英语专四Dictation
英语专四Dictation听力原文
Dictation 听力原文9. Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879, His father owned a factory that made electrical devices. His mother enjoyed music and books. His parents were Jewish but they did not observe many of the religion’s rules. Albert was a quite child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty learning to read. When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass. The child was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction—to be north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers about magnetism and gravity were difficult for the boy to understand. Y et he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something hidden had to be behind things.Useful expressions and words:1.device 装置，设备leave to one’s own devices 听任某人自行其是，允许某人按自己的意愿做事She left the child to her own devices for an hour in the afternoon.她允许孩子在下午有一个小时的自由支配时间。
英语专业四级DICTATION答案doc资料
英语专业四级D I C T A T I O N答案专项练习Dictation 1Old AgeMany people mistakenly believe that old age is a time of increased illness and loneli ness./ In fact,people do not suddenly change /when they reach the age of 60 or 65. /Consequently, we shouldnot expect more mental illness/ among the 60to 70 age group than among the50 to 6 0. /Furthermore, although more parents and their married children live in separate house holds than ever before,/ this is usually by choice. It is not because children now tend to neglect their parents /when they become old. /Itis also wrong to believe that old age seriously affects a person’s mental abilities. /Th ere is clearproof that people who were eager to learn and who welcomed new experiences in th eir middle age,/ continue to do so in old age. /It is true that older people tend to take l onger to learn somethingnew than young people. /Nevertheless, if they are given sufficient time, /they learn a s well as young people do.Dictation 2GardeningGardening is one of the oldest of the arts. /The Chinese with their deep sensitiveness to beauty / laid the foundation for a form of garden art /which was later to have great influences upon other lan ds. /The Greeks gave to the world a new concept of gardening. /Their homes were decorated with flowers/but it was in their civic design that they most skillfully applied their garden art. /Their temp les were surrounded by rows oftrees, /and trees lined the important streets and market places in thei r principal cities. /TheRomans acquired much of the knowledge and skill in garden craft from Gree ks. /In the second century AD the Romans began to build gardens of great scale, /inspired by the va st palace gardens they had conquered./ They bought water from great distances to supply the orna mental foundations which decorated their villa gardens./ these great villas were laterto inspire the Italian garden architects to follow the Roman style.Dictation 3Being UnemployedMost people are much more frightened by being unemployed than they need to be. /Being unempl oyed certainly has disadvantages,/ but there are good things about it too. /One advantage is that you don’t have to get up early to work in the rush hour. /You can stay in bed as long as you like, /and there is plenty of time to read the newspaper /and have a leisurely breakfast./ But the best thing of a ll is that you are your own boss /and there is no one to tell you what to do and when to do it. /One drawback of being unemployed is that you haven’t got much money coming in. /Having a job at le ast enables you to save a lot of money to go on holiday./ On the other hand, when you are unemplo yed, /you needn’t go on holiday /because you are on holiday already. /In fact, the main trouble is th at you have to spend much time looking for a job./Dictation 4The Credit Card in the U.S.Today, more and more people in the U.S. are using credit card/instead of money to buy what they need./Almost anyone who has a steady income and a continuous work record/can apply for a credit card. With a credit card, you can buy a car, eat a dinner, take a trip/ and even get a haircut by charging the cost to your account./ In this way, you can pay for purchases a month or two later./ Or you may choose to spread out your payments over severalmonths/ and pay only part of the total amount each month./With a credit card,you don’t have to carry much cash/ and you don’t have to be concerned about losing your money through carelessness or theft./ The card user only has to worry about paying the final bill./ This of course can be a problem/ if you charge more than you can pay for.Dictation 5A Woman at HomeIn Japan, most people still feel that a woman’s right place is in the home /and most women willingl y accept their traditional role as wives, /leaving the business of making a living to their husbands. / For those who do want a career of their own, opportunities are limited. /And working women usual ly have to settle for lower wages and less responsible positions. /In America, on the other hand, m ost women, including wives and mothers, work most of their lives. /But until recently, few have ha d real careers. /As in Japan, most fields are dominated by men /and opportunities for women have