历年英语专业四级听写原文(1993-2011)

1993年英语专业四级真题Part I Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked [A], [B],[C] and [D]. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.Passage ACalifornia is a land of variety and contrast. Almost every type of physical land feature, short of arctic ice fields and tropical jungles can be found within its borders. Sharply contrasting types of land often lie very close to one another.People living in Bakersfield, for instance, can visit the Pacific Ocean and the coastal plain, the fertile San Joaquin Valley, the arid Mojave Desert, and the high Sierra Nevada, all within a radius of about 100 miles. In other areas it is possible to go snow skiing in the morning and surfing in the evening of the same day, without having to travel long distances.Contrast abounds in California. The highest point in the United States (outside Alaska)is in California, and so is the lowest point (including Alaska).Mount Whitney, 14 494 feet above sea level, is separated from Death Valley,282 feet below sea level, by a distance of only 100 miles. The two areas have a difference in altitude of almost three miles.California has deep, clear mountain lakes like Lake Tahoe, the deepest in the country, but it also has shallow, salty desert lakes. It has Lake Tulainyo, 12 020 feet above sea level, and the lowest lake in the country, the Salton Sea, 236 feet below sea level. Some of its lakes, like Owens Lake in Death Valley, are not lakes at all; they are dried-up lakebeds.In addition to mountains, lakes, valleys, deserts, and plateaus, California has its Pacific coastline, stretching longer than the coastlines of Oregon and Washington combined.1.Which of the following is the lowest point in the United States?ke Tulainyo.B.Mojave Desert.C.Death Valley.D.The Salton Sea.2.Where is the highest point in the United States located?ke Tahoe.B.Sierra Nevada.C.Mount Whitney.D.Alaska.3.How far away is Death Valley from Mount Whitney?A.About 3 miles.B.Only 100 miles.C.282 feet.D.14 494 feet.4.Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage as being within a radius of about 100 miles of Bakersfield?A.The Pacific Ocean.B.San Joaquin Valley.C.Mojave Desert.D.Oregon and Washington.5.Which statement best demonstrates that California is a land of variety and contrast?A.The highest lake in California is Lake Tulainyo.B.It is possible to go surfing and snow skiing in some parts of California without having to travel long distance.C.Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin Valley, Mojave Desert and the Pacific Ocean all lie within a radius of about 100 miles.D.Owens Lake, in Death Valley, is not really a lake at all.Passage BBy far the most common snake in Britain is the adder. In Scotland, in fact, there are no other snakes at all. The adder is also the only British snake with a poisonous bite. It can be found almost anywhere, but prefers sunny hillsides and rough open country, including high ground. In Ireland there are no snakes at all.Most people regard snakebites as a fatal misfortune, but not all bites are serious, and very few are fatal. Sometimes attempts at emergency treatment turn out to be more dangerous than the bite itself, with amateurs heroically, but mistakenly, trying do-it-yourself surgery and other unnecessary measures.All snakes have small teeth, so it follows that all snakes can bite, but only the bite of the adder presents any danger. British snakes are shy animals and are far more frightened of you than you could possibly be of them. The adder will attack only if it feels threatened, as can happen if you take it by surprise and step on it accidentally or if you try to catch it or pick it up, which it dislikes intensely. If it hears you coming, it will normally get out of the way as quickly as it can, but adders cannot move very rapidly and may attack before moving if you are very close.The effect of a bite varies considerably. It depends upon several things, one of which is the body-weight of the person bitten. The bigger the person, the less harmful the bite is likely to be, which is why children suffer far more seriously from snake bites than adults. A healthy person will also have better resistance against the poison.Very few people actually die from snakebites in Britain, and though these bites can make some people very ill, there are probably just as many cases of bites having little or no effect, as there are of serious illness.6.Which of the following statements is NOT true?A.The adder is the only poisonous snake in Britain.B.In Scotland there are no other snakes except the adder.C.Snake bites seem more dangerous than they actually are.D.People’s attempts at emergency treatment are utterly unnecessary.7.Adders are most likely to be found _______.A.in wilder parts of Britain and IrelandB.in Scotland and nowhere elseC.on uncultivated land throughout BritainD.in shady fields in England8.We are told that British snakes are _____.A.afraid of human beingsB.poisonous including the adderC.dangerous except the adderD.friendly towards human beings9.When will the adder not attack you?A.When you try to catch it.B.When you are some