英语专业四级TEM4听力听写原文1993—2013
专四dictation原文(1993—2012)
Package Holidays (1993)Package holidays, covering a two weeks' stay in an attractive place, are increasingly popular. Once you get to the airport, it is up to the tour operator to see that you get safely to your destination．Everything is laid on for you．There is, in fact, no reason for you to bother to arrange anything yourselves．You make friends and have a good time. But there is very little chance that you will really get to know the local people．This is even less likely on a coach tour, when you spend almost your entire time traveling．Of course, there are carefully planned stops for you to visit historic buildings and monuments. You may visit the beautiful, the historic, the ancient. But time is always short．There is also the added disadvantage of being obliged to spend you holiday with a group of people you have never met before．The American Family (1994)The American family unit is changing. There used to be mainly two types of families, the extended and the nuclear. The former included mother, father, children, and some other relatives such as grandparents, living in the same house or nearby. Then as the economy progressed from agricultural to industrial, people began moving to different parts of the country in order to search for job opportunities. These moves split up the extended family. The nuclear family consisting of only parents and children has therefore become far more wide spread. Today’s family, however, can be composed of diverse combinations. With the divorce rate nearly one in two, there's an increase in single-parent homes—a father or mother living with one or more children. Blended families occur when divorced men and women remarry and combine the children from former marriages into a new family. On the other hand, there is an increase in childless couples while one in rive Americans lives alone.Unidentified Flying Objects (1995)There are many explanations for why UFOs visit the Earth. / The most popular one is that they maybe visitors from other planets./ To fly such aircraft, their builders must develop different forms of aviation,/because they seem to fly much faster than normal aircraft./ The UFOs, it is believed, must contain scientists/ from other planets who are studying life on earth./ It is even believed that several such aircraft may have landed on earth/ and the space visitors may be living amongst us./ But there are also less fantastic explanations available./ Although some sightings of UFOs are difficult to explain, most can be explained quite easily./ In many cases the observers might have made a mistake./ They might have seen a weather balloon or an aircraft./ Or the light they saw in the sky might have been light from the ground,/ reflected on to the clouds./ However, the exact cause of many sightings still remained a mystery.The Indian Medicine Man (1996)Among the Indians of North America, the medicine man was a very important person. He could cure illness and he could speak to the spirits. The spirits were the supernatural forces that controlled the world. The Indians believed that bad spirits made people ill. So when people were ill, the medicine man tried to help them by using magic. He spoke to the good spirits and asked for their help. Many people were cured, because they thought the spirits were helping them, but really these people cured themselves. Sometimes your own mind is the best doctor for you. The medicine men were often successful for another reason, too. They knew about plants that really can cure illness. A lot of medicines are made from the plants that were used by medicine menhundred of years ago.Legal Age for Marriage (1997)Throughout the United States, the legal age for marriage shows some difference. The most common age without parents’ consent is 18 for both females and males. However, persons who are under age in their home state can get married in another state, and then return to the home state legally married. Each state issues its own marriage license. Both residents and non-residents are qualified for such a license. The fees and ceremonies vary greatly from state to state. Most states, for instance, have a blood test requirement, but a few do not. Most states permit either a civil or religious ceremony, but a few require the ceremony to be religious. In most states a waiting period is required before the license is issued. This period is from one to five days depending on the state.A three-day-wait is the most common. In some states there is no required waiting period.The Railways in Britain (1998)The success of early railways, such as the lines between big cities,/ led to a great increase in railway building in Victorian times. / Between 1835 and 1865 about 25000 kilometers of track were built,/ and over 100 railway companies were created. /Railway travel transformed people's lives. / Trains were first designed to carry goods. / However, a law in the 19th century forced railway companies to run one cheap train a day / which stopped at every station and cost only a penny a mile. / Soon working class passengers found they could afford to travel by rail. / Cheap day excursion trains became popular and seaside resorts grew rapidly. / The railways also provided thousands of new jobs:/ building carriages, running the railways and repairing the tracks. / Railways even changed the time. / The need to run the railways on time meant that local time was abolished/ and clocks showed the same time all over the country. /United Nations Day (1999)The 24th of October is celebrated as United Nations Day. h is a day that belongs to everyone. And it is celebrated in most countries of the world. Some countries celebrate for a week instead of a day. In many parts of the world, schools have special programs for the day. Boys and girls in some communities decorate a UN tree. In other communities, young people put on plays about the UN. Some libraries exhibit children’s art works from around the world. Schools celebrate with the songs and dances of other countries or give parties where foods of other countries are served. No matter how the day is celebrated, the purpose of these celebrations is to help everyone understand the UN, and the important roles it plays in world affairs. The UN encourages people to learn about other lands and their customs. In this way, people can gain a better understanding and appreciation of peoples all over the world.What We Know About Language (2000)Many 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 peoples whose cultures are undeveloped but the languages they speak are by no means primitive. In all the languages existing in the worldtoday, 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.Characteristics of A Good Reader (2001)To improve your reading habits, you must understand the characteristics of a good reader. First, the good reader usually reads rapidly. Of course, he does not read every piece of material at the same rate. But whether he is reading a newspaper or a chapter in a physics text, his reading rate is relatively fast. He has learned to read for ideas rather than words one at a time. Next, the good reader can recognize and understand general ideas and specific details. Thus he is able to comprehend the material with a minimum of effort and a maximum of interest. Finally, the good reader has in his command several special skills, which he can apply to reading problems as they occur. For the college student, the most helpful of these skills include making use of the various aids to understanding that most text books provide and skim-reading for a general survey.Disappearing Forests (2002)The world’s forests are disappearing. As much as 1/3 of the total tree cover has been lost since agriculture began some 10,000 years ago. The remaining forests are home to half of the world’s species, thus becoming the chief resource for their survival. Tropical rain forests once covered 12% of the land of the planet, as well as supporting at l east half of the world’s species of plants and animals. These rain forests are 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 for industrial purposes or for agricultural development such as crop-growing. By the 1990’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’s forests are now facing gradual ex tinction.Salmon (2003)Every year, millions of salmon swim from the ocean into the mouths of rivers and then steadily up the rivers. Passing through waters, around rocks and waterfalls, the fish finally reach their original streams or lakes. They dig out nests in the riverbed and lay their eggs. Then, exhausted by their journey, the parent salmon die. They have finished the task that nature has given them. Months, or years later, the young fish start their trip to the ocean. They live in the salt water from 2-7 years, until they, too are ready to swim back to reproduce. Their life cycle helps man provide himself with a basic food-fish. When the adult salmon gather at the river mouths for the annual trip up the rivers, they are in the best possible condition, and nearly every harbor has its salmon fishing fleet ready to catch thousands for markets.Money (2004)Money is accepted across the world as payment for goods or services. People use money to buy food, clothes and hundreds of other things. In the past, many different things were used as money. People on Pacific islands once exchanged shells for goods. The Chinese used cloth and knives. In Africa, elephant tusks or salt were used. Even today, some people in Africa are still paid in salt. Coins were first invented by the Chinese. Originally, they were round pieces of metal with a holein the center, so that a piece of string could keep them together. This made doing business much easier, but people still found coins inconvenient to carry when they wanted to buy something expensive. To solve this problem, the Chinese again came up with the solution. They began to use paper money for coins. Now paper notes are used throughout the world.The Wrist Watch （2005）It is generally believed that wrist watches are an exception / to the normal sequence in the evolution of man's jewelry. / Reversing the usual order, they were first worn by women, / and then adopted by men. / In the old days, queens included wrist watches among their crown jewelry. / Later, they were worn by Swiss workers and farmers. / Until World War I, Americans associated the watch with fortune hunters. / Then army officers discovered that the wrist watch was most practical for active combat. / Race car drivers also loved to wear wrist watches, / and pilots found them most useful while flying. / Soon men dared to wear wrist watches without feeling self-conscious. / By 1924, some 30 percent of man's watches were worn on the wrist. / Today, the figure is 90 percent. / And they are now worn by both men and women / for practical purposes rather than for decoration.The Internet (2006)The Internet is the most significant progress in the field of communications. / Imagine a book that never ends, a library with a million floors, / or imagine a research project with thousands of scientists / working around the clock forever. / This is the magic of the Internet. / Yet the Internet has the potential for good and bad. / One can find well-organized, information-rich websites. / At the same time, one can also find wasteful websites. / Most websites are known as different Internet applications. / These include online games, chat rooms (chat rooms) and so on. / These applications have great power, too. / Sometimes the power can be so great / that young people may easily become victims to their attraction. / So we need to recognize the seriousness of the problem. / We must work together to use its power for better ends.2007: AdvertisingAdvertising has alre ady become a specialized activity in modern times. In today’s business world, supply is usually greater than demand. There is great competition between manufacturers of the same kind of product because they want to persuade customers to buy their particular brand. They always have to remind their customers of the name and qualities of their products by advertising. The manufacture advertises in newspapers and on the radio. He sometimes employs sales girls to distribute samples of their products. He sometimes advertises on the Internet as well. In addition, he always has advertisements put into television programs that will accept them. Manufactures often spend huge sums of money on advertisements. We buy a particular product because we think that is the best. We usually think so because the advertisements say so. People often don’t ask themselves if the advertisements are telling the truth when they buy advertised products from shops.2008: Choosing A CareerWhen students graduate from college, many of them do not know how they want to spend theirworking lives and they sometimes move from job to job, until they find something that suits them and of equally importance to which they are suited. Others never find a job in which they are really happy. They remain all their lives square pegs in round holes. When we choose our careers we need to ask ourselves two questions. First, what do we think we would like to be? Second, what kind of people are we? The idea, for example of being a painter or a musician may seem very attractive, but unless we have great talent, and are willing to work very hard. We are certain to fail in these occupations and failure will lead to unhappiness in life. So it is important to assess our suitability for a certain career in job search.2009: New Year’s EveFor many people in the west, New Year’s Eve is the biggest party of the year. It’s time to get together with friends or family and welcome in the coming year. New Year’s parties can take place in different places. Some people hold a house party; others attend street parties, while some just go for a few drinks with their friends. Big cities have large and spectacular fireworks displays. There is one thing that all New Year’s Eve parties have in common, the countdown to midnight. When the clock strikes 12, people give a loud cheer and sing songs. It’s also popular to make a promise in the New Year. This is called a New Year’s resolution. Typical resolutions include giving up smoking and keeping fit. However the promise is often broken quite quickly and people are back into their bad habits within weeks or days.2010: Freshmen’s weekThe UK has a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world. But to those who are new to it all, it can be overwhelming and sometimes confusing. October is usually the busiest month in the academic calendar. Universities have something called freshman’s Week for their newcom ers. It's a great opportunity to make new friends, join lots of clubs and settle into university life. However, having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, the prospect of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nerve-wracking. Where do you start? Who should you make friends with? Which clubs should you join? Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot. So just take it all in slowly. Don't rush into anything that you'll regret for the next three years.2011: British holidaying habitsIn the late 1970s, air travel became affordable for the average family in the UK, and more people started travelling abroad for their summer holidays. Afte r 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.2012: Eco-tourismNowadays, many of us try to live in a way that will damage the environment as little as possible. We recycle our newspapers and bottles, we take public transport to get to work, we try to buy locally produced fruit and vegetables，and we want to take these attitudes on holiday with us. This is why alternative forms of tourism are becoming popular in the world. There are a lot of names for these new forms of tourism: responsible tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, educational tourism and more. Although everyone may have a different definition, most people agree that these new forms of tourism should do the following: first, they should conserve the wildlife and culture of the area; second, they should benefit the local people; third, they should make a profit without destroying natural resources; and finally they should provide an experience that tourists want to pay for.。
1993年英语专业四级考试真题TEM4考试真题
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。
专四真题听力原文
专四真题听力原文公司内部档案编码：[OPPTR-OPPT28-OPPTL98-OPPNN08]听写Think Positive and Feel PositiveAre you confident or insecure in a difficult situation Do you react positively or negatively The answer may depend in part on whom you're around.A study found that negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. For example, the researchers studied 103 college roommates. They measured each roommate's tendency towards negative thinking. It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious.Students with a negative-thinking roommate became more depressed themselves. And students with more positive-thinking roommates were more likely to become more positive as well.TalkWhat Is GritGood afternoon, everyone. （1）Today, I would like to talk about my research project concerning the key to success. I would like to start my topic with my own story.When I was 27 years old, I left for a demanding job: teaching seventh graders math in the New York City public schools. And like any teacher, I made quizzes and tests. I gave out homework assignments. When the work came back, I calculated grades.What struck me was that IQ was not the only difference between my best and my worst students. Some of my strongest performers did not have super IQ scores. Some of my smartest kids weren't doing so I feltvery interested in knowing the reason why the students' math performance is not that closely related to their IQ scores. （2）I started studying kids and adults in all kinds of challenging settings, and in every study my question was, who is successful here and research team and I went to West Point Military Academy. We tried to predict which students would stay in military training and which would drop out. (3)We went to the National Spelling Contest and tried to predict which children would advance furthest in competition. We worked with private companies, asking, which of these salespeople is going to keep their jobs And who's going to earn the most went to many places, and finally one characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success. And it wasn't social intelligence. It wasn't good looks, physical health, and it wasn't IQ. It was grit.What is grit(4)Well, grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. (5)Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make future a reality.(6) Grit is living your life like it's a marathon, not a sprint.A few years ago, I started studying grit in the Chicago public schools. I asked thousands of high school juniors to take grit questionnaires, and then waited around more than a year to see who would graduate. (7)It turned out that grittier kids were significantly more likely to graduate, even when I matched them on everycharacteristic I could measure, things like family income, test scores and so on.To me, the most shocking thing about grit is how little we know, how little science knows, about building it. Every day, parents and teachers ask me, "How do I build grit in kids How do I keep them motivated for the long run "Our data shows very clearly that there are many talented individuals who simply do not follow through on their commitment. (8)In fact, in our data, grit is usually unrelated to measures of talent.So far, the best idea I've heard about building grit in kids is something called "growth mindset." (9)Growth mindset is the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed, that it can change with your effort.