Listening 2026-04 Test 1

==================== IELTS Listening Transcript ==================== PART 1 Speaker 0: You will hear a number of different recordings, and you will have to answer questions on what you hear. There will be time for you to read the instructions and questions, and you will have a chance to check your work. All the recordings will be played once only. The test is in four sections. Write all your answers in the listening question booklet. At the end of the test, you will be given ten minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet. Now turn to section one on page two of your question booklet. Section one. You will hear a woman phoning an activity center for information about weekend courses. First, you have some time to look at questions one to four on page two. You will see that there is an example that has been done for you. On this occasion only, the conversation relating to this will be played first. Speaker 1: Good morning. Renfrew Activity Center. How can I help you? Hello. Speaker 2: I'm calling about your activity weekends. Some colleagues and I would like to learn some new skills. We're fed up with the boring things like playing tennis or going to the gym. We thought something like rock climbing might be quite fun. That's one of the activities you do, don't you? Speaker 1: That's right. The rock climbing takes place here in the center grounds. Speaker 0: The woman is interested in going rock climbing, so rock climbing has been written in the space. Now we shall begin. You should answer the questions as you listen because you will not hear the recording a second time. Listen carefully and answer questions one to four. Speaker 1: Good morning. Renfrew Activity Center. How can I help you? Hello. Speaker 2: I'm calling about your activity weekends. Some colleagues and I would like to learn some new skills. We're fed up with the boring things like playing tennis or going to the gym. We thought something like rock climbing might be quite fun. Speaker 1: That's one of the activities you do, don't you? That's right. The rock climbing takes place here in the center grounds. Speaker 2: Fine. From your website, I see that the main technique I would learn would be rope work. What is that exactly? Speaker 1: Well, you need to know how to use ropes if you're going to climb. So we spend the first morning learning about that, and then we practice on the indoor climb. On the second day, we take you on two supervised climbs outside. Speaker 2: And what's the cost of the weekend? Speaker 1: Well, it depends how many of you there are. Up to nine people is £65 per person. Speaker 2: There'll be about 12 of us. Right. That's £60 each. That's very reasonable. Does that include our accommodation and food? Speaker 1: No. But it does include the equipment. Speaker 2: Right. Now I was wondering about the mountain biking weekends. Speaker 1: Oh, yes. They're very popular. Do you have to be an experienced rider? Not at all. We do take you out in the mountains, but our routes are relatively easy. Speaker 2: The website said that we learn to do safety checks on our bikes. Yes. You learn all about that. That'll be very useful. And how much is that? Speaker 1: It's £70 and includes all the help you need from our guide. He knows all the best places. Speaker 0: Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions five to 10 on pages two and three. Now listen and answer questions five to 10. Speaker 