been restricted, /salaries low, chances for promotion rare. /American women work mainly because they have to./ In these days of inflation and expensive living, /only one income per family is simpl y not enough. /So American women actually have two jobs: /one outside the home, and the other ro und-the-clock job such as wife, cook and nurse.Dictation 6SuccessSuccess in life depends to a great extent on what is meant by success. /To some peop le, money is the only real indication /of achievement in the modern world and theref ore/ their judgment of success is based on the state/ of their bank balance and the po wer that goes with it. /Their life is devoted to making money/ and they are at a loss t o understand people whose ideas are different from their own./ There are people, ho wever, who consider their lives successful/ if they are doing what they enjoy doing/ t hat may not bring them any great financial reward./A manwho spends his time gardening might consider himself successful/ if the flowers blossomed and his trees gave fruit. /Nursing and teaching can also bring their own ki nd of successto those engaged in them. /Success can be found in painting a picture nobody will ev er see. /Thegreat thing is to believe that success is not necessarily public.Dictation 7People’s Way of Seeing ThingsThe way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe. /For those people who bel ieved in the physical existence of Hell in the Middle Ages, /the sight of fire must have meant somet hing quite different from what it means today. /Nevertheless, their idea of Hell owed a lot to the sig ht/ of fire consuming and the ashes remaining as well as to their experience of the pain of burns. / We only see what we look at. /To look is an act of choice. /As a result of this act, what we see is br ought within our reach,/ though not necessarily within arm’s reach. /To touch something is to situat e oneself in relation to it./ We never look at just one thing. /We are always looking at the relation b etween things and ourselves. /Our vision is continually active, continually moving, /continually hol ding things in a circle around itself.Dictation 8EducationSome people may say that it is energy that makes the world go round, /but in my opinion thereis something else which is equally important. /That is education. /Education makes it possible to pa ss on /the invaluable knowledge of our ancestors and, at the same time, /makes it easier to explore the contemporary world. /Most great inventions have been brought about by educated people. /So we can say that education makes the world go round. /A poorly educated nation can never be a rich one. /The most advanced countries in the world all place great emphasis on education. /Nations w hich have a low percentage of educated people can, /in most cases, barely produce the basic necessi ties of life,/ let alone develop their science, technology and economics. /Such nations are facing the possibility of extinction in this highly developed world. /Therefore, education cannot be emphasiz ed enough in a developing country.。
专四听力之DICTATION
语法
在听写过程中，要注意语法规则和句子结构，避免出现语病 和语法错误。这需要平时多积累语法知识，熟悉不同时态、 语态和语气的用法。
拼写
在记录句子时，要注意正确拼写单词。对于不确定的单词拼 写，可以暂时留空或者猜测其拼写方式，等全部听完后再进 行修正。同时，要注意大小写和标点符号的使用，保持原文 的一致性。
专四听力之 Dictation
目录
• 专四听力的基本介绍 • Dictation 听写的技巧 • Dictation 听写的练习方法 • 听写材料的选取和使用 • 听写中的常见问题和解决方法 • 专四听力的备考建议
01
专四听力的基本介绍
听力考试的目的和重要性
目的
检验学生的听力理解能力，包括对英语语音、语调和语 速的识别能力，以及对英语句子和段落的理解能力。
03
Dictation 听写的练习方法
多听多练，提高听力水平
定期收听英语广播、新闻、播客等，提高对英语 01 语音、语调和语速的熟悉度。
寻找不同口音和语速的英语听力材料，以适应不 02 同来源的语音输入。
积极参与听力练习，如听写、多选题、判断正误 03 等，以提高听力理解能力。
注重词汇和语法的积累
01 扩大词汇量，特别注意常用词汇和学科术语的积 累。
02 学习并掌握基本的语法知识，如时态、语态、从 句等，以便更好地理解听力材料。
02 练习识别不同口音和语速下的词汇和语法结构， 提高语言解码能力。
学会合理分配时间和注意力
在听写过程中，合理分配时间 和注意力，注重整体理解和细 节把握。
学会在听录音时做笔记，记录 关键信息和细节，以助于回忆 和整理。
多参加模拟考试，提高应试能力
模拟考试
英语专四听写Dictation评分标准
英语专四听写Dictation评分标准1. 听写共分15小节；每节1分。
2．每节最多扣1分。
3．重复错误，仅扣一次。
4．错误共分两类：小错误(minor mistakes)和大错误(major mistakes)。
A. 小错误：1)单词拼写错一到二个字母。
例：inconvenient—unconvenient，inconvient；originally--origionally, originally；knives———nives。
2)标点符号错误：一when When；To solve this problem，the—To solve this problem the…。
3)冠词，单复数错误：shells—shell；with a solution—with the solution。
4)小错误扣分标准：小错误在一节中出现一次，留作总计；出现两次，扣0．5分；出现三次，扣0．5分后留一小错做总计；出现四次(以上)，扣1分。
5)未扣分小错误的扣分标准：累计2---4个：扣0．5分。
累计5---8个：扣1分。
B. 大错误：漏写、加词、造词、换词(冠词作小错计)，大移位，时态错误，原文一个词变两个词。
每个错误扣0．5分。
例：are still paid—is still paid，still paid，still pay；were used—we used；coins were—coin was；began—begun；goods—good；cloth—ciof，cloths；salt—soit；paid—payed；throughout--allthrough，through of; accepted——an acception；as payment——for payment；for goods——to goods；they——these，there．5．一些特例的扣分标准：1)下列情况不扣分：in the past—in the past,；“now”后加逗号。
专四听力之DICTATION
bottle
popular
odd
shop
box
crop
hot
polish
spot
....
字母o的读音
美音中/t/ 出现在两个元音之间且处于非重读位置的时候，发音近似/d/
letter
01
matter
02
city
03
better
04
pretty
05
waitor
06
winter
07
chapter
08
常见音变现象：弱音
1
弱音指元音的弱化，即一个单词中的元音在口语中，由于说话速度快或在句中处于次要位置而不发标准读音，变为弱化元音的现象。常见的弱音现象： 长原因弱化为短原因 he been 元音前的辅音省略或辅音前的元音弱读 his have 元音弱化成？ us for
英音和美音的几大区别
美音中除了Mrs.中的“r”不卷舌之外，只要含有“r”字母的单词均要卷舌。 spare burglar purpose chairman horse dirty ladder lecture weather
字母a的发音
ask can't dance fast half path chance advantage answer ....
