专四听写作业练习文本

合集下载

英语专业四级听写50篇.doc

专四听力练习原文[新版]

专四听力训练原文专业四级标准听写二十篇TEM 4 Dictation PracticesPassage 1 SaltWe do not know when man first began to use salt, / but we do know that it has been used in many different ways throughout history. / Historical evidence shows, for example, that people who lived over 3,000 years ago ate slated fish. / Thousands of years ago in Egypt, salt was used to preserve the dead. /Stealing salt was considered a major crime during some periods of history. / In 18th century, for instance, / if a person was caught stealing salt, he can be put in jail. / History records that about ten thousand people were put in jail during that century for stealing salt. / About 150 years before, in the year 1553, / taking more salt that one was allowed to was punishable as a crime. / The offender’s ear was cut off.Salt was an important item on the table of royalty. / It was traditionally placed in front of the king when he sat down to eat. / Important guests at the king’s table were seated near the salt. / Less important guests were given seats farther away from it. / (175 words)Passage 2 PerceptionsAsk three people to look out of the same window at a busy street and tell you what they see. / Probably you will receive three different answers. / Each person sees the same scene, but each perceives something different about it. /Perceiving goes in our minds. / Of the three people who look out of the window / one may say that he sees a policeman giving a driver a ticket. / Another may say that he sees a rush –hour traffic jam at the street corner. / The third may tell you that he sees a woman trying to cross the street with four children. / For perception is the mind’s interpretation / of what the senses – in this case our eyes – tell us. /Many psychologists today are working to try to explain / just how a person experiences or perceive the world around him. / Using a scientific method these psychologists set up experiments: / they are trying to find out what makes different people / perceive totally different things about the same scene. / (164 words)Passage 3 BalloonsBalloons have been used for sport for about one hundred years. / There are two kinds of sport balloons: gas and hot air. / Hot air balloons are safer than gas balloons, / which may catch fire. / Hot air balloons are preferred by most balloonists in theUnited States because of their safety. / They are also cheaper and easier to manager than gas balloons. / Despite the ease of operating a balloon, / pilots must watch the weather carefully. / Sport balloon flights are best early in the morning / or late in the afternoon, when the wind is light. / Over the years, balloonists have tried unsuccessfully to cross the Atlantic. / It wasn't until 1978 that three American balloonists succeeded. / It took them just six days to make the trip / from their homes in the United States to Paris, France. / Their voyage captured the imagination of the whole world. / (143 words)Passage 4 You Found a Job, Now How do You Save Money?Saving your hard earned money can be difficult, / as most of us enjoy spending rather than saving, / I certainly had a tough time holding onto my money every payday. / When I got my first few paychecks, / right away I spent the cold, hard cash I’d earned by hard work. /But I quickly realized that this sort of spending wouldn’t really help me get the things I wanted. / So I made a pact with myself. I promise that before I did anything with the money, / I would deposit at least 50% of the money into my saving account. / That way, I eliminated the temptation to spend that money. /After I got used to saving my money, / it was much easier for me not to be tempted to buy things when I saw them. / WhenI saw a CD or video game that looked appealing, / I learned to ask myself, “Do I really need this?” / Asking this question helped me appreciate my money and not let it slip out of my wallet quite so fast. / (173 words)Passage 5 Online Health ForumThere are many aspects to health, illness and healing. / Among all the teachings there is one theme that is universal to them all / and that is the unquestionable benefit achieved by communicating with others about health and its related issues. / It is with this single philosophy in mind / that we have developed this site as a forum for communication. / Dealing with a medical concern is often difficult. / Connecting with others who are going through the same thing / can make a world of difference. / Our mission is to develop online communities to help you make those connections. / You can post questions, comments and respond to messages from others. / We’ve got various topics, and we’re adding more all the time. / If you don’t see the topic you are looking for, / just let us know and we will consider a message board for it. / We hope you decide to become a regular participant / and help to make this a great resource. / (158 words)Passage 6 WordsHow men first learn to invent words is unknown, / in other words, the origin of language is a mystery. / All we really knowthat is men, unlike animals, / somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings, / actions and things, so that they can communicate with each other; / and that later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, / which could be represent those sounds, and which could be written down. / Those sounds, whether spoken or written in letters, wer call words. / The power of words, then lies in their associations, / that is, the things they bring up before our minds. / Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; / and the longer wer live, the more we reminded of the glad and sad events / of our past by certain words wer read and learn, / the more the number of the words / that means something to us increase. / (149 words)Passage 7 Teacher-student RelationshipThe relationship between a teacher and a student can be either good or bad, helpful or harmful. / Either way, the relationship can affect the student for the rest of his life. / A good teacher-student relationship will make the teacher’s job worthwhile. / A bad relationship can discourage the student from learning / and make teaching an unpleasant task. /In order to have a good teacher-student relationship, / respect between teacher and student is very important. / If the teacher is too strict, he frightens the student. / If the teacher is too friendly, the student may become lazy and stop lear ning hard. / The teacher’s attitude and approach shouldbe in between those two extremes. / As for the student, his proper respect to the teacher must be shown all the time. / He should be eager to learn and willing to work hard. /In conclusion, a good teacher-student relationship can be beneficial to both. / The student absorbs knowledge eagerly and enjoyable, / and the teacher gains satisfaction from his work. / (163 words)Passage 8 NearsightednessWeak eyesight is a term that is generally used to refer to nearsighted eyes. / People who are nearsighted can see well at a short range, / but anything very far away is likely to be unclear. / The term “weak eyesight” is misleading, / for in nearsighted eyes the lens of the eye is actually too strong. / The nearsighted lens is so powerful that it focuses the light coming onto the eye so quickly. / Nearsightedness is common, and its growth may be