英语专四 短文听力 Passage 1-2

 短文

Questions 14 to 17 are based on the following passage,

(14) It is estimated that some seven hundred million people are unable to read and write，and there are probably two hundred and fifty million more whose level of attainment¹ is so slight that it barely qualifies as literacy. Recently the attack on illiteracy² has been stepped up. A world plan has been drawn³ up by a committee of UNESCO experts in Pads, as part of the UNESCO Nations Development Decade，and an international conference on the subject has also been held. (15) UNESCO stresses that functional⁴ literacy is the aim. People must learn the basic skills of responsible citizenship⁵： the ability to read notices, newspapers, timetables, letters, pricelists, to keep simple records and accounts, to sort out the significance of the information gathered, and to fill in forms. (17) The major areas of illiteracy are in Asia，Africa, and Central and South America. (16) There are at least one hundred million illiterates⁶ in Africa, comprising eighty to eighty-five percent of the total population. In Europe the figure is about twenty-four million, most of them in Southern Europe, with Spain， Italy, Portugal, and Yugoslavia heading the list.

 

题目

Passage 1

Questions 14 to 17 are based on the following passage. At the end of the passage，you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions ?

Now, listen to the passage.

14. The figure of world illiteracy was obtained by

A. experts in Paris B. a committee of UNESCO

C. an international organization D. none of these

15. A world plan mentioned in the passage aims at .

A. helping⁷ illiterates learn how to read and write

B. training responsible citizens

C. enforcing the functions of UNESCO

D. urging Southern European countries to take the lead in attacking illiteracy

16. According to the passage，we learn that the population of illiteracy in Africa is

A. approximately six hundred million

B. approximately seven hundred and twenty-five million

C. approximately one hundred million

D. eighty to eighty-five million

17. The author implies that this world plan is to .

A. be debated at an important international conference

B. be realized in ten years

C. be drawn up by Parisian experts

D. be carried out in the major areas of illiteracy like Africa

答案解析

Passage 1

14. D细节判断题。题干问的是世界文盲的统计数据是怎么来的，乍看起来A、B、C都 有道理，但文章第一段只是说据估计（It is estimated that)世界上有7亿人不能读 书、写字。这只是一个约数，文中并没有明确指出该数据由谁做出，所以D为正确 答案。

15. A细节题。文中提到联合国教科文组织的一个委员会决定发起一个计划，那就是 使人们基本脱盲，掌握一些基本的读写能力。据此推之A为正确答案。B具有强干 扰性，但该计划的目的是培养负责任公民的基本技能，而不是培养负责任的公民， 应排除。

16. C数字判断题。文中提到非洲至少有1亿文盲，因此选项C正确。而选项D的数 字在原文中虽然也出现了，但其单位是percent,因此不正确。

17. D推断题。上文介绍了扫盲计划后，接下来就说哪几个地区是文盲众多的主要地 区，由此可推断这些地区要推行扫盲计划。因此D正确。

 

1 attainment   

n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣

参考例句：

• We congratulated her upon her attainment to so great an age.我们祝贺她高寿。
• The attainment of the success is not easy.成功的取得并不容易。

2 illiteracy   

n.文盲

参考例句：

• It is encouraging to read that illiteracy is declining.从读报中了解文盲情况正在好转，这是令人鼓舞的。
• We must do away with illiteracy.我们必须扫除文盲。

3 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

4 functional   

adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的

参考例句：

• The telephone was out of order,but is functional now.电话刚才坏了，但现在可以用了。
• The furniture is not fancy,just functional.这些家具不是摆着好看的，只是为了实用。

5 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

6 illiterates   

目不识丁者( illiterate的名词复数 )； 无知

参考例句：

• In 1996, an additional four million young and adult illiterates learned to read and write. 1996年，全国又减少了400万青壮年文盲。
• Even semi-illiterates can read the writing on the wall, and many are throwing in the towel. 即使是知识不多的人也能看出不祥之兆。许多人认输了。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。