2005-2014年专四听力听写原文
2014年专四真题听力及原文

2014年专四真题听力及原文(附mp3)2014年专四真题听力及原文(附mp3)Part I DICTATION (15MIN)Listen to the following passage.Altogether the passage will beread to you four times.Duri ng the first reading,which will bedone at normal speed,listen and try to understand them eaning.For the second and third readings,the passage will beread sentence by sentence,or phrase by phrase,with intervals of15 seconds.The last reading will be done at normal s peed againand during this time you should check your work.You will then be given 2 min utes to checkthrough your work once more.Please write the whole passage on ANSWER SHEET ONE.Now,listen to the passage.PART Ⅱ LISTENING COMPREHE (20 MIN)In sections A, B and C you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then an swer thequestions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your answer sheet.SECTION A CONVERSATIONSIn this section you will hear several conversations. Listen to the conversations carefully a nd thenanswer the questions that follow.Questions l to 3 are based on the following conversation.At the end of the conversation , you willbe given 15 seconds to answer the questions.Now, listen to the conversation.1. What are they mainly talking about in the conversation?A. Transport.B. Customers.C. Relocation.D. Restaurants.2. Which of the following is mentioned by Tim as a good reason for moving?A. More office space.B. Convenient parking.C. Fewer office workers.D. A near-by train station.3. Why is Jane worried about winter in the new location?A. It is much colder there.B. There are few activities.C. There are no good restaurants.D. There is no cinema or theatre.Questions 4 to 7 are based on the following conversation.At the end of the conversation,youwill be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.Now, listen to the conversation.4. Miss Parkinson became interested in her own business _______.A. before she worked for the media companyB. when she was on holiday five years agoC. after she went to therapists and classesD. after her friend recommended it to her5. Why did she ask her teachers to teach her at home?A. She was busier than before.B. It was more convenient.C. She liked to exercise at home.D. She was given a promotion.6. Which of the following is NOT true according to the conversation?A. She recommended people to take classes.B. She was willing to pay more for classes a t home.C. She left her job immediately after her promotion.D. She regarded the business as a p astime atfirst.7. Why did she finally leave her job?A. She got bored with her job.B. She saw an opportunity.C. She needed the money.D. She was forced to leave.Questions 8 to 10 are based on the following conversation.At the end of the conversati on,youwill be given 15 seconds to answer the questions.Now, listen to the conversation.8. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the single-lens reflex?A. Different lenses can be used.B. Focusing is easier.C. You can see what you are taking.D. It is cheaper and lighter.9. According to the shop assistant, the main difference between the two types of camera s lies in_______.A. lensB. priceC. weightD. size10. It can be inferred from the conversation that the customer is more likely to buy ____ ___ inthe end.A. a single-lens cameraB. nothingC. a rangefinder cameraD. several lenses insteadSECTION B PASSAGESIn this section ,you will hear several passages. Listen to the passages carefully and then answerthe questions that follow.Questions 11 to 13 are based on the following passage.At the end of the passage, you will begiven 15 seconds to answer the questions.Now, listen to the passage.11. Which of the following details about the front of the house is CORRECT?A. The front is pink.B. The curtain is drawn.C. No window can be seen.D. There are two doors.12. What is to the immediate left side of the house?A. A washing line.B. Another house.C. A flat area.D. A chimney.13. Where is the small town in the picture?A. Between two hills.B. Further to the left of the house.C. At the back of the house.D. At the side of a hill.Questions 14 to 17 are based on the following passage.At the end of the passage, you will begiven 20 seconds to answer the questions.Now, listen to the passage.14. When did Ben first become interested in Mongolia?A. When he grew up.B. When he learned Mongolian.C. When he returned home.D. When he was nine years old.15. Where did he spend most of his teenage years?A. In Mongolia.B. In the Arab world.C. In his hometown.D. In some other regions.16. We learn from the passage that Ben _______ while doing his master’s degree.A. became interested in classical MongolianB. learned classical and modern MongolianC. gave up modern MongolianD. mastered modern Mongolian17. Which of the following details is NOT true according to the passage?A. Ben wants to visit Mongolia when the weather is warm.B. Ben considers the travel ex pensereasonable.C. The trip today is expensive considering inflation.D. Ben was unable to travel to Mong olia in1971.Questions 18 to 20 are based on the following passage.At the end of the passage, you will begiven 15 seconds to answer the questions.Now, listen to the passage.18. Which is the height of towers at Sky Greens vertical farm?A. 9 meters.B. 20 meters.C. 100 meters.D. 40 meters.19. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?A. The farm sells its vegetables to a local supermarket.B. The farm uses less water and energy togrow vegetables.C. The farm causes less pollution in its production.D. The farm sells at the same price as importedproduce20. According to the passage, one particular advantage of the Sky Green is _______.A. local climateB. local supportC. plan for expansionD. closeness to the citySECTION C NEWS BROADCASTIn this section,you will hear several news items.Listen to themcarefully and then answer the questions that follow.Questions21and22are based OH the following news.At theend of the news item,you will be given10seconds to answer the questions.Now listen to thenews.21.According to the passage,Turkish police were unsure about_______.A.when the woman was killedB.the main cause of the deathC.the woman’s identityD.why she failed to return home22.How many people had been detained by Turkish police?A. 9.B. 19.C.22.D. 33.Questions23and24are based on the following news.At the end of the news item.you will be given10seconds to answer the questions.Now,listen to the news.23.What is the situation now in Kidal according to the news?A.Islamist militants are still in control of the town.B.French forces have entered the town.C.French are going to land at the airport.D.Islamist militants are attacking the airport.24.Why did the French launch the military operation?A.To control Kidal airport.B.To protect the town.C.To protect the capital Bamako.D.To fight against Islamist militants.Questions25and26are based on the following news.At the end of the news item,you will be given10seconds to answer the questions.Now,listen to the news.25.Which of the following is TRUE about the immigration reform?A.It was proposed by a group of senators.B.Mr Obama had carried out the reform.C.Illegal immigrants would soon be given citizenship.D.The reform failed to improve the current system.26.According to Obama’s2011blueprint,how long would it take for illegal immigrants to gainciti zenship?A.Eight years.B.Five years.C.Thirteen years.D.Eleven years.Questions27and28are based on the following news.At the end of the news item,you will be given10seconds to answer the questions.Now,listen to the news.27.What is Lorraine Melvill’s business?A.Running a plastic surgery clinic.B.Arranging for surgery and safaris.C.Providing consultancy to local people.anizing trips to UK and American.28.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the news item?A.Local African clients helped keep her business going.B.Her clients were unable to pay her the money.C.Her business was affected by the global financial crisis.D.She still had as many European client sas before.Questions29is based on the following news.At the end of the news item,you will be given5sec onds to answer the question.Now,listen to the news.29.What is the main idea of the news item?A.Foreign investment in unstable regions.B.BP’s presence in North Africa.C.Security concerns in risky countries.D.Protection for foreign oil workers.Questions30is based on the following news.At the end of the news item,you will be given5sec onds to answer the question.Now,listen to the news.30.What is the main message of thenews it em?A.London attracts shoppers from all over the world.B.Most people in Nigeria live in poverty.C.Wealthier Nigerians become a big spender.D.People from the Middle East are the mostwealth y.PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSION SECTION DBC;SECTION B11-15.BAADB16-20.BCACB;SECTION C21-25.BABBB26-30.CBBAC听力材料原文PART Ⅱ LISTENING COMPREHE (20 MIN)SECTION A CONVERSATIONSQuestions1to3are based on the following conversation.M:We have to move the company to a new office.W:I think that's a great idea,Tim.M:Good.W:We should be in the centre of town.We'll be nearer to our customers.M:Jane,I...W:The transport is better...M:Jane,I...W: ...and there are lots of good restaurants.M:Jane,I think we should move to the country.W:Oh!M:For...against.For:cheaper rent,cheaper houses,cleaner air.It's quieter.There's not so muchnois e.And parking's easier.Do you agree that these are all good reasons for moving?W:Yes,I agree.But let's talk about the things against moving.Number one.A long way from somec lients.M:Yes,but that's not a problem.W:What about communications?M:There's an airport near the new location as well as a motorway.And there are fast trains toeve rywhere from there.W:So communications are better than they are from here?M:I think so.W:But what do we do with our spare time?I know we can go for walks in the country.Perhaps go horse-riding.But we can only do that in summer.What do we do in winter?When it's cold andwet. It's not like here in the city,is it?M:I agree.But in the town over there---twenty minutes by car---there are cinemas,theatres,good restaurants and there's a jazz club.So,I think our company should move to the country.Do youagr ee?W:I am afraid I don't.Questions4to7are based on the following conversation.M:So,Miss Parkinson,you organize fitness training and beauty treatments for working women? W:That's right,Mr.Cruise.M:Could you tell me how you first got the idea for the business?W:Certainly.I suppose it all started about5years ago.I was on holiday and had a very bad skiinga ccident.I found that the only thing that helped the pain was massage and gentle exercise,likeyoga or stretching exercises.So I used to go to therapists and classes after work.M:Where did you work at that time?W:In the training department of a media company.M:I see.W:But then I got a promotion to training manager.That meant I worked longer hours and wasdiffi cult to get to classes.I asked some of my teachers if they would come to my house instead,andmo st of them agreed.It was more expensive but I thought it was worth it.Lots of my friends lovedthe idea too.So I recommended people to them.That's when I began to realize that maybe I couldma ke a business out of it.M:Did you give up your job then?W:No,not immediately.The idea was too scary.I had a good job with a good salary,and startingmy own business seemed a bit risky.So I just did it at a hobby really.M:So why did you leave your job in the end?W:Well,the decision was made for me really.My company decided to relocate to a differenttown. They offered me the choice of relocating with themor quite a large sum of money if Ipreferred to leave.I know an opportunity when I see it.So I took the money!M:Good for you.Questions8to10are based on the following conversation.M:Good afternoon,madam.W:Good afternoon.I'd like to buy a camera.M:We have all kinds of cameras here,madam.What sorts of camera are you thinking you arebuyi ng?W:Well,I don't know anything about cameras.But my friend tells me that35-millimeter cameras are the best.M:Well,they are certainly the much popular.Would you like a rangefinder type or a single-lensref lex?W:What's the difference?M:With a single-lens reflex,you actually look through the lens when you're taking a photo.So you can see exactly what you are taking.W:That seems a good idea.M:Yes,focusing is easier,too.Try this one.It's a good mate.W:Yes,I see what you mean.The image is very clear and bright.M:That's right.Moreover,you can use a number of different lenses.Let me put a telephoto lens on for you to try.W:My world!That's very good.I can see the people across the street as if