听清问什么。

【解析】选［B］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在短文的开头处和年代处。

短文开头提到，1932年Amelia Earhart(阿米利亚·埃尔哈特)驾驶飞机独自从北美洲飞到英国，但是途中遇到了坏天气，飞机也出现了故障，所以最后降落在了Ireland(爱尔兰)，故答案为［B］。

2. Why did people in England and Europe warmly welcome Amelia Earhart?
【提示】问题可能是关于女飞行员的优秀素质和重要性。

【解析】选［A］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在因果处。

文中提到，Amelia Earhart克服了各种艰难险阻，最终成功降落在爱尔兰，她在飞行中所表现的勇气使她在英国和欧洲受到了热烈的欢迎，故答案为［A］。

3. According to the passage, what was one of Amelia Earhart’s reasons for making her flights?
【提示】选项均为不定式短语，结合主题推测，问题可能与女飞行员飞行的目的或原因有关。

【解析】选［D］。

推断题。

本题的设题处在目的处。

短文结尾提到，Amelia Earhart进行多次飞行的原因之一是为了证明女性在航空飞行中也占有一席之地(women had a place in aviation)，即航空飞行并不是只有男性才可以完成的，原因之二是为了证明航空旅行是有用处的(air travel was useful)，［D］为原因之一，故为答案。

Passage Four
【听力原文】
Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954, in a farmer family. Oprah s parents separated when she was young, leaving her to be raised by her strict grandmother. To amuse herself, Oprah began speaking and play acting at a very early age. As a child, her favorite hobby was reading. She began reading very early, and her interest in reading eventually developed into her lifelong combat against illiteracy. Oprah s father encouraged her to read and engaged her in discussions. He demanded that his daughter add five new words to her vocabulary before she could have dinner each day. ［1］Oprah Winfrey won a speech contest that guaranteed her a full scholarship to the University of Tennessee. She also received an invitation to the White House Conference on Youth. At Tennessee State, Winfrey entered and won several beauty contests. She was subsequently offered a position by the local CBS affiliate television station while she was still in college. ［2］After graduation in 1976, Winfrey accepted an offer from the ABC affiliate in Baltimore. She was then assigned to an early morning talk show. ［3］By 1985 her talk show was expanded and renamed the Oprah Winfrey Show. Winfrey attracted scores of viewers, primarily women. As a frank interviewer, Winfrey was equally honest when talking about herself. For years, she shared her uphill battle with her weight with her fans. Not satisfied with her success as a TV show host, Winfrey also participated in movie making in the 1980s and wrote a cookbook in 1993 that became an immediate bestseller. As the most successful woman in entertainment in America, Oprah Winfrey’s extraordinary accomplishments are amazing by any standards.
【答案解析】
预览三道题各选项，短文是介绍一位女性的经历，可能涉及她的才能和学习情况。

1. What enabled Oprah Winfrey to get a full scholarship to the University of Tennessee?
【提示】问题可能是关于女士的优秀素质，根据主题一致原则可排除［D］。

【解析】选［A］。

细节题。

文中提到，由于Oprah Winfrey(奥普拉·温弗瑞)赢了一场演讲比赛(won a speech contest)，于是田纳西大学给她提供了全额奖学金(full scholarship)，故答案为［A］。

2. What happened to Oprah Winfrey in 1976?
【提示】问题可能与女士过去发生的事情有关。

【解析】选［C］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在时间状语处。

文中提到，1976年奥普拉·温弗瑞从大学毕业了(after graduation in 1976)，故答案为［C］。

3. Who are the main viewers of the Oprah Winfrey Show?
【提示】听音时应留意与不同性别或年龄段人群相关的信息，并听清问什么。

【解析】选［C］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在强调处。

短文结尾提到，奥普拉·温弗瑞的节目The Oprah Winfrey Show吸引了很多观众，接着强调其中以女性居多(primarily women)，故答案为［C］。

Passage Five
【听力原文】
［1①］Before a new airliner goes into service, every part of it is tested again and again. But there are two tests that are more important than all the others. One of them is very strange and the other is very dangerous.［1②］The first of these is called the “tank test”. A mode rn airliner must fly at very high altitudes. Air must be pumped into the plane so that the passengers can breathe. The metal structure of the plane has to be very strong for this reason. When the plane is filled with air, the air presses against the skin of the plane. The pressure on a small window, for example, is like a huge, giant foot that is trying to get out. ［2①］If a small part of the plane were to crack, the plane would explode in the sky. This is what happened to the first Comets. In order to test the structure of the plane, it is lowered into a huge tank of water. Then it is filled with air. The pressure inside the plane is greater than it ever will be when it is in the air. ［3］Finally, there is an explosion. This doesn’t cause so much damage insid e the water tank as it would anywhere else. ［2②］Engineers can discover which part of the plane cracked. This part is made stronger.［1③］［4］The most dangerous test happens when the new plane goes through test flights in the air. The test pilot must find out exactly what happens when the engines are shut off suddenly. He takes the plane up very high. Then he shuts the engines off. The plane begins to fall like a stone. It is the pilot’s job to find out how he can get control of the plane again.
【答案解析】
预览四道题各选项，短文可能与飞机有关。

1. What is the passage mainly about?
【提示】选项均为名词短语，且具有概括性，问题可能考查短文的主题。

【解析】选［A］。

主旨题。

本题的设题处在开头处。

短文开头提到，在一架新客机投入使用之前，它的每一部分都要经过反复测试，其中两个测试更为重要，接下来短文围绕这两种测试的过程展开说明，由此可知短文主要讲的是飞机在投入使用之前的两项重要的安全测试，故答案为［A］。

2. What is the purpose of the “tank test”?
【提示】选项均为不定式短语，问题可能是关于做某事的目的。

【解析】选［D］。

细节题。

文中提到，因为飞机内外气压不等，所以就算它只有小小的破裂，也会爆炸，箱内测验(tank test)就是将充满空气的飞机潜入水中，使其在水中爆炸，从而发现飞机容易破裂的地方(which part of the plane cracked)，故答案为［D］。

3. What is one of the reasons that the tank test is carried out under water?
【提示】选项中的water提示，问题可能与在水下活动有关，选项中的greater, compared with，less damage和easier提示，短文中很可能涉及比较，听音时应留意比较结构。

【解析】选［C］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在比较处。

文中提到，飞机在做箱内测试时会在水中爆炸，但是比起其他地方，爆炸在水箱中造成的破坏要小(doesn t cause so much damage inside the water tank)，故答案为［C］。

4. Where is the most dangerous test carried out?
更多资料
学英语 找长喜 11 【提示】听音时应留意与地点相关的信息,并听清问什么。

【解析】选［A ］。

细节题。

本题的设题处在比较处。

在介绍完第一个箱内测试后，短文结尾处提到，最危险的测试是新飞机在空中进行飞行测试的时候，由此可知，最危险的测试是在空中进行的，故答案为［A ］。