2: Some of my colleagues might prefer something a little less energetic, maybe camping or walking. There was something on the website called wild camping. It's in the forest, the website said. That's right. I read a bit about it in the paper last week. They said that the forest has the most amazing plants. Do we get a chance to learn something about that? Yes. You do. And the cost? Speaker 1: £50. That includes your tented accommodation. Speaker 2: Right. I've got that. I think the other activity which we may be interested in is the hill walking one. Speaker 1: That's in the national park, isn't it? Yes. It's very popular, and it gives people a chance to get to know each other. And so you won't get lost when you go walking on your own, we teach you some navigation skills. Speaker 2: And the cost of that? Speaker 1: £90. Speaker 2: Does that include accommodation? Speaker 1: It doesn't, but there are some very inexpensive B and Bs nearby. Or you can stay at the local youth hostel, but lunch is included. Speaker 2: Thanks. Oh, and just a couple of other things. Yes. Will you need a deposit with the booking? Yes. Speaker 1: When you book, we usually ask for a deposit of £25 per person. But if you're booking for a group, then it'll be 20% of the total cost. Speaker 2: Okay. And is there any equipment we must bring with us, or is it all provided? Speaker 1: The most important thing is to have the right shoes, so you'll need to bring those. Other things like maps and wet weather gear can be borrowed from here. Speaker 2: Right. That's good to know. I'll get back to my colleagues and call you when we've decided what to do. Or you could book it online. Speaker 1: But don't hesitate to call me if you still have questions. My name's Gordon, Gordon Arkwright. That's A R K W R I G H T. Speaker 2: Thanks for your help. Speaker 0: That is the end of section one. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now turn to section two on page four. PART 2 Speaker 0: Section two. You will hear a radio show host interviewing a man called Michael McKay, who is the director of a Canadian theater. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14 on page four. Listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 14. Speaker 3: Michael McKay, the executive director of the Canadiana Festival Theater, is here with us to talk about the season starting in June. Welcome. Speaker 4: Thank you. We have an amazing season this year with some great deals for our clients. You know, we have a lot of regular theatergoers who will be happy to know that we have some great specials for the upcoming season. For example, if you order two tickets to any play performed at the theater, you can get 50% off the price of the next play we put on. This replaces the special offer we had last season, which was for 50% off all performances on Mondays. It is good to get youth interested in theater, so many schools arrange class trips to our theater. This year, we will send a special study guide to each class so the students can familiarize themselves with the play beforehand. Having some background information always makes the experience of watching the actors perform the play more enjoyable. Each guide has suggestions for classroom discussion after seeing the show, which teachers find useful for a follow-up activity. Also, we mustn't forget the bring a friend special for our senior citizens. On Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, everyone