distance away from it.C.When you happen to step on it.D.When you try to pick it up.10.If an adder hears you coming, it will usually ______.A.attack you immediatelyB.disappear very quicklyC.wait to frighten youD.move out of the way11.According to the passage, a snake bite is _______.A.more harmful to a healthy man than to a sick manB.less harmful to an adult than to a childC.more dangerous than any serious illnessD.always fatal in BritainPassage CConcern with money, and then more money, in order to buy the conveniences and luxuries of modern life, has brought great changes to the lives of most Frenchmen. More people are working than ever before in France. In the cities the traditional leisurely midday meal is disappearing. Offices, shops, and factories are discovering the greater efficiency of a short lunch hour in company lunchrooms. In almost all lines of work emphasis now falls on ever-increasing output. Thus the “typical” Frenchman produces mo re, earns more, and buys more consumer goods than his counterpart of only a generation ago. He gains in creature comforts and ease of life. What he loses to some extent is his sense of personal uniqueness, or individuality.Some say that France has been Americanized. This is because the United States is a world symbol of the technological society and its consumer products. The so-called Americanization of France has its critics. They fear that “assembly-line life” will le ad to the disappearance of the pleasures of the more graceful and leisurely (but less productive) old French style. What will happen, they ask, to taste, elegance, and the cultivation of the good things in life——to joy in the smell of a freshly picked apple, a stroll by the river, or just happy hours of conversation in a local cafe?Since the late 1950’s life in France has indeed taken on qualities of rush, tension, and the pursuit of material gain. Some of the strongest critics of the new way of life are the young, especially university students. They are concerned with the future, and they fear that France is threatened by the triumph of this competitive, goods-oriented culture. Occasionally, they have reacted against the trend with considerable violence.In spite of the critics, however, countless Frenchmen are committed to keeping France in the forefront of the modern economic world. They find that the present life brings more rewards, conveniences, and pleasures than that of the past. They believe that a modern, industrial France is preferable to the old.12.Which of the following is NOT given as a feature of the old French way of life?A.Leisure.B.Elegance.C.Efficiency.D.Taste.13.Which of the following is NOT related to the new French way of life?A.Shorter lunch hour.B.Greater output.C.Creature comforts.D.Leisurely cafe talk.14.Which of the following is NOT true about Frenchmen?A.Many of them prefer the modern life style.B.They actually enjoy working at the assembly line.C.They are more concerned with money than before.D.They are more competitive than the older generation.15.The passage suggests that ______.A.in pursuing material gains the French are suffering losses elsewhereB.it’s now unlikely to see a Frenchman enjoying a stroll by the riverC.the French are fed up with the smell of freshly picked applesD.great changes have occurred in the life style of all Frenchmen16.Which of the following is true about the critics?A.Critics are greater in number than people enjoying the new way of life.B.Student critics are greater in number than critics in other fields.C.Student critics have, on occasion, resorted to violent means against the trend.D.Critics are concerned solely with the present and not the future.17.Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?A.Changes in the French way of life.B.Criticism of the new life style.C.The Americanization of France.D.Features of the new way of life.Passage DUltralight(超轻型的) airplanes are a recent development in aviation that provide what aviation enthusiasts have long been seeking: an inexpensive airplane that is easy to fly. The ultralight plane was born of the marriage of the hang glider and the go-kart(微型单座竞赛车) engine around 1974, when John Moody mounted a 12 -horsepower go-kart engine on his Icarus H hang glider. Today’s ultralights are not just hang gliders with engines; they are“air recreation vehicles”. Modern ultralight planes use snowmobile(雪地机动车) engines that let them cruise at about 50 miles per hour , climb at about 500 feet per minute, and carry combined payloads of pilot and fuel up to about 200 pounds, which is about equal to an ultralight plane’s weight when empty. More than ten thousand ultralight planes were sold last year at prices ranging from $ 2 800 to $ 7000. But the main reason for the increasing popularity of these aircraft is not that they are inexpensive, but that they are fun to fly.The modern ultralight plane would look very familiar to the earliest pioneers of aviation. Otto Lilienthal made more than 2000 flights in Germany in the 1890’s in what were actually hanggliders. Octave Chanute designed and built many early hang glider s. Augustus Herring, Chanute’s assistant, used