graded; / often the unclearness of distant object is so slight at first / that a person may not recognize the condition. /Nearsightedness is frequently discovered first at school. / It is here that a student first realizes the difficulty of seeing words on the blackboard, / whereas others in the class have no trouble reading the blackboard at all. / After discovery, nearsightedness can easily be corrected. / You just needs a pair of glasses / which can decrease the power of the lens of theeye. / (161 words)Passage 9 Rice CookingRice is very much under appreciated in the United States. / With the exception of Asian cooking, / rice is usually a side dish or combined with other ingredients. / Rice is very nutritious, low cost and easy-to prepare food. / There are different types of rice available and the cooking time varies by type of rice. / Follow the package instructions for the amount of liquid necessary and the cooking times. / Both vary for each type of rice. / Regular white rice has been milled / to remove the hull comes in long, medium and short grains. / Long grained rice is the best for all-purpose use. / Brown rice has a pleasant nutty flavor and a firmer texture. / While white rice is cooked in about 15 minutes, / brown rice takes 45 to 50 minutes to cook. / When cooking rice do not be concerned if you have cooked rice left over. / There are some excellent recipes, which use cooked rice. / (151 words)Passage 10 First Sign of AIDSThe virus causing AIDS enters the blood and quickly penetrates certain white cells in the body. / At first there is often little or no trace of the virus at all. / This situation usually lasts for six to twelve weeks. / During this time the person is free of symptoms / and antibody tests are negative. / The first thing that happens after infection / is that many people develop a flue-like illness. / This may be severe enoughto look like glandular fever / with swollen glands in the neck and armpits, / tiredness, fever and night sweats. / Some of those white cells are dying, / virus is being released, / and for the first time the body is working hard to make correct antibodies. / At this stage the blood test will usually become positive. / Most people do not realize what is happening, / although when they later develop AIDS they look back / and remember it clearly. / Most people have produce antibodies in about twelve weeks. / (156 words)Passage 11 The Library of CongressThe Library of Congress is the national library of the United States. / It was founded in 1800 to serve the needs of the congressmen. / Today, it contains books, articles and documents on every subject imaginable. / Besides senators, congressmen and other government officials, / it serves libraries, researchers, artists and scientists throughout the country and the world. /The Library is one of the largest libraries in the world. / It has a collection of 74 million items which are housed in three buildings. / The bookshelves stretch for 350 miles. / Of the 18 million books, more than half are in languages other than English. /The main reading room is a great hall of marble pillars. / It is the center of activity in the library. / There is a computer catalog center with six terminals for quick access toinformation. / For greater speed and efficiency, / the library has installed an electric book –carrying system / that carries books from one building to another in only a few seconds. / (160 words)Passage 12 A Car Soccer RaceAmerican football is different from the European football / and some people think that it is better. / Now there’s a new kind of football or soccer which is played in America. / It’s called car soccer. / The players drive small cars, which are called Beetles. / The players try to catch the ball in their cars. / The cars are protected all since they often crash into each other. / The ball is larger than the usual one and the players are protected, too. / In 1985, the First European car soccer match took place in West Germany. / Teams from some countries in European played in the match. / The Beetles raced around the ground madly / while the spectators shouted “The ball is behind you”. / When the match ended, three cars had been crashed into pieces. / And the players as well as many of the spectators were badly hurt and had to be taken to hospital. / Will this car soccer become as popular as football? I doubt. / (160 words)Passage 13 Changes of Family LifeThe concept of family life has changed considerably over the years. / In earliest times, several generations lived togetherin clans, / which consisted of all living descendents and their husbands or wives. / These clans were almost totallyself-sufficient, / every member contributing in some way toward the survival of the group. / The men hunted and fished for food or sometimes maintained flocks of sheep or goats. / The women baked bread and roasted the meat their men provided. / Special members of the community were selected to make products like pottery, baskets and home weapons. / But with the development of greater varieties of food, clothing and shelter, / a single clan could no longer develop all the individual skills the group required. / Clans merged into larger societies and at the same time broke into smaller units consisting of married couples and their children. / Later the Industrial Revolution brought about even more important changes in family life. / New inventions brought shorter working hours for men and easier housekeeping routines for women. / Today a productive family life suggests not the group’s cooperative efforts of working together, / but the pleasant and meaningful sharing of its leisure. / (185 words)Passage 14 VitaminsIt was not until the beginning of this century that it was recognized / that certain substances were essential in the diet to prevent or cure some diseases. / These substances are now known as vitamins. / They are vital for growth, good health, / and maintenance of the normal functions of the body. / A well-balanced diet should provide all the vitamins we normally require. / Those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to buy sufficient food / should not suffer from vitamin deficiency./ However, for various reasons, / some people do not maintain a balanced diet. / People often lose their appetite because of illness. / People living alone may not bother to eat proper meals, / and people on a diet may not eat sufficient quantities of necessary foods. / Moreover, modern methods of preserving, freezing, and long-term storage of food, / together with overcooking, can destroy many of the vitamins. / (145 words)Passage 15 CometsIn recent years scientists’ investigation of comets has increased / because of growing interest in the origin of the sun and planets. / Scientists want to learn how comets are formed. / They think that such information will help explain the origin of the solar system. / The word “comet” comes from Greek and means “hairy object”. / In history comets have a special place. / People believed that they brought news of death, destruction or military victories. / The tails of comets provide viewers with spectacular sights at night. / Comet tails are millions of kilometers long. / The tails frequently reach lengths of 250 million kilometers and more. / The most famous comet of history is called Halley’s