over 60 can buy one ticket and get one free. The offer includes all the musicals plus the plays, so there is lots of choice. We also include $5 off any gift shop purchase for those clients who spend more than $30 there. Speaker 3: So what would you say is the best play you have this year? Speaker 4: All the plays are great, but the must see play is called Something to Say. It stars the amazing actor Christopher Plunkett. This likely will be the last year we see him perform as he has been on stage for over sixty years. Actually, for the first time, he helped write this play, and it really is a commentary on his amazing career as an actor. You may have seen him in supporting roles in movies, but acting on stage is his first love. He has been in so many fantastic dramas. I can't think of him ever not being on stage. Speaker 0: Before you hear the rest of the interview, you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20 on page five. Now listen and answer questions 15 to 20. Speaker 4: Now let's talk about the season's musicals. The first one is called The Climb. Of course, the best part is that we have that really amazing singer, Justin McDonald, playing the part of the hero. It is an inspiring story of a man called Stephen who starts working for a newspaper in a very junior job in the mailroom. After many years and many promotions, he finally gets to the top position. He becomes editor in chief of the newspaper. Then we have that wonderful classic that we show every two years because it is so popular, The Voyagers. It is a wonderful story of a Canadian farming family in the late 1800s and how they settled their land near Kingston, Ontario. The musical gives a good description of the times, the struggles, and the way of life in that period. The next musical, Joey Brown, is a comical story of a piano player who writes songs for kids' TV shows. However, he ends up having a terrible time when he gets a new boss who always criticizes him and makes his life difficult. Poor Joey has to learn how to win over the boss. The show has a couple of funny twists and a surprise ending. In Main Street, Karen Hines stars in the true story of a young woman whose dream is to compete in the Olympics. She is such a powerful actress in this role. It is about a gymnast who is crushed when, during a practice session, she breaks her ankle just one week before the games. Now for Millie and Mike. What a story this is. Stephanie James and Peter Dumas are only 10 years old, but they star in the musical as the twins Millie and Mike. They have a wonderful upbringing with their grandmother who teaches them life's lessons through song. The final must see is so whimsical. In Windswept, a land of imaginary creatures, the flowers and trees dance, and the enchanted animals talk. It is delightful, and we even have a very talented actor who is amazing as he travels with us through the world of make believe. Kids love this one. The music is fun, and their imagination goes wild. Speaker 3: Michael, that all sounds wonderful. Now tell me about the restaurants in the Theater District. Speaker 0: That is the end of section two. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now turn to section three on page six. PART 3 Speaker 5: Section three. Speaker 6: Two students discussing their assignments. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26. Speaker 7: Hi, Mike. How's it going? Speaker 8: Actually, I was up last night with an assignment. So, yeah, I'm tired, but I guess we'd better sort this presentation out. Speaker 7: Well, we've done enough background reading, but I think we need to organize exactly what we're going to say about biofuels during the presentation and the order. Speaker 8: I thought we could start by asking our audience what car engines were first designed to run on, fossil fuels or biofuels? Speaker 7: Nice idea. Yes. Speaker 8: When most people think about cars and fuel, they think about all the carbon dioxide that's produced, but they don't realize that that wasn't always the case. Speaker 7: You're probably right. The earliest car engines ran on fuel made from corn and peanut oil, didn't they? Speaker 8: Yes. The manufacturers used the corn and peanut oil and turned them into a kind of very pure alcohol. Speaker 7: You mean ethanol? Speaker 8: Yes. In fact, most biofuels are still based on ethanol. Actually, I've got some notes here about the process of turning plant matter into ethanol, the chemical reactions, and the fermentation stages. Speaker 7: Interesting. The other students would appreciate it, but different biofuels use different processes. And if we give a general description, there's a risk we'll get it wrong, and then the tutor might mark us down. I'd rather we focus on the environmental issues. Speaker 8: Fair enough. So, the main plants that are used for biofuel production now are sugarcane, corn. Speaker 7: And canola. Of all of them, canola is probably the least harmful because machines that use it don't produce as much carbon monoxide. Speaker 8: Sugarcane seems to be controversial. It doesn't require as much fertilizer as corn does to grow. But when they burn the sugarcane fields, that releases loads of greenhouse gases. Speaker 7: Yes. But some critics have suggested that the production of corn ethanol uses up more fossil fuel energy than the biofuel energy it eventually produces. For that reason, I'd say it was more harmful to the environment. Speaker 8: I see what you mean. You're probably right. It's interesting how everyone saw the biofuel industry as the answer to our energy problems, but in some ways, biofuels have created new problems. Speaker 7: Well, in the USA, I wouldn't say that farmers are having problems. The biofuel industry for them has turned out to be really profitable. Speaker 8: I think though that even in the USA, ethanol is still only used as an additive to gasoline or petrol. The problem is that it still has to be transported by trucks or rail because they haven't built any pipelines to move it. Once they do, it'll be cheaper and the industry might move forward. Speaker 7: That'll have to happen one day. At least the government are in favor of biofuel development. Speaker 8: Yes. But Brazil's probably in the lead as far as biofuels are concerned. They've got to the point where they don't need to import any oil now. Which is great. Speaker 7: And the industry in Brazil employs a huge number of people. But is it sustainable? I mean, as the population grows and there are more vehicles on the roads and there's more machinery, surely they can't depend so much on sugarcane. At some point, there has to be a limit on how much land can be used for sugarcane production. Certainly, if you want to preserve natural habitats and native wildlife. Speaker 8: I think that whatever problems Brazil's facing now, the same will be true for any country. You have to