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WavesHow does light get from the sun to the earth? How does music get from the stage to the audience? They move the same way-----in waves!Light and sound are fomp3s of energy. All waves carry energy, but they may carry it differently. Light and sound travel through different kinds of matter. For example, light waves cannot move through walls, but sound waves can. That is why you can hear people talking in another room even though you cannot see them. The energy of some waves is destructive. An earthquake produces seismic waves.Catch a wave. Ask a friend to stand a few feet away from you. Stretch a spring between you. Shake the spring to transfer energy to it. What happens? The spring bounces up and down in waves. When the waves reach your friend, they bounce back to you!Light waves travel 300,000 kilometers (186,000 miles) per second! They can also travel through a vacuum. That is why light from the sun and distant stars can travel through space to the earth!SoilsThere are many different kinds of soils. Different soils have different types of rock and minerals in them. Some soils have more water in them than others. Some soils might have more plant and animal material in them, too.Different kinds of soils are found in different parts of the world. There are several kinds of soils found in the United States. In some areas, the soil has a lot of clay. Other soils are very sandy. Loam is a kind of soil that has a good mixture of clay and sand.In some places, soil layers are very thick. Lots of plants grow in places with a thick soil layer. In dry and windy places soil layers are much thinner. Layers of soil on mountains are thin because gravity pulls the soil downhill.The type of soil in a particular place affects what kinds of plants can grow there.CrisisLife is a contest! Who will win? A bluebird and sparrow both compete for space to build their nests. A fast-growing maple tree and slower-growing dogwood compete for the sunlight they both need. Oil competes with coal and nuclear power as an energy source for electric power plants!There is a problem. There is a limited amount of space for birds, sunlight for trees, and energy for people! If we do not cut back on our uses of some of our resources, someday they will be gone!How can we use energy today and know we will have enough to go around in the future? We can choose alternate, or replacement, energy resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable. What other ways can we conserve our sources? How can we make sure there is always enough to go around?America’s Worst SurpriseDecember 7, 1941 was one of the worst days in American history. Nearly all Americans who are old enough to remember that day can still remember what they were doing at the moment they heard “the news”. The news was that America had been attacked!Shortly before 2:00 P.M., a radio dispatch came into Washington from Honolulu, Hawaii. “Air Raid, Pearl Harbor—This is no drill.” Japanese planes had begun an attack on the largest American military base in the Pacific. They first destroyed planes on the ground. Then they bombed the ships in the harbor.No one had expected the attack. So no one was prepared for it. And it did not take long for Japanese to do their damage. When the smoke cleared, the Navy counted its losses. Eighteen ships had been sunk or badly damaged. Nearly 150 planes had been destroyed. More than 2,400 Americans had been killed and more than 1,200 w ounded.Great Depression in the U.S.In 1929, the bills started to come in. American industry had produced too many goods. Americans could not afford to buy all of them. So factories had to cut down on their production. Many workers lost their jobs. Investors tried to get their money back. But businesses did not have enough money to pay them. Banks tried to get their money back from investors. But the investors could not pay, either. Too many people owed money. And few of them could pay their bills.During the next few years, business got worse and worse. By 1932, banks all over the country were closing.People without money could not buy goods. So more businesses closed. More and more people lost their jobs. By 1932, more than 12 million Americans were jobless. Millions more were earning barely enough to live on. The country was in a great depression they had never experienced before.A Place of Our OwnWe are all usually very careful when we buy something for the house. Why? Because we have to live with it for a long time. We paint a room to make it brighter, so we choose the colors carefully.We buy new curtains in order to match the newly decorated room, so they must be the right color. We move the furniture round so as to make more space—or we buy new furniture—and so on. It is an endless business.Rich or poor, we take time to furnish a room. Perhaps some people buy furniture in order to impress their friends. But most of us just want to enjoy our surroundings. We want to live as comfortably as we can afford to. We spend a large part of our lives at home. We want to make a small corner in the world which we can recognize as our own.。
专业英语四级听力-51(总分：100.00，做题时间：90分钟)一、{{B}}PART Ⅰ DICTATION{{/B}}(总题数：1，分数：40.00)1.Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading, which will be done at normal speed, listen and try to understand the meaning. For the second and third readings, the passage will be read sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seconds. The last reading will be read at normal speed again and during this time you should check your work. You will then be given 2 minutes to check through your work once more.Life Span（分数：40.00）__________________________________________________________________________________________正确答案：()解析：[听力原文]Life SpanAbout a century ago, /the average life span for Americans was about 50 years. /Today, the typical American lives for around seventy-eight years. /According to a German aging study, /the maximum life span in industrialized countries has increased by two years every decade /since the mid-19th century. /What accounts for such increased longevity? /Between 1900 and 1950, /inventions such as refrigeration and sewage treatment meant that/young people were able to survive longer./Moreover, medical breakthroughs helped contain diseases/such as some fatal ones that killed many children. /These advances helped increase the average life span. /Medical discoveries after World War II tended to benefit older people. /Treatments for heart disease, /for example, have allowed the elderly to live longer on average. /This means that future medical breakthroughs will result in even longer average life span./[解析] 这篇听写有一定的难度，整体上句子比较长且多为复合句。
专四答案+听力原文Part Ⅰ DICTATIONLearning SympathyA big part of being human is feeling sympathy，/ but how early on in our lives do we learn this? / Scientists find that babies respond to other people / by crying when other babies cry. / However，babies can’t distinguish between themselves and others / until they’re eighteen to twenty months old. / Toddlers start to show concern for others around this time. / Kids also begin to do things like comforting other people. / And by the time they’re three，/ most children will try to protect a victim in a fight.Part Ⅱ LISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A TALK1. a physical classroom2. a coherent concept3. personalized curriculum4. (more) meaningful practice5. feedback6. collaborative learning7. question and answer8. fundamental human right9. lifelong learning10. innovationSECTION B CONVERSATIONS1. What’s wrong with the man’s computer?答案：A. It has wiped the data from the flash drive.2. How will the man be compensated if the computer can’t be fixed?答案：C. Get a new computer.3. How did the man feel about the woman’s offer of compensation?答案：D. Dissatisfied.4. When will the service engineer come to fix the computer?答案：B. After 8:30 tomorrow morning.5. What is the man’s phone number?答案：A. 6574-3205.6. What sho uld we do if our neighbors didn’t reach out?答案：B. Introduce ourselves first.7. Which is the best way to handle a noisy neighbor?答案：C. Give him a reason to stop.8. What should we do if we have a nosy neighbor?答案：D. Don’t answer their que stions.9. How long do we expect our neighbors to stay?答案：B. Five to ten minutes.10. Where can we get more information on this topic?答案：D. CBS news website.Part III LANGUAGE USAGE11. B. Whatever12. A. on which13. C. women drivers14. B. present event for tentativeness15. D. make a suggestion16. B. disappointment17. D. would later make18. C. to have been created19. A. would have been… had been20. C. that21. B. characters22. D. ensure23. B. relieve24. A. releases25. C. indicative26. B. eye27. A. critically28. C. on29. D. bound30. A. invariablyPart IV CLOZE31. ［F］implications32. ［N］single33. ［B］barely34. ［L］online35. ［C］demise36. ［M］rising37. ［I］naturally38. ［G］leaf39. ［H］lost40. ［J］objectPart V READING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A MULTIPLE CHOICEQUESTIONSPASSAGE ONE41. In Para. 4，the phrase “hit the jackpot” means according to the context.答案：C. broke one of the objects42. It can be concluded from Paras. 5 and 6 that .答案：D. people hold entirely different views on the issue43. How did the author feel about the treasure from the Atocha (Para. 7)?答案：A. She was glad that people can have a chance to see the treasure.PASSAGE TWO44. It can be learned from the beginning that Miriam’s attitude tow ards love between her and Paul is .答案：C. pessimistic45. The narration in Para. 3 tells us that Miriam had all the following feelings EXCEPT . 答案：A. delight46. Which of the following statements is CORRECT about the family’s response to Paul’s mockery?答案：B. Every member except Miriam was amused.PASSAGE THREE47. Why does the author give two examples in Para. 2?答案：A. To show that literacy is interpreted in different ways.48. According to the author，the following are some of the defining features of literacy EXCEPT .答案：D. independent49. Which of the following statements about reading and writing is CORRECT?答案：C. Reading often requires more immediate interaction than writing.50. What do the last two paragraphs mainly focus on (Paras. 10 and 11)?答案：B. Effects of illiteracy and associated problems.SECTION B SHORT ANSWERQUESTIONS阐明：简答题答案不唯一，意思对即可。
2021年英语专业四级听力试题原文答案2021年英语专业四级考试听力原文答案PART Ⅲ LISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A STATEMENT��1. Lily studied drama at the university but she used to work as a policewoman. Now she is a teacher because she likes children.��2. May I have your attention, please? Flight 5125 scheduled to take off at 11:30 will be delayed for 20 minutes. Please check-in half an hour prior to departure. ��3. There is a railway strike in the south region and several trains have been canceled, however, the strike doesn’t seem to be spreading to other regions. ��4. Latest reports from the northeast provinces say that at least sixteen people lost their lives in Sunday’s floods. A further nine people, mostly children are reported missing.��5. John, your paper must be revised over the weekend and handed in its final form on Monday. If you have any problem, call the office directly.��6. My discovery of Mary Jackson was as a matter of fact, a gift from a friend. Years ago I was given a copy of ��Tell Me a Riddle��, and I liked the stories.��7. Oh! Talking about money, it’s terrible when you think how tiring the work is. It’s only with tips and free meals that I manage to get by.��8. A lot of drugs are missing from the cupboard here in this room so I think we will have to look into the matter immediately.��SECTION B CONVERSATION��9. W:Would you mind if we discussed tomorrow’s agenda before dinner this evening? ��M: Not at all. I certainly don’t want to talk about it during our meal. ��10. W:Are you going home for the summer vacation? ��M: Well, Jane and I have decided to stay on here as researchassistants.��11. W:It’s so hot today, I can’t work. I wish the air conditioner was on in this library. ��M: So do I, I’ll fall asleep if I don’t get out of this stuffy room soon.��12. W:I can’t imagine what happened to Janet. ��M: Neither can I, bu t I’m sure she plans to come to the party.��13. W:Check in here? ��M: Yes, can I see your flight ticket please? ��W: Here it is. I’m going to Lanzhou.��14. W:I heard that PICC is going to hold interviews on campus next week. ��感谢您的阅读，祝您生活愉快。
Passage 50 ReadingNowadays few of us read books after we leave school.This is rather disturbing, for one should know that books are no less necessary to one’s mental life than fresh air is to one’s physical life. From good reading we can derive companio nship, experience and instruction. A good book is our faithful friend. It can increase our contentment when we are cheerful and happy, and lessen our pain when we are sad or lonely. Books can also offer us a wide range of experience. Few of us can travel far from home or live long over 100, but all of us can live many lives through the pages of books. What’s more, reading books can increase our intellectual ability, broaden our minds and make us wise.With the coming of TV, books are no longer read as widely as they once were. However, nothing can replace the role that books play in our lives.Passage 49 Natural ResourcesThrough the changes in the ways of making a living in a family over several generations, the cartoon aims at sounding a warning against man’s wasteful use of natural resources and emphasizing the urgent need to preserve these resources.Ever since man appeared on the earth, man’s survival has been heavily dependent on nature. Almost everything we use in our everyday life comes from nature, ranging from the food we eat, the water we drink, to the wood which is turned into furniture. With the development of technology and population growth, the amount and range of materials used has increased at an alarming rate.However, natural resources are not inexhaustible. Some reserves are already on the brink of exhaustion and there is no hope of replacing them. The widespread water shortage is an example in point. If man continued to squander natural resources with no thought for the future, the whole world would be in a mess.Passage 48 Population GrowthIt is well-known that there has been a drastic increase in world population. But it is probably les well-known that the extinction rate of wildlife species is experiencing a parallel trend.Take the United States for instance. In 1990, U.S. population reached an unprecedented level of 250 million, which is approximately 250 times of that of 1800. On the other hand, wildlife species are disappearing from the country at an alarming rate. By 1990, about 70 wildlife species would never be seen in U.S. We are fully justified in declaring that the explosive population growth has had an adverse effect on the survival of wildlife species and will be a constant threat to the wildlife resources if no immediate actions are taken.Nothing has ever equaled the magnitude and speed with which the human species is altering the physical and chemical world. It has been demolishing the environment we are living in.Passage 47 House and Home“House” and “home” are two w ords that have similar meanings.“House” and “home” both refer to places where people live. However, there is a difference between them. “Home” is often referred to as the place that we live in with our families. Sadly, in our society, people can hardly distinguish a home from a house because they often see no difference between them. This confusion can be traced back to the indifference between family members. Therefore, we can say that love is an important factor in a home.A home is a shelter, not only for our bodies but also for our minds. Whenever we are depressed, we can go home for comfort. Everyone in the family will do his best to take care of each other and share their happiness as well as sorrow. Without love, a home is merely a house where loneliness is all that can be found. And a house can never be a home unless there is love.Passage 46 AutomobilesIt is impossible to say that any one man invented the automobile. Many individuals living and working indifferent countries and at different times contributed to its development. Many of the discoveries that went into the creation of the automobile were small in themselves. But together they were important. Here are two examples.“Carriage is running at a speed of 8 to 9 miles an hour.” It was almo st unheard of in those days. According to automobile historians, this was the first practical use of mechanical power to move a vehicle. After its first run, the machine reportedly burned up while the inventor and his friends were celebrating its success at a pub.Henry Ford is considered the father of modern automobiles mass production. His famous Model-T car, because of its low price, made it possible to produce cars on a large scale and his efforts made it accessible to ordinary people.Passage 45 The Influence of LifeIn the early times when human beings hunted and gathered food, they were not in control of their environment. They could only interact with their surroundings as the other lower animals did.When they learned to make fire, however, they became capable of altering their environment. To provide themselves with fuel, they cut down trees. They also burned clearings in forests to increase the growth of grass and to provide a greater grazing area for the wild animals that human beings fed upon. This development led to farming and the domestication of animals. Fire provided the means for cooking plants which had previously been inedible. Only when the process of meeting the basic need for food reached a certain level was it possible for humans to follow other pursuits such as setting up families, forming societies and founding cities.Passage 44 Gardening in AmericaBelieve or not, 43,000,000 Americans are gardening. That is about one in six. Gardeners, of course, come in many varieties. Not surprisingly, most of them are people who live in the suburbs, and enjoy planting flowers, or maybe a small vegetables garden.The average age of gardeners in America is about 45 years old; they usually fall somewhere in the middle class. But the fastest growing groups are city dwellers. Urban residents are finding ways of gardening even in their crowded areas. Many go to large public gardens, as a place designed by the city for garden, and you can actually ranch your own plot.Still other people use their balconies or roof tops, wherever they can find the space to plant small patches of green.Passage 43 Our ConcernThe history of life on earth has been a history of interaction between living things and their surroundings. To a large extent, the physical for m and the habits of the earth’s vegetation and its animal life have been molded by the environment. Only in the present century has one species of man acquired significant power to alter the nature of his world.The rapidity of change follows the pace of man rather than the pace of nature. Radiation is now the unnatural creation of man’s tampering with the atom. The chemicals are the creations of man’s inventive mind, having no counterparts in nature.We have put poisonous and biologically potent chemicals into the hands of persons largely ignorant of their potentials for harm. We have subjected enormous numbers of people to contact with these enormous numbers of people to contact with these poisons, without their consent and often without their knowledge. We have allowed these chemicals to be used with little or no advance investigation of their effect. Future generations are unlikely to forgive our lack of concern.Passage 42 SleepWhy is it so difficult to fall asleep when you are overtired? There is no one answer that applies to every individual. It is possible to feel “tired” physically and still be unable to fall asleep, because while your body maybe exhausted, you do not feel sleepy. It is not so easy to simply “turn off”.Lack of sleep complicates matters even more. Experts say adults need at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night to function properly. When you get less sleep than that on consecutive three nights, you begin to accrue four “sleep debt”. As sleep debt increases your body experienc es a stress response. Now a vicious cycle has been created: You experience the feeling of being more and more tired, but your body is increasingly stimulated. “Power sleeping” for more hours on weekends is only a temporary solution. There is no substitute for getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis.Passage 41 Apology HelpsIt is never easy to admit you are in the wrong. Being human, we all need to know the art of apologizing. Look back with honesty and think how often you have judged roughly, you said unkind things, and pushed yourself ahead at the expense of a friend. Then count the occasions when you indicated clearly and truly that you were so sorry. A bit frightening, isn’t it? It is frightening, isn’t it? It is frightening because some deep w isdom in us knows that when even a small wrong has been committed, some mysterious moral feeling is disturbed; and it stays out of balance until fault is acknowledged and regret expressed.A heartfelt apology can not only heal a damaged relationship but also make it stronger. If you can think of someone who deserves an apology from you, someone you have wronged, or judged too roughly, or just neglected, do something about it right now.Passage 40 How High Can You Jump?Fleas trainers have observed a strange habit of fleas while training them.Fleas are trained by putting them in a cardboard box with a top on it. The fleas will jump up and hit the top of the cardboard box over and over and over again. As you watch them jump and hit the lid, something very interesting becomes obvious. The fleas continue to jump, but they are no longer jumping high enough to hit the top.When you take off the lid, the fleas continue to jump, but they will not jump out of the box. They will not jump out because they cannot jump out. Why? The reason is simple. They have conditioned themselves to jump just so high. Once they have conditioned themselves to jump just so high. Once they have conditioned themselves to jump just so high, that is all they can do!Many times, people do the same thing. They restrict themselves and never reach their potential. Just like the fleas, they fail to jump higher, thinking they are doing al they can do.Passage 39 Don’t give upIf we would ever accomplish anything in life, let us not forget that we must persevere. If we would learn our lessons in school, we must be diligent and not give up whenever we come to anything difficult. We shall find many of our lessons very hard, but let us consider that the harder they are the better they will do to us if we will preserve and learn them thoroughly.But there are some among us who are ready to give up when they come to a hard example in mathematics, and say, “I can’t do this.” They never will if they feel so. “I can’t” never does anything worthwhile, but“I’ll try” accomplishes wonders.Let us remember that we shall meet with difficulties all through life. They are in the pathway of everyone. If we will only try and keep trying, we shall be sure to conquer and overcome very difficulty we meet.Passage 38 “How to” BooksBooks which give instructions on how to do things are popular in the United States today. Thousands of these “how to” books are available. In fact, there are about for thousand books with titles that begin with the words “how to’.Many “how to” books give advice on careers. They tell you how to choose a career and how to succeed in it. Many of these books help people to use their free time better. Some people want book which will give them useful