(10) Kids with grit are much more likely to persevere when they fail, because they don't believe that failure is a permanent condition.So growth mindset is a great idea for building grit. But we need more. And that's where I'm going to end my talk, because that's where we are. That's the work that stands before us. We have to be willing to fail, to be wrong, to start over again with lessons learned.As a conclusion, we need to be gritty about getting our kids time, I would like to share with you my experience in building up students' grit.CONVERSATION ONEW:Hello, This is Kate Smith, I'm calling from ABC Company.M:Oh, hello, Kate. Great to hear from you.W:You've already been told that you've been shortlisted for interview... M:Oh, yes...W:Well, we're very excited about meeting you. （1）OK, I just want to talk you through the procedure for the day. Someone will meet you when you arrive, and then bring you up to meet myself and Arthur Miller, the CEO.M:OK, sounds good. So will you be the only members of the interview panel there thenW:Yes, it'll be just me and Arthur who will talk to you. The interview will be in three parts---first of all we'll ask you some general questions about yourself and your educational and professional background, and then we'll move on to specifics.M:Oh, um, specifics Well er, what kind of questions will you be asking W:Well, it'll be very similar to the personal statement you submitted with your CV — we'll be expecting you to... to give actual examples of problems you've faced and solved, and of what you feel are the major successes in your career so far.M:OK. Well, yeah, that sounds great — can't waitW:（2）Then there'll be a chance for you to ask us any questions —about the job itself, or ABC Company in general...M:Oh, um, OK... I'll think of somethingW:（3/4）After that, we'd like you to give a short presentation on how you see ABC Company as a company progressing, and how you see yourself taking us there.M:OK, so will I be expected to give like a formal style presentation W:It can be as formal or informal as you like. There'll be a computer and a data projector there available. If you need anything else, just let us know.M:Oh, um... OK, a presentation I'll think of something. I haven't done one of those in a while...W:Is that all clearM:Yes.W:（5）Great So, Daniel, I'll see you at 11 ., Thursday next week.M:OK, great. I look forward to meeting you Thanks, bye.W:Bye.Questions 1 to 5 are based on Conversation One.1. Why does the woman call the man2. What kind of questions can the man ask in the interview3. Which is the last part of the interview4. What might be expected from the man's presentation5. When is the interview scheduledCONVERSATION TWOW: It says a growing number of students are making a major hole fromthe minute they enter the real world because they are already, some ofthem, more than 100, 000 dollars in debt. With us now is Mark Spencer,he is the senior financial analyst for SBC Bank. Welcome to you.M: Thank you. Nice to be with you.W: Now I guess there are two kinds of debts: good debt and bad debt. Where does this goM: (7)Well, student loan debt is traditionally considered good debt,but the problem for many students and their families is that the costof colleges has been going up at 6 to 8% a year, far faster than the income, far faster than the standard of living. That means debt'staking on a bigger and bigger role in financing education.W: (6-1)How much debt is too much debt for, for one studentM: (8)Well, one guideline is that you look at the first year's salaryin your field after graduation, and use that as a barometer, but even then...W: Is that rightM: Well, you are talking big payments even in that instance, for example, 30, 000 dollars worth of debt. If you are gonna repay thatover 10 years, you are talking more than 300 dollars a month at, in payments every month for 10 years.W: (6-2)But there is surely more than one way to get a loan for college. There are government programs. There are so many kinds of grants.What's, what's the best advice for people who are looking for theseloans to try to keep themselves from going under.M: I understand that loans are just one way of college finance. Take advantage of the other opportunities. (9)Things like a college savings plan, let, let you save on a tax advantage basis. So you can put money away in these accounts and withdraw tax-free to pay for that education. W: So it's important to start early and that really reduces that reliance on debt later.M: (6-3)Another thing, leave no stone unturned, looking at grants, scholarships, even on-campus jobs. I mean every dollar you get that way is seen as another dollar you don't have to borrow later.W: (10-1)The kinds of jobs that so many students, the fresh off students, like to go into, er, charity stuff, volunteer work. This debt is eliminating a lot of that, isn't itM:(10-2) I think that's the social cost. Really, I mean, you know, when you consider that, you know, people may pass up a rewarding career in charitable work, or non-profit organization because they have to get a higher salary someplace else to pay off that debt.W: Yeah, that's for sure. Mark Spencer, senior financial analyst from SBC Bank.Mark, good you could be here.M: Thank you.6. What is the interview mainly about7. How does the cost of college education change every year8. What is used to measure student loan debt as a guideline9. What is the advantage of joining a college savings plan10. What is the possible social cost of a college loan。
专四听写原文
1992 PaperCan you imagine how difficult life would become if all supplies of paper suddenly disappear ed? Banks and post offices, schools and colleges would be forced to close. Food manufacture r s would be unable to pack or label their products. There would be no magazines, newspapers or books. And we would no longer be able to write to our friends and relatives.Those would be only a few of the troubles of a paper less world. Everywhere we turn, we find paper. Without it, our modern world would come to a standstill. Paper is the life blood of industry, the carrier of news and the distribut o r of knowledge. It wouldn’t be much fun writing up school work on a flat sheet of stone.1993Package HolidaysPackage holidays, covering a two-week’s stay in an attractive place, are increasingl y popular. Once you get to the airport, it is up to the tour operator to see that you get safely to your destination. Everything is laid on for you. There is, in fact, no reason for you to bother to arrange anything yourselves. You make friends and have a good time, but there’s very little chance that you will get to know the local people. This is even less likely on a coach tour when you spend almost your entire time traveling. Of course there are carefully scheduled stops for you to visit the historic buildings and monuments. You may visit the beautiful, the historic, the ancient, but time is always short. There’s also the added disadvantage of having to spend your holiday with a group of people you have never met before.1994 The American FamiliesThe American family unit is changing. There used to be mainly two types of families: the extended and(the) nuclear. The former included mother, father, children, and some other relatives such as grandparents, living in the same house or nearby. Then as the economy progressed from agricultural to industrial, people began moving to different parts of the country in order to search for job opportunities. These moves split up the extended family.The nuclear family, consisting of only parents and children, has therefore become far more wide spread. Today’s family, however, can be composed of diverse combinations.With t he divorce rate nearly one in two,there’s an increase in single-parent homes---a father or mother living with one or more children.Blended families occur when divorced men and women remarry and combine the children from former marriages into a new family. On the other hand, there is an increase in childless couples while one in five Americans lives alone.1995Unidentified Flying ObjectsThere are many explanations for why UFOs visit the earth. The most popular one is that they may contain visitors from other planets. To fly such an aircraft, their builder s must develop different forms of aviation because they seem to fly much faster than normal aircraft. The UFOs, it is believed, must contain scientists from other planets who are studying life on earth. It is even believedthat several such aircraft may have landed on earth, and the space visitors may be living amongst us.But there are also less fantastic explanation s available. Although some sightings of UFOs are difficult to explain, most can be explained quite easily. In many cases, the observers might have made a mistake. They might have seen a weather balloon or an aircraft; or the light they saw in the sky might have been light from the ground reflected onto the cloud s. However, the exact cause of many sightings still remains a mystery.1996The Medicine ManAmong the Indians of North America, the medicine man was a very important person. He could cure illnesses and he could speak to the spirits. The spirits were the supernatural forces that controlled the world. The Indians believed that bad spirits made people ill. So when people were ill, the medicine man tried to help them by using magic. He spoke to the good spirits and asked for their help. Many people were cured because they thought the spirits were helping them.But really these people cured themselves. Sometimes( in) your own mind is the best doctor for you. The medicine men were often successful for anther reason, too. They knew about plants that really can cure illnesses. A lot of modern medicines are made from plants that were used by medicine men hundreds of years ago.The Railways in Britain （1998）The success of early railways, such as the lines between big cities, / led to a great increase in railway building in Victorian times. / Between 1835 and 1865 about 25 000 kilometres of track were built, / and over 100 railway companies were created. / Railway travel transformed people’s lives. / Trains were first designed to carry goods. / However, a law in the 19th century forced railway companies to run one cheap train a day/ which stopped at every station and cost only a penny a mile. / Soon working class passengers found they could afford to travel by rail. / Cheap day excursion trains became popular and seaside resorts grew rapidly. /The railways also provided thousands of new jobs: / building carriages, running the railways and repairing the tracks. /Railways even changed the time. / The need to run the railways on time meant that local time was abolished / and clocks showed the same time all over the country. / 1999United Nations’ DayThe 24th of October is celebrated as United Nations’Day. It is a day that belongs to everyone. And it is celebrated in most countries of the world. Some countries celebrate for a week instead of a day.In many parts of the world, schools have special programs for the day. Boys and girls in some communities decorate a UN tree. In other communities, youngpeople put on plays about the UN. Some libraries exhibit children’s art works from around the world. Schools celebrate with songs and dances of other countries or give parties where foods of other countries are served.No matter how the day is celebrated, the purpose of these celebrations is to help everyone understand the UN, and the important roles it plays in world affairs. The UN encourages people to learn about other lands and their customs. In this way, people can gain a better understanding and appreciation of peoples all over the world.2000 What 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.2001 Characteristics of a Good ReaderTo improve your reading habits, you must understand the characteristics of a good reader. First, the good reader usually reads rapidly. Of course, he does not read every piece of material at the same rate. But whether he is reading a newspaper or a chapter in a physics text, his reading rate is relatively fast. He has learned to read for ideas rather than words one at a time. Next, the good reader can recognize and understand general ideas and specific details. Thus, he is able to comprehend the material with a minimum of effort and a maximum of interest. Finally, the good reader has in his command several special skills, which he can apply to reading problems as they occur.For the college students, the most helpful of these skills include making use of the various aids to understanding that most textbooks provide and skim-reading for a general survey.2002听写Disappearing ForestsThe world’s forests are disappearing. / As much as a third of the total tree cover has been lost / since agriculture began some 10,000 years ago. / The remaining forests are home to half of the world’s species, / thus becoming the chief resource for their survival./Tropical rain forests once covered 12% of the land of the planet./ As well as supporting at least half of the world’s species of plants and animals, / these rain forests are 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 for industrial purposes, / or for agriculturaldevelopment, such as crop growing. /By the 1990’s, less than half of the earth’s original rain forests remained, /and they continue to disappear at an alarming rate every year. / As a result, the world’s forests are now facing a gradual extinction./2003SalmonEvery year, millions of salmon swim from the oceans into the mouths of rivers and then steadily up the rivers. Passing through waters, around rocks and waterfalls, the fish finally reach their original streams or lakes. They dig out nests in the river bed and lay their eggs. Then, exhausted by their journey, the parent salmon die. They have finished the task that nature has given them.Months or years later, the young fish start their trip to the ocean. They live in the salt water from 2 to 7 years until they, too, are ready to swim back to reproduce. Their life cycle helps man provide himself with the basic food---fish. When the adult salmon gather at the river mouths for the annual trip up the rivers, they are in the best possible condition, and nearly every harbor has its salmon fishing fleet, ready to catch thousands for markets.2004 MoneyMoney is accepted across the world as payment for goods or services. People use money to buy food, clothes and hundreds of other things.In the past, many different things were used as money. People on Pacific islands once exchanged shells for goods. The Chinese used cloth and knives. In Africa, elephant tusks or salt were used. Even today, some people in Africa are still paid in salt.Coins were first invented by the Chinese. Originally, they were round pieces of metal with a hole in the center so that a piece of string could keep them together. This made doing business much easier. But people still found coins inconvenient to carry when they wanted to buy something expensive. To solve this problem, the Chinese again came up with a solution. They began to use paper money for coins. Now paper notes are used throughout the world.05 The Wrist WatchIt is generally believed that wrist watches are an exception / to the normal sequence in the evolution of man's jewelry. / Reversing the usual order, they were first worn by women, / and then adopted by men. /In the old days, queens included wrist watches among their crown jewelry. / Later, they were worn by Swiss workers and farmers. / Until World War I, Americans associated the watch with fortune hunters. / Then army officers discovered that the wrist watch was most practical for active combat. / Race car drivers also loved to wear wrist watches, / and pilots found them most useful while flying. /Soon men dared to wear wrist watches without feeling self-conscious. / By 1924, some 30 % of man's watches were worn on the wrist. / Today, the figure is 90%. / And they are now worn by both men and women / for practical purposes rather than for decoration.2006 The InternetThe internet is the most significant progress in the field of communication s. Imagine a book that never ends, a library with a million floors, or imagine a research project with thousands of scientists, working around the clock forever. This is the magic of the internet.Yet the internet has the potential for both good and bad. One can find well-organized information-rich websites. At the same time, one can also find wasteful websites. . Most websites are known as different internet applications. These include online games, chatrooms and so on. These applications have great power, too. Sometimes, the power can be so great that young people can easily become victims to their attraction.So we need to recognize the seriousness of the problem. We must work together to use its power for better ends.2007AdvertisingAdvertising has already become a very specialize d activity in modern times. In today’s business world, supplies are usually greater than demand. There is great competition between manufacturers of the same kind of product, because they want their customers to buy their particular brand. They always have to remind their customers of the name and qualities of their products by advertising. The manufacturer advertises in newspapers and on the radio. He sometimes employs salesgirls to distribute samples of hi product. He sometimes advertises on the internet as well. In addition, he always has advertisement put into TV programs that will accept them. Manufacturers always spend huge sums of money on advertisements. We buy a particular product because we think that is the best. We usually think so because the advertisements say so. People often don’t ask themselves if the advertisements are telling the truth, when they buy advertised products from shops.1.specialized adj. 专门的；专业的2.supply n(c) n. 供给，补给；供应品3.kind of 各种各样的4. manufacturer n. 制造商；[经] 厂商5 salesgirl ['seilzɡə:l] n n. 女售货员，女店员6. sum of总和7. advertisedadj. 广告的。
1993-2014历年专四dictation
(1998)
The success of early railways, such as the lines between big cities,/ led to a great increase in railway building in Victorian times. / Between 1835 and 1865 about 25000 kilometers of track were built,/ and over 100 railway companies were created. /
Railway travel transformed people's lives. / Trains were first designed to carry goods. / However, a law in the 19th century forced railway companies to run one cheap train a day / which stopped at every station and cost only a penny a mile. / Soon working class passengers found they could afford to travel by rail. / Cheap day excursion trains became popular and seaside resorts grew rapidly. / The railways also provided thousands of new jobs:/ building carriages, running the railways and repairing the tracks. / Railways even changed the time. / The need to run the railways on time meant that local time was abolished/ and clocks showed the same time all over the country. /
TEM4听写原文