（二）常见错误分析
由音变现象而导致的错误 正确：More energy arrives at the earth's surface in an hour than is consumed in the world in a whole year. 错误：More energy arrives at the earth's surface in a how than is consumed in the world in a whole year. 正确:It is up to the tour operator... 错误:Its up to the tour operator... 正确：Can you imagine how difficult life would become... 错误：Can you imagine how difficult life will become... 正确:Everywhere we turn, we find paper.. 错误:Everywhere we turn, we fine paper.
专四听力之DICTATION
ile的发音不同
• • • • • fertile hostile missile textile ...
特殊的单词
• • • • • • • • either neitheri record dictionary factory laboratory history ....
C.同音词与近音词
介绍某现象
• 3/19 1993 1997 2008 18% Package Holidays Legal Age for Marriage Choosing a Career
介绍节日
• 2/19 1999 United Nations Day 2009 New Year's Eve
介绍语言或技巧
2/19 2000 Language 2010 Freshmen's Week
（二）常见错误分析
A. 由音变现象而导致的错误
• 正确：More energy arrives at the earth's surface in an hour than is consumed in the world in a whole year. 错误：More energy arrives at the earth's surface in a how than is consumed in the world in a whole year. 正确:It is up to the tour operator... 错误:Its up to the tour operator... 正确：Can you imagine how difficult life would become... 错误：Can you imagine how difficult life will become... 正确:Everywhere we turn, we find paper.. 错误:Everywhere we turn, we fine paper.
专四听力dictation26篇答案
Passage 1Weather in BritainIn Britain the weather is news. /A television weather forecast often begins with an interesting fact /– the town with the top temperature of the day or the place with the most rain. /The public like that kind of information. /But the BBC forecasters do not have an easy job. /They are the only presenters on the television who do not use a script, /and they cannot see the map they are describing. /Viewers are often critical, especially of female presenters. /One woman left her job after rude letters and press reports about her clothes. /The British talk about the weather more than almost any other subject, /so it is a surprise to discover /that seventy percent of television viewers cannot remember /what they saw on the weather forecast. /What happens is that people like watching and hearing the forecasts, /but they probably only take real notice when they need to. / (152 words)____________________________________________________________________ Passage 3Asian ElephantThe Asian elephant is one of the world’s rarest animals. /Unfortunately, its sad condition has not been as well publicized as that of the African elephant. /This is because Asian elephant’s ivory supplies only a small percentage of the world ivory trade. /In fact, we know very little about the Asian elephant. /They live in the remote forests of southern Asia /and it is therefore very difficult to study them. /Most knowledge of Asian elephants is from those that have been captured, or tamed. / Asian elephants are easier to tame than African elephants. /The major reason for the decline of Asian elephants is the harm to their forests. /The huge increase in the human population/ has caused the destruction of the Asian forest. /As a result, the Asian elephants are compelled to scatter in different areas./Originally they lived all over the continent, /but now there are only small isolated populations left. /They are vulnerable to extinction. / (159 words)___________________________________________________________________ Passage 4Happy CommutersThe Golden Gate Bridge joins the beautiful city of San Francisco /with the suburbs to the north. /Each day about one hundred thousand automobiles cross the bridge /taking people to and from the city. /More than half of them cross the bridge during the morning and evening rush hours. /When traffic is so heavy, the trip is not pleasant. /Now, however, there is at least one group of happy commuters. /These are people who travel under the bridge instead of on it. /They go to work by boat /and enjoy it so much that most of them say they will never go by car again. /The ferry they take is spacious, quiet and comfortable. /Commuters can enjoy the sun on deck. /The trip takes only 30 minutes and is not very costly. /Best of all, being on boat seems to make people more friendly toward each other. /There has always been a marriage of two commuters who met on the ferry. / (162 words)____________________________________________________________________ Passage 5The Red CrossThe worldwide Organization of the Red cross stems from the ideal of Henri Dunant, a Swiss Banker. /On 24th, June 1859, on his way from Geneva to France, /Dunant witnessed a battle. /It was one of the fiercest battles of the 19th century. /Shocked by the lack of medical supplies and attention given to the wounded, /Dunant decided that volunteer service had to be organized. /He gathered together a number of women /who attended the hundreds of wounded soldiers of all nationalities /and helped the surgeons as best they could. /He determined to form a body of people /who would rally together in times of war and attend to the needs of the wounded and thedying. /Many Europeans states supported him /and on 22nd, August 1864 the first Geneva Convention was signed. /This lays down that once a soldier is wounded /everyone else who comes to his help ceases to be an enemy. / (154 words)____________________________________________________________________ Passage 6Cars in the FutureWhat kind of care will we be driving by the year 2030? /Rather different from the type we know today. /With the next decade bringing greater change than the past 50 years, /the people who will be designing the models of tomorrow believe that /environmental problems may well accelerate the pace of the car’s deve lopment. /The vision is that of a machine with 3 wheels instead of 4, /electrically-powered, environmentally clean and able to drive itself along intelligent roads, /equipped with built-in power supplies. /Future cars will pick up the fuel during long journeys /from a power source built into the road. /This view of future cars is based on a much more sophisticated road system. /Cars will be automatically controlled by a computer. /All the driver will have to do is to say where to go /and the computer will do the rest. /It will be impossible for cars to crash into one another. / (155 words)____________________________________________________________________ Passage 7Dogs as PetsMost people have had a dog or wanted one as their companion at some time in their life. /If you are thinking of buying a dog, /you should first decide what sort of companion you need. /You must also be ready to devote a good deal of time to train the dog when it is young /and give it the exercise it needs throughout its life. / Dogs are demanding pets. /Whereas cats identify with the house /and so are content