information about sports, hobbies and travel. Other people use their free time to make repairs and improvements on their homes. They prefer books which give step-by-step instructions on how to repair things like plumbing and electrical wiring or on how to redecorate or enlarge a house.Why have “how to” books become so popular? Probably because life has become more complex. Today people have far more free to use, more choices to make, and more problems to solve, “how to” books help people to deal with modern life.Passage 37 Professional Sports in the U.S.Professional sports are not only very popular in the United States, but also a big business. The most popular sports are baseball, football and basketball. Each sport has its own season and individual teams have millions of supporters. Professional teams are named for the cities where they are located. For example, the Lakers are in Los Angeles. The strongest supporters of the Lakers are residents of Los Angeles and Southern California. When the Lakers play, many people in Los Angeles enthusiastica lly follow the game. When we mention “NBA”, almost every one knows it ahs some relationship with U.S. professional basketball. However, what does it really stand for? N.B.A is gaining new fans and supporters around the world. Basketball has been called the “national pastime”. However, football is the most popular professional sport in the U.S.. American football is different from international football, which Americans call “soccer”. Both games require strength and specialized skills.Passage 36 ArtistsEvery artist knows in his heart that he is saying something to the public. Not only does he want to say it well, but he wants it to be something which has not been said before.What visual artists, like painters, want to say is easy to make out but difficult to explain, because painters translate their experiences into shapes and colors, not words. They seem to feel that a certain selection of shapes and colors, out of the countless billions of possible, is exceptionally interesting for them and worth showing to us.Most artists take their shapes and colors from the world of nature and from human bodies in motion and response; their choices indicate that these aspects of the world are worth looking at, that they contain beautiful sights. Contemporary artists might say that they merely choose subjects that provide an interesting pattern, that there is nothing more in it. Yet even they do not choose entirely without reference to the character of their subjects.Passage 34 Will Computers Replace Human Beings?We are in the computer age today. The computers are working all kinds of wonders now. They are very useful in automatic control and data processing. At the same time, computers are finding their way into the home. They seem to be so clever and can solve such complicated problems that some people think sooner or later they will replace us.But I do not think that there is such a possibility. My reason is very simple: computers are machines, not humans. And our tasks are far too various and complicated for any one single kind of machine to perform.Probably the greatest difference between man and computer is that the former can do things of his own while the latter can do nothing without being programmed. In my opinion, computers will remain nothing but an extension of our human brains, no matter how clever and complicated they may become.Passage 33 Where Do the British LiveNearly everyone in Britain would like to own their own home and, whether they do or not, they are prepared to put time and money into decorating and furnishing it or even making structural alterations to it. Because of the climate and because of the expense involved in going out for the evening, the British spend a lot of time at homeand a large part of their social life takes place there.Young people tend to stay with their families longer these days as accommodation is expensive but, when they move away to a job or college, there are various options open to them. They can get lodgings with a landlady. This means that they rent a room in someone’s house and have breakfast with the family. They can also get a bed-sitting room, that is to say one self-contained room in which they can cook, live and sleep. Alternatively, they can share a rented flat or house with a group of young people, perhaps the most popular option of all.Passage 32 Making a ComplaintComplaining about faulty goods or bad services is never easy. But if something you have brought is faulty or does not do what was claimed for it, you are not asking for a favor to get it put right.Complaints should be made to a responsible person. Go back to the shop where you bought the goods, taking with you any receipt you may have. In a small store the assistant may also be the owner so you can complain direct. In a chain store, ask the manager. If you telephone, ask the name of the person who handles your enquiry, otherwise you may never find out who dealt with the complaint later. If you do not want to do it in person, write a letter. Stick to the facts and keep a copy of what you write. At this stage you should give any receipt numbers, but you should not need to give receipts or other papers to prove you bought the article.Passage 31 Water PollutionWater is very important to us. Factories and plants need water for industrial uses and large pieces of farmland need it for irrigation. Without water to drink, people die in a short time.Today most water sources are so dirty that people must purify water before drinking. Water becomes dirty in many ways: industrial pollution is one of them. With the development of industry, plants and factories pour tons of industrial wasters into rivers every day. The rivers have become seriously polluted, and the water is becoming unfit for drinking or irrigation. The same thing has also happened to our seas and oceans. So, the problem of water pollution is almost worldwide.Scientists of many countries have done a lot of work to stop pollution. The polluted water in some places has become clean and drinkable again. Perhaps one day the people in all towns and cities will be drinking clean water. That day, we believe, is not very far off.Passage 30 CartoonistsIn a good cartoon, the artist can tell in a few lines as much as a writer can tell in half a dozen paragraphs. The cartoonist not only tells a story but he also tries to persuade the reader to his way of thinking. He has great influence on public opinion. In a political campaign, he plays an important part. Controversial issues in Congress or at meetings of the United Nations may keep the cartoonist well-supplied with current materials.A clever cartoonist may cause laughter because he often uses humor in his drawings. If he is sketching a famous person, he takes a prominent feature and exaggerates it. Cartoonists, for instance, like to lengthen an already long nose and to widen an already broad grin. This exaggeration of a person’s characteristics is called caricature. The artist uses such exaggeration to put his message across.Passage 29 TimeTime is tangible. One can gain time, spend time, waste time, save time, or even kill time. Common questions in American English reveal this concrete quality as though time were a possession. “Do you have any time?”, “Can you get some time for this?”, “How much free time do you have?” The treatment of tim e as a possession influences the way that time is carefully divided.Generally, Americans are taught to do one thing at a time and may be uncomfortable when an activity is interrupted. In businesses, the careful scheduling of time and the separation of activities are common practices. Appointment calendars are printed with 15-,30-, and 60-minute time slots. The idea that “there is a time and placefor everything” extends to American social life. Visitors who drop by without prior notice may interrupt their host’s personal time. Thus, calling friends on the telephone before visiting them is generally preferred to visitors’ dropping by.Passage 28 A Free Dress Every WeekThe temptation to steal is greater than ever before especially in large shops and people are not so honest as they once were.A detective recently watched a well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings. One Monday, there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman came in, so it was easier for the detective to watch her. The woman first bought a few small articles. After a little time, she chose one of the most expensive dresses in the shop and handed it to an assistant who wrapped it up for her as quickly as possible. The woman simply took the parcel and walked out of the shop without paying. When she was arrested, the detective found out that the shop assistant was her daughter. Believe it or not, the girl “gave” her mother a free dress every week!Passage 27 IntelligenceAre some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience?Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus, the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, held by most experts now, can be supported in a number of ways. As is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people is, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence.Passage 26 IntelligenceAre some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience?Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus, the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, held by most experts now, can be supported in a number of ways. As is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people is, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence.Passage 25 A Place of Our OwnWe are all usually very careful when we buy something for the house. Why? Because we have to live with it for a long time. We paint a room to make it brighter, so we choose the colors carefully.We buy new curtains in order to match the newly decorated room, so they must be the right color. We move the furniture round so as to make more space—or we buy new furniture—and so on. It is an endless business.Rich or poor, we take time to furnish a room. Perhaps some people buy furniture in order to impress their friends. But most of us just want to enjoy our surroundings. We want to live as comfortably as we can afford to. We spend a large part of our lives at home. We want to make a small corner in the world which we can recognize as our own.Passage 24 Great Depression in the U.S.In 1929, the bills started to come in. American industry had produced too many goods. Americans could not afford to buy all of them. So factories had to cut down on their production. Many workers lost their jobs. Investors tried to get their money back. But businesses did not have enough money to pay them. Banks tried to get their money back from investors. But the investors could not pay, either. Too many people owed money. And few of them could pay their bills.During the next few years, business got worse and worse. By 1932, banks all over the country were closing.People without money could not buy goods. So more businesses closed. More and more people lost their jobs. By 1932, more than 12 million Americans were jobless. Millions more were earning barely enough to live on. The country was in a great depression they had never experienced before.Passage 23 America’s Worst SurpriseDecember 7, 1941 was one of the worst days in American history. Nearly all Americans who are old enough to r emember that day can still remember what they were doing at the moment they heard “the news”. The news was that America had been attacked!Shortly before 2:00 P.M., a radio dispatch came into Washington from Honolulu, Hawaii. “Air Raid, Pearl Harbor—This is no drill.” Japanese planes had begun an attack on the largest American military base in the Pacific. They first destroyed planes on the ground. Then they bombed the ships in the harbor.No one had expected the attack. So no one was prepared for it. And it did not take long for Japanese to do their damage. When the smoke cleared, the Navy counted its losses. Eighteen ships had been sunk or badly damaged. Nearly 150 planes had been destroyed. More than 2,400 Americans had been killed and more than 1,200 wounded.Passage 22 CrisisLife is a contest! Who will win? A bluebird and sparrow both compete for space to build their nests. A fast-growing maple tree and slower-growing dogwood compete for the sunlight they both need. Oil competes with coal and nuclear power as an energy source for electric power plants!There is a problem. There is a limited amount of space for birds, sunlight for trees, and energy for people! If we do not cut back on our uses of some of our resources, someday they will be gone!How can we use energy today and know we will have enough to go around in the future? We can choose alternate, or replacement, energy resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable. What other ways can we conserve our sources? How can we make sure there is always enough to go around?Passage 21 SoilsThere are many different kinds of soils. Different soils have different types of rock and minerals in them. Some soils have more water in them than others. Some soils might have more plant and animal material in them, too.Different kinds of soils are found in different parts of the world. There are several kinds of soils found in the United States. In some areas, the soil has a lot of clay. Other soils are very sandy. Loam is a kind of soil that has a good mixture of clay and sand.In some places, soil layers are very thick. Lots of plants grow in places with a thick soil layer. In dry and windy places soil layers are much thinner. Layers of soil on mountains are thin because gravity pulls the soil downhill.The type of soil in a particular place affects what kinds of plants can grow there.Passage 20 WavesHow does light get from the sun to the earth? How does music get from the stage to the audience? They move the same way-----in waves!Light and sound are forms of energy. All waves carry energy, but they may carry it differently. Light and sound travel through different kinds of matter. For example, light waves cannot move through walls, but sound waves can. That is why you can hear people talking in another room even though you cannot see them. The energy of some waves is destructive. An earthquake produces seismic waves.Catch a wave. Ask a friend to stand a few feet away from you. Stretch a spring between you. Shake the spring to transfer energy to it. What happens? The spring bounces up and down in waves. When the waves reach your friend, they bounce back to you!Light waves travel 300,000 kilometers (186,000 miles) per second! They can also travel through a vacuum. That is why light from the sun and distant stars can travel through space to the earth!Passage 19 Finding the Direction and LocationHow can you tell which direction? By day, look for the Sun. It is in the east in the morning and the west in the afternoon. At night, use the Big Dipper to help you find the North Star. It would be better to bring a compass because its needle always points north.How do you know how far you have gone? You could count every step. Each step is about two feet. You’d better wear a pedometer which is a tool that counts steps. If you know where you started, which direction you are heading, and how far you have gone, you can use a good map to figure out exactly where you are.Today there is a new way for travelers to figure out where they are. It is the GPS. It has 24 satellites that orbit the earth and constantly broadcast their positions. Someday you may carry a small receiver as you hike and use GPS to find out if you are there yet!Passage 18 Flowering PlantsWhat are the parts of a flower?Flowers can have male parts and female parts. The female parts make eggs that become seeds. The male parts make pollen. Pollen is a powdery material that is needed by the eggs to make seeds. To make seeds, pollen and eggs must come together. The win d, insects, and birds bring pollen to eggs. Many animals love flowers’ bright colors. They also like a sugary liquid in flowers. This is called nectar. While they drink nectar, pollen rubs off on their bodies. As they move, some of this pollen gets delivered to the female flower parts.Over time, the female parts turn into fruits that contain seeds. Animals often eat the fruits and the seeds pass through their bodies as waste. The animals do no know they are working for the plants by planting seeds as they travel to different places!Passage 17 Living Things ReactYou and all organisms live an environment. An environment is made up of everything that surrounds an organism. It can include the air, the water, the soil, and even other organisms.An organism responds to changes in its environment. When an organism responds to a change, it reacts in certain ways. All living things respond in some way.Have you ever noticed how plants and insects respond to light? Plants bend toward light. Insects fly toward light.Living things also respond in other ways. The leaves on some trees respond to a change in season. In autumn, they change colors and then fall off the branches Animals also respond to a change in season. Squirrels save nuts for the winter. Bears sleep through the winter in a cave.。
大学英语四级听力材料及答案大一是我们复习英语四级英语听力的好时机，因为有很长的时间可以让我们准备。
下面是给大家整理的大学英语四级听力材料及答案，供大家参阅!大学英语四级听力材料及答案听力真题：Section C Compound DictationSome years ago, an American policeman found awoman lying near a lonely road. She did not appearto have had an (36) ______ . But she was tremblingand clearly in a state of shock. So he (37) ______her to the nearest hospital. She began to tell thedoctor on duty the story which was astonishing and(38) ______ . She had been driving along a countryroad when she had been stopped by a flying saucer landing in front of her. She had been forcedto leave the car and enter the flying saucer by (39) ______ which looked like human beings andwhich could easily make themselves (40) ______ although they could not speak. It was asthough they could read her thoughts and she could read theirs. They (41) ______ her politelyand allowed her to leave after carrying out a number of tests on her. As she otherwise seemsto be (42) ______ , the doctor decided that she was probably (43) ______ from the sideeffects of some drug. The woman insisted on being allowed to go home.(44)__________________________________________________________ .The police then started to make inquiries and soon discovered that there was already a searchgoing on for the woman, whose husband had reported that she had disappeared. (45) __________________________________________________ . In front of the car, the surfaceof the road had been completely destroyed not by an explosion or anything of that kind, (46) ___________________________________________________ .答案解析：36. 答案：accident解析：根据冠词an，可以预测此处是个以元音开头的名词，注意双写字母c。
2015年专四真题2015英语专四听力原文英语专四听写Male and Female Roles in Marriage男性和女性在婚姻中的角色In the traditional marriage, the man worked to earn money for the family.在传统婚姻中，男性负责工作养家。
The woman stayed at home to care for the children nand her husband.女性则留在家里照顾孩子和丈夫。
In recent years, many couples continue to have a traditional relationship of this kind.近些年，许多夫妻继续这种传统的夫妻关系。
Some people are happy with it, but others think differently.一些人对这种关系感到满意，但是也有人有不同的看法。
There are two major differences in male and female roles now.现在男性和女性的角色有两大主要差异。
One is that both men and women have many more choices.其一，男性和女性都有更多的选择。
They may choose to marry or stay single.他们可以选择结婚，也可以选择保持单身。
They may choose to work or to stay at home.另外，他们可以选择工作，也可以选择留在家里。
2015英语专四听力对话原文（1）M: Hello Jennifer.男：你好，詹尼弗W: Hello Callum.女：你好，卡勒姆M: Do you like to travel?男：喜欢旅行吗?W: Oh yes，I love going to new and interestingplaces.女：喜欢，我喜欢去新奇的地方。
9Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879, His father owned a factorythat made electrical devices. His mother enjoyed music and books. Hisparents were Jewish but they did not observe many of the religion’s rules. Albert was a quite child who spent much of his time alone. He was slowto talk and had difficulty learning to read. When Albert was five yearsold, his father gave him a compass. The child was filled with wonder whenhe discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction—to be north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers about magnetism and gravity were difficultfor the boy to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them.He said later that he felt something hidden had to be behind things. Usefulexpressions and words1. device 装置，设备leave to one’s own devices 听任某人自行其是，允许某人按自己的意愿做事She left the child to her own devices for an hour in the afternoon.她允许孩子在下午有一个小时的自由支配时间。