these gliders as models for a glider that he built for himself. On this glider, Herring installed a compressed-air motor and flew 267 feet in 1898. The Wright brothers’ Flyer was the grandfather of today’s ult ralight planes. The pilot sat right out in the open, just as in modern ultralights, and used controls that were much the same as those used in today’s machines. Though most ultralight planes are used for pleasure flying, some are also used for crop dusting, aerial photography, and even military observation service. The likelihood is that further uses will be found for ultralight planes, but their greatest use will continue to be as air recreational vehicles.18.The author seems to feel that ultralight airplanes are ______.A.a toy for the richB.nothing but hang glidersC.a new development that meets the needs of aviation enthusiastsD.the most important development in aviation since the Wright brothers’ Flyer19.According to the passage, today’s ultralight airplanes _______.A.are inexpensive but difficult to flyB.are more like go-karts than like hang glidersC.cannot climb as last or as high as hang glidersD.are not too different from the earlier aircraft20.The author compares John Moody’s use of a go-kart engine on a hang glider to _______.A.a marriageB.the flight of IcarusC.cruising in a snowmobileD.soaring and gliding from a high altitude21.Which of the following statements is an opinion?A.Ultralight planes use snowmobile engines that let them cruise at about 50 miles per hour.B.John Moody used a 12-horse-power engine to power his Icarus II hang glider.C.The use of ultralight planes will increase in such areas as crop dusting and aerial photography.D.Otto Lilienthal made more than 2000 flights in Germany in the 1890’s in what were actually hang gliders.22.The author finds great similarity between _______.A.the weight of the hang glider and that of the ultralight airplaneB.ultralight airplanes and military aircraftC.the inventiveness of John Moody and that of Octave ChanuteD.the controls used in the Wright brothers’Flyer and those used in today’s ultralight airplanes23.The best title for this passage is _______.A.The Flying SnowmobileB.The History of Recent AviationC.How the Ultralight Plane FliesD.The Ultralight Plane, a Recent DevelopmentPassage EAll Eskimos live most of their lives close to salt or fresh water. They may follow game inlandfor several hundred miles, but they always return to the shores of rivers, Lakes, or seas. Eskimo land has a bare look. Large rocks, pebbles, and sand cover much of the surface . Plants called lichen(地衣)grow right on rock. And where there is enough soil, even grass, flowers and small bushes manage to live. No trees can grow on Eskimo land, so geographers sometimes call this country the Arctic plains. Some animals, such as rabbits and caribou(北美驯鹿) ,eat the plants. Others, like the white fox and grey wolf, eat the rabbits and caribou. The Eskimo is a meat eater, too, and may even eat a wolf when food is scarce.The Eskimo year has two main parts: a long, cold winter and a short, cool summer. Spring and fall are almost too short to be noticed. Summer is the good time, when food is usually plentiful. But it is also the time when the Eskimos are very busy. Winter is never far away , and the men must bring home extra meat for the women to prepare and store. For seldom can enough animals be killed in winter to feed a family.The Far North is sometimes called the land of the midnight sun. This is true in the middle of summer, for between April 21st and August 21st the sun never sets in Northern Greenland. But in midwinter the Far North is a land with no sun shining at all. Around Oct. 21st the Eskimos of Northern Greenland see the sun setting straight south of them, and they don’t see it again until February 22nd. All places on earth get about the same amount of daylight during a year. As a result, if summer is lighter, winter has to be darker.Winter nights in the Far North are seldom pitch-black. As in the rest of the world, the stars and moon provide a little light. The northern lights also help the Eskimo to see. And with the ground covered with snow, even a little ligh t is reflected back to the Eskimo’s eyes.24.Which of the following statements is NOT true?A.Eskimos do not normally eat wolves.B.Eskimos like to chase one another.C.Eskimos depend heavily on water.D.Eskimos are meat-eaters.25.On Eskimo land ______.A.rabbits live on the plantsB.soil is rich and plentifulC.grass grows more easily than lichenD.lichen is found only on rock26.In the Eskimo year, _______.A.there are no spring and fallB.winter is cold and summer is hotC.summer is a time for growing foodD.winter comes early and goes late27.From the passage, we can infer all except that _______.A.Eskimos are more likely to eat wolves in summerB.Eskimo women are responsible for houseworkC.animal meat is Eskimos’ ma in source of foodD.hunting is an important part of Eskimo life28.In midwinter there is no sun shining in the Far North because _______.A.the Far North is too far away from the sunB.the sun is not seen again for six monthsC.the sun never sets in midsummerD.people see the sun setting straight south of them29.Winter nights are seldom pitch-black in the Far North because of _______.A.the moon and starsB.the northern lightsC.snow on the groundD.all of the above mentioned factors30.The best title for the passage is _______.A.Story of the EskimoB.Eskimo Land and ClimateC.The Bare Far NorthD.The Eskimo YearPassage FThe incident occurred one morning outside Albert Schweitzer’s hospital in the African jungle. A patient had gone fishing in another man’s boat. The owner of the boat thought he should be given all the fish that were caught. Dr. Schweitzer said to the boat owner.