一、命题特点

四级考试短文听力的命题特点主要包括：

1. 形似阅读理解，难度相差悬殊。听力短文在形式上与阅读理解基本相同，都是根据材料所包含的信息回答后面提出的问题，但听力短文材料的难度比阅读理解小得多，只相当于一般的口语材料。因此考生完全没有必要被其外在形式吓倒。

2. 短文播放时间固定，但有弹性时间可利用。虽然短文播放的时间及回答问题的时间是固定的，但播放听力录音之前有大约90秒的试音时间，且在播放短文之前要播放本题的指令部分(directions)，这些时间都是可以利用的。

3. 短文体裁较为固定，为做出正确判断提供了语境依据。听力短文多为说明文或叙述性小故事，材料较为通俗易懂，这使提前根据所给选项推断材料内容成为可能。

4. 选项已知，可作为推断短文内容的依据。虽然材料的内容只播放一遍，但每小题的选项是提前给定的，考生可以根据选项所提供的信息，利用前面提到的弹性时间进行推断，为充分获取短文信息创造更加有利的条件。

5. 各小题类型相对固定，有助于总结答题规律。多年来听力短文的试题类型是相对固定的，主要包括细节题、推断题、态度题、数字题、主旨题等。这给我们正确解题提供了启发和思路。

二、应试技巧

结合听力短文的命题特点，我们可总结出如下解题步骤：

首先，浏览已知选项，推断问题的内容和短文大意。在播放短文之前，我们可以利用弹性时间浏览各小题选项，推断短文的体裁和大致内容，为播放短文时充分获取信息做准备。另外，也可据此推断问题的类型甚至内容以便听录音时更有针对性。

其次，手眼脑并用，记录关键信息。播放短文录音期间要听记兼顾，以听为主。一篇短文就是一个信息群，完全靠大脑记忆所有的信息往往是很困难的。因此我们应该把获取的主要信息有选择性地记录下来，特别是有关细节，为做出正确选择做准备。需要特别注意的是这时"听"应该是第一位的，千万不要因为记录前面的信息而漏听后面的信息。

再次，针对不同题型采取相应的解题技巧。在播放问题时，考生要综合利用各种解题技巧做出正确选择。

1. 细节题。细节题出题点无处不在，但这并不是说无规律可循。细节题的答案往往由first， most， because， in any case，as a matter of fact等副词或副词短语引出，考生在听短文时，除了要尽量听懂所有细节外，一定要更加留意这些词后面的相关信息。

2. 推断题。多数推断题与每段的大意或短文的中心思想有关系，因此在听短文录音时我们一定要注意文章中间和结尾总结性的话，特别是每部分的最后一句话。我们对这些话加以分析，往往不难找到正确的答案。

3. 态度题。态度题的选项往往是四个形容词，所以考生在播放短文录音之前判断出有态度题，在听录音时就应特别留心fortunately, luckily, unfortunately等这样的具感情色彩的可以反映出speaker的态度的词。speaker对于谈论的对象可能有双向评论，如果听不出speaker的态度方向，建议同学们选正面态度的，因为反驳的文章往往更为复杂。

4. 数字题。数字题一般涉及时间、数量、年代等等。如果事先判断出有数字题，在听短文录音时就要特别留意相关数字并尽可能地记下来。而且对于Section B的解题对策要与Section A完全要反过来，即听到哪个数字就要选哪个数字，这里的数字不考运算。

5. 主旨题。对于主旨题，我们可以从三方面来把握：一是从选项入手。选项中出现的多次重复的词一定是中心词(key word)。二是从短文入手，要特别注意文章的两头，尤其是文章的开头的两个句子最重要，很有可能成为主旨题的考点，具体需要听的是文章开头的名词。选答案时要优先选含有该名词的选项。三是从短文后面的问题入手，这样也可以提供中心词的线索。大多数的考题都问及的词一定就是此段的中心词。

最后，认真检验核对，不允许任何由于疏忽造成的失误。

把握命题特点和解题技巧固然重要，但这些都是"应急"措施，平时掌握扎实的基础知识，练就基本技能才是解题之根本。忽略平时的基本功训练片面追求所谓的解题技巧只能是舍本逐末。

26. A) They want children to keep them company.

B) They want to enrich their life experience.

C) They need looking after in their old age.

D) They care a lot about children.

27. A) Their birth parents often try to conceal their birth information.

B) They are usually adopted from distant places.

C) Their birth information is usually kept secret.

D) Their adoptive parents don't want them to know their birth parents.

28. A) They do not want to hurt the feelings of their adoptive parents.

B) They have mixed feelings about finding their natural parents.

C) They generally hold bad feelings towards their birth parents.

D) They are fully aware of the expenses involved in the search.

29. A) Adoption has much to do with love.

B) Understanding is the key to successful adoption.

C) Most people prefer to adopt children from overseas.

D) Early adoption makes for closer parent-child relationship.

听力原文

When couples get married, they usually plan to have children. Sometimes, however, a couple cannot have a child of their own. In this case, they may decide to adopt a child. In fact, adoption is very common today. There are about 60,000 adoptions each year in the United States alone. Some people prefer to adopt infants; others adopt older children. Some couples adopt children from their own countries; others adopt children from foreign countries. In any case, they all adopt children for the same reason-they care about children and want to give their adopted child a happy life.

Most adopted children know that they are adopted. Psychologists and child-care experts generally think this is a good idea. However, many adopted children or adoptees have very little information about their biological parents. As a matter of fact, it is often very difficult for adoptees to find out about their birth parents be-cause the birth records of most adoptees are usually sealed. The information is secret so no one can see it. Naturally, adopted children have different feelings about their birth parents. Many adoptees want to search for them, but others do not. The decision to search for birth parents is a difficult one to make. Most adoptees have mixed feelings about finding their biological parents. Even though adoptees do not know about their natural parents, they do know that their adopted parents want them, love them and will care for them.

Questions 26-29 are based on the passage you have just heard.

26. According to the speaker, why do some couples adopt children?

27. Why is it difficult for adoptees to find out about their birth parents?

28. Why do many adoptees find it hard to make the decision to search for their birth parents?

29. What can we infer from the passage?

答案&解析

26. D)。细节题。答案是由副词短语"in any case"引出的。录音中我们可以听到这句话"In any case, they all adopt children for the same reason-they care about children and want to give their adopted child a happy life."在听录音时只要我们留心"in any case"后面的内容就可找到正确答案。

27. C)。细节题。答案是由副词短语"as a matter of fact"引出的。录音中我们可以听到"As a matter of fact, it is often very difficult for adoptees to find out about their birth parents because the birth records of most adoptees are usually sealed. The information is secret so no one can see it."在听短文录音时我们只要留心副词短语"as a matter of fact"后面的信息就可以找到正确答案。

28. B)。细节题。在短文录音里面我们可以听到这样的信息"The decision to search for birth parents is a difficult one to make. Most adoptees have mixed feelings about finding their biological parents."这里只提到了被收养的孩子很难下决心寻找他们生父母的原因是由于对他们的"复杂的感情",并没有说是什么感情,因此选B)。

29. A)。推断题。录音中至少有两处可作为推断的依据:

一处是"In any case, they all adopt children for the same reason-they care about children and want to give their adopted child a happy life.";

另一处是"Even though adoptees do not know about their natural parents, they do know that their adopted parents want them, love them and will care for them."。

另：沪江将考后揭晓6月六级答案及真题下载信息