2026年英语四级听力考前冲刺卷

2026年英语四级听力考前冲刺卷PartIListeningComprehension(25minutes)SectionADirections:Inthissection,youwillhearthreenewsreports.Attheendofeachnewsreport,youwillheartwoorthreequestions.Boththenewsreportandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).ThenmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet1withasinglelinethroughthecentre.Questions1and2arebasedonthenewsreportyouhavejustheard.1.A)IthaslaunchedanewAIassistantforstudents.B)Ithasreducedtuitionfeesforinternationalstudents.C)Ithasintroducedafour-dayworkweekforstaff.D)Ithasbannedtheuseofsmartphonesinclassrooms.2.A)Toimprovetheemployees'work-lifebalance.B)Tocutdownontheuniversity’soperationalcosts.C)Tocompetewithprivatetechcompanies.D)Toallowmoretimeforresearchactivities.Questions3and4arebasedonthenewsreportyouhavejustheard.3.A)Amassivefirebrokeoutinahistoriccastle.B)Ararespeciesofbirdwasdiscoveredintheforest.C)Anewbridgeconnectingtwocitiescollapsed.D)Aseverestormcausedfloodingacrosstheregion.4.A)Nocasualtieswerereported.B)Overfiftypeoplewereinjured.C)Thelocalgovernmentdeclaredastateofemergency.D)Rescueoperationswerehamperedbyheavyrain.Questions5to7arebasedonthenewsreportyouhavejustheard.5.A)Theglobaldemandforelectricvehiclesisdropping.B)Anewbatterytechnologyextendsthedrivingrangesignificantly.C)Amajorcarmanufacturerrecalleditsfaultymodels.D)Oilpriceshavehitarecordhighthisquarter.6.A)300miles.B)500miles.C)800miles.D)1,000miles.7.A)Itismuchlighterthantraditionalbatteries.B)Itcanbefullychargedinjusttenminutes.C)Itisenvironmentallyfriendlyandcheapertoproduce.D)Itfunctionswellinextremelycoldtemperatures.SectionBDirections:Inthissection,youwillheartwolongconversations.Attheendofeachconversation,youwillhearfourquestions.Boththeconversationandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).ThenmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet1withasinglelinethroughthecentre.Questions8to11arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.8.A)Heislookingforapart-timejoboncampus.B)Hewantstojoinastudentvolunteerclub.C)Heisinquiringaboutascholarshipapplication.D)Heneedshelpwithhiscourseregistration.9.A)Organizingcommunityclean-upevents.B)Tutoringprimaryschoolchildren.C)Workingintheuniversitylibrary.D)Assistinginthecampuscafeteria.10.A)Itrequiresacommitmentof10hoursaweek.B)Itoffersachancetoearnacademiccredits.C)Itprovidesasmallmonthlystipend.D)Itinvolvesweekendfieldtrips.11.A)Submitaresumeandacoverletter.B)Filloutanonlineapplicationform.C)AttendaninterviewnextTuesday.D)Providereferencesfromprofessors.Questions12to15arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.12.A)Discussingtheirplansforthesummerholiday.B)Complainingaboutthenoisyneighbors.C)Planningasurprisebirthdayparty.D)Reviewingnotesforafinalexam.13.A)ShehastofinishanassignmentbyFriday.B)Sheisnotfeelingverywelltoday.C)Shedoesn’tlikethetasteofthecoffeethere.D)Shehasanappointmentwithherdentist.14.A)Atthelibrary.B)Atacoffeeshop.C)Intheclassroom.D)Atthewoman’sapartment.15.A)Theywillgotothecinematogether.B)Theywillmeetattheman’splace.C)Theywillreschedulethestudysession.D)Theywillorderpizzafordinner.SectionCDirections:Inthissection,youwillhearthreepassages.Attheendofeachpassage,youwillhearthreeorfourquestions.Boththepassageandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).ThenmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet1withasinglelinethroughthecentre.Questions16to18arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.16.A)ThehistoryofpostalservicesinAmerica.B)Theevolutionofcommunicationtechnology.C)TheinventionofthetelephonebyAlexanderGrahamBell.D)Theimpactofthetelegraphonbusiness.17.A)Itwastooexpensiveforordinarypeople.B)Itcouldonlytransmitshortmessages.C)Itrequiredskilledoperatorstowork.D)Itwasoftenunreliableduetoweatherconditions.18.A)Itallowedforinstantvoicecommunication.B)Iteliminatedtheneedforwrittenrecords.C)Itwasfasterthanthetelegraph.D)ItusedMorsecodefortransmission.Questions19to22arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.19.A)Theyoftenhavedifficultyfallingasleep.B)Theytendtoeatmorethanusual.C)Theyaremorelikelytocatchacold.D)Theyperformbetteratlogicaltasks.20.A)Ithelpstorepairdamagedbraintissues.B)Itconsolidatesmemoryandlearning.C)Itbooststheimmunesystemsignificantly.D)Itregulatesbloodsugarlevels.21.A)Becausetheyaretoobusywithwork.B)Becausetheyconsumetoomuchcaffeine.C)Becausetheystayuplateusingelectronicdevices.D)Becausetheysufferfrominsomnia.22.A)Drinkingaglassofwarmmilkbeforebed.B)Takingahotshowerintheevening.C)Avoidingscreensatleastonehourbeforesleep.D)Exercisingvigorouslyrightbeforebedtime.Questions23to25arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.23.A)Toencouragepeopletoprotecttheenvironment.B)Tointroduceanewtrendinurbanliving.C)Toexplainthebenefitsofrooftopgardening.D)Todiscusstheproblemoffoodshortagesincities.24.A)Theycanreducetheheatislandeffectincities.B)Theyprovideaplaceforcommunitygatherings.C)Theyincreasethevalueoftheproperty.D)Theycanproduceenoughfoodforthewholefamily.25.A)Lackofspaceforplanting.B)Thehighcostofequipment.C)Theneedforregularmaintenance.D)Structuraldamagetothebuilding.AnswerKeyandDetailedExplanationsPartIListeningComprehensionSectionANewsReports1.C)Ithasintroducedafour-dayworkweekforstaff.解析：新闻中提到，一所著名的英国大学宣布将进行一项试点项目，让教职员工每周只工作四天，但工资不变。这是为了测试工作效率和员工幸福感。因此，正确答案是C。听力原文：AleadinguniversityintheUKhasannouncedatrialfour-dayworkweekforitsstaff.Theexperiment,whichbeginsnextmonth,aimstoimproveproductivityandemployeewell-being.Staffwillworkfewerhourswithnoreductioninpay.2.A)Toimprovetheemployees'work-lifebalance.解析：新闻后半部分提到，大学管理层希望这一举措能帮助员工更好地平衡工作与生活，并减少职业倦怠。因此，正确答案是A。听力原文：Theuniversitymanagementstatedthattheprimarygoalistoenhancework-lifebalanceandreduceburnoutamongfacultyandadministrativestaff.Theybelievethatarestedworkforceisamoreefficientone.3.D)Aseverestormcausedfloodingacrosstheregion.解析：新闻开头提到，一场强烈的暴风雨袭击了该地区，导致河水泛滥，许多街道被淹。因此，正确答案是D。听力原文：Aseverestormsweptthroughthecoastalregionyesterday,bringingheavyrainfallandstrongwinds.Theriverburstitsbanks,causingwidespreadfloodingacrossseveraltowns.Emergencyservicesareonhighalert.4.C)Thelocalgovernmentdeclaredastateofemergency.解析：新闻中提到，由于洪水严重，当地政府宣布进入紧急状态，并动员了国民警卫队协助疏散。虽然提到了疏散，但关键措施是宣布紧急状态。因此，正确答案是C。听力原文：Duetotheseverityoftheflooding,thelocalgovernmenthasdeclaredastateofemergency.Hundredsofresidentshavebeenevacuatedfromtheirhomestosafetycenters.Poweroutageshavebeenreportedinaffectedareas.5.B)Anewbatterytechnologyextendsthedrivingrangesignificantly.解析：新闻主要报道了一家科技初创公司开发出了一种新型固态电池，这种电池能大幅延长电动汽车的续航里程。因此，正确答案是B。