Comet, which appears every 76 years. / It was named for Edward Halley, a British astronomer. / He predicted the appearance of the comet in 1758, 16 years after his deat h. / Halley’s Comet is extremely bright and has two tails. / In the 20th century it returned in 1910 and 1986. / (159 words)Passage 16 Mobile Phone EtiquetteThe mobile phone has created a new way of life. / It gives us the opportunity to reach people when and wherever we like. / But when mobile phones become as commonplace as wristwatches, / it seems they are creating embarrassing situations. / People let their phones ring in restaurants, theaters or business meetings. / People loudly discuss very personal issues over their phones while strangers are around them. / People spend all their time in the presence of friends / paying more attention to those at the other end of their mobile phones. / By now, everyone knows that mobile phone etiquette is a real problem. / These are tips for being a good mobile citizen. / Firstly, remember to check your phone is off at activities. / Secondly, respect the people around you when you make or take calls in public. / Thirdly, don’t answer your c ell phone while talking with another person / unless that phone call is more important than the person you are with. / Follow these rules and you’ll be a responsible mobile phone user by being considerate to others.Passage 17 Reduce, Reuse and RecycleIn recent years there has been an increase awareness of the importance of recycling. / The three Rs to keep in mind / for a cleaner environment are: reduce, reuse, and recycle. / Reducing is the best way to protect the environment. / However, if you can’t reduce something, reuse it and if you can’t reuse it, recycle it. / Reducing waste means shopping with the environment in mind. / Consider the environmental impact ofeach product before you buy it. / Make a list of what you need before you go shopping; / this will reduce impulse buying. / Avoid buying things that can’t be recycled. / Learning to reuse is easy after a little practice. / For example, you can reuse shopping bags. / Buy durable, high quality goods for a longer life outside the landfill. / Although durable goods may cost a little more at first, / they will save your money and help save the environment in the long run. / Before throwing anything away, think about how each item can be reused. / (162 words)Passage 18 Mercy KillingSome people hold that for patients with painful and terminal disease mercy killing is a solution, / for it will allow them to die a peaceful death and it seems to benefit everybody: / the patients themselves, their relatives, the medical staff, / and the patients who are waiting for hospital beds. / But mercy killing is still a controversial issue. / Those who are strongly against it hold / that the possibility of abuse will expose sick people to all kinds of danger. / At present, many societies and organization have been formed in the world to promote mercy killing / but in no country has it been legalized. / However, in the Netherlands the society and the courts tend to tolerate doctor-assisted suicide / if strict criteria are met. / In 1995 about 2.3% of all Dutch deaths, or 3118 cases, / were attributed to mercy killing by government studies. / A few cases of mercy killing are also reported in the U.S. / although the majority of the public are against it. / (161 words)Passage 19 WorryWorry is like blood pressure. / You need a certain level to live, but too much can kill you. / People who worry too much suffer. / For all their hard work, for all their humor and willingness to laugh at themselves, / for all theirself-awareness, worries just cannot achieve peace of mind. / Worry is amazingly common. / At least one in four of us –about 65 million Americans / –will meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder at some point in our lifetime. / Even those individuals whose lives are going well / may worry excessively on occasion. / And yet, worry is a very treatable condition. / Most people today are not aware of all that we have learned about worry in the last 50 years. / We’ve come to understand different types of worry and the underlying triggers. / Worry may accompany simple shyness, depression of generalized anxiety disorder. / Each kind of worry responds to specific and powerful techniques. / (151 words)Passage 20 The Attitude of GratitudeThanksgiving Day is a day for giving thanks to family and friends in the United States. / Some people think Thanksgiving is the most important holiday of the year / because they believe the two most important words in the English are “thank you”. / For business success, a “thank you” tells a prospect or partner / that you are appreciative of what he has just done. / And that means you have an interest in that person / and the business relationship as well. / For social interaction,expressing gratitude is equally important to show / how you value the other person and the social relationship you have with him. / Therefore, “thank you” is a bonding phrase. / Additionally, giving thanks is most important for out own pursuit of happiness. / Whatever you have, you can either appreciate of not. / If you appreciate it and really notice that you have it, it will bring you happiness. / However, if you take it for granted, and focus on things you don’t have, / what you do have won’t bring you hap piness. / (169 words)。

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.。

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

英语专业四级听写50篇文本（Oct. 22, 2011）
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)

经典英语专业四级听写100篇

英语专业四级考试听写自我测试100篇（1-50为英式发音；51-100为美式发音）1. Education in ChinaEducation in China today has been developing rapidly. In many provinces, it is compulsory and free. Most children start school at the age of six. They attend 5 years of elementary school and 6 years of high school.After graduation from high school, a student can start his higher education in a two-year college, a four-year college, a university, or a specialized professional school. Most colleges admit students on the basis of their entrance examination records. The cost of a college education is not very high. And the greater part of it is met by their families, though students can get support from their college. Many students receive scholarships from the school, the government, private foundations and organizations.Though great progress has been made in China in the field of education, there is still a comparatively large part of the population in the country who cannot read and write.2.DreamsDreams are a product of the sleeper’s mind. They include events and feelings that he has experienced. Most dreams are related to events of the day before the dream and the strong wishes of the dreamer. Many minor incidents of the hours before sleep appear in dreams. Few events more than two days old turn up. Deep wishes or fears, especially those held since childhood, often appear in dreams, and many dreams fulfill such wishes. Events in the sleeper’s surroundings, a loud noise, for example, may become part of a dream, but they do not cause dreams.Some dreams involve deep feelings that a person may not realize he has. Psychiatrists often use material from a patient’s dreams to help the person understand himself better.Dreaming may help