英语专业四级考试真题+解析+听⼒原⽂.docx精品⽂档2002 年英语专业四级考试试卷及答案Part ⅠWRITING［45 MIN.］Nowadays people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of health.And they have different ways to stay healthy. For example, some exercise every day;others try to keep a balanced diet. What do you think is the best way to stay healthy?Write a composition of about 150 words on the following topic:THE BEST WAY TO STAY HEALTHYIn theIn the last part, bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or a summary.Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriacy. Failureto follow the instructions maySECTION B NOTE-WRITING［10 MIN.］Write a note of about 50 - 60 words based on the following situation:You have heard that your friend, Jack, wishes to sell his walkman. Write him a note expressing your interest in it, asking him about its condition and offering a priceMarks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriacy.⼀ .听⼒Part ⅡDICTATION［15 MIN.］times. During the first reading, which will be read at normal speed, listen and try tounderstand the meaning. For the second and third readings, the passage will be read sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seconds. The lastreading will be read at normal speed again and during this time you should checkyour work. You will then be given 2 minutes to check through your work once more.Part Ⅲ LISTENING COMPREHENSION［20 MIN.］In Sections A, B and C you will hear everything ONCE ONLY . Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question.SECTION A STATEMENTIn this section you will hear eight statements .At the end of each statement you will be given 10 seconds to answer the question.1.A. architectB. construction workerC. tourist guideD. housing agent2.What does the statement mean?B.People are now travelling much more than in old days.C.Traveling to far-D.It used to take two more weeks to travel by coach than now3.B. hisD. the couple would be unable to cook the dinner.4.Where is the speaker?A. In the zoo.C. In the library.D. At a meeting.5.What does the statement mean?B. Low motivation may lead to poor performance.D. Both motivation and intelligence are important.6.What does the speaker suggest?B. We should read line by line to get his meaning.D. We should try to find the lines and read them aloud.7.How much does the overcoat cost at the regular price?A. 120.B.15.C.60.D.45.8.What does the speaker mean?C.D. When the sports meet will be held is yet to be known.SECTION B CONVERSATIONIn this section, you will hear nine short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation you will be given 10 seconds to answer the question. 9． What are the speakers probably going to do?A. To persuade Mary to spend more time on her lessonsB. To help Mary to prepare for the upcoming concert.D. To ask Mary to stop worrying about the exam10.What can we learn about the man?A. He firmly believes in UFOs.C. He is sure many people have seen UFOs.D. He thinks many people have lied about UFOs.11. Which of the following has the man never been interested in?A. Electronic music.B. Civil engineering.C.Electronics.12.What does the man mean?A.The milk is safe to drink.C. She shouldn’ t have bought the milk.D. He wouldn’ t have milk for breakfast.13.How many people were caught in the fire?A.6.B.5.C.4.D.7.14.What can we learn from the conversation?B. The woman will be late for the blood test.D. The woman decides to miss the first class for her blood test.15.What is the probable relationship between the two speakers?A. Salesman and customer.C. Estate agent and client.D. Husband and wife.16.How does the man probably feel?A. Nervous.B. Uninterested.C. Confident.D. Upset.17.What do we know about Bill?A. He is thoughtful.B. He is forgetful.C. He is careless.D. He is helpful.SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTQuestions 18 and 19 are based on the following news .At the end of the news18.Which of the following is NOT a condition for the reduction of debts?A. Poverty elimination.C. Fight against corruption.D. Poor living standard.19.By cancelling the debts owed to her, Britain intends to ___a similar scheme proposed by the International Monetary Fund.A. rejectB. restartC. followD. reviewQuestions 20 and 21 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item,20.What happened during the accident?A. A train hit another train.C. A train went off its tracks.D. A train was trapped inside the station.21.Which of the following statements best describes the condition of the passengers?B. TherQuestions 22 and 23 are based on the following news. At the end of thenews item, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.22.A. spending cuts.C. pay cuts.D. low pay.23.The civil servants ’ strike was___stagedthgenerals A. a few days afterC. a few weeks afterQuestions 24 and 25 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item,you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.24.Which is the main idea of the news?A. Industrial relations in Germany.C. Coalition in the government.D. Closure of nuclear reactors.25.The decision to shut down三 .完型填空Part Ⅳ CLOZE［15 MIN.］Decide which of the choices given below would best complete the passageif inserted in the corresponding blanks. Mark the best choice for each blank on your answer sheet.People thinking about the origin of language for the first time usually arrive at the conclusion that it developed gradually as a system of grunts, hisses and cries and ( 26 ) a very simple affair in the beginning.( 27 ), when we observe the language behaviour of ( 28 )we regard as primitive cultures, we find it ( 29 )complicated. It was believed thatan Eskimo must have the tip of his tongue a vocabulary of more than 10,000 words( 30 ) to get along reasonably well, much larger than the active vocabulary of an average businessman who speaks English.(31 ), these Eskimo words are far more highly infleeted (词尾变化的 ) than ( 32 ) of any of the well -known European languages, for a( 33 )noun can be spoken or written in ( 34 )hundred different forms, each ( 35 )a precise meaning different from that of any other.The forms of the verbs are even more ( 36 ). The Eskimo language is, therefore,one of the most difficult in the world to learn,( 37 ) the result that almost no tradersor explorers have( 38 )tried to learn it. Consequently, there has grown up, in communication between Eskimos and whites, a jargon ( 39 )to the pidgin Englishused in Old China, with a vocabulary of from 300 to 600 uninflected words. Most of them are derived from Eskimo but some are derived from English, Danish, Spanish, Hawaiian and other languages. It is this jargon that is usually( 40 ) by travellers as“ the Eskimo language ”.26.A. must be B. must have beenC. ought to be27.A. However B. ThereforeC. ProbablyD. Undoubtedly28. A. whose B. thatC. whichD.29. A. conspicuouslyC. surprisingly30.A. so as B. so thatC. as suchD. as well as31.A. However B. MoreoverC. ThoughD. Therefore32. A. the othersC. these33. A. singleC. plural D34.A. someC. variousD. varied35.A. getting B.C.having36. A. endlessC.uncountable37.A. with B.C. owing toD.38.A. still B. indeedC.just39. A. alikeC.related40. A. referred toC.spoken三 .选择Part Ⅴ GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY［15 MIN.］There are twenty-five sentences in this section. Beneath each sentence there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C andD. Choose one word or phrase that best completes the sentence. Mark your answers on your answer sheet.41.She did her work ___her manager had instructed.A. asB. untilC. when42.A. NoneB. BothC. NeitherD. All43.For some time now, world leaders___ out the necessity for agreement onarms reduction.A. had been pointingC. were pointing44.Have you ever been in a situation ___ you know the other person is right yet you cannot agree with him?A. by whichB. thatC. in whereD. where45.We’ ve just installed two air-conditioners in our apartment, ___should make greatA. whichB. whatC. that46.AIDS is said ___ the number-one killer of both men and women over the pastA. beingB. to beC. to have been47.She managed to save ___she could out of her wages to help her brother.A. how little moneyC. such little money48.A. whoB. asC. thatD. like49.A. have been put inC. has been put in50.___for the fact that she broke her leg, she might have passed the exam.A. Had it not beenC. Was it not51.“ I don’ t know. But it’ s about time ___on something.”A. I ’ d decideB. I decidedC. I decideD. I ’ m deciding52.The police have offered a large___ for information leading to the robber ’ sA. awardB. compensationC. prize53.I arrived at the airport so late that I ___missed the plane.A. onlyB. quiteC. narrowly54.A. unjustifiedC. misguidedD. unaccepted55.The head of the Museum was ___and let us actually examine the ancientA. promisingB. agreeingC. pleasing56.The multinational corporation was making a take-over ___for a property company.A. applicationB. bidC. proposalA. indicativeB. positiveC. revealing58.There has been a___ lack of communication between the union and the management.A. regretfulB. regrettableC. regretting59. The teacher ___expects his students to pass the university entrance examination.A. confidentiallyB. proudlyC. assuredlyD. confidently60. The ___family in Chinese cities now spends more money on housing thanA. normalB. average C usual61.The new colleague ___to have worked in several big corporations before he joined our company.A. confessesB. declares C claims62.During the reading lesson, the teacher asked students to read a few___ fromthe novel.A. piecesB. essays C fragments63.During the summer holiday season it is difficult to find a(n) ___ room in theA. emptyC. freeD. deserted64.A. get overB. get away C get off65.A. usedB. applied C tried D. practiced四.阅读理解APart Ⅵ READING COMPREHENSION ［30 MIN. ］SECTION A READING COMPREHENSION［25 MIN.］In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinishedstatements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the onethat you think is the best answer.TEXT AMany of the home electric goods which are advertised as liberating the modernwoman tend to have the opposite effect, because they simple change the nature ofwork instead of eliminating it. Machines have a certain novelty value, like toys foradults. It is certainly less tiring to put clothes in a washing machine, but the timesaved does not really amount to much: the machine has to be watched, the clotheshave to be carefully sorted out first, stains removed by hand, buttons pushed andwater changed, clothes taken out, aired and ironed. It would be more liberating topack it all off to a laundry and not necessarily more expensive, since no capitalinvestment is required. Similarly, if you really want to save time you do not makecakes with an electric mixer, you buy one in a shop. Ifone compares the image of thewoman in the women ’ s magazine with the goods advertised by those periodicals; onerealizes how useful a projected image can be commercially. A careful balance has tobe struck: if you show a labour-saving device, follow it up with a complicated’ recipe on the next page; on no account hint at the notion that a woman could get herself a job,but instead foster her sense of her own usefulness, emphasizing the creative aspect ofher function as a housewife. So we get cake mixes where the cook simply adds an eggherself, to produce “ thatlovely homo-baked flavour the family love ”and, knittingpatterns that can be made by hand, or worse still, on knitting machines, which became tremendously fashionable when they were first introduced. Automatic cookers areadvertised by pictures of pretty young mothers taking their children to the park, notby professional women presetting the dinner before leaving home for work.66.According to the passage, many of the home electric goods which are supposedC. save the housewife ’ s time but not her moneyD. lent to other people68.TEXT BThe “ standardof living”of any country means the average person’share of thegoods and services which the country produces. A country ’sstandard of living,therefore, depends first and foremost on its capacity to produce wealth.“ Wealt this sense is not money, for we do not live on money but on things that money canbuy: “ goods”such as food and clothing, and “ services such” as transport andentertainment.A country ’ s capacity to produce wealth depends upon many factors, most ofwhichhave an effect on one another. Wealth depends to a great extent upon a country ’snatural resources, such as coal, gold, and other minerals, water supply and so on.Some regions of the world are well supplied with coal and minerals, and have afertile soil and a favourable climate; other regions possess none of them.Next to natural resources comes the ability to turn them to use. Some countriesare perhaps well off in natural resources, but suffered for many years from civil andexternal wars, and for this and other reasons have been unable to develop theirresources. Sound and stable political conditions, and freedom from foreign invasion,enable a country to develop its natural resources peacefully and steadily, and toproduce more wealth than another country equally well served by nature but less wellordered. Another important factor is the technical efficiency of a country ’peoples.Industrialized countries that have trained numerous skilled workers and techniciansare better placed to produce wealth than countries whose workers are largelyunskilled.A country ’standard of living does not only depend upon the wealth that isproduced and consumed within its own borders, but also upon what is indirectlyproduced through international trade. For example, Britain ’althswein foodstuffs andother agricultural products would be much less if she had to depend only on thosegrown at home. Trade makes it possible for her surplus manufactured goods to betraded abroad for the agricultural products that would otherwise be lacking. Acountry ’wealths is, therefore, much influenced by its manufacturing capacity,provided that other countries can be found ready to accept its manufactures.69.A. its goods and services70. A country ’capacitys to produce wealth depends on all the factors EXCEPTA. people ’share of its goodsB. political and social stabilityC. qualities of itsworkers D. use of natural resources71. According to the passage,___ play an equally important rule in determining aA. farm productsB. industrial .goodsC. foodstuffsD. export and importTEXT Cour teens or early twenties than at any other time in our life. Few of us are content toaccept ourselves as we are, and few are brave enough to ignore the trends of fashion.Most fashion magazines or TV advertisements try to persuade us that we should dress in a certain way or behave in a certain manner. If we do, they tell us, we will beable to meet new people with confidence and deal with every situation confidently andwithout embarrassment. Changing fashion, of course, does not apply just to dress.A barber today does not cut a boy ’ s hair in the same way as he used to, and girls do notmake up in the same way as their mothers and grandmothers did. The advertisersshow us the latest fashionable styles and we are constantly under pressure tofollow the fashion in case our friends think we are odd or dull.What causes fashions to change? Sometimes convenience or practical necessity orjust the fancy of an influential person can establish a fashion. Take hats, for example. Incold climates, early buildings were cold inside, so people wore hats indoors as well asoutside. In recent times, the late President Kennedy caused a depression in theAmerican hat industry by not wearing hats: more American men followed his example.There is also a cyclical pattern in fashion. In the 1920s in Europe and America,short skirts became fashionable. After World War Two, they dropped to ankle length.Then they got shorter and shorter the miniskirt was in fashion. After a few more years,skirts became longer again.Today, society is much freer and easier than it used to be. It is no longernecessary to dress like everyone else. Within reason, you can dress as you like or doyour hair the way you like instead of the way you should because it is the fashion.The popularity of jeans and the “ untidy look” seems to be a reaction against theincreasingly expensive fashion of the top fashion houses.At the same time, appearance is still important in certain circumstances and then wemust choose our clothes carefully. It would be foolish to go to an interview for a job in alaw firm wearing jeans and a sweater; and it would be discourteous to visit somedistinguished scholar looking as if we were going to the beach or a night club.However, you need never feel depressed if you don’ t look like the latest fashion photo. Look around you and you’ ll see that no one else does either!72.A. satisfied with their appearance73.A. confidence in lifeB. personal dressC. individual hair style74.A. uniformB. variedC. unknownD. inexplicable.75.Present-day society is much freer and easier because it emphasizes___.A. uniformity B76.C. Ignoring appearance in informal situations.D. Ignoring appearance in all situations.TEXT Dunderway. Whether it ’ones of London’parks full of people playing softball, andRussians taking up rugby, or the Superbowl rivaling the British Football Cup Final asa televised spectator event in Britain, the patterns of players and spectators arechanging beyond recognition. We are witnessing a globalization of our sportingculture.That annual bicycle race, the Tour de France, much loved by the French is a good case in point. Just a few years back it was a strictly continental affair withFrance, Belgium and Holland, Spain and Italy taking part. But in recent years it hasbeen dominated by Colombian mountain climbers, and American and Irish riders.The people who really matter welcome the shift toward globalization. Peugeot, Michelin and Panasonic are multi-national corporations that want worldwide returnsfor the millions they invest in teams. So it does them literally a world of good to seethis unofficial world championship become just that.This is undoubtedly an economic-based revolution we are witnessing here, one made possible by communications technology, but made to happen because ofmarketing considerations. Sell the game and you can sell Cola or Budweiser as well.The skilful way in which American football has been sold to Europe is a good example of how all sports will develop. The aim of course is notreally to spread the sport for its own sake, but to increase the number of peopleinterested in the major money-making events. The economics of the Superbowl arealready astronomical. With seats at US $125, gate receipts alone were a staggering$ 10,000,000. The most important statistic of the day, however, was the$ 100,000,000 in TV advertising fees. Imagine how much that becomes when the eyes of the world are watching.So it came as a terrible shock, but not really as a surprise, to learn that some people are now suggesting that soccer change from being a game of two 45-minutehalves, to one of four 25-minute quarters. The idea is unashamedly to capture moreadvertising revenue, without giving any thought for the integrity of asport whichrelies for its essence on the flowing nature of the action.Moreover, as sports expand into world markets, and as our choice of sports as consumers also grows, so we will demand to see them played at a higher and higher level. In boxing we have already seen numerous, dubious world title categories because people will not pay to see anything less than a “ World Tideand”thisfight,means that the titlefights have to be held in different countries around the world!77.Globalization of sporting culture means that ___.B. traditional sport78.Which of the following is NOT related to the massive changes?A. Good economic returns.B. Revival of sportsC. Communications technology.D. Marketing strategies.79.What is the author ’ s attitude towards the suggestion to change soccer into one of four 25-minute quarters?A. Favourable.B. Unclear.C. Reserved.D. Critical.80.People want to see higher-C. there exist few world-class championshipsD. sports events are exciting and stimulating精品⽂档听⼒原⽂及解析PART II DICTATIONThe world ’ s forests are disappearing. As much as 1/3 of the total tree cover hasbeen lost since agriculture began some 10,000 years ago. The remaining forests arehome to half of the world ’species, thus becoming the chief resource for theirsurvival. Tropical rain forests once covered 12% of the land of the planet, as well assupporting at least half of the world s species of’plants and animals. These rain forestsare home to millions of people. But there are other demands on them. For example,much has been cut for timber. An increasing amount of forest land has been used forindustrial purposes or for agricultural development such as crop-growing. By the1990’ s less than half of the earth’ s original rain forests remained, and they continued to disappear at an alarming rate every year. As a result the world forests’ are nowfacing gradual extinction.PART Ⅲ LISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A1.Next I ’ d like to show you a -threebedroom apartment on the second floor whichis a newly built one we have for rent.2.It used to take a fortnight to travel from London to Edinburgh by coach. However,you c3.Jack, thank you for inviting us to dinner in your house tomorrow. But I ’mextremely sorry that my wife and I won’ t be able to make it./doc/097527116.htmlst time we discussed some patterns of animal behavior and in today ’lectures5.In my opinion motivation, rather than intelligence, often decides how far aperson can go in his career.6.In order to understand this writer thoroughly, you ha/doc/097527116.htmlst week at the sale Jane bought herself an overcoat for 30 pounds which wasone quarter of the regular price.8.Due to the continual rain the school sports meet has been postponed again tillfurther notice from the principal ’fficeso.SECTION B CONVERSATION9.M: I ’ m really getting worried about Mary. She was sitting in for the exam in twoweeks’ time. But all she is talking about now nothingis but an upcoming concert.W: She may fail along that line. Let’ s try to t10. W: Tony, do you have a belief in UFOs?M: Me? Well, I have never seen. But there are a lot of people who have, or they think11.M: You know, I started out in civil engineering, then I switched to electronicengineering. But what really interests me is electronic music.精品⽂档12. W: How about a pound of milk for our breakfast? But it doesn’ t seem to look fresh now. Do you think it is still all right to drink?13.M: Is it true that all of them survived the fire last night?W:Yes, a miracle, isn ’it? There was a couple on the second floor and twowomen and three kids on the ground floor. But no one was badly hurt.W: In that case, you won’ t miss any coursesmorrowtomorning then.15. M: I ’ m not really an expert on precious stones, but theseare superb. Don you’tlike them?W: Have you looked at the price tag? It costs almost twice as much as a house where16. W: You seem to be restless thewhole day today. What’ s up?M: Later in the afternoon’ they will announce whot willpermissionge for the study17. W: I will never go with Bill again. He could never remember where he parked hisM:That certainly sounds like Bill.SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTNews Item One (18-19)Britain has announced that it has decided to cancel about 200 million pounds ’worth of the debts owed to it by poorer Commonwealth countries. The international development secretary says the relief is being offered to countries committed to eliminating poverty and pursuing good government. This would include taking action against corruption. At the same time Common Market finance ministers are meetingin Muricius. Britain is expected to put forward a fresh initiative on redressing debts ofthe poorest countries. The chancellor of Czech has indicated the plan to revise the scheme put forward last year by the International Monetary Fund which has not yet provided any relief.News Item Two (20-21)An underground train derailed at the station in central Paris yesterday, injuringpeople and just missing another underground train standing on the opposite track. French emergency services say the trains were traveling at 35 kilometres per hourwhen it derailed at the entrance of the station. No one was killed and no one was trapped in the train during the accident. Ambulances rushed to the scene and doctors began treating casualties in the station and a nearby cafe. Some people have broken limbs and others have suffered bruising. None was in a critical condition. As yet it was not known why the train came off the tracks.News Item Three (22-23)In Argentina, civil servants held a 24-hour strike yesterday to protest pay cuts of12-15% for anyone earning more than 1,000 US dollars a month. Public service unions and local teamsters plan to hold the protest rally in front of the government house. The work stoppage comes at the last Friday ’generals strike when many of精品⽂档Argentina ’12s million workers stayed home after the nation ’powerfuls GeneralWorker Confederation, the nation ’largest union group, called a one-day strike toprotest spending cuts and free market reforms.News Item Four (24-Germany was due to strike a deal yesterday to close down its 19 nuclear powerplants, making it the first major industrial nation to commit to withdrawing fromnuclear energy. Talks between Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’ s government and chiefs of German energy industry were to begin at 8:30 p.m.. Closure of German 19 reactors,which provided around a third of the country’ s electricity needs, wasgeofa key pledthe Greens, the junior partner in Schroder’ s coalition government.五 .写作PART Ⅰ WRITING［参考范⽂］The Best Way to Stay HealthyNowadays，the desire for good health is universal. Wherever you are andwhatever you do, staying healthy is always important. With the improvement of ourliving standards, people are attaching more and more importance to their health.However, which do you think is the best way to keep healthy?Different people come up with different views: eating green food, doing outdoorexercises or going to hospital for medical treatment frequently. As far as I amconcerned, the best way to keep healthy is to develop a good quality of psychology.According to some surveys, nowadays, most patients are not physically sick butmentally ill. The burden on their shoulders is much heavier than others, so they canstep out of the shadow of depression and sadness. They need to release their spiritto the nature.Besides, if you have developed a good quality of psychology, you’ llbecomemore sociable and thus more willing to play your part in the society. Enrolling forsome keep-fit clubs or joining some travel agency, which by themselves are variousversions of physical exercise, will benefit you a lot.As a poem says, youth is not a period of time; it’ s a state of mind. Everybody wants to keep young at heart because youth is a symbol for endless energy andpassion for living.Keep a good quality of mind, or keep a sense of humour, to be precise, even ifyou are 80, and you’ ll never be old.SECTION B参考范⽂］Hearing that you wish to sell your walkman, I’ m so glad to know it because my walkman has been lost several days ago, and I need it to help study English now.Could you give me a description of your walkman? The price I can offer is。
