英语专四模拟题听写答案解析

英语专四模拟题听写答案解析

269

TV Ratings

Children in the United States watch from one to five hours of

television every day. / That’s a lot of television! / Teachers and

parents don’t like a lot of the children’s television programs. /

They think a lot of these programs are not suitable for children. /

For this reason, every television program in America has a rating.

/ The ratings tell parents about the program. / Parents can check

the ratings in the newspaper and this gives parents a choice. /

TV-G programs are suitable for all ages, and families watch them

together. / TV-Y programs are suit- able for children 2-6, and they

don’t frighten children. / TV-PG programs are suitable for some

children, but they can frighten children. / Some parents watch

these programs with their children. / Then, they can answer their

children’s questions. / TV-14 programs are suitable for children

14 and older. / TV-MA programs are for adults, 17 and older. /

They are not suitable for children. /

268

The Functions of the Family

The family fulfills a number of roles, / such as providing

education and recreational activities. / Yet there are several major

functions performed by the family. / First, unlike the young of

animals, / human infants need constant care and economic

security. / In all cultures, the family assumes ultimate

responsibility for the protection of children. / Second, parents

monitor a child's behavior / and transmit the values and language

of a Culture to the child. / Third, ideally, the family

provides members with warm and intimate relationships / and helps them to feel satisfied and secure. / Unlike other

institutions, the family is obliged to serve the emotional needs of

its members. / Finally, family resources affect children's ability to

pursue certain opportunities / such as higher education and

specialized study. / It is apparent, then, that the family has been

assigned / at least four vital functions within human societies. /

267 Stress

As the pace of life continues to increase, / we are fast losing

the art of relaxation. / Once you are in the habit of rushing

through life, / it is hard to slow down. / But relaxation is essential

for a healthy mind and body. / Stress is a natural part of everyday

life. / In fact, it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be. / A

certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation. / It is only

when the stress gets out of control / that it can lead to poor

performance. / The amount of stress a person can withstand

depends very much on the individ- ual. / Some people are not

afraid of stress, / others lose heart at the first signs of unusual

difficulties. / Since we cannot remove stress from our lives, / we

need to find ways to deal with it. /

266

Laws

Before laws were written, there was no sure way / of knowing

what was permitted and what was forbid- den. / One judge might

apply one set of rules to a case / while another judge might apply

completely different rules to a similar case. / It all depended on

the personal judgment of one person. /

Today we follow the custom of recording our laws. / Rules

passed by our lawmakers are printed and avail- able for everyone

to see. / Unless laws are publicly available, / we do not regard

them as binding. / Each of us is subject to many different sets of laws. / Some

laws say what is permitted, such as how fast you may drive. /

Other laws say what is required, such as paying a federal income

tax. / Still other laws say what is prohibited, such as smoking in

elevators. / In the United States, federal laws apply to everyone /

and state laws apply to activities within each state. /

265

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is one of the most truly American holidays

in the United States/and is most closely connected with the

earliest history of the country. / In 1620, the settlers, or Pilgrims,

sailed to America on the May Flower, /seeking a place where they

could have freedom of worship. /After a two-month tempestuous

voyage they landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts in the icy

November. / During their first winter, over half of the settlers died

of starvation or epidemics. / Those who survived began sowing

in the first spring. / All summer long they waited for the harvests

with great anxiety, /knowing that their lives and the future

existence of the colony/depended on the coming harvest. /

Finally the fields produced a rich yield beyond expectations. /And

therefore it was decided/that a day of thanksgiving to the Lord

be fixed. / Years later, a President of the United States proclaimed

the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day every year.

/ The celebration of