英语专业四级听写五篇

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专四听写

专四听写（一）Exercise(1)—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 language 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 your own pursuit of happiness. Whatever you have, you can either appreciate or 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 happiness.Exercise(2)—News BroadcastA 20-year action plan for cutting the rate of world population growth is expected to win wide approval today in Cairo(开罗). Delegates at the UN-sponsored conference on population completed final talks on the plan Monday. The document is non-binding(不具约束力的), but it will serve as a guideline for countries and donor(捐赠者) states that fund health care and family planning programs. The world population of 5.7 billion currently is growing at more than 90 million a year.Exercise(3)—HealthHealth is the foundation of one's future success. This is because health gives us strength and happiness. If you are healthy, you can do whatever you need to do to realize your hopes. On the other hand, if you are sick, it is impossible for you to go on with your work or studies.How can we have good health? Firstly, forming good habits is very important, including getting up and going to bed early. Secondly, doing exercise every day will help to strengthen you not only physically, but also mentally. Thirdly, a proverb says, "Prevention is better than cure." Try your best to keep fit and avoid getting sick, or cure yourself of a disease while it is still at an early stage.In conclusion, nothing is more valuable than health. With goodhealth, you can study and work efficiently, you can achieve more success and make a greater contribution to society.Exercise(4)—HobbiesDifferent people may have different hobbies. Some like reading novels, painting pictures or listening to music; some like traveling around, playing ball, climbing mountains and some enjoy collecting things, such as stamps, books, shells and insect specimens.Why do people like taking up hobbies? It is because hobbies can provide people with knowledge and enjoyment. They can also help you feel relaxed after your busy day at work. Anyone, young or old, can develop a satisfying hobby.Today people have more time than ever before for hobbies. With the development of science and technology, machines have reduced the amount of time people have to spend on their jobs and their housework. They can save more time for hobbies and enjoy themselves in their spare time now.。

