英语专业四级听写50篇练习原文

50

Reading

Nowadays 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 companionship,

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.

Useful words and expressions:

1. leave school 离校，中学毕业

2. disturbing 烦扰的

3. mental 精神的

4. derive 得到

5. companionship 伴侣

6. intellectual 智力的

49

Natural Resources

Through 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.

Useful Words and Expressions:

1. make a living 谋生

2. aim at 瞄准

3. aim high 胸怀大志

4. alarming使人惊动的

5. inexhaustible 无穷无尽的

6. squander 浪费

7. be in a mess 乱七八糟

48

Population Growth

It 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.

Useful words and expressions:

1. drastic 激烈的

2. parallel 平行的

3. trend 倾向

4. unprecedented 空前的

5. magnitude 大小，数量

6. alter 改变

7. demolish 毁坏

47

House and Home

“House” and “home” are two words 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.

Useful words and expressions:

1. refer to 提到

2. distinguish区别，辨别

3. confusion 混乱，混淆

4. trace back 追溯到

5. indifference 不关心

6. depressed 沮丧的

46

Automobiles

It is impossible to say that any one man invented the automobile. Many individuals living and

working in different 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 almost unheard of in those days.