“You are right because the other man ought to have asked permission to use your boat. But you are wrong because you are careless and lazy. You merely twisted the chain of your canoe round a palm tree instead of fastening it with a padlock. Of laziness you are guilty because you were asleep in your hut on this moonlit night instead of making use of the good opportunity for fishing.”He turned to the patient: “But you were in the wrong when you took the boat without asking the owner’s permission. You were in the right because you were not so lazy as he was and you did not want to let the moonlit night go by without making some use of it.”Dr. Schweitzer divided the catch (捕获物) among the fisherman, the boat owner and the hospital.31.Dr. Schweitzer was able to settle the argument because ______.A.he was the judge thereB.he was clever and impartialC.he wanted some of the fishD.he wanted to help his patient32.The final judgment was that ______.A.all the fish should go to the patientB.the fish should go to the owner of the canoeC.the fish should be destroyedD.everyone involved should get a third of the fishPassage GThere are many commonly held beliefs about glasses and eyesight that are not proven facts. For instance, some people believe that wearing glasses too soon weakens the eyes. But there is no evidence to show that the structure of eyes is changed by wearing glasses at a young age. Wearing the wrong glasses, however, can prove harmful. Studies show that for adults there is no danger, but children can develop loss of vision if they have the wrong glasses.We have all heard some of the common myths about how eyesight gets bad. Most people believe that reading in dim light causes poor eyesight, but that is untrue. Too little light makes the eyes work harder, so they do get tired and strained. Eyestrain also results from reading a lot, reading in bed, and watching too much television. But, although eyestrain may cause some pain or headaches, it does not permanently damage eyesight.Another myth about eyes is that they can be replaced, or transferred from one person to another. There are close to one million nerve fibers that connect the eyeball to the brain, and it is impossible to attach them all in a new person. Only certain parts of the eye can be replaced. But if we keep clearing up the myths and learning more about the eyes, some day a full transplant may be possible.33.This passage is mostly concerned with ______.A.different types of glassesB.a visit to the eye doctorC.myths about eyesightD.eye transplant34.One cause of eyestrain mentioned in the passage is _______.A.wearing contact lenses too longB.reading a lotC.going to the moviesD.not visiting your eye doctorPart II V ocabulary (20 minutes)Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked [A],[B],[C] and [D]. Choose the ONE that best completes the sentence. Then mark the correspondeing letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.35.______ their policy can be changed the future for that country will be indeed bleak.A.Even ifB.UnlessC.Now thatD.As long as36.She said she would work it out herself, ______ ask me for help.A.and not toB.but notC.and prefer notD.rather than37.“I bought this shirt for 35 Yuan yesterday.”“It’s on sale today for only 29. You should have waited.”“Oh really? But how ______ I know?”A.wouldB.canC.didD.do38.They were pushed into battle ______.A.unpreparedB.unpreparedlyC.not preparing itD.without preparing it39.She asked that she ______ allowed to see her son in police custody.A.would beB.could beC.beD.was40.Mr. Anderson presided ______ the board meeting on behalf of the Chairman.A.atB.overC.onD.in41.The rising crime rate is ________ major concern of _______ society.A.the, theB.a , /C.a, theD./ , the42.I never regretted _______ offer, for it was not where my interest lay.A.not to acceptB.not having acceptedC.having not acceptedD.not accepting43.I _______ writing the paper as scheduled, but my mother’s illness interfered. I hope you will excuse me.A.am to have finishedB.was to have finishedC.was to finishD.ought to finish44.Some dieters find that after their dieting is over, they eat twice _______ they did before their diet.A.more thanB.as many asC.much thanD.as much as45.She may be ______ experience, but she learns quickly.ckingcking inC.in need forD.in lack of46.David Singer, my friend’s father, ______ raised and educated in New York, lived and lectured in Africa most of his life.A.whoB.ifC.whileD.though47.My Scottish friend says there is ______ monster in Loch Ness.A.no