ANNIE: OK, Jack. Before we plan our presentation about refrigeration, let’s discuss what we’ve discovered so far.
JACK: Fine, Annie. Though I have to admit I haven’t done much research yet.
ANNIE: Nor me. But I found an interesting article about icehouses. I’d been some 18th- and 19th-century ones here in the UK, so I knew they were often built in a shady area or underground, close to lakes that might freeze in the winter. Then blocks of ice could be cut and stored in the icehouse. But I didn’t realise that insulating the blocks with straw or sawdust meant they didn’t melt for months 【Q21】. The ancient Romans had refrigeration, too.
JACK: I didn’t know that.
ANNIE: Yes, pits were dug in the ground, and snow was imported from the mountains – even though they were at quite a distance. The snow was stored in the pits. Ice formed at the bottom of it. Both the ice and the snow were then sold 【Q22】. The ice cost more than the snow and my guess is that only the wealthy members of society could afford it.
JACK: I wouldn’t be surprised. I also came across an article about modern domestic fridges. Several different technologies are used, but they were too complex for me to understand.
ANNIE: You have to wonder what happens when people get rid of old ones.
JACK: You mean because the gases in them are harmful for the environment?
ANNIE: Exactly. At least these are now plenty of organisations that will recycle most of the components safety, but of course some people just dump old fridges in the countryside. 【Q23】
JACK: It’s hard to see how they can be stopped unfortunately 【Q23】. In the UK we get rid of three million a year altogether!
ANNIE: That sounds a lot, especially because fridges hardly ever break down.
JACK: That’s right. In this country we keep domestic fridges for 11 years on average, and a lot last for 20 or more. So if you pide the cost by the number of years you can use a fridge, they’re not expensive, compared with some household appliances. 【Q24】
ANNIE: True. I suppose manufactures encourage people to spend more by making them different colours and designs. I’m sure when my parents bought their first fridge they had hardly any choice!
JACK: Yes, there’s been quite a change.
JACK: Right, let’s make a list of topics to cover in our presentation, and decide who’s going to do more research on them. Then later, we can get together and plan the next step.
ANNIE: OK. How about starting with how useful refrigeration is, and the range of goods that are refrigerated 【Q25】 nowadays? Because of course it’s not just food and drinks.
JACK: No, I suppose flowers and medicines are refrigerated, too.
ANNIE: And computers. I could do that 【Q26】, unless you particularly want to.
JACK: No, that’s fine by me. What about the effects of refrigeration on people’s health 【Q26】? After all, some of the chemicals used in the 19th century were pretty harmful, but there have been lots of benefits too, like always have access to fresh food. Do you fancy dealing with that?
ANNIE: I’m no terribly keen, to be honest.
JACK: Nor me. My mind just goes blank when I read anything about chemicals.
ANNIE: Oh, all right then, I’ll do you a favour 【Q27】. But you own me, Jack.
OK. What about the effects on food producers, like farmers in poorer countries being able to export their produce to developed countries? Something for you, maybe?
JACK: I don’t mind. It should be quite interesting.
ANNIE: I think we should also look at how refrigeration has helped whole cities 【Q28】 – like Las Vegas, which couldn’t exist without refrigeration because it’s in the middle of a desert.
JACK: Right. I had a quick look at an economics book in the library that’s got a chapter about this sort of thing. I could give you the title, if you want to do this section.
ANNIE: Not particularly, to be honest. I find economics books pretty heavy going, as a rule.
JACK: OK, leave it to me, then.
ANNIE: Thanks. Then there’s transport, and the difference that refrigerated trucks 【Q29】 have made. I wouldn’t mind having a go at that.
JACK: Don’t forget trains, too. I read something about milk and butter being transported in refrigerated railroad cars in the USA, right back in the 1840s.
ANNIE: I hadn’t thought of trains. Thanks.
JACK: Shall we have a separate section on domestic fridges 【Q30】? After all, they’re something everyone’s familiar with.
ANNIE: What about splitting it into two? You could investigate 19th- and 20th-century fridges, and I’ll concentrate on what’s available these days, and how manufacturers differentiate their products from those of their competitors.
JACK: OK, that’d suit me.
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
听前预测：定位词为 icehouses; 限定词为 Annie、discover
题目解析：本题需要注意题干中的限定词为 Annie 和 discover，考查的是 Annie 从阅读资料中新发现的内容，而并非本就知道的内容。定位词 icehouses 原词重现后，首先听到选项C的相关信息：“... so I knew they were often built in a shady area or underground, close to lakes that might freeze in the winter”其中 I knew 与题干要求的 discover 不符，故C不对;接着听到由转折信号词 But 引导的答案句：“But I didn't realise that insulating the blocks with straw or sawdust meant they didn't melt for months." 其中 I didn't realise 对应题干中的限定词 discover，insulating the blocks with straw or sawdust 对应选项 B 中的 how，didn't melt for months 对应 was kept frozen，故B正确;选项A在录音中未提及，因此答案为B。
听前预测：定位词为 refrigeration in ancient Rome; 限定词为 Annie。
题目解析：在听到定位词 refrigeration in ancient Rome 的相关信息 “The ancient Romans had refrigeration, too.”后，要注意听 Annie 说的话。首先听到选项B中的原词 snow: "... snow was imported from the mountains - even though they were at quite a distance.” 其中 at quite a distance 与选项B中的 from nearby 矛盾，故B不对;接着听到选项A的相关信息：“Both the ice and the snow were then sold." 其中 were then sold 对应选项A中的 became a commercial business，故A正确;选项C在录音中未提及，因此答案为A
听前预测：定位词为 modern refrigerators; 限定词为 both Annie and Jcak
题目解析：本题需要注意题干中的限定词为 both Annie and Jack，考查的是两名学生都担扰的问题。定位词 modem refrigerators 的同义替换词 modern domestic fridges 出现后，首先听到选项A的相关信息：“Several different technologies are used, but they were too complex...” 但 Jack 只是说自己不理解这些复杂的技术，并未对此感到担忧，故A不对;接着听到 Annie 对旧冰箱中释放出的有害气体的担忧以及选项B的相关信息：“... but of course some people just dump old fridges in the countryside." 其中 dump old fridges in the countryside 对应选项B中的 some are disposed of irresponsibly，Jack 对此也表示了担忧："It's hard to see how they can be stopped unfortunately.”故B正确;之后听到选项C中的原词 break down：“... especially because fridges hardly ever break down."其中 hardly ever 意为“几乎从来不”，与选项C中的 quickly 相矛盾，故C不对，因此答案为B。
听前预测：定位词为 domestic fridges; 限定词为 Jack and Annie。
题目解析：紧接着上一题的信息，Jack 提到 domestic fridges 的使用年限，并用So引导出答案句：“...if you pide the cost by the number of years you can use a fridge, they're not expensive, compared with some household appliances.” 其中 household appliances 虽为选项C中 domestic appliances 的同义替换，但录音中比较的是价格，并非用处，故此处信息对应的是选项A，且 Annie 也通过 True 表示了认可，故A正确;选项B中的 variations 虽然在后面有所涉及：“... manufacturers encourage people to spend more by making them different colours and designs." 但这些 variations 是否有用，录音中并未明确表示，因此答案为A。