Passage 1: Town and Country Life in England There is a big difference between town life and country life in England. In the country, everybody knows everybody else. They know what time you get up, what time you go to bed and what you have for dinner. If you want help, you will always get it and you will be glad to help others.In a large town like London, however, it can sometimes happen that you have never seen your next door neighbor and you do not know his name or anything about him. People in London are often very lonely. This is because people go to different places in the evenings and at weekends. If you walk through the streets in the center of London on Sunday, it is like a town without people. One is sorry for old people living on their own. They could die in their homes and would not be discovered for weeks or even months. (154 words)Passage 2: A Change in Women’s LifeThe important change in women’s life-pattern has only recently begun to have its full effect on women’s economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left school at the first opportunity, and most of them took a full-time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though women tend to marry younger, more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born. Very many more afterwards return to full-time or part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfactions of family life and with bothhusband and wife sharing more equally in providing themoney, and running the home, according to the abilitiesand interests of each of them. (154 words)Passage 3: A Popular Pastime of the English PeopleOne of the best means of understanding the people ofany nation is watching what they do with theirnon-working time.Most English men, women and children lovegrowing things, especially flowers. Visitors to Englandin spring, summer, or autumn are likely to see gardensall the way along the railway lines. There are flowers atthe airports and flowers in factory grounds, as well as ingardens along the roads. Each English town has at leastone park with beautifully kept flower beds. Publicbuildings of every kind have brilliant window boxesand sometimes baskets of flowers are hanging on them.But what the English enjoy most is growing thingsthemselves. If it is impossible to have a garden, then awindow box or something growing in a pot will do.Looking at each other’s gardens is a popular pastimewith the English. (144 words)Passage 4: British and American Police OfficersReal policemen, both in Britain and the U.S., hardlyrecognize any common points between their lives andwhat they see on TV—if they ever get home in time.Some things are almost the same, of course, but thepolicemen do not think much of them.The first difference is that a policeman’s real lifedeals with the law. Most of what he learns is the law.He has to know actually what actions are against thelaw and what facts can be used to prove them in court.He has to know nearly as much law as a lawyer, andwhat’s more, he has to put it into practice on his feet, inthe dark and, running down a narrow street aftersomeone he wants to talk to.Little of his time is spent in talking with beautifulgirls or in bravely facing cruel criminals. He will spendmost of his working life arranging millions of words onthousands of forms about hundreds of sad, ordinarypeople who are guilty—or not of stupid, unimportantcrimes. (177 words)Passage 5: Living SpaceHow much living space does a person need? Whathappens when his space needs are not met? Scientistsare doing experiments on rats to try to determine theeffects of overcrowded conditions on man. Recentstudies have shown that the behavior of rats is greatlyaffected by space. If rats have enough living space, theyeat well, sleep well and produce their young well. But iftheir living conditions become too crowded, theirbehavior and even their health change obviously. Theycan not sleep and eat well, and signs of fear and worrybecome clear. The more crowded they are, the morethey tend to bite each other and even kill each other.Thus, for rats, population and violence are directlyrelated. Is this a natural law for human society as well?Is enough space not only satisfactory, but necessary forhuman survival? These are interesting questions. (147words)Passage 6: The United NationsIn 1945, representatives of 50 nations met to planthis organization. It was called the United Nations.After the war, many more nations joined.There are two major parts of the United Nations. One is called the General Assembly. In the General Assembly, every member nation is represented and has an equal vote.The second part is called the Security Council. It has representatives of just 15 nations. Five nations are permanent members: the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and China. The 10 other members are elected every two years by the General Assembly.The major job of the Security Council is to keep peace in the world. If necessary, it can send troops from member nations to try to stop little wars before they turn into big ones.It is hard to get the nations of the Security Council to agree on when this is necessary. But they did vote to try to stop wars. (156 words)Passage 7: PlasticWe use plastic wrap to protect our foods. We put our garbage in plastic bags or plastic cans. We sit on plastic chairs, play with plastic toys, drink from plastic cups, and wash our hair with shampoo from plastic bottles! Plastic does not grow in nature. It is made by mixing certain things together. We call it a produced or manufactured material. Plastic was first made in the 1860s from plants, such as wood and cotton. That plastic was soft and burned easily.The first modern plastics were made in the 1930s. Most clear plastic starts out as thick, black oil. That plastic coating inside a pan begins as natural gas.Over the years, hundreds of different plastics have been developed. Some are hard and strong. Some are soft and bendable. Some are clear. Some are many-colored. There is a plastic for almost every need.Scientists continue to experiment with plastics. Theyhope to find even ways to use them! (160 words)Passage 8: Display of GoodsAre supermarkets designed to persuade us to buymore?Fresh fruit and vegetables are displayed nearsupermarket entrances. This gives the impression thatonly healthy food is sold in the shop. Basic foods thateveryone buys, like sugar and tea, are not put near eachother. They are kept in different aisles so customers aretaken past other attractive foods before they find whatthey want. In this way, shoppers are encouraged to buyproducts that they do not really need.Sweets are often placed at children’s eye level at thecheckout. While parents are waiting to pay, childrenreach for the sweets and put them in the trolley.More is bought from a fifteen-foot display of onetype of product than from a ten-foot one. Customersalso buy more when shelves are full than when they arehalf empty. They do not like to buy from shelves withfew products on them because they feel there issomething wrong with those products that are there.(166 words)Passage 9: Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879. Hisfather owned a factory that made electrical devices. Hismother enjoyed music and books. His parents wereJewish but they did not observe many of the religion’srules. Albert was a quiet child who spent much of histime alone. He was slow to talk and had difficultylearning to read. When Albert was five years old, hisfather gave him a compass. The child was filled withwonder when he discovered that the compass needlealways pointed in the same direction—to the north. Heasked his father and his uncle what caused the needle tomove. Their answers about magnetism and gravity weredifficult for the boy to understand. Yet he spent a lot oftime thinking about them. He said later that he feltsomething hidden had to be behind things. (143 words)Passage 10: Private CarsWith the increase in the general standard of living,some ordinary Chinese families begin to afford a car.Yet opinions of the development of a private car varyfrom person to person.It gives a much greater degree of comfort andmobility. The owner of a car is no longer forced to relyon public transport, and hence no irritation caused bywaiting for buses or taxis. However, others stronglyobject to developing private cars. They maintain that asmore and more cars are produced and run in the street, alarge volume of poisonous gas will be given off,polluting the atmosphere and causing actual harm to thehealth of people.Whether private cars should be developed in China isa difficult question to answer, yet the desire for thecomfort and independence a private car can bring willnot be eliminated. (143 words)Passage 11: A Henpecked Husband and His WifeThere was once a large, fat woman who had a small,thin husband. He had a job in a big company and wasgiven his weekly wages every Friday evening. As soonas he got home on Fridays, his wife used to make himgive her all his money, and then she used to give himback only enough to buy his lunch in his company every day.One day, the small man came home very excited. He hurried into the living-room. His wife was listening to the radio and eating chocolates there.―You will never guess what happened to me today, dear,‖ he said.He waited for a few seconds and then added, ―I won ten thousand dollars on the lottery!‖―That is wonderful!‖said his wife delightedly. But then she pulled a long face and added angrily, ―But how could you afford to buy the ticket?‖ (148 words) Passage 12: A Young Man’s PromiseOne day a young man was writing a letter to his girl friend who lived just a few miles away in a nearby town. He was telling her how much he loved her and how wonderful he thought she was. The more he wrote the more poetic he became. Finally, he said that in order to be with her he would suffer the greatest difficulties, he would face the greatest dangers that anyone could imagine. In fact, to spend only one minute with her, he would swim across the widest river, he would enter the deepest forest, and he would fight against the fiercest animals with his bare hands.He finished the letter, signed his name, and then suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to mention something quite important. So, in a postscript below his name, he added:―By the way, I’ll be over to see you on Wednesday night, if it doesn't rain.‖ (154 words)Passage 13: A Kind NeighborMr. and Mrs. Jones’apartment was full of luggage, packages, furniture and boxes. Both of them were verybusy when they heard the doorbell ring. Mrs. Joneswent to open it and she saw a middle-aged lady outside.They lady said she lived next door. Mrs. Jones invitedher to come in and apologized because there was noplace for her to sit. ―Oh, that’s OK,‖said the lady. ―Ijust come to welcome you to your new home. As youknow, in some parts of this city neighbors are notfriendly at all. There are some apartment houses wherepeople don’t know any of their neighbors, not even theones next door. But in this building everyone is veryfriendly with everyone else. We are like one big family.I’m sure you’ll be very happy here.‖Mr. and Mrs.Jones said, ―But madam, we are not new dwellers in theapartment. We’ve lived here for two years. We’removing out tomorrow.‖ (163 words)Passage 14: That Isn’t Our FaultMr. and Mrs. Williams got married when he wastwenty-three, and she was twenty. Twenty-five yearslater, they had a big party, and a photographer came andtook some photographs of them.Then the photographer gave Mrs. Williams a cardand said, ―They’ll be ready next Wednesday. You canget them from studio.‖―No,‖ Mrs. Williams said, ―please send them to us.‖The photographs arrived a week later, but Mrs.Williams was not happy when she saw them. She gotinto her car and drove to the photographer’s studio. Shewent inside and said angrily, ―You took somephotographs of me and my husband last week, but I’mnot going to pay for them.‖―Oh, why not?‖ the photographer asked.―Because my husband looks like a monkey,‖Mrs.Williams said.―Well,‖the photographer answered, ―that isn’t ourfault. Why didn’t you think of that before you marriedhim?‖ (148 words)Passage 15: A Guide’s AnswerIn 1861, the Civil War started in the United Statesbetween the Northern and the Southern states. The warcontinued with great bitterness until 1865, when theNortherners were victorious. However, even today,many Southerners have not forgotten their defeat, orforgiven the Northerners.A few years ago, a party of American tourists wasgoing round one of the battlefields of the Civil Warwith a guide who came from one of the Southern states.At each place, the guide told the tourists stirring storiesabout how a few Southern soldiers had conqueredpowerful forces of Northerners there.At last, one of the tourists, a lady who came from theNorth, stopped the guide and said to him, ―But surelythe Northern army must have won at least one victoryin the Civil War?‖―Not as long as I’m the guide here, Madam,‖answered the Southern guide. (147 words)Passage 16: A Qualified PilotThe captain of a small ship had to go along a rockycoast, but he was unfamiliar with it, so he tried to find aqualified pilot to guide him. He went ashore in one ofthe small ports, and a local fisherman pretended that hewas a pilot because he needed some money. The captaintook him on board and asked him where to steer theship.After half an hour the captain began to suspect that the fisherman did not really know what he was doing and where he was going.―Are you sure you are a qualified pilot?‖ he asked. ―Oh, yes,‖answered the fisherman. ―I know every rock on this part of the coast.‖Suddenly there was a terrible crash from under the ship. At once the fisherman added, ―And that’s one of them.‖ (138 words)Passage 17: Living Things ReactYou and all organisms live in an environment. An environment is made up of everything that surrounds an organism. It can include the air, the water, the soil, and even other organisms.An organism responds to changes in its environment. When an organism responds to a change, it reacts in certain ways. All living things respond in some way. Have you ever noticed how plants and insects respond to light? Plants bend toward light. Insects fly toward light.Living things also respond in other ways. The leaves on some trees respond to a change in season. In autumn, they change colors and then fall off the branches. Animals also respond to a change in season. Squirrels save nut for the winter. Bears sleep through the winter in a cave.You respond to your environment in many ways, too. You may shiver if you are cold. What other ways do you respond to changes in your environment? (156 words)Passage 18: Flowering PlantsWhat are the parts of a flower?Flowers can have male parts and female parts. Thefemale parts make eggs that become seeds. The maleparts make pollen. Pollen is a powdery material that isneeded by the eggs to make seeds. To make seeds,pollen and eggs must come together. The wind, insects,and birds bring pollen to eggs. Many animals loveflowers’ bright colors. They also like a sugary liquid inflowers. This is called nectar. While they drink nectar,pollen rubs off on their bodies. As they move, some ofthis pollen gets delivered to the female flower parts.Over time, the female parts turn into fruits thatcontain seeds. Animals often eat the fruits and the seedspass through their bodies as waste. The animals do notknow they are working for the plants by planting seedsas they travel to different places! (137 words)Passage 19: Finding the Direction and LocationHow can you tell which direction? By day, look forthe Sun. It is in the east in the morning and the west inthe afternoon. At night, use the Big Dipper to help youfind the North Star. It would be better to bring acompass because its needle always points north.How do you know how far you have gone? Youcould count every step. Each step is about two feet.You’d better wear a pedometer which is a tool thatcounts steps. If you know where you started, whichdirection you are heading, and how far you have gone,you can use a good map to figure out exactly where youare.Today there is a new way for travelers to figure outwhere they are. It is the GPS. Is has 24 satellites thatorbit the earth and constantly broadcast their positions.Someday you may carry a small receiver as you hikeand use GPS to find out if you are there yet! (167words)Passage 20: WavesHow does light get from the sun to the earth? Howdoes music get from the stage to the audience? Theymove the same way – in waves!Light and sound are forms of energy. All waves carryenergy, but they may carry it differently. Light andsound travel through different kinds of matter. Forexample, light waves cannot move through walls, butsound waves can. That is why you can hear peopletalking in another room even though you cannot seethem. The energy of some waves is destructive. Anearthquake produces seismic waves.Catch a wave. Ask a friend to stand a few feet awayfrom you. Stretch a spring between you. Shake thespring to transfer energy to it. What happens? Thespring bounces up and down in waves. When the wavesreach your friend, they bounce back to you!Light waves travel 300,000 kilometers (186,000miles) per second! They can also travel through avacuum. That is why light from the sun and distant starscan travel through space to the earth! (175 words)Passage 21: SoilsThere are many different kinds of soils. Differentsolids have different types of rock and minerals in them.Some soils have more water in them than others. Somesoils might have more plant and animal material inthem, too.Different kinds of soils are found in different parts ofthe world. There are several kinds of soils found in theUnited States. In some areas, the soil has a lot of clay.Other soils are very sandy. Loam is a kind of soil that has a good mixture of clay and sand.In some places, soil layers are very thick. Lots of plants grow in places with a thick soil layer. In dry and windy places soil layers are much thinner. Layers of soil on mountains are then because gravity pulls the soil downhill.The type of soil in a particular place affects what kinds of plants can grow there. (150 words)Passage 22: CrisisLife is a contest! Who will win? A bluebird and sparrow both compete for space to build their nests. A fast-growing maple tree and slower-growing dogwood compete for the sunlight they both need. Oil competes with coal and nuclear power as an energy source for electric power plants.There is a problem. There is a limited amount of space for birds, sunlight for trees, and energy for people! If we do not cut back on our uses of some of our resources, someday they will be gone!How can we use energy today and know we will have enough to go around in the future? We can choose alternate, or replacement, energy resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable. What other ways can we conserve our resources? How can we make sure there is always enough to go around? (159 words)Passage 23: America’s Worst SurpriseDecember 7, 1941 was one of the worst days in American history. Nearly all Americans who are old enough to remember that day can still remember whatthey were doing at the moment they heard ―the news‖.The news was that America had been attacked!Shortly before 2:00 P.M., a radio dispatch came intoWashington from Honolulu, Hawaii. ―Air Raid, PearlHarbor—this is no drill.‖ Japanese planes had begun anattack on the largest American military base in thePacific. They first destroyed planes on the ground. Thenthey bombed the ships in the harbor.No one had expected the attack. So no one wasprepared for it. And it did not take long for the Japaneseto do their damage. When the smoke cleared, the Navycounted its losses. Eighteen ships had been sunk orbadly damaged. Nearly 150 planes had been destroyed.More than 2,400 Americans had been killed and morethan 1,200 wounded. (157 words)Passage 24: Great Depression in the U.S.In 1929, the bills started to come in. Americanindustry had produced too many goods. Americanscould not afford to buy all of them. So factories had tocut down on their production. Many workers lost theirjobs. Investors tried to get their money back. Butbusinesses did not have enough money to pay them.Banks tried to get their money back from investors. Butthe investors could not pay, either. Too many peopleowed money. And few of them could pay their bills.During the next few years, business got worse andworse. By 1932, banks all over the country wereclosing.People without money could not buy goods. So morebusinesses closed. More and more people lost their jobs.By 1932, more than 12 million Americans were jobless.Millions more were earning barely enough to live on.The country was in a great depression they had neverexperienced before. (151 words)Passage 25: A Place of Our OwnWe are all usually very careful when we buysomething for the house. Why? Because we have to livewith it for a long time. We paint a room to make itbrighter, so we choose the colors carefully.We buy new curtains in order to match the newlydecorated room, so they must be the right color. Wemove the furniture round so as to make more space—orwe buy new furniture—and so on. It is an endlessbusiness.Rich or poor, we take time to furnish a room. Perhapssome people buy furniture in order to impress theirfriends. But most of us just want to enjoy oursurroundings. We want to live as comfortably as we canafford to. We spend a large part of our lives at home.We want to make a small corner in the world which wecan recognize as our own. (151 words)Passage 26: Travel for WorkYou can see them in every airport in the world.They are businessmen and women who have to travelfor their work.When they first applied for the job, they may havethought of good food and hotels, huge expense accountsand fashionable cities. Now they have to sit in airportlounges, tired and uncomfortable in their smart clothes,listening to the loudspeaker announces ―The flight toTokyo, or Berlin, or New York is delayed for anothertwo hours.‖Some people say to me, ―How lucky youare to be able to travel abroad in your work! You can gosightseeing without paying any money by yourself!‖They think that my job is like a continual holiday. It is not.There are advantages, of course, and I do think I am lucky, but only because I can go to places I would never visit if I was a tourist. (149 words)Passage 27: IntelligenceAre some people born clever and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience?Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extend our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus, the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, held by most experts now, can be supported in a number of ways. As is easy to show that intelligence is to some extend something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people is the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. (154 words) Passage 28: A Free Dress Every WeekThe temptation to steal is greater than ever before especially in large shops and people are not so honest as they once were.A detective recently watched a well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings. One Monday, there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman came in, so it was easier for the detective to watch her. The woman firstbought a few small articles. After a little time, she choseone of the most expensive dresses in the shop andhanded it to an assistant who wrapped it up for her asquickly as possible. The woman simply took the parceland walked out of the shop without paying. When shewas arrested, the detective found out that the shopassistant was her daughter. Believe it or not, the girl―gave‖ her mother a free dress every week! (148 words)Passage 29: TimeTime is tangible. One can gain time, spend time,waste time, save time, or even kill time. Commonquestions in American English reveal this concretequality as though time were a possession. ―Do you haveany time?‖, ―Can you get some time for this?‖, ―Howmuch free time do you have?‖ The treatment of time asa possession influences the way that time is carefullydivided.Generally, Americans are taught to do one thing at atime and may be uncomfortable when an activity isinterrupted. In businesses, the careful scheduling oftime and the separation of activities are commonpractices. Appointment calendars are printed with 15-,30-, and 60-minute time slots. The idea that ―there is atime and place for everything‖extends to Americansocial life. Visitors who drop by without prior noticemay interrupt their host’s personal time. Thus, callingfriends on the telephone before visiting them isgenerally preferred to visitor s’dropping by. (157words)Passage 30: CartoonistsIn a good cartoon, the artist can tell in a few lines asmuch as a writer can tell in half a dozen paragraphs.The cartoonist not only tells a story but he also tries topersuade the reader to his way of thinking. He has greatinfluence on public opinion. In a political campaign, heplays an important part. Controversial issues inCongress or at meetings of the United Nations maykeep the cartoonist well-supplied with currentmaterials.A clever cartoonist may cause laughter because heoften uses humor in his drawings. If he is sketching afamous person, he takes a prominent feature andexaggerates it. Cartoonists, for instance, like to lengthenan already long nose and to widen an already broad grin.This exaggeration of a person’s characteristics is calledcaricature. The artist uses such exaggeration to put hismessage across. (144 words)Passage 31：Water PollutionWater is very important to us. Factories and plantsneed water for industrial uses and large pieces offarmland need it for irrigation. Without water to drink,people die in a short time.Today most water sources are so dirty that peoplemust purify water before drinking. Water becomes dirtyin many ways: industrial pollution is one of them. Withthe development of industry, plants and factories pourtons of industrial wastes into rivers every day. Therivers have become seriously polluted, and the water isbecoming unfit for drinking or irrigation. The samething has also happened to our seas and oceans. So, theproblem of water pollution is almost worldwide.Scientists of many countries have done a lot ofwork to stop pollution. The polluted water in some。
