1专四听写训练20篇Dictation 1 Forest Fire 150 wordsForest fire or wildfire is often used to signify an uncontrolled intense fire / that breaks out inthe wooded areas / due to many factors ranging from natural to manmade causes. / Wildfires canbe witnessed throughout the world and they usually occur in cycles. / Mild forest fires are often considered beneficial, / as growth of many plant species depend on it. / Many plant species also depend on wildfires for reproduction. / However, the large fore st fires can have serious damagingeffect on the surrounding environment. /Due to the extensive size and the immense speed, / a forest fire can easily spread to a vast area. / Besides, it can also change its direction / and overcome occasional barriers like roads, rivers and fire breaks. / Forest fires break out in areas like grassland, woodland and bush. / Some important causes of it are lightning and volcanic eruptions. / Besides these, sparks from rock falls can also ignite forest fires. /Dictation 2 Job Hunting 150 wordsJob hunting is a stressful problem for everyone. / Whether someone getting a job right out of school / or someone seeking a better position than the one they just left, / it is not something thatcomes easy to most people. / However, with preparation and planning, / the difficulties can be focused on / and the situation can become less stressful. / For example, dressing correctly is an important step for any applicant. / Also, if you dress correctly, / you will feel more confident in your ability to get the job. / Men should wear a dress shirt and tie or even a suit if they possess one./ Women should wear a suit or other clothing suitable for the occasion. / It is better to dress too conservatively than not conservatively enough. / Always use honesty as some interviewers will beable to detect problems in your resume. / Good manners and correct speech are essential in impressing the interviewer. /Dictation 3 Vocational Schools 150 wordsThe universities are not able to meet / all the growing needs of the society for future development. / Vocational schools have arisen to fill these needs / by providing a more detailed knowledge than that provided by universities. / This has led to a weak base of theory for many workers. / Their focus, practical application, is much more detailed / than the theory provided at college. / Many students choose to go to vocational schools instead of universities. / This has led many college graduates to question the value of their degrees. / They should not, as the levels of education offered by different vocational schools are unequal. / Some of these schools are privateand offer a flexible schedule for students / who may be working or are even in school at university./ On the other hand, because they are run by individuals, / the teaching quality and the teaching resources / offered by many vocational schools maybe of low quality. /2Dictation 4 National Race 150 wordsThe whole question of the changing role of Blacks in American society / as been the sub jectof newspaper articles around the world so frequently / that visitors to the United States do not know / what to expect when they arrive. / They may be surprised when they see that Blacks and Whites work side by side / in offices, factories, and schools across the country. / The majority of Blacks in the United States, however, / live in and around only a small number of American cities./Many dark-skinned visitors arrive in the United States / fearing personal attack or expecting various degrees of racial prejudice. / Some forms of discrimination still exist, unfortunately, / especially in the areas of the housing, schools, and jobs. / The school equality is still more a dreamthan a reality. / There are still too many areas of the country / where Black Americans do not enjoythe same full opportunities as White Americans. /Dictation 5 A Positive View of Every Day 149 wordsIf your life feels like it is lacking the power that you want and the motivation that you need, / sometimes all you have to do is shift your point of view. /By training your thoughts to concentrate on the bright side of things, / you are more likely to have the incentive to follow through on your goals. / You are less likely to be held back by negative ideas / that might limit your performance. /Your life can be enhanced, and your happiness enriched, / when you choose to change your perspective. / Don’t leave your future to chance, / or wait for things to get better mysteriously ontheir own. / You must go in the direction of your hopes and aspirations. / Begin to build your confidence, / and work through problems rather than avoid them. / Remember that power is not necessarily control over situations, / but the ability to deal with whatever comes your way. / Dictation 6 Languages in America 151 wordsThe United States is primarily an English speaking country. / The majority of the population speaks English as their native language. / Business, education and most public aspects of life are conducted in English. / Across the country, people pronounce English sounds in several different ways / and some regional vocabulary differences exist, / but for the most part, Americans speak one common language. / This language is sometimes called American English. / However, not everyone in the U.S. is a native speaker of English. / Most immigrants to the country are speakers of other languages. / There are hundreds of communities around the U.S. / where English is not the most commonly used language. / Chinese, Italian, German, Armenian, Greek, Vietnamese andFrench / are all spoken in numerous communities in the U.S. / Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language after English in the U. S. / It is widely spoken in New York and across the southern part of the country. /Dictation 7 Halloween 151 wordsIt’s October the 31st, and across Britain and the USA, / thousands of children are dressing up3as monsters, ghosts / and witches and going to their neighbors’ houses / to ask for sweets or to play tricks on them if they refuse. /Many houses have lanterns made from pumpkins in their windows. / These lanterns have frightening faces cut into them. /What is the reason for all of this? It’s Halloween! / To an outsider, this may seem a strange festival, / but it is a very