they are inside theshop!M:Being able to change the lens is very important,in my opinion.You can't do that with mostrang efinder cameras though they smaller and cheaper.W:How much is this camera?M:The list price is5,000.But I can let you have it for4,500.W:That's far too much!Did you say that rangefinder cameras are cheaper?M:Yes,they are much cheaper.W:Good!Show me some,please.SECTION B PASSAGESQuestions11to13are based on the following passage.This is a picture.In the foreground there's a house built into the side of a bare hill.The house isact ually cut out of the rock,and the front is painted white.There's a single window with a pinkcurtain across it and a wooden door.This rock house is clearly inhabited because in front of thehousether e is washing hanging on a washing line in what looks like the front yard.Then,above thepainted fr ont of the house,they've built a chimney.It's quite possible that at the back of this samehill there' s another door---or the front of another house,perhaps.At the side of the house,to theleft there' s a flat area.They've got chairs there and one person appears to be serving food.They'rewearing c asual summer clothes.Further to the left is another chimney,which probably belongs to adifferent house.In the background of the picture,a long way from this particular bare hill,there'sanother hi ll.Then,in between there's a relatively flat plain,and then there's a small town.It lookslike a town because there are a lot of white housesand each one is quite close to the nextbuilding.This must be a hot country because the sky is blue and there isn't much vegetation.Ishould think that rock h ouses are actually really cool and pleasant to live in.Questions14to17are based on the following passage.Ben became interested in Mongolia early in life.When he was nine years old he read a book about Marco Polo,about how Marco Polo traveled with his uncles on the ultimate business tripto theMo ngol Empire at its height.Marco Polo's trip lasted almost a quarter of a century,during which hegr ew up,mastered Mongolian,gained the confidence of the Mongol emperor,and then eventuallyret urned home with fantastic tales of strange lands and stranger people.The story of Marco Polofasci nated Ben.Ben tried to save money from his first job delivering newspaperswith an eye towarda$ 3,000trip to Mongolia.But in those days it would take him years to have the money ready.Sohe c ontinued to read about Mongolia in the meantimebut spent most of his teenage years in theArab world,where he learned the language and became interested in journalism.He took courses incla ssical and modern Mongolianwhile studying for his master's degree and found it verydifficult.But he still wants to visit Mongolia in the spring or summer,he said."Mongolianwinters,when temper atures drop to -30 °C are not for me."The price today with an upscalecompany is reasonable,Ben said,"compared to the$3,000it was back in1971.Today the sametrip is around$5,000,which tho ugh still a large sum,is,in terms of inflation,a good bargain."Questions18to20are based on the following passage.Less than20miles from Singapore's skyscrapers is a completely different set of high-risetowers.M uch smaller in scale but with a big ambition,over100nine-meter tall towers at SkyGreens verticalfarmoffer a new vision of urban sustainability.Green vegetables like Chinesecabbage are grown,st acked in greenhouses,and sold at local supermarkets.The farm was built in2009and since Octobe r this yearthe fully operating farm has been supplying one of city'ssupermarketswith weekly deliv eries of its greens.The Sky Greens produce costs around40%morethan an imported equivalent.H owever,the small amount of energy and water needed to grow thevegetables,and the close proxi mity to the consumer,means that carbon dioxide emitted inproduction and transportation is kept to a minimum.The Sky Greens venture is supported by theSingaporean governmentand has anoth er advantage over other urban farms around theworld:abundant natural heating and light.Singap ore has year-round temperatures of around30degrees Celsiusand the farm is set in an open area designated by the government as an agro-technology park,miles away from the shadow of city sk yscrapers.And there are plans for thecurrent site to expand to produce up to two tons of greensa week next year and build over2,000towers in the next few years.SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTNews Item 1 (For Questions 21 and 22)The family of Sarai Sierra,an American womanwho wentmissing in Istanbul nearly two weeks ago ,is in mourning afterlearning that Turkish police found her body Saturday.Turkishpolice found the woman's body near ancient stone walls inIstanbul's Sarayburnu district.Police suspected she had beenkilled at another location.Police told CNN's sister network CNNTurkthat the body of the33-y ear-old mother of two showedsigns of stab wounds.However,the police chief of Istanbul,Huseyin Capkin,said Sierra died from ablow to her head.Nine suspects had been detained in connection with the woman's disappearanceand death.Sierra's family and friends first sounded the alarm las t weekafter she did not arrive on areturn flight from Istanbul on January22.News Item 2 (For Questions 23 and 24)French forces say they have entered Kidal in the north of Mali,the last major town they have yet t osecure in their drive against Islamist militants.French forces now control Kidal airport after anum ber of aircraft,including helicopters,landed there last night.Islamist militants were reported tohav e already left the townand it was unclear who was in charge.France --- the former colonialpower i n Mali--- launched a military operation this month after Islamist militantsappeared to bethreateni ng the south.French army spokesman confirms that"French troops were deployedovernight in Ki dal".One regional security source told the Press that French aircraft had landed atKidaland that pr otection helicopters are in the sky.Kidal,930miles north-east of the capitalBamako,was until recently under the control of the Islamist mil itants.News Item 3 (For Questions 25 and 26)US President Barack Obama has said the time has comefor a review on the US immigrationsystem .He made his case at a high school in Las Vegas,Nevada,a day after a group of senatorsoutlined a framework for reform.The White House and senators envisage a path to citizenshipformany of an estimated11million undocumented immigrants in the US.He noted that the currentsystem was" out of date and badly broken".Mr Obama's case for an immigration reform reflects ablueprint he rolled out in2011,though that did not go far.Mr Obama now backs the Senate planincluding maki ng illegal immigrants pay taxes and fines,and sending them to the back of thequeue before they c an become American citizens.His2011blueprint also focused on a path topermanent residency and eventual citizenship.After eight years,individuals would be allowed tobecome legal permanent residentsand would eventually become citizens five years later,accordingto his2011blueprint.News Item 4 (For Questions 27 and 28)In a suburb in northern Johannesburg South Africa,Lorraine Melvillis running around trying toorg anize hospital visits for her clients staying in her guest house.She started herbusiness,"Surgeon an d Safari,"back in2000and since then she has had people from all over theworldcome to her to fa cilitate their cosmetic procedures,and perhaps go on safari too."For mostpeople in the first-world economies like the UK,and especially in America,their biggest desire is togo on African safari,"sh e explains,"and yet their greatest want in their life was to have plasticsurgery,so why not put the t wo together?"Like most companies,however,Surgeon and Safariwas hit by the global financial cri sis,particularly as a number of Melvill's clients were borrowingmoney to afford their procedures. However,whilst the United States and eurozone economies mayhave languished,Melvill says that she has benefited from the growth of some African countries'economies."There is a huge emerg ence of local Africansthat chose to come to South Africa forelective surgery,whether it be breast r eduction,tummy tucks,"she says.News Item 5 (For Question 29)The bloodshed at In Amenas has left the oil and gas industrystruggling to come to terms withwha t it might mean for investment in risky countries.Bob Dudley,BP's chief executivesays thecompany is"reviewing security"at its other facilities in the region and around the world.The attackis the w orst tragedy of its kind in living memorydespite the energy industry's presence in manyunstable r egions.BP has"never experienced an attack on this scale before",Mr Dudleysays.Security remains a top priority in countries such as Iraq,where there have been instances ofworkers being kidnapp ed.The perception of risk for foreign oil workers and their families in NorthAfrica,has soared.News Item 6 (For Question 30)Shopping is a serious business in London whatever the season--- but it doesn't get much moreseri ous than this time of year.The UK's capital January sales sees throngs of dedicatedshopaholicscra m its countless department stores,quirky boutiques and market stalls,keen to gettheir hands on t he latest fashion trends and product offers.But it's not just domestic spendingthat's keeping the ti lls ringing in London.While the vibrant city's high-end stores are no strangersto overseas visitors, with those from the Middle East typically spending the most,a surprising newcontender has emer ged in recent times as a big spenderin the international market ---Nigeria.Nigeria's economic gro wth has averaged about7.4%annually over the pastdecade,creating a wealthier Nigerian elite wi th a large spending power.At the same time,however,robust economic growth has not reduced p overty in the country,with about two thirds of itspopulation living on less than$1per day.。
专四听写原文

1992 PaperCan you imagine how difficult life would become if all supplies of paper suddenly disappear ed? Banks and post offices, schools and colleges would be forced to close. Food manufacture r s would be unable to pack or label their products. There would be no magazines, newspapers or books. And we would no longer be able to write to our friends and relatives.Those would be only a few of the troubles of a paper less world. Everywhere we turn, we find paper. Without it, our modern world would come to a standstill. Paper is the life blood of industry, the carrier of news and the distribut o r of knowledge. It wouldn’t be much fun writing up school work on a flat sheet of stone.1993Package HolidaysPackage holidays, covering a two-week’s stay in an attractive place, are increasingl y popular. Once you get to the airport, it is up to the tour operator to see that you get safely to your destination. Everything is laid on for you. There is, in fact, no reason for you to bother to arrange anything yourselves. You make friends and have a good time, but there’s very little chance that you will get to know the local people. This is even less likely on a coach tour when you spend almost your entire time traveling. Of course there are carefully scheduled stops for you to visit the historic buildings and monuments. You may visit the beautiful, the historic, the ancient, but time is always short. There’s also the added disadvantage of having to spend your holiday with a group of people you have never met before.1994 The American FamiliesThe American family unit is changing. There used to be mainly two types of families: the extended and(the) nuclear. The former included mother, father, children, and some other relatives such as grandparents, living in the same house or nearby. Then as the economy progressed from agricultural to industrial, people began moving to different parts of the country in order to search for job opportunities. These moves split up the extended family.The nuclear family, consisting of only parents and children, has therefore become far more wide spread. Today’s family, however, can be composed of diverse combinations.With t he divorce rate nearly one in two,there’s an increase in single-parent homes---a father or mother living with one or more children.Blended families occur when divorced men and women remarry and combine the children from former marriages into a new family. On the other hand, there is an increase in childless couples while one in five Americans lives alone.1995Unidentified Flying ObjectsThere are many explanations for why UFOs visit the earth. The most popular one is that they may contain visitors from other planets. To fly such an