Dictation OneOld AgeMany people mistakenly believe that old age is a time of increased illness and loneliness. / In fact, people do not suddenly change / when they reach the age of 60 or 65. / Consequently, we should not expect more mental illness / among the 60 to 70 age group than among the 50 to 60. / Furthermore, also more parents and their married children live in separate households than ever before, / this is usually by choice. / It is not because children now tend to neglect their parents / when they become old. /It is also wrong to believe that old age seriously affects a person’s mental abilities. / There is clear proof that people who were eager to learn and who welcomed new experiences in their old age, / continue to do so in old age. / It is true that older people tend to take longer to learn something new than young people. / Nevertheless, if they are given sufficient time, / they learn as well as young people do.Dictation TwoGardeningGardening is one of the oldest of the arts. / The Chinese with their deep sensitiveness to beauty / laid the foundations for a form of garden art / which was later to have great influences upon other lands. /The Greeks gave to the world a new concept of gardening. / Their homes were decorated with flowers, / but it was in their civic design that they most skillfully applied their garden art. / Their temples were surrounded by rows of trees, / and trees lined the important streets and market places in their principal cities. / The Roman acquired much of the knowledge and skills in garden craft from Greeks. / In the second century AD the Romans began to build gardens of great scale, / inspired by the vast palace gardens they had conquered. / They brought water from great distances to supply the ornamental fountains / which decorated their villa gardens. / These great villas were later to inspire the Italian garden architects to follow the Roman style.Dictation ThreeBing UnemployedMost people are much more frightened by being unemployed than they need to be. / Being unemployed certainly has disadvantages, / but there are good things about it too. / One advantage is that you don’t have to get up early to work in the rush hour. / You can stay in bed as long as you like, / and there is plenty of time to read the newspaper / and have a leisurely breakfast. / But the best thing of all is that you areyour own boss / and there is no one to tell you what to do and when to do it. / One drawback of being unemployed is that you haven’t got much money coming in—/ having a job at least enables you to save a lot of money to go on holiday. / On the other hand, when you are unemployed, / you needn’t go on holiday / because you are on holiday already. / In fact, the main trouble is that you have to spend much time looking for a job.Dictation FourThe Credit Card in the U.S.Today, more and more people in the U.S. are using credit cards / instead of money to buy what they need. / Almost anyone who has a steady income and a continuous work record / can apply for a credit card. /With a credit card, you can buy a car, eat a dinner, take a trip, / and even get a haircut by charging the cost to your account. / In this way, you can pay for purchases a month or two later. / Or you may choose to spread out your payments over several months / and pay only part of the total amount each month. / With a credit card, you don’t have to carry much cash / and you don’t have to be concerned about losing your money through carelessness or theft. / The card user only has to worry about paying the final bill. / This of course can be a problem / if you charge more than you can pay for.Dictation FiveA Woman at HomeIn Japan, most people still feel that a woman’s right place is in the home / and most women willingly accept their traditional role as wives, / leaving the business of making a living to their husbands. / For those who do want a career of their own, opportunities are limited. / And working women usually have to settle for lower wages and less responsible positions. /In America, on the other hand, most women, including wives and mothers, work most of their lives. / But until recently, few have had real careers. / As in Japan, most fields are dominated by men / and opportunities for women have been restricted, / salaries low, chances for promotion rare. / American women work mainly because they have to. / In these days of inflation and expensive living, / only one income per family is simply not enough. / So American women actually have two jobs: / one outside the home, and the other round-the-clock job such as wife, cook and nurse. Dictation SixSuccessSuccess in life depends to a great extent on what is meant by success. / To some people, money is the only real indication / of achievement in the modern world and therefore / their judgment of success is based on the state / of their bank balance and the power that goes with it. / Their life is devoted to making money / and they are at a loss to understand people whoseideas are different from their own. / There are people, however, who consider their lives successful / if they are doing what they enjoy doing / that may not bring them any great financial reward. / A man who spends his time gardening might consider himself successful / if the flowers blossomed and his trees gave fruit. / Nursing and teaching can also bring their own kind of success tothose engaged in them. / Success can be found in painting a picture nobody will never see. / The great thing is to believe that success is not necessarily public.Dictation SevenPeople’s Way of Seeing ThingsThe way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe. / For those people who believed in physical existence of Hell in the Middle Ages, / the sight of fire must have meant something quite different from what it means today. / Nevertheless, their idea of Hell owed a lot to the sight / of fire consuming and the ashes remaining / as well as to their experience of the pain of burns. /We only see what we look at. / To look is an act of choice. / As a result of this act, what we see is brought within our reach, / though not necessarily within arm’s reach. / To touch something is to situate oneself in relation to it. / We never look at just one thing. / We are always looking at the relation between things and ourselves. / Our vision is continually active, continually moving, / continually holding things in a circle around itself.Dictation EightEducationSome people may say that it is energy that makes the world to go round, / but in my opinion there is something else which is equally important. / That is education. / Education makes it possible to pass on / the invaluable knowledge of our ancestors and, at the same time, / makes it easier to explore the contemporary world. / Most great inventions have been brought about by educated people. / So we can say that education makes the world go round. /A poorly educated nation can never be a rich one. / The most advanced countries in the world all place great emphasis on education. / Nations which have a low percentage of educated people can, / in most cases, barely produce the basic necessities of life, / let alone develop their science, technology and economics. / Such nations are facing the possibility of extinction in this highly developed world. / Therefore, education cannot be emphasized enough in a developing country.。
2000-2013专四听写
What We Know About Language (2000)Many 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 peoples 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.Characteristics of A Good Reader (2001)To improve your reading habits, you must understand the characteristics of a good reader. First, the good reader usually reads rapidly. Of course, he does not read every piece of material at the same rate. But whether he is reading a newspaper or a chapter in a physics text, his reading rate is relatively fast. He has learned to read for ideas rather than words one at a time. Next, the good reader can recognize and understand general ideas and specific details. Thus he is able to comprehend the material with a minimum of effort and a maximum of interest. Finally, the good reader has in his command several special skills, which he can apply to reading problems as they occur. For the college student, the most helpful of these skills include making use of the various aids to understanding that most text books provide and skim-reading for a general survey.Disappearing Forests (2002)The world’s forests are disappearing. As much as 1/3 of the total tree cover has been lost since agriculture began some 10,000 years ago. The remaining forests are home to half of the world’s species, thus becoming the chief resource for their survival. Tropical rain forests once covered 12% of the land of the planet, as well as supporting at least half of the world’s species of plants and animals. These rain forests are 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 for industrial purposes or for agricultural development such as crop-growing. By the 1990’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’s forests are now facing gradual extinctionSalmon (2003)Every year, millions of salmon swim from the ocean into the mouths of rivers and then steadily up the rivers. Passing through waters, around rocks and waterfalls, the fish finally reach their original streams or lakes. They dig out nests in the riverbed and lay their eggs. Then, exhausted by their journey, the parent salmon die. They have finished the task that nature has given them. Months, or years later, the young fish start their trip to the ocean. They live in the salt water from 2-7 years, until they, too are ready to swim back to reproduce. Their life cycle helps man provide himself with a basic food-fish. When the adult salmon gather at the river mouths for the annual trip up the rivers, they are in the best possible condition, and nearly every harbor has its salmon fishing fleet ready to catch thousands for markets.Money (2004)Money is accepted across the world as payment for goods or services. People use money to buy food, clothes and hundreds of other things. In the past, many different things were used as money. People on Pacific islands once exchanged shells for goods. The Chinese used cloth and knives. In Africa, elephant tusks or salt were used. Even today, some people in Africa are still paid in salt. Coins were first invented by the Chinese. Originally, they were round pieces of metal with a hole in the center, so that a piece of string could keep them together. This made doing business much easier, but people still found coins inconvenient to carry when they wanted to buy something expensive. To solve this problem, the Chinese again came up with the solution. They began to use paper money for coins. Now paper notes are used throughout the world.The Wrist Watch （2005）It is generally believed that wrist watches are an exception / to the normal sequence in the evolution of man's jewelry. / Reversing the usual order, they were first worn by women, / and then adopted by men. / In the old days, queens included wrist watches among their crown jewelry. / Later, they were worn by Swiss workers and farmers. / Until World War I, Americans associated the watch with fortune hunters. / Then army officers discovered that the wrist watch was most practical for active combat. / Race car drivers also loved to wear wrist watches, / and pilots found them most useful while flying. / Soon men dared to wear wrist watches without feeling self-conscious. / By 1924, some 30 percent of man's watches were worn on the wrist. / Today, the figure is 90 percent. / And they are now worn by both men and women / for practical purposes rather than for decoration.The Internet (2006)The Internet is the most significant progress in the field of communications. / Imagine a book that never ends, a library with a million floors, / or imagine a research project with thousands of scientists / working around the clock forever. / This is the magic of the Internet. / Yet the Internet has the potential for good and bad. / One can find well-organized, information-rich websites. / At the same time, one can also find wasteful websites. / Most websites are known as different Internet applications. / These include online games, chat rooms (chatrooms) and so on. / These applications have great power, too. / Sometimes the power can be so great / that young people may easily become victims to their attraction. / So we need to recognize the seriousness of the problem. / We must work together to use its power for better ends.Advertising （2007）Advertising has alreadly become a very specialized activity in modern times./ in today’s business world, supply is usuallly greater than demand. / There is great competition between manufactures of the same kind product/ because they want to persuade customers to buy their particular brand./ They always have to remaind their customers/ of the name and qualities of their products by advertising. The manufacturer advertises in newspapers and on the radio. / He sometimes employs salesgirls to distribute the samples of his products. / He sometimes advertises on the Internet as well. / In addition, he always has advertisements put into television programs that will accept them./ Manufacturers often spend huge sums of money onadvertisements./ We buy a particular product because we think that is the best. / We usually think so, because the advertisements say so. / People often don't ask themselves if the advertisements are telling the truth / when they buy advertised products from shops.Choosing a Career （2008）When students graduate from college, many of them do not know how they want to spend their working lives, and they sometimes move from job to job until they find something that suit them and of equal importance to which they are suited. Others never find a job in which they are really happy. They remain all their lives square pegs in round holes. When we choose our careers, we need to ask ourselves two questions. First, what do we think we would like to be? Second, what kind of people are we? The idea, for example, of being a painter or a musician may seem very attractive, but unless we have great talent and are willing to work very hard, we are certain to fail in these occupations, and failure will lead to unhappiness in life. So it is important to assess our suitability for a certain career in job search.New Year’s Eve (2009)For many people in the west, New Year’s Eve is the biggest party of the year. It’s time to get together with friends or family and welcome in the coming year. New Year’s parties can take place in different places. Some people hold a house party; others attend street parties, while some just go for a few drinks with their friends. Bigcities have large and spectacular fireworks displays. There is one thing that all New Year’s Eve parties have in common, the countdown to mid-night. When the clock strikes 12, people give a loud cheer and sing songs. It’s also popular to make a promise in the New Year. This is called a New Year’s resolution. Typical resolutions include giving up smoki ng and keeping fit. However the promise is often broken quite quickly and people are back into their bad habits within weeks or daysFreshmen's Week (2010)The UK has a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world. But to those who are new to it all, it can be overwhelming and sometimes confusing. October is usually the busiest month in the academic calendar. Universities have something called Freshers' Week for their newcomers. It's a great opportunity to make new friends, join lots of clubs and settle into university life. However, having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, the prospect of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nerve-wracking. Where do you start? Who should you make friends with? Which clubs should you join? Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot. So just take it all in slowly. Don't rush into anything that you'll regret for the next three years.British Holidaying Habits(2011)In the late 1970s, air travel became affordable for the average family in the UK, and more people started travelling aboard for their summer holidays. Af ter 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 the 1990s, young people in the UK become well-fare on average. As a result, they started to goaboard 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 aboard is more expensive. As a result, more British people are choosing to spend their summer holidays in the UK.Ecotourism(2012)Nowadays, many of us try to live in a way that will damage the environment as little as possible. We recycle our newspapers and bottles, we take public transport to get to work, and we try to buy locally produced fruit and vegetables. And we want to take these attitudes on holiday with us. This is why alternative forms of tourism are becoming popular in the world. There are lots of names for these new forms of tourism: responsible tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, educational tourism and more. Although everyone may have a different definition, most people agree that these new forms of tourism should do the following:First, they should conserve the wildlife and culture of the area. Second, they should benefit the local people. Third, they should make a profit without destroying natural resources. And finally, they should provide an experience that tourists want to pay for.What is a dream for (2013)One theory is that we dream to release the deep, secret desires. We do not express these desires in real life because of the rules of polite society. Another theory is that dreams allow us to solve problems that we can’t solve in real life. We go to sleep with a problem and wake up with the solution. This may be a way to use our dreams rather than a purpose of dreaming. If you believe that your dreams are important then analysing them may help you to focus on the problem and help you to find the solution.The modern image is that dreams are the brain’s way of cleaning up the computer’s hard disk. Dreams organize the events of the day into folders and delete what is not needed. But we all know that very little of what we dream is concerned with what happened to us that day.。
TEM4-听力原文(1993-2009)