if their place is secure, /a dog identifies with its master /and consequently wants him to show proof of his affection. /The best time to buy a baby-dog is when itis between 6-8 weeks old /so that it can transfer its affection from its mother to its master. /If baby-dogs have not established a relationship with the human being /until they are over 3 months old, /their strong relationship will always be with dogs. / (156 words)_____________________________________________________________________ Passage 8Why Do We Cry?Why do we cry? /Can you imagine life without tears? /Not only do tears keep your eyes lubricated, /they also contain a substance that kills certain bacteria so they cannot infect your eyes. /Give up tears, and you will lose this on-the-spot defense. /Nobody wants to give up the flood of extra tears you produce /when you get something physical or chemical in your eyes. /Tears are very good at washing this irrit ating stuff out. /Another thing you couldn’t do without your tears is cry from joy, anger or sadness. /Humans are the only animals that produce tears in response to emotions, /and most people say a good cry makes them feel better. /Many scientists, therefore, believe that crying somehow helps us cope with emotional situations. /It may be that tears discharge certain chemicals from your body, /chemicals that build up during stress. /What do you think will happen to people who restrain their tears? / (155 words)_____________________________________________________________________ Passage 10The MarsScience fiction writers have often imagined humans going to live on the Mars. /But these days, scientists are taking the idea seriously. /It has a great deal to recommend it, /since it might solve the problem of overcrowding on the earth. /But obviously, it would not be worth making the effort /unless people could live there naturally. /If the atmosphere were like that of the earth, /this might be possible. /Apartfrom that, there are other problems to overcome. /For example, the temperature would have to be raised from 6 degrees below zero to 15 degrees above it. /Scientists who study Mars have laid down the program that they can follow. /To begin with, they will have to find out /whether life has ever existed on the planet of Mars in the past. /Secondly, they will have to make a reliable map of its surface. /And finally, they will have to make a list of the gases on Mars. / (159 words)____________________________________________________________________ Passage 11SharksTo most of us sharks are the most dangerous fish in the sea and they attack humans. /However, according to Doctor Clark, who has studied the behavior of sharks for 12 years, /humans are not normally on the shark’s menu. /She also found that sharks don’t eat as much as people think. /For instance, a 9-year-old shark only needs two pounds of food a day to keep healthy. /But she says, sharks sometimes starve /and at other times they fill themselves with what they have killed. /Around the world, there are only about one hundred shark attacks on humans each year, /ten of which proved fatal. /If you went underwater-fishing and saw a shark, /you could be in trouble. /The shark might go for the injured fish you have attacked /and take a bite of you at the same time. /If you go into a shark’s territory and threaten it, /it might try to bite you because sharks are territorial. / (160 words)_____________________________________________________________________Passage 12Waterways in the USIn the early 19th century, waterways in the middle of the United States /providedNorth America the most popular form of long distance transport. /Travel by river was often more convenient than taking a wagon over country roads, /especially when shipping heavy loads of farm products or household goods. /When the natural waterways were not adequate, /shallow canals were built. /The Erie Canal, opened in 1825, /connected the Great Lakes with the upper Hudson River. /It allowed residents in the Great Lakes region /to send their crops eastward to New York City at a much lower cost. /The construction of the Erie Canal also encouraged people to move westward. /The city of Detroit and Chicago became flourishing cities. /By the mid 1800, faster and cheaper railroads became more popular /and the canal system declined. /During the first third of the century, however, /transport on the rivers, lakes and canals aided greatly in the growth of the United States. /(158 words)____________________________________________________________________ Passage 13The English LanguageEnglish is increasingly significant in the globalization of the world. /Generally, English is the most important linguistic vehicle in all the human activities carried out worldwide. /These activities include application of science and technology /in medicine, transport, entertainment and information technology /and all the other fields related to human life. /Science and technology cannot do without languages, /which are symbolic systems though not the only ones. /In a world where there are global human enterprises, /a language that is widely understood, /and that can be used across the boundaries of different countries, is a necessity. /English has been extensively used for the purposes of exchanging information. /No matter whether English is more suited to be used as an international language or not, /it is really suited to a great variety of scientific and technological purposes. /It has a very large vocabulary /and all sorts of ways of extending its vocabulary that is already much ample to meet changing needs. /(159 words)____________________________________________________________________ Passage 14GlobalizationPeople around the globe are more connected to each other than ever before. /“The Era of Globalization” is fast becoming the preferred term for describing the current times. /Globalization is a process of interaction and integration /among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, /a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. /This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political systems, /on economic development and prosperity, /and on human physical well-being in societies around the world.Policy and technological developments of the past few decades /have spurred increases in cross-border trade, investment, and migration so large that / many observers believe the world has entered a qualitatively new phase in its economic development.Technology has been the other principal driver of globalization. /Advances in information technology, in particular, have dramatically transformed economic life. /Information technologies have given consumers, investors and businesses /valuable new tools for identifying and pursuing economic opportunities. /(158 words)____________________________________________________________________ Passage 17British Pub CultureVisitors to Britain may find the best place to sample local culture is in a traditional pub. / Most pubs have no waiters / --you have to go to the bar to buy drinks. / This may sound inconvenient, / but there is a hidden purpose. / Pub culture is designed to promote sociability in a society known for its reserve. / Standing at the bar for service / allows you to chat with others waiting to be served. / The bar counteris possibly the only site in the British Isles / in which friendly conversation with strangers is considered really quite normal behavior. / The trouble is that if you do not follow the local rules, / the experience may fall flat. / For example, if you are in a big group, / it is best if only one or two people go to buy the drinks. / Nothing irritates the regular customers while they chat about what to order.