aircraft, their builder s must develop different forms of aviation because they seem to fly much faster than normal aircraft. The UFOs, it is believed, must contain scientists from other planets who are studying life on earth. It is even believedthat several such aircraft may have landed on earth, and the space visitors may be living amongst us.But there are also less fantastic explanation s available. Although some sightings of UFOs are difficult to explain, most can be explained quite easily. In many cases, the observers might have made a mistake. They might have seen a weather balloon or an aircraft; or the light they saw in the sky might have been light from the ground reflected onto the cloud s. However, the exact cause of many sightings still remains a mystery.1996The Medicine ManAmong the Indians of North America, the medicine man was a very important person. He could cure illnesses and he could speak to the spirits. The spirits were the supernatural forces that controlled the world. The Indians believed that bad spirits made people ill. So when people were ill, the medicine man tried to help them by using magic. He spoke to the good spirits and asked for their help. Many people were cured because they thought the spirits were helping them.But really these people cured themselves. Sometimes( in) your own mind is the best doctor for you. The medicine men were often successful for anther reason, too. They knew about plants that really can cure illnesses. A lot of modern medicines are made from plants that were used by medicine men hundreds of years ago.The Railways in Britain (1998)The 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 kilometres 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 became popular and seaside resorts grew rapidly. /The railways also provided thousands of new jobs: / building 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. / 1999United Nations’ DayThe 24th of October is celebrated as United Nations’Day. It is a day that belongs to everyone. And it is celebrated in most countries of the world. Some countries celebrate for a week instead of a day.In many parts of the world, schools have special programs for the day. Boys and girls in some communities decorate a UN tree. In other communities, youngpeople put on plays about the UN. Some libraries exhibit children’s art works from around the world. Schools celebrate with songs and dances of other countries or give parties where foods of other countries are served.No matter how the day is celebrated, the purpose of these celebrations is to help everyone understand the UN, and the important roles it plays in world affairs. The UN encourages people to learn about other lands and their customs. In this way, people can gain a better understanding and appreciation of peoples all over the world.2000 What we know about languageMany things about language are a mystery and will remain so. However, we now do know something about it. First, we know that all human beings have a language of some sort. No human race anywhere on earth is so backward that it has no language of its own at all. Second, there is no such thing as a primitive language. There are many people whose cultures are undeveloped but the languages they speak are by no means primitive. In all the languages existing in the world today, there are complexities that must have been developed for years. Third, we know that all languages are perfectly adequate. Each is a perfect means of expressing its culture. And finally, we know that language changes over time, which is natural and normal if a language is to survive. The language which remains unchanged is nothing but dead.2001 Characteristics of a Good ReaderTo improve your reading habits, you must understand the characteristics of a good reader. First, the good reader usually reads rapidly. Of course, he does not read every piece of material at the same rate. But whether he is reading a newspaper or a chapter in a physics text, his reading rate is relatively fast. He has learned to read for ideas rather than words one at a time. Next, the good reader can recognize and understand general ideas and specific details. Thus, he is able to comprehend the material with a minimum of effort and a maximum of interest. Finally, the good reader has in his command several special skills, which he can apply to reading problems as they occur.For the college students, the most helpful of these skills include making use of the various aids to understanding that most textbooks provide and skim-reading for a general survey.2002听写Disappearing ForestsThe world’s forests are disappearing. / As much as a third of the total tree cover has been lost / since agriculture began some 10,000 years ago. / The remaining forests are home to half of the world’s species, / thus becoming the chief resource for their survival./Tropical rain forests once covered 12% of the land of the planet./ As well as supporting at least half of the world’s species of plants and animals, / these rain forests are home to millions of people. / But there are other demands on them. / For example, much has been cut for timber. / An increasing amount of forest land has been used for industrial purposes, / or for agriculturaldevelopment, such as crop growing. /By the 1990’s, less than half of the earth’s original rain forests remained, /and they continue to disappear at an alarming rate every year. / As a result, the world’s forests are now facing a gradual extinction./2003SalmonEvery year, millions of salmon swim from the oceans into the mouths of rivers and then steadily up the rivers. Passing through waters, around rocks and waterfalls, the fish finally reach their original streams or lakes. They dig out nests in the river bed and lay their eggs. Then, exhausted by their journey, the parent salmon die. They have finished the task that nature has given them.Months or years later, the young fish start their trip to the ocean. They live in the salt water from 2 to 7 years until they, too, are ready to swim back to reproduce. Their life cycle helps man provide himself with the basic food---fish. When the adult salmon gather at the river mouths for the annual trip up the rivers, they are in the best possible condition, and nearly every harbor has its salmon fishing fleet, ready to catch thousands for markets.2004 MoneyMoney is accepted across the world as payment for goods or services. People use money to buy food, clothes and hundreds of other things.In the past, many different things were used as money. People on Pacific islands once exchanged shells for goods. The Chinese used cloth and knives. In Africa, elephant tusks or salt were used. Even today, some people in Africa are still paid in salt.Coins were first invented by the Chinese. Originally, they were round pieces of metal with a hole in the center so that a piece of string could keep them together. This made doing business much easier. But people still found coins inconvenient to carry when they wanted to buy something expensive. To solve this problem, the Chinese again came up with a solution. They began to use paper money for coins. Now paper notes are used throughout the world.05 The Wrist WatchIt is generally believed that wrist watches are an exception / to the normal sequence in the evolution of man's jewelry. / Reversing the usual order, they were first worn by women, / and then adopted by men. /In the old days, queens included wrist watches among their crown jewelry. / Later, they were worn by Swiss workers and farmers. / Until World War I, Americans associated the watch with fortune hunters. / Then army officers discovered that the wrist watch was most practical for active combat. / Race car drivers also loved to wear wrist watches, / and pilots found them most useful while flying. /Soon men dared to wear wrist watches without feeling self-conscious. / By 1924, some 30 % of man's watches were worn on the wrist. / Today, the figure is 90%. / And they are now worn by both men and women / for practical purposes rather than for decoration.2006 The InternetThe internet is the most significant progress in the field of communication s. Imagine a book that never ends, a library with a million floors, or imagine a research project with thousands of scientists, working around the clock forever. This is the magic of the internet.Yet the internet has the potential for both good and bad. One can find well-organized information-rich websites. At the same time, one can also find wasteful websites. . Most websites are known as different internet applications. These include online games, chatrooms and so on. These applications have great power, too. Sometimes, the power can be so great that young people can easily become victims to their attraction.So we need to recognize the seriousness of the problem. We must work together to use its power for better ends.2007AdvertisingAdvertising has already become a very specialize d activity in modern times. In today’s business world, supplies are usually greater than demand. There is great competition between manufacturers of the same kind of product, because they want their customers to buy their particular brand. They always have to remind their customers of the name and qualities of their products by advertising. The manufacturer advertises in newspapers and on the radio. He sometimes employs salesgirls to distribute samples of hi product. He sometimes advertises on the internet as well. In addition, he always has advertisement put into TV programs that will accept them. Manufacturers always spend huge sums of money on advertisements. We buy a particular product because we think that is the best. We usually think so because the advertisements say so. People often don’t ask themselves if the advertisements are telling the truth, when they buy advertised products from shops.1.specialized adj. 专门的;专业的2.supply n(c) n. 供给,补给;供应品3.kind of 各种各样的4. manufacturer n. 制造商;[经] 厂商5 salesgirl ['seilzɡə:l] n n. 女售货员,女店员6. sum of总和7. advertisedadj. 广告的。
2014年12月大学英语四级考试听力原文

2014年12月大学英语四级考试听力原文(完整版) 2014年12月20日全国大学英语四级考试开考,本次考试为多题多卷,文都教育第一时间收集整理不同版本试题,供考生参考,以下是2014年12月英语四级听力原文:【短对话原文】1. M: take a look at this cater. Maybe we can find some gifts for Jean’snew house.W: Ok, but remember we can afford a lot.Q: what does the woman mean?2. W:I am absolutely going nowhere about this statistics.M: How about going through them with you?Q: what does the man mean?3. M: are you just starting the record, a ren’t you ? Let’s begin on Page 55.W: Sorry. I am afraid I can begin right now.Q: What mean from the conversation?4. W: remember. Carl’s arriving is at 226W: thanks to reminding me. I thought it would be sometime in July.Q: what are the speakers talking about?5. M:please excuse me for not attending the meeting yesterday. I amafraid I forgot to check the schedule.W: that’s all right. We have to rearrange the meeting at weekend.And everything went wrong.Q:what does it mean from the conversation.6. W: I didn’t fall sleep at least to 5 tomorrow.Q: what do we learn from the conversation?7. ,M: I got some bad news today. The star we are in is going to fallW: I am going to let you go.Q: What does the woman want to know?8 W: what’s wrong? You smell like a fish.M:......Q: what’s man mean?M:......Q: what’s man mean?