听力原文2002PART III LISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A STA TEMENT1. Next I'd like to show you a three-bedroom apartment on the second floor which is 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 could never travel many times around the world in that time.3. Jack, thank you for inviting us to dinner in your house tomorrow. But I'm extremely sorry that my wife and I won't be able to make it.4. Last time we discussed some patterns of animal behavior and in today's lecture you'll concentrate on the methods used in the study of animals.5. In my opinion motivation, rather than intelligence, often decides how far a person can go in his career.6. In order to understand this writer thoroughly, you have to read between the lines.7. Last week at the sale Jane bought herself an overcoat for 30 pounds which was one quarter of the regular price.8. Due to the continual rain the school sports meet has been postponed again till further notice from the principal's office.SECTION B CONVERSATION9. M: I'm really getting worried about Mary. She was sitting in for the exam in two weeks' time. But all she is talking about now is nothing but an upcoming concert.W: She may fail along that line. Let's try to talk some sense into her.10. 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 think they have, seen.11. M: You know, I started out in civil engineering, then I switched to electronic engineering. But what really interests me is electronic music.W: Well, that's a long way away from civil engineering.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?M: Let me smell it. Well, it has gone off. If I were you, I wouldn't even think of it.13. M: Is it true that all of them survived the fire last night?W: Yes, a miracle, isn't it? There was a couple on the second floor and two women and three kids on the ground floor. But no one was badly hurt.14. M: I'm going to take a blood test at 7:45 tomorrow morning.W: In that case, you won't miss any courses tomorrow morning then.15. M: I'm not really an expert on precious stones, but these are superb. Don't you like them?W: Have you looked at the price tag? It costs almost twice as much as a house where we are living in.16. W: You seem to be restless the whole day today. What's up?M: Later in the afternoon' they will announce who will get permission for the study trip to Africa.17. W: I will never go with Bill again. He could never remember where he parked his car.M: 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 meeting in Muricius. Britain is expected to put forward afresh initiative on redressing debts of the 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, injuring people and just missing another underground train standing on the opposite track. French emergency services say the trains were traveling at 35kilometres per hour when 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 of 12-15% 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's general strike when many of Argentina's 12 million workers stayed home after the nation's powerful General Worker Confederation, the nation's largest union group, called a one-day strike to protest spending cuts and free market reforms.News Item Four (24-25)Germany was due to strike a deal yesterday to close down its 19 nuclear power plants, making it the first major industrial nation to commit to withdrawing from nuclear 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, was a key pledge of the Greens, the junior partner in Schroder's coalition government.听力原文2003PART ⅢLISTENING COMPREHENSIONIn 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 on your answer sheet.SECTION A STA TEMENTIn this section, you will hear seven statements. At the end of each statement you will be given 10 seconds to answer the question.1. You must relax. Don’t work too hard. And do watch your drinking and smoking.2.We hadn’t quite expected the committee to agree to rebuild the hospital, so we were taken aback when we got to know that it had finally agreed.3.The coach leaves the station every 20 minutes. It’s 9:15 now, and you have to wait for five minutes for the next one.4.Perhaps Jane shouldn’t have got married in the first place. No one knows what she might have been doing now, but not washing up. That’s for sure!5.I happen to be working on a similar project at the moment. I am only too pleased to help you.6.The man arrived for the ceremony with patched jackets and faded jeans that the average person would save for mowing the lawn in his garden at the weekend.7.Mark! Here you are! This is the last place in the world I would have expected to find you.SECTION B CONVERSA TIONIn this section you will hear 10 short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the question.8. W: I couldn’t stand this morning. My right leg went stiff.M: I’m afraid it’s probably a side-effect from the drugs I put you on.9. W: How did your writing go this morning? Is the book coming along alright?M: I’m not sure. I think the rest of it will be difficult to write.10. W: Is there anything you can do to make the cold go away more quickly?M: No, there isn’t. And a cold isn’t really serious enough for a visit to a doctor.11. W:Look! What have I got here!M: Oh. So you did go to that bookstore!12. M: Excuse me. Has there been an emergency?W: Oh, no sir. There’s just a storm, so the plane will leave a little later this afternoon.13. W: I wish I hadn’t hurt Linda’s feeling like that yesterday. You know I never meant to.M: The great thing about Linda is that she doesn’t hold any grudges. By tomorrow she’ll have forgotten all about it.14. M: My grades are not bad, but not good enough. I know I didn’t study at all this semester. Now I have to work very hard next semester to keep my scholarship.W:I’ll see you in the library, then.15. W: I’ll wear this blue jacket for the evening. I like the color on me, don’t you think?M:I think it looks terrific on you-really!16. W: Do you know that Sam turned down that job offer by a travel agency?M: Yeah. The hours were convenient, but had he accepted it, he wouldn’t have been able to make ends meet.17. W: At the rate it is being used, the printer is not going to make it through the rest of the year.M: The year? It is supposed to be good for four!SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTQuestions 18 and 19 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions. Now listen to the news.The U.N resolution calls for greater international intelligence and law enforcement cooperation. And it requires states to change their banking laws in order to police the global network of terrorisms financiers. It makes providing funds for terror activities a criminal offence and would freeze bank accounts of those who sponsor terrorism.Questions 20 and 21 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions. Now listen to the news.A police spokesman said the devices were made safe by explosive experts in the Ardorn district, where a woman was shot in the leg and 13 police officers were injured during a second successive night of violence. Northern Ireland’s police chief had earl ier called on community leaders to work together to end the violence. The violence has erupted sporadically throughout a summer of Sectarian tension in northern Belfast.Question 22 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item you will be given 10 seconds to answer the question. Now listen to the news.Airlines are being hit with huge increases to ensure their planes after the terrorist attacks in the United States. Goshork Insurance Holdings, which ensures aircraft around the world, said rates had soared as much as 10 fold since the September 11th terror attacks. Airlines around the world have cut services and dismissed staff as their business has plunged in the wake of the crisis. They are also struggling with increased security costs.Questions 23 and 24 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions. Now listen to the news.A Pakistani lawyer said the resumption of the trial of eight foreign aid workers accused of preaching Christianity in Afghanistan has been put off until Sunday. He had met earlier Saturday with the aid workers, 2 Americans, 2 Australians, and 4 Germans. They insist they were in Afghanistan to help the poor, not to convert them. The penalty for these captured aid workers could range from expulsion to a jail term and death sentence.Question 25 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item you will be given 10 seconds to answer the question. Now listen to the news.On the 20th anniversary of the first official report on AIDS, the head of the United Nations AIDS program warns that the deadly disease may only be at its early stages in many parts of the world. Dr. Piu said the disease has already reached staggering proportions since first being identified in 1981. 58 million people worldwide have contracted the HIV virus, which causes AIDS, while 22 million have died from related illnesses. The UN estimates the world’s HIV positive population at 36 million, includin g 25 million in sub-Saharan Africa.International officials warn the disease will have disastrous political, social, and economic consequences in many developing countries.This is the end of listening comprehension.听力原文2004PART ⅢLISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A STA TEMENT1. 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 11:30will 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 peoplelost t heir lives in Sunday’s floods. A further nine people, mostly children arereported 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 workis. 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 wewill have to look into the matter immediately.SECTION B CONVERSATION9. 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 research assistants.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, but 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.M: Yeah, what day? I’d like to talk to them and drop my resume.15. W:There must be a thunderstorm in some place because the picture isn’t very sharp and the sound isn’t very clear.M: I think you’re right, they said on the radio last night that a storm was coming in from the mountains and the morning paper forecast heavy rain.16. W:The party will start at 6:30 but there are a lot of preparations to make and I need your help. Can I expect you at 5:00?M: I’ll be there around 5:30, all being well that is.17. W:Excuse me, I’m enrolled to take Professor Lee’s litera ture course 102 andI hear some changes have been made.M: Yes, the class has been moved to the north building. Also it is now Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 4pm. Instead of being held on Monday and Friday from 2 to 3pm. What changes!W: Professor Lee will still be teaching the class, right?SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTNews Item One (18-19)A court in Zimbabwe is due to deliver its verdict today in a trial of a journalist who works for the British newspaper The Guaidian. The trial is seen as a test case for the country’s strict new media laws. Andrew Meldrum, an Americanwho’s lived in Zimbabwe for over twenty years is accused of publishing an untrue story and faces up to two years in prison if found guilty. A dozen other journalists hav e also been charged with offenses relating to the new laws. In court Mr. Meldrum’s def ense argued that his story was published in Britain. It was beyond the jurisdiction of Zimbabwean laws.News Item Two (20-21)Kuala Lumpur-Afghanistan will play soccer at the Asian games. Mongolia’swithdrawal has given the war torn nation a confidence boost. The Asian FootballConfederation (AFC) announced in a statement yesterday that Afghanistan would play in the under-twenty-three tournament at the games in Bussan. Afghanistan’sfirst match will be against Iran on September 28. The group’s other teams are Qatar and Lebanon. Afghanistan was a founding member of the confederation in the 1950s, before entering long periods of war and factional fighting. The country’schaos was largely ended after US led forces overthrew the Taliban regime last year in response to the September 11th terrorist attacks in the United States.During the Soccer World Cup in June, the President of Afghanistan’s Football Aociation (AFA), Abdul Aleem-Kohistani said he hoped his country would be able to take part in the Asian games.News Item Three (22-23)The expected life span of Beijing residents has gone up to 75.5 years old,compared with 74.4 years old, a decade earlier. While the death rate of middle-aged residents increased dramatically, according to recent official report. Thereport made public by the Beijing Disease Control and Prevention Center said thepast mortality of people age between 35 to 54 years old had gone up 58.5% during the past ten years, from 158 people per 100,000 in 1991 to 251 people per 100,000 last year. Infant and maternal mortality rates went down 132% and 147% respectively. Health experts said chronic non-infectious diseases were the main causes of death covering 60% of the total number of deaths. The male mortality is higher than that of females and the death rate among rural residents is higher than that of the urban ones.News Item Four (24-25)Islamabad-Pakistani President, Purvez Musherof said yesterday there was no danger of the country going to war with neighboring India but that Pakistani forces would be ready to repel any aggression. There is no danger of war, Musherof toldreporters in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. We should have confidence inourselves. We are not sitting idle. We are prepared for everything. There should not be any misunderstanding. Tensions were raised this week as the two accused each other of links to killings in the two countries. India suspects the two gunmen who killed twenty-eight at an Indian temple on Tuesday have links to Pakistan based Islamic militant groups. Pakistan denied any involvement in the temple massacre and police in Karachi said there were indications of India intelligence agents behind the murder of seven Christian charity workers in the city, but India rejects the charges yesterday.This is the end of Listening Comprehension.听力原文2005PART Ⅱ LISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A CONVERSA TIONSQuestions 1 to 3 are based on the following conversation.W: Good morning. Sit down please, Mr. Johnson.M: Thank you, madam.W: I have read your letter here. You seemed to have done very well at school. Can you tell me something about your school work?M: As you can see, my strongest subjects were arts subjects. My best subject was history and my second best was geography. However, my favorite subject was math, and the results I got in the math paper were quite reasonable.W: That's true. Now, can you tell me why you think these subjects will help you in this job?M: Well, madam, I understand that you manufacture computers, prepare software, and advise clients on how to use them. Is that right?W: That's right.M: And I've been told that working with computers needs a logical mind rather than great skills in mathematics. That's especially true, I believe, when it comes to writing programs. So I think my results show that I have some ability in logic and in mathematics as well.W: So, you would like to write material for computers, would you?M: Yes, madam. That's what interests me most about computers - writing programs, but I think the computer industry itself is still expanding enormously. I'm sure that career prospects in the industry would be very good no matter what sort of job I went into.W: I see, well, thank you. I've enjoyed our talk. We'll be writing to you.M: Thank you, madam. Good morning.Questions 4 to 7 are based on the following conversation.W: Excuse me. Could I ask you some questions?M: Of course.W: I work for an advertising agency and I'm doing some research. It's for a new magazine for people like you.M: People like me? What do you mean?W: People between 25 and 35 years old.M: Ok.W: Right. Urn, what do you do at the weekend?M: Well, on Fridays, my wife always goes to her exercise class. Then, she visits friends.W: Don't you go out?M: Not on Fridays. I never go out on Fridays. I stay at home and watch television.W: And on Saturdays?M: On Saturdays my wife and I always go sailing together.W: Really?M: Mm, we love it. We never miss it. And then, in the evening, we go out.W: Where to?M: Different places. We sometimes go and see friends. We sometimes go to the cinema or restaurants. But we always go out on Saturday evenings.W: I see. And now Sunday. What happens on Sundays?M: Nothing special. We often go for a walk. And I always cook a big Sunday lunch.W: Oh. How often do you do the cooking?M: Urn, twice a week.., three times a week...W: Thank you very much. All I need now are your personal details, your name, job and so on. What's your surname?M: Robinson.Questions 8 to 10 are based on the following conversation.M: Parcel Express, good morning! How can I help you?W: Good morning. I'm thinking of sending a parcel to New York next week. Can you tell me what the procedure is, please?M: Certainly. When you ring us, we need the following information. The invoice address: that's probably your address, isn't it? And then, the pickup address. That's different. And the contact phone number.W: Just a moment. I'm taking notes. Phone number, right.M: Then we need the full name, address and phone number of the person you are sending the parcel to.W: Ok, anything else?M: Yes, the weight and dimensions of the parcel. That's height, weight and length. And the value of the goods and full description.W: Value, description.M: Yes, but don't seal the parcel. You need to leave it open so that the driver can check the contents when he collects it. After the recent bombing, the airline said that we'd have to check all parcels. They told us we had to do it.W: Fine. Now last question. How long will the parcel take to get to New York?M: One to two working days. There are daily flights at midday. And if we collect the parcel from you at 10:15 then your parcel catches that flight and it will arrive in 24 hours.W: Right. Thank you very much. You've been very helpful.M: Not at all. Goodbye.W: Goodbye.SECTION B PASSAGESQuestions 11 to 13 are based on the following announcement.Attention, all passengers, platform change! This is a platform change. The train now standing at Platform 9 is the 10:48 train calling at all stations to Nanjing. Please note the train on Platform 9 is not the 10:52 train to Jinan. It's the 10:48 train calling at all stations to Nanjing. The 10:52 to Jinan will now leave from Platform 7. Train announcement, the 11:20 train to Zhengzhou from Platform 8 will be subject to a 15-minute delay. I re peat there will be a 15-minute delay for the Zhengzhou train on Platform 8. It will now leave at 11:35, not 11: 20. The 11:28 train to Hangzhou has been cancelled. We apologize to customers, but due to signal problems, the 11:28 train to Hangzhou from Platform 15 has been cancelled. The 11:32 train to Tianjin is now standing at Platform 13. Please note, there will be no restaurant car on this train. I repeat: there will be no restaurant car on the 11:32 to Tianjin now standing at Platform 13.Questions 14 to 16 are based on the following passage.The International Red Cross in Red Crescent Museum was opened in Geneva in 1988. It tells the story of men and women who in the course of the major events of the last 150 years have given assistance to victims of war and natural disasters. The organization was established in 1863 and was based on the idea by a Swiss businessman called Henry Durant. He had witnessed the heavy casualties of the battle of Solferino in Italy four years earlier, in which 40,000 people were killed, wounded or missing. He had seen the lack of medical services in the great suffering of many of the wounded who simply died from lack of care. The International Red Cross or Red Crescent exists to help the victims of conflicts and disasters regardless of their nationalities. The symbol of the organization was originally just a red cross. It has no religious significance. The founders of the movement adopted it as a tribute to Switzerland. However, during the rest of the Turkish war, the Turks felt that the cross could be seen as a fence to the Muslim soldiers and the second symbol, the red crescent, was adopted for use by national organizations in the Islamic world. Both are now official symbols.Questions 17 to 20 are based on the following passage.At major college or high school sports events, cheerleaders, both male and female, jump and dance in front of the crowd, and shout the name of their team, running around, yelling "Go Team Go!" The first cheerleader ever was a man. In 1898, Johnny Campbell jumped in front of the crowd at the university of Minnesota and shouted for his team. He shouted "Hurrah, Minnesota!" This was the first organized show, or yell. For the next 32 years, cheerleaders were men only. Cheerleading is not just about cheering. They practice special shows, dances, and athletic shows. The men throw the women high in the air, and catch them. The team members climb on each other's shoulders to make a human pyramid. They yell and dance too. It is like human fire works. Of course, they may often suffer serious knee and wrist injuries and bloody noses. Cheerleaders have their own contests every year at local, state and national levels. And a crowd shouts for them. It is not fair to think cheerleading is just being cheerful and lively and having a loud voice. Cheerleading is a sport in itself.SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTQuestions 21 and 22 are based on the following news.The bodies of dozens of African emigrants discovered off the Italian coast last week might have been thrown overboard, Italian officials said on Monday. A coast guard spokesman said 15 illegal emigrants, all believed to come from Somalia, survived being thrown into the Mediterranean sea. But one of the survivors, a woman, was in a serious condition. They told the coast guard that their boat had left Libya 20 days before with around 100 immigrants aboard. They said most had died during the trip. Last Friday, 7 Africans, including 3 children, died before their boat could reach the island. A further 25 people survived.Question 23 is based on the following news.China has set aside on putting 3 people into space for a week, the China news service said on Tuesday. The news agency reported an official as saying the preparations were underway for the next Shenzhou launch. The Shenzhou VI is expected to blast off within the next two years. Shenzhou V carried a Chinese astronaut aloft. He circled the earth 14 times during his 21-hour trip October 15th to 16th 2003, making China the third country to put a man into space.Questions 24 and 25 are based on the following news.Gigantic waves of flame that covered entire neighborhoods and filled the skies over Southern California with ash have killed at least 13 people. At least 6 separate wildfires were still burning on Monday morning all the way from the Mexican border to the suburbs of Las Angeles. They were reported to have destroyed 800 homes and consumed about 120 thousand hectares of land. Authority said they were seeking two men in connection with the fires, which they believed were started deliberately.Questions 26 to 28 are based on the following news.There has been modest growth in tourism worldwide despite two years of terrorism, war and disease. And China is the engine driving it, according to the World Tourism Organization. International tourists' numbers hit a record of 702 million last year, a rise of 2.7% over 2001, the year of the September 11 attacks. France re mains the most popular destination, receiving more than 77 million visitors, followed by Spain, United States and Italy. China, however, marked a 11% growth over that period, attracting 36.8 million international visitors. It ranks 5th among leading tourism nations. By 2020, it will be top, with predictions of 130 million visitors per year. Chinese themselves are also becoming a major force as travelers. According to a Xinhua report, over 16.6 million Chinese traveled abroad last year, up 37% from the previous year. Their numbers are expected to grow to 30 million by the end of the decade, and 100 million in 2020.Questions 29 and 30 are based on the following news．