英语专业四级听写50篇原文
专业听力50篇
Passage3
One of the best means of understanding the people of any nations is watching what they non-working time. Most English men, women and children love growing things, especially flowers. Visitors to English 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 window box or something growing in a pot will do. Looking at each other’s gardens is a popular pastime with the English.
专四听写50篇
专四听写50篇专四听写50 篇Dictation 1 Superstition 迷信（144 words）One person in four in Britain is, apparently, superstitious, / and they?ll do everything from hanging horseshoes over their fireplace to crossing their fingers, / touching wood and absolutely never walking under a ladder. / And they?re careful about cats. / Black cats are supposed to be the familiars of witches, / so if one is following you it?s definitely bad luck — a witch is after you! / On the other hand, if one crosses your path and continues / then it?s good luck because it hasn?t noticed you. / However, in some places the beliefs are different / — so it pays to know where your black cat comes from! /Old superstitions linger even in today?s modern world. / The author Philip Pullman drew on them / in his award winning novel “His Dark Materials”. / The novel, which appeals to both children and adults, / has been adapted for radio and also the theatre. /Dictation 2 Graduate Student 研究生（157 words）Graduate students specialize in a particular field of study. / They study to become experts in this field / and to learn new advances in their fields while they earn an M.A. or Ph.D. / Sometimes when they get an M.A. in one field they begin studying another field. / They hope that when they earn their graduate degrees / they will succeed in finding important jobs. / They hope to get jobs that are interesting and high paying. / The life of a graduate student is often difficult. / They are usually too busy studying to make a good living. / Often they have to pay high tuition fees for theireducation. / Some give up studying before they get their degrees. / But most keep on working at their studies until they graduate. / In today?s world, most graduate students don?t regret spending time with their studies. / They are finding that new developments are occurring in all fields. / For many graduate study has become a necessity. /Dictation 3 April Fool’s Day 愚人节（157 words）1st April is a day to be careful, or you could easily get tricked by someone. / It?s April Fool?s Day, a day when people traditionally like to try / to make a fool of someone else and laugh at them. / There are lots of theories surrounding the origins of the day, / but one explanation is connected with the change in the calendar in the 16th century, / which meant that 1st April was no longer the beginning of the year. / Those who still celebrated the New Year on 1st April were called fools. / So what kind of pranks do people play on April Fool?s Day? / Well, there are lots of simple tricks / that you can play on your friends. / For example, you could wear a black sweater / and pull a piece of white thread through it, / so that people try topull it off. / You could change the time on someone?s alarm clock / so that they?re late for work. /Dictation 4 Living Online 网上生活（159 words）How do you meet new people, make new friends, or find out about the latest bands? / Here in the UK young people have traditionally done their socializing in bars, pubs and clubs. / However, there is a new generation growing up / that finds it easier to manage their social lives on the net, / using free websites like MySpace, Bebo or MSN Spaces. / Welcome to the social networking website / —a place where you can present yourself to the digital community and meet other like-mindedpeople. /The most successful social networking website in the UK is /doc/9516999746.html. / As of July 2006, MySpace is the world?s fourth most popular English-language website, / attracting almost 3 million visitors per month. / MySpace claims to have 95 million members / with 500,000 new members joining the community each week. /So how has it become so successful? / Perhaps its secret is in its simplicity. / Each new member can build their own page simply — uploading photos, videos and MP3 files. /Dictation 5 Mother’s Day 母亲节（160 words）Does your mother know how much you appreciate her? / Well, Mother?s Day is the time to show her. / It?s a chance to say …thank you?, or to tell your mum how much you love her. / In Britain, Mother?s Day, or Mothering Sunday, / falls on a different day each year, / because it takes place a few weeks before the festival of Easter. / But it is always in the early springtime, which seems appropriate, / as the season when new plants emerge, / and baby birds an d animals are born. / In the USA, Mother?s Day takes place a little later, in May, / and many other countries also celebrate their mothers on different days of the year. / It began many years ago, when children, / especially girls, as young as 10 would live and work away from home / as housemaids and other types of servant. / Mothering Sunday was a day when everyone was allowed to go to their home village or town, and visit their mothers. /Dictation 6 Online Shopping 网上购物（159 words）With only two weeks to go before Christmas, / buying presents is a high priority for a lot of people. / However, this yearnot so many people are leaving their homes to browse around the shops. / These days lots of people can do their shopping / in the comfort of their own home with the help of the internet. / Online shopping is becoming more and more popular for a number of reasons; / prices are often lower online, / you don?t have to queue up in busy shops / and you can buy almost any product imaginable / with just a few clicks of your mouse. / Computer trends are often male-dominated / but this year women areexpected to do more shopping on the internet than men. / It seems women are now more attracted to the convenience of online shopping than they used to be. /Average spending online this Christmas by women will rise to ￡240 / compared to the slightly lower average of ￡233 for men. /Dictation 7 Reality TV 真实电视（155 words）The latest fashion on British TV is Reality TV. / Reality TV means that shows follow and film ordinary people in an artificial situation. / This could be at work, or in some kind of competition. / One of the first and most popular Reality TV shows is Big Brother. / In this show, 15 complete strangers have to live together in a house for 11 weeks. / They are filmed 24 hours a day, / and shown on television. / Each week, the viewers vote to evict one of the housemates. / Finally, only one is left, / and they win the prize money! / The show was an instant hit, and runs in several countries. / The housemates often become stars as a result of the show, / and appear in national newspapers and on other shows. / Another very popular show is I?m a Celebrity —Get Me Out Of Here! / In this show, 10 celebrities have to complete tasks each week, such as eating insects. /Dictation 8 School 学校（160 words）September is traditionally the end of summer / and the beginning of autumn in the UK. / It is also the month when children go back to school after their long summer holidays. / There are two types of school in England. / State-run schools are paid for by the government, so are free to attend. / Independent Schools are private, which means you have to pay to attend. / The school day usually starts at 9 in the morning and finishes around 4, / with breaks for lunch of course! / In many schools, you have to wear a uniform too. / Children start school when they are 5 years old. / This is called primary school, / and lasts until the child is 11 when he or she will go on to senior school. / Secondary school is compulsory from 11 until 16 years of age. / At 16, students take national examinations called GCSE?s. / After this, students can stay at school for another 2 years and take A Level examinations. /Dictation 9 The Modern Family 现代家庭（154 words）Father leaves for work in the morning after breakfast. / The two children take the bus to school, / and mother stays home cooking and cleaning / until father and the kids return home in the evening. / This is the traditional picture of a happy family living in Britain. / The past 20 years have seen enormous changes in the lives and structure of families in Britain. /The biggest change has been caused by divorce. / As many as 2 out of 3 marriages now end in divorce,/ leading to a situation where many children live with one parent / and only see the other at weekends or holidays. / There has also been a huge rise in the number of women with children who work. / The large rise in divorces has meant / many women need to work to support themselves and their children. / Evenwhen there is no divorce, / many families need both parents to work in order to survive. /Dictation 10 Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节（146 words）On 25th September this year, people all over China / will be getting together to eat with their families,/ look at the moon and celebrate one of the biggest festivals in the Chinese lunar calendar./ However, the celebrations stretch far beyond the borders of China. / Here in the UK events are taking place for Chinese people living here, / and to teach the people of Britain more about this popular festival. / The Soho Theatre in London conducted a study / which showed that Chinese Londoners don?t engage much with the arts world. / As a result, …Moon walking In China? has been created to c elebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. / This is no normal theatre production though, / as it doesn?t take place in the theatre. / Theatre professionals and volunteers from the local community / will take audiences around the streets of Soho / on a magical lantern-lit walk / through the landmarks and backstreets of Chinatown. /Dictation 11 The Dragon 龙（160 words）When many people in the west think of China, / the animal that they think of is the dragon. / For them, the dragon is an aggressive monster that breathes fire. / Many popular legends tell of how dragons killed brave knights and ate beautiful maidens. / For Chinese people however, the dragon is not an evil monster. / It?s a cultural and spiritual symbol for prosperity and good luck. / The dragon?s m ain task is to create harmony and bring rain. / Dragons are celebrated in art and architecture, / and of course the dragon dance is a very popular ritual. / Millions of Chinese have the word …long?, meaning dragon, as part of their name. / China isn?t the only country to have the dragon as itssymbol. / Wales, one of the four countries in the UK, / has a red dragon proudly displayed on its flag. / The only other country in the world with a dragon on its flag is Bhutan, / the tiny country between China and India. /Dictation 12 Rainy Britain 阴雨的英国（153 words）Britain is famous around the world for its rainy weather, / but many parts of the country this June / are experiencing much more rain than they have ever seen before. / Torrential downpours have caused rivers to burst their banks, / roads have been closed and many people have been evacuated / from their homes because of the floods. / The worst hit area seems to be the north of England. / There have even been fatalities as people got stuck in the rain / or were washed away by the floodwaters. / Flood warnings have been issuedin many parts of the UK / and it is said that over a month?s worth of rain has fallen in just the last couple of days. / The rain has also caused chaos at some of Britain?s fam ous June events. / The Glastonbury festival is a four-day-long outdoor music festival / and while it is traditionally quite rainy and muddy there, / this year was particularly bad. /Dictation 13 Christmas traditions 圣诞节传统（145 words）There are many ways to celebrate Christmas, / and some British people like to go on holiday, / go out for lunch to a restaurant, or spend the day with friends. / But most people?s idea of a traditional Christmas / involves spending a few days with their family / — sometimes their extended family. /The day is the most exciting for the children. / They may have spent weeks or even months dreaming of the presents they want most. / Since the beginning of December, they may have opened their advent calendars, / finding a new festive picture, chocolate,or small gift, / to count down each day until 25th December. / On Christmas Eve, they hang up stockings, / ready to be filled with presents by Santa Claus. / Often a thank you gift of a mince pie and a glass of sherry will be left, / as well as a carrot for those hungry reindeer. /Dictation 14 Olympic Slogan 奥运口号（140 words）Beijing unveiled the slogan for the 2008 Olympics as far back as 2005. / “One World, One Dream” was finally selected / from more than 210,000 entries from around the world. / Beijing?s original bid to host the 2008 games / had a different slogan “New Beijing, Great Olympics”. / The o rganizers felt the new slogan shifted the focus nicely / from the city of Beijing itself to the spirit of the Olympics /— unity, friendship amongst nations and progress. / It was also felt that the “One World, One Dream” slogan / captured the traditional Chinese values of peace and harmony. /The Olympics hasn?t always had a slogan attached to each host country. / In fact it wasn?t until 1988 at the Seoul Olympics in South Korea / that the first slogan appeared. / “Harmony and Progress” was chosen / and it seems to have been a popular theme over the years. /Dictation 15 Sunbed 太阳床（159 words）In the UK, a country known for its bad weather and lack of sunshine, / there appears to be an ever increasing number of very tanned young people. / So just how are they achieving their golden tans? / Some are opting for the sun-free option / and are getting their tan from a bottle. / However, it appears that others are turning to tanning salons, / of which there are thousands in the UK. /While in China young people often prefer to remain fair, / inthe UK there seems to be a growing desire for tanned skin. / So why do the British prefer to be bronzed? / Often, they are trying to emulate their favorite celebrities, footballers, or footballers? wives. / Research from the British Sunbed Association suggests that / many people believe a tan makes them feel and look healthier. /This is a belief that is most definitely not shared by Cancer Research UK. / They firmly state that being tanned is not a sign of health. /Dictation 16 Speechwriting 写演讲稿（143 words）The success of a speech is often attributed to the skill of the speaker, / with merit being given to speakers who are confident, articulate, / knowledgeable and able to deliver a speech with conviction. / But often it is not the speakers who write these moving speeches, / it is a speechwriter. / And one industry in which this practice is common is that of politics. / So what does it take to be a political speechwriter? /Well according to a recent job advertisement from the US Embassy in Britain, / a political speechwriter needs to have exceptional interpersonal skills, / be detail oriented and able to demonstrate a deep knowledge of their subject. / They must also work closely with speakers / and be able to relate to their style. / Some believe that the best speechwriters have an inherent talent, / a natural creative instinct, / and that speechwriting is an art form. /Dictation 17 AWalk in the Park 在公园散步（141 words）Exercising in natural areas is not only good for your physical health / —it can improve your mood / and sense of well-being in as little as five minutes. / So says research in the journal Environmental Health and Technology. / Exercise alone is knownto make you happier. / So is being in a natural setting. / So scientists wanted to see the effect of combining the two. / They evaluated 10 different UK studies involving more than 1,200 people. /Participants had taken part in activities such as gardening, / sailing and country walks, and rated their mood and self-esteem. / The research showed that both areas get a significant boost / with as little as five minutes of outdoor exercise. / And people with mental disorders benefited the most. / The study authors say this is the first study / to quantify the amount of time needed to get a positive effect. /Dictation 18 Fast food Makes Us Less Patient 快餐使我们失去耐性（146 words）Fast food is a multibillion-dollar industry, / and for some of us, drive-through dinner has become a way of life. / Granted, sometimes we grab something quick because we really don?t have time. / Butpsychologists got to wondering / whether all this speed eating might actually make us less patient. / In a series of experiments, the scientists showed volunteers logos / from several fast-food chains or asked them to recall the last time they?d visited. / And they found that folks wh o had thought about fast food would then read faster, / even though no one told them to hurry. / And they also expressed a preference for time-saving products, / like shampoo plus conditioner. / And they tended to opt for immediate rewards, / like getting a small cash payment right away / rather than waiting a week for a larger sum. / So if you want to ease the pace, forget meditation. Try a slow cooker. /Dictation 19 Light All Night Not Alright 整夜开灯并非好事（159 words）A nightlight may keep those monsters under the bed. / But it may also open the door to the blues. / If you have access to electricity, you no doubt switch on a lamp, / maybe even watch a little TV, after the sun goes down. / But our bodies use cues about lightness and dark to regulate our hormones / and of course our sleep cycles. / So what might these extra photons be doing to our health? /To find out, scientists housed mice in a room / where the lights were always on. / After three weeks, they found that mice who lived in the spotlight showed symptoms of depression, / more so than mice who enjoyed eight hours of darkness at night. / Interestingly, mice who could escape the light by ducking into a dark tube / also escaped the worst of the depression. / So flip that light switch at your own risk. / Because the artificial brightness that helps keep us up could also bring us down. / Dictation 20 London 2012 Olympic Games 伦敦2012 奥运会（154 words）After a hard-fought campaign, / London has been awarded the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games. / The UK capital saw off competition from four rival cities: / Paris, Madrid, Moscow and New York. / Londoners can now look forward to the transformation of their city / in the same way as their counterparts in Beijing. / Indeed, there are many simi larities in the two cities? approach to hosting the games. / Both cities need to invest in developing their infrastructure / in order to cope with the demands of the event. /However, this kind of investment is far from cheap / —it is estimated that it will cost around $40 billion to prepare for the 2008 games, / much of which will be spent on transport links. / Nevertheless, the benefits of becoming an Olympic city can be enormous / — Barcelona, which hosted the 1992 games, / wascompletely regenerated and has since become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. /Dictation 21 Picnic 野餐（155 words）As summertime begins in Britain, people start to feel the urge to go outside to eat. / People love to havea picnic whenever the weat her is good enough, / especially people with children. / It?s a great way to spend a sunny afternoon. / Even in the centre of London, on a sunny day, / the parks are full of office workers eating their lunch outside on the grass. / That might be a pretty basic picnic / — a shop-bought sandwich and a bottle of water. /But if people are planning a picnic on the beach or at the park, / they would probably pack a cool bag / with a whole variety of home-made sandwiches, snacks, cake, fruit and soft drinks. / They might have a picnic rug to sit on, and paper plates and cups. / University students enjoy having picnics, / and usually take along some kind of sports equipment, / such as a ball in order to burn off some energy after lunch. /Dictation 22 Changing Name after Marriage 婚后改名（155 words）Getting married is one of the most important decisions that a person takes in one?s life. / This is because it is a step that has the potential to alter or change one?s life altogether. / Right from the wedding dres s to the house / that the couple will live after their wedding, / is decided with utmost care. / An important decision that the person has to make along with the other arrangements for the wedding / is to choose between one?s maiden name and spouse?s name. / Though traditionally, women are expected to change their name / from their maiden name to their husband?s name, / many women nowadays opt to keep their maiden name after marriage, / mostly for professionalreasons. / Apart from this, there are women who adopt their husband?s last name / and keep their maiden name as their second name. / Also, there are couples who make a new name with boththeir names, / by separating the names with a hyphen. /Dictation 23 The Compass 指南针（153 words）A magnetic compass is a device that has been used for centuries now, / and its utility in helping people find their way is undoubted. / Before technology gave us the privilege of GPS navigation systems, / the act of finding out where you are and which side is north / was carried out simply with the help of a compass. / We?ve all seen a compass at some point or the other, / and this has almost always led us to the question “How does a compass work?” / The ans wer to this question can be explained / through the concept of th e earth?s electromagnetism. / Simply speaking, a compass is basically a small magnet / that has a needle attached on one end. / The other end of the magnet is attached to a freely moving pin. / When the compass is held out steadily, / the magnet becomes parallel with the magnetic field of the Earth, / and this causes it to point north. /Dictation 24 Ball Games 球类运动（157 words）Ball games have become an integral part of modern society. / They give us entertainment providing us a means to safely free ourselves from stress. / There are many different ball games that can do this for us. / Some people enjoy football, while others like basketball. / These two ball games are the most popular in China. / Other games such as baseball are growing in appeal, yet have not become popular. / The development of these games is interesting. / Basketball is one of the few sports with a knowndate of birth. / Football, or soccer, originally developed from traits found in both China and Europe. / It has grown to become the world?s most popular sport. / In Europe, football clubs have been established, / which in turn has been copied in the rest of the world. / These football clubs train players / who may later go play for their nations in the World Cup. / This is the most watched ballgame championship on the planet. /Dictation 25 Water Sports 水上运动（145 words）The history of man?s involvement with water sports / stretches back before history was written down. / It is a history of the development of technology as well as human physical achievement. / Man first took to water in boats that sailed around the world / with nothing but the stars to guide them. / The seas and rivers were a mystery to be feared, / for lurked unknown creatures and death by drowning. / Few actually ventured into the water. / As a sport, however, water sports such as swimming, diving, / and water polo are new comparatively to those on land. / Probably the oldest one is rowing in a rowboat. / This is seen in modern games such as competitions / between rowing clubs in British and American universities. / Olympic Water Sports began with swimming but did not end there. / The different kinds of water sports such as diving or water skiing came later. / Dictation 26 Famous Universities 名校（140 words）Many countries have excellent universities. / There are, however, few world famous ones. / These universities have achieved their fame / through a combination of both their age / and the high levels of quality in their instruction. / Throughout their histories, / each one has been a testing ground for the leadership of the nation. / In the United States, Harvard and Yale attract thousands of foreign students / who would use what theylearn for the advancement of their own nations. / In this way, these schools have developed an interesting method of international communication. / Graduates around the world are able to connect with each other / by having graduated from one of the finest universities in the world. / Leaders in every field, whether government officials or ground-breaking scientists, / who graduated from the same school have a direct link to each other / and understand each other much better. /Dictation 27 Ideal Life 理想人生（157 words）The ideal life is one that many people would like to pursue, yet few achieve. / The balance between dreams and reality is one that is difficult to overcome. / Many people choose a vocation in the hopes / that it would bring them wealth and success. / However, after years of labor in their chosen field, they begin to hate their jobs. / This is mainly because they have neglected other parts of their lives in search of this success. / These people devote their lives to working / and are unable to separate themselves from their work. / They find that it may not be enough. / Some have jobs where their principles and emotional health / are challenged by dishonesty or bad work environments. / These people can begin to become influenced by the environment in which they work, / leading to personal or health problems. / This choice is not a permanent situation, however, / as many people have chosen to change the values of their lives. /Dictation 28 Reeducation and Employment 再教育和就业（160 words）During the course of our lives, we must make many choices that we may come to regret. / This is especially true when choosing a career. / Jobs that sound exciting or rewarding become dull or not worth it / as we live our daily existence. / Thisis where reeducation can help. / Occupational schools have been set up to train people in jobs / that they may be better suited for. / People can adapt their interests and talents through selected courses. / They can learn cooking skills, which are always in great demand. / Gardening is an option for those who enjoy the outdoors or have a green thumb. / If a person is interested in motors or cars, they can get training as a mechanic. / Even more, the learning of a foreign language / would allow them the opening of a dream life. / The job qualification certificates they earn can also be used too enhance their resumes, / so that they are trained in a variety of skills. /Dictation 29 Made in China 中国制造（160 words）The label, Made in China, is one that is becoming increasing common / in shopping centers all over the world. / In the United States, shoppers at Wal-Mart the nation?s largest retailer / have a wide selection of products mostly produced in China. / The large amount of Chinese imports have created a large selection of goods in other countries / as people begin to buy more and more products made in China. / These goods are even readily available in other Asian nations, / where Chinese-made goods are quite popular. / Chinese brand names are also becoming more well-known outside of China. / The development of China has amazed the world with its growth. / And also, as China is a developing economy with large amounts of labor, / industries are beginning to relocate in an effort to minimize costs and increase profits. / The results of these relocations are that / nations are beginning to try to limit the flow of Chinese goods / with the use of taxes and import restrictions. /Glaciers are formed in places where the temperatures are extremely cold. / This could even include places that are at sealevel, / but are mostly places that are high up on mountains. / In such cold places it snows most of the year. / This snow will settle down and when it snows again / the lower layer of snow gets compressed. / Every time it snows, the below layers will compress more, / finally turning into hard ice. / This ice is what forms the glacier. /When the temperature rises slightly, / the outer edges of the formed glacier and fresh snow will melt. / For a glacier to form and sustain itself it is of prime importance / that the amount of snow that falls on it must be more than the amount of glacier that has melted. / This is the only way in which the glacier will be able to maintain itself / and keep increasing in size year after year. /Dictation 31 Oxygen 氧气（157 words）Oxygen, that thing you breathe, / that essential gas that keeps the world going round / is really more important than you give it credit for. / Oxygen is what essentially and literally keeps you alive and keeps you going. / Consider this: people can survive for a few days without food and water, / but do you think a person can survive even a few minutes without oxygen? / No, the brain would die and the heart would stop pumping immediately. / This is how essential oxygen is to the human body. / It is used to convert fats and proteins from the food we consume into heat and energy / for the body and its normal functioning. / Oxygen is essential for the production of living cells / and for respiration of these cells as well. / Oxygen is also used in removing toxic waste from the body. / Quite simply put, the more the oxygen there is in the body, / the more energetic the body will be. / Dictation 32 Purpose of Society 社会的作用（156 words）One of the primary purposes of society / is the formation of。
英语专业四级听写50篇
英语专业四级听写50篇Passage 1Town and Country Life in EnglandThere is a big difference between town life and country life in England. In the country, everybody knows everybody else. They know what time you get up, what time you go to bed and what you have for dinner. If you want help, you will always get it and you will be glad to help others.In a large town like London, however, it can sometimes happen that you have never seen your next door neighbor（neighbour）,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 (what) 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)逗号该省。
专四听写50篇
专四听写50 篇Dictation 1 Superstition 迷信(144 words)One person in four in Britain is, apparently, superstitious, / and they?ll do everything fromhanging horseshoes over their fireplace to crossing their fingers, / touching wood and absolutely never walking under a ladder. / And they?re careful about cats. / Black cats are supposed to be the familiars of witches, / so if one is following you it?s definitely bad luck —a witch is after you! / On the other hand, if one crosses your path and continues / then it?s good luck because it hasn?t noticed you. / However, in some places the beliefs are different / — so it pays to know where your black cat comes from! / Old superstitions linger even in today?s modern world. / The author Philip Pullman drew on them / in his award winningnovel “His Dark Materials”. / The novel, which appeals to both children and adults, / hasbeen adapted for radio and also the theatre. /Dictation 2 Graduate Student 研究生(157 words)Graduate students specialize in a particular field of study. / They study to become experts inthis field / and to learn new advances in their fields while they earn an M.A. or Ph.D. / Sometimeswhen they get an M. A. in one field they begin studying another field. / They hope that when theyearn their graduate degrees / they will succeed in finding important jobs. / They hope to get jobsthat are interesting and high paying. / The life of a graduate student is often difficult. / They areusually too busy studying to make a good living. / Often they haveto pay high tuition fees fortheir education. / Some give up studying before they get their degrees. / But most keep on workingat their studies until they graduate. / In today?s world, most graduate students don?t regretspending time with their studies. / They are finding that new developments are occurring in allfields. / For many graduate study has become a necessity. /Dictation 3 April Fool’s Day 愚人节(157 words)1st April is a day to be careful, or you could easily get tricked by someone. / It?s April Fool?s Day, a day when people traditionally like to try / to make a fool of someone else and laugh at them. / There are lots of theories surrounding the origins of the day, / but one explanation is connected with the change in the calendar in the 16th century, / which meant that 1st April was no longer the beginning of the year. / Those who still celebrated the New Year on 1st April were called fools. /So what kind of pranks do people play on April Fool?s Day? / Well, there are lots of simpletricks / that you can play on your friends. / For example, you could wear a black sweater / and pulla piece of white thread through it, / so that people try to pull it off. / You could change thetime onsomeone?s alarm clock / so that they?re late for work. /Dictation 4 Living Online 网上生活(159 words)How do you meet new people, make new friends, or find out about the latest bands? / Here inthe UK young people have traditionally done their socializing in bars, pubs and clubs. /However, there is a new generation growing up / that finds it easier to manage their sociallives on the net, / using free websites like MySpace, Bebo or MSN Spaces. / Welcome to the social networking website / — a place where you can present yourself tothedigital community and meet other like-minded people. /The most successful social networking website in the UK is . / As of July 2006,MySpace is the world?s fourth most popular English-language website, / attracting almost 3 million visitors per month. / MySpace claims tohave 95 million members / with 500,000 new members joining the community each week. /So how has it become so successful? / Perhaps its secret is in its simplicity. / Each new member can build their own page simply —uploading photos, videos and MP3 files. /Dictation 5 Mother’s Day 母亲节(160 words)Does your mother know how much you appreciate her? / Well, Mother?s Day is the time toshow her. / It?s a chance to say …thank you?, or to tell your mum how much you love her. /In Britain, Mother?s Day, or Mothering Sunday, / falls on adifferent day each year, / becauseit takes place a few weeks before the festival of Easter. / But itis always in the early springtime,which seems appropriate, / as the season when new plants emerge, / and baby birds and animalsare born. / In the USA, Mother?s Day takes place a little later, in May, / and many other countriesalso celebrate their mothers on different days of the year. /It began many years ago, when children, / especially girls, as young as 10 would live andwork away from home / as housemaids and other types of servant. / Mothering Sunday was a daywhen everyone was allowed to go to their home village or town, and visit their mothers. /Dictation 6 Online Shopping 网上购物(159 words)With only two weeks to go before Christmas, / buying presents is a high priority for a lot ofpeople. / However, this year not so many people are leaving their homes to browse around theshops. / These days lots of people can do their shopping / in the comfort of their own home withthe help of the internet. /Online shopping is becoming more and more popular for a number of reasons; / prices areoften lower online, / you don?t have to queue up in busy shops / and you can buy almost anyproduct imaginable / with just a few clicks of your mouse. /Computer trends are often male-dominated / but this year women are expected to do more shopping on the internet than men. / It seems women are now more attracted to the convenience ofonline shopping than they used to be. /Average spending online this Christmas by women will rise to ,240 / compared to theslightly lower average of ,233 for men. /Dictation 7 Reality TV 真实电视(155 words)The latest fashion on British TV is Reality TV. / Reality TV means that shows follow and film ordinary people in an artificial situation. / This could be at work, or in some kind of competition. /One of the first and most popular Reality TV shows is Big Brother. / In this show, 15 complete strangers have to live together in a house for 11 weeks. / They are filmed 24 hours a day,/ and shown on television. / Each week, the viewers vote to evictone of the housemates. / Finally,only one is left, / and they win the prize money! /The show was an instant hit, and runs in several countries. / The housemates often becomestars as a result of the show, / and appear in national newspapers and on other shows. / Another very popular show is I?m a Celebrity —Get Me Out Of Here! / In this show, 10celebrities have to complete tasks each week, such as eating insects. /Dictation 8 School 学校(160 words)September is traditionally the end of summer / and the beginning of autumn in the UK. / It isalso the month when children go back to school after their long summer holidays. / There are two types of school in England. / State-run schools are paid for by the government,so are free to attend. / Independent Schools are private, whichmeans you have to pay to attend. /The school day usually starts at 9 in the morning