SECTION 4: LISTENING TEST

SECTION 4: LISTENING TEST (30 minutes)
Part A: Note-taking and Gap-filling
Directions: In this part of the test you will hear a short talk. You will hear the talk ONLY ONCE. While listening to the talk, you may take notes on the important points so that you can have enough information to complete a gap, filling task on a separate ANSWER BOOKLET. You will not get your ANSWER BOOKLET until after you have listened to the talk.

Everyone experiences stress on some level every day. Stress, broadly defined, is our response to events that we perceive as threatening or challenging. We may experience different levels of stress, depending on the stressors, meaning the events or circumstances that cause us to feel stress. Of course, not everyone perceives the same events or circumstances as stressful. We don’ t always react the same way to the same stressors. In fact, something that is extremely stressful for one person may be exciting and non-stressful for another. In general, though, stressful events can be classified into three main categories: cataclysmic events, personal stressors and background stressors. Cataclysmic events are major events that cause stress suddenly, immediately for a great many people at once. Examples of these are earthquakes, fires, or other disasters. Personal stressors are major life events that create stress. They can include the death of a loved one, a job loss, a divorce, a financial setback, or a geographical move. They are not always events that we will perceive as negative. Many joyful life events can also cause a great deal of stress. For example, getting engaged, or married, acquiring a new family member, through birth or adoption, starting a new job, and even taking a vacation, can all be as stressful as negative life events. Finally, background stressors, which we can also think of as day to day hassles or minor irritations, can cause stress, particularly when they add up, when we are repeatedly exposed to them. Examples of background stressors are waiting in a long line, getting stuck in a traffic jam, being exposed to noise, experiencing a delay of some sort, or dealing with broken equipment. Examples of chronic background stressors, and the kind that can lead to long-term health problems include being unhappy with one’s job, living environment, marriage or relationship.

Stress is not something that only exists in our mind. Repeated exposure to stressors has both psychological and biological consequences. When we’re exposed to stressors, our adrenal gland secretes certain hormones and our heart rate and blood pressure rise. We experience a “fight or flight” response—a sense of emergency where the body prepares to defend itself. This is useful in some situations, especially where we might actually need to defend ourselves. In the long run, though, this activation of what is known as the sympathetic nervous system has negative effects and reduces our capacity to manage stress. When stress hormones are constantly secreted, and the body is continually preparing for emergencies, body tissues such as the heart and blood vessels can begin to deteriorate; the immune system functions less effectively, and reduces our ability to fight our illness.

The General Adaptation Syndrome or GAS explains the sequence of physiological reactions to stress. There are three phases to GAS. The first is the alarm and mobilization phase. This is when we first become aware of a stressor. When we respond with alarm, we may feel upset or confused. We may even feel a sense of panic or fear. After that, however, we may begin to mobilize our efforts, in other words, to take action, to remove the stressor. For example, if you receive a mid-semester report, stating that your grades were all very low, you might worry at first, but then you would probably make plans to reverse the situation to improve your grades. The second phase of GAS is the resistance stage which occurs if the stressor is not removed. This is the stage when we fight against the stressor or try to cope with the stressor. The attempt to mobilize and remove the source of stress from phase one can result in further stress. For example, if you were studying long hours to try to improve low grades, you might succeed in improving the grades but create more stress in the process. This can lead to the third GAS phase: exhaustion. In this phase, if resistance was not successful, and stressors still exist, our ability to fight or cope with the stressor diminishes. At this point, symptoms of stress manifest themselves psychologically and biologically. Psychologically, we may become irritable, short-tempered, or unable to focus. There may be a sense of being completely overwhelmed and unable to function. Biologically, our bodies may react with such symptoms as aches and pains, fatigue or illness. Interestingly, the exhaustion phase may actually be an extreme way of trying to avoid the stressors. The body may be telling us that we need to take a break, that we need to do whatever is necessary to remove ourselves from the stressor.

Sentence Translation

Sentence Translation
Directions: In this part of the test, you will hear 5 English sentences. You will hear the sentences ONLY ONCE. After you have heard each sentence, translate it into Chinese and write your version in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.

1. Let me say that preventing crime is definitely better than punishing it. It’s better to have good role models and stop crime before it starts. But we also need harsher punishments.
我想说，预防犯罪肯定优于惩治犯罪。树立榜样，防患于未然，总是更可取的。但是，我们同样需要更加严厉的惩罚。

2. Many cities have slum areas or ghettoes, where people live in dangers or destitute conditions. The beautiful architecture and vibrant night life are one face of the city, but cities also have problems of inequality, crowding and poverty.

许多城市都存在贫民区或贫民窟，在这里人们在危险与贫困中煎熬。雄伟的建筑和充满活力的夜生活固然是城市的一面，但城市中也同样存在不平等、拥挤和贫困的问题。

3. According to a report, released by the Spanish news agency EFE, many Latin American leaders voiced fears that the economic crisis might unleash a wave of protectionism and anti-immigration measures in Europe.

根据西班牙埃菲通讯社发布的一份报告，许多拉美国家领导人担心，经济危机可能会引发欧洲国家掀起一轮保护主义热潮，并且开始执行反移民政策。

4. Farmers in this country have to comply with stringent requirements which make it much more costly to produce. In meat production, for example, they do not tolerate growth hormones and genetically-modified products.