专四听写200篇

四级听写1. InsectsNobody likes insects. They are annoying and sometimes dangerous. Some of them bite us and give us diseases; others bite us and give us big red spots. Some do not bite, but just fly around our heads or crawl around our houses and gardens. /Indeed, we do not like most of them except those lovely butterflies. / But insects are interesting. Firstly, they are very old animals. Three hundred and twenty million years ago, there were no man in the world, but there were insects. Today, on every square mile of land there are millions of them flying and crawling about. Secondly, insects are very adaptable to their surroundings, so that today there are about a million different species in the world.Why then do some people try to kill insects? After all, not many of them hurt us. The reason is that they eat so much of man’s food and there are so many of them. (158 words)2. A Protest against InjusticeIt all started on a bus one day in 1955. A black woman was returning home from work after a long hard day. She sat near the front of the bus because she was tired and her legs hurt. But in those days, black people could sit only in the back of the bus. So the driver ordered the woman to give up her seat. But the woman refused, and she was arrested.Incidents like this had happened before. But no one had ever spoken out against such treatment of blacks. This time, however, a young black preacher organized a protest. He called on all black citizens to stop riding the buses until the laws were changed. He led the protest movement to end such injustice to the blacks. The protest marked the beginning of the civil rights movement in the United States. (146 words)3. Foolish TestsCenturies ago, a man accused of a crime / often had to go through a strange test. / In one country, for instance, a metal bar was dropped into boiling oil. / The prisoner had to put his hand into the oil and take out the bar. / It was believed that the oil would not burn an innocent man. / If the prisoner got his hand burned, he would be found guilty of the crime he was accused of. / Another foolish method was used in Europe. / When a man was accused of a crime, he was thrown into a pool or river. / If he floated, people declared that he was guilty. / They took him out of the water and punished him. / However, if the man sank, people claimed that he was innocent. / They pulled him out of the water quickly and released him. / We do not know what would have happened / if the man had learned to swim under the water. (160 words)4. Why Do People Want Work?People work because they need money to live. / They need money for food and clothes and to pay for their houses, flats or the rooms where they live. / People need money formany different things / and they can earn money if they work. / Work makes people feel important. / Work makes them feel that they are useful. /But machines can not do many things that people used to do. / Technology is giving us more cars, roads and food but less work. / Many businessmen believe that we will soon have robots / which will work all the time. / The robots will never complain or stop work. / Some scientists think that by the year 2025 / intelligent animals will do the work that many people do now. /In tomorrow’s world, / people will need to learn new things / because life will be changing so fast. / People will have to change their ideas about work. / (152 words)5. The Great DepressionThe stock market crash in October 1929 / marked the beginning of the worst economic crisis in American history. / For the first year, the economy fell very slowly. / But it dropped sharply in 1931 and 1932. / By the end of 1932, the economy collapsed almost completely. /During the three years following the stock market crash, / the American gross national product dropped by almost half. / Millions of people lost their jobs. / Tens of thousands lost their homes. / Men with wives and children begged for money on the streets. / During the next several years, / a large part of the richest nation on earth / learned what it meant to be poor. /Hard times found their way into every area and every job. / Workers struggled as factories closed. / Farmers hit with falling prices and natural disasters / were forced to give up their farms. / Businessmen lost their stores, and sometimes their homes. / All the gains of the 1920s were washed away. (154 words)6. Learning to describeAll through my boyhood and youth, I was known as an idle person, / and yet I was always busy with my own private affairs, / which was to learn to write. / I always kept two books in my pocket, / one to read, and the other to write in. / As I walked, my mind was busy / fitting what I saw with appropriate words. / When I sat by the roadside, / I would either read, / or note down the features of the scene / or write some lines of verse. / Thus I lived with words. / What I wrote was not for future use, / but was written consciously for practice. / Description was the principal field of my exercise. That was a proficiency that tempted me, and I practiced to acquire it. To anyone with sense, there is always something worth describing. (138 words)7. Angel FallsAngel Falls, deep in the jungles of Latin America, is the highest waterfall in the world. / It is over 1,000 feet higher / than any other fall in the world. / Imagine that you are goingthere by plane. / For hundreds of miles you fly southeast over green plains, / mountains with forests, and high plateaus. / Suddenly you see a silver thread in the distance. / As your plane flies closer, / you see water falling over half a mile straight down the cliff. / It is such an impressive sight that you will never forget it. /No one knew about the waterfall until 1930, / when James Angel, an American pilot, / was flying over the mountains and canyons in the area. / He suddenly saw a waterfall. / The water seemed to be dropping straight out of the clouds. /In 1941 an American expedition explored and measured the falls. / From the top to the bottom, / the water falls more than 3,200 feet. / (152 words)8. Fixing a Flat TireI was coming home along the motorway the other night / when I heard a sudden bang. / Immediately I realized that I had a flat tire. /I managed to stop without falling off, / but I still had the problem of what to do about the tire. / With a motorbike, you have to take the wheel off, / find the hole, cover it with a little piece of rubber, / then put the whole lot hack together again. / It takes ages and you get very dirty. / As I didn't have any choice, I set to work. / It didn't take long to get the wheel off / and it wasn't too hard to remove the tire from the wheel. / Finding the hole took longer / but the fun really began / when I had to put the wheel back on the bike. / You’ve no idea how easy it is to lose / small pieces of a motorbike in the dark. / (155 words)9. Pace of Public SpeechPace refers to how fast or how slow you speak. / If you speak too fast, you may be difficult to follow. / If you speak too slow, / you risk losing the attention of your audience. / If audience attention seems to be drifting away, / try picking up your pace. / Usually you don't know / that you have been going too fast until someone tells you so / after your speech is over. / If you are told this, guard against this mistake in the future. / In your next speech / write reminders on your note cards to slow down. /Ideally the speaker varies his or her pace. / Speaking fast and then slowing down helps keep the attention of the audience. / Also, don't forget the benefits of pausing. / A pause before or after a dramatic moment is a highly effective technique. / The next time you are watching a comedian on television, / watch how he or she uses pauses. / (154 words)10. The Wolf and the ShepherdA wolf had long hung about a flock of sheep, / and had done them no harm. / The shepherd, however, had his suspicions, / and for a while was always on the lookout for him / as a dangerous enemy. / But as the wolf continued for a long time to follow his flock / without making any attempt to annoy them, / the shepherd began to look upon him more as a friend than an enemy. / One day the shepherd happened to have to go into the city, / sohe entrusted the sheep to the care of the wolf. / The wolf saw his opportunity and fell upon the sheep and ate them up. / On his return, the shepherd saw his flock destroyed / and exclaimed: "What a fool I am! / I deserve no less for trusting my sheep to a wolf! " / The moral of the fable is: / There is more danger from a pretended friend than from an open enemy. / (159 words)11. A Strange ManThere is a story about a man who behaves very strangely. / What others like, he dislikes, / and what most people enjoy, he doesn’t care for. /He is extremely particular about selecting the correct tie to wear with his suit, / but it doesn't bother him if his shirt is dirty / or his suit isn’t pressed. /He always sees the negative side of things. / He finds fault with the best movie of the year, / but stays awake until two o’clock in the morning / watching very old movies on television. / Even his taste in food is peculiar. / He drinks warm water and cold tea, / eats raw eggs and can't stand fresh fruit.Last week his uncle died and left him a million dollars. / In his will, the old man insisted that the nephew spend / half the inheritance within the next five years. / If he didn’t, the money would be given to a university. / Everyone is anxious to know what the nephew will do. / (163 words)12. Why Should I Take a Part-time job?The first obvious reason is the money. / I am not one of those rich kids / whose parents could give them cars as birthday presents. / My parents have worked all their lives / and saved every penny to pay my tuition and living expenses. / Although they would be willing to give me some pocket money, / if I asked, I prefer to earn it myself. / I feel good that I can in a way / lighten the burden of my parents.The second reason is the experience my part-time job provides. / Sooner or later, I'll have to enter the job market and sell myself. / And if I am to sell myself for a good price, / experience will make a difference. / While working, I get to know people / employers as well as workers. / I learn how to deal with the bosses / and how to get along with my fellow workers. / All this experience gained from my part-time job / will be valuable to my future. / (169 words)13. BadmintonBadminton is a fast game played by two or four persons. / It can be played both indoors and outdoors. / The outdoor game is more suitable for family enjoyment at home. / Badminton is an ancient game, which took its name from the place where the game was played indoors for the first time. / There are several explanations of how the modern game began. / One is that English army officers brought the game home from India in the1870s and it soon became popular in England. /Badminton trains the player's ability to react quickly with his eyes, his mind, his feet and his hand. / Becoming a good player requires physical fitness and mental effort. / Constant practice and habits of concentration and confidence are necessary. / The great players of the game have often been great sportsmen. / This is apparent in their conduct both on and off the court. / (146 words)14. Animated CartoonsWhen we see Mickey Mouse on the screen, / we all know that he is not a real mouse at all. / Yet like a living creature, he moves and talks. / How can Mickey Mouse move around, / tell jokes and do tricks in an animated cartoon? /The first thing that needs to be done / is to divide the script or the movie story into sections / and illustrate each section separately. / A full-length cartoon feature needs hundreds of thousands of drawings. / When all the drawings are completed, they are photographed by a motion picture camera. /There is much more to a cartoon film than drawings. / It sometimes takes hundreds of artists to work for years to produce one. / Actors and singers are selected to give voices to the drawn pictures. / Music is specially composed and fitted into the movie. / No wonder cartoon characters are fun to watch, / whether seen at home on television or in a movie theater. / (158 words)15. The Nursing StaffThe physicians in a hospital form the core of the medical staff. / But they could not provide effective medical care to their patients without the help of numerous nurses. / For the patients, the nursing staff is particularly important. / Nurses are usually in close contact with patients / as long as they are in the hospital. /The nursing staff is usually quite large and diverse. / The general term “nurse” refers to a person / trained to offer bedside care to sick persons. /A nurse does not study for as many years as a doctor. / However, she must be very dedicated. / Caring for the sick requires a great deal of patience and concern. / Most nurses work long days, / and they often must work at odd hours or during the night. / Serving as a nurse in a hospital can be a very rewarding job. / But not every person is suited to become one. / (151 words)16. The SupermarketIn almost all supermarkets there are shopping carts with a special space to put the baby. In the early days, before there were carts, it was noticed that as soon as a woman shopper had her arms full of goods, she stopped buying. Thus carts were introduced. Later a space for the baby was provided in the cart because it was observed that with the babysitting comfortably in the cart the mother felt less need to hurry through the store and consequently bought more.The average American housewife goes to the supermarket twice a week. On the average she spends one or two hours there each week. Women don’t go to the supermarket just to buy food. Visiting the supermarket is the housewife's chance to get away from home for a while. In the supermarket she feels that she is part of the outside world. She gets to know all the new products. Frequently she meets a number of her friends in the supermarket. (167 words)17. Changes in FashionsWomen's fashions tend to change more rapidly and radically than men’s. In the early 1900s, all women wore their skirts down to the ankle. Today, skirt length varies from floor-length to ten inches above the knee. Women’s shoes have also gone through all sorts of changes in the last seventy years. For example, boots for women were very common around the turn of the century. Then, for years, they were not considered fashionable. Today they are back in style again in all colors, lengths, and materials. In fact, today's women can wear all sorts of clothes, even slacks and shorts, on almost any occasion. While all of these changes were taking place in