and finishes around 4, / with breaks for lunch of course! / In many schools, you have to wear a uniform too. /Children start school when they are 5 years old. / This is called primary school, / and lasts until the child is 11 when he or she will go on to senior school. /Secondary school is compulsory from 11 until 16 years of age. / At 16, students take nationalexaminations called GCSE?s. / After this, students can stay atschool for another 2 years and takeA Level examinations. /Dictation 9 The Modern Family 现代家庭(154 words)Father leaves for work in the morning after breakfast. / The two children take the bus to school, / and mother stays home cooking and cleaning / until father and the kids return home inthe evening. / This is the traditional picture of a happy family living in Britain. / The past 20 years have seen enormous changes in the lives and structure of families in Britain./The biggest change has been caused by divorce. / As many as 2 out of 3 marriages now endin divorce, / leading to a situation where many children live with one parent / and only see theother at weekends or holidays. /There has also been a huge rise in the number of women with children who work. / The largerise in divorces has meant / many women need to work to support themselves and their children. /Even when there is no divorce, / many families need both parents to work in order to survive. /Dictation 10 Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节(146 words)On 25th September this year, people all over China / will be getting together to eat with theirfamilies, / look at the moon and celebrate one of the biggest festivals in the Chinese lunar calendar./However, the celebrations stretch far beyond the borders of China. / Here in the UK eventsare taking place for Chinese people living here, / and to teach the people of Britain more about thispopular festival. /The Soho Theatre in London conducted a study / which showed that Chinese Londonersdon?t engage much with the arts world. / As a result, …Moon walking In China? has beencreated tocelebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. /This is no normal theatre production though, / as it doesn?t take place in the theatre. / Theatreprofessionals and volunteers from the local community / will take audiences around the streets ofSoho / on a magical lantern-lit walk / through the landmarks and backstreets of Chinatown. /Dictation 11 The Dragon 龙(160 words)When many people in the west think of China, / the animal that they think of is the dragon. /For them, the dragon is an aggressive monster that breathes fire. / Many popular legendstell ofhow dragons killed brave knights and ate beautiful maidens. /For Chinese people however, the dragon is not an evil monster. / It?s a cultural and spiritualsymbol for prosperity and good luck. / The dragon?s main task is to create harmony and bring rain./ Dragons are celebrated in art and architecture, / and of course the dragon dance is a very popularritual. / Millions of Chinese have the word …long?, meaning dragon, as part of their name. /China isn?t the only country to have the dragon as its symbol. / Wales, one of the fourcountries in the UK, / has a red dragon proudly displayed on its flag. / The only other country inthe world with a dragon on its flag is Bhutan, / the tiny country between China and India. /Dictation 12 Rainy Britain 阴雨的英国(153 words)Britain is famous around the world for its rainy weather, / but many parts of the country thisJune / are experiencing much more rain than they have ever seen before. / Torrential downpours have caused rivers to burst their banks, / roads have been closed and many people have been evacuated / from their homes because of the floods. / The worst hit area seems to be the north of England. / There have even been fatalities as people got stuck in the rain / or were washed away by the floodwaters. / Flood warnings have been issued in many parts of the UK / and it is said that over a month?sworth of rain has fallen in just the last couple of days. /The rain has also caused chaos at some of Britain?s famous June events. / The Glastonburyfestival is a four-day-long outdoor music festival / and while it is traditionally quite rainy and muddy there, / this year was particularly bad. /Dictation 13 Christmas traditions 圣诞节传统(145 words)There are many ways to celebrate Christmas, / and some British people like to go on holiday,/ go out for lunch to a restaurant, or spend the day with friends. / But most people?s idea of atraditional Christmas / involves spending a few days with their family / — sometimes theirextended family. /The day is the most exciting for the children. / They may have spent weeks or even monthsdreaming of the presents they want most. / Since the beginning of December, they may haveopened their advent calendars, / finding a new festive picture, chocolate, or small gift, / to countdown each day until 25th December. /On Christmas Eve, they hang up stockings, / ready to be filled with presents by Santa Claus. /Often a thank you gift of a mince pie and a glass of sherry will be left, / as well as a carrot forthose hungry reindeer. /Dictation 14 Olympic Slogan 奥运口号(140 words)Beijing unveiled the slogan for the 2008 Olympics as far back as 2005. / “One World, OneDream” was finally selected / from more tha n 210,000 entries from around the world. /Beijing?s original bid to host the 2008 games / had a different slogan “New Beijing, GreatOlympics”. / The organizers felt the new slogan shifted the focus nicely / from the city of Beijingitself to the spirit of the Olympics /— unity, friendship amongst nations and progress. /It was also felt that the “One World, One Dream” slogan / captured the traditional Chinesevalues of peace and harmony. /The Olympics hasn?t always had a slogan attached to each host country. / In fact itwasn?tuntil 1988 at the Seoul Olympics in South Korea / that the first slogan appeared. / “Harmony andProgress” was chosen / and it seems to have been a popular theme over the years. /Dictation 15 Sunbed 太阳床(159 words)In the UK, a country known for its bad weather and lack of sunshine, / there appears to be anever increasing number of very tanned young people. /So just how are they achieving their golden tans? / Some are opting for the sun-free option / and are getting their tan from a bottle. / However, it appears that others are turning to tanningsalons, / of which there are thousands in the UK. /While in China young people often prefer to remain fair, / in the UK there seems to be a growing desire for tanned skin. / So why do the British prefer to be bronzed? / Often, they aretrying to emulate their favorite celebrities, footballers, or footballers? wives. / Research from theBritish Sunbed Association suggests that / many people believe a tan makes them feel and lookhealthier. /This is a belief that is most definitely not shared by Cancer Research UK. / They firmly statethat being tanned is not a sign of health. /Dictation 16 Speechwriting 写演讲稿(143 words)The success of a speech is often attributed to the skill of the speaker, / with merit being givento speakers who are confident, articulate, / knowledgeable and able to deliver a speech withconviction. /But often it is not the speakers who write these moving speeches, / it is a speechwriter. / Andone industry in which this practice is common is that of politics. / So what does it take to be apolitical speechwriter? /Well according to a recent job advertisement from the US Embassy in Britain, / a politicalspeechwriter needs to have exceptional interpersonal skills, / be detail oriented and able to demonstrate a deep knowledge of their subject. / They must also work closely with speakers / and be able to relate to their style. /Some believe that the best speechwriters have an inherent talent, / a natural creative instinct, /and that speechwriting is an art form. /Dictation 17 AWalk in the Park 在公园散步(141 words)Exercising in natural areas is not only good for your physical health / —it can improveyourmood / and sense of well-being in as little as five minutes. / So says research in the journal Environmental Health and Technology. / Exercise alone is known to make you happier. / So is being in a natural setting. / So scientistswanted to see the effect of combining the two. / They evaluated 10 different UK studies involvingmore than 1,200 people. /Participants had taken part in activities such as gardening, / sailing and country walks, andrated their mood and self-esteem. /The research showed that both areas get a significant boost / with as little as five minutes of outdoor exercise. / And people with mental disorders benefited the most. / The study authors saythis is the first study / to quantify the amount of time needed to get a positive effect. /Dictation 18 Fast food Makes Us Less Patient 快餐使我们失去耐性(146 words)Fast food is a multibillion-dollar industry, / and for some of us, drive-through dinner has become a way of life. / Granted, sometimes we grab something quick because we really don?thave time. / But psychologists got to wondering / whether all this speed eating might actuallymake us less patient. /In a series of experiments, the scientists showed volunteers logos / from several fast-foodchains or asked them to recall the last time they?d visited. / And they found that folks who hadthought about fast food would then read faster, / even though no one told them to hurry. / And theyalso expressed a preference for time-saving products, / like shampoo plus conditioner. / And theytended to opt for immediate rewards, / like getting a small cash payment right away / rather thanwaiting a week for a larger sum. / So if you want to ease the pace, forget meditation. Try a slowcooker. /Dictation 19 Light All Night Not Alright 整夜开灯并非好事(159 words)A nightlight may keep those monsters under the bed. / But it may also open the door to theblues. /If you have access to electricity, you no doubt switch on a lamp, / maybe even watch a little TV, after the sun goes down. / But our bodies use cues about lightness and dark to regulate ourhormones / and of course our sleep cycles. / So what might these extra photons be doing to ourhealth? /To find out, scientists housed mice in a room / where the lights were always on. / After threeweeks, they found that mice who lived in the spotlight showed symptoms of depression, / more sothan mice who enjoyed eight hours of darkness at night. / Interestingly, mice who could escape thelight by ducking into a dark tube / also escaped the worst of the depression. / So flip that light switch at your own risk. / Because the artificial brightness that helps keep usup could also bring us down. /Dictation 20 London 2012 Olympic Games 伦敦2012 奥运会(154 words) After a hard-fought campaign, / London has been awarded the right to host the 2012 OlympicGames. / The UK capital saw off competition from four rival cities: / Paris, Madrid, Moscow andNew York. /Londoners can now look forward to the transformation of their city / in the same way as theircounterparts in Beijing. / Indeed, there are many similarities in the two cities? approach to hostingthe games. / Both cities need to invest in developing their infrastructure / in order to cope with thedemands of the event. /However, this kind of investment is far from cheap / — it is estimated that it will costaround $40 billion to prepare for the 2008 games, / much of which will be spent on transport links./ Nevertheless, the benefits of becoming an Olympic city can be enormous / — Barcelona,whichhosted the 1992 games, / was completely regenerated and has since become one of themostpopular tourist destinations in the world. /Dictation 21 Picnic 野餐(155 words)As summertime begins in Britain, people start to feel the urge to go outside to eat. / Peoplelove to have a picnic whenever the weather is good enough, / especially people with children. / It?sa great way to spend a sunny afternoon. /Even in the centre of London, on a sunny day, / the parks are fullof office workers eatinga shop-bought their lunch outside on the grass. / That might be a pretty basic picnic / —sandwich and a bottle of water. /But if people are planning a picnic on the beach or at the park, / they would probably pack acool bag / with a whole variety of home-made sandwiches, snacks, cake, fruit and soft drinks. /They might have a picnic rug to sit on, and paper plates and cups. / University students enjoy having picnics, / and usually take along some kind of sports equipment, / such as a ball in order to burn off some energy after lunch. /Dictation 22 Changing Name after Marriage 婚后改名(155 words)Getting married is one of the most important decisions that a person takes in one?s life./ Thisis because it is a step that has the potential to alter or change one?s life altogether. / Right from thewedding dress to the house / that the couple will live after their wedding, / is decided with utmostcare. / An important decision that the person has to make along with the other arrangements for thewedding / is to choose between one?s maiden name and spouse?s name. / Though traditionally,women are expected to change their name / from their maiden name to their husband?sname, /many women nowadays opt to keep their maiden name after marriage, / mostly for professionalreasons. / Apart from this, there are women who adopt their husband?s last name / and keep theirmaiden name as their second name. / Also, there are couples who make a new name with boththeir names, / by separating the names with a hyphen. /Dictation 23 The Compass 指南针(153 words)A magnetic compass is a device that has been used for centuries now, / and its utility in helping people find their way is undoubted. / Before technology gave us the privilege of GPSnavigation systems, / the act of finding out where you are and which side is north / wascarried outsimply with the help of a compass. / We?ve all seen a compass at some point or the other, / and thishas almost always led us to the question “How does a compass work?” / The answer to thisquestion can be explained / through the concept of the earth?s electromagnetism. /Simply speaking, a compass is basically a small magnet / that has a needle attached on oneend. / The other end of the magnet is attached to a freely moving pin. / When the compass is heldout steadily, / the magnet becomes parallel with the magnetic field of the Earth, / and this causes itto point north. /Dictation 24 Ball Games 球类运动(157 words)Ball games have become an integral part of modern society. / They give us entertainmentproviding us a means to safely free ourselves from stress. / There are many different ball gamesthat can do this for us. / Some people enjoy football, while others like basketball. / These two ballgames are the most popular in China. / Other games such as baseball are growing in appeal, yethave not become popular. / The development of these games is interesting. / Basketball is one ofthe few sports with a known date of birth. / Football, or soccer, originally developed from traitsfound in both China and Europe. / It has grown to become the world?s most popular sport. / InEurope, football clubs have been established, / which in turn has been copied in the rest of theworld. / These football clubs train players / who may later go play for their nations in the WorldCup. / This is the most watched ballgame championship on the planet. /Dictation 25 Water Sports 水上运动(145 words)The history of man?s involvement with water sports / stretches back before history waswritten down. / It is a history of the development of technology as well as human physical achievement. / Man first took to water in boats that sailed around the world / with nothing but thestars to guide them. / The seas and rivers were a mystery to be feared, / for lurked unknown creatures and death by drowning. / Few actually ventured into the water. / As a sport, however, water sports such as swimming, diving, / and water polo are new comparatively to those on land. /Probably the oldest one is rowing in a rowboat. / This is seen in modern games such as competitions / between rowing clubs in British and American universities. / Olympic WaterSportsbegan with swimming but did not end there. / The different kinds of water sports such as diving orwater skiing came later. /Dictation 26 Famous Universities 名校(140 words)Many countries have excellent universities. / There are, however, few world famous ones. /These universities have achieved their fame / through a combination of both their age / and thehigh levels of quality in their instruction. / Throughout their histories, / each one has been a testingground for the leadership of the nation. / In the United States, Harvard and Yale attract thousandsof foreign students / who would use what they learn for the advancement of their own nations. / Inthis way, these schools have developed an interesting method of international communication. /Graduates around the world are able to connect with each other / by having graduated from one ofthe finest universities in the world. / Leaders in every field, whether government officials or ground-breaking scientists, / who graduated from the same school have a direct link to each other / and understand each other much better. /Dictation 27 Ideal Life 理想人生(157 words)The ideal life is one that many people would like to pursue, yet few achieve. / The balancebetween dreams and reality is one that is difficult to overcome. / Many people choose a vocationin the hopes / that it would bring them wealth and success. / However, after years of labor in theirchosen field, they begin to hate their jobs. / This is mainly because they have neglected other partsof their lives in search of this success. / These people devotetheir lives to working / and are unable to separate themselves from their work. / They find that it may not be enough. / Some have jobs where their principles and emotional health / are challenged by dishonesty or bad work environments. / These people can begin to become influenced by the environment in which theywork, / leading to personal or health problems. / This choice is not a permanent situation, however,/ as many people have chosen to change the values of their lives. / Dictation 28 Reeducation and Employment 再教育和就业(160 words) During the course of our lives, we must make many choices that we may come toregret. /This is especially true when choosing a career. / Jobs that sound exciting or rewarding becomedull or not worth it / as we live our daily existence. / This is where reeducation can help. / Occupational schools have been set up to train people in jobs / that they may be better suited for. / People can adapt their interests and talents through selected courses. / They can learn cookingskills, which are always in great demand. / Gardening is an optionfor those who enjoy the outdoors or have a green thumb. / If a person is interested in motors or cars, they can get trainingas a mechanic. / Even more, the learning of a foreign language / would allow them the opening ofa dream life. / The job qualification certificates they earn canalso be used too enhance their resumes, / so that they are trained in a variety of skills. /Dictation 29 Made in China 中国制造(160 words)The label, Made in China, is one that is becoming increasing common / in shopping centersall over the world. / In the United States, shoppers at Wal-Mart the nation?s largest retailer /have awide selection of products mostly produced in China. / The large amount of Chinese imports havecreated a large selection of goods in other countries / as people begin to buy more and moreproducts made in China. / These goods are even readily available in other Asian nations, / whereChinese-made goods are quite popular. / Chinese brand names are also becoming more well-known outside of China. / The development of China has amazed the world with its growth. /。
英语听写50篇
英语专业四级听写50篇Passage 1Town and Country Life in EnglandThere is a big difference between town life and country life in England. In the country, everybody knows everybody else. They know what time you get up, what time you go to bed and what you have for dinner. If you want help, you will always get it and you will be glad to help others.In a large town like London, however, it can sometimes happen that you have never seen your next door neighbor and you do not know his name or anything about him. People in London are often very lonely. This is because people go to different places in the evenings and at weekends. If you walk through the streets in the centre of London on Sunday, it is like a town without people. One is sorry for old people living on their own. They could die in their homes and would not be discovered for weeks or even months.Passage 2A Change in Women's LifeThe important change in women's life-pattern has only recently begun to have its full effect on women's economic 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 relation-ship in marriage with the husband accepting a great 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 interest of each of them.Passage 3A Popular Pastime of the English PeopleOne of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what they do with their non-working time.Most English men, women and children love growing things, especially flowers. Visitors to England in spring, summer, or autumn are likely to see gardens all the way along the railway lines. There are flowers at the airports and flowers in factory grounds, as well as in gardens along the roads. Each English town has at least one park with beautifully kept flower beds. Public buildings of every kind have brilliant window boxes and sometimes baskets of flowers are hanging on them.But what the English enjoy most is growing things themselves. If it is impossible to have a garden, then a window box or something growing in a pot will do. Looking at each other's gardens is a popular pastime with the English.British 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 almost 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.Passage 5Living SpaceHow much living space does a person need? What happens when his space needs are not met? Scientists are doing experiments on rats to try to determine the effects of overcrowded conditions on man. Recent studies have shown that the behaviour 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 behaviour 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 rots, population and violence are directly related. Is this a natural law for human society as well? Is enough space not only satisfactory, but necessary for human survival? These are interesting questions. (147 words)Passage 6The United NationsIn 1945, representatives of 50 nations met to plan this organization. It was called the United Nations. After the war, many more nations joined.There are two major parts of the United Nations. One is called the General Assembly. In the General Assembly, every member nation is represented and has an equal vote.The second part is called the Security Council. It has representatives of just 15 nations. Five nations are permanent members: the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and China. The 10 other members are elected every two years by the General Assembly.The major job of the Security Council is to keep peace in the world. If necessary, it can send troops from member nations to try to stop little wars before they turn into big ones.It is hard to get the nations of the Security Council to agree on when this is necessary. But they did vote to try to stop wars. (156 words)Passage 7We use plastic wrap to protect our foods. We put our garbage in plastic bags or plastic cans. We sit on plastic chairs, play with plastic toys, drink from plastic cups, and wash our hair with shampoo from plastic bottles!Plastic does not grow in nature. It is made by mixing certain things together. We call it a produced or manufactured material. Plastic was first made in the 1860s from plants, such as wood and cotton. That plastic was soft and burned easily.The first modem plastics were made in the 1930s. Most clear plastic starts out as thick, black oil. That plastic coating inside a pan begins as natural gas.Over the years, hundreds of different plastics have been developed. Some are hard and strong. Some are soft and bendable. Some are clear. Some are rarely-colored. There is a plastic for almost every need. Scientists continue to experiment with plastics. They hope to find even ways to use them! (150 words )Passage 8Display of GoodsAre supermarkets designed to persuade us to buy more?Fresh fruit and vegetables are displayed near supermarket entrances. This gives the impression that only healthy food is sold in the shop. Basic foods that everyone buys, like sugar and tea, are not put near each other. They are kept in different aisles so customers are taken past other attractive foods before they find what they want. In this way, shoppers are encouraged to buy products that they do not really need.Sweets are often placed at children's eye level at the checkout. While parents are waiting to pay, children reach for the sweets and put them in the trolley.More is bought from a fifteen-foot display of one type of product than from a ten-foot one. Customers also buy more when shelves are full than when they are half empty. They do not like to buy from shelves with few products on them because they feel there is something wrong with those products that are there. (166 words)Passage 9Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879. His father owned a factory that made electrical devices. His mother enjoyed music and books. His parents were Jewish but they did not observe many of the religion's rules. Albert was a quiet child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty learning to read. When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass. The child was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction--to the north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers about magnetism and gravity were difficult for the boy to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something hidden had to be behind things. (143 words)Passage10Private CarsWith the increase in the general standard of living, some ordinary Chinese families begin to afford a car. Yet opinions of the development of a private car vary from person to person.It gives a much greater degree of comfort and mobility. The owner of a car is no longer forced to rely on public transport, and hence no irritation caused by waiting for buses or taxis. However, others strongly object to developing private cars. They maintain that as more and more cars are produced and run in the street, a large volume of poisonous gas will be given off, polluting the atmosphere and causing actual harm to the health of people.Whether private cars should be developed in China is a difficult question to answer, yet the desire for the comfort and independence a private car can bring will not be eliminated. (143 words)Passage 11A Henpecked Husband and His WifeThere was once a large, fat woman who had a small, thin husband. He had a job in a big company and was given his weekly wages every Friday evening. As soon as he got home on Fridays, his wife used to make him give her all his money, and then she used to give him back only enough to buy his lunch in his company every day.One day, the small man came home very excited. He hunted into the living-room. His wife was listening to the radio and eating chocolates there."You will never guess what happened to me today, dear," he said.He waited for a few seconds and then added, "I won ten thousand dollars on the lottery!""That is wonderful" said his wife delightedly. But then she pulled a long face and added angrily, "But how could you afford to buy the ticket?" (148 words)Passage 12A Young Man's PromiseOne day a young man was writing a letter to his girl friend who lived just a few miles away in a nearby town. He was telling her how much he loved her and how wonderful he thought she was. The more he wrote, the more poetic he became. Finally, he said that in order to be with her he would suffer the greatest difficulties, he would face the greatest dangers that anyone could imagine. In fact, to spend only one minute with her, he would swim across the widest river, he would enter the deepest forest, and he would fight against the fiercest animals with his bare hands.He finished the letter, signed his name, and then suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to mention something quite important. So, in a postscript below his name, he added: "By the way, I'll be over to see you on Wednesday night, if it doesn't rain."(154 words)Passage13A Kind NeighborMr. and Mrs. Jones' apartment was full of luggage, packages, furniture and boxes. Both of them were very busy when they heard the doorbell ring. Mrs. Jones went to open it and she saw a middle-aged lady outside. The lady said she lived next door. Mrs. Jones invited her to come in andapologized because there was no place for her to sit. "Oh, that's OK," said the lady. "I just come to welcome you to your new home. As you know, in some parts of this city neighbors are not friendly at all. There are some apartment houses where people don't know any of their neighbors, not even the ones next door. But in this building everyone is very friendly with everyone else. We are like one big happy family. I' m sure you'll be very happy here." Mr. and Mrs. Jones said, "But madam, we are not new dwellers in this apartment. We've lived here for two years. We're moving out tomorrow. "(163 words)Passage14That Isn't Our FaultMr. and Mrs. Williams got married when he was twenty-three, and she was twenty--three. Twenty-five years later, they had a big party, and a photographer came and took some photographs of them.Then the photographer gave Mrs. Williams a card and said, "They'll be ready next Wednesday. You can get them from studio.""No," Mrs. Williams said, "please send them to us.”The photographs arrived a week later, but Mrs. Williams was not happy when she saw them. She got into her car and drove to the photographer's studio. She went inside and said angrily, "You took some photographs of me and my husband last week, but I' m not going to pay for them.""Oh, why not?" the photographer asked."Because my husband looks like a monkey," Mrs. Williams said."Well," the photographer answered, "that isn't our fault. Why didn't you think of that before you married him?" (148 words)Passage 1 5A Guide's AnswerIn 1861, the Civil War started in the United States between the Northern and the Southern states. The war continued with great bitterness until 1865, when the Northerners were victorious. However, even today, many Southerners have not forgotten their defeat, or forgiven the Northerners.A few years ago, a party of American tourists were going round one of the battlefields of the Civil War with a guide who came from one of the Southern states. At each place, the guide told the tourists stir- ring stories about how a few Southern soldiers had conquered powerful forces of Northerners there.At last, one of the tourists, a lady who came from the North, stopped the guide and said to him, "But surely the Northern army must have won at least one victory in the Civil War?""Not as long as I'm the guide here, madam," answered the Southern guide. (147 words)Passage 1 6A Qualified PilotThe captain of a small ship had to go along a rocky coast, but he was unfamiliar with it, so he tried to find a qualified pilot to guide him. He went ashore in one of the small ports, and a local fisherman pretended that he was a pilot because he needed some money. The captain took him onboard and asked him where to steer the ship.After half an hour the captain began to suspect that the fisherman did not really know what he was doing and where he was going."Are you sure you are a qualified pilot?" he asked."Oh, yes," answered the fisherman. "I know every rock on this part of the coast."Suddenly there was a terrible crash from under the ship. At once the fisherman added, "And that's one of them." (138 words)Passage 1 7Living Things ReactYou and all organisms live in an environment. An environment is made up of everything that surrounds an organism. It can include the air, the water, the soil, and even other organisms.An organism responds to changes in its environment. When an organism responds to a change, it reacts in certain ways. All living things respond in some way.Have you ever noticed how plants and insects respond to light? Plants bend toward light. Insects fly toward light.Living things also respond in other ways. The leaves on some trees respond to a change in season. In autumn, they change colors and then fall off the branches. Animals also respond to a change in season. Squirrels save nuts for the winter. Bears sleep through the winter in a cave.You respond to your environment in many ways, too. You may shiver ff you are cold. What other ways do you respond to changes in your environment? ( 156 words )Passage18Flowering PlantsWhat are the parts of a flower?Flowers can have male parts and female parts. The female parts make eggs that become seeds. The male parts make pollen. Pollen is a powdery material that is needed by the eggs to make seeds. To make seeds, pollen and eggs must come together. The wind, insects, and birds bring pollen to eggs. Many animals love flowers' bright colors. They also like a sugary liquid in flowers. This is called nectar. While they drink nectar, pollen rubs off on their bodies. As they move, some of this pollen gets delivered to the female flower parts.Over time, the female parts turn into fruits that contain seeds. Animals often eat the fruits and the seeds pass through their bodies as waste. The animals do not know they are working for the plants by planting seeds as they travel to different places! (147 words)Passage 19Finding the Direction and LocationHow can you tell which direction? By day, look for the Sun. It is in the east in the morning and the west in the afternoon. At night, use the Big Dipper to help you find the North Star. It would be better to bring a compass because its needle always points north.How do you know how far you have gone? You could count every step. Each step is about two feet. You'd better wear a pedometer which is a tool that counts steps. If you know where you started, which direction you are heading, and how far you have gone, you can use a good map tofigure out exactly where you are.Today there is a new way for travelers to figure out where they are. It is the GPS. It has 24 satellites that orbit the earth and constantly broadcast their positions. Someday you may carry a small receiver as you hike and use GPS to find out if you are there yet! (167 words)Passage 20WavesHow does light get from the sun to the earth? How does music get from the stage to the audience? They move the same way--in waves!Light and sound are forms of energy. All waves carry energy, but they may carry it differently. Light and sound travel through different kinds of matter. For example, light waves cannot move through walls, but sound waves can. That is why you can hear people talking in another room even though you cannot see them. The energy of some waves is destructive. An earthquake produces seismic waves.Catch a wave. Ask a friend to stand a few feet away from you. Stretch a spring between you. Shake the spring to transfer energy to it. What happens? The spring bounces up and down in waves. When the waves reach your friend, they bounce back to you!Light waves travel 300,000 kilometers (185,000 miles) per second! They can also travel through a vacuum. That is why light from the sun and distant stars can travel through space to the earth! (175 words)Passage 21SoilsThere are many different kinds of soils. Different soils have different types of rock and minerals in them. Some soils have more water in them than others. Some soils might have more plant and animal material in them, too.Different kinds of soils are found in different parts of the world. There are several kinds of soils found in the United States. In some areas, the soil has a lot of clay. Other soils are very sandy. Loam is a kind of soil that has a good mixture of clay and sand.In some places, soft layers are very thick. Lots of plants grow in places with a thick soil layer. In dry and windy places soft layers are much thinner. Layers of soft on mountains are thin because gravity pulls the soil downhill.The type of soft in a particular place affects what kinds of plants can grow there. (150 words)Passage22CrisisLife is a contest! Who will win? A bluebird and sparrow both compete for space to build their nests. A fast-growing maple tree and slower-growing dogwood compete for the sunlight they both need. Oil competes with coal and nuclear power as an energy source for electric power plants.There is a problem. There is a limited amount of space for birds, sunlight for trees, and energy for people! If we do not cut back on our uses of some of our resources, someday they will be gone!How can we use energy today and know we will have enough to go around in the future? We can choose alternate, or replacement, energy resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable. What other