【长对话原文】Conversation 1M:That’s Marria’s families and we want to be engaged. W:It’s wonderful, Erik! Congratulations!M: I really like her families, too, very nice. Ms Comona speaks four languages and Mr. Comona a diplomat. In fact, he gives the speech at the Saturday morning. W: OH, that’s was N’s father? I heard the speech. M: You did?W: Well, I heard part of it and listened to it for ten minutes, and then I fell asleep. I saw it was in class. Anyway, tell me about your weekend.M:Saturday evening we saw a play. And Sunday afternoon we saw the soccer game. Then Sunday night we all went out for dinner. Marria, her parents, and me. That was the first chance we had to talk. W: Would you know this?M: That’s first I was. We didn’t say much. Mr. Comona told some good stories about his experiences as a diplomat and he asked about my hobbies. W: And what did you say?M: Well, I didn’t tell him about my flying lessons. I told him about my chess play and my classical music collection.W: Good idea! Her parents really approval of you. Don’t they?M: I guess so. Marria called this morning and said,” My father told me he’ll like you sunny right now”W: That was great.M: Not exactly. I want to get married after I graduated school in about three years.Q9: what does the conversation about Marria’s father?Q10:What does Marria and Erik do last Sunday afternoon?Q11:What do we learn from Marria’s phone call this morning?Conversation 2M:You’re going to wear out computer’s keyboard. W: Oh, hi!M: Do you have any idea what time it is? W: About ten or ten thirty? M: It’s merely midnight.W: Really? I didn’t know it was so late.M: Don’t you have an early class to teach tomorrow morning?W: Yes, at seven o’clock, my computer class. The students go to work right after their lesson.M: Then you ought to go to bed. What are you writing anyway? W: An article, I hope I can sell.M:Oh, another view of newspaper pieces. What’s this one about? W:Do you remember the trip I took last month? M: The one up to the Amazon?W: Well, that’s what I’m writin g about. The new high-way and the changes is making in the Amazon valley.W:It should be interesting.W:It is. I guess that’s why I forgot all about the time. M:How many articles have you solve now? W:About a dozen so far.M:What kind of newspapers by them?W:The paper is carrying a lot of foreign news. They usually appear in the big Sunday editions where they need a lot background stories to help develop the space between the ads.M:Is there any future in it?W: I hope so. There’s a c hance I may sell this article to a newsservice.M:Then your papers will be published in several papers winter.W: that’s the idea. And they might even be able to do other stories the on a regular basis.M:That would be great.Q12: what is the woman’s occupation?Q13:what is the woman writing about?Q14:where did the woman’s articles usually appear?Q15:what does the woman expect?【短文理解原文】Passage 1Body language, especially gestures, varies among cultures. For example, a node of the head means “yes” to most of us. But in Bulgaria and Greece a node means “no” and a shake of the head means “yes”. Likewise, a sign for OK, forming a circle with our forefinger and thumb, means zero in France and money in Japan. Waving or pointing to an Arab business person would be considered rude b ecause that is how Arabs call their dogs over.Folded arms signal pride in Finland,but disrespect in Fiji.The number of bows that the Japanese exchange on greeting each other,as well as the length and the depth of the bows,signals the social status each party feel s towards each other.Italians might think your bored unless you us e a lot of gestures during discussions.Many American men sit withtheir legs crossed with one ankle resting over the opposite knee. However,this would be considered an insult in Muslim countries,w here one will never show the sole of the foot to a gust.Likewise, Americans consider eye contact very important,often not trusting so meone who is afraid to look at you in the eye.But in Japan and m any Latin American countries,keeping the eyes lowered is a sign of respect.To look apart in the eye is considered a sign of ill breedi ng and is felt to be annoying.Q16:What gesture do Bulgarians and Greeks use to express neg ative responses?Q17:What is likely to offend Arab business people?Q18:What is considered impolite in Muslim countries?2014年12月四级考试选词填空原文及答案大学英语四级考试在2014年12月20日上午已经结束了,文都教育为大家搜集整理了英语四级选词填空的原文及答案,供大家参考。
05年6月四级听力原文

Section one conversation11. W: Simon, oh, well, could you return the tools I lend you for building the bookshelf lastmonth?M: Oh, I hate to tell you this, but I can’t seem to find them.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?12. W: I am going to M artha’s house. I have a paper to complete. And I need to use her computer. M: Why don’t you buy one yourself? Think how much time you could save.Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?13. W: Daddy, I have decided to give up science and go to business school.M: Well, it is your choice as long as you pay your own way, but I should warn you that not everyone with a business degree will make a successful manager.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?14. W: I just read in the newspaper that Lord of the Rings is this year’s greatest hit. Why don’t wego and see it at the Grand Cinema?M: Don’t you think that cinema is a little out of the way?Q: What does the man mean?15. W: Bob said that Seattle is a great place for conferences.M: He is certainly in the position to make that comment. HE has been there so often.Q: What does the man say about?16. W: Mr. Watson, I wonder whether it’s possible for me to take a vacation early next month? M: Did you fill out a request form?Q: What is the probable relationship between the two speakers?17. M: Do you want to go to the lecture this weekend? I heard that the guy who is going to deliverthe lecture spent a year living in the rainforest.W: Great, I am doing a report on the rain forest. Maybe I can get some new information to add to it.Q: What does the woman mean?18. M: This article is nothing but advertising for housing developers. I don’t think the houses forsale are half that good.W: Come on, David. Why so negative? We are thinking of buying a hom e, aren’t we? Just a trip to look at the place won’t c ost us much.Q: What can be inferred form the conversation?Conversation OneM. OK. Now we’d better make sure you enjoy your studies. We offer a wide range of options on the foundation course, but you can only take five courses. What have you selected?W: Physical sciences, basic electronics, art and design CAD…M: Oh, right. CAD and… English. That’s quite strange. Don’t you want to do maths, or computer programming, for example? Why did you choose art and design?W: Well, I’m interested in electronics and in writing computer games.I’d like to produce educational software and educational games. I’ve taught myself a lot of programming. So I don’t think I’d benefit much from a foundation level course.M: Oh, no I see that. Go on, please.W: So, I want the basics---the physical science and electronics. I was hopeless at physics in school and we didn’t have electronics. But I was good at maths. I don’t think I need that.M: Then what about the art and design?W: That will be good for my graphics---I need that to produce games---CAD too---I’ve never done CAD before.M: Right. They’ve got some powerful packages in the computer graphics and CAD offices. You’ll enjoy that. Then English. I know your English is very good, but why did you take it?W: In fact I don’t have any problem in speaking, but my writing is terrible.M: Then I suggest you join the study skills class. They’ll have lectures on report writing and that may help you with how to structure your essays and so on.W: Right. That sounds good.Q 19. What are the two speakers talking about?Q20. What is the woman’s favorite course?Q21. Why did the woman take an English course?Conversation TwoW: Good morning, Mr. Johnson. I’m Diana Huston.M: Good morning. What can I do for you?W: I’m a college student. I’m taking a business course which needs three weeks work experience.My lecturer, Mr. Armstrong, suggested I contact you as you’ve allowed students before to practice in your company. I’ve brought a letter of reference from Mr. Armstrong for you.M: Thanks. Yes, our company has a good relationship with the university. We’ve had many students here over the past years. We usually take students who are in the second half of their courses. What about you?W: I’m almost at the halfway mark. I’ve got some exams in two weeks. Then I’ll be ready to start before the beginning of the second semester. But I thought I’d get this organized before the exams start.M: That’s a very responsible way of thinking. It’s a good idea to get in early. I’m sure there will be many students soon.W: I could start in three weeks if you like.M: Do you understand what’s involved in the practice?W: I think so. Mr. Armstrong explained the procedures to us. I have to work regular hours, and write a comprehensive report on what I’ve learnt as an assignment for Mr. Armstrong and the personnel department of the company as well. And you will send a report about my work to Mr.Armstrong and that will also be part of my assessment.M: That’s right. But I’ll have to discuss this application with the personnel department. And I will let you know as soon as possible if you’ve been accepted.W: Yes, please. If I’m not accepted, I’ll have to apply somewhere else.Q22. What’s the woman’s main purpose of the visit?Q23. Which kind of students will the company usually accept?Q24. What would the man do for the women’s practice if she were accepted?Q25. When will the woman’s practice begin?Passage 1In the next few decades, people are going to travel very differently from the way they do today. Everyone is going to drive electrically-powered cars, so in the few years, people won’t worry about running out of gas. Some of the large automobile companies are really moving ahead with this new technology. F&C Motors, a major auto company, for example, is holding a press conference next week. After the press conference, the company will present its new electronically-operated models. Transportation in the future won’t be limited to the ground, many people predict that traffic will quickly move to the sky. In the coming years, instead of radio reports about road conditions and highway traffic, news reports will talk about traffic jams in the sky. But the sky isn’t the limit. In the future, you will probably even be able to take a trip to the moon. Instead of listening to regular airplane announcements, you will hear someone say: the spacecraft to the moon leaves in 10 minutes. Please check your equipment. And remember no more than 10 ounces of carry-on baggage are allowed.26. What will be used to power cars in the next few decades?27. What will future news reports focus on when talking about transportation?28. What will passengers be asked to do when they travel to the moon?Passage 2County fairs are a tradition in New England towns. They offer great entertainment. One popular event is the pie-eating contest. If you want to take part in the contest, it is a good idea to remember these guidelines: first, make sure your stomach is nearly empty of food. Eating a whole pie can be hard if you have just finish a meal. Next, it is helpful to like the pie you are going to eat. The cream types are a good choice. They slide down the throat more easily. Placing your hands in the right position adds to the chances of winning. There is a temptation to reach out and help the eating process. This will result in becoming disqualified. Don’t just sit on your hands, if your hands are tied behind your back, you will not be tempted to make use of them.Now you are ready to show your talent at eating pies. The object of course, is to get the bottom of the pie plate before the other people. It is usually better to start at the outside and work toward the middle. This method gives you a goal to focus on. Try not to notice what the other people near you are doing. Let the cheers from the crowd spur you on. But don’t look up. All you should think about is eating that pie.29. Where is pie-eating contest usually held?30. What should a person do before entering into the pie-eating cxontest?31. Where is person advised to put his hands during the contest?32. What suggestion is offered for eating up the pie quickly?Passage 3The period of engagement is the time between the marriage proposal and the wedding ceremony. Two people agree to marry when they decided to spend their lives together. The man usually gives the woman a diamond engagement ring. That tradition is said to have started when an Austrian man gave a diamond ring to the woman he wanted to marry. The diamond represented beauty. He placed it on the third finger of her left hand. He chose that finger because it was thought that the blood vessel in that finger went directly to the heart. Today we know that this is not true, yet the tradition continues.Americans generally are engaged for a period of about one year, if they are planning a wedding ceremony and a party. During this time, friends of the bride may hold a party at which women friends and family members give the bride gifts that she will need as a wife. These could include cooking equipment or new clothing. Friends of the man who is getting married may have a bachelor party for him. This usually takes place the night before the wedding. Only man are invited to the bachelor party.During the marriage ceremony, the bride and her would-be husband usually exchange gold rings that represent the idea that their union will continue forever. The wife often wears both the wedding ring and the engagement ring on the same finger. The husband wears his ring on the third finger on his left hand. Many people say the purpose of the engagement period is to permit enough time to plan the wedding. But the main purpose is to let enough time pass so the two people are sure that they want to marry each other. Either person may decide to break the engagement, if this happens, the woman usually returns the ring to the man. They also return any wedding gifts they have received.33. What was the diamond ring said to represent?34. Why did the Austrian man place the diamond ring on the third finger of the left hand of his 工would-be wife?35. What is the chief advantage of having the engagement period?Section C36. agencies37. Secretaries38. president39. specialized40. recommend41. establish42. financial43. corporation44. It is believed that one can start out at the bottom and go all the way to the top45. education plays a central part in the selection of people for management jobs46. they can easily get promoted if they show the necessary personality and ability.。