women's fashions, men's clothing remained pretty much the same until a couple of years ago. In fact, most men still wear the traditional suit though bright colors and varieties in cut are now more common. (153 words)18. The Future of the CinemaThe cinema became the greatest entertainment industry in the world because millions of people paid to see films. But today, in many countries, more and more people prefer to watch television. In countries where a lot of people watch television, fewer and fewer films are made, and there are fewer and fewer cinemas to show them. But this does not mean that there will come a time when no films are made and there are no cinemas left.The cinema did not really become a form of art for many years. Most films were made for entertainment only. But a number of film directors have always tried to do more than entertain. And their films have been works of art. In the future this kind of film will become more and more important. The cinema, which began as entertainment, may perhaps live on as art. (151 words)19. Football in EnglandWhat is surprising about football in England is the great knowledge of the game which even the smallest boys seem to have. They can tell you the names of the players on most of the important teams. They know the results of large numbers of matches. They will tell you, with an air of authority, who will win such and such a match, and their opinion is usually as valuable as that of men three or four times their age.Most schools in England take football seriously. They believe that education is not merely a matter of filling a boy's mind with facts in the classroom. It also means character training. And one of the best ways of training character is by means of games, especially such team games as football. The schools, therefore, regularly arrange games and matches for their pupils. (145 words)20. LifeLife is difficult. Life is a series of problems. What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is a painful one. Problems, depending on their nature, cause in us sadness or loneliness or regret or anger or fear. And since life poses an endless series of problems, life is always difficult and full of pain as well as joy.Yet, it is in this process of solving problems that life has its meaning. It is only because of problems that we grow mentally. When we desire to encourage the growth of the human spirit, we challenge and encourage the human capacity to solve problems, just as in school we set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn. It is for this reason that wise people learn not to dread but actually to welcome the pain of problems. (157 words)21. Going on a TourHave you ever been a tourist? If so, did you enjoy every part of your tour? Your tour was almost certainly easier and more comfortable than the journeys of a hundred years ago. Today you can fly in comfortable planes and stay in good hotels. The countries that you visit all try to make your tour as enjoyable as possible.Not very long ago, a tourist had to be either rich or ready to bear very rough conditions. Today it is not necessary to be rich in order to be a tourist. More and more people leave their own countries for holidays in foreign lands. The tourist industry has become very important.At present most of these tourists go to countries in Europe. Italy usually attracts most tourists. Mountain lovers go to Switzerland in winter and sun-lovers from northern lands crowd the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in summer. (153 words)22. My First Day AbroadWhen the plane finally touched down on the runway, I was terribly scared. I didn't know how they were going to receive me. At the airport I passed through immigration and customs, and entered a big hall. Sitting next to me were a young man and a woman and three children running about. A singing group sang a welcome song for a group of students from America. I was green with jealousy and was very disappointed since nobody was there waiting for me! I found a telephone, called Friendship Ambassadors, and told them I had arrived. Later that night the founder of the organization told me that they hadn'treceived my telegram, so they couldn't meet me on my arrival. I felt better when some warm-hearted people treated me very kindly that night. I will never forget my first experience going abroad. (147 words)23. Senior CitizensPeople over the age of sixty-five in the United States are called senior citizens. The number of these people is increasing rapidly because people are living longer than before. Their life is different from that of younger Americans. Most of them are retired or no longer work full time.For many senior citizens, the years after sixty-five are not enjoyable. They feel that their lives lose meaning after retirement. In addition, they may feel lonely being away from their families and the contacts they had in their work. Moreover, they become more worried about their health as they grow older, and about their safety if they live in big cities. Other senior citizens enjoy their lives. They feel free to do what they were not able to when they were working and raising families. They now have time to enjoy hobbies and sports and travel. (148 words)24. Thanksgiving DayThe American Thanksgiving Day goes back to 1621. In that year a special feast was prepared in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The colonists who had settled there had left England to find religious freedom. They experienced many difficulties in coming across the Atlantic. After arriving in the new land, they were assisted by the Indians. They had much to be thankful for. Their religious practices were no longer forbidden. They learned to adjust their farming habits to the climate and soil. When they selected the fourth Thursday of November for their Thanksgiving celebration, they invited the Indians to join them in dinner and a prayer of gratitude for the new life. They recalled the group of 102 men, women and children who left England. They remembered their dead who did not live to see the shores of Massachusetts. They reflected on the 35-day journey which tested their strength. (146 words)25. Chinese FoodThe first time I ever ate Chinese food I loved it. From then on, it tasted better and better. The first thing I noticed was the fresh taste of the meat and vegetables. When I learned more about the food, I began to understand why it is so.In ancient times, China lost much of its wood due to overpopulation and poor management of its forests. Wood became very expensive and hard to get, so the Chinese had to either find something else to use, or learn how to use wood better. In order to use as little wood as they could, they started cutting their meat and vegetables into small pieces before they put them into the hot oil. In that way the food cooked faster and they savedwood. The food kept its fresh flavor, and it’s this flavor that attracts people to the art of Chinese cooking. (152 words)26. SugarSugar has been known to man for at least 3,000 years, but has come into common use only in modern times. Until quite recently, it was considered a medicine and a luxury for the very rich.But what exactly is sugar? Of course, most of us recognize it immediately as the sweet material we put in coffee or cakes. This common form of sugar is derived from such plants as the sugar cane. But in fact there are many kinds of sugar, and the chemist recognizes hundreds of different varieties.About 90% of the sugar produced is used as food. Only 10% is used in industry for purposes other than food production. Yet sugar has great possibilities for use as the basis of chemicals. It can even be used for making plastics. In the future, these potential uses of sugar will certainly be developed more fully than in the past. (149 words)27. Working WivesShould married women work outside the home? The question seems almost odd today although it was a serious one in the past. More and more married women are working and for most of them the reason is obvious. They must work if their families are to survive in an age of soaring inflation and unemployment. But what about those who don't really have to work? Do the rewards justify their efforts? The answer is pretty clearly yes.In families in which the wife has a choice, the extra paycheck may ease the financial burden on her husband. For young couples, it may mean the possibility of buying a house of their own. Unless the wife works, buying a house is simply out of the question. Another important reason is that a job provides a wife with additional security, psychological as well as financial, in the event of the illness or death of her husband. (157 words)28. Benefits of Urban LifeIn spite of the city's image as an unhealthy place, city living often provides benefits that country living lacks. That's why people living in urban areas often live longer than those in the country.One factor which seems to contribute to their long life is exercise. In the cities it is often faster and less frustrating to walk short distances than to wait for a bus. Even taking public transportation often requires some walking. Smaller apartment houses have no elevators and so tenants must climb stairs. City dwellers usually have to walk to local supermarkets. Since parking space is hard to find, there is often no alternative to walking.On the other hand, those who live in the country do not have to walk every day. In fact, the opposite is often true. To go to work, school or almost anywhere else, they must ride incars. (152 words)29. Disadvantages of Living in Big CitiesAlthough big modern cities provide people with many facilities, they certainly have their disadvantages.The first serious problem is the traffic. During the rush hours, wherever you look it’s people, people, people. All the streets are jammed with packed buses and endless lines of cars. As a result, traffic accidents often occur. Next comes the problem of pollution. Factories and vehicles are constantly giving off harmful smoke, so that urban people seem to have forgotten what fresh air is like. Every year, millions of people die of cancer or other diseases caused by air-pollution.Apart from these, there are many more. For example, there is the housing problem. And another is the high crime rate. Finally, urban dwellers are so far away from nature that most of them just lose track of seasons !(140 words)30. The Great American GameBaseball is called the great American game. Hardly a boy in the U. S. has grown up without playing it. The game is so much a part of American life that its terms have become the common everyday speech of the people. Scores of baseball terms are used by people who may never have seen a game in their life.During World War II, Germans dressed in American uniforms turned up behind the American lines. Many of them spoke English so well that they passed themselves off as American soldiers. However, the U. S. Army found a way to tell which were false and which were real. They halted strange soldiers at check-points and asked them questions about baseball and some of the star players. Genuine Americans could answer the questions easily. But the Germans, who couldn't, were promptly made prisoners of war. (146 words)31. The U.S. Coast GuardThe U. S. Coast Guard does what its name says. It has responsibility for many different duties. The Coast Guard can be found at many large lakes in America and in coastal waters. It enforces laws controlling navigation, immigration, and fishing. It enforces other laws that affect the thousands of privately-owned boats in the United States. Coast Guard planes, boats, and helicopters search for missing boats and rescue people in dangerous situations. It also does scientific research on the ocean and clears ice from rivers or lakes, so boats can travel safely.One of the Coast Guard's most important duties now is to stop drug trafficking into the United States. Armed Coast Guard boats use radio and radar to find boats that may carry drugs. They stop the boats suspected of carrying drugs and search them. They seizethe drugs and arrest the people if they find any illegal drugs aboard. (158 words)32. Encounter with StrangersTalking with a stranger will often enrich our knowledge. For instance, a gardener I met in a park told me more about how plants grow than I had ever learned before. Once a taxi driver invited me to tea at his home and helped me learn about a way of life different from my own.Through talking with strangers, we can learn something about ourselves, for an encounter with a stranger, at its best, is a meeting of hearts and minds. To a stranger, we may say things that we have always wanted to say, but never dared mention to our family members or friends, and thus see ourselves through new eyes.Meeting a stranger by chance can result in a life-long friendship. Thirty years ago I met a stranger at a station while waiting for a train, and we’ve been friends ever since. Come to think of it, weren't nearly all our friends once strangers? (160 words)33. LawsBefore laws were written, there was no sure way of knowing what was permitted and what was forbidden. One judge might apply one set of rules to a case while another judge might apply completely different rules to a similar case. It all depended on the personal judgment of one person.Today we follow the custom of recording our laws. Rules passed by our lawmakers are printed and available for everyone to see. Unless laws are publicly available, we do not regard them as binding.Each of us is subject to many different sets of laws. Some laws say what is permitted, such as how fast you may drive. Other laws say what is required, such as paying a federal income tax. Still other laws say what is prohibited, such as smoking in elevators. In the United States, federal laws apply to everyone and state laws apply to activities within each state. (154 words)34. What Can We Do about the Water Pollution Problem?Water pollution has become a serious problem. Industrial wastes have already made many rivers lifeless. Oil spills in the seas are killing enormous numbers of fish and birds. What is more, polluted water is an increasing danger to public health. It causes people to become ill with all kinds of diseases.What can we do about it in order to survive on earth? First, we can make great efforts to clean up polluted water and limit further pollution. Second, we can insist that water pollution control laws be passed and strictly enforced. Third, we can personally help to prevent water pollution by not throwing anything into streams or lakes. Finally, we can also protect ourselves against polluted water. If we go on a camping trip, for instance, we。