ways can we conserve our resources? How can we make sure there is always enough to go around? (159 words)Passage 23America's Worst SurpriseDecember 7, 1941 was one of the worst days in American history. Nearly all Americans who are old enough to remember that day can still remember what they were doing at the moment they heard "the news". The news was that America had been attacked!Shoddy before 2:00 P.M., a radio dispatch came into Washington from Honolulu, Hawaii. "Air Raid, Pearl Harbor--This is no drill." Japanese planes had begun an attack on the largest American military base in the Pacific. They first destroyed planes on the ground. Then they bombed the ships in the harbor.No one had expected the attack. So no one was prepared for it. And it did not take long for the Japanese to do their damage. When the smoke cleared, the Navy counted its losses. Eighteen ships had been sunk or badly damaged. Nearly 150 planes had been destroyed. More than 2,400 Americans had been killed and more than 1, 200 wounded. (157 words)Passage 24Great Depression in the U.S.In 1929, the bills started to come in. American industry had produced too many goods. Americans could not afford to buy all of them. So factories had to cut down on their production. Many workers lost their jobs. Investors tried to get their money back. But businesses did not have enough money to pay them. Banks tried to get their money back from investors. But the investors could not pay, either. Too many people owed money. And few of them could pay their bills.During the next few years, business got worse and worse. By 1932, banks all over the country were dosing.People without money could not buy goods. So more businesses dosed. More and more people lost their jobs. By 1932, more than 12 million Americans were jobless. Millions more were earning barely enough to live on. The country was in a great depression they had never experienced before. (151 words)Passage 25A Place of Our OwnWe are all usually very careful when we buy something for the house. Why? Because we have to live with it for a long time. We paint a room to make it brighter, so we choose the colours carefully.We buy new curtains in order to match the newly decorated room, so they must be the rightcolour. We move the furniture round so as to make more space-- or we buy new furniture---and so on. It is an endless business.Rich or poor, we take time to furnish a room. Perhaps some people buy furniture in order to impress their friends. But most of us just want to enjoy our surroundings. We want to live as comfortably as we can afford to. We spend a large part of our lives at home. We want to make a small comer in the world which we can recognize as our own. (151 words)Passage 26Travel for Work (149 words)You can see them in every airport in the world. They axe businessmen and women who have to travel for their work. When they first applied for the job, they may have thought of good food and hotels, huge expense accounts and fashionable cities. Now they have to sit in airport lounges, tired and uncomfortable in their smart clothes, listening to the loudspeaker announce "The flight to Tokyo, or Berlin, or New York is delayed for another two hours". Some people say to me, "How lucky you are to be able to travel abroad in your work! You can go sightseeing without paying any money by yourself!”They think that my job is like a continual holiday. It is not. There are advantages, of course, and I do think I am lucky, but only because I can go to places I would never visit ff I was a tourist.Passage 27Intelligence (154 words)Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus, the limits of a person's intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, held by most experts now, can be supported in a number of ways. As is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people is, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence.Passage 28A Free Dress Every Week (148 words)The temptation to steal is greater than ever before especially in large shops and people are not so honest as they once were. A detective recently watched a well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings. One Monday, there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman came in, so it was easier for the detective to watch her. The woman first bought a few small articles. After a little time, she chose one of the most expensive dresses in the shop and handed it to an assistant who wrapped it up for her as quickly as possible. The woman simply took the parcel and walked out of the shop without paying. When she was arrested, the detective found out that the shop assistant was her daughter. Believe it or not, the girl "gave" her mother a free dress every week!Passage 29Time (157 words)Time is tangible. One can gain time, spend time, waste time, save time, or even kill time. Common questions in American English reveal this concrete quality as though time were a possession. "Do you have any time?", "Can you get some time for this?", "How much free time do you have?" The treatment of time as a possession influences the way that time is carefully divided. Generally, Americans are taught to do one thing at a time and may be uncomfortable when an activity is interrupted. In businesses, the careful scheduling of time and the separation of activities are common practices. Appointment calendars are printed with 15-, 30-, and 50-minute time slots. The idea that "there is a time and place for everything" extends to American social life. Visitors who drop by without prior notice may interrupt their host' s personal time. Thus, calling friends on the telephone before visiting them is generally preferred to visitors' dropping by.Passage 30Cartoonists (144 words)In a good cartoon, the artist can tell in a few lines as much as a writer can tell in half a dozen paragraphs. The cartoonist not only tells a story but he also tries to persuade the reader to his way of thinking. He has great influence on public opinion. In a political campaign, he plays an important part. Controversial issues in Congress or at meetings of the United Nations may keep the cartoonist well-supplied with current materials. A clever cartoonist may cause laughter because he often uses humour in his drawings. If he is sketching famous person, he takes a prominent feature and exaggerates it. Cartoonists, for instance, like to lengthen an already long nose and to widen an already broad grin. This exaggeration of a person's characteristics is called caricature. The artist uses such exoneration to put his message across.Passage 31Water Pollution (161 words)Water is very important to us. Factories and plants need water for industrial uses and large pieces of farmland need it for irrigation. Without water to drink, people die in a short time. Today most water sources are so dirty that people must purify water before drinking. Water becomes dirty in many ways: industrial pollution is one of them. With the development of industry, plants and factories pour tons of industrial wastes into rivers every day. The rivers have become seriously polluted, and the water is becoming unfit for drinking or irrigation. The same thing has also happened to our seas and oceans. So, the problem of water pollution is almost worldwide. Scientists of many countries have done a lot of work to stop pollution. The polluted water in some places has become clean and drinkable again. Perhaps one day the people in all towns and cities will be drinking clean water. That day, we believe, is not very far off.Passage 32Making a Complaint (164 words)Complaining about faulty goods or bad service is never easy. But if something you have bought is faulty or does not do what was claimed for it, you are not asking for a favour to get it put right. Complaints should be made to a responsible person. Go back to the shop where you bought。
英语专业四级听写50篇练习原文
50ReadingNowadays few of us read books after we leave school.This is rather disturbing, for one should know that books are no less necessary to one’s mental life than fresh air is to one’s physical life. From good reading we can derive companionship, experience and instruction. A good book is our faithful friend. It can increase our contentment when we are cheerful and happy, and lessen our pain when we are sad or lonely. Books can also offer us a wide range of experience. Few of us can travel far from home or live long over 100, but all of us can live many lives through the pages of books. What’s more, reading books can increase our intellectual ability, broaden our minds and make us wise.With the coming of TV, books are no longer read as widely as they once were. However, nothing can replace the role that books play in our lives.Useful words and expressions:1. leave school 离校，中学毕业2. disturbing 烦扰的3. mental 精神的4. derive 得到5. companionship 伴侣6. intellectual 智力的49Natural ResourcesThrough the changes in the ways of making a living in a family over several generations, the cartoon aims at sounding a warning against ma n’s wasteful use of natural resources and emphasizing the urgent need to preserve these resources.Ever since man appeared on the earth, man’s survival has been heavily dependent on nature. Almost everything we use in our everyday life comes from nature, ranging from the food we eat, the water we drink, to the wood which is turned into furniture. With the development of technology and population growth, the amount and range of materials used has increased at an alarming rate.However, natural resources are not inexhaustible. Some reserves are already on the brink of exhaustion and there is no hope of replacing them. The widespread water shortage is an example in point. If man continued to squander natural resources with no thought for the future, the whole world would be in a mess.Useful Words and Expressions:1. make a living 谋生2. aim at 瞄准3. aim high 胸怀大志4. alarming使人惊动的5. inexhaustible 无穷无尽的6. squander 浪费7. be in a mess 乱七八糟48Population GrowthIt is well-known that there has been a drastic increase in world population. But it is probably les well-known that the extinction rate of wildlife species is experiencing a parallel trend.Take the United States for instance. In 1990, U.S. population reached an unprecedented level of 250 million, which is approximately 250 times of that of 1800. On the other hand, wildlife species are disappearing from the country at an alarming rate. By 1990, about 70 wildlife species would never be seen in U.S. We are fully justified in declaring that the explosive population growth has had an adverse effect on the survival of wildlife species and will be a constant threat to the wildlife resources if no immediate actions are taken.Nothing has ever equaled the magnitude and speed with which the human species is altering the physical and chemical world. It has been demolishing the environment we are living in.Useful words and expressions:1. drastic 激烈的2. parallel 平行的3. trend 倾向4. unprecedented 空前的5. magnitude 大小，数量6. alter 改变7. demolish 毁坏47House and Home“House” and “home” are two words that have similar meanings.“House” and “home” both refer to places where people live. However, there is a difference between them. “Home” is often referred to as the place that we live in with our families. Sadly, in our society, people can hardly distinguish a home from a house because they often see nodifference between them. This confusion can be traced back to the indifference between family members. Therefore, we can say that love is an important factor in a home. A home is a shelter, not only for our bodies but also for our minds. Whenever we are depressed, we can go home for comfort. Everyone in the family will do his best to take care of each other and share their happiness as well as sorrow. Without love, a home is merely a house where loneliness is all that can be found. And a house can never be a home unless there is love.Useful words and expressions:1. refer to 提到2. distinguish区别，辨别3. confusion 混乱，混淆4. trace back 追溯到5. indifference 不关心6. depressed 沮丧的46AutomobilesIt is impossible to say that any one man invented the automobile. Many individuals living and working in different countries and at different times contributed to its development. Many of the discoveries that went into the creation of the automobile were small in themselves. But together they were important. Here are two examples.“Carriage is running at a speed of 8 to 9 miles an hour.” It was almost unheard of in those days. According to automobile historians, this was the first practical use of mechanical power to move a vehicle. After its first run, the machine reportedly burned up while the inventor and his friends were celebrating its success at a pub.Henry Ford is considered the father of modern automobiles mass production. His famous Model-T car, because of its low price, made it possible to produce cars on a large scale and his efforts made it accessible to ordinary people.Useful words and expressions:1. reportedly 据传说，据传闻2. mass production大规模生产3. on a large scale 大规模地4. accessible 易接近的，可到达的accessible to 与……接近45.The Influence of LifeIn the early times when human beings hunted and gathered food, they were not in control of their environment. They could only interact with their surroundings as the other lower animals did. When they learned to make fire, however, they became capable of altering their environment. To provide themselves with fuel, they cut down trees. They also burned clearings in forests to increase the growth of grass and to provide a greater grazing area for the wild animals that human beings fed upon. This development led to farming and the domestication of animals. Fire provided the means for cooking plants which had previously been inedible. Only when the process of meeting the basic need for food reached a certain level was it possible for humans to follow other pursuits such as setting up families, forming societies and founding cities.Useful words and Expressions:1. interact with 与……组合2. clearing 空旷地3. grazing 放牧，牧草4. domestication 驯养，驯服5. previously 先前，以前6. inedible 不能吃的，不适于食用的7. pursuit 追击8. set up 设立44Gardening in AmericaBelieve or not, 43,000,000 Americans are gardening. That is about one in six. Gardeners, of course, come in many varieties. Not surprisingly, most of them are people who live in the suburbs, and enjoy planting flowers, or maybe a small vegetables garden.The average age of gardeners in America is about 45 years old; they usually fall somewhere in the middle class. But the fastest growing groups are city dwellers. Urban residents are finding ways of gardening even in their crowded areas. Many go to large public gardens, as a place designed by the city for garden, and you can actually ranch your own plot.Still other people use their balconies or roof tops, wherever they can find the space to plant small patches of green.Useful Words and Expressions:1. suburb 郊区2. dweller 居民3. ranch 经营牧场4. balcony 阳台5. patch小块地43Our ConcernThe history of life on earth has been a history of interaction between living things and their surroundings. To a large extent, the physical form and the habits of the earth’s vegetation and its animal life have been molded by the environment. Only in the present century has one species of man acquired significant power to alter the nature of his world.The rapidity of change follows the pace of man rather than the pace of nature. Radiation is now the unnatural creation of man’s tampering with the atom. The chemicals are the creations of man’s inventive mind, having no counterparts in nature.We have put poisonous and biologically potent chemicals into the hands of persons largely ignorant of their potentials for harm. We have subjected enormous numbers of people to contact with these enormous numbers of people to contact with these poisons, without their consent and often without their knowledge. We have allowed these chemicals to be used with little or no advance investigation of their effect. Future generations are unlikely to forgive our lack of concern.Useful Words and Expressions:1. interaction 交互作用，交感2. vegetation 植被3. mold 塑造，浇铸4. species 种类5. unnatural 不自然的6. temper with 损害，影响7. counterpart 配对物8. poisonous 有毒的9. potent 有力的，有效的10. consent 同意，赞成42SleepWhy is it so difficult to fall asleep when you are overtired? There is no one answer that applies to every individual. It is possible to feel “tired” physically and still be unable to fall asleep, because while your body may be exhausted, you do n ot feel sleepy. It is not so easy to simply “turn off”. Lack of sleep complicates matters even more. Experts say adults need at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night to function properly. When you get less sleep than that on consecutive three nights, you begin to accrue four “sleep debt”. As sleep debt increases your body experiences a stress response. Now a vicious cycle has been created: Y ou experience the feeling of being more and more tired, but your body is increasingly stimulated. “Power sleeping” for more hours on weekends is only a temporary solution. There is no substitute for getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis.Useful Words and Expressions:1. overtire 使过度疲劳2. apply to 将……应用于3. consecutive 连续的，连贯的4. accrue 自然增加，产生5. vicious恶的vicious cycle 恶性循环6. stimulate 刺激，激励7. substitute for 代替……，替换……41Apology HelpsIt is never easy to admit you are in the wrong. Being human, we all need to know the art of apologizing. Look back with honesty and think how often you have judged roughly, you said unkind things, and pushed yourself ahead at the expense of a friend. Then count the occasions when you indicated clearly and truly that you were so sorry. A bit f rightening, isn’t it? It is frightening, isn’t it? It is frightening because some deep wisdom in us knows that when even a small wrong has been committed, some mysterious moral feeling is disturbed; and it stays out of balance until fault is acknowledged and regret expressed.A heartfelt apology can not only heal a damaged relationship but also make it stronger. If you can think of someone who deserves an apology from you, someone you have wronged, or judged too roughly, or just neglected, do something about it right now.Useful Words and Expressions:1. push ahead 捉紧进行2. at the expense of 在损害……的情况下3. mysterious神秘的4. moral 道德的5. disturbed 扰乱的6. stay out of 不参与……，置身于……之外7. heartfelt 衷心的，真心真意的8. roughly粗糙地，概略地40.How High Can Y ou Jump?Fleas trainers have observed a strange habit of fleas while training them.Fleas are trained by putting them in a cardboard box with a top on it. The fleas will jump up and hit the top of the cardboard box over and over and over again. As you watch them jump and hit the lid, something very interesting becomes obvious. The fleas continue to jump, but they are no longer jumping high enough to hit the top.When you take off the lid, the fleas continue to jump, but they will not jump out of the box. They will not jump out because they cannot jump out. Why? The reason is simple. They have conditioned themselves to jump just so high. Once they have conditioned themselves to jump just so high. Once they have conditioned themselves to jump just so high, that is all they can do! Many times, people do the same thing. They restrict themselves and never reach their potential. Just like the fleas, they fail to jump higher, thinking they are doing al they can do.Useful Words and Expressions:1. cardboard 纸板2. lid 盖子3. conditioned 有条件的，习惯于……的4. restrict 限制，约束be restricted within narrow limits 限于狭窄的范围内be restricted in one’s movements 行动受限制39.Don’t give upIf we would ever accomplish anything in life, let us not forget that we must persevere. If we would learn our lessons in school, we must be diligent and not give up whenever we come to anything difficult. We shall find many of our lessons very hard, but let us consider that the harder they are the better they will do to us if we will preserve and learn them thoroughly.But there are some among us who are ready to give up when they come to a hard example inmathematics, and say, “I can’t do this.” They never will if they feel so. “I can’t” never does anything worthwhile, but “I’ll try” accomplishes wonders.Let us remember that we shall meet with difficulties all through life. They are in the pathway of everyone. If we will only try and keep trying, we shall be sure to conquer and overcome very difficulty we meet.38“How to” BooksBooks which give instructions on how to do things are popular in the United States today. Thousands of these “how to” books are available. In fact, there are about for thousand books with titles that begin with the words “how to’.Many “how to” books give advice on careers. They tell you how to choose a career and how to succeed in it. Many of these books help people to use their free time better. Some people want book which will give them useful information about sports, hobbies and travel. Other people us e their free time to make repairs and improvements on their homes. They prefer books which give step-by-step instructions on how to repair things like plumbing and electrical wiring or on how to redecorate or enlarge a house.Why have “how to” books become so popular? Probably because life has become more complex. Today people have far more free to use, more choices to make, and more problems to solve, “how to” books help people to deal with modern life.Useful words and Expressions:1. step-by-step 按部就班的2. redecorate 重新装饰，再装饰3. complex 复杂的，综合的37.Professioanl Sports in the U.S.Professional sports are not only very popular in the United States, but also a big business. The most popular sports are baseball, football and basketball. Each sport has its own season and individual teams have millions of supporters. Professional teams are named for the cities where they are located. For example, the Lakers are in Los Angeles. The strongest supporters of the Lakers are residents of Los Angeles and Southern California. When the Lakers play, many people in Los Angeles enthusiastically follow the game. When we mention “NBA”, almost every one knows it ahs some relationship with U.S. professional basketball. However, what does it reallystand for? N.B.A is gaining new fans and supporters around the world. Basketball has been called the “national pastime”. However, football is the most popular professional sport in the U.S.. American football is different from international football, which Americans call “soccer”.Both games require strength and specialized skills.Useful Words and Expressions:1. be named for 被指定为2. be short for 是……的简称3. stand for代表36.ArtistsEvery artist knows in his heart that he is saying something to the public. Not only does he want to say it well, but he wants it to be something which has not been said before.What visual artists, like painters, want to say is easy to make out but difficult to explain, because painters translate their experiences into shapes and colors, not words. They seem to feel that a certain selection of shapes and colors, out of the countless billions of possible, is exceptionally interesting for them and worth showing to us.Most artists take their shapes and colors from the world of nature and from human bodies in motion and response; their choices indicate that these aspects of the world are worth looking at, that they contain beautiful sights. Contemporary artists might say that they merely choose subjects that provide an interesting pattern, that there is nothing more in it. Y et even they do not choose entirely without reference to the character of their subjects.Useful words and Expressions:1. visual artist 视觉艺术家2. selection 挑选，选择3. exceptional 例外的，异常的4. motion 运动，动作5. indicate显示，象征6. contemporary 当代的，同时代的7. without reference to 不论，与……无关34Will Computers Replace Human Beings?We are in the computer age today. The computers are working all kinds of wonders now. They are very useful in automatic control and data processing. At the same time, computers are finding their way into the home. They seem to be so clever and can solve such complicated problems that some people think sooner or later they will replace us.But I do not think that there is such a possibility. My reason is very simple: computers are machines, not humans. And our tasks are far too various and complicated for any one single kind of machine to perform.Probably the greatest difference between man and computer is that the former can do things of his own while the latter can do nothing without being programmed. In my opinion, computers will remain nothing but an extension of our human brains, no matter how clever and complicated they may become.33.Where Do the British LiveNearly everyone in Britain would like to own their own home and, whether they do or not, they are prepared to put time and money into decorating and furnishing it or even making structural alterations to it. Because of the climate and because of the expense involved in going out for the evening, the British spend a lot of time at home and a large part of their social life takes place there.Y oung people tend to stay with their families longer these days as accommodation is expensive but, when they move away to a job or college, there are various options open to them. They can get lodgings with a landlady. This means that they rent a room in someone’s house and have breakfast with the family. They can also get a bed-sitting room, that is to say one self-contained room in which they can cook, live and sleep. Alternatively, they can share a rented flat or house with a group of young people, perhaps the most popular option of all.Useful Words and Expressions:1. lodging 寄宿处2. bedsit 卧室兼起居室3. bed-sitting 卧室兼起居室的4. self-contained 设备齐全的32.Making a ComplaintComplaining about faulty goods or bad services is never easy. But if something you have brought is faulty or does not do what was claimed for it, you are not asking for a favor to get it put right. Complaints should be made to a responsible person. Go back to the shop where you bought the goods, taking with you any receipt you may have. In a small store the assistant may also be the owner so you can complain direct. In a chain store, ask the manager. If you telephone, ask the name of the person who handles your enquiry, otherwise you may never find out who dealt with the complaint later. If you do not want to do it in person, write a letter. Stick to the facts and keep a copy of what you write. At this stage you should give any receipt numbers, but you should not need to give receipts or other papers to prove you bought the article.31.Water PollutionWater is very important to us. Factories and plants need water for industrial uses and large pieces of farmland need it for irrigation. Without water to drink, people die in a short time.Today most water sources are so dirty that people must purify water before drinking. Water becomes dirty in many ways: industrial pollution is one of them. With the development of industry, plants and factories pour tons of industrial wasters into rivers every day. The rivers have become seriously polluted, and the water is becoming unfit for drinking or irrigation. The same thing has also happened to our seas and oceans. So, the problem of water pollution is almost worldwide. Scientists of many countries have done a lot of work to stop pollution. The polluted water in some places has become clean and drinkable again. Perhaps one day the people in all towns and cities will be drinking clean water. That day, we believe, is not very far off.30.CartoonistsIn a good cartoon, the artist can tell in a few lines as much as a writer can tell in half a dozen paragraphs. The cartoonist not only tells a story but he also tries to persuade the reader to his way of thinking. He has great influence on public opinion. In a political campaign, he plays an important part. Controversial issues in Congress or at meetings of the United Nations may keep the cartoonist well-supplied with current materials.A clever cartoonist may cause laughter because he often uses humor in his drawings. If he is sketching a famous person, he takes a prominent feature and exaggerates it. Cartoonists, for instance, like to lengthen an already long nose and to widen an already broad grin. Thisexaggeration of a person’s characteristics is called caricature. The artist uses such exaggeration to put his message across.Useful Words and Expressions:1. cartoonist 漫画家2. campaign 活动3. controversial 争论的，争议的4. sketch 素描5. prominent 卓越的6. exaggerate 夸张7. lengthen 延长8. grin 露齿笑29TimeTime is tangible. One can gain time, spend time, waste time, save time, or even kill time. Common questions in Amer ican English reveal this concrete quality as though time were a possession. “Do you have any time?”, “Can you get some time for this?”, “How much free time do you have?” The treatment of time as a possession influences the way that time is carefully divided.Generally, Americans are taught to do one thing at a time and may be uncomfortable when an activity is interrupted. In businesses, the careful scheduling of time and the separation of activities are common practices. Appointment calendars are printed with 15-,30-, and 60-minute time slots. The idea that “there is a time and place for everything” extends to American social life. Visitors who drop by without prior notice may interrupt their host’s personal time. Thus, calling friends on the telephone befor e visiting them is generally preferred to visitors’ dropping by.Useful words and expressions:1. tangible 切实的2. kill time 消磨时间3. reveal 显示，揭示4. scheduling 行程安排5. slot 缝隙6. drop by 随便访问7. preferred 首选的28A Free Dress Every WeekThe temptation to steal is greater than ever before especially in large shops and people are not sohonest as they once were.A detective recently watched a well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings. One Monday, there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman came in, so it was easier for the detective to watch her. The woman first bought a few small articles. After a little time, she chose one of the most expensive dresses in the shop and handed it to an assistant who wrapped it up for her as quickly as possible. The woman simply took the parcel and walked out of the shop without paying. When she was arrested, the detective found out that the shop assistant was her daughter. Believe it or not, the girl “gave” her mother a free dress every week!27IntelligenceAre some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience?Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus, the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, held by most experts now, can be supported in a number of ways. As is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people is, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence.26Travel for WorkY ou can see them in every airport in the world. They are businessmen and women who have to travel for their work.When they first applied for the job, they may have thought of good food and hotels, huge expense accounts and fashionable cities. Now they have to sit in airport lounges, tired and uncomfortable in their smart clothes, listening to the loudspeaker announce “The fight of Tokyo, or Berlin, or New Y ork is delayed for another two hou rs.” Some people say to me, “How lucky you are to be able to travel abroad in your work! Y ou can go sightseeing without paying any money byyourself!” They think that my job is like a continual holiday. It is not.There are advantages, of course, and I do thin I am lucky, but only because I can go to places I would never visit if I was a tourist.25A Place of Our OwnWe are all usually very careful when we buy something for the house. Why? Because we have to live with it for a long time. We paint a room to make it brighter, so we choose the colors carefully.We buy new curtains in order to match the newly decorated room, so they must be the right color. We move the furniture round so as to make more space—or we buy new furniture—and so on. It is an endless business.Rich or poor, we take time to furnish a room. Perhaps some people buy furniture in order to impress their friends. But most of us just want to enjoy our surroundings. We want to live as comfortably as we can afford to. We spend a large part of our lives at home. We want to make a small corner in the world which we can recognize as our own.24.Great Depression in the U.S.In 1929, the bills started to come in. American industry had produced too many goods. Americans could not afford to buy all of them. So factories had to cut down on their production. Many workers lost their jobs. Investors tried to get their money back. But businesses did not have enough money to pay them. Banks tried to get their money back from investors. But the investors could not pay, either. Too many people owed money. And few of them could pay their bills. During the next few years, business got worse and worse. By 1932, banks all over the country were closing.People without money could not buy goods. So more businesses closed. More and more people lost their jobs. By 1932, more than 12 million Americans were jobless. Millions more were earning barely enough to live on. The country was in a great depression they had never experienced before.Useful Words and Expressions:1. bill 帐单，票据foot the bill付账，负责2. cut down on 减少3. depression 沮丧，萧条Great Depression大萧条23America’s Worst SurpriseDecember 7, 1941 was one of the worst days in American history. Nearly all Americans who are old enough to remember that day can still remember what they were doing at the moment they heard “the news”. The news was that America had been attacked!Shortly before 2:00 P.M., a radio dispatch came into Washington from Honolulu, Hawaii. “Air Raid, Pearl Harbor—This is no d rill.” Japanese planes had begun an attack on the largest American military base in the Pacific. They first destroyed planes on the ground. Then they bombed the ships in the harbor.No one had expected the attack. So no one was prepared for it. And it did not take long for Japanese to do their damage. When the smoke cleared, the Navy counted its losses. Eighteen ships had been sunk or badly damaged. Nearly 150 planes had been destroyed. More than 2,400 Americans had been killed and more than 1,200 wounded.Useful Words and Expressions:1. dispatch 派遣，急件2. air raid 空袭3. drill 军事训练，操练4. Pearl Harbor 珍珠港22．CrisisLife is a contest! Who will win? A bluebird and sparrow both compete for space to build their nests. A fast-growing maple tree and slower-growing dogwood compete for the sunlight they both need. Oil competes with coal and nuclear power as an energy source for electric power plants! There is a problem. There is a limited amount of space for birds, sunlight for trees, and energy for people! If we do not cut back on our uses of some of our resources, someday they will be gone! How can we use energy today and know we will have enough to go around in the future? We can choose alternate, or replacement, energy resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.。
专四英语听力听写后50篇听力原文
9 Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879, His father owned a factorythat made electrical devices、His mother enjoyed music and books、His parents were Jewish but they did not observe many of the religion’s rules、Albert was a quite child who spent much of his time alone、He was slowto talk and had difficulty learning to read、When Albert was five yearsold, his father gave him a compass、The child was filled with wonder whenhe discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction—to be north、He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move、Their answers about magnetism and gravity were difficultfor the boy to understand、Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them、He said later that he felt something hidden had to be behind things、Useful expressions and words1、device 装置,设备leave to one’s own devices 听任某人自行其就是,允许某人按自己的意愿做事She left the child to her own devices for an hour in the afternoon、她允许孩子在下午有一个小时的自由支配时间。
大学英语专业四级听写(50篇)
puter Eyeglasses
①As computers become a more and more vital part of today's lifestyle and practices,/ new medical conditions are developing as a result of their usage. / ② The most common to date is computer vision problems, / which include eye pain, tired and burning eyes, watering or dry eyes, eye strain. / ③One Would never imagine that such a useful and innovative tool could cause so much physical discomfort ! / ④As a result of these, science professionals seized the opportunity / to create computer eyeglasses to ease these common conditions / and make computer usage less painful and more comfortable. / ⑤The computer vision problems affect adults as well as children./ ⑥Although children normally have different requirements for near and distance vision glasses, / computer eyeglasses can be used universally for both groups. / ⑦Please note that near and distance vision glasses / should not be used as replacements for computer glasses. /⑧They do not serve the same purpose, / and in some cases will cause more harm than good. (158 words)
英语专业四级短文听写50篇文本
Passage 1Professor Bumble
Professor Bumble is not only absent-minded but short-sighted as well. His mind is always busy with learned thoughts and he seldom notices what is going on around him.