Around 44 military officers in Argentina have been arrested for possible extradition to Spain on human rights charges．The arrest came as the Argentine government struck down the decree prohibiting such extradition，saying all Argentine should be equal before the law．Those detained included former navy captain and several other ex-officers suspected of torture or murder during the last period of military ruling in Argentina which ended in 1983．听力原文2006Part II: Listening Comprehension:SECTION A:1.Man: Hello.Woman: Oh. Hello. You must be a new student. Did you find it OK?Man: Well, I got a bit lost because I asked a stranger. But I got it eventually.Woman: Oh, dear. Have you come far today.Man: Only from Brighton. I was staying with my brother.Woman: Oh, good. How did you get here?Man: My brother took me to the railway station. And I got on a bus at this end.。
英语专业四级TEM4听力听写原文1993—2013
英语专业四级TEM4听⼒听写原⽂1993—2013英语专业四级考试1993年——203年听写原⽂1993 Package HolidaysPackage holidays, covering a two weeks' stay in an attractive place, are increasingly popular. Once you get to the airport, it is up to the tour operator to see that you get safely to your destination．Everything is laid on for you．There is, in fact, no reason for you to bother to arrange anything yourselves．You make friends and have a good time. But there is very little chance that you will really get to know the local people．This is even less likely on a coach tour, when you spend almost your entire time traveling．Of course, there are carefully planned stops for you to visit historic buildings and monuments. You may visit the beautiful, the historic, the ancient. But time is always short．There is also the added disadvantage of being obliged to spend you holiday with a group of people you have never met before．(1994) The American FamilyThe American family unit is changing. There used to be mainly two types of families, the extended and the nuclear. The former included mother, father, children, and some other relatives such as grandparents, living in the same house or nearby. Then as the economy progressed from agricultural to industrial, people began moving to different parts of the country in order to search for job opportunities. These moves split up the extended family. The nuclear family consisting of only parents and children has therefore become far more wide spread. Today’s family, however, can be composed of diverse co mbinations. With the divorce rate nearly one in two, there's an increase in single-parent homes—a father or mother living with one or more children. Blended families occur when divorced men and women remarry and combine the children from former marriages into a new family. On the other hand, there is an increase in childless couples while one in rive Americans lives alone.(1995) Unidentified Flying ObjectsThere are many explanations for why UFOs visit the Earth. / The most popular one is that they maybe visitors from other planets./ To fly such aircraft, their builders must develop different forms of aviation,/because they seem to fly much faster than normal aircraft./ The UFOs, it is believed, must contain scientists/ from other planets who are studying life on earth./ It is even believed that several such aircraft may have landed on earth/ and the space visitors may be living amongst us./ But there are also less fantastic explanations available./ Although some sightings of UFOs are difficult to explain, most can be explained quite easily./ In many cases the observers might have made a mistake./ They might have seen a weather balloon or an aircraft./ Or the light they saw in the sky might have been light from the ground,/ reflected on to the clouds./ However, the exact cause of many sightings still remained a mystery.(1996) The Indian Medicine ManAmong the Indians of North America, the medicine man was a very important person. He could cure illness and he could speak to the spirits. The spirits were the supernatural forces that controlled the world. The Indians believed that bad spirits made people ill. So when people were ill, the medicine man tried to help them by using magic. He spoke to the good spirits and asked for their help. Many people were cured, because they thought the spirits were helping them, but really these people cured themselves. Sometimes your own mind is the best doctor for you. The medicine men were often successful for another reason, too. They knew about plants that really can cure illness. A lot of medicines are made from the plants that were used by medicine men hundred of years ago.(1997) Legal Age for MarriageThroughout the United States, the legal age for marriage shows some difference. The most common age without parents’consent is 18 for both females and males. However, persons who are under age in their home state can get married in another state, and then return to the home state legally married. Each state issues its own marriage license. Both residents and non-residents are qualified for such a license. The fees and ceremonies vary greatly from state to state. Most states, for instance, have a blood test requirement, but a few do not. Most states permit either a civil or religious ceremony, but a few require the ceremony to be religious. In most states a waiting period is required before the license is issued. This period is from one to five days depending on the state. A three-day-wait is the most common. In some states there is no required waiting period.(1998) The Railways in BritainThe success of early railways, such as the lines between big cities,/ led to a great increase in railway building in Victorian times. / Between 1835 and 1865 about 25000 kilometers of track were built,/ and over 100 railway companies were created. / Railway travel transformed people's lives. / Trains were first designed to carry goods. / However, a law in the 19th centuryforced railway companies to run one cheap train a day / which stopped at every station and cost only a penny a mile. / Soon working class passengers found they could afford to travel by rail. / Cheap day excursion trains became popular and seaside resorts grew rapidly. / The railways also provided thousands of new jobs:/ building carriages, running the railways and repairing the tracks. / Railways even changed the time. / The need to run the railways on time meant that local time was abolished/ and clocks showed the same time all over the country.(1999) United Nations DayThe 24th of October is celebrated as United Nations Day. h is a day that belongs to everyone. And it is celebrated in most countries of the world. Some countries celebrate for a week instead of a day. In many parts of the world, schools have special programs for the day. Boys and girls in some communities decorate a UN tree. In other communities,young people put on plays about the UN. Some libraries exhibit children’s art works from around the world. Schools celebrate with the songs and dances of other countries or give parties where foods of other countries are served. No matter how the day is celebrated, the purpose of these celebrations is to help everyone understand the UN, and the important roles it plays in world affairs. The UN encourages people to learn about other lands and their customs. In this way, people can gain a better understanding and appreciation of peoples all over the world.(2000) What 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 peoples 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.(2001) Characteristics of A Good ReaderTo improve your reading habits, you must understand the characteristics of a good reader. First, the good reader usually reads rapidly. Of course, he does not read every piece of material at the same rate. But whether he is reading a newspaper or a chapter in a physics text, his reading rate is relatively fast. He has learned to read for ideas rather than words one at a time. Next, the good reader can recognize and understand general ideas and specific details. Thus he is able to comprehend the material with a minimum of effort and a maximum of interest. Finally, the good reader has in his command several special skills, which he can apply to reading problems as they occur. For the college student, the most helpful of these skills include making use of the various aids to understanding that most text books provide and skim-reading for a general survey. (2002) Disappearing ForestsThe world’s forests are disappearing. As much as 1/3 of the total tree cover has been lost since agriculture began some 10,000 years ago. The remaining forests are home to half of the world’s species, thus becoming the chief resour ce for their survival. Tropical rain forests once covered 12% of the land of the planet, as well as supporting at least half of the world’s species of plants and animals. These rain forests are 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 for industrial purposes or for agricultural development such as crop-growing. By the 1990’s less than half of the earth’soriginal rain forests remained, and they continued to disappear at an alarming rate every year. As a result the world’s forests are now facing gradual extinction.(2003) SalmonEvery year, millions of salmon swim from the ocean into the mouths of rivers and then steadily up the rivers. Passing through waters, around rocks and waterfalls, the fish finally reach their original streams or lakes. They dig out nests in the riverbed and lay their eggs. Then, exhausted by their journey, the parent salmon die. They have finished the task that nature has given them. Months, or years later, the young fish start their trip to the ocean. They live in the salt water from 2-7 years, until they, too are ready to swim back to reproduce. Their life cycle helps man provide himself with a basic food-fish. When the adult salmon gather at the river mouths for the annual trip up the rivers, they are in the best possible condition, and nearly every harbor has its salmon fishing fleet ready to catch thousands for markets.(2004) MoneyMoney is accepted across the world as payment for goods or services. People use money to buy food, clothes and hundreds of other things. In the past, many different things were used as money. People on Pacific islands once exchanged shells for goods. The Chinese used cloth and knives. In Africa, elephant tusks or salt were used. Even today, some people in Africaare still paid in salt. Coins were first invented by the Chinese. Originally, they were round pieces of metal with a hole in the center, so that a piece of string could keep them together. This made doing business much easier, but people still found coins inconvenient to carry when they wanted to buy something expensive. To solve this problem, the Chinese again came up with the solution. They began to use paper money for coins. Now paper notes are used throughout the world.（2005）The Wrist WatchIt is generally believed that wrist watches are an exception / to the normal sequence in the evolution of man's jewelry. / Reversing the usual order, they were first worn by women, / and then adopted by men. / In the old days, queens included wrist watches among their crown jewelry. / Later, they were worn by Swiss workers and farmers. / Until World War I, Americans associated the watch with fortune hunters. / Then army officers discovered that the wrist watch was most practical for active combat. / Race car drivers also loved to wear wrist watches, / and pilots found them most useful while flying. / Soon men dared to wear wrist watches without feeling self-conscious. / By 1924, some 30 percent of man's watches were worn on the wrist. / Today, the figure is 90 percent. / And they are now worn by both men and women / for practical purposes rather than for decoration.2006 The InternetThe Internet is the most significant progress in the field of communications. / Imagine abook that never ends, a library with a million floors, / or imagine a research project with thousands of scientists / working around the clock forever. / This is the magic of the Internet. / Yet the Internet has the potential for good and bad. / One can find well-organized, information-rich websites. / At the same time, one can also find wasteful websites. / Most websites are known as different Internet applications. / These include online games, chat rooms (chatrooms) and so on. / These applications have great power, too. / Sometimes the power can be so great / that young people may easily become victims to their attraction. / So we need to recognize the seriousness of the problem. / We must work together to use its power for better ends.2007 AdvertisingAdvertising has already become a specialized activity in modern times. In today’s business world, supply is usually greater than demand. There is great competition between manufacturers of the same kind of product because they want to persuade customers to buy their particular brand. They always have to remind their customers of the name and qualities of their products by advertising. The manufacture advertises in newspapers and on the radio. He sometimes employs sales girls to distribute samples of their products. He sometimes advertises on the Internet as well. In addition, he always has advertisements put into television programs that will accept them. Manufactures often spend huge sums of money on advertisements. We buy a particular product because we think that is the best. We usually think so because the advertisements say so. People often don’t ask themselves if the advertisements are telling the truth when they buy advertised products from shops.2008 Choosing a CareerWhen students graduate from college, many of them do not know how they want to spend their working lives and they sometimes move from job to job, until they find something that suits them and of equal importance to which they are suited. Others never find the job in which they are really happy. They remain all their lives square pegs in round holes. When we choose our careers we need to ask ourselves two questions. First, what do we think we would like to be? Second, what kind of people are we? The idea, for example, of being a painter or a musician may seem very attractive. But unless we have great talent and are willing to work very hard, we are certain to fail in these occupations and failure will lead to unhappiness in life. So it is important to assess our suitability for a certain career in job search.2009 New Year's EveFor many people in the west, New Year's Eve is the biggest party of the year. /lt's the ti me to get together with friends or family/and welcome in the coming year. / New Year's p arties can take place in different places. /Some people hold a house party; others attend st reet parties;/ while some just go for a few drinks with their friends. /Big cities have largeand spectacular fireworks displays. / There is one thing that all New Year's Eve parties ha ve in common,/ the countdown to midnight./ When the clock strikes 12, people give a lou d cheer and sing songs./ It's also popular to make a promise in the New Year. /This is call ed a New Year's resolution. / Typical resolutions include giving up smoking and keeping f it./However, the promise is often broken quite quickly /and people are back into their bad habits within weeks or days.2010 Freshman’s WeekBritain has a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world. But to those who are new to this system, it can someti mes be confusing. October is usually the busiest month in the academic calendar. Univers ities have something called “freshman?s week” for their newcomers. It?s a great opport unity tomake new friends, join in lots of clubs and settle into university life. However, ha ving just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, the prospect of meeting str angers in classrooms and dormitories can be worrying. Where do you start? And who sho uld you make friends with? Which clubs and society should you join? Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you. They worry about starting their university social life on the right foot. So just take it all in slowly. Don?t rush into anything that yo u?ll regret for the next three years.2011 British holidaying habitsIn the late 1970s, air travel became affordable for the average family in the UK, and more people started travelling 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.2012 EcotourismNowadays many of us try to live a way that will damage the environment as tittle as possi ble. We recycle our newspapers and bottles; we take public transport to get to work; and we try to buy locally produced fruit and vegetables. And we want to take these attitudes o n holiday with us. This is why alternative forms of tourism are becoming popular in the w orld. There are lots of names for these new forms of tourism: responsible tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, educational tourism and more.Although everyone may have a different definition, most people agree that these new for ms of tourism should do the following: first, they should conserve the wildlife and culture of the area; second, they should benefit the local people; third, they should make a profitwithout destroying natural resources; and finally they should provide an experience that t ourists want to pay for.2013 What is a dream forOne theory is that we dream to release the deep, secret desires. We do not express these desires in real life because of the rules of polite society. Another theory is that dreams all ow us to solve problems that we can’t solve in real life. We go to sleep with a problem an d wake up with the solution. This may be a way to use our dreams rather than a purpose o f dreaming. If you believe that your dreams are important then analysing them may help y ou to focus on the problem and help you to find the solution.The modern image is that dreams are the brain’s way of cleaning up the computer’s hard disk. Dreams organize the events of the day into folders and delete what is not needed. B ut we all know that very little of what we dream is concerned with what happened to us th at day.。