11.A Henpecked Husband and His WifeThere was once a large, fat woman who had a small, thin husband. He had a job in a big company and was given his weekly wages every Friday evening. As soon as he got home on Fridays, his wife used to make him give her all his money, and then she used to give him back only enough to buy his lunch in his company every day.One day, the small man came home very excited. He hurried into the living-room. His wife was listening to the radio and eating chocolates there.“You will never guess what happened to me to day, dear.” he said.He waited for a few seconds and then added, “I won ten thousand dollars on the lottery!”“That is wonderful! ” said his wife delightedly. But then she pulled a long face and added angrily, “But how could you afford to buy the ticket?Useful Words and Expressions:1. henpecked 怕老婆的，妻管严的2. lottery 彩票a great lottery 虚无缥缈的事3. pull a long face 拉下脸来have a face to say that脸皮厚得竟能讲出这种话12.A Young Man’s PromiseOne day, a young man was writing a letter to his girlfriend who lived just a few miles away in a nearby town. He was telling her how much he loved her and how wonderful he thought she was. The more he wrote the more poetic he became. Finally he said that in order to be with her, he would suffer the greatest difficulties, he would face the greatest dangers that anyone couldn’t imagine. In fact, to spend only one minute with her, he would swim across the widest river, he would enter the deepest forest, and he would fight against the fiercest animals with his bare hands.He finished the letter, signed his name and then suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to mention something quite important. So, in a postscript below his name, he added:“By the way, I’ll be over to see you on Wednesday night, if it doesn’t rain.”13.A Kind NeighborMr. and Mrs. Jones’ apartment was full of l uggage, packages, furniture and boxes. Both of them were very busy when they heard the doorbell ring. Mrs. Jones went to open it and she saw a middle-aged lady outside. The lady said she lived next door. Mrs. Jones invited her to come in and apologized bec ause there was no place for her to sit. “Oh, that’s OK.” said the lady. “I just come to welcome to your new home. As you know, in some parts of this city, neighbors are not friendly at all. They are some apartment houses where people don’t know any of thei r neighbors, not even the ones next door. But in this building, everyone is very friendly with everyone else. We are a big happy family. I am sure you will be very happy here.” Mr. and Mrs. Jones said, “But madam, we are not new dwellers in this apartment. We’ve lived here for two years. We are moving out tomorrow.”14.That Isn’t Our FaultMr. and Mrs. Williams got married when he was twenty-three, and she was twenty. Twenty-five years later, they had a big party, and a photographer came and took some photographs of them.Then the photographer gave Mrs. Williams a card and said, “They’ll be ready next Wednesday. You can get them from studio.”“No,” Mrs. Williams said, “please send them to us.”The photographs arrived a week later, but Mrs. Williams was not happy when she saw them. She got into her car and drove to the photographer’s studio. She went inside and said angrily, “You took some photographs of me and my husband last week, but I’m not going to pay for them.”“Oh, why not?” the photographer asked.“Because my husband looks like a monkey,” Mrs. Williams said.“Well,” the photographer answered, “that isn’t our fault. Why didn’t you think of that before you married him?”15.A Guide’s AnswerIn 1861, the Civil War started in the United States between the Northern and the Southern states. The war continued with great bitterness until 1865, when the Northerners were victorious. However, even today, many Southerners have not forgotten their defeat, or forgiven the Northerners.A few years ago, a party of American tourists were going round one of the battlefields of the Civil War with a guide who came from one of the Southern states. At each place, the guide told the tourists stirring stories about how a few Southern soldiers had conquered powerful forces of Northerners there.At last, one of the tourists, a lady who came from the North, stopped the guide and said to him, “ But surely that the Northern army must have won at least one victory in the Civil War?”“Not as long as I’m the guide here, madam,” answered the Southern guide.16.A Qualified PilotThe captain of a small ship had to go along a rocky coast, but he was unfamiliar with it, so he tried to find a qualified pilot to guide him. He went ashore in one of the small ports, and a local fisherman pretended that he was a pilot because he needed some money. The captain took him on board and asked him where to steer the ship.After half an hour, the captain began to suspect that the fisherman did not really know what he was doing and where he was going.“Are you sure you are a qualified pilot?” he asked.“Oh, yes,” answered the fisherman. “I know every rock on this part of the coast.”Suddenly there was a terrible crash from under the ship. At once the fisherman added, “And that’s one of them.”17.Living Things ReactYou and all organisms live an environment. An environment is made up of everything thatsurrounds an organism. It can include the air, the water, the soil, and even other organisms.An organism responds to changes in its environment. When an organism responds to a change, it reacts in certain ways. All living things respond in some way.Have you ever noticed how plants and insects respond to light? Plants bend toward light. Insects fly toward light.Living things also respond in other ways. The leaves on some trees respond to a change in season. In autumn, they change colors and then fall off the branches Animals also respond to a change in season. Squirrels save nuts for the winter. Bears sleep through the winter in a cave.You respond to your environment in many ways, too. You may shiver if you are cold. What other ways do you respond to changes in your environment?18.Flowering PlantsWhat are the parts of a flower?Flowers can have male parts and female parts. The female parts make eggs that become seeds. The male parts make pollen. Pollen is a powdery material that is needed by the eggs to make seeds. To make seeds, pollen and eggs must come together. The wind, insects, and birds bring pollen to eggs. Many animals love flowers’ bright colors. T hey also like a sugary liquid in flowers. This is called nectar. While they drink nectar, pollen rubs off on their bodies. As they move, some of this pollen gets delivered to the female flower parts.Over time, the female parts turn into fruits that contain seeds. Animals often eat the fruits and the seeds pass through their bodies as waste. The animals do no know they are working for the plants by planting seeds as they travel to different places!Useful words and Expressions:1. flowering 开花的2. pollen 花粉3. powdery 粉状的4. sugar 含糖的，甜的5. nectar花蜜，甘露6. rub 磨擦19.Finding the Direction and LocationHow can you tell which direction? By day, look for the Sun. It is in the east in the morning and the west in the afternoon. At night, use the Big Dipper to help you find the North Star. It would be better to bring a compass because its needle always points north.How do you know how far you have gone? You could count every step. Each step is about two feet. You’d better wear a pedometer which is a tool that coun ts steps. If you know where you started, which direction you are heading, and how far you have gone, you can use a good map to figure out exactly where you are.Today there is a new way for travelers to figure out where they are. It is the GPS. It has 24 satellites that orbit the earth and constantly broadcast their positions. Someday you may carry a small receiver as you hike and use GPS to find out if you are there yet!Useful Words and Expressions:1. dipper北斗七星2. compass 罗盘3. pedometer 步数计4. GPS= Global Position System全球定位系统5. orbit 轨道，绕……轨道而行6. receiver 接收器20.WavesHow does light get from the sun to the earth? How does music get from the stage to the audience? They move the same way-----in waves!Light and sound are forms of energy. All waves carry energy, but they may carry it differently. Light and sound travel through different kinds of matter. For example, light waves cannot move through walls, but sound waves can. That is why you can hear people talking in another room even though you cannot see them. The energy of some waves is destructive. An earthquake produces seismic waves.Catch a wave. Ask a friend to stand a few feet away from you. Stretch a spring between you. Shake the spring to transfer energy to it. What happens? The spring bounces up and down in waves. When the waves reach your friend, they bounce back to you!Light waves travel 300,000 kilometers (186,000 miles) per second! They can also travel through a vacuum. That is why light from the sun and distant stars can travel through space to the earth!Useful Words and Expressions;1. destructive 破坏的2. seismic地震的3. vacuum真空21.SoilsThere are many different kinds of soils. Different soils have different types of rock and minerals in them. Some soils have more water in them than others. Some soils might have more plant and animal material in them, too.Different kinds of soils are found in different parts of the world. There are several kinds of soils found in the United States. In some areas, the soil has a lot of clay. Other soils are very sandy. Loam is a kind of soil that has a good mixture of clay and sand.In some places, soil layers are very thick. Lots of plants grow in places with a thick soil layer. In dry and windy places soil layers are much thinner. Layers of soil on mountains are thin because gravity pulls the soil downhill.The type of soil in a particular place affects what kinds of plants can grow there.Useful Words:1. clay 黏土，泥土2. loam 肥土3. layer 层4. gravity 地心引力，重力5. downhill 往下。
华研专四听力答案专四听写 50 篇Dictation 1 Superstition 迷信（144 words）One person in four in Britain is, apparently, superstitious, / and they’ll do everything from hanging horseshoes over their fireplace to crossing their fingers, / touching wood and absolutely never walking under a ladder. / And they’re careful about cats. / Black cats are supposed to be the familiars of witches, / so if one is following you it’s definitely bad luck ? a witch is after you! / On the other hand, if one crosses your path and continues / then it’s good luck because it hasn’t noticed you. / However, in some places the beliefs are different / ? so it pays to know where your black cat comes from! / Old superstitions linger even in today’s modern world. / The author Philip Pullman drew on them / in his award winning novel “His Dark Materials”. / The novel, which appeals to both children and adults, / has been adapted for radio and also the theatre.Dictation 2 Graduate Student 研究生（157 words）Graduate students specialize in a particular field of study. / They study to become experts in this field / and to learn new advances in their fields while they earn an M.A. or Ph.D. / Sometimes when they get an M. A. in one field they begin studying another field. / They hope that when they earn their graduate degrees / they will succeed in finding important jobs. / They hope to get jobs that are interesting and high paying. / Thelife of a graduate student is often difficult. / They are usually too busy studying to make a good living. / Often they have to pay high tuition fees for their education. / Some give up studying before they get their degrees. / But most keep on working at their studies until they graduate. / In today’s world, most graduate students don’t regret spending time with their studies. / They are finding that new developments are occurring in all fields. / For many graduate study has become a necessity. /Dictation 3 April Fool’s Day 愚人节（157 words）1st April is a day to be careful, or you could easily get tricked by someone. / It’s April Fool’s Day, a day when people traditionally like to try / to make a fool of someone else and laugh at them. / There are lots of theories surrounding the origins of the day, / but one explanation isconnected with the change in the calendar in the 16th century, / which meant that 1st April was no longer the beginning of the year. / Those who still celebrated the New Year on 1st April were called fools. / So what kind of pranks do people play on April Fool’s Day? / Well, there are lots of simple tricks / that you can play on your friends. / For example, you could wear a black sweater / and pull a piece of white thread through it, / so that people try to pull it off. / You could change the time on someone’s alarm clock / so that they’re late for work. /Dictation 4 Living Online 网上生活（159 words）How do you meet new people, make new friends, orfind out about the latest bands? / Here in the UK young people have traditionally done their socializing in bars, pubs and clubs. / However, there is a new generation growing up / that finds it easier to manage their social lives on the net, / using free websites like MySpace, Bebo or MSN Spaces. / Welcome to the social networking website / ? a place where you can present yourself to the digital community and meet other like-minded people. / The most successful social networking website in the UK is /doc/7d8424243.html,. / As of July 2006, MySpace is the world’s fourth most popular English-language website, / attracting almost 3 million visitors per month. / MySpace claims to have 95 million members / with 500,000 new members joining the community each week. / So how has it become so successful? / Perhaps its secret is in its simplicity. / Each new member can build their own page simply ? uploading photos, videos and MP3 files.Dictation 5 Mother’s Day 母亲节（160 words）Does your mother know how much you appreciate her? / Well, Mother’s Day is the time to show her. / It’s a chance to say ‘thank you’, or to tell your mum how much you love her. / In Britain, Mother’s Day, or Mothering Sunday, / falls on a different day each year, / because it takes place a few weeks before the festival of Easter. / But it is always in the early springtime, which seems appropriate, / as the season when new plants emerge, / and baby birds and animals are born. / In the USA, Mother’s Day takes place a little later, in May, / and many other countries also celebrate their mothers on different days ofthe year. / It began many years ago, when children, / especially girls, as young as 10 would live and work away from home / as housemaids and other types of servant. / Mothering Sunday was a daywhen everyone was allowed to go to their home village or town, and visit their mothers.Dictation 6 Online Shopping 网上购物（159 words）With only two weeks to go before Christmas, / buying presents is a high priority for a lot of people. / However, this year not so many people are leaving their homes to browse around the shops. / These days lots of people can do their shopping / in the comfort of their own home with the help of the internet. / Online shopping is becoming more and more popular for a number of reasons; / prices are often lower online, / you don’t have to queue up in busy shops / and you can buy almost any product imaginable / with just a few clicks of your mouse. / Computer trends are often male-dominated / but this year women are expected to do more shopping on the internet than men. / It seems women are now more attracted to the convenience of online shopping than they used to be. / Average spending online this Christmas by women will rise to ￡240 / compared to the slightly lower average of ￡233 for men.Dictation 7 Reality TV 真实电视（155 words）The latest fashion on British TV is Reality TV. / Reality TV means that shows follow and film ordinary people in an artificial situation. / This could be at work, or in some kind of competition. / One of the first and most popular Reality TV shows is Big Brother. / In this show, 15 complete strangers have to live together in a house for 11 weeks. / They are filmed 24 hours a day, / and shown on television. / Each week, the viewers vote to evict one of the housemates. / Finally, only one is left, / and they win the prize money! / The show was an instant hit, and runs in several countries. / The housemates often become stars as a result of the show, / and appear in national newspapers and on other shows. / Another very popular show is I’m a Celebrity ? Get Me Out Of Here! / In this show, 10 celebrities have to complete tasks each week, such as eating insects.Dictation 8 School 学校（160 words）September is traditionally the end of summer / and the beginning of autumn in the UK. / It is also the month when children go back to school after their long summer holidays. / There are two types of school in England. / State-run schools are paid for by the government, so are free to attend. / Independent Schools are private, which means you have to pay to attend. / The school day usually starts at 9 in the morning and finishes around 4, / with breaks forlunch of course! / In many schools, you have to wear a uniform too. / Children start school when they are 5 years old. / This is called primary school, / and lasts until the child is 11 whenhe or she will go on to senior school. / Secondary school is compulsory from 11 until 16 years of age. / At 16, students take national examinations called GCSE’s. / After this, students can stay at school for another 2 years and take A Level examinations.Dictation 9 The Modern Family 现代家庭（154 words)Father leaves for work in the morning after breakfast. / The two children take the bus to school, / and mother stays home cooking and cleaning / until father and the kids return home in the evening. / This is the traditional picture of a happy family living in Britain. / The past 20 years have seen enormous changes in the lives and structure of families in Britain. / The biggest change has been caused by divorce. / As many as 2 out of 3 marriages now end in divorce, / leading to a situation where many children live with one parent / and only see the other at weekends or holidays. / There has also been a huge rise in the number of women with children who work. / The large rise in divorces has meant / many women need to work to support themselves and their children. / Even when there is no divorce, / many families need both parents to work in order to survive.Dictation 10 Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节（146 words）On 25th September this year, people all over China / will be getting together to eat with their families, / look at the moon and celebrate one of the biggest festivals in the Chinese lunarcalendar. / However,the celebrations stretch far beyond the borders of China. / Here in the UK events are taking place for Chinese people living here, / and to teach the people of Britain more about this popular festival. / The Soho Theatre in London conducted a study / which showed that Chinese Londoners don’t engage much with the arts world. / As a result, ‘Moon walking In China’ has been created to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. / This is no normal theatre production thoug h, / as it doesn’t take place in the theatre. /Theatre professionals and volunteers from the local community / will take audiences around the streets of Soho / on a magical lantern-lit walk / through the landmarks and backstreets of Chinatown.Dictation 11 The Dragon 龙（160 words）When many people in the west think of China, / the animal that they think of is the dragon. / For them, the dragon is an aggressive monster that breathes fire. / Many popular legends tell of how dragons killed brave knights and ate beautiful maidens. / For Chinese people however, the dragon is not an evil monster. / It’s a cultural and spiritual symbol for prosperity and good luck. / The dragon’s main task is to create harmony and bring rain. / Dragons are celebrated in art and architecture, / and of course the dragon dance is a very popular ritual. / Millions of Chinese have the word ‘long’, meaning dragon, as part of their name. / China isn’t the only country to have the dragon as itssymbol. / Wales, one of the four countries in the UK, / has a red dragon proudly displayed on its flag. / The only other country in the world with a dragon on its flag is Bhutan, / the tiny country between China and India.Dictation 12 Rainy Britain 阴雨的英国（153 words)Britain is famous around the world for its rainy weather, / but many parts of the country this June / are experiencing much more rain than they have ever seen before. / Torrential downpours have caused rivers to burst their banks, / roads have been closed and many people have been evacuated / from their