Passage3Mistakes Are Good Teachers
After the birth of my second child，I got a job at a restaurant. ቤተ መጻሕፍቲ ባይዱaving worked with an experienced waitress for a few days，I was allowed to wait on tables on my own. When Saturday night came，I was luckily given the tables not far from the kitchen. However，I still felt a little hard to carry the heavy trays. So I moved slowly, minding every step. I remembered how happy I was when I saw a tray standingnext to the tables. It looked different from the one I was trained on，and it had nice handles which made it easier to move around. I was pleased with everything and began to believe I was natural at this job. Then, an old man came to me and said that was his wife's walker. I stood frozen as ice，but my face was on fire. Since then, I have learned to be more careful and not to be too sure of myself. (164 words)
大学生英语专业四级听写50篇
Passage 1Town and Country Life in EnglandThere is a big difference between town life and country life in England. In the country, everybody knows everybody else. They know what time you get up, what time you go to bed and what you have for dinner. If you want help, you will always get it and you will be glad to help others.In a large town like London, however, it can sometimes happen that you have never seen your next door neighbor and you do not know his name or anything about him. People in London are often very lonely. This is because people go to different places in the evenings and at weekends. If you walk through the streets in the centre of London on Sunday, it is like a town without people. One is sorry for old people living on their own. They could die in their homes and would not be discovered for weeks or even months. (154 words)Passage 2A Change in Women's LifeThe important change in women's life-pattern has only recently begun to have its full effect on women's economic 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 relation-ship in marriage with the husband accepting a great 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 in~ of each of them. ( 154 words)Passage 3A Popular Pastime of the English PeopleOne of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what they do with their non-working time.Most English men, women and children love growing things, especially flowers. Visitors to England in spring, summer, or autumn are likely to see gardens all the way along the railway lines. There are flowers at the airports and flowers in factory grounds, as well as in gardens along the roads. Each English town has at least one park with beautifully kept flower beds. Public buildings of every kind have brilliant window boxes and sometimes baskets of flowers are hanging on them.But what the English enjoy most is growing things themselves. If it is impossible to have a garden, then a window box or something growing in a pot will do. Looking at each other's gardens is a popular pastime with the English. (144 words)Passage 4British 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 almost 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. (177 words)Passage 5Living SpaceHow much living space does a person need? What happens when his space needs are not met? Scientists are doing experiments on rats to try to determine the effects of overcrowded conditions on man. Recent studies have shown that the behaviour 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 behaviour 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 rots, population and violence are directly related. Is this a natural law for human society as well? Is enough space not only satisfactory, but necessary for human survival? These are interesting questions. (147 words)Passage 6The United NationsIn 1945, representatives of 50 nations met to plan this organization. It was called the United Nations. After the war, many more nations joined.There are two major parts of the United Nations. One is called the General Assembly. In the General Assembly, every member nation is represented and has an equal vote.The second part is called the Security Council. It has representatives of just 15 nations. Five nations are permanent members: the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and China. The 10 other members are elected every two years by the General Assembly.The major job of the Security Council is to keep peace in the world. If necessary, it can send troops from member nations to try to stop little wars before they turn into big ones.It is hard to get the nations of the Security Council to agree on when this is necessary. But they did vote to try to stop wars. (156 words)Passage 7PlasticWe use plastic wrap to protect our foods. We put our garbage in plastic bags or plastic cans. We sit on plastic chairs, play with plastic toys, drink from plastic cups, and wash our hair with shampoo from plastic bottles!Plastic does not grow in nature. It is made by mixing certain things together. We call it a produced or manufactured material. Plastic was first made in the 1860s from plants, such as wood and cotton. That plastic was sot~ and burned easily.The first modem plastics were made in the 1930s. Most clear plastic starts out as thick, black oil. That plastic coating inside a pan begins as natural gas.Over the years, hundreds of different plastics have been developed. Some are hard and strong. Some are soft and bendable. Some are clear. Some are rarely-colored. There is a plastic for almost every need. Scientists continue to experiment with plastics. They hope to find even ways to use them! (150 words )Passage 8Display of GoodsAre supermarkets designed to persuade us to buy more?Fresh fruit and vegetables are displayed near supermarket entrances. This gives the impression that only healthy food is sold in the shop. Basic foods that everyone buys, like sugar and tea, are not put near each other. They are kept in different aisles so customers are taken past other attractive foods before they find what they want. In this way, shoppers are encouraged to buy products that they do not really need.Sweets are often placed at children's eye level at the checkout. While parents are waiting to pay, children reach for the sweets and put them in the trolley.More is bought from a fifteen-foot display of one type of product than from a ten-foot one. Customers also buy more when shelves are full than when they are half empty. They do not like to buy from shelves with few products on them because they feel there is something wrong with those products that are there. (166 words)Passage 9Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879. His father owned a factory that made electrical devices. His mother enjoyed music and books. His parents were Jewish but they did not observe many of the religion's rules. Albert was a quiet child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty learning to read. When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass. The child was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction--to the north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers about magnetism and gravity were difficult for the boy to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something hidden had to be behind things. (143 words)Passage10Private CarsWith the increase in the general standard of living, some ordinary Chinese families begin to afford a car. Yet opinions of the development of a private car vary from person to person.It gives a much greater degree of comfort and mobility. The owner of a car is no longer forced to rely on public transport, and hence no irritation caused by waiting for buses or taxis. However, others strongly object to developing private cars. They maintain that as more and more cars are produced and run in the street, a large volume of poisonous gas will be given off, polluting the atmosphere and causing actual harm to the health of people.Whether private cars should be developed in China is a difficult question to answer, yet the desire for the comfort and independence a private car can bring will not be eliminated. (143 words)Passage 11A Henpecked Husband and His WifeThere was once a large, fat woman who had a small, thin husband. He had a job in a big company and was given his weekly wages every Friday evening. As soon as he got home on Fridays, his wife used to make him give her all his money, and then she used to give him back only enough to buy his lunch in his company every day.One day, the small man came home very excited. He hunted into the living-room. His wife waslistening to the radio and eating chocolates there."You will never guess what happened to me today, dear," he said.He waited for a few seconds and then added, "I won ten thousand dollars on the lottery!""That is wonderful" said his wife delightedly. But then she pulled a long face and added angrily, "But how could you afford to buy the ticket?" (148 words)Passage 12A Young Man's PromiseOne day a young man was writing a letter to his girl friend who lived just a few miles away in a nearby town. He was telling her how much he loved her and how wonderful he thought she was. The more he wrote, the more poetic he became. Finally, he said that in order to be with her he would suffer the greatest difficulties, he would face the greatest dangers that anyone could imagine. In fact, to spend only one minute with her, he would swim across the widest river, he would enter the deepest forest, and he would fight against the fiercest animals with his bare hands.He finished the letter, signed his name, and then suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to mention something quite important. So, in a postscript below his name, he added:"By the way, I'll be over to see you on Wednesday night, flit doesn't rain."(154 words)Passage13A Kind NeighborMr. and Mrs. Jones' apartment was full of luggage, packages, furniture and boxes. Both of them were very busy when they heard the doorbell ring. Mrs. Jones went to open it and she saw a middle-aged lady outside. The lady said she lived next door. Mrs. Jones invited her to come in and apologized because there was no place for her to sit. "Oh, that's OK," said the lady. "I just come to welcome you to your new home. As you know, in some parts of this city neighbors are not friendly at all. There are some apartment houses where people don't know any of their neighbors, not even the ones next door. But in this building everyone is very friendly with everyone else. We are like one big happy family. I' m sure you'll be very happy here." Mr. and Mrs. Jones said, "But madam, we are not new dwellers in this apartment. We've lived here for two years. We're moving out tomorrow. "(163 words)Passage14That Isn't Our FaultMr. and Mrs. Williams got married when he was twenty-three, and she was twenty--three. Twenty-five years later, they had a big party, and a photographer came and took some photographs of them.Then the photographer gave Mrs. Williams a card and said, "They'll be ready next Wednesday. You can get them from studio.""No," Mrs. Williams said, "please send them to us.”The photographs arrived a week later, but Mrs. Williams was not happy when she saw them. She got into her car and drove to the photographer's studio. She went inside and said angrily, "You took some photographs of me and my husband last week, but I' m not going to pay for them.""Oh, why not?" the photographer asked."Because my husband looks like a monkey," Mrs. Williams said."Well," the photographer answered, "that isn't our fault. Why didn't you think of that before you married him?" (148 words)Passage 1 5A Guide's AnswerIn 1861, the Civil War started in the United States between the Northern and the Southern states. The war continued with great bitterness until 1865, when the Northerners were victorious. However, even today, many Southerners have not forgotten their defeat, or forgiven the Northerners.A few years ago, a party of American tourists were going round one of the battlefields of the Civil War with a guide who came from one of the Southern states. At each place, the guide told the tourists stir- ring stories about how a few Southern soldiers had conquered powerful forces of Northerners there.At last, one of the tourists, a lady who came from the North, stopped the guide and said to him, "But surely the Northern army must have won at least one victory in the Civil War?""Not as long as I'm the guide here, madam," answered the Southern guide. (147 words)Passage 1 6A Qualified PilotThe captain of a small ship had to go along a rocky coast, but he was unfamiliar with it, so he tried to find a qualified pilot to guide him. He went ashore in one of the small ports, and a local fisherman pretended that he was a pilot because he needed some money. The captain took him on board and asked him where to steer the ship.After half an hour the captain began to suspect that the fisherman did not really know what he was doing and where he was going."Are you sure you are a qualified pilot?" he asked."Oh, yes," answered the fisherman. "I know every rock on this part of the coast."Suddenly there was a terrible crash from under the ship. At once the fisherman added, "And that's one of them." (138 words)Passage 1 7Living Things ReactYou and all organisms live in an environment. An environment is made up of everything that surrounds an organism. It can include the air, the water, the soil, and even other organisms.An organism responds to changes in its environment. When an organism responds to a change, it reacts in certain ways. All living things respond in some way.Have you ever noticed how plants and insects respond to light? Plants bend toward light. Insects fly toward light.Living things also respond in other ways. The leaves on some trees respond to a change in season. In autumn, they change colors and then fall off the branches. Animals also respond to a change in season. Squirrels save nuts for the winter. Bears sleep through the winter in a cave.You respond to your environment in many ways, too. You may shiver ff you are cold. What other ways do you respond to changes in your environment? ( 156 words )Passage18Flowering PlantsWhat are the parts of a flower?Flowers can have male parts and female parts. The female parts make eggs that become seeds. The male parts make pollen. Pollen is a powdery material that is needed by the eggs to make seeds. To make seeds, pollen and eggs must come together. The wind, insects, and birds bring pollen to eggs. Many animals love flowers' bright colors. They also like a sugary liquid in flowers. This is called nectar. While they drink nectar, pollen rubs off on their bodies. As they move, some of this pollen gets delivered to the female flowerparts.Over time, the female parts turn into fruits that contain seeds. Animals often eat the fruits and the seeds pass through their bodies as waste. The animals do not know they are working for the plants by planting seeds as they travel to different places! (147 words)Passage 19Finding the Direction and LocationHow can you tell which direction? By day, look for the Sun. It is in the east in the morning and the west in the afternoon. At night, use the Big Dipper to help you find the North Star. It would be better to bring a compass because its needle always points north.How do you know how far you have gone? You could count every step. Each step is about two feet. You'd better wear a pedometer which is a tool that counts steps. If you know where you started, which direction you are heading, and how far you have gone, you can use a good map to figure out exactly where you are.Today there is a new way for travelers to figure out where they are. It is the GPS. It has 24 satellites that orbit the earth and constantly broadcast their positions. Someday you may carry a small receiver as you hike and use GPS to find out if you are there yet! (167 words)Passage 20WavesHow does light get from the sun to the earth? How does music get from the stage to the audience? They move the same way--in waves!Light and sound are forms of energy. All waves carry energy, but they may carry it differently. Light and sound travel through different kinds of matter. For example, light waves cannot move through walls, but sound waves can. That is why you can hear people talking in another room even though you cannot see them. The energy of some waves is destructive. An earthquake produces seismic waves.Catch a wave. Ask a friend to stand a few feet away from you. Stretch a spring between you. Shake the spring to transfer energy to it. What happens? The spring bounces up and down in waves. When the waves reach your friend, they bounce back to you!Light waves travel 300,000 kilometers (185,000 miles) per second! They can also travel through a vacuum. That is why light from the sun and distant stars can travel through space to the earth! (175 words) Passage 21SoilsThere are many different kinds of soils. Different soils have different types of rock and minerals in them. Some soils have more water in them than others. Some soils might have more plant and animal material in them, too.Different kinds of soils are found in different parts of the world. There are several kinds of soils found in the United States. In some areas, the soil has a lot of clay. Other soils are very sandy. Loam is a kind of soil that has a good mixture of clay and sand.In some places, soft layers are very thick. Lots of plants grow in places with a thick soil layer. In dry and windy places soft layers are much thinner. Layers of soft on mountains are thin because gravity pulls the soil downhill.The type of soft in a particular place affects what kinds of plants can grow there. (150 words)Passage22CrisisLife is a contest! Who will win? A bluebird and sparrow both compete for space to build their nests. A fast-growing maple tree and slower-growing dogwood compete for the sunlight they both need. Oil competes with coal and nuclear power as an energy source for electric power plants.There is a problem. There is a limited amount of space for birds, sunlight for trees, and energy for people! If we do not cut back on our uses of some of our resources, someday they will be gone!How can we use energy today and know we will have enough to go around in the future? We can choose alternate, or replacement, energy resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable. What other ways can we conserve our resources? How can we make sure there is always enough to go around? (159 words)Passage 23America's Worst SurpriseDecember 7, 1941 was one of the worst days in American history. Nearly all Americans who are old enough to remember that day can still remember what they were doing at the moment they heard "the news". The news was that America had been attacked!Shoddy before 2:00 P.M., a radio dispatch came into Washington from Honolulu, Hawaii. "Air Raid, Pearl Harbor--This is no drill." Japanese planes had begun an attack on the largest American military base in the Pacific. They first destroyed planes on the ground. Then they bombed the ships in the harbor.No one had expected the attack. So no one was prepared for it. And it did not take long for the Japanese to do their damage. When the smoke cleared, the Navy counted its losses. Eighteen ships had been sunk or badly damaged. Nearly 150 planes had been destroyed. More than 2,400 Americans had been killed and more than 1, 200 wounded. (157 words)Passage 24Great Depression in the U.S.In 1929, the bills started to come in. American industry had produced too many goods. Americans could not afford to buy all of them. So factories had to cut down on their production. Many workers lost their jobs. Investors tried to get their money back. But businesses did not have enough money to pay them. Banks tried to get their money back from investors. But the investors could not pay, either. Too many people owed money. And few of them could pay their bills.During the next few years, business got worse and worse. By 1932, banks all over the country were dosing.People without money could not buy goods. So more businesses dosed. More and more people lost their jobs. By 1932, more than 12 million Americans were jobless. Millions more were earning barely enough to live on. The country was in a great depression they had never experienced before. (151 words) Passage 25A Place of Our OwnWe are all usually very careful when we buy something for the house. Why? Because we have to live with it for a long time. We paint a room to make it brighter, so we choose the colours carefully.We buy new curtains in order to match the newly decorated room, so they must be the right colour. We move the furniture round so as to make more space-- or we buy new furniture---and so on. It is an endlessbusiness.Rich or poor, we take time to furnish a room. Perhaps some people buy furniture in order to impress their friends. But most of us just want to enjoy our surroundings. We want to live as comfortably as we can afford to. We spend a large part of our lives at home. We want to make a small comer in the world which we can recognize as our own. (151 words)Passage 26Travel for Work (149 words)You can see them in every airport in the world. They axe businessmen and women who have to travel for their work. When they first applied for the job, they may have thought of good food and hotels, huge expense accounts and fashionable cities. Now they have to sit in airport lounges, tired and uncomfortable in their smart clothes, listening to the loudspeaker announce "The flight to Tokyo, or Berlin, or New York is delayed for another two hours". Some people say to me, "How lucky you are to be able to travel abroad in your work! You can go sightseeing without paying any money by yourself!” They think that my job is like a continual holiday. It is not. There are advantages, of course, and I do think I am lucky, but only because I can go to places I would never visit ff I was a tourist.Passage 27Intelligence (154 words)Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus, the limits of a person's intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, held by most experts now, can be supported in a number of ways. As is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people is, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence.Passage 28A Free Dress Every Week (148 words)The temptation to steal is greater than ever before especially in large shops and people are not so honest as they once were. A detective recently watched a well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings. One Monday, there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman came in, so it was easier for the detective to watch her. The woman first bought a few small articles. After a little time, she chose one of the most expensive dresses in the shop and handed it to an assistant who wrapped it up for her as quickly as possible. The woman simply took the parcel and walked out of the shop without paying. When she was arrested, the detective found out that the shop assistant was her daughter. Believe it or not, the girl "gave" her mother a free dress every week!Passage 29Time (157 words)Time is tangible. One can gain time, spend time, waste time, save time, or even kill time. Common questions in American English reveal this concrete quality as though time were a possession. "Do you have any time?", "Can you get some time for this?", "How much free time do you have?" The treatment of time as a possession influences the way that time is carefully divided. Generally, Americans are taught to do onething at a time and may be uncomfortable when an activity is interrupted. In businesses, the careful scheduling of time and the separation of activities are common practices. Appointment calendars are printed with 15-, 30-, and 50-minute time slots. The idea that "there is a time and place for everything" extends to American social life. Visitors who drop by without prior notice may interrupt their host' s personal time. Thus, calling friends on the telephone before visiting them is generally preferred to visitors' dropping by. Passage 30Cartoonists (144 words)In a good cartoon, the artist can tell in a few lines as much as a writer can tell in half a dozen paragraphs. The cartoonist not only tells a story but he also tries to persuade the reader to his way of thinking. He has great influence on public opinion. In a political campaign, he plays an important part. Controversial issues in Congress or at meetings of the United Nations may keep the cartoonist well-supplied with current materials. A clever cartoonist may cause laughter because he often uses humour in his drawings. If he is sketching famous person, he takes a prominent feature and exaggerates it. Cartoonists, for instance, like to lengthen an already long nose and to widen an already broad grin. This exaggeration of a person's characteristics is called caricature. The artist uses such exoneration to put his message across.Passage 31Water Pollution (161 words)Water is very important to us. Factories and plants need water for industrial uses and large pieces of farmland need it for irrigation. Without water to drink, people die in a short time. Today most water sources are so dirty that people must purify water before drinking. Water becomes dirty in many ways: industrial pollution is one of them. With the development of industry, plants and factories pour tons of industrial wastes into rivers every day. The rivers have become seriously polluted, and the water is becoming unfit for drinking or irrigation. The same thing has also happened to our seas and oceans. So, the problem of water pollution is almost worldwide. Scientists of many countries have done a lot of work to stop pollution. The polluted water in some places has become clean and drinkable again. Perhaps one day the people in all towns and cities will be drinking clean water. That day, we believe, is not very far off.Passage 32Making a Complaint (164 words)Complaining about faulty goods or bad service is never easy. But if something you have bought is faulty or does not do what was claimed for it, you are not asking for a favour to get it put right. Complaints should be made to a responsible person. Go back to the shop where you bought the goods, taking with you any receipt you may have. In a small store the assistant may also be the owner so you can complain direct. In a chain store, ask the manager. If you telephone, ask the name of the person who handles your enquiry, otherwise you may never find out who dealt with the complaint later. If you do not want to do it in person, write a letter. Stick to the facts and keep a copy of what you write. At this stage you should give any receipt numbers, but you should not need to give receipts or other papers to prove you bought the article. Passage 33Where Do the British Live (172 words)Nearly everyone in Britain would like to own their own home and, whether they do or not, they are prepared to put time and money into decorating and furnishing it or even making structural alterations to it. Because of the climate and because of the expense involved in going out for the evening, the British spend a lot of lime at home and a large part of their social life takes place there. Young people tend to stay with their families longer these days as accommodation is expensive but, when they move away to a job or college,。
专业英语四级听写50篇原文
四级听写50篇1．Town 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.2. A Chang 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 girl s 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. V ery many more afterwards return to full-time or part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the 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 of each of them.3. A Popular Pastime of the English PeopleOne of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what the 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 they 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 window box or something growing in a po t will do. Looking at each other’s gardens is a popular pastime with the English.4. British and American Police OfficersReal policemen, both in Britain and the U.S., hardly recognize any common points between their lives and what they se on TV—if they ever get home in time.Some things are almost 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 toput 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 fomp3s about hundreds of sad, ordinary people who are guilty--- or not of stupid, unimportant crimes.5. Living 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 detemp3ine 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, and more they tend to bite each other and even kill each other. Thus, for rats, populations 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.6.The United NationsIn 1945, representatives of 50 nations met to plan this organization. It was called the United Nations. After the war, many more nations joined.There are two major parts of the United Nations. One is called the General Assembly. In the General Assembly, every member nation is represented and has an equal vote.The second part is called the Security Council. It has representatives of just 15 nations. Five nations are pemp3anent members: the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and China. The 10 other members are elected every two years by the General Assembly.The major job of the Security Council is to keep peace in the world. If necessary, it can send troops from member nations to try to stop little wars before they turn into big ones.It is hard to get the nations of the Security Council to agree on when this is necessary. But they did vote to try to stop wars.7.PlasticWe use plastic wrap to protect our foods. We put our garbage in plastic bags or plastic cans. We sit on plastic chairs, play with plastic toys, drink from plastic cups, and wash our hair with shampoo from plastic bottles!Plastic does not grow in nature. It is made by mixing certain things together. We call it a produced or manufactured material. Plastic was first made in the 1860s from plants, such as wood and cotton. That plastic was soft and burned easily.The first modern plastics were made in the 1930s. Most clear plastic starts out as thick, black oil. That plastic coating inside a pan begins as natural gas.Over the years, hundreds of different plastics have been developed. Some are hard and strong. Some are soft and bendable. Some are clear. Some are many-colored. There is a plastic for almost every need. Scientists continue to experiment with plastics. They hope to find even ways to use them!8.Display of GoodsAre supemp3arkets designed to persuade us to buy more?Fresh fruit and vegetables are displayed near supemp3arket entrances. This gives the impression that only healthy food is sold in the shop. Basic foods that everyone buys, like sugar and tea, are not put near each other. They are kept in different aisles so customers are taken past other attractive foods before they find what they want. In this way, shoppers are encouraged to buy products that they do not really need.Sweets are often placed at children’s eye level at the checkout. While pare nts are waiting to pay, children reach for the sweets and put them in the trolley.More is bought from a fifteen-foot display of one type of product than from a ten-foot one. Customers also buy more when shelves are full than when they are half empty. They do not like to buy from shelves with few products on them because they feel there is something wrong with those products that are there.9.Albert EinstenAlbert Einstein was born in Gemany in 1879, His father owned a factory that made electrical devices. His mother enjoyed music and books. His parents were Jewish but they did not observe many of the religion’s rules. Albert was a quite child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty learning to read. When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass. The child was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction—to be north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers about magnetism and gravity were difficult for the boy to understand. Y et he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something hidden had to be behind things.10.Private CarsWith the increase in the general standard of living, some ordinary Chinese families begin to afford a car. Y et opinions of the development of a private car vary from person to person.It gives a much greater degree of comfort and mobility. The owner of a car is no longer forced to reply on public transport, and hence no irritation caused by waiting for buses or taxis. However, others strongly object to developing private cars. They maintain that as more and more cars are produced and run in the street, a large volume of poisonous gas will be given off, polluting the atmosphere and causing actual hamp3 to the health of people.Whether private cars should be developed in Chicago is a difficult question to answer, yet the desire for the comfort and independence a private car can bring will not be eliminated.c11. A Henpecked Husband and His WifeThere was once a large, fat woman who had a small, thin husband. He had a job in a big company and was given his weekly wages every Friday evening. As soon as he got home on Fridays, his wife used to make him give her all his money, and then she used to give him back only enough to buy his lunch in his company every day.One day, the small man came home very excited. He hurried into the living-room. His wife was listening to the radio and eating chocolates there.“Y ou will never guess what happened to me to day, dear.” he said.He waited for a few seconds and then added, “I won ten thousand dollars on the lottery!”“That is wonderful! ” said his wife delightedly. But then she pulled a long face and added angrily, “But how could you afford to buy the ticket?”12.A Y oung Man’s PromiseOne day, a young man was writing a letter to his girlfriend who lived just a few miles away in a nearby town. He was telling her how much he loved her and how wonderful he thought she was. The more he wrote the more poetic he became. Finally he said that in order to be with her, he would suffer the greatest difficulties, he would face the greatest dangers that anyone co uldn’t imagine. In fact, to spend only one minute with her, he would swim across the widest river, he would enter the deepest forest, and he would fight against the fiercest animals with his bare hands.He finished the letter, signed his name and then suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to mention something quite important. So, in a postscript below his name, he added: “By the way, I’ll be over to see you on Wednesday night, if it doesn’t rain.”13.A Kind NeighborMr. and Mrs. Jones’ apartment was f ull of luggage, packages, furniture and boxes. Both of them were very busy when they heard the doorbell ring. Mrs. Jones went to open it and she saw a middle-aged lady outside. The lady said she lived next door. Mrs. Jones invited her to come in and apolog ized because there was no place for her to sit. “Oh, that’s OK.” said the lady. “I just come to welcome to your new home. As you know, in some parts of this city, neighbors are not friendly at all. They are some apartment houses where people don’t know any of their neighbors, not even the ones next door. But in this building, everyone is very friendly with everyone else. We are a big happy family. I am sure you will be very happy here.” Mr. and Mrs. Jones said, “But madam, we are not new dwellers in this ap artment. We’ve lived here for two years. We are moving out tomorrow.”14.That Isn’t Our FaultMr. and Mrs. Williams got married when he was twenty-three, and she was twenty. Twenty-five years later, they had a big party, and a photographer came and took some photographs of them.Then the photographer gave Mrs. Williams a card and said, “They’ll be ready next Wednesday. Y ou can get them from studio.”