（163 words）_____________________________________________________________________ Passage 18 CoffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage prepared from roasted seeds, / commonly called coffee beans. / Due to its caffeine content, / coffee has a stimulating effect in humans. / Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide. /Coffee was first consumed in the ninth century, / when it was discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia. / Coffee has played an important role in many societies throughout history. / In Africa, it was used in religious ceremonies. /Coffee is an important export commodity. / In 2004, coffee was the top agricultural export for 12 countries, / and in 2005, it was the world's seventh largest legal agricultural export by value. /Some controversy is associated with coffee cultivation and its impact on the environment. / Many studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and certain medical conditions. / Whether the overall effects of coffee are positive or negative is still disputed. （159 words）_____________________________________________________________________ Passage 19Buses in LondonThe London Bus is one of London's principal icons. / Although the Routemaster has now been largely phased out of service, / with only two heritage routes still using the vehicles,/ the majority of buses in London are still red / and therefore the red bus remains an iconic symbol of the city./In Britain bus-type vehicles used for long distances / or where it is not possible to get on at any stop / and buy a ticket are always called coaches rather than buses. / Buses have been used on the streets of London since 1829, / and in 1855 the London General Omnibus Company or LGOC was founded / to regulate the horse-drawn omnibus services then operating in London. / LGOC began using motor omnibuses in 1902, / and manufactured them itself from 1909./ The last LGOC horse-drawn bus ran on 25 October 1911, / although independent operators used them until 1914. (155 words)____________________________________________________________________ Passage 20American FoodMany meals in America are arranged around popular television shows. / People like to eat in front of the TV, / and they sit in a chair or on a sofa. / Cooking in the USA is not just hamburgers, pizza and fast food. / However, the American fast food restaurant chains / have been very successful at introducing American-style fast food around the world. / Now people from many lands believe / it is what everyone eats all the time in the USA. /Most traditional American foods were introduced by the early European immigrants / but modified to take advantage of the locally available ingredients. / Fried chicken, meatloaf, baked potato, corn, baked beans and apple pie / would be considered traditional American dishes. /Regional cooking varies from state to state / and is highly influenced by the types of ingredients locally available, / as well as the cultural background of the people that settled in the area. / (165 words)____________________________________________________________________ Passage 21New YorkThe City of New York has been the most populous city in the United States since 1790, / while the New York metropolitan area / ranks among the most populous urban areas in the world. / A leading global city, / it exerts a powerful influence over worldwide finance, culture, fashion and entertainment. / As host of United Nations headquarters, / New York is also an important center for international affairs./ The city's estimated population exceeds 8.2 million people / living in just under 305 square miles,/ making New York City the most densely populated major city. / New York is notable among American cities for its high use of mass transit, / much of which runs 24 hours, / and for the overall density and diversity of its population. / The city is sometimes referred to as "The City that Never Sleeps", / while other nicknames include Gotham and the Big Apple. /(153 words)_____________________________________________________________________Passage 22Public SchoolPublic-school education is the most common form of education in the United States / and is provided mainly by local governments, / with control and funding coming from three levels: / federal, state, and local./ Curricula, funding, teaching, and other policies are set / through locally elected school boards by jurisdiction over school districts. / The school districts are special-purpose districts / authorized by provisions of state law. / Generally, state governments can and do set minimum standards / relating to almost all activities of primary and secondary schools, / as well as funding and authorization to enact local school taxes to support the schools. / The federal government funds aid to states and school districts / that meet minimum federal standards. / The first tax-supported public school in America was inMassachusetts. / The vast majority of adults born in the U.S. have attended a U.S. public school. / (149 words)_____________________________________________________________________ Passage 24French FriesFrench fries, or french-fried potatoes are thin strips of potato / that have been deep-fried. / They are popular in many countries / and go by many names in various languages. / A distinction is sometimes made between fries and chips. / North Americans often refer to any elongated pieces of fried potatoes as fries, / while in other parts of the world, / long slices of potatoes are sometimes called fries to contrast them with the thickly cut strips, / which are often referred to as chips. / French fries can contain a large amount of fat or oils from frying. / Some researchers have suggested / that the high temperatures used for frying such dishes