听写练习答案

Passage 1

Why Some People Are Poor

The poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living. / People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. / As the general standard of living rises, / the poverty line does, too. / Therefore, even with today’s relatively high standard of living, / about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line. /Economists suggest several reasons. / For one thing, more than half of the poor people are qualified to work. / By law, children less than 16 years old can not work in many industries; / many companies do not hire people over 65 years old, / which is considered the normal retirement age. / Some poor adults do not look for jobs for a variety of personal reasons. / Other poor people look for a job but can’t find one. / Many poor adults never went to high school. / Therefore, when they look for jobs, they have few skills that they can offer.

Passage 3

Old Age

Many 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, although 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 middle 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.

Passage 4

Cars in the Future

As big cars cause many problems, such as pollution, shortage of parking space, crowded traffic, / scientists are now trying to design some small cars / that may some day replace today’s big automobiles. / If more people begin to drive such cars in the future, / there will be less air pollution. / There will also be more space for parking cars in cities, / and the streets will be less crowded. / Three such cars can fit in the space / that is now needed for one car of the usual size. / The

little cars will cost much less to own and to drive. / Driving will be safer as these cars can go only 60 kilometers per hour. / The cars of the future will be fine for driving around the city. / However, they will not be suitable for long trips, / because these cars by petrol can only go 450 kilometers / before needing to stop for refilling.

Passage 5

Dining Customs in the USA

Americans, like many people elsewhere in the world, like to invite friends to their homes / for an evening of food, drink and conversation. / Formal dinners in fine homes and hotels in the U.S. are much the same as formal dinners anywhere in the world. / But as most people in the U.S. have no servants, / their dinner parties at home tend to be informal. / Guests may sit down at a table, / or, as many new small homes have no separate dining room or very small dining space, / guests can also serve themselves and eat in the living room, / holding their plates or trays on their knees. / A more enjoyable form of entertainment is the picnic. / Americans are great picnickers / and almost every family has a picnic basket. / Summer invitations are often for a picnic at a park or in the open countryside. / Unless hamburgers or hot dogs are cooked over a fire, / picnic food is usually cold.