2013年英语专四听力原文+答
2013年英语专四听力原文+答案Part I DICTATION (15MIN)What is a dream forOne theory is that we dream to release the deep,secret desires. We do not express these desires inreal life because of the rules of polite society. Another theory is that dreams allow us to solveproblems that we can’t solve in real life. We go to sleep with a problem and wake up with thesolution. This may be a way to use our dreams rather than a purpose of dreaming. If youbelieve that your dreams are important then analyzing them may help you to focus on theproblem and help you to find the solution.The modern image is that dreams are the brain’s way of cleaning up the computer’s hard disk.Dreams organize the events of the day into folders and delete what is not needed. But we allknow that very little of what we dream is concerned with what happened to us that day.2014Part I DICTATION (15MIN)Limiting the Growth of TechnologyThroughout history man has changed his physical environment to improve his way of life.With the tools of technology man has altered many physical features of the earth.He has transformed woodland into farmland.He has modified the face of the earth by cutting through mountains to build roads and railways.However,these changes in the physical environment have not always had beneficial results.Today,pollution of the air and water is a danger to the health of the planet.Each day thousands of tons of gases come out of vehicles.Smoke from factories pollutes the air of industrialized areas and the surrounding countryside.The air in cities is becoming increasingly unhealthy.The pollution of water is equally harmful.In the sea pollution from oil is killing a lot of sea plants and fish.It is now necessary for man to limit the growth of technology in order to survive on earth.。
历年英语专四听力听写原文1993-2010
历年英语专四听力听写原文1993-2010Package Holidays (1993)Package holidays, covering a two weeks' stay in an attractive place, are increasingly popular. Once you get to the airport, it is up to the tour operator to see that you get safely to your destination．Everything is laid on for you．There is, in fact, no reason for you to bother to arrange anything yourselves．You make friends and have a good time. But there is very little chance that you will really get to know the local people．This is even less likely on a coach tour, when you spend almost your entire time traveling．Of course, there are carefully planned stops for you to visit historic buildings and monuments. You may visit the beautiful, the historic, the ancient. But time is always short．There is also the added disadvantage of being obliged to spend you holiday with a group of people you have never met before．The American Family (1994)The American family unit is changing. There used to be mainly two types of families, the extended and the nuclear. The former included mother, father, children, and some other relatives such as grandparents, living in the same house or nearby. Then as the economy progressed from agricultural to industrial, people began moving to different parts of the country in order to search for job opportunities. These moves split up the extended family. The nuclear family consisting of only parents and children has therefore become far more wide spread. Today’s family, however, can be composed of diverse combinations. With the divorce rate nearly one in two, there's an increase in single-parent homes—a father or mother living with one or more children. Blended families occur when divorced men and women remarry and combine the children from former marriages into a new family. On the other hand, there is an increase in childless couples while one in rive Americans lives alone.Unidentified Flying Objects (1995)There are many explanations for why UFOs visit the Earth. / The most popular one is that they maybe visitors from other planets./ To fly such aircraft, their builders must develop different forms of aviation,/because they seem to fly much faster than normal aircraft./ The UFOs, it is believed, must contain scientists/ from other planets who are studying life on earth./ It is even believed that several such aircraft may have landed on earth/ and the space visitors may be living amongst us./ But there are also less fantastic explanations available./ Although some sightings of UFOs are difficult to explain, most can be explained quite easily./ In many cases the observers might have made a mistake./ They might have seen a weather balloon or an aircraft./ Or the light they saw in the sky might have been light from the ground,/ reflected on to the clouds./ However, the exact cause of many sightings still remained a mystery.The Indian Medicine Man (1996)Among the Indians of North America, the medicine man was a very important person. He could cure illness and he could speak to the spirits. The spirits were the supernatural forces that controlled the world. The Indians believed that bad spirits made people ill. So when people were ill, the medicine man tried to help them by using magic. He spoke to the good spirits and asked for their help. Many people were cured, because they thought the spirits were helping them, but really these people cured themselves. Sometimes your own mind is the best doctor for you. The medicine men were often successful for another reason, too. They knew about plants that really can cure illness. A lot of medicines are made from the plants that were used by medicine menhundred of years ago.Legal Age for Marriage (1997)Throughout the United States, the legal age for marriage shows some difference. The most common age without parents’ consent is 18 for both fem ales and males. However, persons who are under age in their home state can get married in another state, and then return to the home state legally married. Each state issues its own marriage license. Both residents and non-residents are qualified for such a license. The fees and ceremonies vary greatly from state to state. Most states, for instance, have a blood test requirement, but a few do not. Most states permit either a civil or religious ceremony, but a few require the ceremony to be religious. In most states a waiting period is required before the license is issued. This period is from one to five days depending on the state. A three-day-wait is the most common. In some states there is no required waiting period.The Railways in Britain (1998)The success of early railways, such as the lines between big cities,/ led to a great increase in railway building in Victorian times. / Between 1835 and 1865 about 25000 kilometers of track were built,/ and over 100 railway companies were created. /Railway travel transformed people's lives. / Trains were first designed to carry goods. / However, a law in the 19th century forced railway companies to run one cheap train a day / which stopped at every station and cost only a penny a mile. / Soon working class passengers found they could afford to travel by rail. / Cheap day excursion trains became popular and seaside resorts grew rapidly. / The railways also provided thousands of new jobs:/ building carriages, running the railways and repairing the tracks. / Railways even changed the time. / The need to run the railways on time meant that local time was abolished/ and clocks showed the same time all over the country. /United Nations Day(1999)The 24th of October is celebrated as United Nations Day. h is a day that belongs to everyone. And it is celebrated in most countries of the world. Some countries celebrate for a week instead of a day. In many parts of the world, schools have special programs for the day. Boys and girls in some communities decorate a UN tree. In other communities, young people put on plays about the UN. Some libraries exhibit children’s art works from around the world. Schools celebrate with the songs and dances of other countries or give parties where foods of other countries are served. No matter how the day is celebrated, the purpose of these celebrations is to help everyone understand the UN, and the important roles it plays in world affairs. The UN encourages people to learn about other lands and their customs. In this way, people can gain a better understanding and appreciation of peoples all over the world.What We Know About Language(2000)Many 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 peoples whose cultures are undeveloped but the languages they speak are by no means primitive. In all the languagesexisting 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.Characteristics of A Good Reader(2001)To improve your reading habits, you must understand the characteristics of a good reader. First, the good reader usually reads rapidly. Of course, he does not read every piece of material at the same rate. But whether he is reading a newspaper or a chapter in a physics text, his reading rate is relatively fast. He has learned to read for ideas rather than words one at a time. Next, the good reader can recognize and understand general ideas and specific details. Thus he is able to comprehend the material with a minimum of effort and a maximum of interest. Finally, the good reader has in his command several special skills, which he can apply to reading problems as they occur. For the college student, the most helpful of these skills include making use of the various aids to understanding that most text books provide and skim-reading for a general survey. Disappearing Forests(2002)The world’s forests are disappearing. As much as 1/3 of the total tree cover has been lost since agriculture began some 10,000 years ago. The remaining forests are home to half of the world’s species, thus becoming the chief resource for their survival. Tropical rain forests once covered 12% of the land of the planet, as well as s upporting at least half of the world’s species of plants and animals. These rain forests are 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 for industrial purposes or for agricultural development such as crop-growing. By the 1990’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’s forests are now facing gradual extinction.Salmon (2003)Every year, millions of salmon swim from the ocean into the mouths of rivers and then steadily up the rivers. Passing through waters, around rocks and waterfalls, the fish finally reach their original streams or lakes. They dig out nests in the riverbed and lay their eggs. Then, exhausted by their journey, the parent salmon die. They have finished the task that nature has given them. Months, or years later, the young fish start their trip to the ocean. They live in the salt water from 2-7 years, until they, too are ready to swim back to reproduce. Their life cycle helps man provide himself with a basic food-fish. When the adult salmon gather at the river mouths for the annual trip up the rivers, they are in the best possible condition, and nearly every harbor has its salmon fishing fleet ready to catch thousands for markets.Money (2004)Money is accepted across the world as payment for goods or services. People use money to buy food, clothes and hundreds of other things. In the past, many different things were used as money. People on Pacific islands once exchanged shells for goods. The Chinese used cloth and knives. In Africa, elephant tusks or salt were used. Even today, some people in Africa are still paid in salt. Coins were first invented by the Chinese. Originally, they were round pieces of metalwith a hole in the center, so that a piece of string could keep them together. This made doing business much easier, but people still found coins inconvenient to carry when they wanted to buy something expensive. To solve this problem, the Chinese again came up with the solution. They began to use paper money for coins. Now paper notes are used throughout the world.The Wrist Watch （2005）It is generally believed that wrist watches are an exception / to the normal sequence in the evolution of man's jewelry. / Reversing the usual order, they were first worn by women, / and then adopted by men. / In the old days, queens included wrist watches among their crown jewelry. / Later, they were worn by Swiss workers and farmers. / Until World War I, Americans associated the watch with fortune hunters. / Then army officers discovered that the wrist watch was most practical for active combat. / Race car drivers also loved to wear wrist watches, / and pilots found them most useful while flying. / Soon men dared to wear wrist watches without feeling self-conscious. / By 1924, some 30 percent of man's watches were worn on the wrist. / Today, the figure is 90 percent. / And they are now worn by both men and women / for practical purposes rather than for decoration.The Internet (2006)The Internet is the most significant progress in the field of communications. / Imagine a book that never ends, a library with a million floors, / or imagine a research project with thousands of scientists / working around the clock forever. / This is the magic of the Internet. / Yet the Internet has the potential for good and bad. / One can find well-organized, information-rich websites. / At the same time, one can also find wasteful websites. / Most websites are known as different Internet applications. / These include online games, chat rooms (chatrooms) and so on. / These applications have great power, too. / Sometimes the power can be so great / that young people may easily become victims to their attraction. / So we need to recognize the seriousness of the problem. / We must work together to use its power for better ends.2007 AdvertisingAdvertising has already become a very specialized activity in modern times . In today's business world ,supply is usually greater than demand . There is greater competition between manufacturers of the same kind of product, because they want to persuade customers to buy their particular brand. They always have to remind their customers of the name and the qualities of the products by advertising. The manufacturers advertises in newspapers and on the radio; he sometimes employs sales girls to distribute samples of his products; he sometimes advertises on the internet as well. In addition, he always has advertisements put into television programs that will accept them. Manufacturers often spend huge sums of money on advertisements. We buy a particular product because we think that's the best. we usually think so because the advertisements say so, people often don’t ask themselves if the advertisements are telling the truth, when they buy advertised products from the shops.2008 Choosing A CareerWhen students graduate from college,many of them do not know how they want to spend their working lives and they sometimes move from job to job, until they find something that suitsthem and of equally importance to which they are suited. Others never find a job in which they are really happy. They remain all their lives square pegs in round holes. When we choose our careers we need to ask ourselves two questions. First, what do we think we would like to be? Second, what kind of people are we? The idea, for example of being a painter or a musician may seem very attractive, but unless we have great talent, and are willing to work very hard. We are certain to fail in these occupations and failure will lead to unhappiness in life. So it is importantto assess our suitability for a certain career in job search.2009For many people in the west, New Year’s Eve is the biggest party of the year. It’s time to get togeth er with friends or family and welcome in the coming year. New Year’s parties can take place in different places. Some people hold a house party; others attend street parties, while some just go for a few drinks with their friends. Big cities have large and spectacular fireworks displays. There is one thing that all New Year’s Eve parties have in common, the countdown to midninght. When the clock strikes 12, people give a loud cheer and sing songs. It’s also popular to make a promise in the New Year. This is called a New Year’s resolution. Typical resolutions include giving up smoking and keeping fit. However the promise is often broken quite quickly and people are back into their bad habits within weeks or days.2010Freshmen's WeekBritain has a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world. But to those who are new to this system, it can sometimes be confusing.October is usually the busiest month in the academic calendar. Universities have something called Freshmen's Week for their newcomers. It's a great opportunity to make new friends, join lots of clubs and settle into university life.However, having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, the prospect of meeting strangers in classrooms and dormitories can be worrying.Where do you start? And who should you make friends with? Which clubs and society should you join?Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you. They worry about starting their university social life on the right foot. So just take it all in slowly. Don't rush into anything that you'll regret for the next three years.。
1993年6月四级听力文本
国际交流英语视听说4 (全网唯一)听力原文及翻译Word 考试必备
Unit2Listening 1Tour Guide: OK, everyone, here’s our next exhibit. Do you see the body of the little bird in that bottle? That is a dusky seaside sparrow. It was an old male that died on June 16, 1987. It’s kind of sad because he was the very last dusky seaside sparrow in the world. They’re now extinct. Yes, you have a question?Male: Do you know why they became extinct?Tour Guide: Basically, they lost their habitat. See, the dusky seaside sparrow lived only in one place—on Merritt Island in Florida. The island had a lot of mosquitoes and wetlands. The people on Merritt Island used chemicals to kill the mosquitoes.Tour Guide: Those chemicals were also very harmful to the sparrows, and many died. In addition, the people on Merritt Island tried to control and exploit the wetlands. As they altered them, the wetlands were no longer a good habitat for the sparrows. The birds died one by one until there weren’t any left.Female: So, if people were to blame, can’t we make sure something like that never happens again?Tour Guide: We’re trying. The situation with the dusky seaside sparrow makes one thing very clear. We need to protect endangered animals. However, it’s a better strategy to protect the animals andtheir habitats, too. After all, if an animal’s habitat is destroyed, the animal will likely become extinct.Tour Guide: We’re trying. The situation with the dusky seaside sparrow makes one thing very clear. We need to protect endangered animals. However, it’s a better strategy to protect the animals andtheir habitats, too. After all, if an animal’s habitat is destroyed, the animal will likely become extinct. That’s why the Endangered Species Act, which was passed in the United States in 1973, protects both endangered animals and their habitats. For example, the steelhead trout lives in rivers and streams on the west coast of the United States—the Columbia River in Washington state for instance. Recently, both the fish and the river came under the protection of the Endangered Species Act.Male: But how can we protect large areas such as rivers and forests? No one—not even the government—can afford to buy or control all the land that endangered species live on.Tour Guide: Good point. In fact, that’s what makes the Endangered Species Act difficult to fully enforce. There’s an ongoing conflict between some landowners and the government. Take the case of the gray wolf, for instance. At one time, the wolves were common all over North America, but by the 1930s they were nearly all killed. Then in 1973, the wolves came under the protection of the Endangered Species Act, along with huge areas of land—in Wyoming and Idaho, for example. This angered ranchers. They think they should have the right to shoot wolves that threaten their sheep and cows.Tour Guide: So, landowners may understand the need for the protection of endangered species, but it’s understandable that they might also feel that the Endangered Species Act violates their rights. Yes?Female: Is the law working? I mean, what is the status of endangered species today in the United States?Tour Guide: Unfortunately, the situation of threatened and endangered animals is worse now than in 1973, even with the Endangered Species Act in place. Reports on topics such as habitat loss, deforestation, and overfishing show that the situation for many species is far worse now than it was in 1973. Let me be more specific. Right now over 1,300 species in the United States are listed as endangered or threatened.Tour Guide: And, it’s important to keep in mind that not many species are ever taken off the list. Since 1973, in fact, only around 39 species have been removed from the Endangered Species list. But that number doesn’t indicate the complete story. What’s significant about that number is that only 14 species were removed because they had actually recovered. Nine species became extinct, and the others were removed from the list after scientists found evidence that listing the species had been a mistake in the first place. Meanwhile, another 300 species may soon be added to the list, including a plant, the Las Vegas buckwheat, and an insect, the Miami blue butterfly. So, you see, even with the Endangered Species Act in place, we’re not making as much progress as we would like. Any more questions? OK, let’s move on to the next exhibit. This way, please.导游：好，大家好，这里是我们的下一个展览。