may have results harmful to health. / In the United States about ¼ of vegetables consumed are prepared as French fries / and are proposed to contribute to widespread obesity. / Many restaurants now advertise their use of unsaturated oils. / (158 words) Passage 25MoneyMoney is anything that is generally accepted as payment / for goods and services and repayment of debts./ The main uses of money are as a medium of exchange, / a unit of account, and a store of value. / Some authors explicitly require money to be a standard of deferred payment. / The dominant form of money is currency. / The term "price system" is sometimes used / to refer to methods using commodity valuation or money accounting systems. /Money is used as an intermediary for trade, / in order to avoid the inefficiencies of a barter system, / which are sometimes referred to as the 'double coincidence ofwants problem'. / Such usage is termed a medium of exchange. / In economics, money is a broad term that refers to any financial instrument / that can fulfill the functions of money. / Modern monetary focuses on the liquidity of the financial instrument used as money. / (158 words)_____________________________________________________________________ Passage 26NewspapersA newspaper is a publication containing news, information, and advertising. / General-interest newspapers often feature articles / on political events, crime, business, entertainment, society and sports. / Most traditional papers also feature an editorial page / containing columns that express the personal opinions of writers./ Supplementary sections may contain advertising, comics, and coupons./ Newspapers are most often published on a daily or weekly basis, / and they usually focus on one particular geographic area where most of their readers live. / Despite recent setbacks in circulation and profits, / newspapers are still the most iconic outlet for news and other types of written journalism. /By the late 1990s，the Internet posed an ongoing challenge / to the business model of most newspapers in developed countries. / Many newspapers around the world launched online editions / in an attempt to follow or stay ahead of their audience. / However, in the rest of the world, newspapers continue to grow. / (160 words)_____________________________________________________________________Passage 27The History of TeaAfter water, tea is the most widely-consumed beverage in the world. / The Chinese have consumed tea for thousands of years. / People of the Han Dynasty used tea as medicine. / China is considered to have the earliest records of tea consumption, / with records dating back to the 10th century BC. / Legend has it that master Lao Zi was saddened by society's moral decay and, / sensing that the end of the dynasty was near, / he journeyed westward to the unsettled territories, / never to be seen again./ While passing along the nation's border, / he encountered and was offered tea by a customs inspector, / who encouraged him to compile his teachings into a single book / so that future generations might benefit from his wisdom. / This then became known as the Dao De Jing, a collection of Laozi's sayings. / A national custom of offering tea to guests began in China. / (158 words)____________________________________________________________________ Passage 28ChristmasEvery year after Thanksgiving, / most people’s thoughts turn to Christmas. / It is the time when professing Christians are supposed to focus on Jesus Christ. / It is the day we celebrate as the birthday of Jesus. / There are special Christmas services in Christian churches all over the world. / But many of the festivities of Christmas do not have anything to do with religion. / Exchanging gifts and sending Christmas cards / are the modern ways of celebrating the Christmas in the world. / And the Christmas has become popular /when Christmas cards appeared in 1846 / and the concept of a jolly Santa Claus was first made popular in nineteenth Century. / Christmas is thought by most to be a wonderful time, / focusing the participants on /giving, family togetherness, beautiful music and decorations, / feasting on special foods and singing Christmas carols throughout the neighborhood. / (150 words)Passage 29For years, students were assured that with a college degree in hand / they could acquire an excellent job. / In recent years, however, several developments / havesignaled the onset of a change / in the supply-demand relationship in the services of higher education. / Teachers with terminal degrees far outnumber / the available teaching positions in many disciplines. / The chairman of a science department today / may receive three to four hundred applications / for a position that once attracted only half a dozen. / Administrations of colleges and universities must be prepared / to enter into competition with all other suppliers of products and services. / Today’s students are in touch with the reality of the world, / and they realize that while a degree may obtain the first job for them, / keeping the job and advancing depend upon the education behind the degree. (148 words)_____________________________________________________________________ Passage 33Credit Card SecurityCredit card security relies on the physical security of the plastic card / as well as the privacy of the credit card number. / Therefore, whenever a person other than the card owner / has access to the card or its number, / security is potentially compromised. / Once, merchants would often accept credit card numbers / without additional verification for mail order purchases. / It's now common practice to only ship to confirmed addresses / as a security measure to minimize fraudulent purchases. / Some merchants will accept a credit card number for in-store purchases, / but many require the card itself to be present, / and require a signature. / A lost or stolen card can be cancelled, / and if this is done quickly, / will greatly limit the fraud that can take place in this way. / (141 words)____________________________________________________________________ Passage 34Independent FilmmakingFilmmaking also takes place outside of the mainstream / and is commonly called independent filmmaking. / Since the introduction of DV technology, / the means ofproduction have become more democratized./ Filmmakers can conceivably shoot and edit a film, / create and edit the sound and music, / and mix the final cut on a home computer. / However, while the means of production may be democratized, / financing, distribution, and marketing remain difficult to accomplish outside the traditional system. / Most independent filmmakers rely on film festivals / to get their films noticed and sold for distribution. / However, the Internet has allowed for relatively inexpensive distribution of independent films; / many filmmakers post their films online for critique and recognition./ Although there is little profitability in this, / a filmmaker can still gain exposure via the web. (139 words)____________________________________________________________________。