听力原文：ACalifornia-basedtechstartuphasunveiledabreakthroughinbatterytechnology.Thenewsolid-statebatterypromisestotriplethedrivingrangeofelectricvehicles,potentiallysolvingoneofthebiggesthurdlesforEVadoption.6.D)1,000miles.解析：新闻中明确提到，目前的电池通常只能支持300到400英里，而新型电池能让车单次充电行驶超过1000英里。因此，正确答案是D。听力原文：Whilecurrentlithium-ionbatteriesofferarangeof300to400miles,thenewprototypehassuccessfullypoweredavehicleforover1,000milesonasinglechargeduringroadtests.7.D)Itfunctionswellinextremelycoldtemperatures.解析：新闻结尾提到，除了续航长，这种电池还有一个优点，就是在极寒天气下性能不会下降，这是传统电池的弱点。因此，正确答案是D。听力原文：Furthermore,thebatterymaintainsitsperformanceeveninextremelycoldtemperatures,acommonweaknessofcurrentEVbatteries.Thecompanyplanstomass-producethebatteriesby2026.SectionBLongConversations8.A)Heislookingforapart-timejoboncampus.解析：对话开始时，男生询问女生关于校园招聘会的信息，并提到他想找一份兼职工作来补贴生活费。因此，正确答案是A。听力原文：M:Hi,Sarah.Iheardyouwenttothecampusjobfairyesterday.Didyoufindanythinginteresting?W:Yes,quiteafew.I’mlookingforapart-timejobforthesemester.Whydoyouask?M:Well,Ineedtofindsomethingtocovermyrent.Iwashopingtogetapositiononcampus.9.B)Tutoringprimaryschoolchildren.解析：女生提到她申请了一个“阅读伙伴”的项目，主要是去当地小学辅导孩子阅读。因此，正确答案是B。听力原文：W:Iappliedforthe"ReadingBuddy"program.It’srunbytheuniversity’svolunteercenter.M:Whatdoesthatinvolve?W:Yougotolocalprimaryschoolsandhelpchildrenwhoarestrugglingwithreading.It’sreallyrewarding.10.C)Itprovidesasmallmonthlystipend.解析：男生问是否有报酬，女生说这不是高薪工作，但有一小笔津贴，而且还能获得社区服务经验。因此，正确答案是C。听力原文：M:Isitpaid?Ireallyneedsomethingwithasalary.W:It’snotahigh-payingjob,butyoudogetasmallmonthlystipend.Plus,itlooksgreatonyourresumeforcommunityserviceexperience.11.C)AttendaninterviewnextTuesday.解析：女生告诉男生，如果感兴趣的话，下周二有个面试组，需要尽快填表。因此，正确答案是C。听力原文：W:TheyareactuallyholdinginterviewsnextTuesday.Ifyou’reinterested,youshouldfilloutanonlineformbytomorrow.M:Thatsoundsperfect.I’lldothattonight.Thanksfortheinfo!12.D)Reviewingnotesforafinalexam.解析：对话中两人讨论了历史课的笔记，并提到即将到来的期末考试，因此他们是在复习备考。正确答案是D。听力原文：M:I’mreallyworriedaboutthehistoryfinal.DidyouunderstandthepartabouttheIndustrialRevolution?W:Sortof.IhavesomenotesfromProfessorGreen'slecture.Wecangothroughthemtogetherifyouwant.M:Thatwouldbealifesaver.Mynotesareamess.13.A)ShehastofinishanassignmentbyFriday.解析：当男生提议现在就开始复习时，女生说她不行，因为必须在一个截止日期前完成另一门课的论文。因此，正确答案是A。听力原文：M:Doyouwanttomeetatthelibrarynow?W:Ican’trightnow.Ihavetofinishanessayformyeconomicsclass.It’sduethisFriday,andI’monlyhalfwaydone.14.B)Atacoffeeshop.解析：两人商量见面地点，女生建议去学校附近的咖啡店，那里比较安静而且有吃的。因此，正确答案是B。听力原文：M:Okay,howabouttomorrowmorning?W:Tomorrowworks.Let'smeetatthatcoffeeshopnearthegyminsteadofthelibrary.It’squieterandIneedcaffeine.M:Soundsgood.Say,10AM?15.C)Theywillreschedulethestudysession.解析：虽然对话中敲定了时间，但最后女生突然想起来明天早上有牙医预约，所以需要重新安排时间。因此，正确答案是C。听力原文：W:Wait,IjustrememberedIhaveadentistappointmenttomorrowmorningat9:30.M:Ohno.W:Yeah.Canwepushittotheafternoon?Maybe2PM?M:Sure,2PMisfine.I’llbringmybooks.SectionCPassages16.A)ThehistoryofpostalservicesinAmerica.解析：文章主要讲述了美国邮政服务的发展历程，特别是从马车到铁路，再到航空的演变。因此，正确答案是A。听力原文：Beforetheageofdigitalcommunication,thepostalservicewasthelifelineofAmerica.Intheearly19thcentury,mailwasdeliveredbystagecoaches.Thejourneywasslowanddangerous,oftentakingweekstocrossthecountry.Withtheadventoftherailroadinthemid-1800s,maildeliverybecamefasterandmorereliable.Trainshaddesignatedmailcarswhereclerkswouldsortmailwhilethetrainwasmoving.17.C)Itrequiredskilledoperatorstowork.解析：文章中提到电报虽然快，但需要受过专门训练的操作员来发送和解读摩斯密码，这使得普通大众无法直接使用。