货位 freight section

SECTION B PASSAGES

Directions: In this section, you will hear several passages. Listen to the passages carefully and then answer the questions that follow.

听力原文： At the beginning of the last century railroads were used to haul everything. Powerful railroad barons made fortunes without having to be accountable to the public or considerate to customers. But cars and trucks changed all of that. And by 1970, the rail industry was beset with problems. Trucks were taking all the new business. And even so the rail industry remained indifferent to customers. Also many regulations kept the rail industry from adjusting to shifting markets. But in 1980, the rail industry entered the modem era when a deregulation bill was passed that allowed railroad companies to make quick adjustments to fees and practices. Companies reduced their lines by 1/3 and used fewer employees. They also took steps to minimize damage to products. And to increase their shipping capacity by stacking freight containers on railroad cars. To accommodate these taller loads, underpasses and tunnels were enlarged. The image of the rail industry has changed dramatically. Today companies are very responsive to customers and are gaining increasing market shares in the shipping industry. The railroad safety record is also strong. Freight trains have an accident rate that is only 1/3 that of the trucking industry. Trains also come out ahead of the trucks on environmental grounds because they give off only 1/10 to 1/3 the pollution that is emitted by trucks. And railroading does not wear out highways as trucks do.

What development caused a decline in the use of railroads？

A．The use of oversized freight containers.

B．Safety problems with railroad tracks.

C．The growth of the automotive industry.

D．The high cost of meeting environmental regulations.

SECTION A CONVERSATIONS

Directions: In this section you will hear several conversations. Listen to the conversations carefully and then answer the questions that follow.

听力原文：W: Hi, Sam, how are you feeling？

M: Horrible. I got a cold five days ago, and now it seems it's getting worse. The cough has gotten deeper, and I feel like I've been run over by a freight train!

W: Well, let me take a listen to your chest. Deep breath in... and exhale. Inhale... exhale.

M: Hear anything interesting down there？

W: It sounds like you have some congestion in your lungs. Have you been coughing stuff up？

M: A little, but not too much!

W: Well, we need to get that junk loosened up. Here is a prescription.

M: What's it for？

W: It'll help loosen your chest up and calm your cough. I want you to take it every 4 hours for a week, three pills each time, OK？

M: Fine.

W: You know that it takes time. So, don't forget to drink lots of fluids.

M: You got it. Thank you.

W: You're welcome. Take care.

What is Sam suffering from？

A．Cold.

B．Lung.

C．Cough.

D．Congestion.

Section B

Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice.

Water is the oldest form. of transportation. The original sailing vessels were replaced by steamboats in the early 1800s and by diesel power in the 1920s. A distinction is generally made between deep-water and navigable inland water transport. Domestic commerce centers on the Great Lakes, canals, and navigable rivers.

In 1975 water transport accounted for 22.6 percent of total intercity tonnage. Its relative share of intercity tonnage was 33.3 percent in 1947 and 31.7 percent in 1958. Tonnage declined to 27.9 per cent in 1965 but increased by 1970 to 28.4 percent. This short-time increase did not stabilize. Market share dropped by 5.8 per cent by 1975. Forecasted market share by 1985 is 18.4 percent of total intercity tonnage. The water transport share of revenue has been less than 2 percent of intercity freight revenue since 1955.

The exact miles of improved waterways in operation depend in part on whether coastwise and intercostals shipping is included. Approximately 26,000 miles of improved inland waterways were operated in 1975. Fewer miles of improved inland waterways exist than of any other transportation mode.

The main advantage of water transport is the capacity to move extremely large shipments. Deepwater vessels are restricted in operation, but diesel towed barges have a fair degree of flexibility. In comparison to rail and highway, water transport ranks in the middle with respect to fixed cost. The fixed cost of operation is greater than that of motor carders but less than that of railroads. The main disadvantage of water is the limited degree of flexibility and the low speeds of transport. Unless the source and destination of the movement are adjacent to a waterway, supplemental haul by rail or truck is required. The capability of water to transport large tonnage at low variable cost places this mode of transport in demand when low freight rates are desired and speed of transit is a secondary consideration.

Freight transported by inland water leans heavily to mining and basic bulk commodities, such as chemicals, cement, and selected agricultural products. In addition to the restrictions of navigable waterways, terminal facilities for bulk and dry cargo storage and loaded-unload devices limit the flexibility of water transport. Labor restrictions on loading and unloading at deck level create operational problems and tend to reduce the potential range of available traffic. Finally, a highly competitive situation has developed between railroads and inland water carriers in areas where paralleled routings exist.

Inland and Great Lakes water transport will continue to be a fable alternative for future logistical system design. The full potential of the St. Lawrence Seaway has not yet been realized with respect to domestic freight. The slow passage of inland river transport can provide a form. of water housing in transit if fully integrated into overall system design. Improvements in icebreaking equipment appear on the verge of emanating the seasonal limitations of water transport.

Which of the following statements is not true according to the article？

A．Steamboats are the original sailing vessels.

B．Steam power was followed by diesel power.

C．Deep-water and navigable inland water transports are equivalents.

D．There is not domestic commerce in the Atlantic Ocean.