“No,” Mrs. Williams said, “please send them to us.”The photographs arrived a week later, but Mrs. Williams was not happy when she saw them.She got into her car and drove to the photographer’s studio. She went inside and said angrily, “Y ou took some photographs of me and my husband last week, but I’m not going to pay for them.”“Oh, why not?” the photographer asked.“Because my husband looks like a monkey,” Mrs. Williams said.“Well,” the photographer answered, “that isn’t our fault. Why didn’t you think of that before you married him?”15. A Guide's AnswerIn 1861, the Civil War started in the United States between the Northern and the Southern states. The war continued with great bitterness until 1865, when the Northerners were victorious. However, even today, many Southerners have not forgotten their defeat, or forgiven the Northerners.A few years ago, a party of American tourists were going round one of the battlefields of the Civil War with a guide who came from one of the Southern states. At each place, the guide told the tourists stirring stories about how a few Southern soldiers had conquered powerful forces of Northerners there.At last, one of the tourists, a lady who came from the North, stopped the guide and said to him, “ But surely that the Northern amp3y must have won at least one victory in the Civil War?”“Not as long as I’m the guide here, madam,” answered the Southern guide.16. A Qualified PilotThe captain of a small ship had to go along a rocky coast, but he was unfamiliar with it, so he tried to find a qualified pilot to guide him. He went ashore in one of the small ports, and a local fishemp3an pretended that he was a pilot because he needed some money. The captain took him on board and asked him where to steer the ship.After half an hour, the captain began to suspect that the fishemp3an did not really know what he was doing and where he was going.“Are you sure you are a qualified pilot?” he asked.“Oh, yes,” answered the fishemp3an. “I know every rock on this part of the coast.”Suddenly there was a terrible crash from under the ship. At once the fishemp3an added, “And that’s one of them.”17. Living Things ReactY ou and all organisms live an environment. An environment is made up of everything that surrounds an organism. It can include the air, the water, the soil, and even other organisms.An organism responds to changes in its environment. When an organism responds to a change, it reacts in certain ways. All living things respond in some way.Have you ever noticed how plants and insects respond to light? Plants bend toward light. Insects fly toward light.Living things also respond in other ways. The leaves on some trees respond to a change in season. In autumn, they change colors and then fall off the branches Animals also respond to a change in season. Squirrels save nuts for the winter. Bears sleep through the winter in a cave.Y ou respond to your environment in many ways, too. Y ou may shiver if you are cold. Whatother ways do you respond to changes in your environment?18. Flowering PlantsWhat are the parts of a flower?Flowers can have male parts and female parts. The female parts make eggs that become seeds. The male parts make pollen. Pollen is a powdery material that is needed by the eggs to make seeds. To make seeds, pollen and eggs must come together. The wind, insects, and birds bring pollen to eggs. Many animals love flowers’ bright colors. They also like a sugary liquid in flowers. This is called nectar. While they drink nectar, pollen rubs off on their bodies. As they move, some of this pollen gets delivered to the female flower parts.Over time, the female parts turn into fruits that contain seeds. Animals often eat the fruits and the seeds pass through their bodies as waste. The animals do no know they are working for the plants by planting seeds as they travel to different places!19. Finding the Direction and LocationHow can you tell which direction? By day, look for the Sun. It is in the east in the morning and the west in the afternoon. At night, use the Big Dipper to help you find the North Star. It would be better to bring a compass because its needle always points north.How do you know how far you have gone? Y ou could count every step. Each step is about two feet. Y ou’d better wear a pedometer which is a tool that counts steps. If you know where you started, which direction you are heading, and how far you have gone, you can use a good map to figure out exactly where you are.Today there is a new way for travelers to figure out where they are. It is the GPS. It has 24 satellites that orbit the earth and constantly broadcast their positions. Someday you may c arry a small receiver as you hike and use GPS to find out if you are there yet!20. WavesHow does light get from the sun to the earth? How does music get from the stage to the audience? They move the same way-----in waves!Light and sound are fomp3s of energy. All waves carry energy, but they may carry it differently. Light and sound travel through different kinds of matter. For example, light waves cannot move through walls, but sound waves can. That is why you can hear people talking in another room even though you cannot see them. The energy of some waves is destructive. An earthquake produces seismic waves.Catch a wave. Ask a friend to stand a few feet away from you. Stretch a spring between you. Shake the spring to transfer energy to it. What happens? The spring bounces up and down in waves. When the waves reach your friend, they bounce back to you!Light waves travel 300,000 kilometers (186,000 miles) per second! They can also travel through a vacuum. That is why light from the sun and distant stars can travel through space to the earth!21. SoilsThere are many different kinds of soils. Different soils have different types of rock and minerals in them. Some soils have more water in them than others. Some soils might have more plant and animal material in them, too.Different kinds of soils are found in different parts of the world. There are several kinds of soils found in the United States. In some areas, the soil has a lot of clay. Other soils are very sandy. Loam is a kind of soil that has a good mixture of clay and sand.In some places, soil layers are very thick. Lots of plants grow in places with a thick soil layer. In dry and windy places soil layers are much thinner. Layers of soil on mountains are thin because gravity pulls the soil downhill.The type of soil in a particular place affects what kinds of plants can grow there.22. CrisisLife is a contest! Who will win? A bluebird and sparrow both compete for space to build their nests. A fast-growing maple tree and slower-growing dogwood compete for the sunlight they both need. Oil competes with coal and nuclear power as an energy source for electric power plants!There is a problem. There is a limited amount of space for birds, sunlight for trees, and energy for people! If we do not cut back on our uses of some of our resources, someday they will be gone!How can we use energy today and know we will have enough to go around in the future? We can choose alternate, or replacement, energy resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable. What other ways can we conserve our sources? How can we make sure there is always enough to go around?23. America’s Worst SurpriseDecember 7, 1941 was one of the worst days in American history. Nearly all Americans who are old enough to remember that day can still remember what they were doing at the moment they heard “the news”. The news was that America had been attacked!Shortly before 2:00 P.M., a radio dispatch came into Washington from Honolulu, Hawaii. “Air Raid, Pearl Har bor—This is no drill.” Japanese planes had begun an attack on the largest American military base in the Pacific. They first destroyed planes on the ground. Then they bombed the ships in the harbor.No one had expected the attack. So no one was prepared for it. And it did not take long for Japanese to do their damage. When the smoke cleared, the Navy counted its losses. Eighteen ships had been sunk or badly damaged. Nearly 150 planes had been destroyed. More than 2,400 Americans had been killed and more than 1,200 wounded.24. Great Depression in the U.S.In 1929, the bills started to come in. American industry had produced too many goods. Americans could not afford to buy all of them. So factories had to cut down on their production. Many workers lost their jobs. Investors tried to get their money back. But businesses did not have enough money to pay them. Banks tried to get their money back from investors. But the investors could not pay, either. Too many people owed money. And few of them could pay their bills.During the next few years, business got worse and worse. By 1932, banks all over the country were closing.People without money could not buy goods. So more businesses closed. More and more people lost their jobs. By 1932, more than 12 million Americans were jobless. Millions more were earning barely enough to live on. The country was in a great depression they had never experienced before.25. A Place of Our OwnWe are all usually very careful when we buy something for the house. Why? Because we have to live with it for a long time. We paint a room to make it brighter, so we choose the colors carefully.We buy new curtains in order to match the newly decorated room, so they must be the right color. We move the furniture round so as to make more space—or we buy new furniture—and so on. It is an endless business.Rich or poor, we take time to furnish a room. Perhaps some people buy furniture in order to impress their friends. But most of us just want to enjoy our surroundings. We want to live as comfortably as we can afford to. We spend a large part of our lives at home. We want to make a small corner in the world which we can recognize as our own.26. Travel for WorkY ou can see them in every airport in the world. They are businessmen and women who have to travel for their work.When they first applied for the job, they may have thought of good food and hotels, huge expense accounts and fashionable cities. Now they have to sit in airport lounges, tired and uncomfortable in their smart clothes, list ening to the loudspeaker announce “The fight of Tokyo, or Berlin, or New Y ork is delayed for another two hours.” Some people say to me, “How lucky you are to be able to travel abroad in your work! Y ou can go sightseeing without paying any money by yourself!” They think that my job is like a continual holiday. It is not.There are advantages, of course, and I do thin I am lucky, but only because I can go to places I would never visit if I was a tourist.27. IntelligenceAre some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience?Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus, the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, held by most experts now, can be supported in a number of ways. As is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people is, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence.28. A Free Dress Every WeekThe temptation to steal is greater than ever before especially in large shops and people are not so honest as they once were.A detective recently watched a well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings. One Monday, there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman came in, so it was easier for the detective to watch her. The woman first bought a few small articles. After a little time, she chose one of the most expensive dresses in the shop and handed it to an assistant who wrapped it up for her as quickly as possible. The woman simply took the parcel and walked out of the shop without paying. When she was arrested, the detective found out that the shop assistant was her daughter. Believe it or not, the girl “gave” her mother a free dress every week!29. TimeTime is tangible. One can gain time, spend time, waste time, save time, or even kill time. Common questions in American English reveal this concrete quality as though time were a possession. “Do you have any time?”, “Can you get some time for this?”, “How much free time do you have?” The treatment of time as a possession influences the way that time is carefully d ivided.Generally, Americans are taught to do one thing at a time and may be uncomfortable when an activity is interrupted. In businesses, the careful scheduling of time and the separation of activities are common practices. Appointment calendars are printed with 15-,30-, and 60-minute time slots. The idea that “there is a time and place for everything” extends to American social life. Visitors who drop by without prior notice may interrupt their host’s personal time. Thus, calling friends on the telephone before visiting them is generally preferred to visitors’ dropping by.30．CartoonistsIn a good cartoon, the artist can tell in a few lines as much as a writer can tell in half a dozen paragraphs. The cartoonist not only tells a story but he also tries to persuade the reader to his way of thinking. He has great influence on public opinion. In a political campaign, he plays an important part. Controversial issues in Congress or at meetings of the United Nations may keep the cartoonist well-supplied with current materials.A clever cartoonist may cause laughter because he often uses humor in his drawings. If he is sketching a famous person, he takes a prominent feature and exaggerates it. Cartoonists, for instance, like to lengthen an already long nose and to widen an already broad grin. This exaggeration of a person’s characteristics is called caricature. The artist uses such exaggeration to put his message across.31. Water PollutionWater is very important to us. Factories and plants need water for industrial uses and large pieces of farmland need it for irrigation. Without water to drink, people die in a short time.Today most water sources are so dirty that people must purify water before drinking. Water becomes dirty in many ways: industrial pollution is one of them. With the development of industry, plants and factories pour tons of industrial wasters into rivers every day. The rivers have become seriously polluted, and the water is becoming unfit for drinking or irrigation. The same thing has also happened to our seas and oceans. So, the problem of water pollution is almost worldwide.Scientists of many countries have done a lot of work to stop pollution. The polluted water in some places has become clean and drinkable again. Perhaps one day the people in all towns and cities will be drinking clean water. That day, we believe, is not very far off.32．Making a ComplaintComplaining about faulty goods or bad services is never easy. But if something you have brought is faulty or does not do what was claimed for it, you are not asking for a favor to get it put right.Complaints should be made to a responsible person. Go back to the shop where you bought the goods, taking with you any receipt you may have. In a small store the assistant may also be the owner so you can complain direct. In a chain store, ask the manager. If you telephone, ask the name of the person who handles your enquiry, otherwise you may never find out who dealt with the complaint later. If you do not want to do it in person, write a letter. Stick to the facts and keep a copy of what you write. At this stage you should give any receipt numbers, but you should not need to give receipts or other papers to prove you bought the article.33. Where Do the British LiveNearly everyone in Britain would like to own their own home and, whether they do or not, they are prepared to put time and money into decorating and furnishing it or even making structural alterations to it. Because of the climate and because of the expense involved in going out for the evening, the British spend a lot of time at home and a large part of their social life takes place there.Y oung people tend to stay with their families longer these days as accommodation is expensive but, when they move away to a job or college, there are various options open to them. They can get lodgings with a landlady. This means that they rent a room in someone’s house and have breakfast with the family. They can also get a bed-sitting room, that is to say one self-contained room in which they can cook, live and sleep. Alternatively, they can share a rented flat or house with a group of young people, perhaps the most popular option of all.34. Will Computers Replace Human Beings?We are in the computer age today. The computers are working all kinds of wonders now. They are very useful in automatic control and data processing. At the same time, computers are finding their way into the home. They seem to be so clever and can solve such complicated problems that some people think sooner or later they will replace us.But I do not think that there is such a possibility. My reason is very simple: computers are machines, not humans. And our tasks are far too various and complicated for any one single kind of machine to perfomp3.Probably the greatest difference between man and computer is that the fomer can do things of his own while the latter can do nothing without being progmp3med. In my opinion, computers will remain nothing but an extension of our human brains, no matter how clever and complicated they may become.35.SoccerSoccer has had a slow start in America. In fact, the majority of schools still have no official soccer teams or coaches. But the blossoming popularity of the game cannot be denied. Thanks to the efforts of some world-famous soccer stars, soccer is soon to have its place in American culture.Although soccer has enjoyed decades of popularity elsewhere, it was literally ignored in。
英语专业四级听力50篇
英语专业四级听力50篇1.Town 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.2.A 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 afull-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 marryyounger, 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 the 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 of each of them.3.A Popular Pastime of the English PeopleOne of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what the 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 they 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 window box or something growing in a pot will do. Looking at each other’s gardens is a popular pastime with the English.Useful Words and Expressions:1. window box:窗台上的花盆箱2.pastime 消遣，娱乐Swimming is my favorite pastime.4.British and American Police OfficersReal policemen, both in Britain and the U.S., hardly recognize any common points between their lives and what they se on TV—if they ever get home in time.Some things are almost the same, of course, but the policemen do not think much of them 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.Useful Words and Expressions:1. think much of 重视，尊重2. in court 在法庭上3. criminal 罪犯，犯罪者4. guilty 犯罪的，有罪的5.Living 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, and more they tend to bite each other and even kill each other. Thus, for rats, populations 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.6 The United NationsIn 1945, representatives of 50 nations met to plan this organization. It was called the United Nations. After the war, many more nations joined. There are two major parts of the United Nations. One is called the General Assembly. In the General Assembly, every member nation is represented and has an equal vote.The second part is called the Security Council. It has representatives of just 15 nations. Five nations are permanent members: the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and China. The 10 other members are elected every two years by the General Assembly.The major job of the Security Council is to keep peace in the world. If necessary, it can send troops from member nations to try to stop little wars before they turn into big ones.It is hard to get the nations of the Security Council to agree on when this is necessary. But they did vote to try to stop wars.Useful Words and Expressions:1. representative 代表2. General Assembly 联合国大会3. permanent 永久的，持久的4. Security Council 联合国安全理事会7 PlasticWe use plastic wrap to protect our foods. We put our garbage in plastic bags or plastic cans. We sit on plastic chairs, play with plastic toys, drink from plastic cups, and wash our hair with shampoo from plastic bottles! Plastic does not grow in nature. It is made by mixing certain things together. We call it a produced or manufactured material. Plastic was first made in the 1860s from plants, such as wood and cotton. That plastic was soft and burned easily.The first modern plastics were made in the 1930s. Most clear plastic starts out as thick, black oil. That plastic coating inside a pan begins as natural gas.Over the years, hundreds of different plastics have been developed. Some are hard and strong. Some are soft and bendable. Some are clear. Some are many-colored. There is a plastic for almost every need. Scientists continue to experiment with plastics. They hope to find even ways to use them!8 Display of GoodsAre supermarkets designed to persuade us to buy more?Fresh fruit and vegetables are displayed near supermarket entrances. This gives the impression that only healthy food is sold in the shop. Basic foods that everyone buys, like sugar and tea, are not put near each other. They are kept in different aisles so customers are taken past otherattractive foods before they find what they want. In this way, shoppers are encouraged to buy products that they do not really need.Sweets are often placed at children’s eye level at the checkout. While parents are waiting to pay, children reach for the sweets and put them in the trolley.More is bought from a fifteen-foot display of one type of product than from a ten-foot one. Customers also buy more when shelves are full than when they are half empty. They do not like to buy from shelves with few products on them because they feel there is something wrong with those products that are there.Useful Words and Expressions:1. aisle 走廊，过道2. trolley 手推车3. checkout 收款台9 Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879, His father owned a factory that made electrical devices. His mother enjoyed music and books. His parents were Jewish but they did not observe many of the re ligion’s rules. Albert was a quite child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty learning to read. When Albert was five years old,his father gave him a compass. The child was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction—to be north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers about magnetism and gravity were difficult for the boy to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something hidden had to be behind things.Useful expressions and words:1. device 装置，设备leave to one’s own devices 听任某人自行其是，允许某人按自己的意愿做事She left the child to her own devices for an hour in the afternoon.她允许孩子在下午有一个小时的自由支配时间。
英语专业四级听写50篇全文
英语专业四级听写50篇(50):ReadingNowadays few of us read books after we leave school.This is rather disturbing, for one should know that books are no less necessary to one’s mental life than fresh air is to one’s physical life. From good reading we can derive comp anionship, experience and instruction. A good book is our faithful friend. It can increase our contentment when we are cheerful and happy, and lessen our pain when we are sad or lonely. Books can also offer us a wide range of experience. Few of us can travel far from home or live long over 100, but all of us can live many lives through the pages of books. What’s more, reading books can increase our intellectual ability, broaden our minds and make us wise.With the coming of TV, books are no longer read as widely as they once were. However, nothing can replace the role that books play in our lives.Useful words and expressions:1. leave school 离校，中学毕业2. disturbing 烦扰的3. mental 精神的4. derive 得到5. companionship 伴侣6. contentment 满意7. intellectual 智力的英语专业四级听写50篇(49):Population GrowthNatural ResourcesThrough the changes in the ways of making a living in a family over several generations, the cartoon aims at sounding a warning against man’s wasteful use of natural resources and emphasizing the urgent need to preserve these resources.Ever since man appeared on the earth, man’s survival has been heavily dependent on nature. Almost everything we use in our everyday life comes from nature, ranging from the food we eat, the water we drink, to the wood which is turned into furniture. With the development of technology and population growth, the amount and range of materials used has increased at an alarming rate. However, natural resources are not inexhaustible. Some reserves are already on the brink of exhaustion and there is no hope of replacing them. The widespread water shortage is an example in point. If man continued to squander natural resources with no thought for the future, the whole world would be in a mess.Useful Words and Expressions:1. make a living 谋生2. aim at 瞄准3. aim high 胸怀大志Take aim (at) 瞄准4. alarming使人惊动的5. inexhaustible 无穷无尽的6. squander 浪费7. be in a mess 乱七八糟,处境狼狈英语专业四级听写50篇(48):Population GrowthIt is well-known that there has been a drastic increase in world population. But it is probably les well-known that the extinction rate of wildlife species is experiencing a parallel trend.Take the United States for instance. In 1990, U.S. population reached an unprecedented level of 250 million, which is approximately 250 times of that of 1800. On the other hand, wildlife species are disappearing from the country at an alarming rate. By 1990, about 70 wildlife species would never be seen in U.S. We are fully justified in declaring that the explosive population growth has had an adverse effect on the survival of wildlife species and will be a constant threat to the wildlife resources if no immediate actions are taken.Nothing has ever equaled the magnitude and speed with which the human species is altering the physical and chemical world. It has been demolishing the environment we are living in.Useful words and expressions:1. drastic 激烈的2. parallel 平行的3. trend 倾向4. unprecedented 空前的5. magnitude 大小，数量6. alter 改变7. demolish 毁坏英语专业四级听写50篇(47):House and Home“House” and “home” are two words that have similar meanings.“House” and “home” both refer to places where people live. Howev er, there is a difference between them. “Home” is often referred to as the place that we live in with our families. Sadly, in our society, people can hardly distinguish a home from a house because they often see no difference between them. This confusion can be traced back to the indifference between family members. Therefore, we can say that love is an important factor in a home. A home is a shelter, not only for our bodies but also for our minds. Whenever we are depressed, we can go home for comfort. Everyone in the family will do his best to take care of each other and share their happiness as well as sorrow. Without love, a home is merely a house where loneliness is all that can be found. And a house can never be a home unless there is love.Useful words and expressions:1. refer to 提到2. distinguish区别，辨别3. confusion 混乱，混淆4. trace back 追溯到5. indifference 不关心6. depressed 沮丧的英语专业四级听写50篇(46):AutomobilesIt is impossible to say that any one man invented the automobile. Many individuals living and working in different countries and at different times contributed to its development. Many of the discoveries that went into the creation of the automobile were small in themselves. But together they were important. Here are two examples.“Carriage is running at a speed of 8 to 9 miles an hour.” It was almost unheard of in those days. According to automobile historians, this was the first practical use of mechanical power to move a vehicle. After its first run, the machine reportedly burned up while the inventor and his friends were celebrating its success at a pub.Henry Ford is considered the father of modern automobiles mass production. His famous Model-T car, because of its low price, made it possible to produce cars on a large scale and his efforts made it accessible to ordinary people.Useful words and expressions:1. reportedly 据传说，据传闻2. mass production大规模生产3. on a large scale 大规模地4. accessible 易接近的，可到达的accessible to 与……接近英语专业四级听写50篇(45):The Influence of LifeIn the early times when human beings hunted and gathered food, they were not in control of their environment. They could only interact with their surroundings as the other lower animals did. When they learned to make fire, however, they became capable of altering their environment. To provide themselves with fuel, they cut down trees. They also burned clearings in fores ts to increase the growth of grass and to provide a greater grazing area for the wild animals that human beings fed upon. This development led to farming and the domestication of animals. Fire provided the means for cooking plants which had previously been inedible. Only when the process of meeting the basic need for food reached a certain level was it possible for humans to follow other pursuits such as setting up families, forming societies and founding cities.Useful words and Expressions:1. interact with 与……组合2. clearing 空旷地3. grazing 放牧，牧草4. domestication 驯养，驯服5. previously 先前，以前6. inedible 不能吃的，不适于食用的7. pursuit 追击8. set up 设立英语专业四级听写50篇(44):Gardening in AmericaBelieve or not, 43,000,000 Americans are gardening. That is about one in six. Gardeners, of course, come in many varieties. Not surprisingly, most of them are people who live in the suburbs, and enjoy planting flowers, or maybe a small vegetables garden.The average age of gardeners in America is about 45 years old; they usually fall somewhere in the middle class. But the fastest growing groups are city dwellers. Urban residents are finding ways of gardening even in their crowded areas. Many go to large public gardens, as a place designed by the city for garden, and you can actually ranch your own plot.Still other people use their balconies or roof tops, wherever they can find the space to plant small patches of green.Useful Words and Expressions:1. suburb 郊区2. dweller 居民3. ranch 经营牧场4. balcony 阳台5. patch小块地英语专业四级听写50篇(43):Our ConcernThe history of life on earth has been a history of interaction between living things and their surroundings. To a large extent, the physical form and the habits of the earth’s vegetation and its animal life have been molded by the environment. Only in the present century has one species of man acquired significant power to alter the nature of his world.The rapidity of change follows the pace of man rather than the pace of nature. Radiation is now the unnatural creation of man’s tampering with the atom. The chemicals are the creations of man’s inventive mind, having no counterparts in nature.We have put poisonous and biologically potent chemicals into the hands of persons largely ignorant of their potentials for harm. We have subjected enormous numbers of people to contact with these enormous numbers of people to contact with these poisons, without their consent and often without their knowledge. We have allowed these chemicals to be used with little or no advance investigation of their effect. Future generations are unlikely to forgive our lack of concern.Useful Words and Expressions:1. interaction 交互作用，交感2. vegetation 植被3. mold 塑造，浇铸4. species 种类5. unnatural 不自然的6. temper with 损害，影响7. counterpart 配对物8. poisonous 有毒的9. potent 有力的，有效的10. consent 同意，赞成英语专业四级听写50篇(42):SleepWhy is it so difficult to fall asleep when you are overtired? There is no one answer that applies to every individual. It is possible to feel “tired” physically and still be unable to fall asleep, because while your body may be exhausted, you do not feel sleepy. It is not so easy to simply “turn off”. Lack of sleep complicates matters even more. Experts say adults need at least seven to eight hoursof sleep a night to function properly. When you get less sleep than that on consecutive three nights, you begin to accrue four “sleep debt”. As sleep debt increases your body experiences a stress response. Now a vicious cycle has been created: You experience the feeling of being more and more tired, but your body is increasingly stim ulated. “Power sleeping” for more hours on weekends is only a temporary solution. There is no substitute for getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis. Useful Words and Expressions:1. overtire 使过度疲劳2. apply to 将……应用于3. consecutive 连续的，连贯的4. accrue 自然增加，产生5. vicious恶的vicious cycle 恶性循环6. stimulate 刺激，激励7. substitute for 代替……，替换……英语专业四级听写50篇(41):Apology HelpsIt is never easy to admit you are in the wrong. Being human, we all need to know the art of apologizing. Look back with honesty and think how often you have judged roughly, you said unkind things, and pushed yourself ahead at the expense of a friend. Then count the occasions when you indicated clearly and truly that you were so sorry. A bit frightening, isn’t it? It is frightening, isn’t it? It is frightening because some deep wisdom in us knows that when even a small wrong has been committed, some mysterious moral feeling is disturbed; and it stays out of balance until fault is acknowledged and regret expressed.A heartfelt apology can not only heal a damaged relationship but also make it stronger. If you can think of someone who deserves an apology from you, someone you have wronged, or judged too roughly, or just neglected, do something about it right now.Useful Words and Expressions:1. push ahead 捉紧进行2. at the expense of 在损害……的情况下3. mysterious神秘的4. moral 道德的5. disturbed 扰乱的6. stay out of 不参与……，置身于……之外7. heartfelt 衷心的，真心真意的8. roughly粗糙地，概略地英语专业四级听写50篇(40):How High Can You Jump?Fleas trainers have observed a strange habit of fleas while training them.Fleas are trained by putting them in a cardboard box with a top on it. The fleas will jump up and hit the top of the cardboard box over and over and over again. As you watch them jump and hit the lid, something very interesting becomes obvious. The fleas continue to jump, but they are no longer jumping high enough to hit the top.When you take off the lid, the fleas continue to jump, but they will not jump out of the box. They will not jump out because they cannot jump out. Why? The reason is simple. They have conditioned themselves to jump just so high. Once they have conditioned themselves to jump just so high. Once they have conditioned themselves to jump just so high, that is all they can do!Many times, people do the same thing. They restrict themselves and never reach their potential. Just like the fleas, they fail to jump higher, thinking they are doing al they can do.Useful Words and Expressions:1. cardboard 纸板2. lid 盖子3. conditioned 有条件的，习惯于……的4. restrict 限制，约束be restricted within narrow limits 限于狭窄的范围内be restricted in one’s movements 行动受限制英语专业四级听写50篇(39):Don’t give upIf we would ever accomplish anything in life, let us not forget that we must persevere. If we would learn our lessons in school, we must be diligent and not give up whenever we come to anything difficult. We shall find many of our lessons very hard, but let us consider that the harder they are the better they will do to us if we will preserve and learn them thoroughly.But there are some among us who are ready to give up when they come to a hard example in mathematics, and say, “I can’t do this.” They never will if they feel so. “I can’t” never does anything worthwhile, but “I’ll try” acco mplishes wonders.Let us remember that we shall meet with difficulties all through life. They are in the pathway of everyone. If we will only try and keep trying, we shall be sure to conquer and overcome very difficulty we meet.