popular one and an important part of the culture in Britain and the USA. /The holiday once had a religious significance. / November the 1st is All Saint’s Day, / and October the 31st was believed to be a day / when all the spirits came back to the world of the living. / In modern times, this has changed to be a day / when children dress up as monsters, ghosts and witches. /Dictation 8 Universities in the UK 151 wordsUniversities in Britain are a magnet for overseas students. / There are currently over 200 000 from outside Britain studying at British universities. / The largest single group is Chinese students./ There are currently 50 000 in the UK. /The British government expects the total number of overseas students to be around 900 000by 2020, / and also thinks that a quarter of these will be Chinese. / But why is the UK such a popular destination for university students? /Well, the quality of your course is guaranteed. / All courses are assessed by an independent system, / so you can be assured that your course is officially approved / and has wide internationalrecognition. / The British education system is very flexible / in order to provide for the needs of a modern, complex society. / Degree courses are usually 3 years long, which is shorter and more intensive than in other countries. / There are lots of scholarships available. /Dictation 9 Money and Happiness 151 wordsIt seems only natural that happiness should flow from having more money. / Even if theydon’t admit it, / people still be have as though it were true. / More money means you can have what you want and do what you want. / The house you dream of? It’s yours. / The new car you desire? Here are the keys. / The freedom to enjoy your favorite pastimes? / Here’s your racket, thecourt is down there, just past the pool. /So the puzzle is this: why do social scientists consistently find only moderate relationships / between having more money and being happy? / Some have even suggested that this moderate connection might be exaggerated. / In reality money might have very little to do with happiness atall. /Most puzzling, though, is that people often seem aware at some level / that money won’tmake them happy. / And yet they continue to work away earning money they don’t objectively need. /Dictation 10 Tea Party Food 151 wordsA tea party without good food is just as distasteful as a cake without sugar. / So along with4cups of tea, / you need to arrange variety of party foods, / like cookies, snacks, chips and starters. /A bite of sugar and spice will always enhance the flavor of tea party. / Sandwiches, pizzas, finger chips and French fries serve as good side dishes for tea. / Cream cheese salad, pudding and saladsare good delicacies for tea parties. / Children love to relish chicken pies, apple pies, cakes and chocolates. / Above all, remember it’s a tea party, / so serve different varieties of tea to your guests./ Black, green and white will be the ideal for your guests. / You can also brew some spicy herbal tea or flavored tea. / For kids, you can serve cream, honey, milk and sugar. / You can organize glasses of wine late in the evening / or punch a bottle of champagne also. /Dictation 11 Adventure 151 wordsThe idea of adventure has always captured the imagination. / The idea that just over the nexthill there will be excitement and mystery / is a big part of what makes us human. / This is just as true of ancient times as it is today. / Famous explores set out in small boats / or journeyed across immense deserts and oceans. / Early explorers like Christopher Columbus or Zheng He / traveled to foreign places for the glory of their nations. / More importantly, they set out to test themselvesagainst the forces of nature and the pursuit of knowledge. / Other explorers today do the same thing. / People are going to space in pursuit of the last frontier / or seeking in the depths of sciencefor new knowledge. / Most people, in their daily lives, / do not have the opportunity to truly test themselves in these ways. / Modern living has given them the opportunity, however, with adventuring events. /Dictation 12 Office Conflict 148 wordsThe office can be very demanding on the lives of the workers. / Stress can build up andexplode into problems. / This can seriously influence the productivity and efficiency of a business./ The problems that upset an office can vary drastically / depending on the nature of the employeesor even the employers. / Employees may feel that they are being overworked or underpaid. / Theymay also feel that this signals the loss of appreciation on their work, / causing increasing tension as they complain about work. / They may also have personality differences which can cause conflict. / This can be seen in offices where too close relationships develop. / People in authority may tend to place more value / on these relationships than on the work itself. / They may have lostsight of the goal / of forwarding the development of the company. / Gossiping about co-workers and the company is a frequent example of this. /Dictation 13 Food and Culture 148 wordsThe culture of food and dining in the West is a little different from that in China. / The proper western dinner at a fine restaurant / is one of manners, focusing on conversation. / You are expected to have knowledge of table manners / such as what folk or knife to use as these are essential in western dining. / The meal would consist of several courses including a soup or salad,/ an appetizer, the main dish, and a dessert. / The atmosphere will be filled with light music / thatwould only serve as background as people converse with each other. / The decorations are usually5sparse / and are only meant to highlight the atmosphere / that is being created by the music. / Thistype of dining is different from the dining experience in most restaurants in China. / However, with the increase in internationalism, / more restaurants are opening which reflect the more western dining style. /Dictation 14 In-service Education and Vocational Development 148wordsMany people feel that the successful finding of a job is the end of their schooling. / This ideais rarely true, however, / as each field of work requires a thorough knowledge of it. / This may go beyond that which could be learned in high school or