听力原文: One of the main complaints of city residents, not surprisingly, is the lack of parking. This problem is partly caused by all the abandoned cars on the streets. It has been estimated by A to Z Towing, Inc., a nationwide tow-truck agency, that over one million cars are abandoned on the streets and alleyways of the nation's cities. Each year approximately a third of those cars are moved and destroyed. The rest of the cars which are not removed take up parking spaces and make neighborhoods look rundown.
A survey of twenty cities by A to Z reports that as much as 30 million dollars is spent annually to tow away and dismantle abandoned vehicles. One city alone, Los Angeles, spends five million dollars a year to control the accumulation of abandoned cars on its streets. Even though the city spends so much money on the program, it is always fighting a losing battle as more and more cars are constantly coming off the production line.
Boston, on the other hand, which spends most of its money on museums and libraries, does not appropriate tax money to clean abandoned cars off the streets. In Boston the problem has been dealt with by a non-profit governmental agency called Street Horizons, which uses the money from the recycling of the metal in the cars to pay for the cost of towing them The program in Boston sounds good although it has not completely reached financial independence from the federal government yet. Until a truly self-sufficient program for removing old cars is developed, it will remain a serious problem
(33)
Around four hundred thousand cars.
B. Thirty million old cars.
C. One million junked cars.
D. Five million cars altogether.
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听力原文: A New Mexico church plans to bum Harry Potter books because they are "an abomination to God," the church pastor said on Wednesday.
Pastor Jack Brock said he would have a "holy bonfire" on Sunday at the Christ Community Church in Alamogordo in southern New Mexico to torch books about the fictional teen-age wizard who is wildly popular with young people.
"These books encourage our youth to learn more about witches, warlocks, and sorcerers, and those things are an abomination to God and to me," Brock, 74, told Reuters.
"Harry Potter books are going to destroy the lives of many young people."
The books, written by British author J.K. Rowling, have been runaway bestsellers and a movie, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," is currently a blockbuster hit.
Brock, who said his Christmas Eve sermon was rifled "The Baby Jesus or Harry Potter," described the book burning as part of an effort to encourage Christians to remove everything from their homes that prevents them from communicating with God.
The books have come under fire in a few U.S communities for supposedly encouraging devilish thoughts among the young, but Rowling in an earlier statement issued by her publisher Bloomsbury called the criticisms absurd.
"I have met thousands of children now, and not even one time has a child come up to me and said, 'Ms. Rowling, I'm so glad I've read these books because now I want to be a witch'," she said.
The reasons why the church wanted to burn Harry Potter books didn't include that ______.
A. it believed that the books were an abhorrence to God
B. it believed that the books would weaken the communication with God
C. it believed that the existence of God had been confused by the book
D. it believed that the books would ruin the lives of many young people
What time will Mr Johnstone arrive?
听力原文:W: Good afternoon! I'm a newcomer. I wonder If you could give me some information.
M: I'd be pleased to. What can I do for you?
W: Suppose I want to find a book "Gone With The Wind" by Margaret Mitchell, would I look under Margaret and then under Mitchell until I come to the one who wrote the "Gone With The Wind" or would I simply look under the title through the catalogue myself?
M: Do you see those desk-top computer terminals over there? We now use them to locate our books. We think it's more efficient than the old card catalogue system. Come on, I'll show you how to use it. You decide what book you want and pick the microfiche with that letter on it. It's all in alphabetical order. You can know the name of the book, the name of the author or subject. They're all lumped together on the same sheet.
W: That sounds easy enough. Suppose I want to borrow "War and Remembrance" by Herman Work.
M: You could look under "W" for the title, then we'll look on the "H" sheet for the author. Turn on the light, then move the microfiche, and there it is. The "W" after the library code number tells you that it's here at the back branch of the library, rather than at one of our other branches.
W: Today, I just want to find a novel for some light reading. It strikes me that this novel "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck is what I should like to take.
M: You are perfectly right to decide upon that book It's very much in demand. Please fill out this card. Do you have any identification which shows your new address? I need to see something that verifies that you're a resident of the country ... All right now. I'll give you a list of all the branches before you go. These books may only be used here, and no one is permitted to borrow them.
W: I'll be here for five years, so I'd like to learn to use the library as efficiently as possible. I wonder if someone might have time to show me around.
M: With pleasure. These shelves right next to us have our latest acquisitions of fiction and nonfiction The older fiction books are in alphabetical row according to the author's last name. Stop by the desk on your way out to check your books and to pick up a brochure description of all our services.
W: Thank you very much for your help. I've noticed that your periodical section is quite complete. I think I'll explore the whole library on my own in order to acquaint myself with all that you have told me.
(20)
A. Secretary and Boss.
B. Teacher and Student
Customer and Librarian.
D. Customer and Salesman;
A.The City of Boston.B.A to Z Towing.C.New Horizons.D.The City of Los Angeles.
A. The City of Boston.
B. A to Z Towing.
C. New Horizons.
D. The City of Los Angeles.