英语专业四级听写50篇(38):“How to” BooksBooks which give instructions on how to do things are popular in the United States today. Thousands of these “how to” books are available. In fact, there are about for thousand books with titles that begin with the words “how to’.Many “how to” books g ive advice on careers. They tell you how to choose a career and how to succeed in it. Many of these books help people to use their free time better. Some people want book which will give them useful information about sports, hobbies and travel. Other people use their free time to make repairs and improvements on their homes. They prefer books which give step-by-step instructions on how to repair things like plumbing and electrical wiring or on how to redecorate or enlarge a house.Why have “how to” books be come so popular? Probably because life has become more complex. Today people have far more free to use, more choices to make, and more problems to solve, “how to” books help people to deal with modern life.Useful words and Expressions:1. step-by-step 按部就班的2. redecorate 重新装饰，再装饰3. complex 复杂的，综合的英语专业四级听写50篇(37):Professioanl Sports in the U.S.Professional sports are not only very popular in the United States, but also a big business. The most popular sports are baseball, football and basketball. Each sport has its own season and individual teams have millions of supporters. Professional teams are named for the cities where they are located. For example, the Lakers are in Los Angeles. The strongest supporters of the Lakers are residents of Los Angeles and Southern California. When the Lakers play, many people in Los Angeles enthusiastically follow the game. When we mention “NBA”, almost every one knows it ahs some relationship with U.S. professional basketball. However, what does it really stand for? N.B.A is gaining new fans and supporters around the world. Basketball has been called the “national pastime”. However, football is the most popular professional sport in the U.S.. American football is different from international football, which Americans ca ll “soccer”. Both games require strength and specialized skills.Useful Words and Expressions:1. be named for 被指定为2. be short for 是……的简称3. stand for代表英语专业四级听写50篇(35): Artists Every artist knows in his heart that he is saying something to the public. Not only does he want to say it well, but he wants it to be something which has not been said before.What visual artists, like painters, want to say is easy to make out but difficult to explain, because painters translate their experiences into shapes and colors, not words. They seem to feel that a certain selection of shapes and colors, out of the countless billions of possible, is exceptionally interesting for them and worth showing to us.Most artists take their shapes and colors from the world of nature and from human bodies in motion and response; their choices indicate that these aspects of the world are worth looking at, that they contain beautiful sights. Contemporary artists might say that they merely choose subjects that provide an interesting pattern, that there is nothing more in it. Yet even they do not choose entirely without reference to the character of their subjects.Useful words and Expressions:1. visual artist 视觉艺术家2. selection 挑选，选择3. exceptional 例外的，异常的4. motion 运动，动作5. indicate显示，象征6. contemporary 当代的，同时代的7. without reference to 不论，与……无关英语专业四级听写50篇(34):Will Computers Replace Human Beings?We are in the computer age today. The computers are working all kinds of wonders now. They are very useful in automatic control and data processing. At the same time, computers are finding their way into the home. They seem to be so clever and can solve such complicated problems that some people think sooner or later they will replace us.But I do not think that there is such a possibility. My reason is very simple: computers are machines, not humans. And our tasks are far too various and complicated for any one single kind of machine to perform.Probably the greatest difference between man and computer is that the former can do things of his own while the latter can do nothing without being programmed. In my opinion, computers will remain nothing but an extension of our human brains, no matter how clever and complicated they may become.英语专业四级听写50篇(33):Where Do the British LiveNearly everyone in Britain would like to own their own home and, whether they do or not, they are prepared to put time and money into decorating and furnishing it or even making structural alterations to it. Because of the climate and because of the expense involved in going out for the evening, the British spend a lot of time at home and a large part of their social life takes place there. Young people tend to stay with their families longer these days as accommodation is expensive but, when they move away to a job or college, there are various options open to them. They can get lodgings with a landlady. This means that they rent a room in someone’s house and have breakfast with the family. They can also get a bed-sitting room, that is to say one self-contained room in which they can cook, live and sleep. Alternatively, they can share a rented flat or house with a group of young people, perhaps the most popular option of all.Useful Words and Expressions:1. lodging 寄宿处2. bedsit 卧室兼起居室3. bed-sitting 卧室兼起居室的4. self-contained 设备齐全的英语专业四级听写50篇(32):Making a ComplaintComplaining about faulty goods or bad services is never easy. But if something you have brought is faulty or does not do what was claimed for it, you are not asking for a favor to get it put right. Complaints should be made to a responsible person. Go back to the shop where you bought the goods, taking with you any receipt you may have. In a small store the assistant may also be the owner so you can complain direct. In a chain store, ask the manager. If you telephone, ask the name of the person who handles your enquiry, otherwise you may never find out who dealt with the complaint later. If you do not want to do it in person, write a letter. Stick to the facts and keep a copy of what you write. At this stage you should give any receipt numbers, but you should not need to give receipts or other papers to prove you bought the article.英语专业四级听写50篇(31):Water PollutionWater PollutionWater is very important to us. Factories and plants need water for industrial uses and large pieces of farmland need it for irrigation. Without water to drink, people die in a short time.Today most water sources are so dirty that people must purify water before drinking. Water becomes dirty in many ways: industrial pollution is one of them. With the development of industry, plants and factories pour tons of industrial wasters into rivers every day. The rivers have become seriously polluted, and the water is becoming unfit for drinking or irrigation. The same thing has also happened to our seas and oceans. So, the problem of water pollution is almost worldwide. Scientists of many countries have done a lot of work to stop pollution. The polluted water in someplaces has become clean and drinkable again. Perhaps one day the people in all towns and cities will be drinking clean water. That day, we believe, is not very far off.英语专业四级听写50篇(30):CartoonistsCartoonistsIn a good cartoon, the artist can tell in a few lines as much as a writer can tell in half a dozen paragraphs. The cartoonist not only tells a story but he also tries to persuade the reader to his way of thinking. He has great influence on public opinion. In a political campaign, he plays an important part. Controversial issues in Congress or at meetings of the United Nations may keep the cartoonist well-supplied with current materials.A clever cartoonist may cause laughter because he often uses humor in his drawings. If he is sketching a famous person, he takes a prominent feature and exaggerates it. Cartoonists, for instance, like to lengthen an already long nose and to widen an already broad grin. This exaggeration of a person’s characteristics is called caricature. The artist uses such exaggeration to put his message across.Useful Words and Expressions:1. cartoonist 漫画家2. campaign 活动3. controversial 争论的，争议的4. sketch 素描5. prominent 卓越的6. exaggerate 夸张7. lengthen 延长8. grin 露齿笑英语专业四级听写50篇(29):TimeTime is tangible. One can gain time, spend time, waste time, save time, or even kill time. Common questions in American English reveal this concrete quality as though time were a possession. “Do you have any time?”,“Can you get some time for this?”, “How much free time do you have?” The treatment of time as a possession influences the way that time is carefully divided.Generally, Americans are taught to do one thing at a time and may be uncomfortable when an activity is interrupted. In businesses, the careful scheduling of time and the separation of activities are common practices. Appointment calendars are printed with 15-,30-, and 60-minute time slots. The idea that “there is a time and place for everything” exten ds to American social life. Visitors who drop by without prior notice may interrupt their host’s personal time. Thus, calling friends on the telephone before visiting them is generally preferred to visitors’ dropping by.Useful words and expressions:1. tangible 切实的2. kill time 消磨时间3. reveal 显示，揭示4. scheduling 行程安排5. slot 缝隙6. drop by 随便访问7. preferred 首选的英语专业四级听写50篇(28):A Free Dress Every WeekThe temptation to steal is greater than ever before especially in large shops and people are not so honest as they once were.A detective recently watched a well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings. One Monday, there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman came in, so it was easier for the detective to watch her. The woman first bought a few small articles. After a little time, she chose one of the most expensive dresses in the shop and handed it to an assistant who wrapped it up for her as quickly as possible. The woman s imply took the parcel and walked out of the shop without paying. When she was arrested, the detective found out that the shop assistant was her daughter. Believe it or not, the girl “gave” her mother a free dress every week!英语专业四级听写50篇(27):IntelligenceAre some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience?Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus, the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, held by most experts now, can be supported in a number of ways. As is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people is, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence.英语专业四级听写50篇(26):Travel for WorkYou can see them in every airport in the world. They are businessmen and women who have to travel for their work.When they first applied for the job, they may have thought of good food and hotels, huge expense accounts and fashionable cities. Now they have to sit in airport lounges, tired and uncomfortable in their smart clothes, listening to the loudspeaker announce “The fight of Tokyo, or Berlin, or New York is delayed for another two hours.” Some people say to me, “How lu cky you are to be able to travel abroad in your work! You can go sightseeing without paying any money by yourself!” They think that my job is like a continual holiday. It is not.There are advantages, of course, and I do thin I am lucky, but only because I can go to places I would never visit if I was a tourist.英语专业四级听写50篇(25):A Place of Our OwnWe are all usually very careful when we buy something for the house. Why? Because we have to live with it for a long time. We paint a room to make it brighter, so we choose the colors carefully. We buy new curtains in order to match the newly decorated room, so they must be the right color. We move the furniture round so as to make more space—or we buy new furniture—and so on. It is an endless business.Rich or poor, we take time to furnish a room. Perhaps some people buy furniture in order to impress their friends. But most of us just want to enjoy our surroundings. We want to live as comfortably as we can afford to. We spend a large part of our lives at home. We want to make a small corner in the world which we can recognize as our own.英语专业四级听写50篇(24):Great Depression in the U.S.In 1929, the bills started to come in. American industry had produced too many goods. Americans could not afford to buy all of them. So factories had to cut down on their production. Many workers lost their jobs. Investors tried to get their money back. But businesses did not have enough money to pay them. Banks tried to get their money back from investors. But the investors could not pay, either. Too many people owed money. And few of them could pay their bills.During the next few years, business got worse and worse. By 1932, banks all over the country were closing.People without money could not buy goods. So more businesses closed. More and more people lost their jobs. By 1932, more than 12 million Americans were jobless. Millions more were earning barely enough to live on. The country was in a great depression they had never experienced before. Useful Words and Expressions:1. bill 帐单，票据foot the bill付账，负责2. cut down on 减少3. depression 沮丧，萧条Great Depression大萧条英语专业四级听写50篇(23):America's Worst SurpriseDecember 7, 1941 was one of the worst days in American history. Nearly all Americans who are old enough to remember that day can still remember what they were doing at the moment they heard “the news”. The news was that America had been attacked!Shortly before 2:00 P.M., a radio dispatch came into Washington from Honolulu, Hawaii. “Air Raid, Pearl Harbor—This is no drill.” Japanese plan es had begun an attack on the largest American military base in the Pacific. They first destroyed planes on the ground. Then they bombed the ships in the harbor.No one had expected the attack. So no one was prepared for it. And it did not take long for Japanese to do their damage. When the smoke cleared, the Navy counted its losses. Eighteen ships had been。
英语专业四级Dictation听写50篇
Town 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.A 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 the 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 of each of them.Useful Words and Expressions:1.life-pattern生活方式2.shareA Popular Pastime of the English PeopleOne of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what the 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 they 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 window box or something growing in a pot will do. Looking at each other’s gardens is a popular pastime with the English.Useful Words and Expressions:1. window box:窗台上的花盆箱2.pastime 消遣，娱乐Swimming is my favorite pastime.British and American Police OfficersReal policemen, both in Britain and the U.S., hardly recognize any common points between their lives and what they se on TV—if they ever get home in time.Some things are almost the same, of course, but the policemen do not think much of them 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.Useful Words and Expressions:1.think much of 重视，尊重2.in court 在法庭上3.criminal 罪犯，犯罪者4.guilty 犯罪的，有罪的Living 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, and more they tend to bite each other and even kill each other. Thus, for rats, populations 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.The United NationsIn 1945, representatives of 50 nations met to plan this organization. It was called the United Nations. After the war, many more nations joined.There are two major parts of the United Nations. One is called the General Assembly. In the General Assembly, every member nation is represented and has an equal vote.The second part is called the Security Council. It has representatives of just 15 nations. Five nations are permanent members: the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and China. The 10 other members are elected every two years by the General Assembly.The major job of the Security Council is to keep peace in the world. If necessary, it can send troops from member nations to try to stop little wars before they turn into big ones.It is hard to get the nations of the Security Council to agree on when this is necessary. But they did vote to try to stop wars.Useful Words and Expressions:1.representative 代表2.General Assembly 联合国大会3.permanent 永久的，持久的4.Security Council 联合国安全理事会PlasticWe use plastic wrap to protect our foods. We put our garbage in plastic bags or plastic cans. We sit on plastic chairs, play with plastic toys, drink from plastic cups, and wash our hair with shampoo from plastic bottles!Plastic does not grow in nature. It is made by mixing certain things together. We call it a produced or manufactured material. Plastic was first made in the 1860s from plants, such as wood and cotton. That plastic was soft and burned easily.The first modern plastics were made in the 1930s. Most clear plastic starts out as thick, black oil. That plastic coating inside a pan begins as natural gas.Over the years, hundreds of different plastics have been developed. Some are hard and strong. Some are soft and bendable. Some are clear. Some are many-colored. There is a plastic for almost every need. Scientists continue to experiment with plastics. They hope to find even ways to use them!Display of GoodsAre supermarkets designed to persuade us to buy more?Fresh fruit and vegetables are displayed near supermarket entrances. This gives the impression that only healthy food is sold in the shop. Basic foods that everyone buys, like sugar and tea, are not put near each other. They are kept in different aisles so customers are taken past other attractive foods before they find what they want. In this way, shoppers are encouraged to buy products that they do not really need.Sweets are often placed at children’s eye level at the checkout. While parents are waiting to pay, children reach for the sweets and put them in the trolley.More is bought from a fifteen-foot display of one type of product than from a ten-foot one. Customers also buy more when shelves are full than when they are half empty. They do not like to buy from shelves with few products on them because they feel there is something wrong with those products that are there.Useful Words and Expressions:1.aisle 走廊，过道2.trolley 手推车3.checkout 收款台Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879, His father owned a factory that made electrical devices. His mother enjoyed music and books. His parents were Jewish but they did not observe many of the religion’s rules. Albert was a quite child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty learning to read. When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass. The child was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction—to be north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers about magnetism and gravity were difficult for the boy to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something hidden had to be behind things.Useful expressions and words:1.device 装置，设备leave to one’s own devices 听任某人自行其是，允许某人按自己的意愿做事She left the child to her own devices for an hour in the afternoon.她允许孩子在下午有一个小时的自由支配时间。
英语专业四级听写50篇文本
英语专业四级听写50篇文本Passage 1Town and Country Life in EnglandThere is a big difference between town life and country life in England. In the country, everybody knows everybody else. They know what time you get up, what time you go to bed and what you have for dinner. If you want help, you will always get it and you will be glad to help others.In a large town like London, however, it can sometimes happen that you have never seen your next door neighbor and you do not know his name or anything about him. People in London are often very lonely. This is because people go to different places in the evenings and at weekends. If you walk through the streets in the centre of London on Sunday, it is like a town without people. One is sorry for old people living on their own .They could die in their homes and would not be discovered for weeks or even months. (154 words)Useful Words and Expressions:next door n. n．隔壁the neighbors next他door隔壁邻居lonely adj ．孤独的，寂寞的，偏僻的，人迹罕至的lonely life孤单的生活a lonely old man一位孤独的老人a lonely sand一个孤岛the loneliest night最孤独的夜晚on (one's) own独自；独立地；通过自己的努力She lives on her own．她一个人过。
英语专四听写50篇_文本
Passage 1 Town 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. Passage 2A Change in Women’s LifeThe important change in women’s life-pattern has only recently begun to have most girls its full effect on women’s economic position. Even a few years agoleft 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 the 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 of each of them. Useful Words and Expressions: 1. life-pattern生活方式生活方式2. sharePassage 3 A Popular Pastime of the English PeopleOne of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what the 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 they 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 window box or something growing in a pot will do. Looking at each other’s gardens is a popular pastime with the English. Useful Words and Expressions:1. window box:窗台上的花盆箱窗台上的花盆箱2.pastime 消遣，娱乐消遣，娱乐Swimming is my favorite pastime. Passage 4 British and American Police OfficersReal policemen, both in Britain and the U.S., hardly recognize any common —if they ever get home in points between their lives and what they se on TVtime. Some things are almost the same, of course, but the policemen do not think much of them 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. Useful Words and Expressions:1. think much of 重视，尊重重视，尊重2. in court 在法庭上在法庭上在法庭上3. criminal 罪犯，犯罪者罪犯，犯罪者4. guilty 犯罪的，有罪的犯罪的，有罪的Passage 5 Living 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. health change obviously. They can not sleep and eat well, and signs of fear But if their living conditions become too crowded, their behavior and even their and worry become clear. The more crowded they are, and more they tend to bite each other and even kill each other. Thus, for rats, populations 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. Passage 6 The United NationsIn 1945, representatives of 50 nations met to plan this organization. It was called the United Nations. After the war, many more nations joined. There are two major parts of the United Nations. One is called the General Assembly. In the General Assembly, every member nation is represented and has an equal vote. The second part is called the Security Council. It has representatives of just 15 nations. Five nations are permanent members: the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and China. The 10 other members are elected every two years by the General Assembly. The major job of the Security Council is to keep peace in the world. If necessary, it can send troops from member nations to try to stop little wars before they turn into big ones. It is hard to get the nations of the Security Council to agree on when this is necessary. But they did vote to try to stop wars. Useful Words and Expressions:1. representative 代表代表2. General Assembly 联合国大会联合国大会3. permanent 永久的，持久的永久的，持久的4. Security Council 联合国安全理事会联合国安全理事会Passage 7 PlasticWe use plastic wrap to protect our foods. We put our garbage in plastic bags or plastic cans. We sit on plastic chairs, play with plastic toys, drink from plastic cups, and wash our hair with shampoo from plastic bottles! Plastic does not grow in nature. It is made by mixing certain things together. We call it a produced or manufactured material. Plastic was first made in the 1860s from plants, such as wood and cotton. That plastic was soft and burned easily. The first modern plastics were made in the 1930s. Most clear plastic starts out as thick, black oil. That plastic coating inside a pan begins as natural gas. Over the years, hundreds of different plastics have been developed. Some are hard and strong. Some are soft and bendable. Some are clear. Some are many-colored. There is a plastic for almost every need. Scientists continue to experiment with plastics. They hope to find even ways to use them! Passage 8 Display of GoodsAre supermarkets designed to persuade us to buy more? Fresh fruit and vegetables are displayed near supermarket entrances. This gives the impression that only healthy food is sold in the shop. Basic foods that everyone buys, like sugar and tea, are not put near each other. They are kept in different aisles so customers are taken past other attractive foods before they find what they want. In this way, shoppers are encouraged to buy products that they do not really need. Sweets are often placed at children’s eye level at the checkout. While parents are waiting to pay, children reach for the sweets and put them in the trolley. More is bought from a fifteen-foot display of one type of product than from a ten-foot one. Customers also buy more when shelves are full than when they are half empty. They do not like to buy from shelves with few products on them because they feel there is something wrong with those products that are there. Useful Words and Expressions:1. aisle 走廊，过道走廊，过道2. trolley 手推车手推车3. checkout 收款台收款台Passage 9 Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879, His father owned a factory that made electrical devices. His mother enjoyed music and books. His parents rve many of the religion’s rules. Albert was a were Jewish but they did not obsequite child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty learning to read. When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass. The child was filled with wonder when he discovered that the —to be north. He asked compass needle always pointed in the same directionhis father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers about magnetism and gravity were difficult for the boy to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something hidden had to be behind things. Useful expressions and words:1. device 装置，设备装置，设备leave to one’s own devices 听任某人自行其是，允许某人按自己的意愿做事She left the child to her own devices for an hour in the afternoon. 她允许孩子在下午有一个小时的自由支配时间。
专四听写50篇文本
专四听写50篇Dictation 1 Superstition迷信（144 words）One person in four in Britain is, apparently, superstitious, / and they‟ll do everything from hanging horseshoes over their fireplace to crossing their fingers, / touching wood and absolutely never walking under a ladder. / And they‟re careful about cats. / Black cats are supposed to be the familiars of witches, / so if one is following you it‟s definitely bad luck— a witch is after you! /On the other hand, if one crosses yo ur path and continues / then it‟s good luck because it hasn‟t noticed you. / However, in some places the beliefs are different / — so it pays to know where your black cat comes from! /Old superstitions linger even in today‟s modern world. / The author Phi lip Pullman drew on them / in his award winning novel “His Dark Materials”. / The novel, which appeals to both children and adults, / has been adapted for radio and also the theatre. /Dictation 2 Graduate Student研究生（157 words）Graduate students specialize in a particular field of study. / They study to become experts in this field / and to learn new advances in their fields while they earn an M.A. or Ph.D. / Sometimes when they get an M. A. in one field they begin studying another field. / They hope that when they earn their graduate degrees / they will succeed in finding important jobs. / They hope to get jobs that are interesting and high paying. / The life of a graduate student is often difficult. / They are usually too busy studying to make a good living. / Often they have to pay high tuition fees for their education. / Some give up studying before they get their degrees. / But most keep on working at their studies until they graduate. / In today‟s world, most graduate students don‟t regret spendi ng time with their studies. / They are finding that new developments are occurring in all fields. / For many graduate study has become a necessity. /Dictation 3 April Fool’s Day愚人节（157 words）1st April is a day to be careful, or you could easily get tricked by someone. / It‟s April Fool‟s Day, a day when people traditionally like to try / to make a fool of someone else and laugh at them. / There are lots of theories surrounding the origins of the day, / but one explanation is connected with the change in the calendar in the 16th century, / which meant that 1st April was no longer the beginning of the year. / Those who still celebrated the New Year on 1st April were called fools. / So what kind of pranks do people play on April Fool‟s Day? / Well, there are lots of simple tricks / that you can play on your friends. / For example, you could wear a black sweater / and pull a piece of white thread through it, / so that people try to pull it off. / You could change the time on someone‟s alarm clock / so that they‟re late for work. /Dictation 4 Living Online网上生活（159 words）How do you meet new people, make new friends, or find out about the latest bands? / Here in the UK young people have traditionally done their socializing in bars, pubs and clubs. / However, there is a new generation growing up / that finds it easier to manage their social liveson the net, / using free websites like MySpace, Bebo or MSN Spaces. /Welcome to the social networking website / — a place where you can present yourself to the digital community and meet other like-minded people. /The most successful social networking website in the UK is . / As of July 2006, MyS pace is the world‟s fourth most popular English-language website, / attracting almost 3 million visitors per month. / MySpace claims to have 95 million members / with 500,000 new members joining the community each week. /So how has it become so successful? / Perhaps its secret is in its simplicity. / Each new member can build their own page simply — uploading photos, videos and MP3 files. /Dictation 5 Mother’s Day母亲节（160 words）Does your mother know how much you appreciate her? / Well, Mother‟s Day is the time to show her. / It‟s a chance to say …thank you‟, or to tell your mum how much you love her. / In Britain, Mother‟s Day, or Mothering Sunday, / falls on a dif ferent day each year, / because it takes place a few weeks before the festival of Easter. / But it is always in the early springtime, which seems appropriate, / as the season when new plants emerge, / and baby birds and animals are born. / In the USA, Moth er‟s Day takes place a little later, in May, / and many other countries also celebrate their mothers on different days of the year. /It began many years ago, when children, / especially girls, as young as 10 would live and work away from home / as housemaids and other types of servant. / Mothering Sunday was a day when everyone was allowed to go to their home village or town, and visit their mothers. /Dictation 6 Online Shopping网上购物（159 words）With only two weeks to go before Christmas, / buying presents is a high priority for a lot of people. / However, this year not so many people are leaving their homes to browse around the shops. / These days lots of people can do their shopping / in the comfort of their own home with the help of the internet. /Online shopping is becoming more and more popular for a number of reasons; / prices are often lower online, / you don‟t have to queue up in busy shops / and you can buy almost any product imaginable / with just a few clicks of your mouse. /Computer trends are often male-dominated / but this year women are expected to do more shopping on the internet than men. / It seems women are now more attracted to the convenience of online shopping than they used to be. /Average spending online this Christmas by women will rise to £240 / compared to the slightly lower average of £233 for men. /Dictation 7 Reality TV真实电视（155 words）The latest fashion on British TV is Reality TV. / Reality TV means that shows follow and film ordinary people in an artificial situation. / This could be at work, or in some kind of competition. / One of the first and most popular Reality TV shows is Big Brother. / In this show, 15 complete strangers have to live together in a house for 11 weeks. / They are filmed 24 hours a day, / and shown on television. / Each week, the viewers vote to evict one of the housemates. / Finally, onlyone is left, / and they win the prize money! /The show was an instant hit, and runs in several countries. / The housemates often become stars as a result of the show, / and appear in national newspapers and on other shows. / Another very popular show is I‟m a Celebrity — Get Me Out Of Here! / In this show, 10 celebrities have to complete tasks each week, such as eating insects. /Dictation 8 School学校（160 words）September is traditionally the end of summer / and the beginning of autumn in the UK. / It is also the month when children go back to school after their long summer holidays. / There are two types of school in England. / State-run schools are paid for by the government, so are free to attend. / Independent Schools are private, which means you have to pay to attend. / The school day usually starts at 9 in the morning and finishes around 4, / with breaks for lunch of course! / In many schools, you have to wear a uniform too. /Children start school when they are 5 years old. / This is called primary school, / and lasts until the child is 11 when he or she will go on to senior school. /Secondary school is compulsory from 11 until 16 years of age. / At 16, students take national examinations called GCSE‟s. / After this, stu dents can stay at school for another 2 years and take A Level examinations. /Dictation 9 The Modern Family现代家庭（154 words）Father leaves for work in the morning after breakfast. / The two children take the bus to school, / and mother stays home cooking and cleaning / until father and the kids return home in the evening. / This is the traditional picture of a happy family living in Britain. /The past 20 years have seen enormous changes in the lives and structure of families in Britain. / The biggest change has been caused by divorce. / As many as 2 out of 3 marriages now end in divorce, / leading to a situation where many children live with one parent / and only see the other at weekends or holidays. /There has also been a huge rise in the number of women with children who work. / The large rise in divorces has meant / many women need to work to support themselves and their children. / Even when there is no divorce, / many families need both parents to work in order to survive. /Dictation 10 Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节（146 words）On 25th September this year, people all over China / will be getting together to eat with their families, / look at the moon and celebrate one of the biggest festivals in the Chinese lunar calendar. / However, the celebrations stretch far beyond the borders of China. / Here in the UK events are taking place for Chinese people living here, / and to teach the people of Britain more about this popular festival. /The Soho Theatre in London conducted a study / which showed that Chinese Londoners don‟t engage much with the arts world. / As a result, …Moon walking In China‟ has been created to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. /This is no normal theatre production though, / as it doesn‟t take place in the theatre. / Theatre professionals and volunteers from the local community / will take audiences around the streets ofSoho / on a magical lantern-lit walk / through the landmarks and backstreets of Chinatown. /Dictation 11 The Dragon龙（160 words）When many people in the west think of China, / the animal that they think of is the dragon. / For them, the dragon is an aggressive monster that breathes fire. / Many popular legends tell of how dragons killed brave knights and ate beautiful maidens. /For Chinese people however, the dragon is not an evil monster. / It‟s a cultural and spiritual symbol for prosperity and good luck. / The dragon‟s main task is to create harmony and bring rain. / Dragons are celebrated in art and architecture, / and of course the dragon dance is a very popular ritual. / Millions of Chinese have the word …long‟, meaning dragon, as part of their name. / China isn‟t the only country to have the dragon as its symbol. / Wales, one of the four countries in the UK, / has a red dragon proudly displayed on its flag. / The only other country in the world with a dragon on its flag is Bhutan, / the tiny country between China and India. /Dictation 12 Rainy Britain阴雨的英国（153 words）Britain is famous around the world for its rainy weather, / but many parts of the country this June / are experiencing much more rain than they have ever seen before. /Torrential downpours have caused rivers to burst their banks, / roads have been closed and many people have been evacuated / from their homes because of the floods. /The worst hit area seems to be the north of England. / There have even been fatalities as people got stuck in the rain / or were washed away by the floodwaters. /Flood warnings have been issued in many parts of the UK / and it is said that over a month‟s worth of rain has fallen in just the last couple of days. /The rain has also caused chaos at some of Britain‟s famous June events. / The Glastonbury festival is a four-day-long outdoor music festival / and while it is traditionally quite rainy and muddy there, / this year was particularly bad. /Dictation 13 Christmas Traditions圣诞节传统（145 words）There are many ways to celebrate Christmas, / and some British people like to go on holiday, / go out for lunch to a restaurant, or spend the day with friends. / But most people‟s idea of a traditional Christmas / involves spending a few days with their family / — sometimes their extended family. /The day is the most exciting for the children. / They may have spent weeks or even months dreaming of the presents they want most. / Since the beginning of December, they may have opened their advent calendars, / finding a new festive picture, chocolate, or small gift, / to count down each day until 25th December. /On Christmas Eve, they hang up stockings, / ready to be filled with presents by Santa Claus. / Often a thank you gift of a mince pie and a glass of sherry will be left, / as well as a carrot for those hungry reindeer. /Dictation 14 Olympic Slogan奥运口号（140 words）Beijing unveiled the slogan for the 2008 Olympics as far back as 2005. / “One World, One4Dream” was finally selected / from more than 210,000 entries from around the world. / Beijing‟s original bid to host the 2008 games / had a different slogan “New Beijing, Great Olympics”. / The organizers felt the new slogan shifted the focus nicely / fr om the city of Beijing itself to the spirit of the Olympics / — unity, friendship amongst nations and progress. / It was also felt that the “One World, One Dream” slogan / captured the traditional Chinese values of peace and harmony. /The Olympics hasn‟t always had a slogan attached to each host country. / In fact it wasn‟t until 1988 at the Seoul Olympics in South Korea / that the first slogan appeared. / “Harmony and Progress” was chosen / and it seems to have been a popular theme over the years. /Dictation 15 Sunbed太阳床（159 words）In the UK, a country known for its bad weather and lack of sunshine, / there appears to be an ever increasing number of very tanned young people. /So just how are they achieving their golden tans? / Some are opting for the sun-free option / and are getting their tan from a bottle. / However, it appears that others are turning to tanning salons, / of which there are thousands in the UK. /While in China young people often prefer to remain fair, / in the UK there seems to be a growing desire for tanned skin. / So why do the British prefer to be bronzed? / Often, they are trying to emulate their favorite celebrities, footballers, or footballers‟ wives. / Research from the British Sunbed Association suggests that / many people believe a tan makes them feel and look healthier. /This is a belief that is most definitely not shared by Cancer Research UK. / They firmly state that being tanned is not a sign of health. /Dictation 16 Speechwriting写演讲稿（143 words）The success of a speech is often attributed to the skill of the speaker, / with merit being given to speakers who are confident, articulate, / knowledgeable and able to deliver a speech with conviction. /But often it is not the speakers who write these moving speeches, / it is a speechwriter. / And one industry in which this practice is common is that of politics. / So what does it take to be a political speechwriter? /Well according to a recent job advertisement from the US Embassy in Britain, / a political speechwriter needs to have exceptional interpersonal skills, / be detail oriented and able to demonstrate a deep knowledge of their subject. / They must also work closely with speakers / and be able to relate to their style. /Some believe that the best speechwriters have an inherent talent, / a natural creative instinct, / and that speechwriting is an art form. /Dictation 17 A Walk in the Park在公园散步（141 words）Exercising in natural areas is not only good for your physical health / —it can improve your mood / and sense of well-being in as little as five minutes. / So says research in the journal Environmental Health and Technology. / Exercise alone is known to make you happier. / So is being in a natural setting. / So scientists wanted to see the effect of combining the two./ They evaluated 10 different UK studies involving more than 1,200 people. /Participants had taken part in activities such as gardening, / sailing and country walks, and rated their mood and self-esteem. /The research showed that both areas get a significant boost / with as little as five minutes of outdoor exercise. / And people with mental disorders benefited the most. / The study authors say this is the first study / to quantify the amount of time needed to get a positive effect. /5Dictation 18 Fast Food Makes Us Less Patient快餐使我们失去耐性（146 words）Fast food is a multibillion-dollar industry, / and for some of us, drive-through dinner has become a way of life. / Granted, sometimes we grab something quick because we really don‟t have time. / But psychologists got to wondering / whether all this speed eating might actually make us less patient. /In a series of experiments, the scientists showed volunteers logos / from several fast-food chains or asked them to recall the last time they‟d visited. / And they found that folks who had thought about fast food would then read faster, / even though no one told them to hurry. / And they also expressed a preference for time-saving products, / like shampoo plus conditioner. / And they tended to opt for immediate rewards, / like getting a small cash payment right away / rather than waiting a week for a larger sum. / So if you want to ease the pace, forget meditation. Try a slow cooker. /Dictation 19 Light All Night Not Alright整夜开灯并非好事（159 words）A nightlight may keep those monsters under the bed. / But it may also open the door to the blues. /If you have access to electricity, you no doubt switch on a lamp, / maybe even watch a little TV, after the sun goes down. / But our bodies use cues about lightness and dark to regulate our hormones / and of course our sleep cycles. / So what might these extra photons be doing to our health? /To find out, scientists housed mice in a room / where the lights were always on. / After three weeks, they found that mice who lived in the spotlight showed symptoms of depression, / more so than mice who enjoyed eight hours of darkness at night. / Interestingly, mice who could escape the light by ducking into a dark tube / also escaped the worst of the depression. /So flip that light switch at your own risk. / Because the artificial brightness that helps keep us up could also bring us down. /Dictation 20 London 2012 Olympic Games伦敦2012奥运会（154 words）After a hard-fought campaign, / London has been awarded the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games. / The UK capital saw off competition from four rival cities: / Paris, Madrid, Moscow and New York. /Londoners can now look forward to the transformation of their city / in the same way as their cou nterparts in Beijing. / Indeed, there are many similarities in the two cities‟ approach to hosting6the games. / Both cities need to invest in developing their infrastructure / in order to cope with the demands of the event. /However, this kind of investment is far from cheap / — it is estimated that it will cost around $40 billion to prepare for the 2008 games, / much of which will be spent on transport links. / Nevertheless, the benefits of becoming an Olympic city can be enormous / — Barcelona, which hosted the 1992 games, / was completely regenerated and has since become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. /Dictation 21 Picnic野餐（155 words）As summertime begins in Britain, people start to feel the urge to go outside to eat. / People love to have a picnic whenever the weather is good enough, / especially people with children. / It‟sa great way to spend a sunny afternoon. /Even in the centre of London, on a sunny day, / the parks are full of office workers eating their lunch outside on the grass. / That might be a pretty basic picnic / — a shop-bought sandwich and a bottle of water. /But if people are planning a picnic on the beach or at the park, / they would probably pack a cool bag / with a whole variety of home-made sandwiches, snacks, cake, fruit and soft drinks. / They might have a picnic rug to sit on, and paper plates and cups. /University students enjoy having picnics, / and usually take along some kind of sports equipment, / such as a ball in order to burn off some energy after lunch. /Dictation 22 Changing Name after Marriage婚后改名（155 words）Getting married is one of the most important decisions that a person takes i n one‟s life. / Thisis because it is a step that has the potential to alter or change one‟s life altogether. / Right from the wedding dress to the house / that the couple will live after their wedding, / is decided with utmost care. / An important decision that the person has to make along with the other arrangements for the wedding / is to choose between one‟s maiden name and spouse‟s name. / Though traditionally, women are expected to change their name / from their maiden name to their husband‟s name, / many women nowadays opt to keep their maiden name after marriage, / mostly for professional reasons. / Apart from this, there are women who adopt their husband‟s last name / and keep their maiden name as their second name. / Also, there are couples who make a new name with both their names, / by separating the names with a hyphen. /Dictation 23 The Compass指南针（153 words）A magnetic compass is a device that has been used for centuries now, / and its utility in helping people find their way is undoubted. / Before technology gave us the privilege of GPS navigation systems, / the act of finding out where you are and which side is north / was carried out simply with the help of a compass. / We‟ve all seen a compass at some point or the other, / and this has almost always led us to the question “How does a compass work?” / The answer to this question can be explain ed / through the concept of the earth‟s electromagnetism. /Simply speaking, a compass is basically a small magnet / that has a needle attached on one end. / The other end of the magnet is attached to a freely moving pin. / When the compass is held outsteadily, / the magnet becomes parallel with the magnetic field of the Earth, / and this causes it to point north. /Dictation 24 Ball Games球类运动（157 words）Ball games have become an integral part of modern society. / They give us entertainment providing us a means to safely free ourselves from stress. / There are many different ball games that can do this for us. / Some people enjoy football, while others like basketball. / These two ball games are the most popular in China. / Other games such as baseball are growing in appeal, yet have not become popular. / The development of these games is interesting. / Basketball is one of the few sports with a known date of birth. / Football, or soccer, originally developed from traits found in both China and Europe. / It has grown to become the world‟s most popular sport. / In Europe, football clubs have been established, / which in turn has been copied in the rest of the world. / These football clubs train players / who may later go to play for their nations in the World Cup. / This is the most watched ballgame championship on the planet. /Dictation 25 Water Sports水上运动（145 words）The history of man‟s involvement with water sports / stretches back before history was written down. / It is a history of the development of technology as well as human physical achievement. / Man first took to water in boats that sailed around the world / with nothing but the stars to guide them. / The seas and rivers were a mystery to be feared, / for lurked unknown creatures and death by drowning. / Few actually ventured into the water. / As a sport, however, water sports such as swimming, diving, / and water polo are new comparatively to those on land. / Probably the oldest one is rowing in a rowboat. / This is seen in modern games such as competitions / between rowing clubs in British and American universities. / Olympic Water Sports began with swimming but did not end there. / The different kinds of water sports such as diving or water skiing came later. /Dictation 26 Famous Universities名校（140 words）Many countries have excellent universities. / There are, however, few world famous ones. / These universities have achieved their fame / through a combination of both their age / and the high levels of quality in their instruction. / Throughout their histories, / each one has been a testing ground for the leadership of the nation. / In the United States, Harvard and Yale attract thousands of foreign students / who would use what they learn for the advancement of their own nations. / In this way, these schools have developed an interesting method of international communication. / Graduates around the world are able to connect with each other / by having graduated from one of the finest universities in the world. / Leaders in every field, whether government officials or ground-breaking scientists, / who graduated from the same school have a direct link to each other / and understand each other much better. /Dictation 27 Ideal Life理想人生（157 words）The ideal life is one that many people would like to pursue, yet few achieve. / The balance between dreams and reality is one that is difficult to overcome. / Many people choose a vocation in the hopes / that it would bring them wealth and success. / However, after years of labor in theirchosen field, they begin to hate their jobs. / This is mainly because they have neglected other parts of their lives in search of this success. / These people devote their lives to working / and are unable to separate themselves from their work. / They find that it may not be enough. / Some have jobs where their principles and emotional health / are challenged by dishonesty or bad work environments. / These people can begin to become influenced by the environment in which they work, / leading to personal or health problems. / This choice is not a permanent situation, however, / as many people have chosen to change the values of their lives. /Dictation 28 Reeducation and Employment再教育和就业（160 words）During the course of our lives, we must make many choices that we may come to regret. / This is especially true when choosing a career. / Jobs that sound exciting or rewarding become dull or not worth it / as we live our daily existence. / This is where reeducation can help. / Occupational schools have been set up to train people in jobs / that they may be better suited for. / People can adapt their interests and talents through selected courses. / They can learn cooking skills, which are always in great demand. / Gardening is an option for those who enjoy the outdoors or have a green thumb. / If a person is interested in motors or cars, they can get training as a mechanic. / Even more, the learning of a foreign language / would allow them the opening of a dream life. / The job qualification certificates they earn can also be used too enhance their resumes, / so that they are trained in a variety of skills. /Dictation 29 Made in China中国制造（160 words）The label, Made in China, is one that is becoming increasing common / in shopping centers all over the world. / In the United States, shoppers at Wal-Mart the nation‟s largest retailer / have a wide selection of products mostly produced in China. / The large amount of Chinese imports have created a large selection of goods in other countries / as people begin to buy more and more products made in China. / These goods are even readily available in other Asian nations, / where Chinese-made goods are quite popular. / Chinese brand names are also becoming more well-known outside of China. / The development of China has amazed the world with its growth. / And also, as China is a developing economy with large amounts of labor, / industries are beginning to relocate in an effort to minimize costs and increase profits. / The results of these relocations are that / nations are beginning to try to limit the flow of Chinese goods / with the use of taxes and import restrictions. /Dictation 30 Glaciers冰川（153 words）Glaciers are formed in places where the temperatures are extremely cold. / This could even include places that are at sea level, / but are mostly places that are high up on mountains. / In such cold places it snows most of the year. / This snow will settle down and when it snows again / the lower layer of snow gets compressed. / Every time it snows, the below layers will compress more, / finally turning into hard ice. / This ice is what forms the glacier. / When the temperature rises slightly, / the outer edges of the formed glacier and fresh snow will melt. / For a glacier to form and sustain itself it is of prime importance / that the amount of snow that falls on it must be more than the amount of glacier that has melted. / This is the only way in which the glacier will be able to maintain itself / and keep increasing in size year after year. /。
英语专业四级短文听写50篇文本
英语专业四级听写50篇文本（Oct. 22, 2011）Passage 1 Professor BumbleProfessor Bumble is not only absent-minded but short-sighted as well. His mind is always busy with learned thoughts and he seldom notices what is going on around him.On a fine day recently, he went for a walk in the countryside. But as always, he read the book as he walked. He hadn't gone far when he ran into a large cow and fell down. He had lost his spectacles in the fall, and he thought he had stumbled over a fat lady. "I beg your pardon, madam," he said politely before searching for his glasses. As soon as he had put the glasses on，he realized his mistake.Soon he was concentrating on his book again and paying no attention to anything else. He had scarcely been walking for five minutes when he fell over again, losing both his book and his glasses. This time he became very angry. Seizing his umbrellas, he struck the "cow" in anger. Then, after finding his glasses, he realized with horror that he had made a second mistake. A large fat woman was running away from him in terror. （187 words）Passage 2 TeamworkTeamwork is just as important in science as it is on the playing field or in the gym. Scientific investigations are almost always carried out by teams of people working together. Ideas are shared, experiments are designed, data are analyzed, and results are evaluated and shared with other investigators. Group work is necessary, and is usually more productive than working alone.Several times throughout the year you may be asked to work with one or more of your classmates. Whatever the task your group is assigned, a few rules need to be followed to ensure a productive and successful experience.What comes first is to keep an open mind, because everyone's ideas deserve consideration and each group member can make his or her own contribution. Secondly, it makes a job easier to divide the group task among all group members. Thirdly, always work together, take turns, and encourage each other by listening, clarifying, and trusting one another. Mutual support and trust often make a great difference.（166 words）Passage 3 Mistakes Are Good TeachersAfter the birth of my second child，I got a job at a restaurant. Having worked with an experienced waitress for a few days，I was allowed to wait on tables on my own. When Saturday night came，I was luckily given the tables not far from the kitchen. However，I still felt a little hard to carry the heavy trays. So I moved slowly, minding every step. I remembered how happy I was when I saw a tray standing next to the tables. It looked different from the one I was trained on，and it had nice handles which made it easier to move around. I was pleased with everything and began to believe I was natural at this job. Then, an old man came to me and said that was his wife's walker. I stood frozen as ice，but my face was on fire. Since then, I have learned to be more careful and not to be too sure of myself. (164 words)Passage 4 Time Has the Power to Change AttitudeLast week, my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home.My earliest memories of my father are of a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and family but uncomfortable with his children. As a child, I loved him；as a school girl and young adult, I feared him and felt bitter about him.On the first day of my visit, we did some shopping，ate on the street table，and laughed over my son's funny facial expressions. Gone was my father's critical air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around？The next day, my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him until that moment. After so many years, I'm at last seeing another side of my father. (162 words)Passage 5 Experiences SpeakThere are many different ways of seeing a town for the first time. One of them is to walk around it, in hand. Of course, we may study with our guidebooks the history and special developments of a town and get to know them. But then, if we take our time and stay in a town for a while, we may get to know it better. When we look at it as a whole, we begin to have some questions, which even the best guidebooks do not answer. Why is the town just like this, this shape, this plan, and this sizeHere even the best guidebooks fail us. We can’t find in it the information about how a town has developed to the present appearance. However, we may get some idea of what it used to look like by walking around thetown. A personal visit to a town may help us better understand why it isthan just reading about it in a guidebook. (167 words)Passage 6 Representatives of Civilization: PotteryAncient people made clay because they needed it for their survival. They used the pots they made for cooking, storing food, and carrying things from place to place. Pottery was so important to early cultures that scientists now study it to learn more about ancient civilizations. The more advanced the pottery in terms of, materials, s and manufacture, the more advanced the culture itself.Thewho makes pottery in North America today utilizes his or her skill and imagination to create items that are beautiful as well as functional, transforming something ordinary into something special and unique.The potter uses one of the Earth's most basic materials, clay. Clay can be found almost anywhere. Good pottery clay must be free from all small stones and other hard materials that would make the potting process difficult.The most important tools potters use are their own hands; however, they also use wire tools, wooden modeling tools, plain wire, and s. (162 words)Passage 7 Words Can Make a DifferenceOn August 26，1999, New York City was struck by a terrible during the morning rush hour that caused the streets to flood. Many people who were going to work were forced to go home. Some battled to call a taxi, get a bus or walk miles to get to work.I soon discovered most of the subway lines had stopped service. I finally found an operating line, but there were so many people that I could not initially get to the platform. Finally, I got to my office, wet through, and exhausted.After an unenjoyable day, Garth, my Director, sent an e-mail to everyone:Thanks to everyone who reported to work. It is alwayswhen employees show their to their jobs, Thank you.”Garth's email was short, but welcomed. It made me realize that even when times are tough, a few kind words can make a big difference. (151 words)Passage 8 Fairy TalesTales of the are common in all parts of Britain. In particular, there was a belief in. Not all of these fairies are the friendly, people-loving sprites that appear in Disney films. In some s, they are cruel and cause much human suffering. This is true in the tales about the Changeling. These tell the story of a mother whose baby grows sick and pale and is changed so much that it is almost unrecognizable to the parents. It was then feared that the fairies had come and stolen the baby away and replaced the human baby with a fairy. In those cases, there was often a way to get the real baby back. You could place the Changeling on the fire--then it would rise up the chimney, you would hear the sound of fairies' laughter and soon after, you would find your own child nearby. (153 words)Passage 9 Self-imageis your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about us. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.It might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past oneor weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. The best way to get rid of a negative serf-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those, you will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. (161 words)Passage 10 ShopaholicsThe word addiction usually makes you think of alcohol or drugs, but in modern day society we are seeing some new kinds of addictions. Some people are compulsive shoppers. Others find it impossible to pull themselves away from their work. Still others spend countless hours watching TV or playing computer games.Over the years, shopping has become a very common activity. Many people enjoy going to malls or stores more and more every day, but it's more than a common hobby for some of them. They have turned into shopaholics. They are people who simply enjoy shopping and walking around spending money without beingable to stop doing it. They are hooked on shopping and usually buy things that they don't need. Even though they don't have enough money, they want to buy everything they want.Why do they have this addiction There isn't a specific answer. Some people go shopping when they are sad, worried, upset or lonely. Some even tend to have this addiction when they feel guilty. (167 words)Passage 11 Time ManagementTime is something from which we can’t escape. Even if we ignore it, it’s still going by, ticking away, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour. So the main issue in using your time well is, “Who’s in charge” We can allow time to slip by and let it be our enemy. Or we can take control of it and make it our ally.By taking control of how you spend your time, you’ll increase your chances of becoming a more successful student. Perhaps more importantly, the better you are at managing the time you devote to your studies, the more time you’ll have to spend on your outside interests.The aim of time management is not to schedule every moment so we become slaves of a timetable that governs every waking moment of the day. Inside, the aim is to make informed choices as to how we use our time. (153 words)Passage 12 Charity ShopsThe shop is a British institution, selling everything from clothes to electric goods, all at very good prices. You can get things you won’t find in the shops any more. The thing I like best about them is that your money is going to a good cause and not into the pockets of profit-driven companies, and you are not damaging the planet, but finding a new home for unwanted goods.Most of the people working in the charity shops are volunteers, although there is often a manager who gets paid. Over 90% of the goods in the charity shops are donated by the public.The shops have very low running costs: all profits go to charity work. Charity shops raise more than ￡110 million a year,ing medical research, overseas aid, supporting sick and poor children, and people, and much more. (153 words)Passage 13 Passive LearningWe can achieve knowledge either actively or achieve it actively by direct experience, by testing and proving an idea, or by reasoning. We achieve knowledge passively by being told by someone else. Most of the learning that takes place in the classroom and the kind that happens when we watch TV or read newspapers or magazines is passive. Conditioned as we are to passive learning, it’s not surprising that we depend on it in our everyday communication with friends and co-workers.Unfortunately, passive learning has a serious problem. It makes us tend to accept what we are told even when it is little more than and.That’s what happens in daily life. The simple fact that people repeat a story in their own words changes the story. Then, too, most people listen imperfectly. And many enjoy adding their own creative touch to a story, trying to improve on it,ing it with their own personal style. Yet those who hear it think they know. (168 words) Passage 14 Different "Styles" of DirectionsI travel a lot, and I find out different “styles” of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office”In Japan, people use landmarks in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, " Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop."In the countryside of the American Midwest, instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. For example, people will say, “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it” They don’t know. (155 words)Passage 15 RainforestsRainforests are the lungs of the planet –storing large quantities of carbon dioxide and producing a significant amount of the world’s oxygen. Rainforests have their own perfect system for guaranteeing their own survival. The tall trees make a cover of branches and leaves which protect themselves, smaller plants, and the forest animals from heavy rain, dry heat and strong winds.Amazingly, the trees grow in such a way that their leaves and branches, although close together, never actually touch those of another tree. Scientists think this is a deliberate method to prevent the spread of any tree diseases and make life more difficult for leaf-eating insects.They are not called rainforests for nothing! Rainforests can produce 75% of their own rain. At least 80 inches of rain a year is normal – and in some areas there may be as much as 430 inches of rain annually. This is real rain. In just two hours, streams can rise ten to twenty feet. (165 words)Passage 16 Juana Lopez’s InventionOne day, Juana Lopez had an idea for a dish washing machine that worked without using water. She went to see several dishwasher manufacturers about producing the machine, but none of them were interested. Juana found investors to back her idea and founded her own production company. She spent millions of dollars on developing her own dishwasher and it was launched three years later. From then on, sales were very good, better even than Juana had hoped. But Global Domestic, one of the companies that she had been to, made its own waterless dishwasher. Juana obtained one and found that it used the technical ideas she had developed. She had obtained legal protection for legal process. Global Domestic was forced to stop making its competing dishwasher and to pay Juana several million dollars. Now Juana’s waterless dishwasher has 40% of the worldwide dishwasher market and this is increasing every year. (164 words)Passage 17 Rising Sea LevelLatest research predicts that the global sea level is expected to rise 9 to 88 centimeters by 2100, with a “best estimate” of 50 centimeters. This is due to global warming which is causing the ice caps to melt.This great rise of close to one meter would threaten huge areas of low-lying coastal land as well as major cities such as London, New York and Tokyo.In many places, 50 centimeters would see entire beaches being washed away. On low-lying Pacific islands, the highest point is only two or three meters above the current sea level. If the sea level was to rise by 50 centimeters, big parts of these islands would disappear under the water.Even if they remain above the sea, many island nations will have their supplies of drinking water reduced because sea water will pollute their freshwater.There are also tens of millions of people living in low-level coastal areas of southern Asia, such as the coastlines of Pakistan and India, who would be in danger. (172 words)Passage 18 What Is a FatherA father is a person who is forced to endure childbirth without an anesthetic. He growls when he feels good, and laughs very loud when he is scared half-to-death.A father never feels entirely worthy of the worship in a child's eyes. He is never quite the hero his daughter thinks. Never quite the man his son believes him to be, and this worries him sometimes.A father is a person who goes to war sometimes and would run the other way except that war is part of his only important job in his life, which is making the world better for his child than it has been for him.I don't know where father goes when he dies, but I've an idea that, after a good rest, wherever it is, he won't just sit on a cloud and wait for the girl he's loved and the children she bore. He'll be busy there too, repairing the stars, oiling the gates, improving the streets, smoothing the way. (173 words)Passage 19 Little Boy's Big IdeaThe Intellectual Property Owners Association(IPO) is running a project to encourage young inventors. Samuel Houghton, a five-year-old boy has become the youngest Briton to hold a patent after watching his father struggling in the garden. Samuel developed a garden tool after watching his father Mark use two brushes to sweep up leaves outside their house. His father used a large brush to gather leaves and small branches, and then got a small brush to pick up what was left. Samuel came up with the idea for a labor-saving tool, which has been patented and named the Improved Broom.It is a simple idea that combines two ordinary brooms with different-sized bristles and brush-heads to enable different-sized dirt to be swept up more efficiently. “The small one gets the first bits and the one at the back gets those left behind, Samuel explains.The IPO says that Samuel is its youngest known patent holder. (154 words)Passage 20Cultural DifferencesMeeting people from another culture can be difficult. Different cultures the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in "small talk", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job.In many European countries—like the UK or France—people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German culturessimilar value; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decision more quickly. (146 words)Passage 21 StressStress is what you feel when you react to pressure, either from the outside world or from inside yourself. Stress is a normal reaction for people of all ages.Most people think that pressure is always a bad thing. In fact, a little bit of stress is good. Without stress, most of us couldn’t push ourselves to do well, especially in difficult things.People usually about feeling pressed for time when they are under certain pressure. It is true that you can’t always control the things that are stressing you out, but you can control how you react to them. The way you feel about things results from the way you think about things. If you change how you think, you can change the way you feel. Try the following s to deal with your stress:Make a list of the things that are causing your stress.Give yourself an excuse.Don't promise to do things you can't do or don't want to do.Find someone to talk to. (170 words)Passage 22 Love Is a TelephoneLove is a telephone which is always silent when you are hoping for a call, but rings when you are not ready for it. As a result, we often miss the love coming from the other end.Love is a telephone which is seldom program-controlled or directly dialed. You cannot get an immediate answer with a simple “hello”,go deep into your lover’s heart with one call. Usually it has to be ed by an, a nd you have to wait patiently.Love is a telephone that is always busy. When you are ready tofor love, you only find, to your disappointment, the line is already being used by someone else.Love is a telephone, but it is difficult to know when to dial. You will miss the opportunity if your call is either too early or too late. (143 words)Passage 23 JealousyThe experience of jealousy varies enormously from age to age, from culture to culture, from couple to couple, from person to person, and can be different within the same person from time to time. In the United States, there has been a change of attitude toward jealousy in recent years. “Normal” jealousy, which has been seen as an inevitable accompaniment of love and support of marriage, has come to be seen by some as evidence of personal insecurity and weakness in the relationship, and therefore a threat to the partnership.Most jealous flashes come from feeling left out of an activity involving your partner and another person or other people. When your partner pays attention to another, your firs t reaction is to note that they are “in” and you are “out”. You feel excluded, ignored, unappreciated.This kind of experience is not uncommon, and dealing with it gracefully is part of the etiquette of our time.