homes because of the floods. / The worst hit area seems to be the north of England. / There have even been fatalities as people got stuck in the rain / or were washed away by the floodwaters. / Flood warnings have been issued in many parts of the UK / and it is said that over a month’s worth of rain has fallen in just the last couple of days. / The rain has also caused chaos at some of Britain’s famous June events. / The Glastonbury festival is a four-day-long outdoor music festival / and while it is traditionally quite rainy and muddy there, / this year was particularly bad.Dictation 13 Christmas traditions 圣诞节传统（145 words）There are many ways to celebrate Christmas, / and someBritish people like to go on holiday, / go out for lunch to a restaurant, or spend the day with friends. / But most people’s idea of a traditional Christmas / involves spending a few days with their family / ? sometimes their extended family. / The day is the most exciting for the children. / They may have spent weeks or even monthsdreaming of the presents they want most. / Since the beginning of December, they may have opened their advent calendars, / finding a new festive picture, chocolate, or small gift, / to count down each day until 25th December. / On Christmas Eve, they hang up stockings, / ready to be filled with presents by Santa Claus. / Often a thank you gift of a mince pie and a glass of sherry will be left, / as well as a carrot for those hungry reindeer.Dictation 14 Olympic Slogan 奥运口号（140 words）Beijing unveiled the slogan for the 2008 Olympics as far back as 2005. / “One World, One Dream” was finally selected / from more than 210,000 entries from around the world. / Beijing’s original bid to host the 2008 games / had a different slogan “New Beijing, Great Olympics”. / The organizers felt the new slogan shifted the focus nicely / from the city of Beijing itself to the spirit of the Olympics /? unity, friendship amongst nations and progress. / It was also felt that the “One World, One Dream” slogan / captured the traditional Chinese values of peace andharmony. / The Olympics hasn’t always had a slogan attached to each host country. / In fact it wasn’t until 1988 at the Seoul Olympics in South Korea / that the first slogan appeared. / “Harmony and Progress” was chosen / and it seems to have been a popular theme over the years.Dictation 15 Sunbed 太阳床（159 words）In the UK, a country known for its bad weather and lack of sunshine, / there appears to be an ever increasing number of very tanned young people. / So just how are they achieving their golden tans? / Some are opting for the sun-free option / and are getting their tan from a bottle. / However, it appears that others are turning to tanning salons, / of which there are thousands in the UK. / While in China young people often prefer to remain fair, / in the UK there seems to be a growing desire for tanned skin. / So why do the British prefer to be bronzed? / Often, they are trying to emulate their favorite celebrities, footballers, or footballers’ wives. / Research from the British Sunbed Association suggests that / many people believe a tan makes them feel and look healthier. / This is a belief that is most definitely not shared by Cancer Research UK. / They firmly state that being tanned is not a sign of health. /Dictation 16 Speechwriting 写演讲稿（143 words）The success of a speech is often attributed to the skill of the speaker, / with merit being given to speakers who are confident, articulate, / knowledgeable and able to deliver a speech with conviction. / But often it is not the speakers who write these moving speeches, / it is a speechwriter. / And one industry in which this practice is common is that of politics. / So what does it take to be a political speechwriter? /Well according to a recent job advertisement from the US Embassy in Britain, / a political speechwriter needs to have exceptional interpersonal skills, / be detail oriented and able to demonstrate a deep knowledge of their subject. / They must also work closely with speakers / and be able to relate to their style. / Some believe that the best speechwriters have an inherent talent, / a natural creative instinct, / and that speechwriting is an art form.Dictation 17 AWalk in the Park 在公园散步（141 words）Exercising in natural areas is not only good for your physical health / ?it can improve your mood / and sense of well-being in as little as five minutes. / So says research in the journal Environmental Health and Technology. / Exercise alone is known to make you happier. / So is being in a natural setting. / So scientists wanted to see the effect of combining the two. / They evaluated 10 different UK studies involving more than 1,200 people. / Participants had taken part in activities such as gardening, / sailing and country walks, and rated their mood andself-esteem. / The research showed that both areas get a significant boost / with as little as five minutes of outdoor exercise. / And people with mental disorders benefited the most. / The study authors say this is the first study / to quantify the amount of time needed to get a positive effect.Dictation 18 Fast food Makes Us Less Patient 快餐使我们失去耐性（146 words)Fast food is a multibillion-dollar industry, / and for some of us, drive-through dinner has become a way of life. / Granted, sometimes we grab something quick because we really don’t have time. / But psychologists got to wondering / whether all this speed eating might actuallymake us less patient. / In a series of experiments, the scientists showed volunteers logos / from several fast-food chains or asked them to recall the last time they’d visited. / And they found that folks who had thought about fast food would then read faster, / even though no one told them to hurry. / And they also expressed a preference for time-saving products, / like shampoo plus conditioner. / And they tended to opt for immediate rewards, / like getting a small cash payment right away / rather than waiting a week for a larger sum. / So if you want to ease the pace, forget meditation. Try a slow cooker.Dictation 19 Light All Night Not Alright 整夜开灯并非好事（159 words）A nightlight may keep those monsters under the bed. / But it may also open the door to the blues. / If you have access to electricity, you no doubt switch on a lamp, / maybe even watch a little TV, after the sun goes down. / But our bodies use cues about lightness and dark to regulate our hormones / and of course our sleep cycles. / So what might these extra photons be doing to our health? / T o find out, scientists housed mice in a room / where the lights were always on. / After three weeks, they found that mice who lived in the spotlight showed symptoms of depression, / more so than mice who enjoyed eight hours of darkness at night. / Interestingly, mice who could escape the light by ducking into a dark tube / also escaped the worst of the depression. / So flip that light switch at your own risk. / Because the artificial brightness that helps keep us up could also bring us down.Dictation 20 London 2012 Olympic Games 伦敦 2012 奥运会（154 words）After a hard-fought campaign, / London has been awarded the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games. / The UK capital saw off competition from four rival cities: / Paris, Madrid, Moscow and New York. / Londoners can now look forward to thetransformation of their city / in the same way as their counterparts in Beijing. / Indeed, there are many similarities in the two cities’ approach to hostingthe games. / Both cities need to invest in developing their infrastructure / in order to cope with the demands of the event. / However, this kind of investment is far from cheap / ? it is estimated that it will cost around $40 billion to prepare for the 2008 games, / much of which will be spent on transport links. / Nevertheless, the benefits of becoming an Olympic city can be enormous / ? Barcelona, which hosted the 1992 games, / was completely regenerated and has since become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.Dictation 21 Picnic 野餐（155 words）As summertime begins in Britain, people start to feel the urge to go outside to eat. / People love to have a picnic whenever the weather is good enough, / especially people with children. / It’s a great way to spend a sunny afternoon. / Even in the centre of London, on a sunny day, / the parks are full of office workers eating their lunch outside on the grass. / That might be a pretty basic picnic / ? a shop-bought sandwich and a bottle of water. / But if people are planning a picnic on the beach or at the park, / they would probably pack a cool bag / with a whole variety of home-made sandwiches, snacks, cake, fruit and soft drinks. / They might have a picnic rug to sit on, and paper plates and cups./ University students enjoy having picnics, / and usually take along some kind of sports equipment, / such as a ball in order to burn off some energy after lunch.Dictation 22 Changing Name after Marriage 婚后改名（155 words）Getting married is one of the most important decisions that a person takes in one’s life. / Th is is because it is a step that has the potential to alter or change one’s life altogether. / Right from the wedding dress to the house / that the couple will live after their wedding, / is decided with utmost care. / An important decision that the person has to make along with the other arrangements for the wedding / is to choose between one’s maiden name and spouse’s name. / Though traditionally, women are expected to change their name / from their maiden name totheir husband’s name, / many women nowada ys opt to keep their maiden name after marriage, / mostly for professional reasons. / Apart from this, there are women who adopt their husband’s last name / and keep theirmaiden name as their second name. / Also, there are couples who make a new name with both their names, / by separating the names with a hyphen.Dictation 23 The Compass 指南针（153 words)A magnetic compass is a device that has been used for centuries now, / and its utility in helping people find their way is undoubted. / Before technology gave us the privilege of GPS navigation systems, / the act of finding out where you are and which side is north / was carried out simply with the help of a compass. / We’ve all seen a compass at some point or the other, / and this has almost always l ed us to the question “How does a compass work?” / The answer to this question can be explained / through the concept of the earth’s electromagnetism. / Simply speaking, a compass is basically a small magnet / that has a needle attached on one end. / The other end of the magnet is attached to a freely moving pin. / When the compass is held out steadily, / the magnet becomes parallel with the magnetic field of the Earth, / and this causes it to point north.Dictation 24 Ball Games 球类运动（157 words）Ball games have become an integral part of modern society. / They give us entertainment providing us a means to safely free ourselves from stress. / There are many different ball games that can do this for us. / Some people enjoy football, while others likebasketball. / These two ball games are the most popular in China. / Other games such as baseball are growing in appeal, yet have not become popular. / The development of these games is interesting. / Basketball is one of the few sports with a known date of birth. / Football, or soccer, originally developed from traits found in both China and Europe. / It has grown to become the world’s most popular sport. / In Europe, football clubs have been established, / which in turn has been copied in the rest of the world. / These football clubs train players / who may later go play for their nations in the World Cup. / This is the most watched ballgame championship on the planet.Dictation 25 Water Sports 水上运动（145 words）The history of man’s involvement with wate r sports / stretches back before history was written down. / It is a history of the development of technology as well as human physical achievement. / Man first took to water in boats that sailed around the world / with nothing but the stars to guide them. / The seas and rivers were a mystery to be feared, / for lurked unknown creatures and death by drowning. / Few actually ventured into the water. / As a sport, however, water sports such as swimming, diving, / and water polo are new comparatively to those on land. / Probably the oldest one is rowing in a rowboat. / This is seen in modern games such as competitions / between rowing clubs in British and American universities. / Olympic Water Sports began with swimming but did not end there. / The different kinds of water sports such as diving or water skiing came later.Dictation 26 Famous Universities 名校（140 words)Many countries have excellent universities. / There are, however, few world famous ones. / These universities have achieved their fame / through a combination of both their age / and the high levels of quality in their instruction. / Throughout their histories, / each one has been a testing ground for the leadership of the nation. / In the United States, Harvard and Yale attract thousands of foreign students / who would use what they learn for the advancement of their own nations. / In this way, these schools have developed an interesting method of international communication. / Graduates around the world are able to connect with each other / by having graduated from one of the finest universities in the world. / Leaders in every field, whether government officials or ground-breaking scientists, / who graduated from the same school have a direct link to each other / and understand each other much better.Dictation 27 Ideal Life 理想人生（157 words)The ideal life is one that many people would like to pursue, yet few achieve. / The balance between dreams and reality is one that is difficult to overcome. / Many people choose a vocation in the hopes / that it would bring them wealth and success. / However, after years of labor in their chosen field, they begin to hate their jobs. / This is mainly because they have neglected other parts of their lives in search of this success. / These people devote their lives to working / and are unable to separate themselves from their work. / They find that it may not be enough. / Some havejobs where their principles and emotional health / are challenged by dishonesty or bad work environments. / These people can begin to become influenced by the environment in which they work, / leading to personal or health problems. / This choice is not a permanent situation, however, / as many people have chosen to change the values of their lives.Dictation 28 Reeducation and Employment 再教育和就业（160 words）During the course of our lives, we must make many choices that we may come to regret. / This is especially true when choosing a career. / Jobs that sound exciting or rewarding become dull or not worth it / as we live our daily existence. / This is where reeducation can help. / Occupational schools have beenset up to train people in jobs / that they may be better suited for. / People can adapt their interests and talents through selected courses. / They can learn cooking skills, which are always in great demand. / Gardening is an option for those who enjoy the outdoors or have a green thumb. / If a person is interested in motors or cars, they can get trainingas a mechanic. / Even more, the learning of a foreign language / would allow them the opening of a dream life. / The job qualification certificates they earn can also be used too enhance their resumes, / so that they are trained in a variety of skills.Dictation 29 Made in China 中国制造（160 words）The label, Made in China, is one that is becoming increasing common / in shopping centers all over the world. / In the United States, shoppers at Wal-Mart the nation’s largest retailer / have a wide selection of products mostly produced in China. / The large amount of Chinese imports have created a large selection of goods in other countries / as people begin to buy more and more products made in China. / These goods are even readily available in other Asian nations, / where Chinese-made goods are quite popular. / Chinese brand names are also becoming more well-known outside of China. / The development of China hasamazed the world with its growth. / And also, as China is a developing economy with large amounts of labor, / industries are beginning to relocate in an effort to minimize costs and increase profits. / The results of these relocations are that / nations are beginning to try to limit the flow of Chinese goods / with the use of taxes and import restrictions. /Dictation 30 Glaciers 冰川（153 words）Glaciers are formed in places where the temperatures are extremely cold. / This could even include places that are at sea level, / but are mostly places that are high up on mountains. / In such cold places it snows most of the year. / This snow will settle down and when it snows again / the lower layer of snow gets compressed. / Every time it snows, the below layers will compress more, / finally turning into hard ice. / This ice is what forms the glacier. / When the temperature rises slightly, / the outer edges of the formed glacier and fresh snow will melt. / For a glacier to form and sustain itself it is of prime importance / that the amount of snow that falls on it must be more than the amount of glacier that has melted. / This is the only way in which the glacier will be able to maintain itself / and keep increasing in size year after year. /。
---------------------------------------------------------------最新资料推荐------------------------------------------------------英语专业四级听写50篇(2)英语专业四级听写50 (1)篇:Town and Country Life in EnglandTown and Country Life in England There is a big difference between town life and country life in England. In the country, everybody knows everybody else. They know what time you get up, what time you go to bed and what you have for dinner. If you want help, you will always get it and you will be glad to help others. In a large town like London, however, it can sometimes happen that you have never seen your next door neighbor and you do not know his name or anything about him. People in London are often very lonely. This is because people go to different places in the evenings and at weekends. If you walk through the streets in the centre of London on Sunday, it is like a town without people. One is sorry for old people living on their own. They could die in their homes and would not be discovered for weeks or even months.英语专业四级听写 50 篇(2):A Change in Women's LifeA Change in Women’s Life The important change in women’s life-pattern has only recently begun to have its full effect on women’s economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left school at the first opportunity, and most of them took a full-time job. However,1/ 60when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age,---------------------------------------------------------------最新资料推荐------------------------------------------------------ and though women tend to marry younger, more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born. Very many more afterwards return to full-time or part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfactions of family life and with both husband and wife sharing more equally in providing the money, and running the home, according to the abilities and interests of each of them. Useful Words and Expressions: 1. life-pattern 生活方式 2. share英语专业四级听写 50 篇 (3):A Popular Pastime of the English PeopleA Popular Pastime of the English People One of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what the do with their non-working time. Most English men, women and children love growing things, especially flowers. Visitors to England in spring, summer or autumn are likely to see gardens all they way along the railway lines. There are flowers at the airports and flowers in factory grounds, as well as in gardens along the roads. Each English town has at least one park with beautifully kept flower beds. Public buildings of every kind have brilliant window boxes and sometimes baskets of flowers are hanging on them. But what the English enjoy most3/ 60is growing things themselves. If it is impossible---------------------------------------------------------------最新资料推荐------------------------------------------------------to have a garden, then a window box or something growing in a pot will do. Looking at each other’s gardens is a popular pastime with the eful Words and Expressions: 1. window box:窗台上的花盆箱 2.pastime 消遣，娱乐 Swimming is my favorite pastime.英语专业四级听写50 篇(4):A Popular Pastime of the English PeopleBritish and American Police Officers Real policemen, both in Britain and the U.S., hardly recognize any common points between their lives and what they se on TV—if they ever get home in time. Some things are almost the same, of course, but the policemen do not think much of them much of them. The first difference is that a policeman’s real life deals with the law. Most of what he learns is the law. He has to know actually what actions are against the law and what facts can be used to prove them in court. He has to know nearly as much law as a lawyer, and what’s more, he has to put it into practice on his feet, in the dark and, running down a narrow street after someone he wants to talk to. Little of his time is spent in talking with beautiful girls or in bravely facing cruel criminals. He will spend most of his working life arranging millions of words on thousands of forms about hundreds of sad, ordinary people who are guilty--- or not of5/ 60stupid, unimportant crimes.---------------------------------------------------------------最新资料推荐------------------------------------------------------ Useful Words and Expressions: 1. think much of 重视，尊重 2. in court 在法庭上 3. criminal 罪犯，犯罪者 4. guilty 犯罪的，有罪的英语专业四级听写 50 篇(5):Living Space时间:2007-12-12 23:50:42 来源:本站原创作者:alex 测测英语水平如何 | 挑生词: [网页划词已开启]进入 MP3下载页面下载到我的手机(不能播放请点击此处)Living Space How much living space does a person need? What happens when his space needs are not met? Scientists are doing experiments on rats to try to determine the effects of overcrowded conditions on man. Recent studies have shown that the behavior of rats is greatly affected by space. If rats have enough living space, they eat well, sleep well and produce their young well. But if their living conditions become too crowded, their behavior and even their health change obviously. They can not sleep and eat well, and signs of fear and worry become clear. The more crowded they are, and more they tend to bite each other and even kill each other. Thus, for rats, populations and violence are directly related. Is this a natural law for human society as well? Is enough space not only satisfactory, but necessary for human survival? These are interesting questions.