News Report 1（第二套）音频、真题、答案、听力原文、答案解析、参考译文
【音频】
【真题】
Questions 1 to 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1.
A) They will see a 27% higher price to buy natural gas.
B) They will have insufficient heating oil to keep warm.
C) They will have a costly bill to pay to heat their homes.
D) They will experience the coldest winter in four decades.
2.
A) Provided additional funding to Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
B) Assured U.S. citizens of an increase in energy supplies by the end of this year.
C) Predicted a 10% jump in heating bills for most U.S. households this winter.
D) Decided on this year’s energy assistance package of $8 billion in total.【答案】
1. C) They will have a costly bill to pay to heat their homes.
2. A) Provided additional funding to Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
【听力原文】
[1]Across the U.S., families are looking to the winter with fear as energy costs soar. A number of factors are creating a bad situation: Global energy consumption is up, but supplies have been reduced.The Energy Department projects heating bills will jump 28% this winter for those who rely on natural gas. Natural gas is used by nearly half of U.S. households for heat. Heating oil is projected to be 27% higher and electricity 10% higher. That comes against inflation rates that accelerated last month with consumer prices growing 6.6%. That’s the fastest pace in four decades.
The pain will be especially acute in parts of the country that heavily rely on heating oil to keep homes warm.It’s projected to cost more than $2,300 to heat a typical home with heating oil this winter. [2] Last month, the federal government added $1 billion in funding to Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program,bringing the total to $4.8 billion. But that represents a reduction from last year’s energy assistance package of over $8 billion.
【答案解析】
1. Why are families across the U.S. looking to this winter with fear?
为什么美国各地的家庭怀着恐惧迎接这个冬天？
答案：
C) They will have a costly bill to pay to heat their homes.
他们将支付高昂的账单来为家里供暖。
解析：
新闻开头提到，“Across the U.S., families are looking to the winter with fear as energy costs soar. A number of factors are creating a bad situation: Global energy consumption is up, but supplies have been reduced.”由于能源成本飙升，美国家庭正怀着恐惧迎接冬天的到来。多种因素共同导致了这一严峻局面：全球能源消费上升，但供应却减少了。随后详细说明了取暖费用大幅上涨，故选C。
干扰项分析：
A) They will see a 27% higher price to buy natural gas.
他们将看到天然气价格上涨27%。
新闻中提到，“...will jump 28% this winter for those who rely on natural gas.”依赖天然气取暖的家庭今年冬天的取暖费将上涨28%，而非27%。另外，新闻中提到， “Heating oil is projected to be 27% higher”，数字27%对应的是取暖油，不是天然气。故排除A。
B) They will have insufficient heating oil to keep warm.
他们将没有足够的取暖用油供暖。
新闻中虽提到取暖用油的费用预计上涨27%，但依赖取暖用油供暖只是部分美国家庭的情况，故排除B。
D) They will experience the coldest winter in four decades.
他们将经历40年来最寒冷的冬天。
新闻中只提到消费者价格上涨6.6%，是40年来最快涨幅，并未提及美国家庭将经历40年来最寒冷的冬天，故排除D。
2. What did the federal government do last month?
联邦政府上个月做了什么？
答案：
A) Provided additional funding to Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
为低收入家庭能源援助计划提供了额外资金。
解析：
新闻末尾提到，上个月，联邦政府为低收入家庭能源援助计划增加了10亿美元（added $1 billion）的资金，使该计划的总金额达到48亿美元，故选项A为正确答案。选项中的additional funding对应新闻中的added $1 billion。
干扰项分析：
B) Assured U.S. citizens of an increase in energy supplies by the end of this year.
向美国公民保证在今年年底前增加能源供应。
新闻中并未提及联邦政府保证增加能源供应，故排除B。
C) Predicted a 10% jump in heating bills for most U.S. households this winter.
预测今冬大多数美国家庭的取暖费将上涨10%。
新闻中，联邦政府并未预测今年冬天大多数美国家庭的取暖费上涨幅度，而新闻前半部分提及，能源部对此进行过预估，使用天然气取暖的家庭取暖费涨幅为28%，使用取暖用油供暖的家庭取暖费涨幅为27%，使用电取暖的家庭取暖费涨幅为10%，取暖方式不同，涨幅不同，故排除C。
D) Decided on this year’s energy assistance package of $8 billion in total.
决定今年的能源援助计划总额为80亿美元。
新闻中提到，联邦政府增加了10亿美元资金，使总额达到48亿美元，但这仍低于去年超过80亿美元的能源援助总额。因此今年的总额是48亿美元，而非80亿美元，故排除D。
【参考译文】
由于能源成本飙升，美国家庭正怀着恐惧迎接冬天的到来。多种因素共同导致了这一严峻局面：全球能源消费上升，但供应却减少了。能源部预估，对于那些依赖天然气取暖的家庭来说，今年冬天的取暖费将上涨28%。近一半的美国家庭使用天然气供暖。取暖用油的费用预计将上涨27%，电费预计将上涨10%。这与上个月加速的通货膨胀率相叠加，消费者价格上涨了6.6%。这是40年来最快的涨幅。
在那些严重依赖取暖用油来为房屋供暖的地区，痛苦将尤为剧烈。预计今年冬天，使用取暖用油的家庭平均取暖费用将超过2300美元。上个月，联邦政府为低收入家庭能源援助计划增加了10亿美元的资金，使总额达到48亿美元。但这仍低于去年超过80亿美元的能源援助总额。