大学英语专业四级考试Dictation答案
TEM4 --- Dictation1997 Legal Age for MarriageThroughout the United States, the legal age for marriage shows some difference. The most common age without parent s’consent is 18 for both females and males. However, persons who are under age in their home state can get married in another state, and then return to the home state legally married. Each state issues its own marriage license. Both residents and non-residents are qualified for such a license. The fees and ceremonies vary greatly from state to state. Most states, for instance,have a blood test requirement, but a few do not. Most states permit either a civil or religious ceremony, but a few require the ceremony to be religious. In most states a waiting period is required before the license is issued. This period is from one to five days depending on the state. A three-day wait is the most common. In some states there is no required waiting period.1998 The Railway in BritainThe success of early railways, such as the lines between big cities, led to a great increase in railway building in Victorian Times. Between 1835 and 1865 about 25,000 kilometers of track was built, and over 199 railway companies were created. Railway travel transform ed people's life. Trains were first designed to carry goods. However, a law in the 19th century forced railway companies to run one cheap train a day, which stopped at every station and cost only a penny a mile. Soon working-class passengers found they could afford to travel by rail. Cheap-day-excursion trains became popular，and seaside resorts grew rapidly. The railways also provided thousands of new jobs: building carriage s, running the railways and repairing the tracks. Railways even changed the time. The need to run the railways on time meant that local time was abolish ed, and clocks showed the same timeall over the country.1999 United Nations’ DayThe 24th. of October is celebrated as United Nations’Day. It is the day that belongs to everyone, and it is celebrated in most countries of the world. Some countries celebrate for a week instead of a day. In many parts of the world, schools have special programs for the day. Boys and girls in some communities decorate a UN tree. In other communities, young people put on plays about the UN. Some libraries exhibit children’s art works from around the world. Schools celebrate with the songs and dances of other countries, or give parties where foods of other countries are served. No matter how the day is celebrated, the purpose ofthese celebrations is to help everyone understand the UN and the important roles it plays in world affairs. The UN encourages people to learn about other lands and their customs. In this way, people can gain a better understanding and appreciation of peoples all over the world.2000 What We Know about LanguageMany things about language are all mystery and will remain so. However, we now do know something about it. First, we know that all human beings have a language of some sort. No human race anywhere on earth is so backward that it has no language of its own at all. Second, there is no such thing as a primitive language. There aremany peoples whose cultures are undeveloped, but the languages they speak are by no means primitive. In all the languages existing in the world today, there are complexities that must have been developed for years. Third, we know that all languages are perfectly adequate. Each is a perfect means of expressing its culture. And finally, we know that a language changes over time, which is natural and normal if a language is to survive. The language which remains unchanged is nothing but dead.2001 Characteristics of a Good ReaderTo improve your reading habits, you must understandthe characteristics of a good reader. First, the good reader usually reads rapidly. Of course he does not read every piece of material at the same rate. But whether he is reading a newspaper or a chapter in a physics text, his reading rate is relatively fast. He has learnt to read for ideas rather than words one at a time. Next, the good reader can recognize and understand general ideas and specific details. Thus he is able to comprehend the material with a minimum of effort and a maximum of interest. Finally, the good reader has at his command several special skills which he can apply to reading problems as they occur. For the college student, the most helpful of these skills include making use of the various aids to understanding that most text books provide and skim reading for a general survey.2002 Disappearing ForestsThe world’s forests are disappearing. As much as 1/3 of the total tree cover has been lost since agriculture began some 10,000 years ago. The remaining forests are home to half of the world species, thus becoming the chief resource for their survival. Tropical rainforests once covered 12% of the land of the planet. As well as supporting at least half of the world’s species of plants and animals, these rainforests are homes to millions of people. But there are other demands on them. For example, much has been cut for timber. An increasing amount of forestland has been used for industrial purposes or for agriculture development such as crop growing. By the 1990’s less than half of the earth original rainforests remained, and they continued to disappear at the alarming rate every year. As a result, the world’s forests are now facing gradual extinction.2003 SalmonEvery year millions of salmon swim from the ocean into the mouth of rivers and then steadily up the rivers. Passing through waters, around rocks and waterfalls, the fish finally reach their original streams or lakes. They dig out nests in the riverbed and lay their eggs. Then, exhausted by their journey, the parent salmon die. They have finished the task that nature has given them. Months or years later, the young fish start their trip to the ocean. They live in the salt water from two to seven years until they too are ready to swim back to reproduce. Their life cycle helps man provide himself with a basic food --- fish. When the adult salmon gather at the river mouths for the annual trip up the rivers, they are in the best possible condition, and nearly every harbor has its salmon fishing fleet ready to catch thousands for markets.2004 MoneyMoney is accepted across the world as payment for goods or services. People use money to buy food, clothes and hundreds of other things. In