因此，正确答案是C。听力原文：However,thetelegraph,whichemergedaroundthesametime,offeredinstantcommunicationoverlongdistances.Despiteitsspeed,thetelegraphhadlimitations.ItrequiredskilledoperatorstosendanddecodemessagesinMorsecode,meaningitwasmostlyusedforbusinessandurgentnews,notpersonalcorrespondence.18.A)Itallowedforinstantvoicecommunication.解析：文章最后提到，电话的出现改变了一切，因为它允许人们直接通过声音交流，而不需要操作员。因此，正确答案是A。听力原文：TheinventionofthetelephonebyAlexanderGrahamBellrevolutionizedpersonalcommunication.Forthefirsttime,peoplecouldspeakdirectlytosomeonemilesawaywithouttheneedforathirdpartytotranslatethemessage.Thismarkedthebeginningoftheendforthetelegraph'sdominanceinpersonalcommunication.19.A)Theyoftenhavedifficultyfallingasleep.解析：文章开头提到，现代生活节奏快，许多人因为压力大而失眠，难以入睡。因此，正确答案是A。听力原文：Intoday'sfast-pacedworld,sleepisoftenneglected.Manypeoplesufferfrominsomnia,findingithardtofallasleeporstayasleepthroughthenight.Thislackofrestcanhaveseriousconsequencesonourhealthanddailyperformance.20.B)Itconsolidatesmemoryandlearning.解析：文章中明确提到，睡眠对于大脑巩固记忆和学习新技能至关重要。因此，正确答案是B。听力原文：Scientistshavediscoveredthatsleepisnotjustapassivestate.Itisatimewhenthebrainishighlyactive,processinginformationfromtheday.Oneofthekeyfunctionsofsleepismemoryconsolidation.Ithelpstransfershort-termmemoriesintolong-termstorage,whichisessentialforlearning.21.C)Becausetheystayuplateusingelectronicdevices.解析：文章提到，导致睡眠不足的一个主要原因是人们睡前长时间使用电子设备，屏幕发出的蓝光会抑制褪黑素的分泌。因此，正确答案是C。听力原文：Amajorculpritbehindsleepdeprivationistheuseofelectronicdevicesbeforebed.Thebluelightemittedbyphonesandcomputerscaninterferewiththeproductionofmelatonin,ahormonethatregulatessleepcycles.Consequently,peoplewhoscrollthroughsocialmedialateatnightoftenstruggletofeelrested.22.C)Avoidingscreensatleastonehourbeforesleep.解析：文章最后给出的建议是，为了改善睡眠，应该在睡前至少一小时停止使用电子屏幕。因此，正确答案是C。听力原文：Expertsrecommendestablishingaregularsleepscheduleandavoidingscreensatleastonehourbeforebedtime.Creatingadark,quietenvironmentcanalsosignaltoyourbodythatitistimetowinddown.Prioritizingsleepiscrucialformaintainingoverallwell-being.23.C)Toexplainthebenefitsofrooftopgardening.解析：文章主要介绍了城市中屋顶花园的趋势，以及它对环境和居民带来的好处。因此，正确答案是C。听力原文：Ascitiesbecomemorecrowdedandgreenspacesdisappear,urbandwellersarefindingcreativewaystoreconnectwithnature.Onesuchtrendisrooftopgardening.Transformingthetopsofbuildingsintogreenspacesoffersnumerousbenefitstoboththeenvironmentandthebuildingresidents.24.A)Theycanreducetheheatislandeffectincities.解析：文章中提到，城市中的混凝土和沥青会吸收热量，导致“热岛效应”，而屋顶花园的植物可以吸收阳光并降低周围的温度。因此，正确答案是A。听力原文：Environmentally,rooftopgardenshelpreducethe"heatisland"effectincities.Concreteandasphaltabsorbheat,makingurbanareassignificantlywarmerthanruralones.Plantsonrooftopsabsorbsunlightandprovideshade,coolingthebuildingandthesurroundingair.25.D)Structuraldamagetothebuilding.解析：文章最后提到，虽然屋顶花园有很多好处，但也存在挑战，其中主要的一点是必须确保建筑结构能承受土壤和植物的重量，否则可能造成损坏。因此，正确答案是D。