maintain good learning ability, memory, and emotional adjustment.3. EmotionsAccording to psychologists, an emotion is aroused when a man or animal views something as either bad or good. When a person feels like running away from something he thinks will hurt him, we call this emotion fear. If the person wants to remove the danger by attacking it, we call the emotion anger. The emotions of joy and love are aroused when we think something can help us. An emotion does not have to be created by something in the outside world. It can be created by a person’s thoughts.Everyone has emotions, but many psychologists believe that infants are born without emotions. They believe children learn emotions just as they learn to read and write. A growing child not only learns his emotions but learns how to act in certain situations because of an emotion.4. Re-employment of Laid-off WorkersThe issue of re-employment has emerged with large numbers of surplus laborers having been laid off. There is no doubt that it would lead to endless trouble if the surplus were not reorganized properly. In order to maintain social stability and to secure people’s normal living standards, it is essential to work out solutions to the problem.Solving the problem is a two-way operation as far as the government and workers are concerned.On the one hand, the government at all levels should try every possible means to create a wide range of employment options open to laid-off workers; on the other hand, these workers ought not to sit idle and wait for opportunities to come. So long as they don’t lose heart and constantly strive to better themselves, their futures will be bright.5. Describing PeopleFaces, like fingerprints, are unique. Did you ever wonder how it is possible for us to recognize people? Even a skilled writer probably could not describe all the features that make one face different from another. Yet a very young child- even an animal, such as a pigeon—can learn to recognize faces. We all take this ability for granted.We also tell people apart by how they behave. When we talk about someone’s personality, we mean the ways in which he or she acts, speaks, thinks and feels that make that individual different from others.Like the human face, human personality is very complex. But describing someone’s personality in words is somewhat easier than describing his face. If you were asked to describe what a “nice face”looked like, you probably would have a difficult time doing so. But if you were asked to describe a “nice person”, you might begin to think about someone who was kind, considerate, friendly and warm.6. Physical ActivityMost young people enjoy some form of physical activity. It might be walking, cycling or swimming, or in winter, skating or skiing. It might be a game of some kind like football, hockey, golf or tennis, or it might be mountaineering.Those who have a passion for climbing high and difficult mountains are often looked upon with astonishment why are men and women willing to suffer cold and hardship, and to take risks on high mountains? This astonishment is probably caused by the difference between mountaineering and other forms of activity to which men give their leisure.If we compare mountaineering and other more familiar sports, we might think that one big difference is that mountaineering is not a “team sport”. We should be mistaken in this. There are, it is true, no “matches” between “t eams” of climbers. However, when climbers are on a rock face linked by a rope on which their lives may depend, there is obviously teamwork.7. The Clever Man NasreddinAn old man died and left his son a lot of money. But the son was a foolish young man: he quickly spent all the money, and soon he had nothing left. Of course, when that happened, all his friends left him. When he was quite poor and alone, he went to see Nasreddin, who was a kind, clever old man and often helped people when they had troubles.“My money is finished and my friends have gone,” said the young man. “What will happen to me now?”“Don’t worry, young man,”answered Nasreddin, “Everything will soon be all right again and you will soon feel much happier.”The young man was very glad. “Am I going to get rich again then?” he asked Nasreddin.“No, I didn’t mean that, ” said the old man. “I meant that you would soon get used to being poor and to having no friends.”8. A Man and His CarA man was traveling abroad in a small red car. One day he left the car and went shopping. When he came back, its roof was badly damaged.Some boys told him that an elephant had damaged it. The man did not believe them, but theytook him to a circus which was near there. The owner of the elephant said, “I am very sorry! My elephant has a big, round, red chair. He thought that your car was his chair, and he sat on it!” then he gave the man a letter, in which he said that he was sorry and that he would pay for all the damage.When the man got back to his own country, the customs officers would not believe his story. They said, “You sold your new car while you were abroad and bought this old one!” it was only when the man showed them the letter from the man at the circus that they believed him.9. The SunA long time ago people thought that the sun went round the earth. In some countries people even said that the sun was a god. They thought the god drove across the sky each day on a golden horse. Now we know the earth goes round the sun. It takes the earth a year to go all the way round the sun. Today men even know how far it is for the earth to go round the sun. They tell us that the earth travels over a thousand miles a minute on its journey round the sun.The sun is really a star. It is much bigger than the earth and it is very hot. Some people have been to the moon but we know that no one can ever go to the sun. It is far too hot for people to live anywhere near it. The sun is three hundred thousand times heavier than the earth and more than a million times larger.10. Can Animals Be Made to Work for Us?Can animals be made to work for us? Some scientists think that one day animals may be taught to do a number of simple jobs. They say that in a film or on TV we may see elephants, or monkeys, dogs, bears, or other animals doing a lot of things. If you watch carefully, you may find that those animals are always given something to eat in return for doing them. The scientists say that many different animals may be taught to do a number of simple jobs if they know they will get something to eat in return. Of course, as we know, dogs can be used to guard a house, and elephants can be used to do some heavy jobs. And we can also teach animals to work in factories. Apes, for example, have been used in America to help make cars and scientists believe that these large monkeys may one day get in crops and even drive trains.11. Man’s Best FriendAlmost everyone likes dogs, and almost everyone likes reading stories about dogs. I have a friend who has a large police dog. Its name is Jack. Police dogs are often very clever. Every Sunday afternoon my friend takes Jack for a long walk in the park. Jack likes these long walks very much. One Sunday afternoon a young man came to visit my friend. He stayed a long time. He talked and talked. Soon it was time for my friend to take Jack for his walk. But the visitor still stayed. Jack became very worried. He walked around the room several times and then sat down in front of the visitor and looked at him. But the visitor paid no attention. He continued talking. Finally Jack couldn’t stand it. He went out of the room and came back a few minutes later. He sat down again in front of the visitor but this time he held the visitor’s hat in his mouth.12. CommunicationYou speak, write a letter, make a telephone call. Your words carry a message. People communicate with words. Do you think you can communicate without words? A smile on your face shows you are happy or friendly. Tears in your eyes tell others that you are sad. When you raise your hand in class, the teacher knows you want to say something or ask questions. You shake your head, and people know you are saying “No”. You nod and people know you are saying, “Yes”. Other things can also carry messages. For example, a sign at the bus stop helps you to know which bus totake. A sign on the wall of your school helps you to find the library. Signs on doors tell you where to go in or out. Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of signs around you and that you receive messages from them all the time?13. Weather and MenEverybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. It is true. People usually begin their conversations with “Isn’t it a nice day?”“Do you think it will rain?”“What a fine day!”etc.Many people think they can tell what the weather is going to be like. But they rarely agree with each other. One man may say, “Do you see how cloudy it is in the east? It’s going to rain tomorrow.”Another man will say, “No, it’s going to be fine tomorrow.”People often look for the weather they want. When a farmer needs water, he looks for something to tell him it’s going to rain; he won’t believe anything else. When friends have planned a trip, they are sure the weather is going to clear up very quickly.Almost everyone listens to what the weatherman says. But he does n’t always tell us what we want, and once in a while he makes a mistake.14. A Selfish ManSmith was a landlord. He loved money very much and never gave anything to anybody. One day the landlord was walking along a river with his friends and fell into it. He cried, “Help! Help!” one of his friends held out his hand and said, “Give me your hand and I will pull you out.” But he did not give his hand to his friend. Then another of his friends tried but the same thing happened. Just then a farmer came over and saw all this. He knew the landlord very well. He said to the others, “Let me try.” He held out his hand and said to the landlord, “Take my hand and I will pull you out.” Hearing this, the landlord took the farmer’s hand, and in a minute the farmer pulled the landlord out of the water. All the others were very surprised at this and asked the farmer, “Why did he give his hand to you but not to us? The farmer said, “You don’t know your friend very well, when you say ‘give’ to him, he does nothing, but when you say ‘take’, he takes.”15. The Benefits of Class ParticipationDifferent teachers have different styles of teaching. Some prefer to deliver a prepared lecture, while others expect some participation from their students. Likewise, some students learn best in the former situation, while others do so in the latter. Perhaps the best learning environments is one in which the preferred styles of teacher and students match. For me, that is a class in which the teacher encourages class participation.I prefer to participate in class for several reasons. One is that students’ participation makes the class more lively and interesting. I can hear not only my teacher’s opinions on a subject, but also those of my classmates. Another reason is that I believe the teacher can better understand the students when they interact with him in class. Rather than wait for exam results to indicate how much the students have absorbed, the teacher can learn immediately whether the students understand what he is talking about. Finally, I acquire more knowledge in this kind of class. I can ask more in-depth questions and satisfy my curiosity.16. OilAlmost everyone in the world uses oil in some way. Cars, buses, planes and many trains and ships also need oil. Even our bicycles need oil. Indeed the whole world would stop if there was no oil.Today there is a growing need for oil in the world. So people are looking for it everywhere. Theylook for oil in deserts, in the mountains and under the sea. Quite often they find nothing, but the search for oil always goes on.Who are the largest oil producers in the world? The U. S., the former Soviet Union, and the countries of the Middle East. But China is catching up fast. Before liberation we used to buy nearly all our oil from the U S.. Many foreign people said China was “oil-poor”. But since liberation oil has been found in many parts of the country. Today everyone agrees that China is rich in oil. Our oil not only meets the great need in our country, but also be sold to other countries.17. Time ZonesStrange things happen from time to time when you travel, because people divide the earth into twenty-four time zones, one hour apart. You can have days with more or fewer than twenty-four hours, and weeks with more or less than seven days. If you make a five-day trip across the Atlantic Ocean, your ship enters a different time zone every day. As you enter each zone, the time changes one hour. If you travel westward, you put your watch back; and if you travel eastward, you put it ahead. Each day of your trip has either twenty-five or twenty-three hours. If you travel by ship across the Pacific, you cross the International Date Line. By agreement a new day begins at this line. When you cross the line, you change your calendar one full day, backward or forward. If traveling eastward, today becomes yesterday; if westward, it is tomorrow.18. Building Houses in the Early DaysIn the early days of the old west in North America, life was difficult. People lived on farms far away from other families. They went to town once a week or one time a month. Then they saw their friends and neighbors. On their farms everyone had lots of work. But there were some big problems. How did one family make a house? How could they build a barn alone? Those were big jobs.What did families do to build houses? They asked for help. They asked their friends and neighbors. They invited them to a work party for a few days. The women cooked together. They made breakfast, lunch and dinner. The men worked on the building. For the children it was like a holiday. They enjoyed it very much. They all helped one another for the good of everyone.19. FriendshipFriendship is one of the greatest pleasures that people can enjoy. It is very difficult to find a better definition of friendship. A true friend does indeed find pleasure in our joy and share sorrow in our grief. In times of trial, he or she is always at our side to give us his or her help and comfort.Knowing how valuable friendship is, we should be very careful in our choice of a friend. We must choose someone who has a good character, whose actions are good and who shows kind-heartedness. We should avoid those shallow people who change in the face of adversity or misfortune.A true friend can always be trusted, loved and respected. The most important thing is that a friend always understands you. In conclusion, when you have made a good friend, don’t forget him or her.20.Maintaining Your MemoryIf you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they will become weak. When you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows this. Yet many people do not seem to know that memory works in the same way.When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by using it. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong.Have you ever found that some people can’t read or write, but usually they have better memories?This is because if they cannot read or they cannot write things down in a small notebook, then they have to remember them by heart. So if you want to have a good memory, learn from the people: practice remembering things in the way other people do.21.SOS Children’s VillagesIn Europe many people died during the Second World War. As a result, at the end of the war there were many orphans there. A man called Hermann V oss wanted to help these children. His idea was simple. He wanted the orphans to have a home, and he wanted them to have the care and kindness of parents. V oss asked people to give him some money. With this money he built the first SOS Children’s Village started. The letters SOS stand for “Save Our Souls”. This means “Please help us!” and SOS Children’s Villages gives help to orphans.Hermann V oss’s idea for helping orphans soon spread all over the world. By 1983 there were 170 SOS Children’s Villages in the world. People in many countries give money to help the villages. Today the children from the first village are gown up. Now some of them work in other SOS Children’s Villages.putersWe are already familiar with computers. Computers work for us at home, in offices and in factories. But it is also true that children today are using computers at school before they can write. What does this mean for the future? Are these children lucky or not?Many people who do not know about computers think of them as machines that children play with. They worry that children do not learn from experience, but just from pressing a button. They worry that this is not good for them. They think children are growing up not knowing about the real world.But people who understand more about computers see that computers can be very good for children. A computer can help them to learn about the real world more quickly, to learn what then want to learn and to think for themselves. And for the future, don’t we need people who can think clearly, who know how to get information quickly?23.Dick’s JobDick was a clever and hard-working student, but his parents were poor, so he had to work after class and during his holidays to get enough money for his studies.One summer he got a job in a butcher’s shop during the daytime, and another in a hospital at night. In the shop, he learned to cut and sell meat. In the hospital, of course, Dick was told to do only the easiest jobs. He helped to lift people and carry them from one part of the hospital to another. Both in the butcher’s shop and in the hospital, Dick had to wear white clothes.One evening in the hospital, Dick had to help to carry a woman from her bed to the operating room. The woman already felt frightened when she thought about the operation. When she saw Dick coming to get her, she felt even more frightened. “No! No!” she said, “Not my butcher! I won’t let my butcher operate on me!” with these words, she fainted away.24. OpportunityOpportunities don’t come often. They come every once in a while. Very often, they come quietly and go by without being noticed. Therefore, it is advisable that you should value and treat them withcare. When an opportunity comes, it brings a promise but never realizes it on its own. If you want to achieve something or intend to fulfill one of your ambitions, you must work hard, make an effort and be prepared. Otherwise, you will take no advantage of opportunities when they come to visit you. The difference between a man who succeeds and one who does not lies only in the way each treats opportunities. The successful person always makes adequate preparations to meet opportunities as they duly arrive. The unsuccessful person, on the other hand, works little and just waits for opportunities to pass by. In my opinion, there are plenty of opportunities for everyone in our society, but only those who are adequately prepared and highly qualified can make use of them for their own purposes.25.Living Life at a Slower PaceIt seems that everyone is in a hurry these days. In our fast-paced and competitive society, many people feel that they must do things as quickly as possible or they will fall behind. Certainly, there are many things for us to do. However, it is not necessary to always hurry to get them done. In fact, living life at a slower pace has many advantages.First of all, slowing down allows us to think more clearly about what we must do. With careful consideration we will make better decisions and make fewer mistakes. And when we do not have to correct the mistakes that we make in haste, we will actually save time. Secondly, when we take our time we can do things more carefully and thoroughly. And when we do a better job we feel more satisfied with our efforts. Finally, if we do not rush through life, we will have more time to enjoy the things that we do. And when we take pleasure in our work, we will live happier lives.26.Owning a CarNowadays, any Chinese can enjoy the luxury of owning a private car, if he or she can afford it. Having a car of your own means no more traveling to work on crowded buses or subway trains, and you can drop the children off at school on the way. Moreover, it also means that you can enjoy the weekends and holidays better, because with a car you can go to places where the regular buses and trains do not go, and so you can find a quiet scenic spot with no crowds.However, there are drawbacks to owning a car. For on thing, with the increase in car ownership in recent years, the roads are becoming more and more crowded. This often makes the journey to work more of a nightmare than a dream. For another, it is not cheap to run a car, as the prices of petrol and repairs are constantly rising, not to mention the price you have to pay for a license and insurance coverage.27．