such thing asB.no such thing as aC.no such a thing asD.no such a thing as a48.The university authorities are seriously considering abandoning the traditional ______ class.A.fifty minutesB.fifty-minutesC.fifty-minuteD.fifty minute’s49._______ the snake in superstitious awe.A.Mankind has held longB.Long has held mankindC.Has mankind long heldD.Mankind has long held50.On the desert travellers often see ______ rivers and lakes.A.imaginingB.imaginativeC.imaginableD.imaginary51.Inside the apartment was an unpleasant smell of ______ air.A.staleB.smokedC.mistyD.wet52.The album might well have ______ had it been less expensive.A.worked outB.fallen throughC.caught onD.fitted in53.In order to be successful as an engineer, she had to become _______ at mathematics.A.proficientB.outstandingC.prominentD.experienced54.This move deprived the prisoner of his ______ of escape.A.waysB.possibilitiesC.plansD.means55.The house that we used to live in is in a very ______ state.A.neglectfulB.negligibleC.neglectedD.negligent56.The ticket taker at the football game tore the tickets ______.A.in halfB.by halfC.in halvesD.at half57.I wish, if possible,to avoid any ______ of my family.A.hintB.mentionC.cluement58.I'm afraid this painting is not by Qi Baishi. It's only a copy and so it's ______.A.worthlessB.invaluableC.unworthyD.priceless59.When her parents died, Brenda ______ of the house and all its contents.A.discardedB.dispelledC.disposedD.discharged60.The plans for the building were _______ a few months ago.A.drawn onB.drawn backC.drawn outD.drawn up61.We were filled with _______ about flying in such bad weather.A.troublesB.obscurityC.ignoranceD.misgivings62.We are all astonished to learn that the apparently________ professor was really a spy.A.respectfulB.respectiveC.respectableD.respected63.It is important that the schedule be not too ______ to allow for relaxation and hobbies.A.loadedB.crowdedC.filledD.squeezed64.The millionaire in the story had a(n)______ habit of sleeping with his sack of money laid beside him in place of a wife.A.economicB.miserlyC.disgustedD.playfulPart III Cloze (30 minutes)Direction: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are our choices marked [A],[B],[C] and [D] below the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.To find out what the weather is going to be, most people go straight to the radio, television or newspaper to get an expert weather forecast. But (31) ___you know what to look for, you can use your own (32)___ to make weather predictions.There are many (33)___ which can help you. For example,in fair weather the air pressure is generally (34)___. The air is still and often full of dust. Faraway objects may look (35)___.But when a storm is gathering, the pressure (36)___and you are often able to see things more clearly. Sailors took note of this long ago and came (37)___ with a saying“The farther the sight, the nearer the rain.”Your sense of (38)___ can also help you detect weather changes. Just (39) ___ it rains, odours become stronger. This is (40)___ odours are suppressed in a fair, high pressure centre. When a bad weather low(低气压区)moves in, air pressure lessens and odours are (41)___.You can also hear an approaching storm. Sounds bounce off heavy storm clouds and return to earth with (42)___. An old saying describes it this way:“Sound travelling far and wide, a stormy day will betide (发生).”And don't laugh if your grandmother says she can (43)___ a storm coming. It is commonly known that many people feel pains in their bones when the humidity (44)___, the pressure drops, and bad weather is on the (45)___.65. A.if B.unless C.though D.as66. A.experiences B.senses C.feelings D.ways67. A.forms B.signals C.signs D.expressions68. A.high B.low C.strong D.weak69. A.big B.small C.clear D.misty70. A.rises B.drops C.increases D.descends71. A.up B.over C.upon D.on72. A.touch B.taste C.smell D.sight73. A.when B.as C.after D.before74. A.why B.because C.how D.when75. A.released B.controlled C.chocked D.mused76. A.power B.force C.strength D.vigour77. A.see B.hear C.feel D.tell78. A.falls B.grows C.drops D.rises79. A.way B.road C.march D.move。

英语专业四级听写50篇原文!Passage 1Town 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. (154 words.)Passage 2A 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 pos ition. 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 husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfactions of family life and withboth husband and wife sharing more equally in providing the money, and running the home, according to the abilities and interests on each of them. (154 words) Passage 3A Popular Pastime of the English PeopleOne of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what they 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 the 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 widow box or something growing in a pot will do. Looking at each other’s gardens is a popular pastime with the English. (144words.) Passage 4British and American Police OfficersReal policemen, both in Britain and the ., hardly recognize any common points between their lives and what they see on TV—if they ever get home in time.Some things are about the same, of course, but the policemen do not think 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 hasto 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. (177words) Passage 5Living 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, the more they tend to bite each other and even kill each other. Thus, for rats, population 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.