专四听力原文

专四听力原文Legal Age for Marriage (1997)Throughout the United States, the legal age for marriage shows some difference./ The most com mon age without parents’ consent is 18 for both females and males./ However, persons who are under age in their home state can get married in another state, and then return to the home stat e legally married./ Each state issues its own marriage license./ Both residents and non-residents a re qualified for such a license./ The fees and ceremonies vary greatly from state to state./ Most st ates, for instance, have a blood test requirement, but a few do not./ Most states permit either a c ivil or religious ceremony, but a few require the ceremony to be religious./ In most states a waitin g period is required before the license is issued. /This period is from one to five days depending o n the state. / A three-day-wait is the most common. In some states there is no required waiting p eriod.The Railways in Britain (1998)The success of early railways, such as the lines between big cities,/ led to a great increase in railw ay building in Victorian times. / Between 1835 and 1865 about 25000 kilometers of track were bu ilt,/ 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 a fford to travel by rail. / Cheap day excursion trains became popular and seaside resorts grew rapi dly. / The railways also provided thousands ofnew jobs:/ building carriages, running the railways and repairing the tracks. / Railways even changed the time. / The need to run the railways on tim e meant that local time was abolished/ and clocks showed the same time all over the country. / United Nations Day (1999)The 24th of October is celebrated as United Nations Day. /it is a day that belongs to everyone./ A nd it is celebrated in most countries of the world./ Some countries celebrate for a week instead o f a day. /In many parts of the world, schools have special programs for the day. /Boys and girls in s ome communities decorate a UN tree./ In other communities, young people put on plays about t he UN./ Some libraries exhibit children’s art works from around the world. /Schools celebrate wit h the songs and dances of other countries/ or give parties where foods of other countries are ser ved./ No matter how the day is celebrated,/ the purpose of these celebrations is to help everyon e understand the UN,/ and the important roles it plays in world affairs. /The UN encourages peop le to learn about other lands and their customs./ In this way, people can gain a better understand ing and appreciation of peoples all over the world./What We Know About Language (2000)Many things about language are a mystery and will remain so. /However, we now do know something about it./ First, we know that all human beings have a language of some sort./ No hu man race anywhere on earth is so backward/ that it has no language of its own at all. /Second, th ere is no such thing as a primitive language./ There are many peoples whose cultures are undevel oped/ but the languages they speak are by no means primitive./ In all the languages existing in th e world today, /there are complexities that must have been developed for years. /Third,we know that all languages are perfectly adequate. / Each is a perfect means of expressing its culture. / An d finally, we know that language changes over time, / which is natural and normal if a language is to survive. /The language which remains unchanged is nothing but dead. / Characteristics of a Good Reader (2001)To improve your reading habits, /you must understand the characteristics of a good reader. /First, the good reader usually reads rapidly. / Of course, he does not read every piece of material at the same rate. / But whether he is reading a newspaper/ or a chapter in a physics text, / his re ading rate is relatively fast. /He has learned to read for ideas/ rather than words one at a time. /N ext, the good reader can recognize/ and understand general ideas and specific details./ Thus he is able to comprehend the material /with a minimum of effort and a maximum of interest./ Finally, the good reader has in his command /several special skills, /which he can apply to reading proble ms/ as they occur./ For the college student,/ the most helpful of these skills/ include making use of the various aids to understanding /that most text books provide/ and skim-reading for a gener al survey./Disappearing Forests (2002)The world’s forests are disappearing. / As much as 1/3 of the total tree cover/ has been lost since agriculture began some 10,000 years ago. / The remaining forests are home to half/ of the world’s species,/ thus becoming the chief resource for their survival. /Tropical rain forests once co vered 12% of the land of the planet,/ as well as supp orting at least half of the world’s species of p lants and animals./These rain forests are home to millions of people. /But there are other deman ds on them./ Forexample, much has been cut for timber./An increasing amount of forest land /ha s been used for industrial purposes /or for agricultural development /such as crop-growing. /By t he 1990’s less than half of the earth’s original rain forests remained,/ and theycontinued to disappear at an alarming rate every year./ As a result the world’s forests ar e now facing gradual extinction.Salmon (2003)Every year, millions of salmon swim from the ocean into the mouths of rivers and then steadily up the rivers./ Passing through waters, around rocks and waterfalls,/ the fish finally reach their origi nal streams or lakes./ They dig out nests in the riverbed and lay their eggs./ Then, exhausted by their journey,/ the parent salmon die./ They have finished the task that nature has given them. /M onths, or years later, /the young fish start their trip to the ocean. /They live in the salt water from 2-7 years,/ until they, too are ready to swim back to reproduce. /Their life cycle helps man provid e himself with a basic food-fish./ When the adult salmon gather at the river mouths for the annu al trip up the rivers,/ they are in the best possible condition,/ and nearly every harbor has its sal mon fishing fleet ready to catch thousands for markets.Money (2004)Money is accepted across the world as payment for goods or services. / People use money to buy food, clothes and hundreds of other things. / In the past, many different things were used as mo ney. / People on Pacific islands once exchanged shells for goods. / The Chinese used cloth and kni ves. / In Africa, elephant tusks or salt were used. / Even today, some people in Africa are still paid in salt. /Coins were first invented by the Chinese./originally, they were round pieces of metal wit h a hole in the center, / so that a piece of string could keep them together. / This made doing busi ness much easier, / but people still found coins inconvenient to carry/ when they wanted to buy s omething expensive. /To solve this problem, the Chinese again came up with the solution. /They began to use paper money for coins. / Now paper notes are used throughout the world. The Wrist Watch (2005)It is generally believed that wrist watches are an exception / to the normal sequence in the evolut ion of man's jewelry. / Reversing the usual order, they were first worn by women, / and then ado pted by men. / In the old days, queens included wrist watches among their crown jewelry. / Later, they were worn by Swiss workers and farmers. / Until World War I, Americans associated the wat ch with fortune hunters. / Then army officers discovered that the wrist watch was most practical f or active combat. / Race car drivers also loved to wear wrist watches, / and pilots found them mo st useful while flying. / Soon men dared to wear wrist watches without feeling self-conscious. / By 1924, some 30 percent of man's watches were worn on the wrist. / Today, the figure is 90 percen t. / And they are now worn by both men and women / for practical purposesrather than for decor ation.The Internet (2006)The Internet is the most significant progress in the field of communications. / Imagine a book that never ends, a library with a million floors, / or imagine a research project with thousands of scien tists / working around the clock forever. / This is the magic of the Internet. / Yet the Internet has t he potential for good and bad. / One can find well-organized, information-richwebsites. / At the s ame time, one can also find wasteful websites. / Most websites are known as different Internet a pplications. / These include online games, chat rooms (chatrooms) and so on. / These application s have great power, too. / Sometimes the power can be so great / that young people may easily b ecome victims to their attraction. / So we need to recognize the seriousness of the problem. / We must work together to use its power for better ends.2007 AdvertisingAdvertising has already become a very specialized activity in modern times. / In today's business world, supply is usually greater than demand./ There is great competition between manufacturer s of the same kind of product,/ because they want to persuade customers to buy their particular brand./ They always have to remind their customers/ of the name and the qualities of their produ cts by advertising./ The manufacturer advertises in newspapers and on the radio;/ he sometimes employs sales girls to distribute samples of his products; /he sometimes advertises on the interne t as well./ In addition, he always has advertisements put into television programs that will accept them./ Manufacturers often spend huge sums of money on advertisements./ We buy a particular product because we think that's the best./ We usually think so because the advertisements say s o,/ people often don’t ask themselves if the advertisements are telling the truth, /when they buy advertised products from the shops.2008 Choosing a CareerWhen students graduate from college,/ many of them do not know how they want to spend their working lives /and they sometimes move from job to job,/ until they find something thatsuits th em/ and of equally importance to which they are suited./ Others never find a job in which they ar e really happy. /They remain all their lives square pegs in round holes. /When we choose our care ers,we need to ask ourselves two questions./ First, what do we think we would like to be? /Secon d, what kind of people are we? /The idea, for example of being a painter or a musician may seem very attractive,/ but unless we have great talent, and are willing to work very hard. /We are certai n to fail in these occupations /and failure will lead to unhappiness in life. /So it is important to ass ess our suitability for a certain career in job search./2009 New Year’s EveFor many people in the west, New Year’s Eve is the biggest party of the year./ It’s time to get toge ther with friends or family /and welcome in the coming year./ New Y ear’s parties can take place i n different places. /Some people hold a house party; others attend street parties, /while some jus t go for a few drinks with their friends. /Big cities have large and spectacular fireworks displays. /T here is one thing that all New Year’s Eve parties have in common,/ the countdown to midnight./ When the clock strikes 12, people gi ve a loud cheer and sing songs./ It’s also popular to make a pr omise in the New Year./ This is called a New Year’s resolution./ Typical resolutions include giving u p smoking and keeping fit./ However the promise is often broken quite quickly /and people are b ack into their bad habits within weeks or days./ 2010Freshmen’s' WeekBritain has a well-respected higher education system/ and some of the top universities and resea rch institutions in the world. / But to those who are new to this system, it can sometimes be conf using. / October is usually the busiest monthin the academic calendar./ Universities have somet hing called Freshmen's Week for their newcomers./ It's a great opportunity to make new friends, /join lots of clubs and settle into university life./ However, having just left the comfort of home a nd all your friends behind, /the prospect of meeting strangers in classrooms and dormitories can be worrying./ Where do you start? And who should you make friends with? / Which clubs and so ciety should you join?/ Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you./ They worry about starting their university social life on the right foot./ So just take it all in slowly./ Don' t rush into anything that you'll regret for the next three years/British holiday habits 2011In the late 1970s, air travel became affordable for the average family in the UK, and more people started travelling aboard for their summer holidays. After all, the British weather wasn’t very goo d even in summer. So a lot of people left the country for a vacation. In the 1980s and the 1990s, y oung people in the UK become well-fare on average. As a result, they started to go aboard in grou ps to places such as Spain and Greece. Once they arrived at their destination, they met with othe r groups of young people and had one long party. British holidaying habits have begun to change , however. Climate change means that the UK now has a hotter climate. So people do not need to go overseas to find good weather. Also, going aboard is more expensive. As a result, more British people are choosing to spend their summer holidays in the UK.Ecotourism 2012Nowadays many of us try to live in a way that will damage the environment as little as possible. We recycle our newspapers and bottles; we take public transport to get to work; and we tryto bu y locally produced fruit and vegetables. And we want to take these attitudes on holiday with us. T his is why alternative forms of tourism are becoming popular in the world. There are lots of name s for these new forms of tourism: responsible tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, educat ional tourism and more. Although everyone may have a different definition, most people agree th at these new forms of tourism should do the following: first, they should conserve the wildlife an d culture of the area; second, they should benefit the local people; third, they should make a prof it without destroying natural resources; and finally they should provide an experience that tourist s want to pay for.What are dreams for2013One theory is that we dream to release the deep, secret desires. We do not express these desires in real life because of the rules of polite society. Another theory is that dreams allow us to solve problems that we can’t solve in real life. We go t o sleep with a problem and wake up with the solution. This may be a way to use our dreams rather than a purpose of dreaming. If you believe that your dreams are important then analyzing them may help you to focus on the problem and help you to find the solution.The modern image is that dreams are the brain’s way of cleaning up the computer’s hard disk. Dreams organize the events of the day into folders and delete what is not needed. But we all know that very little of what we dream is concerned with what happened to us that day.Limiting the growth of technology 2014 Throughout history, man has changed his physical environment to improve his way of life.// With the tools of technology, // man has altered many physical features of the earth. // He has transfor med woodlandinto farmland. // He has modified the face of the earth// by cutting through moun tains to build roads and railways. // However, these changes in the physical environment// have n ot always had beneficial results. // Today, pollution of the air and water is a danger to the health of the planet. // Each day, thousands of tons of gases come out of the vehicles. // Smoke from fac tories pollutes the air of industrialized areas and the surrounding countryside. // The air in cities i s becoming increasingly unhealthy. // The pollution of water is equally harmful. // In the sea, poll ution from oil is killing a lot of sea plants and fish. //It is now necessary for man to limit the growt h of technology in order to survive on earth. //。
2005年12月英语四级听力原文

2005年12月四级听力参考答案1. A2. C3. D4. A5. C6. B7. A8. C9. B10. D11. D12. A13. A14. B15. C16. A17. C18. B19. B20. D1. W: Carol told us on the phone not to wo rry about her. Her left leg doesn’t hurt as much as it did yesterday.M: She’d better have it examined by a doctor anyway. And I will call her about it this evening.Q: What does the man think Carol should do?2. M: There is a non-stop train for Washington and it leaves at 2:30.W: It’s faster than the 2 o’clock train. Besides, we can have something to eat before getting on the train.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?3. M: Hi, Melissa, how’s your project going? Have you thought about going to graduate school? Perhaps you can get into Harvard.W: Everything is coming along really well. I have been thinking about graduate school. But I’ll talk to my tutor Dr. Garcia first and see what she thinks.Q: What do you learn about the woman from the conversation?4. W: Did you attend Alice’s presentation last night? It was the first time for her to give a speech to a large audience.M: How she could be so calm in front of so many people is really beyond me! Q: What do we learn from the conversation?5. W: You’ve been doing weather reports for neatly 30 years. Has the weather got any worse in all these years?M: Well, not necessarily worse. But we are seeing more swings.Q: What does the man say about the weather?6. M: Excuse me, I am looking for the textbook by a Professor Jordon for the marketing course.W: I am afraid it’s out of stock. You’ll have to order it. And it will take the publisher 3 weeks to send it to us.Q: Where did this conversation most probably take place?7. M: I am going to New York next week, but the hotel I booked is really expensive.W: Why book a hotel? My brother has 2 spare rooms in his apartment.Q: What does the woman mean?8. W: In my opinion, watching the news on TV is a good way to learn English. What do you think?M: It would be better if you could check the same information in English newspapers afterwards.Q: What does the man say about learning English?9. M: I hear a newly-invented drug can make people tell the truth and it may prove useful in questioning terr orists. Isn’t it incredible?W: Simple solutions to complex problems rarely succeed. As far as I know, no such drugs are ever known to work.Q: What does the woman think of the new drug?10. M: You know the electronics company is coming to our campus to recruit graduate students next week.W: Really? What day? I’d like to talk to them and hand in my resume.Q: What does the woman want to do?Passage oneA new study reports the common drug aspirin greatly reduces life threatening problems after an operation to replace blocked blood vessels to the heart. More than 800,000 people around the world have this heart surgery each year. The doctors who carried out the study say giving aspirin to patients soon afterthe operation could save thousands of lives. People usually take aspirin to control pain and reduce high body temperature. Doctors also advise some people to take aspirin to help prevent heart attacks. About 10-15 percent of these heart operations end in death or damage to the heart or other organs. The new study shows that even a small amount of aspirin reduced such threats. The doctors said the chance of death for patients who took aspirin would fall by 67%. They claimed this was true if the aspirin was given within 48 hours of the operation. The doctors believe aspirin helps heart surgery patients because it can prevent blood from thickening and blood vessels from being blocked. However, the doctors warned that people who have stomach bleeding or other bad reactions from aspirin should not take it after heart surgery.Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.11. What is the finding of the new study of aspirin?12. In what way can aspirin help heart surgery patients according to the doctors?13. What warning did the doctors give about the use of aspirin?Passage TwoWere you the first or the last child in you family? Or were you a middle or an only child? Some people think it matters where you were born in you family. But there are different ideas about what birth order means. Some people say that oldest children are smart and strong-willed. They are very likely to be successful. The reason for this is simple. Parents have a lot of time for their first child; they give him or her a lot of attention. So this child is very likely to do well. An only child will succeed for the same reason. What happens to the other children in the family? Middle children don’t get so much attention, so they don’t feel that important. If a family has many children, the middle one sometimes gets lost in the crowd. The youngest child, though, often gets special treatment. He or she is the baby. Often this child grows up to be funny and charming. Do you believe these ideas of birth order too? A recent study saw things quite differently. The study found that first children believed in family rules. They didn’t take many chances in their lives. They usually followed orders. Rules didn’t mean as much to later children in the family. They went out and followed their own ideas. They took chances and they often did better in life.Questions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.14. According to common belief, in what way are the first child and the only child alike?15. What do people usually say about middle children?16. What do we learn about later children in a family from a recent study of birth order?Passage ThreeWhen my interest shifted from space to the sea, I never expected it would cause such confusion among my friends, yet I can understand their feelings. As I have been writing and talking about space flight for the best part of 20 years, a sudden switch of interest to the depth of the sea doer seem peculiar. To explain, I’d like to share my reasons behind this unusual change of mind. The first excuse I give is an economic one. Underwater exploration is so much cheaper than space flight. The first round-trip ticket to the moon is going to cost at least 10 billion dollars if you include research and development. By the end of this century, the cost will be down to a few million. On the other ha nd, the diving suit and a set of basic tools needed for skin-diving can be bought for 20 dollars. My second argument is more philosophical. The ocean, surprisingly enough, has many things in common with space. In their different ways, both sea and space are equally hostile. If we wish to survive in either for any length of time, we need to have mechanical aids. The diving suit helped the design of the space suit. The feelings and the emotions of a man beneath the sea will be much like those of a man beyond the atmosphere.Questions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.17. How did the speaker’s friends respond to his change of interest?18. What is one of the reasons for the speaker to switch his interest to underwater exploration?19. In what way does the speaker think diving is similar to space travel?20. What is the speaker’s purpose in giving this talk?。
05年12月四级听力原文