the past, many different things were used as money. People on Pacific islands once exchanged shells for goods. The Chinese used cloth and knives. In Africa, elephant’s tusks or salt were used. Even today some people in Africa are still paid in salt. Coins were first invented by the Chinese. Originally they were round pieces of metal with a hole in the center, so the piece of string could keep them together. This made doing businessmuch easier. But people still found coins inconvenient to carry when they wanted to buy something expensive. T o solve this problem, the Chinese again came up with a solution. They began to use paper money for coins. Now paper notes are used throughout the world.2005 The Wrist WatchIt is generally believed that wrist watches are an exception to the normal sequence in the evolution of man's jewelry. Reversing the usual order, they were first worn by women and then adopted by men. In the old days, queens included wrist watches among their crown jewelry. Later, they were worn by Swiss workers and farmers. Until WorldWar I, Americans associated the watch with fortune hunters. Then army officers discovered that the wrist watch was most practical for active combat. Race car drivers also loved to wear wrist watches, and pilots found them most useful while flying. Soon men dared to wear wrist watches without feeling self-conscious. By 1924, some 30 percent of man's watches were worn on the wrist. Today, the figure is 90 percent. And they are now worn by both men and women for practical purposes rather than for decoration.2006 The InternetThe Internet is the most significant progress in the field of communications. Imagine a book that never ends, alibrary with a million floors, or imagine a research project with thousands of scientists working around the clock forever. This is the magic of the internet. Yet the Internet has the potential for good and bad. One can find well-organized, information-rich websites. At the same time, one can also find wasteful websites. Most websites are known as different Internet applications. These include online games, chat rooms and so on. These applications have great power, too. Sometimes, the power can be so great that young people may easily become victims to their attraction. So we need to recognize the seriousness of the problem. We must work together to use its power for better ends.2007 AdvertisingAdvertising has already become a specialized activity in modern times. In today’s business world, supply is usually greater than demand. There is great competition between manufacturers of the same kind of product because they want to persuade customers to buy their particular brand. They always have to remind their customers of the name and qualities of their products by advertising. The manufacturer advertises in newspapers and on the radio. He sometimes employs sales girls to distribute samples of his product. He sometimes advertises on the Internet as well. In addition, he always has advertisements put into television programs that will accept them. Manufacturers often spend huge sums of money on advertisements. We buy a particular product because we think that is the best. We usually think so because the advertisements say so. People often don’t ask themselves if th e advertisements are telling the truth when they buy advertised products from shops.2008 Choosing a CareerWhen students graduate from college, many of them do not know how they want to spend their working lives, and they sometimes move from job to job until they find something that suits them and of equally importance to which they are suited. Others never find a job in which they are really happy. They remain all their lives square pegs in round holes(不得其所的人). When we choose our careers, we need to ask ourselves two questions: First, what do we think we would like to be? Second, what kind of people are we? The idea, for example, of being a painter or a musician may seem very attractive, but unless we have great talent and are willing to work very hard, we are certain to fail in these occupations and failure will lead to unhappiness in life.So it is important to assess our suitability for a certain career in job search.2009 New Year's EveFor many people in the west, New Year’s Eve is the biggest party of the year. It’s time to get together with friends or family and welcome in the coming year. New Year’s parties can take place in different places. Some people hold a house party; others attend street parties, while some just go for a few drinks with their friends. Big cities have large and spectacular fireworks displays. There is one thing that all New Year’s Eve parties have in common:the countdown to midnight. When the clock strikes 12, people give a loud c heer and sing songs. It’s also popular to make a promise in the New Year. This is called a New Year’s resolution. Typical resolutions include giving up smoking and keeping fit. However, the promise is often broken quite quickly and people are back into their bad habits within weeks or days.For lots of people in Britain, the 31st of December, or New Year's Eve as we call it, is the biggest party of the year. It's a time to get together with friends or family and welcome in the coming year. New Year's parties can take place at a number of different venues. Some people hold a house party; others attend street parties, while some just go to their local for a few drinks with their mates. Big cities, like London, have large and fireworks displays. There's one thing that all New Year's Eve parties have in common: the countdown to midnight. When the clock strikes twelve, revelers give a loud cheer, pop champagne corks and give each other a kiss. They then link arms and sing a songcalled Auld Lang's Syne, by a Scottish poet called Robert Burns. Not many people can remember all the lyrics, but the tune is well known, so lots of people just hum along. The parties then continue into the early hours of the morning with lots of dancing and drinking. Because of this, for a lot of people New Year's Day starts with a hangover. Other people might spend the day visiting relatives or friends they haven't managed to catch up with for a while. Whatever happens, New Year's Day tends to be very relaxed. In Britain, it's popular to make a promise to yourself about something you are going to do, or want to stop doing, in the New Year. This is called a New Year's . Typical s include giving up smoking and joining a gym to get fit. However, the promise is often broken quite quickly and people are back into their bad habits within weeks or days. New Year's Day is the last bank holiday of the festive season, which means most people have to go to work the next day: bright and fresh and ready for the new year ahead!。