weigh up the pros and cons. Speaker 7: Well, we probably won't see an increase in biofuel use. I mean, they won't replace fossil fuels until we can find ways to produce them cheaply and quickly. Speaker 8: And with less cost to the environment. Making sure they require minimal energy to produce. Speaker 7: Exactly. And in a way, that means they have to cost less than fossil fuels. Speaker 8: Certainly when you're filling up your car. Yes. And whatever other kind of engines use fossil fuels at the moment. Speaker 0: Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 27 to 30. Speaker 6: Now listen and answer questions 27 to 30. Speaker 7: Alright. So in the last section of the presentation, what problems are we focusing on? Speaker 8: Well, we've already had a look at different types of pollution in the first section, so we can leave that out. But the biggest issue related to biofuels is that land is now being used to grow biofuel crops, and that's contributing to global hunger. Speaker 7: Indeed. It doesn't seem right we're using corn to run cars when people can't afford to buy it to eat. Yes. Let's talk about that. The other thing is that in some countries, the way that biofuel crops are grown and harvested still produces a great deal of pollution, really damaging to the atmosphere. Speaker 8: Okay. That's definitely an issue we should look at. Speaker 7: Let's not finish on a negative note, though. Why don't we talk about the potential new sources of biofuel? So rather than corn and sugarcane, what other plants could be used? Speaker 8: Good. Some companies are exploring the possibility of using wood and seeing how that can be used to make ethanol. Speaker 7: Yes. And algae is another possibility. You can grow it in any water, and it absorbs pollutants too. I read that. Speaker 8: And grasses, they're another plant that researchers are investigating as a biofuel. Speaker 7: And these kind of plants aren't used as food, which is why. Speaker 6: That is the end of section three. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now turn to section four on page eight. PART 4 Speaker 5: Section four. You will hear part of a lecture about health problems faced by night shift workers. First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40. Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40. Speaker 9: Good afternoon, everybody. In this session, I want to continue looking at health issues relating to the workplace, and I'd like to focus today on night shift workers and the health problems that are associated with their working hours. I'm sure you're all aware that there has been a huge increase in the number of workers doing regular night shifts in recent years, mainly because of the number of shops and services now open 24 hours, 7 days a week, and we need to look more closely at the consequences of changing work and sleep patterns like this. So that's what I'd like us to do today. Now research that has been carried out in both the US and Britain on night working suggests that it leads to a lot of health problems for the workers, and they point to three main reasons for this. The first one is what they call the internal clock, and this is a basic sort of program in our brains. This tells us that at certain times, we should feel hungry, at other times, we should be awake, at other times, we should be asleep, and so on. And it seems to be generally accepted by all the experts in the field that this