Part I Listening ComprehensionSection A11. W: Carol told us on the phone not to worry about her. Her left leg doesn’t hurt as much as itdid yesterday.M: She’d better have it examined by a doctor anyway. And I will call her about it this evening. Q: What does the man think Carol should do?12. M: There is a non-stop train for Washington and it leaves at 2:30.W: It’s faster than the 2 o’clock train. Besides, we can have something to eat before getting on the train.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?13. M: Hi, Melissa, how’s your project going? Have you thought about going to graduate school?Perhaps you can get into Harvard.W: Everything is coming along really well. I have been thinking about graduate school. But I’ll talk to my tutor Dr. Garcia first and see what she thinks.Q: What do you learn about the woman from the conversation?14. W: Did you attend Alice’s presentation last night? It was the first time for her to give a speechto a large audience.M: How she could be so calm in front of so many people is really beyond me!Q: What do we learn from the conversation?15. W: You’ve been doing weather reports for neatly 30 years. Has the weather got any worse inall these years?M: Well, not necessarily worse. But we are seeing more swings.Q: What does the man say about the weather?16. M: Excuse me, I am looking for the textbook by a Professor Jordon for the marketing course. W: I am afraid it’s out of stock. You’ll have to order it. And it will take the publisher 3 weeks to send it to us.Q: Where did this conversation most probably take place?17. M: I am going to New York next week, but the hotel I booked is really expensive.W: Why book a hotel? My brother has 2 spare rooms in his apartment.Q: What does the woman mean?18. W: In my opinion, watching the news on TV is a good way to learn English. What do youthink?M:It would be better if you could check the same information in English newspapers afterwards.Q: What does the man say about learning English?Conversation OneW: So what are the two main times of the day that you watch TV?M: Well, a little around breakfast time and then it tends to be really late - eleven or even midnight - when I've finished work.W: And what sort of programs do you go for?M: Some news bulletins but I also really like to put my feet up(搁起腿休息)with some of the old comedy shows.W:Fine. And turning to the new channel... which type of programmes would you like to see more of?M:Well, I certainly don't think we need any more factual programmes like news and interviews. I think we need more about things like local information ... you know, providing a service for the community, perhaps more for younger viewers... you know, good quality stuff.W: Ah ha. And if you had to give the new directors some specific advice when they set up the channel, what advice would you give them?M: I think I'd advise them to pay a lot of attention to the quality of the actual broadcast, you know, the sound system. People are very fussy these days about that and in general I think they ought to do lots more of these kinds of interview, talking with their potential customers.W: Oh, I'm glad you think it's valuable!M: Certainly . . . yeah.W: OK, this will be a commercial channel of course, but how often do you think it is tolerable to have adverts?M: Well out of that list I'd say every quarter of an hour. 1 don't think we can complain about that, as long as they don't last for ten minutes each time!W: Thank you very much!Q19. At what time does the man mainly watch TV?Q20. What would the man like to see more of on the new channel?Q21. What is the man’s advice to the new channel?Conversation TwoW: Jim, thank goodness, you've arrived, The class presentation started half an hour ago and I was just beginning to panic.M: I am sorry I'm late, Allen. This morning has been a real mess; I didn't think I was going to make it here at all.W: Why are you late? Our whole presentation depends on these graphs you are holding.M: Yes, I know, I'll tell you about it later. First let's see how we are doing on time. Two groups are still ahead of us, aren't they? The presentation on the rights of the consumers and the analysis of the stock market. That means I've got about twenty minutes to prepare.W: You do look cold. What happened?M: I've been standing outside in freezing temperatures for over an hour waiting for a bus.W: Over an hour? But I thought your apartment was only a ten-minute bus ride to our campus. M: On normal conditions, but the bus was delayed because of the weather. So I had to wait another forty minutes for the next bus.W: That's Murphy's law, isn't it? What was it that said, "If anything can go wrong, it will". Well,we’ve still got twenty minutes to gather our wits together.M: We'd better stop talking. People are turning around and looking at us.Q22. What is the woman's tone of voice when she first sees the man?Q23.What class are the man and woman probably taking?Q24.How much time do the speakers have before they address the class?Q25. What are the two speakers mainly talking about?什么是墨菲定律? 最简单的表达形式是"有可能出错的事情,就会出错(Anything that can go wrong will go wrong)"。
2014年12月CET4听力原文及答案
Section A1. W: When was the last time you dusted the apartment?M: When was the last time my mother came over?Q: What does the man imply? [B]2. W: Hurry up, Mark. There's a bus coming now.M: Why run? There will be another one in two or three minutes.Q: What does the man mean? [C]3. M: Laura, it seems that you are up to your neck in work. How come you’ve been so busy? W: Miss Smith has asked for a sick leave, and I have to take over her work for a couple of days. Q: What do we learn about the woman? [C]4. W: Washing dishes at the cafeteria every day is really boring.M: Why don’t you quit and deliver flowers with me?Q: What does the man suggest the woman do? [A]5. W: Rod, you said you’d take this package to the post office yesterday.M: Oh, no, it must have slipped my mind.Q: What do we learn about the man from the conversation?[D]6. M: Tm not surprised that you didn't like that movie. I found it really scary myself.W: So did I. I don’t care much for horror movies as a rule.Q: What do we learn from the conversation? [B]7. M: My life experience tells me that love is filled with happiness but it hurts you too.W: Your words remind me of this saving "honey is sweet but the bee stings".Q: What do we learn from the conversation?[C]8. M: How many more chairs should I bring in for the forum, six or seven?W: Bring in ail you can find, I’m expecting at least 20 participants.Q: What are the speakers talking about?[A]Now you'll hear the two long conversations. Conversation OneM: Do you think there^ discrimination against women in England today?W: Certainly. And not just in education and work either, in many other fields as well.The tax situation for women is very unfair, for example.M: Are women better off in other countries then?W: It depends on the country. [9]There’s certainly much less discrimination in Scandinavia, and maybe in America, too.M: Do you think the position of English women will improve?W: In some ways it will, of course. [l0]I’m sure more women will go out to work in the next 20years. But women have a much greater problem than this to solve.M: What’s that?W: The problem of men's attitudes. We can earn more money in the future, but Fm not sure we can change men's attitudes. You see, most men really think that women are inferior. Maybe we are physically weaker, but I don't think this means we are inferior. Then there’s another problem. M: Yes?W: The problem of women’s attitudes. Lots of women are unhappy with their present situation, but most of them probably don’t want to fight for change. It could be that [11]the women’s liberation movement has to spend more time changing women’s attitudes than it spends inchanging men’s.M: One last question. Some supporters of the women’s liberation movement believed that marriages should be abolished. You agree?W: No, I don't. It can't happen. What may and should happen is that we teach men to spend more time looking after children and doing housework.9. Where are women said to be less discriminated against? [B]10. What will happen in England in 20 years according to the conversation? [D]11. What does the woman think the women’s liberation movement should do? [D] Conversation TwoM: Cheers, Shirley.W: Cheers, Paul, [12]What a lovely place for a business lunch. I hope I can concentrate in this heat.M: I’m sure you will when I tell you about my ideas.W: You know, I must say I was pleased to hear from you. But from what you said on the phone, everything is so sudden.M: Well, [l3]my father-in-law, who is also the Managing Director of Jayal Motors, has given me two weeks to prepare a report on the possibility of moving into the export market.W: Ah, now, just one thing, Paul. Have you really thought the whole idea through?M: Of course, I have.W: [14]Now the key thing in the whole operation is to get a good import agent and you say the bank will help?M: Fm almost sure of it.W: Preliminary studies are all very good, Paul. But if the product can't sell, then there's little use in expanding the factory.M: Yes, I realize that, Shirley. But we have a very good product. The chief designer has just completed a new improved model.W: I know your bikes have a very good reputation here, but you have to build up a reputationand a market in AfricaM: Yes, of course. But the immediate problem is that my father-in-law wants a detailed report by next Monday. Two weeks isn't enough time to prepare a report, so I need your help.W: OK, Paul. You’ve convinced me. I must say [15]I admire your determination.12. Where does the conversation most probably take place?[A]13. What do we learn about the man’s father-in-law?[C]14. What does the woman think is important in the whole operation?[B]15. What does the woman admire in the man?[D]Section BPassage OneScientists understand how twins are born. [16]Now, though, they are trying to explain how being half of a biological pair influences a twin’s identity. They want to know why many identical twins make similar choices even when they don’t live near each other. For example, Jim Springer and Jim Louis are identical twins. They were separated when they were only four months old. [17]The two Jims grew up in different families and did not meet for 39 years. When they finally met, they discovered some surprising similarities between them. Both men were married twice.Their first wives were named Linda, and their second wives were both named Betty. Both twins named theirfirst sons James Allan. Scientists want to know what influences our personality. [17]They study pairs of identical twins who grew up in different surroundings, like Jim Springer and Jim Louis. [18]These twins help scientists understand the connection between environment and biology. Researchers at the University of Minnesota studied 350 sets of identical twins who did not grow up together. They discovered many similarities in their personalities. Scientists believe that personality characteristics such as friendliness, shyness and fears are not a result of environment. These characteristics are probably inherited. Scientists continue to study identical twins because they are uncertain about them and have many questions. For example, they want know “Can twins really communicate without speaking?”“Can one twin really feel another twin’s pain?”Perhaps with more research scientists will find the answers.16. What are scientists trying to explain according to the passage?[A]17. What do we learn about the twin Jims?[B]18. Why are scientists interested in studying identical twins raised in different families?[A] Passage TwoToday I’m going to talk about tents. [19 ] Camping is still one of the cheapest ways of having a holiday. And each year, over three million people take camping vacations, either here in Britain or abroad, mostly on the Continent. Obviously, camping can't be as comfortable as living in a permanent house,but modem tents can be very comfortable indeed, with windows, bedrooms, kitchens and sitting-rooms. [20]The most popular tent sold in Britain is the terne tent with two bedrooms and sleeping accommodation for four people. There is usually an outer tent of water-proof fabric and a lighter inner tent or tents with a built-in groundsheet. The outer tent fits over the framework. This is made of metal poles which are fitted together. The inner tent is attached to this frame.Generally, the inner tent is about half the area of the outer tent The other half of the outer tent is the living area This doesn’t usually have a groundsheet,but you can buy one to fit, though it costs extra. The ordinary four-bed frame tent doesn’t usually have a separate kitchen area» but the larger ones often do.[211 You can buy a kitchen extension for many tents, and it’s worth buying one if you plan to stay camping in one place for more than a few days.19. What does the speaker say about camping?[D]20. What does the passage tell us about the most popular tent sold in Britain?[B]21. What does the speaker suggest buying if you plan to stay camping in one place for more thana few days?Passage ThreeAndorra, one of the smallest countries in the world, is located high in the mountains between France and Spain. [22]The country covers only 179 square miles. That is less than half the sizeof New York City. High, rocky mountains surround Andorra. [23]Until the 1930s, travelers had difficulty reaching the country. Up until that time, people in Andorra lived the way they hadlived for centuries. Most Andorrans worked as farmers. Things did not change quickly. [24] When roads were built from France and Spain to Andorra in the 1930s, life picked up speed. Tourists began to visit the small country. These tourists brought in a lot of money to spend while visiting. Many people in Andorra found new jobs in shops or hotels. These changes helped to keep young people in Andorra. There were many more jobs than before the roads were built Today tourists provide 80 to 90 percent of Andorra’s income. More than a million people visit each year. They come to view the rough mountains. They enjoy the quiet way of life. Most people are also interested in the ancient buildings. There are many shops for tourists to browse in. Clothes,watches, wines and other items are sold at low prices in Andorra. Import fees are low, so tourists enjoy the inexpensive shopping.Most of the businesses in Andorra are owned by its citizens. There are not many foreign businesses. Some Andorrans still farm and raise sheep and cattle. [25]But most are now involved with the tourist trade.22. How big does the speaker say Andorra is?[A]23. What can be said about Andorra before the 1930s?[D]24. What event changed the situation in Andorra?[C]25. What do most people in Andorra do nowadays?[B]Section C26. familiar 【解析】此空格需要填人系动词sound的表语。