英语专业四级Dictation听写50篇

英语专业四级Dictation听写50篇Town and Country Life in EnglandThere is a big difference between town life and country life in England. In the country, everybody knows everybody else. They know what time you get up, what time you go to bed and what you have for dinner. If you want help, you will always get it and you will be glad to help others.In a large town like London, however, it can sometimes happen that you have never seen your next door neighbor and you do not know his name or anything about him. People in London are often very lonely. This is because people go to different places in the evenings and at weekends. If you walk through the streets in the centre of London on Sunday, it is like a town without people. One is sorry for old people living on their own. They could die in their homes and would not be discovered for weeks or even months.A Change in Women’s LifeThe important change in women’s life-pattern has only recently begun to have its full effect on women’s economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left school at the first opportunity, and most of them took a full-time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. T oday 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 bothhusband and wife sharing more equally in providing the money, and running the home, according to the abilities and interests of each of them. Useful Words and Expressions:1. life-pattern生活方式2. shareA Popular Pastime of the English PeopleOne of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what the do with their non-working time.Most English men, women and children love growing things, especially flowers. Visitors to England in spring, summer or autumn are likely to see gardens all they way along the railway lines. There are flowers at the airports and flowers in factory grounds, as well as in gardens along the roads. Each English town has at least one park with beautifully kept flower beds. Public buildings of every kind have brilliant window boxes and sometimes basketsof flowers are hanging on them.But what the English enjoy most is growing things themselves. If it is impossible to have a garden, then a window box or something growing in a pot will do. Looking at each other’s gardens is a popular pastime with the English.Useful Words and Expressions:1. window box:窗台上的花盆箱2.pastime 消遣，娱乐Swimming is my favorite pastime.British and American Police OfficersReal policemen, both in Britain and the U.S., hardly recognize any common points between their lives and what they se on TV—if they ever get home in time.Some things are almost the same, of course, but thepolicemen do not think much of them much of them.The first difference is tha t a policeman’s real life deals with the law. Most of what he learns is the law. He has to know actually what actions are against the law and what facts can be used to prove them in court. He has to know nearly as much law as a lawyer, and what’s more, he has to put it into practice on his feet, in the dark and, running down a narrow street after someone he wants to talk to.Little of his time is spent in talking with beautiful girls or in bravely facing cruel criminals. He will spend most of his working life arranging millions of words on thousands of forms about hundreds of sad, ordinary people who are guilty--- or not of stupid, unimportant crimes.Useful Words and Expressions:1. think much of 重视，尊重2. in court 在法庭上3. criminal 罪犯，犯罪者4. guilty 犯罪的，有罪的Living SpaceHow much living space does a person need? What happens when his space needs are not met? Scientists are doing experiments on rats to try to determine the effects of overcrowded conditions on man. Recent studies have shown that the behavior of rats is greatly affected by space. If rats have enough living space, they eat well, sleep well and produce their young well. But if their living conditions become too crowded, their behavior and eventheir health change obviously. They can not sleep and eat well, and signs of fear and worry become clear. The more crowded they are, and more they tend to bite each other andeven kill each other. Thus, for rats, populations and violence are directly related. Is this a natural law for human society as well? Is enough space not only satisfactory, but necessary for human survival? These are interesting questions.The United NationsIn 1945, representatives of 50 nations met to plan this organization. It was called the United Nations. After the war, many more nations joined.There are two major parts of the United Nations. One is called the General Assembly. In the General Assembly, every member nation is represented and has an equal vote.The second part is called the Security Council. It has representatives of just 15 nations. Five nations are permanent members: the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and China. The 10 other members are elected every two years by the General Assembly.The major job of the Security Council is to keep peace in the world. If necessary, it can send troops from member nations to try to stop little wars before they turn into big ones.It is hard to get the nations of the Security Council to agree on when this is necessary. But they did vote to try to stop wars.Useful Words and Expressions:1. representative 代表2. General Assembly 联合国大会3. permanent 永久的，持久的4. Security Council 联合国安全理事会PlasticWe use plastic wrap to protect our foods. We put our garbage in plastic bags or plastic cans. We sit on plastic chairs, play with plastic toys, drink from plastic cups, and wash our hairwith shampoo from plastic bottles!Plastic does not grow in nature. It is made by mixing certain things together. We call it a produced or manufactured material. Plastic was first made in the 1860s from plants, such as wood and cotton. That plastic was soft and burned easily.The first modern plastics were made in the 1930s. Most clear plastic starts out as thick, black oil. That plastic coating inside a pan begins as natural gas.Over the years, hundreds of different plastics have been developed. Some are hard and strong. Some are soft and bendable. Some are clear. Some are many-colored. There is a plastic for almost every need. Scientists continue to experiment with plastics. They hope to find even ways to use them!Display of GoodsAre supermarkets designed to persuade us to buy more?Fresh fruit and vegetables are displayed near supermarket entrances. This gives the impression that only healthy food is sold in the shop. Basic foods that everyone buys, like sugar and tea, are not put near each other. They are kept in different aisles so customers are taken past other attractive foods before they find what they want. In this way, shoppers are encouraged to buy products that they do not really need.Sweets are often placed at children’s eye level at the checkout. While parents are waiting to pay, children reach for the sweets and put them in the trolley.More is bought from a fifteen-foot display of one type of product than from a ten-foot one. Customers also buy more when shelves are full than when they are half empty. They do not like to buy from shelves with few products on them because they feel there is something wrong with those products that are there.Useful Words and Expressions:1. aisle 走廊，过道2. trolley 手推车3. checkout 收款台Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879, His father owned a factory that made electrical devices. His mother enjoyed music and books. His parents were Jewish but they did not observe man y of the religion’s rules. Albert was a quite child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty learning to read. When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass. The child was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction—to be north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers about magnetism and gravity were difficult for the boy to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something hidden had to be behind things.Useful expressions and words:1. device 装置，设备leave to one’s own devices 听任某人自行其是，允许某人按自己的意愿做事She left the child to her own devices for an hour in the afternoon.她允许孩子在下午有一个小时的自由支配时间。