(157 words)Passage 24 Differences Between Television and Radio AnnouncersWhen television first began to expand, very few of the people who had become famous as radio announcers were able to be equally effective on television. Some of the difficulties they experienced when they were trying to adjust themselves to the new medium were technical. When working on radio, for example, they had become used to seeing on behalf of the listener. This art of seeing for others means that the announcer has to be very good at talking.In the case of television, however, the announcer sees everything with the viewer. His duty, therefore, is completely different. He is there to make sure that the viewer does not miss any point of interest, to help him focus on particular things, and to help him understand the images on the television screen. Unlike his radio colleague, he must know the value of silence and how to use it at those moments when the pictures speak for themselves. (157 words)Passage 25 The African ElephantThe African elephant, the largest land animal remaining on earth, is of great importance to African ecosystem. As a big plant-eater, it largely shapes the forest-and-savanna surroundings in which it lives, setting the terms of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat.It is the elephant's great desire for food that makes it a disturber of the environment and an important builder of its habitat. In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day, it kills small trees and underbushes, and pulls branches off big trees. This results in numerous open spaces in both deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas.What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has become an endangered species. If the elephant disappears, scientists say, many other animals will also disappear from vast areas of forest and savanna, greatly changing and worsening the whole ecosystem. (159 words)Passage 26Operations on the BrainIt is difficult for doctors to help a person with a damaged brain. Without enough, the brain lives for only three to five minutes.Dr. White thinks doctors should try to make the brain very cold. If it is very cold, the brain can live without blood for 30 minutes. This gives the doctors a longer time to do something for the brain.Dr. White tried his idea on 13 monkeys. First he taught them to do different jobs. Then he d on them. He made the monkeys' blood go through a machine which cooled the blood, and then sent the blood back to the monkeys' brains. When the brain temperature was 50 degrees, Dr. White stopped the blood to the brain. After 30 minutes he turned the blood back on. He warmed the blood again. After their operations the monkeys werelike they were before. They were healthy and busy. Each one could still do the jobs the doctor had taught them. (163 words)Passage 27 DepressionThe dictionary describes depression as the state of feeling very sad, anxious and hopeless. The question here is why one gets depressed. Is the inability to deal with the situation or the high stress levels that come with success or failureLife is full of twists and turns. Some are pleasant and some are not so pleasant, and sometimes even terrible.Seasonal changes are the main reason for depression in nature. Change is unavoidable. It may happen in nature or in life. But the way the change makes us feel is subjective. They differ from person to person, along with the ways we deal with them.Feeling depression is a normal phenomenon, but letting it overtake us completely is not the best thing. There are no specific rules or concepts in dealing with it. A person should adopt whatever way he or she feels is the best, but be sure it will not hurt another person. (157 words)Passage 28 White NoiseThere are different kinds of noise with distinct frequencies that are classified by color，namely: white noise, pink noise, brown noise, blue noise, and gray noise. Below is an overview of white noise.Generally speaking, white noise is a part of the full scale of sound frequencies a human ear can recognize. White noise is a mixture of sound frequencies in equal levels. It is a very quiet sound that is relaxing and pleasant to the ears of anyone. A number of people say that it is similar to the sound of the rain or the ocean waves.White noise offers countless benefits. The noise comes in different forms that serve different purposes. Some white noise works better than others for particular uses. Some people may find some white noise sounds more pleasing than others. Moreover, white noise is said to have a more calming effect than music does. (149 words)Passage 29 Cell PhonesNowadays, with the rapid development of IT and information industry, cell phones play a dominant role in people’s life. On the one hand, the mobile phone is portable and convenient. Being wireless, you can carry them everywhere with great ease. You can reach a person wherever and however far away he is. On the other hand, it is a friend indeed. Whenever you come across trouble, you can call for help immediately.However, just as every coin has two sides, the cell phone also has its many disadvantages. Some people complain that mobile phones give unpleasant noise on some important occasions when the owner forgets to turn them off. And it also cuts into people’s spare time, because with the mobile phone the boss can easily reach them and call them to duty during their spare time. Worst of all, the electromagnetic wave emitted from the phone is said to be harmful to people’s health and does often cause headaches to the owner. (163 words) Passage 30 Facing the Enemies WithinWe are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of your fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you’ve read in the papers. Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy your ambitions, fortunes, relationships, and even life.Another enemy we face is. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future.The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure you can’t believe everything. But don’t let doubt take over you. It will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart.Also, there are, worry and overcaution that you should do battle with. Be in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to become. (149 words)Passage 31 The Tower of LondonIn 1078, King William began to build a large stone building on the north bank of the Thames River and named it the Tower of London. The tower was finished 20 years later.Around 1240, King Henry III made it his home. He painted the tower white, and widened the grounds to include a church, a great hall and other buildings.In 1381, Richard II became King of England. A group of farmers attacked the tower. In the end, Richard was forced to give up his power to Henry IV.。
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篇原文50英语专业四级听写．英语专业四级听写50篇原文!Passage 1Town and Country Life in England There is a big difference between town life andcountry life in England. In thecountry,everybody knows everybody else. They knowwhat time you get up, what time you go to bedand what you have for dinner. If you want help,you will always get it and you will be glad tohelp others.In a large town like London, however, it cansometimes happen that you have never seenyour next door neighbor and you do not knowhis name or anything about him. People inLondon are often very lonely. This is becausepeople go to different places in the evenings andat weekends. If you walk through the streets inthe centre of London on Sunday, it is like a townwithout people. One is sorry for old peopleliving on their own. They could die in theirhomes and would not be discovered for weeks oreven months. (154 words.) Passage 2 A Change in Women's LifeTheimportant change in women'shave begun to has only recentlylife-pattern's economic its full effect on womenposition. Even a few years ago most girlsleft school at the first opportunity, andHowever, job. took a full-time most ofthemat left work usually when they married, theyonce and never returned to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girlsstay at school after that age, and though women tend to marry younger, more marriedwomen stay at work at least until shortly many Very is born. child before their firstmore afterwards return to full-time or part-time work. Such changes have led to anew relationship in marriage, with husbandand the duties of greater accepting a sharesatisfactions of family life and with bothhusband and wife sharing more equally inproviding the money, and running the home,on interests the abilities and according toeach of them. (154 words)Passage 3A Popular Pastime of the English PeopleOne of the best means of understanding thepeople of any nation is watching what theydo with their non-working time.Most English men, women and children lovegrowing things, especially flowers. Visitors to England in spring, summer, orway the gardens to see all are autumn likelyalong the railway lines. There areflowersat 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 growingthings themselves. If it is impossible tosomethingbox a garden, have a then widow orgrowing in a pot will do. Looking at each other's gardens is a popular pastime withthe English. (144words.)Passage 4British and American Police Officerscommon recognize any the U.S., hardly Real policemen, both in Britain and home get ever —if they and what they see on TVpoints between their lives in time.think not the policemen do about the same, of course, but Some things aremuch of them.law. the deals with that a policeman's real life The first difference is 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 narrow a running down feet, in the dark and, to put it into practice on hisstreet after someone he wants to talk to.bravely or girls in in talking with beautiful Little of his time is spent arranging working life spend most of his facing cruel criminals. He will millions of words on thousands of forms about hundreds of sad, ordinary (177words) unimportant crimes. not of stupid, people who are guilty —orPassage 5Living SpaceHow much living space does a person need? What happens when his space needs are not met? Scientists are doing experiments on rats to try to determine the effects of overcrowded conditions on man. Recent studies have shown that the behavior of rats is greatly affected by space. If their produce sleep well and enough living space, they eat well, rats have young well. But if their living conditions become too crowded, their behavior and even their health change obviously. They can not sleep and they crowded The more and worry become clear. fear eat well, and signs ofThus, each other. and even kill each are, the more they tend to bite other natural a related. Is this rats, population and violence are directly for law for human society as well? Is enough space not only satisfactory, but necessary for human survival? These are interesting questions.(147 words)Passage 6The United NationsIn 1945, representatives of 50 nations met to plan this organization. joined. nations war, many more Nations. was It called the United After theGeneral the is Nations. the parts two There are major of United One called Assembly. In the General Assembly, every member nation is representedand has an equal vote.The second part is called the Security Council. It has representatives States, the United nations are permanent members: of just 15 nations. Five every are elected 10 other members Russia, France, Britain and China. The two years by the General Assembly.The major job of the Security Council is to keep peace in the world. If necessary, it can send troops from member nations to try to stop little wars before they turn into big ones.It is hard to get the nations of the Security Council to agree on when this is necessary. But they did vote to try to stop wars. (156 words) Passage 7PlasticWe use plastic wrap to protect our foods. We put our garbage in plastic bags or plastic cans. We sit on plastic chairs, play with plastic toys, drink from plastic cups, and wash our hair with shampoo from plastic bottles!Plastic doesn't grow in nature. It is made by mixing certain things together. We call it a produced or manufactured material. Plastic was plastic That and cotton. from plants, such as wood 1860s first made in thewas soft and burned easily.The first modern plastics were made in 1930s. Most clear plastic starts out as thick, black oil. That plastic coating inside a pan begins as natural gas.Some been developed. of different plastics have years, Over the hundreds are hard and strong. Some are soft and bendable. Some are clear. Some are many-colored. There is a plastic for almost every need. Scientists use to find even ways They continue to experiment with plastics. hope to them! (160 words)Passage 8Display of GoodsAre supermarkets designed to persuade us to buy more?This supermarket entrances. vegetables and are displayed near Fresh fruit gives the impression that only healthy food is sold in the shop. Basic other. near each are sugar and tea, not put like everyone foods that buys, They are kept in different aisles so customers are taken past other attractive foods before they find what they want. In this way, shoppers are encouraged to buy products that they do not really need.Sweets are often placed at children's eye level at the checkout. While parents are waiting to pay, children reach for the sweets and put them in the trolley.More is bought from a fifteen-foot display of one type of product than from a ten-foot one. Customers also buy more when shelves are full than when they are a half empty. They do not like to buy from shelves withthose with is something wrong on them because they feel there few products products that are there. (166 words)Passage 9Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879. His father owned a factory that made electrical devices. His mother enjoyed music and books. His rules. the religion'sobserve they did not many of parents were Jewish butAlbert was a quiet child who spent much of his time alone. He was slowto talk and had difficulty learning to read. When Albert was five years when wonder filled with a compass. The child was old, his father gave him he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the sameto the north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused —directionthe needle to move. Their answers about magnetism and gravity weretime thinking a lot of understand. the boy to Yet he spent difficult for behind had to be that he felt something hidden about them. He said later things. (143 words.)Passage 10Private CarsChinese some ordinary standard of living, With the increase in the general families begin to afford a car. Yet opinions of the development of a private car vary from person to person.It gives a much greater degree of comfort and mobility. The owner of a car is no longer forced to rely on public transport, and hence no strongly others or taxis. However, irritation caused by waiting for buses object to developing private cars. They maintain that as more and more gas poisonous volume of produced and run in the street, a large cars are will be given off, polluting the atmosphere and causing actual harm to the health of people.question a difficult developed in China is should Whether private cars becar private and independence a comfort to answer, yet the desire for the can bring will not be eliminated.(143words)Passage 11A Henpecked Husband and His WifeThere was once a large, fat woman who had a small, thin husband. He had evening. every Friday given his weekly wages company job a in a big and wasAs soon as he got home on Fridays, his wife used to make him give her all his money, and then she used to give him back only enough to buy his lunch in his company every day.One day, the small man came home very excited. He hurried into the living-room. His wife was listening to the radio and eating chocolates there.“You will never guess what happened to me today, dear,” he said.dollars thousand ten added, and few He waited for a seconds then “I wonon the lottery!”“That is wonderful!” said his wife delightedly. But then she pulled a long face and added angrily, “But how could you afford to buy the ticket?” (148 words)Passage 12A Young Man's PromiseOne day a young man was writing a letter to his girl friend who livedjust a few miles away in a nearby town. He was telling her how much he loved her and how wonderful he thought she was. The more he wrote, themore poetic he became. Finally, he said that in order to be with her he would suffer the greatest difficulties, he would face the greatest with minute only one In fact, to spend dangers that anyone could imagine. her, he would swim across the widest river, he would enter the deepest forest, and he would fight against the fiercest animals with his bare hands.He finished the letter, signed his name, and then suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to mention something quite important. So, in a postscript below his name, he added:doesn't if it you on Wednesday night, “By the way, I'll be over to see rain.” (154 words) Passage 13A Kind NeighborMr. and Mrs. Jones' apartment was full of luggage, package, furniture ring. doorbell they heard the when Both of them were very busy and boxes. Mrs. Jones went to open it and she saw a middle-aged lady outside. The lady said she lived next door. Mrs. Jones invited her to come in and OK,” that's sit. “Oh, to was no place for her apologized because there know, As you new you to your home. “I said the lady. just come to welcome in some parts of this city neighbors are not friendly at all. There are some apartment houses where people don't know any of their neighbors, friendly very building this everyone is even not the ones next door. But ine like one big happy family. I'm sue you'll with everyone else. We arbe very happy here. ” Mr. and Mrs. Jones said, “But madam, we are not new dwellers in this department. We've lived her for two years. We're moving out tomorrow. ” (163 words) Passage 14That Isn't Our FaultMr. and Mrs. Williams got married when he was twenty-three, and she wasphotographer a party, a big and they twenty. Twenty-five years later, had came and took some photographs of them.Then the photographer gave Mrs. Williams a card and said, “They'll be dy next Wednesday. You can get them from studio.”rea “No,” Mrs. William said, “Please send them to us.”The photographs arrived a week later, but Mrs. Williams was not happy photographer'sdrove to car into them. She when she saw got her and thewent inside and said angrily, “You took some photographs studio. She of me and my husband last week, but I'm not going to pay for them.”“Oh, Why not?” the photographer asked. “Because my husband looks like a monkey,” Mrs. William said.didn't fault. Why “that isn't our “Well,”the photographer answered,you think of that before you married him?” (148 words)Passage 15A Guide's AnswerNorthern the United States between Civil War started in the the In 1861,and the Southern states. The war continued with great bitterness until 1865, when the Northerners were victorious. However, even today, many Northerners. the or forgiven have not forgotten their defeat, Southerners A few years ago, a party of American tourists were going round one of the battlefields of the Civil War with a guide who came from one of the Southern states. At each place, the guide told the tourists stirring a few Southern soldiers had conquered powerful forces stories about how of Northerners there.At last, one of the tourists, a lady who came from the North, stopped the guide and said to him, “But surely the Northern army must have won at least one victory in the Civil War?”“Not as long as I'm the guide here, madam,” answered the Southernguide.(147 words)Passage 16A Qualified PilotThe captain of a small ship had to go along a rocky coast, but he was unfamiliar with it, so he tried to find a qualified pilot to guide him. pretended fisherman a local small one of the ports, and in He went ashore that he was a pilot because he needed some money. The captain took him on board and asked him where to steer the ship.After half an hour the captain began to suspect that the fisherman did not really know what he was doing and where he was going.“Are you sure you are a qualified pilot?” he asked.“Oh, yes,” answered the fisherman. “I know every rock on this partof the coast.”Suddenly there was a terrible crash from under the ship. At once thefisherman added, “And that's one of them.” (138 words) Passage17Living Things ReactYou and all organisms live in an environment. An environment is made up of everything that surrounds an organism. It can include the air, the water, the soil, and even other organisms.An organism responds to changes in its environment. When an organism respondliving ways. in it a responds to change, reacts certain All thingsin some way.Have you ever noticed how plants and insects respond to light? Plants bend toward light. Insects fly toward light.respond trees on some in other ways. The leaves Living things also respond to a change in season. In autumn, they change colors and then fall off save Squirrels in season. respond to a change Animals the branches. also nuts for the winter. Bears sleep through the winter in a cave.you may shiver if many in ways, too. You You respond to your environment environment? in your you respond to changes are cold. What other ways do (156 words)Passage 18Flowering PlantsWhat are the parts of a flower?eggs make The parts. female parts can have male parts and female Flowers that become seeds. The male parts make pollen. Pollen is a powdery make seeds, pollen To to make seeds. material that is needed by the eggs and eggs must come together. The wind, insects, and birds bring pollen ke a to eggs. Many animals love flowers' bright colors. They also linectar, drink While they flowers. This is called nectar. sugary liquid in pollen rubs off on their bodies. As they move, some of this pollen gets delivered to the female flower parts.Animals contain seeds. turn into fruits that Over time, the female parts often eat the fruits and the seeds pass through their bodies as waste. seeds planting plants by the not know they are working for animals The doas they travel to different places. (147 words)Passage 19Finding the Direction and LocationHow can you tell which direction? By day, look for the Sun. It is in the afternoon. At night, use the Big east in the morning and the west in the Dipper to help you find the North Star. It would be better to bring a compass because its needle always points north.How do you know how far you have gone? You could count every step. Each step is about two feet. You'd better wear a pedometer which is a tool that counts steps. If you know where you started, which direction you are heading, and how far you have gone, you can use a good map to figure out exactly where you are.Today there is a new way for travelers to figure out where they are. It is the GPS. It has 24 satellites that orbit the earth and constantly you as a small receiver carry you positions. broadcast their Someday may hike and use GPS to find out if you are there yet!Passage 20WavesHow does light get from the sun to the earth? How does music get from in waves!—the stage to the audience? They move the same wayLight and sound are forms of energy. All waves carry energy, but they kinds through different Light and sound travel may carry it differently. sound walls, but cannot move through example, of matter. For light waves waves can. That is why you can hear people talking in another room eventhough you cannot see them. The energy of some waves is destructive. An earthquake produces seismic waves.Catch a wave. Ask a friend to stand a few feet away from you. Stretch a spring between you. Shake the spring to transfer energy to it. What happens? The spring bounces up and down in waves. When the waves reach your friend, they bounce back to you!Light waves travel 300,000 kilometers (186,000 miles) per second! They can also travel through a vacuum. That is why light from the sun and distant stars can travel through space to the earth.(175 words) Passage 21Soilssoils. of many different kinds There areand rock types of different Different soils havehave soils other. Some minerals in them thansoils others. Some them more water in thanin animal material have more plant and mightthem, too.different in soils are found of Different kindsof kinds are several the parts of world. Thereareas, In some found soils in theUnited States.very are Other soils of soil the has a lot clay.good a has soil kind is sandy. Loam a of thatmixture of clay and sand.In some places, soil layers are very thick. Lots ofplants grow in places with a thick soil layer. Inmuch are places soil layers dry and windythin are on mountains thinner. Layers of soilbecause gravity pulls the soil downhill.affects place a particular The type of soil in(150 there. can grow what kinds of plantswords)Passage 22CrisisLife is a contest! Who will win? A bluebird and sparrow both compete for space to build their nests. A fast-growing maple tree and slower-growing dogwood compete for the sunlight they both need. Oil competes with coal and nuclear power as an energy source for electric power plants. There is a problem. There is a limited amount of space for birds, sunlight for trees, and energy for people! If we do not cut back on our uses of some of our resources, someday they will be gone!How can we use energy today and know we will have enough to go around in the future? We can choose alternate, or replacement, energy resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable. What other ways we conserve our resources? How can we make sure there is always enough to go around? (159 words.)Passage 23America's Worst SurpriseDecember 7, 1941 was one of the worst days in American history. Nearly all Americans who are old enough to remember that day can still remember what they were doing at the moment they heard “the news”. The news was that America had been attacked!Shortly before 2:00 P.M., a radio dispatch came into Washington from Honolulu, Hawaii. “Air Raid, Pearl Harbor — This is no drill.” Japanese planes had begun an attack on the largest American military base in the Pacific. They first destroyed places on the ground. Then they bombed the ships in the harbor.No one had expected the attack. So no one was prepared for it. And it did not take long for the Japanese to do their damage. When the smoke cleared, the Navy counted its losses. Eighteen ships had been sunk orbadly damaged. Nearly 150 planes had been destroyed. More than 2,400 Americans had been killed and more than 1,200 wounded. (157 words) Passage 24Great Depression in the U.S.In 1929, the bills started to come in. American industry had produced factories them. So to buy all of Americans too many goods. could not afford had to cut down on their production. Many workers lost their jobs. Investors tried to get their money back. But businesses did not have enough money to pay them. Banks tried to get their money back from owned many people pay, either. Too the investors. But investors could notmoney. And few of them could pay their bills.During the next few years, business got worse and worse. By 1932, banks all over the country were closing.More closed. So more businesses could People without money not buy goods. Americans million than 12 1932, lost their jobs. By more and more people were jobless. Millions more were earning barely enough to live on. The (151 experienced never before. great depression they had was country in awords)Passage 25A Place of Our Own buy when we usually very careful are We allsomething for the house. Why? Because we haveto live with it for a long time. We paint a room tocolours the so we choose make it brighter,carefully.the to match in buy new curtains order Wenewly decorated room, so they must be the rightto as furniture round so move colour. We theor we buy new furniture ——makemore spaceand so on. It is an endless business.room.furnish time we or Rich poor, take to ato in order people buy furniture Perhaps somewant us just But most of impress their friends.as live We want to to enjoy our surroundings.a spend afford to. We comfortably as we canto want home. We part of our lives at largemake a small corner in the world which we canrecognize as our own. (151 words)Passage 26Travel for WorkYou can see them in every airport in the world. They are businessmen andwomen who have to travel for their work.When they first applied for the job, they may have thought of good food and hotels, huge expense accounts and fashionable cities. Now they haveto sit in airport lounges, tired and uncomfortable in their smart clothes, listening to the loudspeaker announce “The flight to Tokyo, or Berlin,or New York is delayed for another two hours”. Some people say to me, “How lucky you are to be able to travel abroad in your work! You cango sightseeing without paying any money by yourself!” They think that my job is like a continual holiday. It is not.There are advantages, of course, and I do think I am lucky, but only because I can go to places I would never visit if I was a tourist. (149 words)Passage 27IntelligenceAre some people born clever, and others bornstupid? Or is intelligence developed by ourenvironment and our experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questionsis yes. To some extent our intelligence is given usat birth, and no amount of special education canlow with child born genius out ofa make aintelligence. On the other hand, a child who liveshis will develop boring in a environmentand in rich than one who lives intelligence lessa limits of varied surroundings. Thus, theperson's intelligence are fixed at birth, whetheror not he reaches those limits will depend on hisexperts by most This view, held environment.now, can be supported in a number of ways. Asis easy to show that intelligence is to some extentthe closer born with. The something we arethe is, between two people bloodrelationship(154 intelligence. be in they closer are likely towords)Passage 28A Free Dress Every WeekThe temptation to steal is greater than ever before especially in large shops and people are not so honest as they once were.A detective recently watched a well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings. One Monday, there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman came in, so it was easier for the detective to watch her. The woman first bought a few small articles. After a little time, she chose one of the most expensive dresses in the shop and handed it to an assistant who wrapped it for her as quickly as possible. The woman simply took the parcel and walked out of the shop without paying. When she was arrested, the detective found out that the shop assistant was her daughter.. Believe it or not, the girl “gave” her mother a free dress every week. (148 words)Passage 29TimeTime is tangible. One can gain time, spend time,waste time, save time, or even kill time.Common questions in American English revealthis concrete quality as though time were apossession. “Do you have any time?”, “Can youget some time for this?”, “How much free timedo you have?” The treatment of time as apossession influences the way that time iscarefully divided.Generally, Americans are taught to do one thingat a time and may be uncomfortable when anactivity is interrupted. In businesses, the careful scheduling of time and the separation ofactivities are common practices. Appointmentcalendars are printed with 15-,30-, and60-minute time slots. The idea that “there is atime and place for everything”extends toAmerican social life. Visitors who drop bywithout prior notice mayinterrupt their host'spersonal time. Thus, calling friends on thetelephone before visiting them is generallypreferred to visitors' dropping by. (157 words)Passage 30CartoonistIn a good cartoon, the artist can tell in a few lines as much as a writer can tell in half a dozen paragraphs. The cartoonist not only tells a story but he also tries to persuade the reader to his way of thinking. He has great influence on public opinion. In a political campaign, he plays an important part. Controversial issues in Congress or at meetings of the United Nations may keep the cartoonist well-supplies with current materials.A clever cartoonist may cause laughter because he often uses humour in his drawings. If he is sketching a famous person, he takes a prominent feature and exaggerates it. Cartoonists, for instance, like to lengthenan already long nose and to widen an already broad grin. This exaggeration of a person's characteristics is called caricature. The artist uses such exaggeration to put his message across. (144 words)Passage 31Water PollutionWater is very important to us. Factories and plants need water for industrial uses and large pieces of farmland need it for irrigation. Without water to drink, people die in a short time.Today most water sources are so dirty that people must purify water before drinking. Water becomes dirty in many ways: industrial pollution is one of them. With the development of industry, plants and factories pour tons of industrial wastes into rivers every day. The rivers have become seriously polluted, and the water is becoming unfit for drinking or irrigation. The same thing has also happened to our seas and oceans. So, the problem of water pollution is almost worldwide.Scientists of many countries have done a lot of work to stop pollution. The polluted water in some places has become clean and drinkable again. Perhaps one day the people in all towns and cities will be drinking clean water. That day, we believe, is not very far off. (161 words)Passage 32Making a ComplaintComplaining about faulty goods or bad services is never easy. But if something you have bought is faulty or does not do what was claimed for it, you are not asking for a favour to get it put right.Complaints should be made to a responsible person. Go back to the shop where you bought the goods, taking with you any receipt you may have. In a small store the assistant may also be the owner so you can complain direct. In a chain store, ask the manager. If you telephone, ask the name of the person who handles your enquiry, otherwise you may never find out who dealt with the complaint later. If you do not want to do it in person,write a letter. Stick to the facts and keep a copy of what you write. need not you should any receipt number, but At this stage you should give to give receipt or other papers to prove you bought the article. (164 words)Passage 33Where Do the British Livewhether home and, to own their own Nearly everyone in Britain would like they do or not, they are prepared to put time and money into decorating and furnishing it or even making structural alterations to it. Because of the climate and because of the expense involved in going out for the their of part and a large spend a lot of time at home evening, the British social life takes place there.Young people tend to stay with their families longer these days as。