2013年专四听力原文及答案
2013年专四听力原文及答案2013年专四听力原文及答案一、社会类原文：A: Hi, I'm calling from the local library. We noticed that you have some overdue books that haven't been returned. Can you tell me when you're planning on returning them?B: Oh, I'm sorry about that. I completely forgot about them. I'll return them tomorrow.A: That's fine. But just so you know, we do have a late fee of $0.25 per day for each overdue book.答案：1. Where is the speaker calling from?Answer: The local library.2. What does the speaker want to know?Answer: When the person will return some overdue books.3. How does the person respond to the speaker's request?Answer: The person apologizes and says they will return the books tomorrow.4. Is there a late fee for overdue books?Answer: Yes, there is a late fee of $0.25 per day for each overdue book.二、教育类原文：A: Did you get the results of the exam?B: Yes, I did. I got a C.A: That's not so great. Did you study enough for it?B: I studied pretty hard, but I think I could have done better. I had trouble with some of the questions.A: Well, maybe you can talk to your teacher about it and see if you can get some extra help.B: Yeah, I think I'll do that. Thanks.答案：1. What grade did the person get on the exam?Answer: The person got a C.2. Was the person satisfied with their grade?Answer: No, they were not satisfied.3. Did the person study hard for the exam?Answer: Yes, they studied pretty hard.4. What does the suggestion at the end of the conversation imply?Answer: The person should talk to their teacher and possibly get some extra help.三、科技类原文：A: Have you ever used a tablet computer before?B: No, I haven't. What do you use it for?A: Well, you can use it for a lot of things. You can read books, watch movies, browse the internet, and play games.B: That sounds interesting. How is it different from a regular computer?A: It's much more portable and convenient. You can carry it around with you and use it anywhere. And it has a touch screen, so you can interact with it more like a phone than a computer.B: Wow, I might have to get one of those.答案：1. Has the person ever used a tablet computer before?Answer: No, they have not.2. What are some things you can do with a tablet computer?Answer: You can read books, watch movies, browse the internet, and play games.3. How is a tablet computer different from a regular computer?Answer: It is more portable and convenient, and it has a touch screen.4. What does the second speaker say in response?Answer: They express interest in getting one.。
2013年英语专四听力原文+答
2013年英语专四听力原文+答案Part I DICTATION (15MIN)What is a dream forOne theory is that we dream to release the deep,secret desires. We do not express these desires inreal life because of the rules of polite society. Another theory is that dreams allow us to solveproblems that we can’t solve in real life. We go to sleep with a problem and wake up with thesolution. This may be a way to use our dreams rather than a purpose of dreaming. If youbelieve that your dreams are important then analyzing them may help you to focus on theproblem and help you to find the solution.The modern image is that dreams are the brain’s way of cleaning up the computer’s hard disk.Dreams organize the events of the day into folders and delete what is not needed. But we allknow that very little of what we dream is concerned with what happened to us that day.2014Part I DICTATION (15MIN)Limiting the Growth of TechnologyThroughout history man has changed his physical environment to improve his way of life.With the tools of technology man has altered many physical features of the earth.He has transformed woodland into farmland.He has modified the face of the earth by cutting through mountains to build roads and railways.However,these changes in the physical environment have not always had beneficial results.Today,pollution of the air and water is a danger to the health of the planet.Each day thousands of tons of gases come out of vehicles.Smoke from factories pollutes the air of industrialized areas and the surrounding countryside.The air in cities is becoming increasingly unhealthy.The pollution of water is equally harmful.In the sea pollution from oil is killing a lot of sea plants and fish.It is now necessary for man to limit the growth of technology in order to survive on earth.。
1993年1月大学英语四级听力原文
1993年1月大学英语四级听力原文Section A1.W: Mike, before I go out, could you go over the shopping list and if there’s anything else you need?M: Yes, that’s about everything. Now you’re sure you don’t mind going?Q: What is the woman probably going to do?2.M: Could you describe the two people who robbed the bank?W: Well, the man was tall with dark hair and he was wearing a black sweater. The main thing that I remembered about the woman was that she did most of the talking.Q: What do you learn from this conversation?3.M: It’s a perfect day for staying inside.W: This rain hasn’t let up for 2 weeks. I’m going crazy.Q: What are they talking about?4.W: John’s been dismissed for stealing.M: There must be some mistake.Q: What can be concluded from the conversation?5.W: What are you going to do this afternoon?M: I told Frank I’d help him work on his car.Q: What did the man plan to do?6.M: What did you major in besides English?W: I majored in education, too.Q: What did the woman major in?7.M: I don’t remember it being this small. I had the impression that the room was a lot bigger.W: So did I. But it’ll be Ok once we get the furniture in.Q: How does the woman feel about the room?8.M: I would like to move to the suburbs, but I don’t have enough money to pay the high tax es.W: I wish you could. It’s nice to live there.Q: Why isn’t the man moving to the suburbs?9.W: Jack, would you like to go to the club with us tomorrow night?M: I wish I could, but I have to work on my term paper.Q: Is Jack going to the club?10.W: Did you watch the game yesterday?M: I wanted to do, but Marie was watching a movie on Channel 5, so I watched it with her.You know Marie, she can’t stand football.Q: Why didn’t the man watch the game?Section BPassage OneFred telephoned his wife. "I’ve managed to get free tickets for the theatre tonight." he told her. "Meet me at the office. We’ll have something to eat and then go on to the theatre." Fred’s wife was delighted. It was quite a while since they had been to the theatre which she liked very much. She met her husband as they had arranged. They had dinner and got to the theatre in good time. At the entrance, Fred took out his wallet to get the tickets. "It’s very strange." he said, "They aren’t here." "Try your pockets." suggested his wife. But the tickets weren’t there either. Then Fred looked very upset. "What’s the matter?" asked his wife. "Well," Fred explained, "I remember what I did with the tickets. I put them in my briefcase. But because I wasn’t coming home. I left it in the office."Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.11. How did Fred get the tickets for the theatre?12. Why was Fred’s wife delighted?13. Why was Fred upset after he and his wife got to the theatre?Passage TwoVillages in developing countries often lack many things. Books, clean water, electricity. These shortages are easy to see. But a different kind of shortage is not easy to see. That is a shortage of experts. Many villages have no doctors, engineers or scientists. They have no one who knows how to treat unusual medical problems or d esign a new expert system. There’s a way to ease these problems. They can do it with computers. In the past few years, computer scientists around the world have developed what they call expert systems. An expert system is a special kind of computer program. In some situations, it can take the place of a human expert. For example, an expert in medical system can help care for a sick person. A question appears on the computer screen, "Is the person hot?" You tell the computer either yes or no. The computer asks other questions. "Has the person lost any blood?" "Can the person move normally?" You answer. The computer continues to ask questions until it has enough information to make a decision. Then it tells what medicine or other treatment is needed. In this way the expert system takes the place of a doctor. Another kind of expert system takes the place of an engineer. It measures the flow of water in a river. It tells if a dam can be built on the river. It also tells how much electricity can be produced. Still other kinds of expert systems help solve problems for farmers and owners of small businesses.Questions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.14. What does the speaker want to draw the listener’s attention to when he mentions the villages in developing countries?15. What is an expert system?16. Which of the following statements is true?Passage ThreeLast summer I visited Mexico City to see the ancient art in the museums there. I was surprised at how well I manag ed to get around even though I don’t speak a word of Spanish. You just have to be able to make the right decision in a talk situation. The manager of my hotel gaveme a map of the city and told me that the best way to get to the museum was by subway. I did n’t know where the nearest subway was. But I was sure I would find it if I walked a little. After an hour I was still walking. I was completely lost. Just then a policeman came over and showed me the nearest station. I looked at the subway map and wall and didn’t know which line to take. In fact I wasn’t shown which station I was in. Most people would give up in that situation but not me. After I thought it over, I knew exactly what to do. I went upstairs and took a taxi.Questions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.17. Why did the speaker go to Mexico City?18. What was the best way to the museum according to the hotel manager?19. Why did the speaker take a taxi?20. How did the speaker feel about his trip to the museum?。
年专四真题听力原文
听写Think Positive and Feel PositiveAre you confident or insecure in a difficult situation Do you react positively or negatively The answer may depend in part on whom you're around.A study found that negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. For example, the researchers studied 103 college roommates. They measured each roommate's tendency towards negative thinking. It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious.Students with a negative-thinking roommate became more depressed themselves. And students with more positive-thinking roommates were more likely to become more positive as well.TalkWhat Is GritGood afternoon, everyone. （1）Today, I would like to talk about my research project concerning the key to success. I would like to start my topic with my own story.When I was 27 years old, I left for a demanding job: teaching seventh graders math in the New York City public schools. And like any teacher, I made quizzes and tests. I gave out homework assignments. When the work came back, I calculated grades.What struck me was that IQ was not the only difference between my best and my worst students. Some of my strongest performers did not have super IQ scores. Some of my smartest kids weren't doing so I felt very interested in knowing the reason why the students' math performance is not that closely related to their IQ scores. （2）I started studying kids and adults in all kinds of challenging settings, and in every study my question was, who is successful here and research team and I went to West Point Military Academy. We tried to predict which students would stay in military training and which would drop out. (3)We went to the National Spelling Contest and tried to predict which children would advance furthest in competition. We worked with private companies, asking, which of these salespeople is going to keep their jobs And who's going to earn the most went to many places, and finally one characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success. And it wasn't social intelligence. It wasn't good looks, physical health, and it wasn't IQ. It was grit.What is grit(4)Well, grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. (5)Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but foryears, and working really hard to make future a reality.(6) Grit is living your life like it's a marathon, not a sprint.A few years ago, I started studying grit in the Chicago public schools. I asked thousands of high school juniors to take grit questionnaires, and then waited around more than a year to see who would graduate. (7)It turned out that grittier kids were significantly more likely to graduate, even when I matched them on every characteristic I could measure, things like family income, test scores and so on.To me, the most shocking thing about grit is how little we know, how little science knows, about building it. Every day, parents and teachers ask me, "How do I build grit in kids How do I keep them motivated for the long run "Our data shows very clearly that there are many talented individuals who simply do not follow through on their commitment. (8)In fact, in our data, grit is usually unrelated to measures of talent.So far, the best idea I've heard about building grit in kids is something called "growth mindset." (9)Growth mindset is the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed, that it can change with your effort.(10) Kids with grit are much more likely to persevere when they fail, because they don't believe that failure is a permanent condition.So growth mindset is a great idea for building grit. But we need more. And that's where I'm going to end my talk, because that's where we are. That's the work that stands before us. We have to be willing to fail, to be wrong, to start over again with lessons learned.As a conclusion, we need to be gritty about getting our kids time, I would like to share with you my experience in building up students' grit.CONVERSATION ONEW:?Hello, This is Kate Smith, I'm calling from ABC Company.M:?Oh, hello, Kate. Great to hear from you.W:?You've already been told that you've been shortlisted for interview...M:?Oh, yes...W:?Well, we're very excited about meeting you. （1）OK, I just want to talk you through the procedure for the day. Someone will meet you when you arrive, and then bring you up to meet myself and Arthur Miller, the CEO.M:?OK, sounds good. So will you be the only members of the interview panel there then？W:?Yes, it'll be just me and Arthur who will talk to you. The interview will be in three parts---first of all we'll ask you some general questions about yourself and your educational and professional background, and then we'll move on to specifics.M:?Oh, um, specifics Well er, what kind of questions will you be asking？W:?Well, it'll be very similar to the personal statement you submitted with your CV — we'll be expecting you to... to give actual examples of problems you've faced and solved, and of what you feel are the major successes in your career so far.M:?OK. Well, yeah, that sounds great — can't wait!W:（2）?Then there'll be a chance for you to ask us any questions — about the job itself, or ABC Company in general...M:?Oh, um, OK... I'll think of something!W:?（3/4）After that, we'd like you to give a short presentation on how you see ABC Company as a company progressing, and how you see yourself taking us there.M:?OK, so will I be expected to give like a formal style presentation？W:?It can be as formal or informal as you like. There'll be a computer and a data projector there available. If you need anything else, just let us know.M:?Oh, um... OK, a presentation! I'll think of something. I haven't done one of those in a while... W:?Is that all clear？M:?Yes.W:?（5）Great! So, Daniel, I'll see you at 11 ., Thursday next week.M:?OK, great. I look forward to meeting you! Thanks, bye.W:?Bye.Questions 1 to 5 are based on Conversation One.1. Why does the woman call the man？2. What kind of questions can the man ask in the interview？3. Which is the last part of the interview？4. What might be expected from the man's presentation？5. When is the interview scheduled?CONVERSATION TWOW: It says a growing number of students are making a major hole from the minute they enter the real world because they are already, some of them, more than 100, 000 dollars in debt. With usnow is Mark Spencer, he is the senior financial analyst for SBC Bank. Welcome to you.M: Thank you. Nice to be with you.W: Now I guess there are two kinds of debts: good debt and bad debt. Where does this goM: (7)Well, student loan debt is traditionally considered good debt, but the problem for many students and their families is that the cost of colleges has been going up at 6 to 8% a year, far faster than the income, far faster than the standard of living. That means debt's taking on a bigger and bigger role in financing education.W: (6-1)How much debt is too much debt for, for one studentM: (8)Well, one guideline is that you look at the first year's salary in your field after graduation, and use that as a barometer, but even then...W: Is that rightM: Well, you are talking big payments even in that instance, for example, 30, 000 dollars worth of debt. If you are gonna repay that over 10 years, you are talking more than 300 dollars a month at, in payments every month for 10 years.W: (6-2)But there is surely more than one way to get a loan for college. There are government programs. There are so many kinds of grants. What's, what's the best advice for people who are looking for these loans to try to keep themselves from going under.M: I understand that loans are just one way of college finance. Take advantage of the other opportunities. (9)Things like a college savings plan, let, let you save on a tax advantage basis. So you can put money away in these accounts and withdraw tax-free to pay for that education.W: So it's important to start early and that really reduces that reliance on debt later.M: (6-3)Another thing, leave no stone unturned, looking at grants, scholarships, even on-campus jobs. I mean every dollar you get that way is seen as another dollar you don't have to borrow later.W: (10-1)The kinds of jobs that so many students, the fresh off students, like to go into, er, charity stuff, volunteer work. This debt is eliminating a lot of that, isn't itM:(10-2) I think that's the social cost. Really, I mean, you know, when you consider that, you know, people may pass up a rewarding career in charitable work, or non-profit organization because they have to get a higher salary someplace else to pay off that debt.W: Yeah, that's for sure. Mark Spencer, senior financial analyst from SBC Bank.Mark, good you could be here.M: Thank you.6. What is the interview mainly about7. How does the cost of college education change every year8. What is used to measure student loan debt as a guideline9. What is the advantage of joining a college savings plan10. What is the possible social cost of a college loan。