2023年6月英语专四听写原文

2023年6月英语专四听写原文[注意：以下是2023年6月英语专四听写原文，请仔细阅读并准确听写。

]Passage 1:Good morning, everyone. Today, I would like to talk about the importance of time management in our daily lives. Time management refers to the ability to plan and control how we spend our time effectively. It is a crucial skill that can greatly impact our productivity and overall well-being.Firstly, effective time management allows us to prioritize tasks and allocate our time wisely. By setting clear goals and deadlines, we can focus on the most important and urgent tasks, ensuring that we make progress towards our objectives. This helps us avoid procrastination and ensures that we complete our tasks in a timely manner.Secondly, time management helps reduce stress and improve work-life balance. When we manage our time effectively, we can allocate sufficient time for work, leisure, and personal activities. This allows us to maintain a healthy balance between our professional and personal lives, leading to increased satisfaction and overall well-being.Furthermore, effective time management enhances our efficiency and productivity. By organizing our tasks and creating a schedule, we can eliminate distractions and stay focused on the task at hand. This enables us to complete tasks more efficiently and achieve better results in a shorter amount of time.In addition, time management enables us to make better decisions. When we have a clear understanding of how we spend our time, we can identify areas where we may be wasting time or engaging in unproductive activities. This awareness allows us to make adjustments and prioritize activities that align with our goals and values.To conclude, time management plays a crucial role in our daily lives. It helps us prioritize tasks, reduce stress, improve work-life balance, enhance efficiency, and make better decisions. By developing effective time management skills, we can maximize our productivity and overall well-being. Thank you.Passage 2:Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Today, I would like to discuss the impact of social media on society. Social media has become an integral part of our lives, revolutionizing the way we communicate, share information, and interact with others. However, it also brings about various challenges and concerns that need to be addressed.Firstly, social media has greatly facilitated communication and connectivity. It allows us to stay connected with friends and family, regardless of geographical barriers. We can easily share updates, photos, and videos, and engage in real-time conversations. This has undoubtedly enriched our social lives and expanded our networks.Secondly, social media has become a powerful platform for information dissemination. News and events can be shared instantly, reaching a wide audience within seconds. This has democratized the flow of information andempowered individuals to voice their opinions and raise awareness about important issues.However, social media also poses certain challenges. One major concern is the spread of misinformation and fake news. With the ease of sharing information, it becomes difficult to distinguish between reliable sources and false information. This can lead to the spread of rumors and the distortion of facts, which can have serious consequences on individuals and society as a whole.Another challenge is the impact of social media on mental health. The constant exposure to carefully curated and idealized versions of others' lives can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Moreover, the addictive nature of social media can result in excessive screen time and a decrease in real-life social interactions, leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness.In conclusion, social media has revolutionized the way we communicate and share information. It has brought numerous benefits, such as enhanced connectivity and information dissemination. However, it also poses challenges, including the spread of misinformation and negative effects on mental health. It is important for individuals and society to be aware of these challenges and find ways to mitigate their impact. Thank you.。