TourismTourism, a “smokeless industry”, is developing rapidly in China. With the “open and reform”policy being carried out, thousands upon thousands of foreign visitors are crowding into our country. They are eager to see this old mysterious land with a splendid culture of more than 5,000 years. Tourism is bringing China a lot of benefits. First, it enables the Chinese people to learn more about the outside world and promotes friendship and mutual understanding. Second, it is financially beneficial to China, which needs more foreign currency for its modernization program. Tourism, however, is giving rise to a number of problems. For instance, it is becoming a burden on our inefficient transport system. Besides, the standard of living of the average Chinese person is still not high enough to be able to afford the many different sorts of expenses met on long distance travel.But it is believed that with the development of our national economy, all these problems will certainly be solved step by step. A much better and brighter future awaits us.28.TimeAs a popular saying goes, “Time is money.” In fact, time is more precious than money. When money is spent, you can earn it back if you want to. However, when time is gone, it will never come back. As the pace of modern life continues to accelerate, the time at our disposal is quite limited. But there are a lot of things to be done in our lives. We should make full use of our time to complete what is useful to us. For instance, as students we should devote most of our time to our academic studies. In this way we can acquire the new knowledge and skill necessary for our future careers. In my opinion, wasting time means wasting our valuable life. But many of us don’t realize this. They think time is inexhaustible. I’m not in favour of such a view. Hence, my conclusion is that we should never put off what can be done today until tomorrow.29.Keeping a Diary in EnglishKeeping a diary in English is one effective way to improve our English writing ability. Compared with other forms of writing, it is shouter and takes less time. If we persist in this practice, gradually we’ll learn how to express ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we inevitably come up against a lot of difficulties. In the first place, it often happens that we have trouble finding appropriate words and phrases to express ourselves. Secondly, there are many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English properly. Certainly, there are some other obstacles we may come across in keeping a diary in English. So I suggest we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. Whenever something gets the better of us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. We can also turn to our English teacher for help, if necessary.30 The Tuition Fee System in ChinaThe system of tuition fees has become one of the hottest topics in China since it was put into effect. Different people have different opinions of it. Some people think that there is no university in the world which is open to students without tuition fees. The Chinese government is unable to allocate enough funds to pay for various teaching facilities and many different kinds of expenses. One of the ways to relieve the problem is for students to pay tuition fees. The money raised in this way can be used to improve school’s operating conditions. Others, however, are opposed to the system of tuition fees. They argue that compared with that in the Western World, the living standard of Chinese people, especially of those in the poor rural areas, is still low. The university tuition fees will certainly add to the already heavy burden on parents, who live on their salaries or wages. Moreover, tuition fees hinder some talented people from entering university only on account of their poverty.31. SmokingIt is known to almost all that smoking is bad for people’s health. Scientific research has shown that smoking can lead to heart disease, cancer and other problems. The World Health Organization says diseases linked to smoking kill at least two million five hundred thousand people each year.Still, many people find it difficult to stop smoking. One reason is that smoking usually becomes a habitual behavior, and habits, whether good or bad are not easy to give up. Another reason is that the effect of nicotine, the substance found in cigarettes works on people somewhat as drugs do.Measures have been taken to help people keep away from the harmful effects of smoking. In many cities, smoking is forbidden in public places. The danger of smoking is warned of everywhere. And newspapers are asked not to publish advertisements for cigarettes. World “No Tobacco Day” is observed every year as the biggest campaign against smoking.32. My First JobBefore I started at university, I took my first job as a waitress in a nice restaurant. The night before my first day, I was too excited to go to sleep and as a result, I got up late in the morning. I threw on my clothes and rushed over to the restaurant.In a great hurry, I didn’t hear clearly the head waiter’s instruction that we should go into the kitchen through one door and out from the other. So when I took two plates of eggs and bacon and an orange juice out to the restaurant, I went straight towards the wrong door and collided with another waiter coming in!Worst of all was that I wore a pair of smart shoes with high heels! A few hours later I was in agony, yet had no time to change them. By the time we finished serving dinner at about 10: 30, I was completely exhausted. Nevertheless, I learnt something from my experience.33. Birth ControlSince the Chinese government singled out family planning as one of the basic state policies in 1978, the country has adopted various measures and achieved great success in birth control. The total birth rate has been decreasing gradually.However, at present China’s population is still growing very rapidly. It is reported that every year the population of this country increases by an extra 15 million. And China encountered a birth peak during the 1990s. it is obvious that China’s economic development and the improvement of people’s standards of living have been and will be greatly affected by the size of population.Therefore, to control population growth more strictly is clearly essential to the country’s reforms and economic development. We should restress the importance of birth control and call on the whole nation to take more effective action.34. AdvertisementsAdvertisements are making their way into people’s lives. People depend on advertisers in their daily lives because they are consumers. The advertisers are not always manufacturers. Sometimes they are salesmen. Their merchandise needs advertising. Thus nearly every product is advertised. To some extent, good advertising means success while bad advertising can mean failure. There are many ways to advertise and “ads” come in different forms. Newspapers carry advertisements. Some products are announced on TV and radio, both of which have a wide audience. Billboards also carry advertising. Advertising is a big industry now and many agencies have been set up to provide a variety of related services. However, advertising is not always truthful. A product is often misrepresented. The advertiser exaggerates the benefits of the merchandise he wants to sell. Thus, he misrepresents the truth. The consumer falls victim to such advertising. Millions of people have。