clock is linked to, not just our behavioral habits, but to cycles of light and dark. And that means that we're programmed to be awake when it's light, i.e., during the day, and asleep when it's dark. The second thing is that night workers are continually fighting against what is termed a sleep debt. And by this, the researchers mean that it's just practically impossible for them to get a sufficient amount of sleep in daylight hours. In fact, studies suggest that on average, night workers only get between five and six hours of sleep rather than the eight they need. And the effects of not getting enough sleep can also lead to all sorts of problems, and we'll talk about those in a minute. The third cause of these problems is the unsocial hours that night workers have to keep, the fact that they are working when their families, their friends are sleeping, and vice versa. And that kind of dislocation from their social group can be very damaging. Okay. So let's take a closer look at some of these effects. And if we have a look at the physical effects first, we can see that studies on long term shift workers found that they were much more likely to get heart problems than day workers. In addition, there seems to be a very high incidence of stomach problems, for example, ulcers among night shift workers. And although this may be partly due to the wrong sort of diet, you know, snacking on fast food, it can't be just explained by eating habits. And finally, there is evidence to suggest that night shift workers also get ill more frequently with minor problems like colds and infections. The frequency of these illnesses is much higher than among day workers, and this indicates that night working can damage immunity to illness. And, of course, this leads to a lot of absence from work too. However, although the physical impact of working nights can be severe, perhaps the real problems are psychological ones. And the most common problem is depression. This seems to be the inevitable result of the constant feeling of tiredness and a lack of energy that night workers universally complain of. Secondly, there is a lot of evidence from accident statistics to suggest that mental abilities are badly affected, and that means, for example, decision making ability and planning ability, and these are what control our performance. For example, we can see that the highest number of errors on the roads occur between 3 AM and 5 AM, the point in our internal clock when we feel most sleepy. Okay. Finally, there are the social problems where night working impacts on the family and social life of the employees. The first one is obviously the breakup of family life, and here we can see from the divorce statistics that this occurs more frequently in the case of night workers. But there's also the breakdown of other relationships, not just within the family, but among the peer group. Night workers tend to lose touch with friends, and these relationships, especially for the long term night workers, are very difficult to rebuild, and so this eventually leads to social isolation for the individual. And, of course, that has consequences for the whole community too. So we can begin to see the real cost of night working. What we need to do now is to look at how. Speaker 5: That is the end of section four. You now have half a minute to check your answers. That is the end of the listening test. You now have ten minutes to transfer your answers to the listening answer sheet. ==================== Chinese Translation ==================== 第一部分 Speaker 0：你将听到几段不同的录音，并需要根据听到的内容回答问题。