英语专四听写50篇

英语专四听写英语专四听写01ReadingNowadays 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,’s more, but all of us can live many lives through the pages of books. Whatreading 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02 Natural ResourcesThrough the changes in the ways of making a living in a family over several generations, the cartoon aims at sounding a warning against man’s wasteful use of natural resources and emphasizing the urgent need to preserve these resources.Ever since man appeared on the earth, man’s survival has been heavily dependent on nature. Almost everything we use in our everyday life comes from nature, ranging from the food we eat, the water we drink, to the wood which is turned into furniture. With the development of technology and population growth, the amount and range of materials used has increased at an alarming rate.However, natural resources are not inexhaustible. Some reserves are already on the brink of exhaustion and there is no hope of replacing them. The widespread water shortage is an example in point. If man continued to squander natural resources with no thought for the future, the whole world would be in a mess.Useful Words and Expressions:谋生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 浪费乱七八糟7. be in a mess 乱七八糟03 Population GrowthIt is well-known that there has been a drastic increase in world population. But it is probably les well-known that the extinction rate of wildlife species is experiencing a parallel trend.T ake 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04House and Home“House”and “home”are two words that have similar meanings.“House”and “home”both refer to places where people live. However, thereis a difference between them. “Home”is often referred to as the place that we live in with our families. Sadly, in our society, people can hardly distinguish a home from a house because they often see no difference between them. This confusion can be traced back to the indifference between family members. Therefore, we can say that love is an important factor in a home. A home is a shelter, not only for our bodies but also for our minds. Whenever we are depressed, we can go home for comfort. Everyone in the family will do his best to take care of each other and share their happiness as well as sorrow. Without love, a home is merely a house where loneliness is all that can be found. And a house can never be a home unless there is love.Useful words and expressions:1. refer to 提到2. distinguish区别，辨别3. confusion 混乱，混淆4. trace back 追溯到5. indifference 不关心6. depressed 沮丧的05 AutomobilesIt is impossible to say that any one man invented the automobile. Many individuals living and working in different countries and at different times contributed to its development. Many of the discoveries that went into thecreation 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 unheardof 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大规模生产大规模地3. on a large scale 大规模地4. accessible 易接近的，可到达的accessible to 与……接近06 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. Thisdevelopment 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07 Gardening in AmericaBelieve or not, 43,000,000 Americans are gardening. That is about one in six. Gardeners, of course, come in many varieties. Not surprisingly, most of them are people who live in the suburbs, and enjoy planting flowers, or maybe a small vegetables garden.The average age of gardeners in America is about 45 years old; they usually fall somewhere in the middle class. But the fastest growing groups are city dwellers. Urban residents are finding ways of gardening even in their crowded areas. Many go to large public gardens, as a place designed by the city for garden, and you can actually ranch your own plot.Still other people use their balconies or roof tops, wherever they can find the space to plant small patches of green.Useful Words and Expressions:1. suburb 郊区2. dweller 居民3. ranch 经营牧场4. balcony 阳台5. patch小块地08 Our ConcernThe history of life on earth has been a history of interaction between living things and their surroundings. T o 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 noadvance 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09 SleepWhy is it so difficult to fall asleep when you are overtired? There is no one“tired”physically answer that applies to every individual. It is possible to feeland still be unable to fall asleep, because while your body may be exhausted,“turn off”.you do not feel sleepy. It is not so easy to simplyLack 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 sleep than that on consecutive three nights, you begin to accrue four debt”. As sleep debt increases your body experiences a stress response. Now a vicious cycle has been created: You experience the feeling of being more and more tired, but your body is increasingly stimulated. “Power sleeping”formore 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……10 Apology HelpsIt is never easy to admit you are in the wrong. Being human, we all need to know the art of apologizing. Look back with honesty and think how often you have judged roughly, you said unkind things, and pushed yourself ahead at the expense of a friend. Then count the occasions when you indicated clearly and truly that you were so sorry. A bit frightening, isn’t it? It is frightening, isn’tit? 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.1. push ahead 捉紧进行在损害……的情况下2. at the expense of 在损害……的情况下3. mysterious神秘的4. moral 道德的5. disturbed 扰乱的不参与……，置身于……之外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11 How High Can You Jump?Fleas trainers have observed a strange habit of fleas while training them. Fleas are trained by putting them in a cardboard box with a top on it. The fleas will jump up and hit the top of the cardboard box over and over and over again. As you watch them jump and hit the lid, something very interesting becomes obvious. The fleas continue to jump, but they are no longer jumping high enough to hit the top.When you take off the lid, the fleas continue to jump, but they will not jump out of the box. They will not jump out because they cannot jump out. Why? The reason is simple. They have conditioned themselves to jump just so high. Once they have conditioned themselves to jump just so high. Once they have conditioned themselves to jump just so high, that is all they can do!Many times, people do the same thing. They restrict themselves and never reach their potential. Just like the fleas, they fail to jump higher, thinking they are doing al they can do.1. cardboard 纸板2. lid 盖子3. conditioned 有条件的，习惯于……的4. restrict 限制，约束限于狭窄的范围内be restricted within narrow limits 限于狭窄的范围内be restricted in one’s movements 行动受限制12Don’t give upIf we would ever accomplish anything in life, let us not forget that we must persevere. If we would learn our lessons in school, we must be diligent and not give up whenever we come to anything difficult. We shall find many of our lessons very hard, but let us consider that the harder they are the better they will do to us if we will preserve and learn them thoroughly.But there are some among us who are ready to give up when they come to a hard example in mathematics, and say, “I can’t do this.”They never will if they feel so. “I can’t”never does anything worthwhile, but “I’ll try”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.13“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“how to’.are about for thousand books with titles that begin with the wordsMany “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 use their free time to make repairs and improvements on their homes. They prefer books which give step-by-step instructions on how to repair things like plumbing and electrical wiring or on how to redecorate or enlarge a house.Why have “how to”books become so popular? Probably because life has become more complex. T oday 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.1. step-by-step 按部就班的Useful words and Expressions:1.2. redecorate 重新装饰，再装饰3. complex 复杂的，综合的14Professioanl Sports in the U.S.Professional sports are not only very popular in the United States, but also a big business. The most popular sports are baseball, football and basketball. Each sport has its own season and individual teams have millions of supporters. Professional teams are named for the cities where they are located. For example, the Lakers are in Los Angeles. The strongest supporters of the Lakers are residents of Los Angeles and Southern California. When the Lakers play, many people in Los Angeles enthusiastically follow the game. When we mention “NBA”, almost every one knows it ahs some relationship with U.S. professional basketball. However, what does it really stand for? N.B.A is gainingnew 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:被指定为1. be named for 被指定为是……的简称2. be short for 是……的简称3. stand for代表15 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. Yet even they do not choose entirely without reference to the character of their subjects.Useful words and Expressions:1. visual artist 视觉艺术家2. selection 挑选，选择3. exceptional 例外的，异常的4. motion 运动，动作5. indicate显示，象征6. contemporary 当代的，同时代的7. without reference to 不论，与……无关16 SoccerSoccer has had a slow start in America. In fact, the majority of schools still have no official soccer teams or coaches. But the blossoming popularity of the game cannot be denied. Thanks to the efforts of some world-famous soccer stars, soccer is soon to have its place in American culture.Although soccer has enjoyed decades of popularity elsewhere, it was literally ignored in America. Instead, a variation of the game called “football”was most popular in the U.S. and still is to this day. But the obvious advantages of playing soccer instead will soon win even the most avid football enthusiasts. For one thing, soccer is a much safer game to play than football. No one deliberately tries to knock an opponent down in soccer. In fact, they players are discouraged from even touching each other.Soccer is a game that requires skill and dexterity in controlling the ball. Since no one may use hands to do this, soccer players soon acquire incredible control of their heads, knees, and feet.Useful Words and Expresisons:1. slow start 缓慢起动2. blossom 兴旺，发展3. ignore 忽视4. avid 渴望的5. discourage from 劝阻6. dexterity 灵巧，机敏17 Will Computers Replace Human Beings?We are in the computer age today. The computers are working all kinds ofwonders now. They are very useful in automatic control and data processing. Atthe same time, computers are finding their way into the home. They seem to beso 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 andcomplicated 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 beingprogrammed. In my opinion, computers will remain nothing but an extension ofour human brains, no matter how clever and complicated they may become.18 Where Do the British LiveNearly everyone in Britain would like to own their own home and, whether theydo or not, they are prepared to put time and money into decorating andfurnishing it or even making structural alterations to it. Because of the climateand because of the expense involved in going out for the evening, the British spend a lot of time at home and a large part of their social life takes place there. Young people tend to stay with their families longer these days as accommodation is expensive but, when they move away to a job or college, there are various options open to them. They can get lodgings with a landlady. This means that they rent a room in someone’s house and have breakfast with the family. They can also get a bed-sitting room, that is to say one self-contained room in which they can cook, live and sleep. Alternatively, they can share a rented flat or house with a group of young people, perhaps the most popular option of all.Useful Words and Expressions:1. lodging 寄宿处2. bedsit 卧室兼起居室3. bed-sitting 卧室兼起居室的4. self-contained 设备齐全的19 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. Stick to the complaint later. If you do not want to do it in person, write a letterfacts 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.20Water 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 industrialwasters 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. That day, one day the people in all towns and cities will be drinking clean waterwe believe, is not very far off.21 CartoonistsIn a good cartoon, the artist can tell in a few lines as much as a writer can tell inhalf a dozen paragraphs. The cartoonist not only tells a story but he also tries topersuade the reader to his way of thinking. He has great influence on publicopinion. In a political campaign, he plays an important part. Controversial issues in Congress or at meetings of the United Nations may keep the cartoonist well-supplied with current materials.A clever cartoonist may cause laughter because he often uses humor in his drawings. If he is sketching a famous person, he takes a prominent feature and exaggerates it. Cartoonists, for instance, like to lengthen an already long nose and to widen an already broad grin. This exaggeration of a person’s characteristics is called caricature. The artist uses such exaggeration to put his message across.Useful Words and Expressions:1. cartoonist 漫画家2. campaign 活动3. controversial 争论的，争议的4. sketch 素描5. prominent 卓越的6. exaggerate 夸张7. lengthen 延长8. grin 露齿笑22 TimeTime is tangible. One can gain time, spend time, waste time, save time, or evenkill time. Common questions in American English reveal this concrete quality as though time were a possession. “Do you have any time?”, “Can you get sometime for this?”, “How much free time do you have?”The treatment of time asa 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’svisiting them is personal time. Thus, calling friends on the telephone before v isitinggenerally 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23 A Free Dress Every Week Thetemptationtostealisgreaterthaneverbeforeespeciallyinlargeshopsandpeople arenotsohonestastheyoncewere.Adetectiverecentlywatchedawell-dressedwomanwhoalwayswentintoalargestor eonMondaymornings. OneMonday, therewerefewerpeopleintheshopthanusualwhenthewomancamein, soitwaseasierforthedetectivetowatchher. Thewomanfirstboughtafewsmallarticles. Afteralittletime,shechoseoneofthemostexpensivedressesintheshopandhandedittoanassistantw howrappeditupforherasquicklyaspossible. Thewomansimplytooktheparcelandwalkedoutoftheshopwithoutpaying. Whenshewasarrested, thedetectivefoundoutthattheshopassistantwasherdaughter. Believeitornot, thegirl“gave” hermotherafreedresseveryweek!24 Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience?Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives’s intelligence arein rich and varied surroundings. Thus, the limits of a personfixed 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.25 Travel for WorkYou can see them in every airport in the world. They are businessmen and women who have to travel for their work.When they first applied for the job, they may have thought of good food and hotels, huge expense accounts and fashionable cities. Now they have to sit in airport lounges, tired and uncomfortable in their smart clothes, listening to theloudspeaker announce “The fight of T okyo, or Berlin, or New York is delayed for another two hours.”Some people say to me, “How lucky you are to be able to travel abroad in your work! You can go sightseeing without paying any money by yourself!”They think that my job is like a continual holiday. It is not.There are advantages, of course, and I do thin I am lucky, but only because I can go to places I would never visit if I was a tourist.26 A Place of Our OwnWe are all usually very careful when we buy something for the house. Why? Because we have to live with it for a long time. We paint a room to make it brighter, so we choose the colors carefully.We buy new curtains in order to match the newly decorated room, so they must—orbe the right color. We move the furniture round so as to make more spacewe 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 furniturein 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 own27 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. T oo 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，负责减少2. cut down on 减少3. depression 沮丧，萧条Great Depression大萧条28 America’s Worst SurpriseDecember 7, 1941 was one of the worst days in American history. Nearly allAmericans 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!.M., a radio dispatch came into Washington from Honolulu, Shortly before 2:00 P.M.,Hawaii. “Air Raid, Pearl Harbor—This is no drill.”Japanese planes had begunan attack on the largest American military base in the Pacific. They first. destroyed planes on the ground. Then they bombed the ships in the harborNo one had expected the attack. So no one was prepared for it. And it did not。

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)