听力原文：However,therearechallengestoconsider.Theweightofsoilandplantscanputstressonabuilding'sstructure,soengineeringassessmentsarenecessary.Additionally,rooftopgardensrequireregularmaintenance,includingwateringandweeding.Despitethesechallenges,themovementcontinuestogrowasmorecitiesrecognizethevalueofgreeninfrastructure.PartIIReadingComprehension(40minutes)SectionADirections:Inthissection,thereisapassagewithtenblanks.Youarerequiredtoselectonewordforeachblankfromalistofchoicesgiveninawordbankfollowingthepassage.Readthepassagethroughcarefullybeforemakingyourchoices.Eachchoiceinthebankisidentifiedbyaletter.PleasemarkthecorrespondingletterforeachitemonAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.Youmaynotuseanyofthewordsinthebankmorethanonce.Questions26to35arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Theconceptof"emotionalintelligence"(EQ)hasgainedsignificantattentioninrecentyears,particularlyintheworkplace.UnlikeIQ,whichmeasurescognitiveabilities,EQreferstotheabilitytoidentify,understand,andmanageone'sownemotions,aswellastheemotionsofothers.ResearchsuggeststhatindividualswithhighEQareoftenmore__26__intheircareers.Theytendtopossessbettercommunicationskillsandcan__27__conflictsmoreeffectively.Onekeycomponentofemotionalintelligenceisself-awareness.Thisinvolvesrecognizingyourownemotionaltriggersandunderstandinghowtheyaffectyourthoughtsandbehavior.Forexample,ifyouknowthattightdeadlinesmakeyou__28__,youcandevelopstrategiestostaycalmandfocused.Anothercomponentisempathy,theabilityto__29__thefeelingsofothers.Empatheticleadersarebetterabletobuildstrongrelationshipswiththeirteammembers,fosteringapositiveand__30__workenvironment.Furthermore,emotionalintelligenceisnotafixedtrait;itcanbedevelopedovertime.Practicessuchasmindfulnessmeditationandjournalingcanhelpindividualsbecomemore__31__totheiremotionalstates.Seekingfeedbackfromcolleaguescanalsoprovidevaluable__32__intohowoneisperceivedbyothers.Intoday'scollaborativeworkculture,technicalskillsaloneareofteninsufficientforcareeradvancement.EmployerswhovalueEQaremorelikelytopromoteindividualswhodemonstratehighlevelsofsocialandemotional__33__.Theseindividualscannavigatecomplexsocialdynamicsandleadteamswithgreaterease.Ultimately,cultivatingemotionalintelligencecanleadtonotonlyprofessionalsuccessbutalsopersonal__34__.Itallowspeopletohandlestressbetter,buildhealthierrelationships,andachieveamorebalancedlife.Therefore,investingtimeinimprovingyourEQisawisedecisionforanyonelookingto__35__inthemodernworld.A)anxiousB)awareC)competentD)contributeE)empathyF)flourishingG)handleH)insightsI)perspectiveJ)productiveK)recognizeL)resilienceM)resolveN)stressfulO)thriveSectionBDirections:Inthissection,youaregoingtoreadapassagewithtenstatementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.Eachparagraphismarkedwithaletter.AnswerthequestionsbymarkingthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2.TheRiseoftheGigEconomyA)Thetraditionalmodelofemployment,characterizedbylong-term,stablejobswithasingleemployer,isbeingreshapedbytheemergenceofthegigeconomy.Inthisnewlandscape,short-termworkcontractsandfreelancejobsarebecomingthenorm.Thisshiftisdrivenbyvariousfactors,includingtechnologicaladvancements,changingworkerpreferences,andthedesireforbusinessestoreducelaborcosts.B)Technologyhasplayedapivotalroleinfacilitatingthegigeconomy.Digitalplatformsandappsconnectserviceprovidersdirectlywithconsumers,bypassingtraditionalemploymentstructures.CompanieslikeUber,Airbnb,andTaskRabbithavecreatedmarketplaceswhereindividualscanoffertheirskillsorassetsonademandbasis.Thiseaseofaccesshasmadeitsimplerthaneverforpeopletofindworkandforcompaniestoscaletheirworkforceupordownquickly.C)Forworkers,thegigeconomyoffersalevelofflexibilitythatisoftenabsentintraditionaljobs.Freelancerscanchoosewhen,where,andhowmuchtheywork.ThisautonomyisparticularlyappealingtomillennialsandGenZ,whovaluework-lifebalanceandthefreedomtopursuediverseinterests.Additionally,thegigeconomyallowsindividualstodiversifytheirincomestreamsbyworkingformultipleclientssimultaneously.D)However,thisflexibilitycomesatacost.Gigworkerstypicallydonotreceivebenefitssuchashealthinsurance,paidvacation,orretirementplans.Theyarealsoresponsiblefortheirowntaxesandoftenfaceincomeinstability.Aslowweekcanresultinsignificantfinancialhardship,creatingasenseofinsecuritythattraditionalemployeesrarelyexperience.E)Fromabusinessperspective,thegigeconomyprovidesacost-effectivesolutiontolaborneeds.Companiescanhirespecialistsforspecificprojectswithouttheoverheadcostsassociatedwithfull-timeemployees.Thisallowsbusinessestoremainagileandcompetitiveinafast-changingmarket.However,criticsarguethatthismodelcanleadtoalackofloyaltyandinstitutionalknowledge,asworkershavelessconnectiontothecompany.F)Thelegalstatusofgigworkershasbecomeasubjectofintensedebate.Manycompaniesclassifytheirworkersasindependentcontractorsratherthanemployees.Thisclassificationexemptscompaniesfrompayingbenefitsandfollowinglaborlawsdesignedtoprotectemployees.Courtsandlegislaturesaroundtheworldarecurrentlygrapplingwithhowtoupdatelaborregulationstobetterprotectgigworkerswhilepreservingtheflexibilitythatdefinesthemodel.G)Despitethechallenges,thegigeconomycontinuestogrow.Itisestimatedthatby2026,asignificantportionoftheworkforcewillbeengagedinsomeformoffreelancework.Thisgrowthispromptingchangesineducationandtraining,asskillslikeself-marketingandpersonalbrandingbecomeessentialforsuccess.Asthelinebetweenworkandlifeblurs,societymustadapttothenewrealitiesofthiseconomictransformation.36.Thegigeconomyallowsworkerstoenjoyflexibilitybutoftenlacksthesecurityoftraditionalemployment.37.Digitalplatformsareessentialinconnectingserviceproviderswithconsumersinthegigeconomy.38.Businessesbenefitfromthegigeconomybyreducingoverheadcostsandincreasingagility.39.Youngergenerationsareparticularlydrawntothegigeconomybecauseoftheautonomyitoffers.40.Theclassificationofworkersasindependentcontractorsisacontroversiallegalissue.41.Traditionalemploymentmodelsarebeingchallengedbytheriseofshort-termcontracts.42.Gigworkershavetohandletheirowntaxesanddealwithunpredictableincome.43.Thegrowthofthegigeconomyisinfluencingtheskillsneededforcareersuccess.44.Criticssuggestthatthegigeconomymightweakenthebondbetweenworkersandcompanies.45.Thegigeconomyisreshapingtherelationshipbetweenworkandlife.SectionCDirections:Thereare2passagesinthissection.Eachpassageisfollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.ForeachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).YoushoulddecideonthebestchoiceandmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2.PassageOneQuestions46to50arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Theconceptof"fastfashion"hasrevolutionizedtheclothingindustry,allowingconsumerstopurchasetrendyitemsatincrediblylowprices.RetailerslikeZaraandH&Mcanproducenewdesignsinamatterofweeksandgetthemintostoresquickly,encouragingshopperstobuymorefrequently.However,thisconveniencecomeswithasteepenvironmentalpricetag.Theenvironmentalimpactoffastfashionismultifaceted.Firstly,theproductionoftextilesrequiresvastamountsofwater.Forinstance,growingcottonforasinglet-shirtcanconsumeupto2,700litersofwater.Secondly,theindustryisresponsibleforsignificantcarbonemissions.Themanufacturingprocess,coupledwiththeglobalshippingofgarments,contributesheavilytoclimatechange.Moreover,theuseofsyntheticfiberslikepolyester,whicharederivedfromfossilfuels,exacerbatestheproblemasthesematerialsarenotbiodegradable.Anothercriticalissueiswaste.The"throwawayculture"promotedbyfastfashionleadstomountainsoftextilewaste.Consumersoftendiscardclothesafterwearingthemjustafewtimesbecausetheyarecheapandquicklygooutofstyle.Inmanycountries,thesediscardedclothesendupinlandfills,wheretheycantakehundredsofyearstodecompose.Evenwhenclothesaredonated,asignificantportionisexportedtodevelopingnations,whichcanoverwhelmlocalmarketsanddamagetheirowntextileindustries.Inresponsetotheseissues,amovementtowards"sustainablefashion"isgainingmomentum.Thisapproachprioritizesenvironmentalandsocialresponsibility.Itinvolvesusingeco-friendlymaterials,reducingwastethroughrecyclingandupcycling,andensuringfairlaborpractices.Consumersarealsobecomingmoreconscious,withmanyoptingtobuyfewer,higher-qualityitemsthatlastlonger,orchoosingsecond-handclothing.Whilesustainablefashionisoftenmoreexpensiveupfront,advocatesarguethatthelong-termbenefitsoutweighthecosts.Byshiftingawayfromthedisposablemindset,theindustrycanreduceitsecologicalfootprint.However,forthistransitiontobesuccessful,itrequiresacollectiveeffortfrommanufacturers,retailers,andconsumersalike.Governmentregulationsholdingcompaniesaccountablefortheirenvironmentalimpactcouldalsoplayacrucialroleindrivingchange.46.Whatisthemainideaofthepassage?A)Thepopularityoffastfashionamongyoungpeople.B)Theeconomicbenefitsofthefastfashionmodel.C)Theenvironmentalconsequencesoffastfashionandtheneedforsustainability.D)Theprocessofmanufacturingtextilesinthemodernera.47.Whydoestheauthormentionthewaterconsumptionofat-shirt?A)Toillustratethewater-intensivenatureofcottonproduction.B)Tocomparethequalityofcottonwithsyntheticfibers.C)Toshowhowexpensiveitistoproduceorganicclothing.D)Toexplaintheglobalshippingprocessofgarments.48.Accordingtothepassage,whathappenstomostdonatedclothes?A)Theyarerecycledintonewtextilesimmediately.B)Theyaresoldinluxurysecond-handstores.C)Theyareexportedtodevelopingcountries.D)Theyareusedasrawmaterialsforinsulation.49.Whatisacharacteristicofsustainablefashion?A)Itfocusesonproducingcheapandtrendyitems.B)Itemphasizestheuseofbiodegradablematerials.C)Itreliesheavilyonglobalshipping.D)Itencouragesconsumerstobuyclothesfrequently.50.Whatisimpliedaboutthefutureofthefashionindustry?A)Fastfashionwillcontinuetodominatewithoutregulation.B)Sustainablefashionwillreplacefastfashionentirelyby2030.C)Consumersareunwillingtopaymoreforsustainableproducts.D)Collaborationisnecessaryfortheindustrytobecomeeco-friendly.PassageTwoQuestions51to55arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Spaceexplorationhaslongcaptivatedthehumanimagination.FromtheearlydaysoftheSpaceRacetotherecentdeploymentoftheJamesWebbSpaceTelescope,humanityhassoughttounderstandthemysteriesoftheuniverse.WhilesomearguethatthevastsumsofmoneyspentonspaceexplorationcouldbebetterusedtosolveproblemsonEarth,proponentscontendthatthebenefitsextendfarbeyondscientificcuriosity.Oneoftheprimaryargumentsforspaceexplorationisthetechnologicalinnovationitdrives.Thechallengesofsurviving