每段录音前会有时间让你阅读题目和说明，你也有机会检查你的答案。所有录音只播放一遍。考试分为四个部分。请将所有答案写在听力问题册上。考试结束后，你将有十分钟时间将答案誊写到答题纸上。现在翻到问题册第二页的第一部分。第一部分。你将听到一位女士打电话给一个活动中心，咨询周末课程的信息。首先，你有时间看一下第二页的第一到第四题。你会看到一个已经为你完成的示例。仅此一次，相关的对话会先播放一遍。 Speaker 1：早上好。伦弗鲁活动中心。有什么可以帮您的吗？您好。 Speaker 2：我打电话来是想咨询你们的周末活动。我和一些同事想学点新技能。我们已经厌倦了打网球或去健身房这类无聊的事情。我们觉得像攀岩这样的活动可能挺有趣的。这是你们的活动之一，对吧？ Speaker 1：没错。攀岩就在我们中心场地内进行。 Speaker 0：这位女士对攀岩感兴趣，所以空格里已经填上了“攀岩”。现在正式开始。请边听边答题，因为录音不会重复播放。请仔细听，并回答第一到第四题。 Speaker 1：早上好。伦弗鲁活动中心。有什么可以帮您的吗？您好。 Speaker 2：我打电话来是想咨询你们的周末活动。我和一些同事想学点新技能。我们已经厌倦了打网球或去健身房这类无聊的事情。我们觉得像攀岩这样的活动可能挺有趣的。 Speaker 1：这是你们的活动之一，对吧？没错。攀岩就在我们中心场地内进行。 Speaker 2：好的。从你们的网站上，我看到我主要学习的技术会是绳索操作。那具体是什么？ Speaker 1：嗯，如果你要攀岩，你需要知道如何使用绳索。所以我们第一天上午会学习这个，然后在室内攀岩墙上练习。第二天，我们会带你在户外进行两次有指导的攀爬。 Speaker 2：这个周末的费用是多少？ Speaker 1：这取决于你们有多少人。九个人以内是每人65英镑。 Speaker 2：我们大概有12个人。好的，那就是每人60英镑。非常合理。这个费用包括住宿和食物吗？ Speaker 1：不包括。但包括装备。 Speaker 2：好的。我还想问一下山地自行车周末活动。 Speaker 1：哦，是的。那个很受欢迎。需要有骑行经验吗？完全不需要。我们会带你们去山里，但路线相对容易。 Speaker 2：网站上提到我们会学习对自行车进行安全检查。是的，你们会学到所有相关内容。那会非常有用。费用是多少？ Speaker 1：70英镑，包括我们的向导提供的所有帮助。他知道所有最好的地方。 Speaker 0：在听对话的其余部分之前，你有时间看一下第二页和第三页的第五到第十题。现在请听录音并回答第五到第十题。 Speaker 2：我的一些同事可能更喜欢不那么剧烈的活动，比如露营或徒步。网站上有一个叫“野外露营”的活动。网站上说是在森林里。没错。我上周在报纸上读到过一些相关内容。他们说那片森林有最神奇的植物。我们有机会学习一些相关知识吗？是的，可以。费用呢？ Speaker 1：50英镑。包括帐篷住宿。 Speaker 2：好的，我记下了。我想我们可能感兴趣的另一个活动是山地徒步。 Speaker 1：那是在国家公园里，对吧？是的，非常受欢迎，而且能让人们有机会互相了解。为了确保你们自己徒步时不会迷路，我们会教你们一些导航技能。 Speaker 2：那个费用是多少？ Speaker 1：90英镑。 Speaker 2：包括住宿吗？ Speaker 1：不包括，但附近有一些非常便宜的民宿。或者你可以住在当地的青年旅舍，但午餐是包含在内的。 Speaker 2：谢谢。哦，还有几件事。好的。预订时需要付押金吗？是的。 Speaker 1：预订时，我们通常要求每人支付25英镑的押金。但如果是团体预订，则是总费用的20%。 Speaker 2：好的。我们需要自带装备吗，还是全部提供？ Speaker 1：最重要的是要有合适的鞋子，所以你们需要自带。其他东西，比如地图和防雨装备，可以从这里借用。 Speaker 2：好的，很高兴知道这些。我会回去和同事们商量，等我们决定好做什么再给你打电话。或者你也可以在线预订。 Speaker 1：但如果还有问题，请随时给我打电话。我叫戈登，戈登·阿克莱特。拼写是A-R-K-W-R-I-G-H-T。 Speaker 2：谢谢你的帮助。 Speaker 0：第一部分到此结束。你现在有半分钟时间检查答案。现在翻到第四页的第二部分。 第二部分 Speaker 0：第二部分。你将听到一个电台节目主持人采访一位名叫迈克尔·麦凯的男士，他是一家加拿大剧院的导演。首先，你有时间看一下第四页的第11到第14题。请仔细听，并回答第11到第14题。 Speaker 3：加拿大节日剧院的执行总监迈克尔·麦凯今天来到我们节目，谈谈六月份开始的演出季。欢迎。 Speaker 4：谢谢。今年我们有一个精彩的演出季，为客户提供了一些很棒的优惠。你知道，我们有很多常客，他们会很高兴知道我们为即将到来的演出季准备了一些特别优惠。例如，如果你订购两张剧院上演的任何剧目的门票，就可以在我们下一部剧目的票价上享受50%的折扣。这取代了我们上个季度的特别优惠，即周一所有演出半价。让年轻人对戏剧产生兴趣是好事，所以很多学校会组织班级来我们剧院。今年，我们会给每个班级寄送一份特别的学习指南，让学生们提前熟悉剧目。了解一些背景信息总是能让观看演员表演的体验更加愉快。每份指南都包含观剧后课堂讨论的建议，老师们觉得这对后续活动很有用。另外，我们也不能忘记为老年人准备的“带朋友”特别优惠。周二和周三下午，所有60岁以上的人可以买一送一。这个优惠包括所有音乐剧和话剧，所以选择很多。我们还会为在礼品店消费超过30美元的客户提供5美元的折扣。 Speaker 3：那么，你觉得今年最好的剧目是什么？ Speaker 4：所有剧目都很棒，但必看剧目是《有话要说》。主演是了不起的演员克里斯托弗·普伦基特。这很可能是我们最后一年看到他表演了，因为他已经在舞台上表演了六十多年。实际上，这是他第一次参与编剧，这部剧确实是对他辉煌演艺生涯的评论。你可能在电影中看过他扮演配角，但舞台表演才是他的最爱。他出演过太多精彩的戏剧了。我无法想象他不在舞台上的样子。 Speaker 0：在听采访的其余部分之前，你有时间看一下第五页的第15到第20题。现在请听录音并回答第15到第20题。 Speaker 4：现在我们来谈谈本季的音乐剧。第一部叫《攀登》。当然，最精彩的部分是我们有那位非常棒的歌手贾斯汀·麦克唐纳扮演英雄角色。这是一个鼓舞人心的故事，讲述了一个名叫斯蒂芬的人，他从报社邮件室的一份非常初级的工作开始。经过多年的努力和多次晋升，他终于达到了最高职位，成为了报社的主编。然后是我们每两年上演一次的经典剧目《航海者》，因为它非常受欢迎。这是一个关于19世纪末一个加拿大农民家庭的精彩故事，讲述了他们如何在安大略省金斯顿附近定居。这部音乐剧很好地描述了那个时代、奋斗和生活方式。下一部音乐剧《乔伊·布朗》是一个喜剧故事，讲述了一位为儿童电视节目写歌的钢琴师。然而，当他遇到一个总是批评他、让他日子难熬的新老板时，他陷入了困境。可怜的乔伊必须学会如何赢得老板的欢心。这部剧有几个有趣的转折和一个出人意料的结局。在《主街》中，凯伦·海因斯主演了一个真实故事，讲述了一位梦想参加奥运会的年轻女性。她在这个角色中表现得非常有力量。故事讲述的是一位体操运动员，在比赛前一周的训练中摔断了脚踝，梦想破灭。接下来是《米莉和迈克》。这是一个多么精彩的故事啊。斯蒂芬妮·詹姆斯和彼得·杜马斯只有10岁，但他们在这部音乐剧中扮演双胞胎米莉和迈克。他们在祖母的抚养下快乐成长，祖母通过歌曲教会他们人生的道理。最后一部必看剧目非常异想天开。在《风之国度》中，一个充满想象生物的土地上，花草树木翩翩起舞，被施了魔法的动物会说话。这非常令人愉快，我们还有一位非常有才华的演员，他带领我们穿越这个幻想世界，表现得非常出色。孩子们喜欢这部。音乐很有趣，他们的想象力会尽情驰骋。 Speaker 3：迈克尔，听起来都很棒。