英语专业四级听写 50 篇(6):The United Nations7/ 60时间:2007-12-12 23:51:51 来源:本站原创作者:alex 测测英语水平如何 | 挑生词: [网页划词已开启]进入 MP3下载页面下载到我的手机(不能播放请点击此处)The United Nations In 1945, representatives of 50 nations met to plan this organization. It was called the United Nations. After the war, many more nations joined. There are two major parts of the United Nations. One is called the General Assembly. In the General Assembly, every member nation is represented and has an equal vote. The second part is called the Security Council. It has representatives of just 15 nations. Five nations are permanent members: the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and China. The 10 other members are elected every two years by the General Assembly. The major job of the Security Council is to keep peace in the world. If necessary, it can send troops from member nations to try to stop little wars before they turn into big ones. It is hard to get the nations of the Security Council to agree on when this is necessary. But they did vote to try to stop eful Words and Expressions: 1. representative 代表 2. General Assembly 联合国大会 3. permanent 永久的，持久的 4. Security Council 联合国安全理事会---------------------------------------------------------------最新资料推荐------------------------------------------------------英语专业四级听写 50 篇(7):The United Nations时间:2007-12-12 23:52:40 来源:本站原创作者:alex 测测英语水平如何 | 挑生词: [网页划词已开启]进入 MP3下载页面下载到我的手机(不能播放请点击此处)Plastic We use plastic wrap to protect our foods. We put our garbage in plastic bags or plastic cans. We sit on plastic chairs, play with plastic toys, drink from plastic cups, and wash our hair with shampoo from plastic bottles! Plastic does not grow in nature. It is made by mixing certain things together. We call it a produced or manufactured material. Plastic was first made in the 1860s from plants, such as wood and cotton. That plastic was soft and burned easily. The first modern plastics were made in the 1930s. Most clear plastic starts out as thick, black oil. That plastic coating inside a pan begins as natural gas. Over the years, hundreds of different plastics have been developed. Some are hard and strong. Some are soft and bendable. Some are clear. Some are many-colored. There is a plastic for almost every need. Scientists continue to experiment with plastics. They hope to find even ways to use them!英语专业四级听写 50 篇 (8):Display of GoodsDisplay of Goods Are supermarkets designed to persuade us to buy more? Fresh fruit and vegetables are displayed near supermarket9/ 60entrances. This gives the impression that only healthy food is sold in the shop. Basic foods that everyone buys, like sugar and tea, are not put near each other. They are kept in---------------------------------------------------------------最新资料推荐------------------------------------------------------ different aisles so customers are taken past other attractive foods before they find what they want. In this way, shoppers are encouraged to buy products that they do not really need. Sweets are often placed at children’s eye level at the checkout. While parents are waiting to pay, children reach for the sweets and put them in the trolley. More is bought from a fifteen-foot display of one type of product than from a ten-foot one. Customers also buy more when shelves are full than when they are half empty. They do not like to buy from shelves with few products on them because they feel there is something wrong with those products that are there. Useful Words and Expressions: 1. aisle 走廊，过道 2. trolley 手推车 3. checkout 收款台英语专业四级听写 50 篇 (9):Display of GoodsAlbert Einstein Albert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879, His father owned a factory that made electrical devices. His mother enjoyed music and books. His parents were Jewish but they did not observe many of the religion’s rules. Albert was a quite child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty learning to read. When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass. The child was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same11/ 60direction—to be north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers about magnetism and---------------------------------------------------------------最新资料推荐------------------------------------------------------ gravity were difficult for the boy to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something hidden had to be behind things. Useful expressions and words: 1. device 装置，设备 leave to one’s own devices 听任某人自行其是，允许某人按自己的意愿做事 She left the child to her own devices for an hour in the afternoon. 她允许孩子在下午有一个小时的自由支配时间。
WavesHow does light get from the sun to the earth? How does music get from the stage to the audience? They move the same way-----in waves!Light and sound are fomp3s of energy. All waves carry energy, but they may carry it differently. Light and sound travel through different kinds of matter. For example, light waves cannot move through walls, but sound waves can. That is why you can hear people talking in another room even though you cannot see them. The energy of some waves is destructive. An earthquake produces seismic waves.Catch a wave. Ask a friend to stand a few feet away from you. Stretch a spring between you. Shake the spring to transfer energy to it. What happens? The spring bounces up and down in waves. When the waves reach your friend, they bounce back to you!Light waves travel 300,000 kilometers (186,000 miles) per second! They can also travel through a vacuum. That is why light from the sun and distant stars can travel through space to the earth!SoilsThere are many different kinds of soils. Different soils have different types of rock and minerals in them. Some soils have more water in them than others. Some soils might have more plant and animal material in them, too.Different kinds of soils are found in different parts of the world. There are several kinds of soils found in the United States. In some areas, the soil has a lot of clay. Other soils are very sandy. Loam is a kind of soil that has a good mixture of clay and sand.In some places, soil layers are very thick. Lots of plants grow in places with a thick soil layer. In dry and windy places soil layers are much thinner. Layers of soil on mountains are thin because gravity pulls the soil downhill.The type of soil in a particular place affects what kinds of plants can grow there.CrisisLife is a contest! Who will win? A bluebird and sparrow both compete for space to build their nests. A fast-growing maple tree and slower-growing dogwood compete for the sunlight they both need. Oil competes with coal and nuclear power as an energy source for electric power plants!There is a problem. There is a limited amount of space for birds, sunlight for trees, and energy for people! If we do not cut back on our uses of some of our resources, someday they will be gone!How can we use energy today and know we will have enough to go around in the future? We can choose alternate, or replacement, energy resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable. What other ways can we conserve our sources? How can we make sure there is always enough to go around?America’s Worst SurpriseDecember 7, 1941 was one of the worst days in American history. Nearly all Americans who are old enough to remember that day can still remember what they were doing at the moment they heard “the news”. The news was that America had been attacked!Shortly before 2:00 P.M., a radio dispatch came into Washington from Honolulu, Hawaii. “Air Raid, Pearl Harbor—This is no drill.” Japanese planes had begun an attack on the largest American military base in the Pacific. They first destroyed planes on the ground. Then they bombed the ships in the harbor.No one had expected the attack. So no one was prepared for it. And it did not take long for Japanese to do their damage. When the smoke cleared, the Navy counted its losses. Eighteen ships had been sunk or badly damaged. Nearly 150 planes had been destroyed. More than 2,400 Americans had been killed and more than 1,200 wounded.Great Depression in the U.S.In 1929, the bills started to come in. American industry had produced too many goods. Americans could not afford to buy all of them. So factories had to cut down on their production. Many workers lost their jobs. Investors tried to get their money back. But businesses did not have enough money to pay them. Banks tried to get their money back from investors. But the investors could not pay, either. Too many people owed money. And few of them could pay their bills.During the next few years, business got worse and worse. By 1932, banks all over the country were closing.People without money could not buy goods. So more businesses closed. More and more people lost their jobs. By 1932, more than 12 million Americans were jobless. Millions more were earning barely enough to live on. The country was in a great depression they had never experienced before.A Place of Our OwnWe are all usually very careful when we buy something for the house. Why? Because we have to live with it for a long time. We paint a room to make it brighter, so we choose the colors carefully.We buy new curtains in order to match the newly decorated room, so they must be the right color. We move the furniture round so as to make more space—or we buy new furniture—and so on. It is an endless business.Rich or poor, we take time to furnish a room. Perhaps some people buy furniture in order to impress their friends. But most of us just want to enjoy our surroundings. We want to live as comfortably as we can afford to. We spend a large part of our lives at home. We want to make a small corner in the world which we can recognize as our own.。
1.What a Firefighter's Job Is Like?The damage that a fire can cause is obvious / and this is why the firefighters'jobs are so important. / ?Firefighters are usually the first ones responding to any type of emergency and perform many tasks,/which include putting out burning buildings, / helping out with medical emergencies, vehicle accidents and many other incidents./ ?They must make sure their equipment is clean / and all the items they use are in proper working order. / ?Keeping their skills up to date is necessary./ ?Therefore, they will be continually trained with new equipment and techniques. / ?Because of the extreme conditions / and also the stress associated with the emergency situations that arise, / the firefighters definitely need to stay in shape for the work they must do. / ?They will stay in the fire station while on duty. / ?Unless they need to work on the trucks or respond to a call, / they can eat, sleep, shower and watch TV at the fire station, just like at home. (160 words)2.Aliens?For a long time, aliens have often been in the news. / ?They have always been surrounded by mystery / and interest of people all around the world. / ?People have claimed to have been abducted by aliens. / ?Some have claimed to have actually seen them. / ?But is there a sound proof that can prove aliens to be real? / ?Alien sightings have mostly been accompanied by sightings of lights in the night sky./ ?Some of them have also believed that / the lights came from the spaceships used by the aliens. / ?Disk-like objects traveling across the sky / have often been taken as aliens' vehicles./ ?At times, people have found blood or hair at the locations / where aliens were sighted. / ?Researchers say alien sightings could have probably been a result of human imagination accompanied by fear, / and some of these sightings might have been a result of certain astronomical phenomena. ( 145 words)puter Eyeglasses?As computers become a more and more vital part of today's lifestyle and practices,/ new medical conditions are developing as a result of their usage. / ? The most common to date is computer vision problems, / which include eye pain, tired and burning eyes, watering or dry eyes, eye strain. / ?One Would never imagine thatsuch a useful and innovative tool could cause so much physical discomfort ! / ?As a result of these, science professionals seized the opportunity / to create computer eyeglasses to ease these common conditions / and make computer usage lesspainful and more comfortable. / ?The computer vision problems affect adults as well as children./ ?Although children normally have different requirements for near and distance vision glasses, / computer eyeglasses can be used universally for both groups. / ?Please note that near and distance vision glasses / should not be used as replacements for computer glasses. /?They do not serve the same purpose, / and in some cases will cause more harm than good. (158 words)bor Day?International Labor Day, also known as International Workers' Day, / is scheduled for May 1st of each year. /?It is a holiday in celebration of the eight-hour workday. / ?It evolved from efforts of the labor union movement / to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. / ?It is celebrated as a national holiday across many countries around the world. / ?The idea for a workers' holiday began in Australia in 1856 / but was celebrated on May 1st in 1886 in Chicago. /?In China, Labor Day was extended to three days during the 1990s. / ?The Chinese government made it a seven-day holiday / by moving the prior and upcoming weekends together with these three days. / ?This holiday allowed millions of Chinese people to travel / or take other activities during this period. / ?However, China has reduced the Golden Week holiday down to one day in 2008, / while at the same time reviving some traditional holidays such as Mid-Autumn Festival. (158 words)5.Negative Effects of Television?Spending too many hours watching television wastes the precious time / that can rather be spent in fruitful and healthy activities like exercise or reading. / ?It also uses up the time / that you can rather spend with your family and friends./ ?Chatting with your near ones, spending time with your close ones / is a better way of spending time than watching TV. / ?People watching television, especially children and youngsters,/ start identifying with what is shown on TV. / ?They relate to television shows and films to such an extent that / they get bored of living a normal and simple life. ! ?They are eager for fame and money; / they long for living the lives of their favorite 'IV characters. / ?This may lead to a high amount of dissatisfaction for the real world. / ?As real life is the contrast of the life shown on TV, / such TV addicts become hungry for power, money and status. (151 words)6.Family Life in India?Family life is equally varied in Indian states. /?India is a country with many states / in which people are from different cultures, and so on. /?The languages, clothing, customs, and traditions of people are influenced by the respective regions they live in. / ?Most of the families in India are extended ones, / in which every member has his or her own role, often influenced by age and gender. / ?Children are cherished and considered as gifts from God. !?Children can look forward to continual family support throughout their lives. / ?However, they are expected to respect their elders and parents, their wishes and family relationships. / ?The family structure in India is typical, / in which there are many wedding customs, / which have to be strongly followed by people. / ?Religion, social status, traditional practices, and regional differences influence family structures. / ?Indians are more emotionally attached to the members of their family. / ?Husbands and wives are not allowed to openly display their affection for one another. ( 160 words)7.Society's Influence on Education?Society plays an important role in education, and influences it both positively and negatively. / ?Social inequalities and unhealthy educational practices are some of the negative influences of society on our lives. / ?Customs and traditions prevent certain sections of society from exercising their fundamental rights / and get in the way of the well-being of society, / shatter the basic ideas of education and social awareness. / ?Some social groups deny women's right to education, / while others force children to work, / depriving them from a healthy environment / which is good to their growth and development. / ?Education is one of the basic human rights. / ?If social norms come in the way of social welfare, / it defeats the purpose of education. /?Society is an entity that can't be separated from us. / ?It is we who make up the society. / ?It is entirely in our hands whether to add value to our education or devalue it. (149 words)8.Choosing the Perfect Hair Color?Coloring your hair is one way to express your individuality. / ?Choosing the right hair color can be confusing / whether you want to cover gray hair or give yourself a new fresh look. / ?If you are clear about what you want exactly, / it can help whilechoosing the hair color that is right for you. / ?You can achieve the most flattering look, / if you consider your skin make-up and eye color. / ?Hair color that balances your complexion gives the best results. / ?For covering gray hair, you can select a shade close to your natural hair color. / ?Hair highlights are another way to improve your overall look. /?Highlights can look fascinating and make an attractive impression. / ?They add depth and dimension to the base color or natural hair. /?Different hair colors suit different complexions. /?In order to choose a suitable hair color, / you need to identify the right combination. ( 148 words)9.Traditional Brazilian Clothing?Brazil is known internationally for its stylish and sophisticated clothing./?Brazilian clothes are comfortable, vivid, beautifully crafted and decorated with attractive laces. / ?Traditional Brazilian clothing is influenced by a combination of different races and immigrants from all over the world. / ?A true traditional Brazilian clothing can be seen in the countryside, / where men's clothing includes shirt, jeans and dresses made from inexpensive cotton. / ?In the south of Brazil, the cowboys wear a distinctive dress including loose-fitting trousers, / while in the northeast region they wear coat, hat and leather trousers. / ?In the urban areas of Brazil, most people prefer modern clothing. / ?Young men wear jeans and T-shirts. / ?Short skirts and dresses are very popular among women. / ?Brazilian jeans are very common ! and they come in a wide variety of styles and textures. / ?Jeans made for women are tight-fitting and loose-fitting near the feet. / ?Due to abundance of beautiful beaches, / beachwear is a very popular clothing in Brazil. ( 156 words)10.Sunday School?Sunday School is a practice designed to help children, after church, / to adhere to the path of justice and truth. /?However, today, the approach is very unlike the older one / which focused on the classroom-bound mode of interaction and reflection / on the values of Christianity and the Holy Word. / ?Now, children are being allowed to experiment with ideas / and develop a result-based resource base, / with the help of planned and directed effort. / ?Sunday School is now being held within and out of church. / ?The children and youth are allowed to interact with peers / outdoors, at picnics, workshops and camping. / ?This calls for a redress of security and safety equipment. / ?As a matter of fact, with activities such as these, / Sunday Schoolsecurity and safety is the concern of every parent. /?And the safety and security of the children is the prime responsibility of the public. ( 146 words)11.Spy Cell Phones?A spy phone is a mobile phone or a spy device / that allows a user to monitorand hear or record conversations and other activities taking place over the phone. /?Spy phones can function in different ways. / ?They can be used as listening devices/ whereby secretive conversations can be tracked. / ?They are popularly used by secret agencies to track criminal activities / that are carried out over networks./ ?They can be used for tracking periodic calls and recording the frequency of calls from certain suspicious numbers. / ?Also, they can be used for monitoring business and household activities / while the cell phone user is away. / ?Although spy cell phones have many positive sides, / they give rise to legal as well as moral concerns, / because spy cell phone software is easily available. / ?Cell phones are easily transferable to spy phones. / ?Their ready availability makes them subject to illegal use. (146 words)12.Water Pollution?Water pollution is an undesirable change in the state of water, / polluted with harmful substances. /?It is the second most important environmental issue next to air pollution. / ?Any change in the physical, chemical or biological properties of water / will have a harmful effect on living things. / ?Water pollution affects all the major water bodies of the world / such as lakes, rivers, oceans and groundwater./ ?Polluted water is unfit for drinking and for other consumption processes. / ?It is also not suitable for agricultural and industrial use. / ?The effects of water pollution are harmful to human beings, plants, animals, fishes and birds. / ?Water problems in the future will become more intense and more complex. / ?Our increasing population will tremendously increase urban wastes, primarily sewage. / ?On the other hand, increasing demands for water / will decrease the amount of water available for dealing with wastes. /?Due to water pollution, the entire ecosystem gets disturbed. (150 words)13.Health Benefits of Red Wine?We all know drinks containing alcohol are not good for health, / but when it comes to drinking red wine, / it is the other way around. / ?Recent studies have concluded that there are no negative effects on the body, / if red wine is not consumed excessively. / ?Certain compounds in red wine can play a very important role in protecting the heart. / ?It is a heart-healthy drink that can be enjoyed during evening meals. /?If you think that red wine is only good for the heart, / then you are wrong. / ?Studies have revealed that the substance found in the skin of red grapes, / can restrict cancer's development. /?However, the ideal consumption is not 7 to 8 glasses of red wine. /?Scientific studies on the potential benefits of red wine recommend that women should not have more than one drink per day; / whereas men can have 2 drinks per day. /?The word "moderate" is the key to maximize health benefits of red wine. (160 words)14.How to Gain Fluency in Another Language?To gain fluency in another language, / many people will tell you the only solution is / to travel to a foreign country and immerse yourself completely. / ?This advice may be greatly appealing for some people. / ?But for the majority of people, this solution is both inconvenient and costly. / ?Thankfully, the Internet has brought us new and exciting options for communicating in another language. / ?To expand your vocabulary, try reading free articles and original books in another language./ ?To begin with, reading may be a slow and frustrating process / as you will have to stop to look up the meanings for many unfamiliar words. / ?Before you begin, find an online dictionary / that will offer you quick translations. / ?Hearing a language is the key to learn how to speak it. / ?Popular music downloading sites offer free audio files / that you can download and take with you wherever you go. / ?And most importantly, one must actually practice speaking the language. (155 words)15.Benefits of Going to College?One of the primary benefits of going to college / is being able to obtain a college degree. /?A college degree helps you push your career in the right direction / and opens doors for good job opportunities. / ?The college years are filled with academic / as well as extra curricular activities. / ?The projects, the oral and practical examsand demonstrations that are parts of college education / help you build self-confidence and enhance your communication skills. / ?College education plays a vital role in the development of analytical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills./ ?These skills help you throughout life. / ?However, the most important benefit of going to college is / perhaps the environment it offers. /?It gives you an opportunity to be a part of a huge group. / ?College education helps you develop skills of working in a team. / ?It gives you an opportunity to understand different points of view on different issues in life.