专四听写20篇.doc

专四听写20篇Dictation 1 Forest Fire森林火灾（150 words）Forest fire or wildfire is often used to signify an uncontrolled intense fire / that breaks out in the wooded areas / due to many factors ranging from natural to manmade causes. / Wildfires can be witnessed throughout the world and they usually occur in cycles. / Mild forest fires are often considered beneficial, / as growth of many plant species depend on it. / Many plant species also depend on wildfires for reproduction. / However, the large forest fires can have serious damaging effect on the surrounding environment. /Due to the extensive size and the immense speed, / a forest fire can easily spread to a vast area. / Besides, it can also change its direction / and overcome occasional barriers like roads, rivers and fire breaks. / Forest fires break out in areas like grassland, woodland and bush. / Some important causes of it are lightning and volcanic eruptions. / Besides these, sparks from rock falls can also ignite forest fires. /Dictation 2 Job Hunting求职（150 words）Job hunting is a stressful problem for everyone. / Whether someone getting a job right out of school / or someone seeking a better position than the one they just left, / it is not something that comes easy to most people. / However, with preparation and planning, / the difficulties can be focused on / and the situation can become less stressful. / For example, dressing correctly is an important step for any applicant. / Also, if you dress correctly, / you will feel more confident in your ability to get the job. / Men should wear a dress shirt and tie or even a suit if they possess one. / Women should wear a suit or other clothing suitable for the occasion. / It is better to dress too conservatively than not conservatively enough. / Always use honesty as some interviewers will be able to detect problems in your resume. / Good manners and correct speech are essential in impressing the interviewer. /Dictation 3 Vocational Schools职业学校（150 words）The universities are not able to meet / all the growing needs of the society for future development. / Vocational schools have arisen to fill these needs / by providing a more detailed knowledge than that provided by universities. / This has led to a weak base of theory for many workers. / Their focus, practical application, is much more detailed / than the theory provided at college. / Many students choose to go to vocational schools instead of universities. / This has led many college graduates to question the value of their degrees. / They should not, as the levels of education offered by different vocational schools are unequal. / Some of these schools are private and offer a flexible schedule for students / who may be working or are even in school at university. / On the other hand, because they are run by individuals, / the teaching quality and the teaching resources / offered by many vocational schools maybe of low quality. /Dictation 4 National Race种族（150 words）The whole question of the changing role of Blacks in American society / as been the subject of newspaper articles around the world so frequently / that visitors to the United States do not know / what to expect when they arrive. / They may be surprised when they see that Blacks and Whites work side by side / in offices, factories, and schools across the country. / The majority of Blacks in the United States, however, / live in and around only a small number of American cities./ Many dark-skinned visitors arrive in the United States / fearing personal attack or expecting various degrees of racial prejudice. / Some forms of discrimination still exist, unfortunately, / especially in the areas of the housing, schools, and jobs. / The school equality is still more a dream than a reality. / There are still too many areas of the country / where Black Americans do not enjoy the same full opportunities as White Americans. /Dictation 5 A Positive View of Every Day积极看待每一天（149 words）If your life feels like it is lacking the power that you want and the motivation that you need, / sometimes all you have to do is shift your point of view. /By training your thoughts to concentrate on the bright side of things, / you are more likely to have the incentive to follow through on your goals. / You are less likely to be held back by negative ideas / that might limit your performance. /Your life can be enhanced, and your happiness enriched, / when you choose to change your perspective. / Don’t leave your future to chance, / or wait for things to get better mysteriously on their own. / You must go in the direction of your hopes and aspirations. / Begin to build your confidence, / and work through problems rather than avoid them. / Remember that power is not necessarily control over situations, / but the ability to deal with whatever comes your way. /Dictation 6 Languages in America美国的语言（151 words）The United States is primarily an English speaking country. / The majority of the population speaks English as their native language. / Business, education and most public aspects of life are conducted in English. / Across the country, people pronounce English sounds in several different ways / and some regional vocabulary differences exist, / but for the most part, Americans speak one common language. / This language is sometimes called American English. / However, not everyone in the U.S. is a native speaker of English. / Most immigrants to the country are speakers of other languages. / There are hundreds of communities around the U.S. / where English is not the most commonly used language. / Chinese, Italian, German, Armenian, Greek, Vietnamese and French / are all spoken in numerous communities in the U.S. / Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language after English in the U. S. / It is widely spoken in New York and across the southern part of the country. /Dictation 7 Halloween 万圣节（151 words）It’s October the 31st, and across Britain and the USA, / thousands of children are dressing up as monsters, ghosts / and witches and going to their neighbors’ houses / to ask for sweets or toplay tricks on them if they refuse. /Many houses have lanterns made from pumpkins in their windows. / These lanterns have frightening faces cut into them. /What is the reason for all of this? It’s Halloween! / To an outsider, this may seem a strange festival, / but it is a very popular one and an important part of the culture in Britain and the USA. / The holiday once had a religious significance. / November the 1st is All Saint’s Day, / and October the 31st was believed to be a day / when all the spirits came back to the world of the living. / In modern times, this has changed to be a day / when children dress up as monsters, ghosts and witches. /Dictation 8 Universities in the UK 英国的大学（151 words）Universities in Britain are a magnet for overseas students. / There are currently over 200 000 from outside Britain studying at British universities. / The largest single group is Chinese students. / There are currently 50 000 in the UK. /The British government expects the total number of overseas students to be around 900 000 by 2020, / and also thinks that a quarter of these will be Chinese. / But why is the UK such a popular destination for university students? /Well, the quality of your course is guaranteed. / All courses are assessed by an independent system, / so you can be assured that your course is officially approved / and has wide international recognition. / The British education system is very flexible / in order to provide for the needs of a modern, complex society. / Degree courses are usually 3 years long, which is shorter and more intensive than in other countries. / There are lots of scholarships available. /Dictation 9 Money and Happiness金钱与快乐（151 words）It seems only natural that happiness should flow from having more money. / Even if they don’t admit it, / people still behave as though it were true. / More money means you can have what you want and do what you want. / The house you dream of? It’s yours. / The new car you desire? Here are the keys. / The freedom to enjoy your favorite pastimes? / Here’s your racket, the court is down there, just past the pool. /So the puzzle is this: why do social scientists consistently find only moderate relationships / between having more money and being happy? / Some have even suggested that this moderate connection might be exaggerated. / In reality money might have very little to do with happiness at all. /Most puzzling, though, is that people often seem aware at some level / that money won’t make them happy. / And yet they continue to work away earning money they don’t objectively need. /Dictation 10 Tea Party Food茶会食物（151 words）A tea party without good food is just as distasteful as a cake without sugar. / So along with cups of tea, / you need to arrange variety of party foods, / like cookies, snacks, chips and starters. /A bite of sugar and spice will always enhance the flavor of tea party. / Sandwiches, pizzas, finger chips and French fries serve as good side dishes for tea. / Cream cheese salad, pudding and salads are good delicacies for tea parties. / Children love to relish chicken pies, apple pies, cakes and chocolates. / Above all, remember it’s a tea party, / so serve different varieties of tea to your guests. / Black, green and white will be the ideal for your guests. / You can also brew some spicy herbal tea or flavored tea. / For kids, you can serve cream, honey, milk and sugar. / You can organize glasses of wine late in the evening / or punch a bottle of champagne also. /Dictation 11 Adventure探险（151 words）The idea of adventure has always captured the imagination. / The idea that just over the next hill there will be excitement and mystery / is a big part of what makes us human. / This is just as true of ancient times as it is today. / Famous explores set out in small boats / or journeyed across immense deserts and oceans. / Early explorers like Christopher Columbus or Zheng He / traveled to foreign places for the glory of their nations. / More importantly, they set out to test themselves against the forces of nature and the pursuit of knowledge. / Other explorers today do the same thing. / People are going to space in pursuit of the last frontier / or seeking in the depths of science for new knowledge. / Most people, in their daily lives, / do not have the opportunity to truly test themselves in these ways. / Modern living has given them the opportunity, however, with adventuring events. /Dictation 12 Office Conflict办公室冲突（148 words）The office can be very demanding on the lives of the workers. / Stress can build up and explode into problems. / This can seriously influence the productivity and efficiency of a business. / The problems that upset an office can vary drastically / depending on the nature of the employees or even the employers. / Employees may feel that they are being overworked or underpaid. / They may also feel that this signals the loss of appreciation on their work, / causing increasing tension as they complain about work. / They may also have personality differences which can cause conflict. / This can be seen in offices where too close relationships develop. / People in authority may tend to place more value / on these relationships than on the work itself. / They may have lost sight of the goal / of forwarding the development of the company. / Gossiping about co-workers and the company is a frequent example of this. /Dictation 13 Food and Culture饮食和文化（148 words）The culture of food and dining in the West is a little different from that in China. / The proper western dinner at a fine restaurant / is one of manners, focusing on conversation. / You are expected to have knowledge of table manners / such as what folk or knife to use as these are essential in western dining. / The meal would consist of several courses including a soup or salad, / an appetizer, the main dish, and a dessert. / The atmosphere will be filled with light music / that would only serve as background as people converse with each other. / The decorations are usually sparse / and are only meant to highlight the atmosphere / that is being created by the music. / Thistype of dining is different from the dining experience in most restaurants in China. / However, with the increase in internationalism, / more restaurants are opening which reflect the more western dining style. /Dictation 14 In-service Education and Vocational Development在职教育和职业发展（148 words）Many people feel that the successful finding of a job is the end of their schooling. / This idea is rarely true, however, / as each field of work requires a thorough knowledge of it. / This may go beyond that which could be learned in high school or university. / Universities, with their complete curriculum, / are intended to first teach us about everything. / Later studies fill in the gap of knowledge by offering more specialized courses. / Universities, however, are meant to teach the theories of any particular field, / not the practical knowledge needed to do our jobs. / The rise of vocational school has risen / to fill a gap of practical knowledge. / Vocational schools can aid us in this / by teaching us to be especially good at one thing. / If a person has enough health and energy, as well as determination, / he may go to Night School or take a self-teaching program. /Dictation 15 Hospitality待客之道（148 words）An American friend has invited you to visit his family. / You’ve never been to an American’s home before, / and you’re not sure what to do. / Should you take a gift? How should you dress? / What time should you arrive? / What should you do when you get there? Glad you asked. / When you’re the guest, you should just make yourself at home. / That’s what hospitality is all about: / making people feel at home when they’re not. /The question of whether or not to bring a gift often makes guests nervous. / Giving your host a gift is not just a social nicety in some culture s—it’s expected. / But in American culture, a guest is not obligated to bring a present. / Of course, some people do bring a small token of appreciation to their host. / Appropriate gifts for general occasions might be flowers, candy or / —if the family has small children—toys. /Dictation 16 The Football Field Length足球场的长度（148 words）Knowledge about the football field length / does not seem like something fans and players have to be aware of, / but it is certainly something that the most passionate fans will know. / The length of a football field, / be it American football or soccer, / is universally known and all professional stadiums and grounds adopt these measurements. / In soccer, there may be some minor differences in the football field length from stadium to stadium, / and this occurs because these stadiums are historical monuments / that have been around before the measurements were standardized. /On the other hand, American football requires that the football field length / be uniform across all the grounds and the stadiums in the country. / The National Football League has laid down / particular guidelines and rules about the football field length, / and this cannot be altered. / As a player, one must be completely aware about these football field dimensions. /Dictation 17 Culture文化（152 words）The cultural values of a community give it an identity of its own. / A community gains a character and a personality of its own, / because of the culture of its people. / Culture is shared by the members of a community. / It is learned and passed from the older generations to the newer ones. / For an effective transfer of culture from one generation to another, / it has to be translated into symbols. / Language, art and religion serve as the symbolic means of / transfer of cultural values between generations. /Culture is a bond that ties the people of a region or community together. / It is that one common bond, / which brings the people of a community together. / The customs and traditions that the people of a community follow, / the festivals they celebrate, the kind of clothing they wear, the food they eat, / and most importantly, the cultural values they adhere to, bind them together. /Dictation 18 Fashion时尚（152 words）Every year London Fashion Week attracts retailers, fashion leaders, / and the press to shows of all that’s new in British fashion. / Outrageous designs, original fabrics, and beautiful slim models / are displayed on the catwalk / in an atmosphere of extravagant elegance. / However, how much of this gets translated into street fashion, appearing in high street shops? / And how many of us actually follow the trends we see? /We all need to be comfortable with what we wear. / After all, first impressions count, / and we want our appearance to be consistent with the image we would like to project. / How can we do this without becoming a fashion slave? / We are bombarded with magazines that show us the new fashions for each season, / and where we can buy trendy clothes for reasonable prices. / The distinction between what we see on the catwalk / and what’s on display in the high street is becoming increasingly blurred. /Dictation 19 American Society美国社会（147 words）The United States, like other countries has its rich and poor people, its rich and poor neighborhoods. /Americans love —and many are themselves living examples of —the “self-made man.” / You will hear this expression often. / But for every person who is successful, / they are usually better educated than their parents / and therefore more likely to have good, well paying jobs. / In addition to the fact that the United States includes people / whose families originally came from many other parts of the world, / Americans move across the nation in great numbers. / One study reported that one of every five families / in the United States moves every three years. / This continuous mixing of people into new communities is an important observation / to consider when trying to understand the meaning of class in America. / We have already discussed the questioning, / “do-it-yourself” American personality that is another important consideration. /Dictation 20 Recreation休闲（147 words）Recreations are an important part of people’s life. / For example, after hours of attentive study, / students feel like having a football game to relax their nerves. / Workers, too, find it very satisfying to sit in front of a TV set for an hour or two / when they come back from a day’s tiring work. / Besides, recreations serve as a pleasing way for the retired people / to pass their excessive time. / Everywhere you go, you will find that during their spare time, / people are engaged in recreational activities of one kind or another. /Generally speaking, there are two kinds of recreations: / physical activities and intellectual activities. / Physical activities, on the one hand, keep one fit and develop team spirit. / Basketball is an example. / On the other hand, intellectual activities such as playing chess and reading novels / can train one’s brains and provide temporary escape from one’s troubles. /。