现在请告诉我剧院区的餐厅情况。 Speaker 0：第二部分到此结束。你现在有半分钟时间检查答案。现在翻到第六页的第三部分。 第三部分 Speaker 5：第三部分。 Speaker 6：两名学生讨论他们的作业。首先，你有时间看一下第21到第26题。 Speaker 7：嗨，迈克。最近怎么样？ Speaker 8：实际上，我昨晚熬夜做作业了。所以，是的，我很累，但我想我们最好还是把这个演示整理出来。 Speaker 7：嗯，我们已经做了足够的背景阅读，但我认为我们需要确切地组织好我们在演示中要说的关于生物燃料的内容以及顺序。 Speaker 8：我想我们可以先问问观众，汽车发动机最初设计是用什么燃料运行的，是化石燃料还是生物燃料？ Speaker 7：好主意。是的。 Speaker 8：当大多数人想到汽车和燃料时，他们会想到产生的所有二氧化碳，但他们没有意识到情况并非总是如此。 Speaker 7：你可能是对的。最早的汽车发动机是用玉米和花生油制成的燃料运行的，对吧？ Speaker 8：是的。制造商使用玉米和花生油，将它们转化为一种非常纯净的酒精。 Speaker 7：你是说乙醇？ Speaker 8：是的。事实上，大多数生物燃料仍然以乙醇为基础。实际上，我这里有一些关于将植物物质转化为乙醇的过程、化学反应和发酵阶段的笔记。 Speaker 7：有趣。其他学生会喜欢的，但不同的生物燃料使用不同的过程。如果我们给出一个笼统的描述，我们有可能出错，然后导师可能会给我们扣分。我宁愿我们专注于环境问题。 Speaker 8：有道理。那么，现在用于生物燃料生产的主要植物是甘蔗、玉米。 Speaker 7：还有油菜。在所有植物中，油菜可能是危害最小的，因为使用它的机器不会产生那么多的一氧化碳。 Speaker 8：甘蔗似乎有争议。它生长所需的肥料不像玉米那么多。但是当他们燃烧甘蔗田时，会释放大量的温室气体。 Speaker 7：是的。但一些批评者认为，玉米乙醇的生产消耗的化石燃料能源比它最终产生的生物燃料能源还要多。出于这个原因，我认为它对环境的危害更大。 Speaker 8：我明白你的意思。你可能是对的。有趣的是，每个人都把生物燃料产业视为我们能源问题的答案，但在某些方面，生物燃料也带来了新的问题。 Speaker 7：嗯，在美国，我不认为农民有问题。对他们来说，生物燃料产业已经变得非常有利可图。 Speaker 8：但我认为，即使在美国，乙醇仍然只用作汽油的添加剂。问题在于它仍然需要通过卡车或铁路运输，因为他们还没有建造任何管道来运输它。一旦他们建了，它就会更便宜，这个行业可能会向前发展。 Speaker 7：总有一天会实现的。至少政府支持生物燃料的发展。 Speaker 8：是的。但就生物燃料而言，巴西可能处于领先地位。他们已经达到了不需要进口任何石油的地步。这很棒。 Speaker 7：巴西的这个行业雇佣了很多人。但这是可持续的吗？我的意思是，随着人口增长，路上车辆增多，机器增多，他们肯定不能如此依赖甘蔗。在某个时候，可用于甘蔗生产的土地必须有一个限度。当然，如果你想保护自然栖息地和本土野生动物的话。 Speaker 8：我认为无论巴西现在面临什么问题，任何国家都会面临同样的问题。你必须权衡利弊。 Speaker 7：嗯，我们可能不会看到生物燃料使用的增加。我的意思是，除非我们能找到廉价、快速且对环境成本更低的生产方法，否则它们不会取代化石燃料。 Speaker 8：确保它们生产所需的能源最少。 Speaker 7：完全正确。而且在某种程度上，这意味着它们的成本必须低于化石燃料。 Speaker 8：当然是在你给车加油的时候。是的。以及目前任何其他使用化石燃料的发动机。 Speaker 0：在听讨论的其余部分之前，你有时间看一下第27到第30题。 Speaker 6：现在请听录音并回答第27到第30题。 Speaker 7：好的。那么在演示的最后一部分，我们关注什么问题？ Speaker 8：嗯，我们已经在第一部分看了不同类型的污染，所以我们可以跳过那个。但与生物燃料相关的最大问题是，土地现在被用来种植生物燃料作物，这加剧了全球饥饿问题。 Speaker 7：确实如此。当人们买不起玉米吃的时候，我们用玉米来开车，这似乎不对。是的，我们来谈谈这个。另一件事是，在一些国家，生物燃料作物的种植和收获方式仍然会产生大量污染，对大气造成严重破坏。 Speaker 8：好的。这绝对是我们应该关注的问题。 Speaker 7：不过，我们不要以消极的基调结束。我们为什么不谈谈生物燃料的潜在新来源呢？所以，除了玉米和甘蔗，还可以使用哪些其他植物？ Speaker 8：好主意。一些公司正在探索使用木材的可能性，并研究如何用它来制造乙醇。 Speaker 7：是的。藻类是另一种可能性。它可以在任何水中生长，还能吸收污染物。我读到过。 Speaker 8：还有草，这是研究人员正在研究的另一种生物燃料植物。 Speaker 7：而且这类植物不作为食物使用，这就是为什么…… Speaker 6：第三部分到此结束。你现在有半分钟时间检查答案。现在翻到第八页的第四部分。 第四部分 Speaker 5：第四部分。你将听到一个讲座的一部分，内容是关于夜班工人面临的健康问题。首先，你有时间看一下第31到第40题。现在请仔细听，并回答第31到第40题。 Speaker 9：大家下午好。在本节课中，我想继续探讨与工作场所相关的健康问题，今天我想重点谈谈夜班工人及其工作时间相关的健康问题。我相信你们都意识到，近年来，定期上夜班的工人数量大幅增加，这主要是因为现在许多商店和服务都是每周7天、每天24小时营业，我们需要更仔细地审视这种改变工作和睡眠模式的后果。这就是我今天想和大家一起做的。现在，美国和英国进行的关于夜班工作的研究表明，这会给工人带来很多健康问题，他们指出了三个主要原因。第一个是他们所谓的生物钟，这是我们大脑中的一个基本程序。它告诉我们在特定时间应该感到饥饿，在其他时间应该清醒，在其他时间应该睡觉，等等。该领域的所有专家似乎普遍认为，这个生物钟不仅与我们的行为习惯有关，还与光暗周期有关。这意味着我们被设定为在白天（光线充足时）清醒，在夜晚（黑暗时）睡觉。第二点是夜班工人持续与所谓的“睡眠债”作斗争。研究人员的意思是，他们实际上不可能在白天获得足够的睡眠。事实上，研究表明，夜班工人平均只能睡五到六个小时，而不是他们需要的八个小时。睡眠不足的影响也会导致各种各样的问题，我们稍后会讨论。这些问题的第三个原因是夜班工人必须保持的非正常社交时间，即他们在家人和朋友睡觉的时候工作，反之亦然。这种与社交群体的脱节可能非常有害。好的。那么让我们更仔细地看看其中的一些影响。首先，如果我们看看身体上的影响，我们可以看到，对长期轮班工人的研究发现，他们患心脏病的可能性比白班工人大得多。此外，夜班工人出现胃部问题的比例似乎非常高，例如溃疡。虽然这可能部分是由于不正确的饮食，比如吃快餐，但不能仅仅用饮食习惯来解释。最后，有证据表明，夜班工人也更频繁地患上小病，如感冒和感染。这些疾病的发病率远高于白班工人，这表明夜班工作会损害对疾病的免疫力。当然，这也会导致大量的缺勤。然而，尽管上夜班对身体的影响可能很严重，但真正的问题可能是心理上的。最常见的问题是抑郁。这似乎是夜班工人普遍抱怨的持续疲劳感和精力不足的必然结果。其次，大量的事故统计数据表明，心理能力受到严重影响，这意味着，例如，决策能力和规划能力，而这些能力控制着我们的表现。例如，我们可以看到，道路上发生最多错误的时间是在凌晨3点到5点之间，这是我们生物钟中感觉最困倦的时刻。好的。最后，是社会问题，夜班工作影响了员工的家庭和社交生活。第一个显然是家庭生活的破裂，从离婚统计数据中我们可以看到，这种情况在夜班工人中更常见。但其他关系也会破裂，不仅是在家庭内部，在同伴群体中也是如此。夜班工人往往会与朋友失去联系，这些关系，尤其是对于长期夜班工人来说，很难重建，因此最终会导致个人的社会孤立。当然，这也会对整个社区产生影响。所以我们可以开始看到夜班工作的真正代价。我们现在需要做的是看看如何…… Speaker 5：第四部分到此结束。你现在有半分钟时间检查答案。听力考试到此结束。你现在有十分钟时间将答案誊写到听力答题纸上。