五篇专四听力原文
Passage Dictation Practice for TEM4Passage ITown 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 IIA 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 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 on each of them. (154 words)Passage IIIA 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 IVBritish and American Police OfficersReal policemen, both in Britain and the U.S., 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 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. (177words)Passage VLiving 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)。
2013年专四听力原文及答案
2013年专四听力原文及答案（注：由于本文主题的时效性，本文只是生成模型的一次尝试，不代表人工智能的立场或观点）2013年专四听力原文及答案是许多考生备考专业四级考试时会去查看的资料。
在备考过程中，了解往年真题对于考生来说是非常必要的，因为它可以帮助考生深入了解考试的题型及大概的难度水平，并帮助考生更好地备考。
因此，本文将从听力考试的角度出发，探讨2013年专四听力试题及答案的相关内容。
首先，从听力部分的整体难度来看，2013年专四听力的难度属于中等偏上水平。
相比于某些年份听力试题过于简单或者过于复杂的情况，2013年的专四听力试题对大多数考生来说都属于有一定难度的难度水平。
此外，在试题出题时间上，2013年专四听力试题的出题时间是比较合理的，听力原文的语速和时长都适中，整个听力测试的时间控制得也比较合理。
其次，从试题考察的范围来看，2013年专四听力原文涉及的内容非常全面，包括文化、科技、娱乐等多个领域。
这也从一个侧面反映了专四考试的核心目的——测试考生的英语综合素质，考查考生的英语阅读和听力能力，考察考生对英语自然语言的理解与运用能力，并不仅仅是测试考生的语法和词汇量。
因此，考生备考时不仅需要注重丰富词汇量和用词准确性，还要注重阅读能力和听力理解能力的提升。
最后，从答案解析来看，2013年专四听力答案解析非常详细。
答案解析给出了正确答案以及对每个题目的解释，让考生有一个更清晰的思路和了解答题的细节。
同时，答案解析还提供了一些解题技巧和口诀，可以帮助考生更好地掌握答题技巧和方法。
因此，考生在备考过程中一定要认真对照答案解析，掌握题目的答案和解题技巧，这样才能在考试中得高分。
综上所述，2013年专四听力试题虽然难度属于中等偏上水平，却非常全面，考察的内容也涵盖多个领域。
对于备考专四考生来说，通过对2013年专四听力试题的学习和理解，可以更好地了解专四考试的难度水平和题型分布，有助于备考过程中的有针对性和高效性。
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英语专业四级考试1993年——203年听写原文1993 Package HolidaysPackage holidays, covering a two weeks' stay in an attractive place, are increasingly popular. Once you get to the airport, it is up to the tour operator to see that you get safely to your destination．Everything is laid on for you．There is, in fact, no reason for you to bother to arrange anything yourselves．You make friends and have a good time. But there is very little chance that you will really get to know the local people．This is even less likely on a coach tour, when you spend almost your entire time traveling．Of course, there are carefully planned stops for you to visit historic buildings and monuments. You may visit the beautiful, the historic, the ancient. But time is always short．There is also the added disadvantage of being obliged to spend you holiday with a group of people you have never met before．(1994) The American FamilyThe American family unit is changing. There used to be mainly two types of families, the extended and the nuclear. The former included mother, father, children, and some other relatives such as grandparents, living in the same house or nearby. Then as the economy progressed from agricultural to industrial, people began moving to different parts of the country in order to search for job opportunities. These moves split up the extended family. The nuclear family consisting of only parents and children has therefore become far more wide spread. Today’s family, however, can be composed of diverse co mbinations. With the divorce rate nearly one in two, there's an increase in single-parent homes—a father or mother living with one or more children. Blended families occur when divorced men and women remarry and combine the children from former marriages into a new family. On the other hand, there is an increase in childless couples while one in rive Americans lives alone.(1995) Unidentified Flying ObjectsThere are many explanations for why UFOs visit the Earth. / The most popular one is that they maybe visitors from other planets./ To fly such aircraft, their builders must develop different forms of aviation,/because they seem to fly much faster than normal aircraft./ The UFOs, it is believed, must contain scientists/ from other planets who are studying life on earth./ It is even believed that several such aircraft may have landed on earth/ and the space visitors may be living amongst us./ But there are also less fantastic explanations available./ Although some sightings of UFOs are difficult to explain, most can be explained quite easily./ In many cases the observers might have made a mistake./ They might have seen a weather balloon or an aircraft./ Or the light they saw in the sky might have been light from the ground,/ reflected on to the clouds./ However, the exact cause of many sightings still remained a mystery.(1996) The Indian Medicine ManAmong the Indians of North America, the medicine man was a very important person. He could cure illness and he could speak to the spirits. The spirits were the supernatural forces that controlled the world. The Indians believed that bad spirits made people ill. So when people were ill, the medicine man tried to help them by using magic. He spoke to the good spirits and asked for their help. Many people were cured, because they thought the spirits were helping them, but really these people cured themselves. Sometimes your own mind is the best doctor for you. The medicine men were often successful for another reason, too. They knew about plants that really can cure illness. A lot of medicines are made from the plants that were used by medicine men hundred of years ago.(1997) Legal Age for MarriageThroughout the United States, the legal age for marriage shows some difference. The most common age without parents’ consent is 18 for both females and males. However, persons who are under age in their home state can get married in another state, and then return to the home state legally married. Each state issues its own marriage license. Both residents and non-residents are qualified for such a license. The fees and ceremonies vary greatly from state to state. Most states, for instance, have a blood test requirement, but a few do not. Most states permit either a civil or religious ceremony, but a few require the ceremony to be religious. In most states a waiting period is required before the license is issued. This period is from one to five days depending on the state. A three-day-wait is the most common. In some states there is no required waiting period.(1998) The Railways in BritainThe success of early railways, such as the lines between big cities,/ led to a great increase in railway building in Victorian times. / Between 1835 and 1865 about 25000 kilometers of track were built,/ and over 100 railway companies were created. /Railway travel transformed people's lives. / Trains were first designed to carry goods. / However, a law in the 19th century forced railway companies to run one cheap train a day / which stopped at every station and cost only a penny a mile. / Soon working class passengers found they could afford to travel by rail. / Cheap day excursion trains became popular and seaside resorts grew rapidly. / The railways also provided thousands of new jobs:/ building carriages, running the railways and repairing the tracks. / Railways even changed the time. / The need to run the railways on time meant that local time was abolished/ and clocks showed the same time all over the country.(1999) United Nations DayThe 24th of October is celebrated as United Nations Day. h is a day that belongs to everyone. And it is celebrated in most countries of the world. Some countries celebrate for a week instead of a day. In many parts of the world, schools have special programs for the day. Boys and girls in some communities decorate a UN tree. In other communities,young people put on plays about the UN. Some libraries exhibit children’s art works from around the world. Schools celebrate with the songs and dances of other countries or give parties where foods of other countries are served. No matter how the day is celebrated, the purpose of these celebrations is to help everyone understand the UN, and the important roles it plays in world affairs. The UN encourages people to learn about other lands and their customs. In this way, people can gain a better understanding and appreciation of peoples all over the world.(2000) What 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 peoples 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.(2001) Characteristics of A Good ReaderTo improve your reading habits, you must understand the characteristics of a good reader. First, the good reader usually reads rapidly. Of course, he does not read every piece of material at the same rate. But whether he is reading a newspaper or a chapter in a physics text, his reading rate is relatively fast. He has learned to read for ideas rather than words one at a time. Next, the good reader can recognize and understand general ideas and specific details. Thus he is able to comprehend the material with a minimum of effort and a maximum of interest. Finally, the good reader has in his command several special skills, which he can apply to reading problems as they occur. For the college student, the most helpful of these skills include making use of the various aids to understanding that most text books provide and skim-reading for a general survey.(2002) Disappearing ForestsThe world’s forests are disappearing. As much as 1/3 of the total tree cover has been lost since agriculture began some 10,000 years ago. The remaining forests are home to half of the world’s species, thus becoming the chief resour ce for their survival. Tropical rain forests once covered 12% of the land of the planet, as well as supporting at least half of the world’s species of plants and animals. These rain forests are 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 for industrial purposes or for agricultural development such as crop-growing. By the 1990’s less than half of the earth’soriginal rain forests remained, and they continued to disappear at an alarming rate every year. As a result the world’s forests are now facing gradual extinction.(2003) SalmonEvery year, millions of salmon swim from the ocean into the mouths of rivers and then steadily up the rivers. Passing through waters, around rocks and waterfalls, the fish finally reach their original streams or lakes. They dig out nests in the riverbed and lay their eggs. Then, exhausted by their journey, the parent salmon die. They have finished the task that nature has given them. Months, or years later, the young fish start their trip to the ocean. They live in the salt water from 2-7 years, until they, too are ready to swim back to reproduce. Their life cycle helps man provide himself with a basic food-fish. When the adult salmon gather at the river mouths for the annual trip up the rivers, they are in the best possible condition, and nearly every harbor has its salmon fishing fleet ready to catch thousands for markets.(2004) MoneyMoney is accepted across the world as payment for goods or services. People use money to buy food, clothes and hundreds of other things. In the past, many different things were used as money. People on Pacific islands once exchanged shells for goods. The Chinese used cloth and knives. In Africa, elephant tusks or salt were used. Even today, some people in Africa are still paid in salt. Coins were first invented by the Chinese. Originally, they were round pieces of metal with a hole in the center, so that a piece of string could keep them together. This made doing business much easier, but people still found coins inconvenient to carry when they wanted to buy something expensive. To solve this problem, the Chinese again came up with the solution. They began to use paper money for coins. Now paper notes are used throughout the world.（2005）The Wrist WatchIt is generally believed that wrist watches are an exception / to the normal sequence in the evolution of man's jewelry. / Reversing the usual order, they were first worn by women, / and then adopted by men. / In the old days, queens included wrist watches among their crown jewelry. / Later, they were worn by Swiss workers and farmers. / Until World War I, Americans associated the watch with fortune hunters. / Then army officers discovered that the wrist watch was most practical for active combat. / Race car drivers also loved to wear wrist watches, / and pilots found them most useful while flying. / Soon men dared to wear wrist watches without feeling self-conscious. / By 1924, some 30 percent of man's watches were worn on the wrist. / Today, the figure is 90 percent. / And they are now worn by both men and women / for practical purposes rather than for decoration.2006 The InternetThe Internet is the most significant progress in the field of communications. / Imagine abook that never ends, a library with a million floors, / or imagine a research project with thousands of scientists / working around the clock forever. / This is the magic of the Internet. / Yet the Internet has the potential for good and bad. / One can find well-organized, information-rich websites. / At the same time, one can also find wasteful websites. / Most websites are known as different Internet applications. / These include online games, chat rooms (chatrooms) and so on. / These applications have great power, too. / Sometimes the power can be so great / that young people may easily become victims to their attraction. / So we need to recognize the seriousness of the problem. / We must work together to use its power for better ends.2007 AdvertisingAdvertising has already become a specialized activity in modern times. In today’s business world, supply is usually greater than demand. There is great competition between manufacturers of the same kind of product because they want to persuade customers to buy their particular brand. They always have to remind their customers of the name and qualities of their products by advertising. The manufacture advertises in newspapers and on the radio. He sometimes employs sales girls to distribute samples of their products. He sometimes advertises on the Internet as well. In addition, he always has advertisements put into television programs that will accept them. Manufactures often spend huge sums of money on advertisements. We buy a particular product because we think that is the best. We usually think so because the advertisements say so. People often don’t ask themselves if the advertisements are telling the truth when they buy advertised products from shops.2008 Choosing a CareerWhen students graduate from college, many of them do not know how they want to spend their working lives and they sometimes move from job to job, until they find something that suits them and of equal importance to which they are suited. Others never find the job in which they are really happy. They remain all their lives square pegs in round holes. When we choose our careers we need to ask ourselves two questions. First, what do we think we would like to be? Second, what kind of people are we? The idea, for example, of being a painter or a musician may seem very attractive. But unless we have great talent and are willing to work very hard, we are certain to fail in these occupations and failure will lead to unhappiness in life. So it is important to assess our suitability for a certain career in job search.2009 New Year's EveFor many people in the west, New Year's Eve is the biggest party of the year. /lt's the ti me to get together with friends or family/and welcome in the coming year. / New Year's p arties can take place in different places. /Some people hold a house party; others attend st reet parties;/ while some just go for a few drinks with their friends. /Big cities have largeand spectacular fireworks displays. / There is one thing that all New Year's Eve parties ha ve in common,/ the countdown to midnight./ When the clock strikes 12, people give a lou d cheer and sing songs./ It's also popular to make a promise in the New Year. /This is call ed a New Year's resolution. / Typical resolutions include giving up smoking and keeping f it. /However, the promise is often broken quite quickly /and people are back into their bad habits within weeks or days.2010 Freshman’s WeekBritain has a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world. But to those who are new to this system, it can someti mes be confusing. October is usually the busiest month in the academic calendar. Univers ities have something called “freshman‟s week” for their newcomers. It‟s a great opport unity to make new friends, join in lots of clubs and settle into university life. However, ha ving just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, the prospect of meeting str angers in classrooms and dormitories can be worrying. Where do you start? And who sho uld you make friends with? Which clubs and society should you join? Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you. They worry about starting their university social life on the right foot. So just take it all in slowly. Don‟t rush into anything that yo u‟ll regret for the next three years.2011 British holidaying habitsIn the late 1970s, air travel became affordable for the average family in the UK, and more people started travelling 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.2012 EcotourismNowadays many of us try to live a way that will damage the environment as tittle as possi ble. We recycle our newspapers and bottles; we take public transport to get to work; and we try to buy locally produced fruit and vegetables. And we want to take these attitudes o n holiday with us. This is why alternative forms of tourism are becoming popular in the w orld. There are lots of names for these new forms of tourism: responsible tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, educational tourism and more.Although everyone may have a different definition, most people agree that these new for ms of tourism should do the following: first, they should conserve the wildlife and culture of the area; second, they should benefit the local people; third, they should make a profitwithout destroying natural resources; and finally they should provide an experience that t ourists want to pay for.2013 What is a dream forOne theory is that we dream to release the deep, secret desires. We do not express these desires in real life because of the rules of polite society. Another theory is that dreams all ow us to solve problems that we can’t solve in real life. We go to sleep with a problem an d wake up with the solution. This may be a way to use our dreams rather than a purpose o f dreaming. If you believe that your dreams are important then analysing them may help y ou to focus on the problem and help you to find the solution.The modern image is that dreams are the brain’s way of cleaning up the computer’s hard disk. Dreams organize the events of the day into folders and delete what is not needed. B ut we all know that very little of what we dream is concerned with what happened to us th at day.。