(147 words) Passage 6The 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. (156 words) Passage 7PlasticWe 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 doesn’t 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 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! (160 words)Passage 8Display 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 a 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. (166 words)Passage 9Albert 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 quiet 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 the north. He asked his father and his uncle what causedthe 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 something hidden had to be behind things. (143 words.)Passage 10Private 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 vary from person to person.It gives a much greater degree of comfort and mobility. The owner of a car is no longer forced to rely on public transport, and hence no irritation caused by waiting for buses or taxis. However, others strongly object to developing private cars. They maintain that as more and more cars are produced and run in the street, a large volume of poisonous gas will be given off, polluting the atmosphere and causing actual harm to the health of people.Whether private cars should be developed in China is a difficult question to answer, yet the desire for the comfort and independence a private car can bring will not be eliminated.(143words)Passage 11A 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 today, dear,” he said.He waited for a few seconds and then added, “I w on 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 12A 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 13A Kind NeighborMr. and Mrs. Jones’ apartment was full of luggage, package, 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 because there was no place for her to sit. “Oh, that’s OK,” said the lady. “I just come to welcome you to your new home. As you know, in some parts of this city neighbors are not friendly at all. There are some apartment houses where people don’t know any of their neighbors, not even the ones next door. But in this building everyone is very friendly with everyone else. We are like one big happy family. I’m sue you’ll be very happy here. ” Mr. and Mrs. Jones said, “But madam, we are not new dwellers in this department. We’ve lived her for two years. We’re moving out tomorrow. ” (163 words)Passage 14That 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. Yo u can get them from studio.”“No,” Mrs. William 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. William said.“Well,” the photographer answered, “that isn’t our fault. Why didn’t you think of that before you married him” (148 words)Passage 15A 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 g uide and said to him, “But surely 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.(147 words)Passage 16A 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.” (138 words)Passage 17Living 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 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 (156 words)Passage 18Flowering 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. 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 not know they are working for the plants by planting seeds as they travel to different places. (147 words)Passage 19Finding 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 20WavesHow 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.(175 words)Passage 21SoilsThere are many different kinds of soils. Different soils have different types of rock and minerals in them than other. 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. (150 words)Passage 22CrisisLife 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 we conserve our resources How can we make sure there is always enough to go around (159 words.)Passage 23America’s Worst Surpr iseDecember 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 ., 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 places 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 the 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. (157 words)Passage 24Great 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 owned 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. (151 words)Passage 25A 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 colours carefully.We buy new curtains in order to match the newly decorated room, so they must be the right colour. 