该国农民需要遵守严格的生产要求，这极大地导致了生产成本的增加。以肉类生产为例，含有生长激素和转基因的产品都明令禁止。

5. The index of top European shares tumbled 2.2% with banks and commodity stocks the hardest hit. The index which gained nearly 26% in 2009 is now down 4.31% amid persistent concerns about the Euro Zone’s debt problems.

欧洲股指下跌2.2%, 其中银行和商品类股票遭受冲击最大。该股指于2009年上涨近26%，如今已经下跌了4.31%，因为人们担心欧元区的债务问题。

Passage Translation
Directions: In this part of the test, you will hear 2 English passages. You will hear the passages ONLY ONCE. After you have heard each passage, translate it into Chinese and write your version in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET. You may take notes while you are listening.

Passage one
Many people love the excitement of living in a big city such as London. But for others, things happen a bit too fast – people seem busy and stressed all the time. A group called 'Slow London' wants everyone to slow down and take some time to relax. Perhaps you could walk to work one day instead of driving. Or when you buy a newspaper, take the time to have a friendly chat with the newsagent. But is life in the capital really too fast? Talking about myself, I work in London, I live out in Kent, in the countryside so I really notice how different the pace is from out in the countryside.

很多人热爱生活在像伦敦这样充满刺激的大城市。但对有些人来说，这样的生活节奏有些过于紧凑——人们似乎总是来去匆匆，面色凝重。一个名为“伦敦慢下来”的组织希望人们将生活节奏放缓，从而更从容地享受生活。也许有一天你能够以步代车去上班。或者在你买报纸的时候可以惬意地和报摊老板闲聊几句。但首都的生活节奏真的快得令人窒息吗？就我而言，我在伦敦工作，但我住在肯特郡的乡村，所以我能够真切地认识到城市与乡村生活节奏有多么的不同。

解析

解析：

本片段落翻译选自2007年BBC的London Life专题，再次给广大口译考生发出了讯息——VOA和BBC等经典的听力材料依然是口译强化训练过程中的重要资源，或许不一定有爆发的RP在考前听中原文，但同类模式的文本在VOA和BBC等听力中屡见不鲜，通过平时的积累，完全可以做到在考场中成竹在胸，至少不会发怵；另外VOA,BBC的“粉丝”也应意识到新闻专题只是VOA和BBC听力资源的冰山一角，平时在训练过程中也应将一部分精力花在其人文，历史，娱乐等专题上，毕竟口译考试的考察范围涉猎极广，包括科技，文化，环保，教育等多个领域，而通过像VOA和BBC这样最原汁原味的英语听力资源来获取这方面的知识是再好不过的了。

应该说本篇段落的城市生活节奏主题对考生来说并不陌生，作为两段翻译的第一段在难度上也是可以接受的，在理解语义的基础上，考生应将更多的精力放在英汉翻译过程中的语序转化上。比如首句中的such as London作为后置的修饰信息在惯用汉语表达中通常是译成“像…的…”的模式。

第二句中的But for others与段首的Many people相呼应，应译成“有些人”，而非“其他人”。

busy与stressed作为并列关系在汉语表达中也应注意对仗工整，最好各自译成四字格，具体译法因人而异，“充满压力”换成“面目凝重“在语义一致的情况下也是完全可以接受的。

第三句中的”Slow London”可以采用英译汉中常用的形容词→动词的方式来翻译，即“伦敦慢下来“，当然，鉴于紧张的考试时间，考生只需译出这个组织试图呼吁生活在伦敦的人们将节奏放缓的宗旨即可，不必拘泥于精致完美的译法而在此部分浪费过多时间。

最后一句中的Talking about myself其实本质和as far as I’m concerned等常用搭配无异，译成“就我而言“或”拿我做比方“都可以接受。

总体而言，第一段的英译中难度适中，主题也不偏颇另类，是考生在平时积累对生活认知观察后（或在大量摄入真题练习总结后）能够自然总结得出的一类考题，把握好时间和心态，相信能够成为拿分点。

Passage Two
The percentage of high school aged youths, who participated in some sort of physical activity for at least 16 minutes, for 5 or more days per week, increased from 18 percent in 2005, to 30 percent in 2010. The percentage of high school aged youths, who ate foods and vegetables 5 or more times per day, decreased from 21 percent to 19 percent in the same period. Officials at the conference said that to battle the problem of obesity, a holistic approach involving the entire city must be undertaken. Every agency and group, parks and recreation, as well as community groups, churches, non-profits and businesses must be involved in tackling obesity.

每周至少五天，每天参加16分钟以上体育活动的高中青少年比例从2005年的18%增长到2010年的30%。与此同时，每天吃食物和蔬菜5次以上的高中青少年比例从21%下降到19%。在这次会议上，政府官员呼吁与肥胖病问题的斗争需要整个城市采取全方位的措施。解决肥胖问题不仅需要社区组织，教堂，非赢利组织和企业的参与，也需要销售中介和组织，公园和娱乐部门积极地参与进来。