2021年12月英语四级真题 第1套

Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A）, B）, C）and D）. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

W: [8] I can't believe that duck hunting is still legal in so many parts of the world. The scientific evidence from countries like Australia, Canada, and the USA clearly indicates a decline in the birds' numbers.
M: But can anyone be sure if the decline is really caused by the hunting or by climate change?
W: It's caused by both in fact. [9] We see more droughts in countries like Australia. Ducks are birds that feed and breed in areas where there is a lot of water, but their habitats have been shrinking in recent decades because of the droughts. M: And I guess with fewer places to inhabit, they concentrate in great numbers in few areas, which surely makes them easier targets for the hunters.
W: It does. My grandfather was a duck hunter. He told me hunting ducks and geese began in the 19th century. They were an easily found and plentifully available food source in farming areas, especially for poor immigrants.
M: What do they use for hunting during that period?
W: They use new types of guns, and birds could easily be shot down in flight, and in such great numbers that commercial hunting of ducks and geese became an industry. [10] Yet, there's no commercial farming of these birds nowadays. Their meat is hardly eaten in Western countries.
M: No, duck hunting seemingly exists as the continuation of a tradition.
W: [11] Well, ducks have never been popular with farmers like my grandfather anyway, because they sometimes destroy crops. In fact, farmers used to poison them in large numbers.
M: That somehow doesn't surprise me. Nobody places much value on the lives of these poor birds or on their meat.

女： [8] 我不敢相信在世界上这么多地方猎鸭仍然是合法的。来自澳大利亚、加拿大和美国等国家的科学证据清楚地表明，这种鸟类的数量下降了。
男：但是，有人能确定这种下降到底是由捕猎还是气候变化引起的吗？
女：事实上，这两种原因都有。[9] 我们看到澳大利亚等国出现了更多的干旱。鸭子是在水资源丰富的地方觅食和繁殖的鸟类，但近几十年来，由于干旱，它们的栖息地一直在缩小。
男：那么我猜，由于栖息地越来越少，它们就会大量集中在少数地区，这无疑会使它们更容易成为猎人的目标。
女：的确如此。我的祖父曾是一个猎鸭人。他告诉我，猎杀鸭鹅始于19世纪。在农业地区，特别是对贫穷的移民来说，它们是一种很容易找到的、丰富的食物来源。
男：在那个时期，他们用什么来捕猎？
女：他们使用新型枪支，鸟类在飞行中很容易被击落，而且数量如此之多，以至于商业捕猎鸭鹅成了一种行业。[10] 然而，目前没有对这些鸟类进行商业化养殖。在西方国家，几乎没有人吃它们的肉。男：不，猎鸭似乎是作为一种传统的延续而存在。
女： [11] 好吧，不管怎样，鸭子从未得到像我祖父这样的农民的喜欢，因为它们有时会毁坏庄稼。事实上，农民曾经大量毒杀过它们。
男：我并不觉得奇怪。没有人多重视这些可怜的鸟类的生命或它们的肉。

Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

M: Okay, Miss Bright. I finished calculating. I estimate you have between 210 and 240 square meters of walls and ceiling.
W: [12] [13] So, how much would the paint job cost?
M: That would depend on the quality of paint you choose. We carry two brands—one costs 60 cents every square meter, and the other, 90 cents. The second is guaranteed to look great for about 10 years, whereas the cheaper one will start to dull after around 6 or 7 years.
W: In that case, we would prefer the more expensive option.
M: All right, then. So, including labor costs, taxes, and everything, this job would come to $3,000.
W: Hmm... [13] To be perfectly honest, that's more than I expected.
M: Please bear in mind that the price includes moving all the furniture, and the whole task would take two days.
W: Really? Why?
M: Well, we can't paint the walls without clearing all the furniture first. So every time we paint a room, we first have to move the furniture to another room. So, that takes more time. Plus, it requires two people, which works out more expensive.
W: I see. But does that mean I could not live here in my own house during those two days?
M: That is correct.
W: Oh, well, that changes everything, I'm afraid. [14] I would have to stay with a friend or check into a hotel. I hadn't considered any of that. [12] [15] I'm starting to realize that painting my house is far more troublesome than I had anticipated.
M: This is usually the case. Most of our clients go through the same realization.
W: I see.
M: You have my number. Please feel free to call me for any further questions.
W: Thank you.

男：好了，布莱特小姐。我算完了。我估计你的墙壁和天花板面积在210至240平方米之间。
女： [12] [13] 那么，这项粉刷工作要花多少钱？
男：这要看您选择的油漆质量了。我们有两个品牌，一种是每平方米60美分，另一种是90美分。第二种可以保证在大约10年内都看起来很好，而便宜的大约在6到7年后就会开始变暗。
女：那样的话，我们宁愿选择更贵的。
男：那行。那么，包括人工费、税和其他费用，这项工作共计3000美元。
女：唔…………[13] 说实话，这比我预期的要多。
男：您得知道，这个价格包括搬运所有的家具，而且做完整个工作得花费两天时间。
女：真的吗？为什么？
男：是这样，如果不先清理所有的家具，我们就无法刷墙。因此，每当我们粉刷一个房间，我们首先要把家具搬到另一个房间。所以，这需要更多的时间。另外，这需要两个人，这样就更贵了。
女：我明白了。但这是不是说这两天我不能住在自己的房子里了？
男：是的。
女：哦，好吧，这恐怕会改变好多事。[14] 我将不得不住在朋友那里，或者住宾馆。我没有考虑过这些。[12] [15] 我开始意识到，粉刷房子比我预想的要麻烦得多。
男：通常都是这样的。我们大多数的客户都会经历同样的认识过程。
女：我明白了。
男：您有我的电话号码。如果还有什么问题的话，请随时给我打电话。
女：谢谢你。

Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.