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. (151 words)Passage 26Travel for WorkYou can see them in every airport in the world. They are businessmen and women who have to travel for their work.When they first applied for the job, they may have thought of good food and hotels, huge expense accounts and fashionable cities. Now they have to sit in airport lounges, tired and uncomfortable in their smart clothes, listening to the loudspeaker announce “The flight to Tokyo, or Berlin, or New York is delayed fo r another two hours”. Some people say to me, “How lucky you are to be able to travel abroad in your work! You can go sightseeing 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 27IntelligenceAre some people born clever, and others born stupid Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experienceStrangely 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. (154 words)Passage 28A 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 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 daug hter.. Believe it or not, the girl “gave” her mother a free dress every week. (148 words)Passage 29TimeTime 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 time 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 slot s. The idea that “there is a time and place for 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 prefer red to visitors’ dropping by.(157 words)Passage 30CartoonistIn 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-supplies with current materials.A clever cartoonist may cause laughter because he often uses humour 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. (144 words)Passage 31Water 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 wastes into rivers every day. The rivers have become seriously polluted, and the water is becoming unfit for drinking orirrigation. 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. (161 words)Passage 32Making a ComplaintComplaining about faulty goods or bad services is never easy. But if something you have bought is faulty or does not do what was claimed for it, you are not asking for a favour 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 number, but you should not need to give receipt or other papers to prove you bought the article. (164 words) Passage 33Where 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。

CONTENTSPassage 1 Town and Country life in England Passage 2 A Change in Women's LifePassage 3 A Popular Pastime of the English People Passage 4 British and American Police Officers Passage 5 living SpacePassage 6 The United NationsPassage 7 PlasticPassage 8 Display of GoodsPassage 9 Albert EinsteinPassage 10 Private CarsPassage 11 A Henpecked Husband and His Wife Passage 12 A Young Man's PromisePassage 13 A Kind NeighborPassage 14 That Isn't Our FaultPassage 15 A Guide's AnswerPassage 16 A Qualified PilotPassage 17 Living Tilings ReactPdssage 18 Flowering PlantsPassage 19 Finding the Direction and Location Passage 20 WavesPassage 21 SoilsPassage22 CrisisPassage 23 America's Worst SurprisePassage 24 Great Depression in the U.S. Passage 25 A Place of Our OwnPassage 26 Travel for WorkPassage 27 IntelligencePassage 28 A Free Dress Every WeekPassage 29 TimePassage 30 CartoonistsPassage 31 Water PoUutionPassage 32 Making a ComplaintPassage 33 Where Do the British LivePassage 34 Will Computers Replace Human Beings Passage 35 SoccerPassage 36 ArtistsPassage 37 Professional Sports in the U.S. Passage38 "Howto" BooksPassage 39 Don'tGive UpPassage 40 How High Can You JumpPassage 41 Apology HelpsPassage 42 SleepPassage 43 Our ConcernPassage 44 Gardening in AmericaPassage 45 The Influence of LifePassage 46 AutomobilesPassage 47 House and HomePassage 48 Population GrowthPassage49 Natural ResourcesPassage50 Reading附录1：练习评分标准附录2：自我评估表1自我评估表2自我评估表3附录3：《四级考试大纲》的相关规定附录4：听写备考的技巧听写Listen to the following passages. Each passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading, which will be read 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 12 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.Passage 1Town 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 yournext 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. (154 words)Useful Words and Expressions:next door n. n．隔壁the neighbors next他door隔壁邻居lonely adj ．孤独的，寂寞的，偏僻的，人迹罕至的lonely life孤单的生活a lonely old man一位孤独的老人a lonely sand一个孤岛the loneliest night最孤独的夜晚on (one's) own独自；独立地；通过自己的努力She lives on her own．她一个人过。

2011年专四听写原文British Holidaying Habits(标题忽略不计) In the late 1970s, air travel became affordable/ for the average family in the UK./ And more people started traveling abroad for their summer holidays./After all, the British weather wasn’t very good, even in summer./ So a lot of people left the country for a vacation./ In the 1980s and 1990s, young people in the UK became wealthier on average./ As a result, they started to go abroad in groups/ to places such as Spain and Greece./ Once they arrived at their destination, / they met with other groups of young people and had one long party./British holidaying habits have begun to change, however./ Climate change means that the UK now has a hotter climate./So, people do not need to go overseas to find good weather./ Also, going abroad is more expensive./ As a result, more British people are choosing to spend their summer holidays in the UK./2011年专四听写评分标准• 1.听写共分15小节，每节1分。