university. / Universities, with their complete curriculum, / are intended to first teach us about everything. / Later studies fill in the gapof knowledge by offering more specialized courses. / Universities, however, are meant to teach thetheories of any particular field, / not the practical knowledge needed to do our jobs. / The rise of vocational school has risen / to fill a gap of practical knowledge. / Vocational schools can aid us in this / by teaching us to be especially good at one thing. / If a person has enough health and energy,as well as determination, / he may go to Night School or take a self-teaching program. / Dictation 15 Hospitality 148 wordsAn American friend has invited you to visit his family. / You’ve never been to an American’s home before, / and you’re not sure what to do. / Should you take a gift? How should you dress? / What time should you arrive? / What should you do when you get there? Glad you asked. / Whenyou’re the guest, you should just make yourself at home. / That’s what hospitality is al l about: / making people feel at home when they’re not. /The question of whether or not to bring a gift often makes guests nervous. / Giving your hosta gift is not just a social nicety in some culture it’s expected. / But in American culture, a guestis not obligated to bring a present. / Of course, some people do bring a small token of appreciationto their host. / Appropriate gifts for general occasions might be flowers, candy or / if the family has small children toys. /Dictation 16 The Football Field Length 148 wordsKnowledge about the football field length / does not seem like something fans and players have to be aware of, / but it is certainly something that the most passionate fans will know. / The length of a football field, / be it American football or soccer, / is universally known and all professional stadiums and grounds adopt these measurements. / In soccer, there may be some minor differences in the football field length from stadium to stadium, / and this occurs because these stadiums are historical monuments / that have been around before the measurementswerestandardized. /On the other hand, American football requires that the football field length / be uniformacross all the grounds and the stadiums in the country. / The National Football League has laid down / particular guidelines and rules about the football field length, / and this cannot be altered. /6As a player, one must be completely aware about these football field dimensions. /Dictation 17 Culture 152 wordsThe cultural values of a community give it an identity of its own. / A community gains a character and a personality of its own, / because of the culture of its people. / Culture is shared bythe members of a community. / It is learned and passed from the older generations to the newer ones. / For an effective transfer of culture from one generation to another, / it has to be translatedinto symbols. / Language, art and religion serve as the symbolic means of / transfer of cultural values between generations. /Culture is a bond that ties the people of a region or community together. / It is that one common bond, / which brings the people of a community together. / The customs and traditions that the people of a community follow, / the festivals they celebrate, the kind of clothing they wear,the food they eat, / and most importantly, the cultural values they adhere to, bind them together. /Dictation 18 Fashion 152 wordsEvery year London Fashion Week attracts retailers, fashion leaders, / and the press to showsof all that’s new in British fashion. / Outrageous designs, original fabrics, and beautiful slim models / are displayed on the catwalk / in an atmosphere of extravagant elegance. / However, howmuch of this gets translated into street fashion, appearing in high street shops? / And how many ofus actually follow the trends we see? /We all need to be comfortable with what we wear. / After all, first impressions count, / andwe want our appearance to be consistent with the image we would like to project. / How can we do this without becoming a fashion slave? / We are bombarded with magazines that show us the new fashions for each season, / and where we can buy trendy clothes for reasonable prices. / Thedistinction between what we see on the catwalk / and what’s on displ ay in the high street is becoming increasingly blurred. /Dictation 19 American Society 147 wordsThe United States, like other countries has its rich and poor people, its rich and poor neighborhoods. /Americans love and many are themselves living example s of the “self-made man.” /You will hear this expression often. / But for every person who is successful, / they are usually better educated than their parents / and therefore more likely to have good, well paying jobs. /In addition to the fact that the United States includes people / whose families originally came from many other parts of the world, / Americans move across the nation in great numbers. / One study reported that one of every five families / in the United States moves every three years. / Thiscontinuous mixing of people into new communities is an important observation / to consider whentrying to understand the meaning of class in America. / We have already discussed the questioning,/ “do-it-yourself” American personality that is another important consideration. /7Dictation 20 Recreation 147 wordsRecreations are an important part of people’s life. / For example, after hours of attentive study, / students feel like having a football game to relax their nerves. / Workers, too, find it very satisfying to sit in front of a TV set for an hour or two / when they come back from a day’s tiring work. / Besides, recreations serve as a pleasing way for the retired people / to pass their excessivetime. / Everywhere you go, you will find that during their spare time, / people are engaged in recreational activities of one kind or another. /Generally speaking, there are two kinds of recreations: / physical activities and intellectual activities. / Physical activities, on the one hand, keep one fit and develop team spirit. / Basketball is an example. / On the other hand, intellectual activities such as playing chess and reading novels/ can train one’s brains and provide temporary escape from one’s troubles. /。