( 150 words)16.Benefits of Becoming a Teacher?Becoming a teacher gives you a chance to spend a major portion of your day with children or youngsters. / ?With kids around, you are a part of their world of innocence and purity. / ?It indeed creates a healthy work environment for you. / ?On becoming a teacher, / you get a chance to be with children laughing with them, / think their way and enjoy their innocently silly and healthily naughty behavior./ ?Apart from this, the nature of your job is such that / you do not work on weekends / and you get your share of holidays. / ?Becoming a teacher / entitles you for receiving private scholarships and sponsorships for teaching programs./ ?However, one of the most important benefits of becoming a teacher is that / teachers contribute to the shaping of the future generations./ ?They make a difference to society / by playing a vital role in nurturing young minds. ( 146 words)anic Coffee?Today many agricultural products are grown using organic methods / and coffee is no exception. / ?Organic products have a very minimal effect on the environment / because there is no use of pesticides and fertilizers. / ?M1 organic produces are certified to ensure that / their products are grown in such a way./ ?Organic coffee is a multimillion dollar industry / and each year the sales of this coffee are increasing. / ?Exports of organic coffee are up in most of Europe and North America. / ?Organic coffee is usually grown in many countries such as Africa, Asia and South America. / ?All over the world people have become organic coffee drinkers, / but Americans consume the majority of it./ ?AI1 organic coffee products in the USA are certified for quality. /?The organic coffee is produced in a very specific way / and all operators are at random inspected to ensure that they meet US Department of Agriculture standards. ( 149 words)18.The Rivers?The rivers are formed when group of springs and streams, / which are known as headwaters/ and having their origin in the mountains, / flow down to form a largestream or springs. / ?The stream bed of a river lies between the banks of a river./ ?The large streams are called as rivers / while the smaller ones are called as creeks. / ?The rivers form the major component of the water cycle. / ?The water in a river is accumulated from gathering of ground water / and also through the release of stored water in natural reservoirs such as icebergs. / ?Rivers have been one of the sources of food, water and transport since prehistoric times. / ?The rivers aid the cultivation of crops by supplying water. / ?Historians claim that shipping dates back to a very long time ago. / ?Rivers of the world are the major source of fresh water / and they maintain their own food chain. ( 147 words)19.Environmentally Friendly Cars?Environmentally friendly cars are supposed to be the vehicles of future generations. / ?Nevertheless, such cars exist now / and are becoming more popular in the modem car market than traditional vehicles / which work on fossil fuels./ ?The advantages of such cars are not only in their lower harmfulness for the environment and people's health / but also in the lower fuel costs. / ?However, their production is rather expensive, / so it is still a controversial point / both for the customers and the automobile manufacturers. / ?Although they are more expensive to buy, / they pay for themselves in a period of about 5 years / because they consume less expensive fuels. /?The common types of environmentally friendly ears include electric cars, fuel-cell-powered cars, crossbreed cars and solar cars. / ?And environmentally friendly cars have become the choice of many people / who decided to reduce the influence of burning fossil fuels on the nature. (146 words)20.Overpopulation?Overpopulation is the condition / where the number of organisms exceeds the carrying capacity of their habitat. / ?We are facing the effects of overpopulation in our daily lives. / ?Overpopulation has affected the life of common man / and hasproved to be one of the most serious difficulties that have to be fought./ ?Overpopulation implies a shortage of resources and economic inflation. / ?Living through the negative effects of overpopulation / has made us realize serious problems associated with it. / ?It is high time we waken up / and found the causes of overpopulation and worked on them. /?Generally, the causes of overpopulation include decline in the death rate, rise in the birth rate, migration and lack of education. / ?Not every nation is capable of providing its people with the adequate amount of resources. / ?The ever-increasing population will eventually fail to provide its people with the resources they need to thrive. /?When the environment fails to accommodate the living beings that inhabit it, / over-population becomes a disaster. (160 words)21.The Bottled Water?The bottled water used can be sourced from public water sources, / and the purity and safety depend largely on the regulation of quality adopted within a country. /?The regulation conducted and recorded ensures that / the bottled water's quality is safe. /?The label on the bottled water container or bottle accurately reflects bottle contents, / or at least it is expected to. / ?In many developing and under-developed nations, / these standards are variable. / ?This makes the safety of the bottled water controversial. / ?There is no doubt about the convenience of bottled water relative to boiling. / ?However, bottled water may provide a possibility to unsafe drinking water/ only for those who can afford it. / ?The sales of bottled water have surpassed the sales of all other drinks, except some soft drinks. / ?And the bottled water companies make a good money / even though the popularity of bottled water has been criticized by environmentalist, economists and care-takers and -givers. (151 words)22.Online Education?Online education, or distance learning, has really taken on a life of its own in the past few years. / ?With the availability of the Internet, /it is becoming easier and easier to join one of the approved online colleges /and to get your degree online. /?These colleges are spread out all over the world. / ?If you are truly getting your education online / then you don't have to be in the same city / as if you were getting your degree locally. / ?You simply log into the classroom every day to get your assignments, / then you upload them in order to get your grade. / ?There isn't even a need to meet the teachers or other students / and you can do it at any time of the day. /?Therefore, it won't interfere with your work schedule or your life in general./ ?And the great news is that employers are recognizing more and more that / an online education is a great way to go. (160 words)23.Red Wolves?Red wolves present a characteristic red colored fur / which is more obvious behind the ears and in the neck and legs. /?Other than these parts, / the fur color of red wolves is brown with black shading in the back and tail. / ?Their big ears help them overcome hot and humid climatic conditions. /?The average size of red wolves is 4 feet in length, 20 inches tall and weight about 45 to 80 pounds. / ?Generally, red wolves attain sexual maturity at the age of 22 months; / however, there are some species that attain within 10 months. /?The breeding season of red wolves is during February and March / and their pregnancy period is about 2 months. / ?Females give birth to about 1 to 10 children one time around March to April. / ?The newly borns usually stay with their parents about two years, / after which, they spread around the wild. /?The lifespan of red wolves is around 7 or 8 years in the wild / and about 15 years in captivity. (160 words)24.The Earth Day?Our Planet Earth has so much to give us. / ?From the beautiful natural surroundings to the rich types of creatures, / Planet Earth has loads of things to offer / that only make the life more beautiful. / ?However, have you given a thought to how many individuals actually respect this planet? / ?April 22nd is known the world over as Earth Day. / ?It is celebrated to create more awareness about our planet / and situations that we need to take care of/to ensure our Planet Earth is well loved and cared for. / ?As things are, we need to celebrate it on one day / to remind us of the responsibilities we need to handle in the coming years. / ?The importance of Planet Earth is something / that should be taught to children in their early years, at home and in the school. / ?Only then will the young and old alike, understand the issues / such as global warming, energy conservation and the importance of recycling. (159 words)25.Car Alarm System?Car alarm systems are basic ways to keep thieves away. / ?The first car alarm system was designed in 1896. / ?Nowadays every car is fitted with advanced electronic sound alarm system. / ?Though car alarm systems do not always stop the theft from happening but they do create troubles, / which act as alarms for both the owner of the car and the thief. / ? There have been innumerable cases / when in spite of the car alarm system being there, / the vehicle has been stolen, / because at times the car alarm system fails to understand what exactly is a car theft. / ?Experts are of the opinion that / nowadays thefts occur in spite of the alarm system being there / because nobody bothers much about it. / ?People do not pay attention because alarm systems sound / even when there is a strong wind or a pet trying to interfere with the vehicle. / ?Moreover, thieves are designing newer ways tomake new technologies that are being used failed. (160 words)26.Domestic Violence and Abuse?Domestic abuse occurs when one person in an intimate relationship or marriage tries to dominate and control the other person. / ?An abuser doesn't play fair. / ?He or she uses fear, guilt, and shame to wear you down and gain complete power over you. / ?He or she may threaten you, hurt you, or hurt those around you. / ?Domestic abuse that includes physical violence is called domestic violence. / ?Victims of domestic abuse or domestic violence may be men or women, / although women are more commonly victimized. /?Except for the gender difference, domestic abuse doesn't discriminate. / ?It happens within all age ranges, ethnic backgrounds, and financial levels. / ?The abuse may occur during a relationship, / while the couple is breaking up, or after the relationship has ended. / ?Despite what many people believe, / domestic violence is not due to the abuser's loss of control over his behavior. / ?Actually, violence is a deliberate choice made by the abuser / in order to take control over his wife or partner. ( 165 words)27.Differences between Chinese and Western Eating Habits?There are great differences between Chinese and Western eating habits./ ?Unlike the West, where everyone has their own plate of food, / in China the dishes are placed on the table and everybody shares. / ?If you are being treated by a Chinese host, / be prepared for a ton of food. / ?Chinese are very proud of theirculture of cuisine / and will do their best to show their hospitality. / ?And sometimes the Chinese hosts use their chopsticks to put food in your bowl or plate. / ?This is a sign of politeness. / ?The appropriate thing to do would he to eat the whatever-it-is /and say how tasty it is. / ?If you feel uncomfortable with this, / you can just say a polite thank-you and leave the food there. / ?And you should never tap on your bowl with your chopsticks, / which can be very insulting to the host. (143 words)28.Water Pollution?When toxic substances enter lakes, streams, rivers, oceans, and other waterbodies, / they get dissolved or lie suspended in water or get deposited on the bed./ ?This results in the pollution of water whereby the quality of the water deteriorates,/ affecting aquatic ecosystems. / ?Pollutants can also go down and affect the groundwater deposits. /?Water pollution has many sources. / ?The most polluting of them are the city sewage and industrial waste discharged into the rivers. /?The facilities to treat waste water are not adequate in any city in India./ ?Presently, only about 10% of the waste water generated is treated; / the rest is discharged as it is into our water bodies. / ?Due to this, pollutants enter groundwater, rivers, and other water bodies. / ?Such water, which ultimatelyends up in our households, / is often highly polluted and carries disease-causing bacteria./?Agricultural run-off, or the water from the fields that drains into rivers, / is another major water pollutant as it contains fertilizers and pesticides. (161 words)29.Listening Skills?Communication with others involves learning listening skills. / ?It's a good feeling when someone listens to you / when you're talking to them. / ?It makes you feel like they care about you and what you're saying. / ?The same respect should be given to people that are speaking to you. / ?Controlling the conversation or interrupting constantly with your views or suggestions / is not listening to the other person. / ?Listening closely and then responding at the appropriate time makes a good conversation. /?Making comments at the correct time lets the speaker know you're interested / and can help you stay centered on the conversation. / ?Asking good questions about the subject will show you want to know more about it. / ?Try。
2000年专四听力答案PART I DICTATIONWhat We Know About LanguageMany things about language are a mystery and will remain so. / However, we now do know something about it. / First, we know that all human beings have a language of some sort. / No human race anywhere on earth is so backward / that it has no language of its own at all. /Second, there is no such thing as a primitive language. / There are many people whose cultures are undeveloped, / but the languages they speak are by no means primitive. / In all the languages existing in the world today,/ there are complexities that must have been developed for years. / Third, we know that all languages are perfectly adequate./ Each is a perfect means of expressing its culture. /And finally, we know that language changes over time, / which is natural and normal if a language is to survive. / The language which remains unchanged is nothing but dead.PART ⅡLISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A CONVERSATIONSQuestions 1 to 3 are based on the following conversation.M:Jill,have you registered with the next semester?W:Not yet, there's still something that I'm not sure. Do you know if Professor Smith's economics 102 is still available to all undergraduate students?M: No, I don't think so. Last semester I tried to register in that course but all the other people told me not to.W: Why not?M: They said that my lack of knowledge in higher mathematics might be an obstacle in understanding Professor Smith's theory.W: Really?M: (I ) Jack tqld me that Professor Smith usually uses lots of formulas inside class. So you'd better make sure that you are extremely familiar with these formulas if you are seriously considering taking his course.W:What a shame I (2)My friends all told me that Professor Smith has lots of original ideas and he really can stimulate students to think. But I don't think I have the mathematical skills to keep up with the others.M:lf you want to take the course so much, why don't you register in a course in higher mathematics first?W. But I'm afraid that I will miss Professor Smith's course when I finish the mathematics course. M: Hey, I heard that Professor Smith would give the same course in the semester that starts next fall. ( 3 ) Why don't you take a year's higher mathematics and register in economics 102 the next fall?W:That sounds a good idea.I. [ B] 推断题。
1.Town and Country Life in EnglandThere is a big difference between town life and country life in England. In the country, everybody knows everybody else. They know what time you get up, what time you go to bed and what you have for dinner. If you want help, you will always get it and you will be glad to help others.In a large town like London, however, it can sometimes happen that you have never seen your next door neighbor and you do not know his name or anything about him. People in London are often very lonely. This is because people go to different places in the evenings and at weekends. If you walk through the streets in the centre of London on Sunday, it is like a town without people. One is sorry for old people living on their own. They could die in their homes and would not be discovered for weeks or even months.2.A Change in Women’s LifeThe important change in women’s life-pattern has only recently begun to have its full effect on women’s economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left school at the first opportunity, and most of them took a full-time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though women tend to marry younger, more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born. Very many more afterwards return to full-time or part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfactions of family life and with both husband and wife sharing more equally in providing the money, and running the home, according to the abilities and interests of each of them.Useful Words and Expressions:1. life-pattern生活方式2. Share3.A Popular Pastime of the English PeopleOne of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what the do with their non-working time.Most English men, women and children love growing things, especially flowers. Visitors to England in spring, summer or autumn are likely to see gardens all they way along the railway lines. There are flowers at the airports and flowers in factory grounds, as well as in gardens along the roads. Each English town has at least one park with beautifully kept flower beds. Public buildings of every kind have brilliant window boxes and sometimes baskets of flowers are hanging on them. But what the English enjoy most is growing things themselves. If it is impossible to have a garden, then a window box or something growing in a pot will do. Looking at each other’s gardens is a popular pastime with the English.Useful Words and Expressions:1. window box:窗台上的花盆箱2.pastime 消遣，娱乐Swimming is my favorite pastime.4.British and American Police OfficersReal policemen, both in Britain and the U.S., hardly recognize any common points between their lives and what they se on TV—if they ever get home in time.Some things are almost the same, of course, but the policemen do not think much of them much of them.The first difference is that a policeman’s real life deals with the law. Most of what he learns is the law. He has to know actually what actions are against the law and what facts can be used to prove them in court. He has to know nearly as much law as a lawyer, and what’s more, he has to put it into practice on his feet, in the dark and, running down a narrow street after someone he wants to talk to.Little of his time is spent in talking with beautiful girls or in bravely facing cruel criminals. He will spend most of his working life arranging millions of words on thousands of forms about hundreds of sad, ordinary people who are guilty--- or not of stupid, unimportant crimes.Useful Words and Expressions:1. think much of 重视，尊重2. in court 在法庭上3. criminal 罪犯，犯罪者4. guilty 犯罪的，有罪的5.Living SpaceHow much living space does a person need? What happens when his space needs are not met? Scientists are doing experiments on rats to try to determine the effects of overcrowded conditions on man. Recent studies have shown that the behavior of rats is greatly affected by space. If rats have enough living space, they eat well, sleep well and produce their young well. But if their living conditions become too crowded, their behavior and even their health change obviously. They can not sleep and eat well, and signs of fear and worry become clear. The more crowded they are, and more they tend to bite each other and even kill each other. Thus, for rats, populations and violence are directly related. Is this a natural law for human society as well? Is enough space not only satisfactory, but necessary for human survival? These are interesting questions.6.The United NationsIn 1945, representatives of 50 nations met to plan this organization. It was called the United Nations. After the war, many more nations joined.There are two major parts of the United Nations. One is called the General Assembly. In the General Assembly, every member nation is represented and has an equal vote.The second part is called the Security Council. It has representatives of just 15 nations. Five nations are permanent members: the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and China. The 10 other members are elected every two years by the General Assembly.The major job of the Security Council is to keep peace in the world. If necessary, it can send troops from member nations to try to stop little wars before they turn into big ones.It is hard to get the nations of the Security Council to agree on when this is necessary. But they did vote to try to stop wars.Useful Words and Expressions:1. representative 代表2. General Assembly 联合国大会3. permanent 永久的，持久的4. Security Council 联合国安全理事会7.PlasticWe use plastic wrap to protect our foods. We put our garbage in plastic bags or plastic cans. We sit on plastic chairs, play with plastic toys, drink from plastic cups, and wash our hair with shampoo from plastic bottles!Plastic does not grow in nature. It is made by mixing certain things together. We call it a produced or manufactured material. Plastic was first made in the 1860s from plants, such as wood and cotton. That plastic was soft and burned easily.The first modern plastics were made in the 1930s. Most clear plastic starts out as thick, black oil. That plastic coating inside a pan begins as natural gas.Over the years, hundreds of different plastics have been developed. Some are hard and strong. Some are soft and bendable. Some are clear. Some are many-colored. There is a plastic for almost every need. Scientists continue to experiment with plastics. They hope to find even ways to use them!8.Display of GoodsAre supermarkets designed to persuade us to buy more?Fresh fruit and vegetables are displayed near supermarket entrances. This gives the impression that only healthy food is sold in the shop. Basic foods that everyone buys, like sugar and tea, are not put near each other. They are kept in different aisles so customers are taken past other attractive foods before they find what they want. In this way, shoppers are encouraged to buy products that they do not really need.Sweets are often placed at children’s eye level at the checkout. While parents are waiting to pay, children reach for the sweets and put them in the trolley.More is bought from a fifteen-foot display of one type of product than from a ten-foot one. Customers also buy more when shelves are full than when they are half empty. They do not like to buy from shelves with few products on them because they feel there is something wrong with those products that are there.Useful Words and Expressions:1. aisle 走廊，过道2. trolley 手推车3. checkout 收款台9.Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879, His father owned a factory that made electrical devices. His mother enjoyed music and books. His parents were Jewish but they did not observe many of the religion’s rules. Albert was a quite child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty learning to read. When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass. The child was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction—to be north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers about magnetism and gravity were difficult for the boy to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt somethinghidden had to be behind things.Useful expressions and words:1. device 装置，设备leave to one’s own devices 听任某人自行其是，允许某人按自己的意愿做事She left the child to her own devices for an hour in the afternoon.她允许孩子在下午有一个小时的自由支配时间。