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, andencourage 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, guidebook 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 townfor 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 the town. A personal visit to a town may help us better understand why it is attractive than just reading about it in a guidebook. (167 words)Passage 6 Representatives of Civilization: Pottery Ancient people made clay pottery 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 decoration, materials, glazes and manufacture, the more advanced the culture itself.The artisan who 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 loop tools, wooden modeling tools, plain wire, and sponges. (162 words)Passage 7 Words Can Make a DifferenceOn August 26，1999, New York City was struck by a terrible rainstorm 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 always reassuring when employees show their devotion 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 supernatural are common in all parts of Britain. In particular, there was a belief in fairies. Not all of these fairies are the friendly, people-loving sprites that appear in Disney films. In some folktales, 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 Changeling. 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 safe and sound nearby. (153 words)Passage 9 Self-imageSelf-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the wa y 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 one flaw or 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 being able 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 charity 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, funding medical research, overseas aid, supporting sick and poor children, homeless and disabled 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 hearsay and rumor.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, stamping 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 th e 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 largebrush 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 emphasize 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 cultures share similar 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 complain about feeling pressed for time when they are under certain pressure. It is true t hat 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 tips 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”, let alone go deep into your lover’s heart with one call. Usually it has to be relayed by an operator, and you have to wait patiently.Love is a telephone that is always busy. When you are ready to dial for 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.1111Most 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 first 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.1212This 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 blood, 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 operated 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 were like 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.1313Seasonal 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.1414However, 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. 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 indifference, worry and overcaution that you should do battle with. Be courageous 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.1515。

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。

1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性，平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
3、如文档侵犯您的权益，请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间：9:00-18:30)。

Passage 1 A change in women’s lifeThe important change in women’s life-pattern has only recently begun to have its f ull effect on women’s economic position. Even a few years ago, most girls left sch ool at the first opportunity, and most of them took a full-time job. However, when t hey married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today, the sc hool-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though w omen tend to marry younger, more married women stay at work at least until short ly before their first child is born. Very many more afterwards return to full-time or p art-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the h usband 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 runni ng the home, according to the abilities and interests of each of them.专四听写作业练习02Passage2 Display of GoodsAre supermarkets designed to persuade us to buy more? Fresh fruit and vegetable s are displayed near supermarket entrances. This gives the impression that only he althy 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 t aken past other attractive foods before they find what they want. In this way, shop pers are encouraged to buy products that they do not really need. Sweets are ofte n 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 1 5-foot display of one type of product than from a 10-food one. Customers also buy more when shelves are full than when they are half empty. They do not like to b uy from shelves with few products on them because they feel there is something wrong with those products that are there.专四听写作业练习03passage 3 Private 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 s 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.Passage 4 Living things reactYou and all organisms live in an environment. An environment is made up of ever ything that surrounds an organism. It can include 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? Plan ts bed toward light. Insects fly toward light. Living things also respond in other way. The leaves on some trees respond to a change in season. In autumn, they chang e colors and then fall off the branches. Animals also respond to a change in seas on. Squirrels save nuts for the winter. Bears sleep through the winter in a cave. Y ou respond to your environment in many ways, too. You may shiver if you are col d. What other ways do you respond to changes in your environment?专四听写作业练习05Passage 5 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 q uestions is yes. To some extent, our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amou nt of special education can made 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 inte lligence less than on who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus, the limits of a perso n’s intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits wil l depend on his environment. This view, held by most experts now, can be support ed in a number of ways. As is easy to show that intelligence is, to some extent, s omething we are born with: the closer the blood relationship between people is, th e closer they are likely to be in intelligence.专四听写作业练习06Passage 6 A free dress every weekThe temptation to steal is greater than ever before especially in large shops, and p eople are not so honest as they once were. A detective recently watched a well-dr essed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings. One Mond ay, 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 a rticles. After a little time, she chose one of the most expensive dresses in the sho p 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. Wh en she was arrested, the detective found out that the shop assistant was her daug hter. Believe it or not, the girl gave her mother a free dress every week.Passage 7 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 opini on. In a political campaign, he plays an important part. Controversial issues in Con gress or at meetings of the United Nations may keep the cartoonist well-supplied w ith current materials. A clever cartoonist may cause laughter because he often use s humour in his drawings. If he is sketching a famous person, he takes a promine nt feature and exaggerates it. Cartoonists, for instance, like to lengthen an already long nose and to wide an already broad grin. This exaggeration of a person’s char acteristics is called caricature. The artist uses such exaggeration to put his messag e across.专四听写作业练习08Passage 8 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 wastes into rivers very 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.。