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1.IdiomsAn idiom is defined as a group of words / whose meaning must be known as a whole, / because it cannot be learned from the meaning of the same words used separately. / Obviously, there is problem / when you cannot look up individual words in a dictionary and find the meaning, / the usual strategy we all employ when we come across a word or words that are unfamiliar. / With idioms, however, we must learn the group of words. / In every English, idioms are in common use. / In fact, idioms are so common that / most native speakers do not even realize that they are using idioms. / It is particularly important to recognize idioms / when you hear them or read them. / When you are able to use them comfortably in your own speech and writing, / and then you have achieved a higher level of mastery / and fluency in the language.2. Legal Age for MarriageThroughout the United States, the legal age for marriage shows some difference. / The most common age without parents’consent is 18 for both females and males. / However, persons who are underage 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 requires 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.3.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 were built, / and over 100 railway companies were created. / Railway travel transformed people’s lives. / Trains were first designed to carry goods. / However, a law in the 19th century forced railway companies to run one cheap train a day / which stopped at every station and cost only a penny a mile. / Soon working class passengers found they could afford to travel by rail. / Cheap day excursion trains become popular and seaside resorts grew rapidly. / The railways also provided thousands of new jobs: / buiding carriages, running the railways and repairing the tracks. / Railways even changed the time. / the need to run the railways on time meant that local time was abolished / and clocks showed the same time all over the country.4. How to Gain Fluency in another LanguageTo gain fluency in another language, / many people will tell you the only solution is / to travel to a foreign country and immerse yourself completely. / This advice may be greatly appealing for some people. / But for the majority of people, this solution is both inconvenient and costly. / Thankfully, the Internet has brought us new and exciting options for communicating in another language. / To expand your vocabulary, try reading free articles and original books in another language. / To begin with, reading may be a slow and frustrating process / as you will have to stop to look up the meanings for many unfamiliar words. / Before you begin, find an online dictionary / that will offer you quick translations. / Hearing a language is the key to learn how to speak it. / Popular music downloading sites offer free audio files / that you can download and take with you wherever you go. / And most importantly, one must actually practice speaking the language.5.Differences between Chinese and Western Eating HabitsThere are great differences between Chinese and Western eating habits. / Unlike the West, where everyone has their own plate of food, / in China the dishes are placed on the table and everyone shares. / If you are being treated by a Chinese host, / be prepared for a ton of food. / Chinese are very proud of their culture of cuisine / and will do their best to show their hospitality. / And sometimes the Chinese hosts use their chopsticks to put food in your bowl or plate. / This is a sign of politeness. / The appropriate thing to do would be to eat the whatever-it-is / and say how tasty it is. / If you feel uncomfortable with this, / you can just say a polite thank-you and leave the food there. / And you should never tap on your bowl with your chopsticks, / which can be very insulting to the host.。