英语四级真题听力原文
2014年6月英语四级考试真题听力原文(一)1. W: I can’t seem to reach the tea at the back of the cupboar d.M: Oh… Why don’t you use the ladder You might strain your shoulder.Q: What does the man suggest the woman do2. W: Since it’s raining so hard, let’s go and see the new exhibits.M: That’s a good idea. Mary Johnson is one of my favorite p ainters.Q: Where does the conversation most probably take place3. M: I hear the students gave the new teacher an unfair ev aluation.W: It depends on which student you are talking about.Q: What does the woman imply4. W: It must have taken you a long time to fix up all these book shelves.M: It wasn’t too bad. I got Doris to do some of them.Q: What does the man mean5. W: Rod, I hear you’ll be leaving at the e nd of this month. Is it trueM: Yeah. I’ve been offered a much better position with anot her firm. I’d be a fool to turn it down.Q: Why is the man quitting his job6. W: I honestly don’t want to continue the gardening tomor row, TonyM: Neither do I. But I think we should get it over with thi s weekend.Q: What does the man mean7. W: You’ve already furnished your apartmentM: I found some used furniture that was dirt cheap.Q: What do we learn from the conversation8. W: Has the mechanic called the bus repairersM: Not yet .I’ll let you know when he calls.Q: What do we learn from the conversationQuestions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just h eard.Conversation one:M: Hello. Matt Ellis speaking.W: Hello, Dr. Ellis, my name’s Pan Johnson. My roommate, Ja net Holmes, wanted me to call you.M: Janet Holmes Oh, that’s right. She’s in my Shakespearea n English class. Has anything happened to herW: Nothing, it’s just that she submitted a job application yesterday and the company asked her in for an interview today. She’s afraid she won’t be able to attend your class this after noon though. I’m calling to see whether it would be OK if I gav e you her essay. Janet said it’s due today.M: Certainly, that would be fine. Uh, you can either drop i t off at my class or bring it to my office.W: Would it be all right to come by your office around 4:00 I’m afraid I can’t come any earlier because I have three clas ses this afternoon.M: Uh, I won’t be here when you come. I’m supposed to be a t a meeting from 3:00 to 6:00, but how about leaving it with my secretary She usually stays until 5:00. W: Fine, please tell h er I’ll be there at 4:00. And Dr. Ellis, one more thing, could you tell me where your office is Janet told me where your class is, but she didn’t give me directions to your office.M: Well, I’m in Room 302 of the Gregory Building. I’ll tel l my secretary to put the paper in my mail box, and I’ll get it when I return.W: I sure appreciate it. Goodbye, Dr. Ellis.M: Goodbye, Ms. Johnson.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have ju st heard.9. Why couldn’t the woman’s roommate attend the Shakespear ean English class that afternoon10. What favor is the woman going to do for her roommate11. What does the woman want to know at the end of the conv ersationPassage OneMost American college students need to be efficient readers. This is necessary because full-time students probably have to read several hundred pages every week. They don't have time to read a chapter three or four times. They need to extract as muc h information as possible from the first or second reading.An extraordinarily important study skill is knowing how to mark a book. Students mark the main ideas and important details with a pen or pencil, yellow or blue or orange. Some students mark new vocabulary in a different color. Most students write q uestions or short notes in the margins. Marking a book is a use ful skill, but it's important to do it right. First, read a cha pter with one pen in your hand and others next to you on the de sk. Second, read a whole paragraph before you mark anything. Do n't mark too much. Usually you will mark about 10% of a passage. Third, decide on your own system for marking. For example, may be you will mark main ideas in yellow, important details in blu e and new words in orange. Maybe you will put question marks in the margin when you don't understand something and before an e xam. Instead, you just need to review your marks and you can sa ve a lot of time.16. What should American college students do to cope with t heir heavy reading assignments17. What suggestion does the speaker give about marking a t extbook18. How should students prepare for an exam according to the speakerPassage TwoThe thought of having no sleep for 24 hours or more isn't a pleasant one for most people. The amount of sleep that each pe rson needs varies. In general, each of us needs about 8 hours o f sleep each day to keep us healthy and happy. Some people, how ever, can get by with just a few hours of sleep at night.It doesn't matter when or how much a person sleeps. But eve ryone needs some rest to stay alive. Few doctors would have tho ught that there might be an exception to this. Sleep is, after all, a very basic need. But a man named Al Herpin turned out to be a real exception, for supposedly, he never slept!Al Herpin was 90 years old when doctors came to his home in New Jersy. They hoped to challenge the claim that he never slept. But they were surprised. Though they watched him every hour of the day, they never saw Herpin sleeping. He did not even ow n a bed. He never needed one.The closest that Herpin came to resting was to sit in a roc king chair and read a half dozen newspapers. His doctors were p uzzled by the strange case of permanent sleeplessness. Herpin o ffered the only clue to his condition. He remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he had been born. Herpin died at the age of 94, never, it seems, havi ng slept at all.19. What is taken for granted by most people20. What do doctors think of Al Herpin's case21. What could have accounted for Al Herpin's sleeplessness Among the kinds of social gestures most significant for second language teachers, are those which are identical in form, but d ifferent in meaning in the two cultures. For example, a Columbi an who wants someone to approach him often signals with a hand movement, in which all the fingers of one hand cupped point dow nward as they move rapidly back and forth. Speakers of English have a similar gesture, though the hand may not be cupped and the fingers may be held more loosely. But for them, the gesture means "goodbye" or "go away", quite the opposite of the Columbi an gesture. Again in Columbia, a speaker of English would have to know that when he indicates height, he must choose between d ifferent gestures depending on whether he is referring to a hum an being or an animal. If he keeps the palm of the hand paralle l to the floor, as he would in his own culture when making know n the height of a child for example, he will very likely be gre eted by laughter. In Columbia, this gesture is reserved for the description of animals. In order to describe human beings, he should keep the palm of his hand at a right angle to the floor. Substitutions of one gesture for the other often create not on ly humorous but also embarrassing moments. In both of the examp les above, speakers from two different cultures have the same g esture physically, but its meaning differs sharply。
2005英语四级真题听力原文
2005年1月英语四级真题听力原文1. Woman: You've sold your car. you don't need one?man: Not really. I've never liked drive anyway. Now we'd moved to a place near the subway . We can get about quite convinientlyQ: What do we learn from the converstaion?2. Man: I'm going to drop my information science class. It needs too early in the morning.Woman:Is that really the good reason to drop the class, tiny?Q:What does the woman mean?3. Woman:If you are to doing anything paticular,shall we see the new play at the grand theater tonight?Man:Sounds great. But I've got to go over my notes for tomorrow's midterm. Q: What does the woman imply?4. Man: what do you think of the prospects for online education? Is it going to replace the traditional school?Woman:I doubt it. Schools are hate to stay. Because they are much more than just book learning. Even known more and more kids are going online, I believe fewer of them will quit school altogether.Q: what does the woman think of the conventional schools ?5: M:How do most students find a job after they graduate?W: THey usually look for a job by searching the want at newspapers. Q:what does the woman mean?6. M: Elien is in the basment trying to repair the washing machine. W: She isn't going to working his term paper?Q" What does woman think Elen should do ?7. W: Prof e, a few of us at the back didn't get your copy of reading as assignment.M: well, there r only 38 names on my class list. And I didn't bring any spare copies.Q: what do we learn from the conversation?8 : M:Congradualations , Liming, you are the talk of the town at the pride of our class now.w:If you are fine to my winning of the english speech contest,I don't think it's such a big deal. You know I've spent 2 summer vacations learning english in Canada.Q: what do we learn about liming from the conversation?9. m:Would u pass me the sports section plz?w:Sure, If you give me the classfied ads and local-news section.Q:what are the speakers doing?10. W: If the weather is this hot tomorrow, we may as well give up the idea of playing tennis in the afternoon.M: o. I don't think it'll last long. The weather forcast says it willcloud-over by midafternoonQ:What does the man mean?COmpound dictation.There are a lot of good cameras available at the moment.Most of these are made in Japan.But there are also good quality models from Germany and the USA. We have investigated an arrange of models to see which the best value for money. After a number of different tests and interviews with people who are familiar with different cameras being accessed, our researchers recommend the Olympic BY model as the best auto=focus camera available at the moment. It costs 200 dollars although you may well want to spend more.perhaps as much as another 200 dollars on buying additional () and other equipment. It is a good japanese camera easy to use, equivalent german models tend to be heavier and slightly less easy to use, while the american versions are considerably more expensive. The olympic BY model weighs only 320 grams, which is quite a bit less than other cameras of the similar type. Indeed, one of the other models we looked at weigh almost twice as much. Similarly,it's smaller than most of its competiters thus fitting easily into a pocket or handbag. All the people we interviewd expressed almost total satisfaction with it.,/The only problem was slight awkwardness in loading the film.2005年6月英语四级真题听力原文Section one conversation1.W: Simon, could you return the tools I lend you for building the bookshelf last month?M: Oh, oh, well, I hate to tell you this, but I can’t seem to find them.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?2.W: I found an expensive diamond ring in the restroom this morning.M: If I were you, I would turn it in to the security office. It is behind the administration building.Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?3.W: I am going to Martha’s house. I have a paper to complete. AndI need to use her computer.M: Why don’t you buy one yourself? Think how much time you could save.Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?4.W: Daddy, I have decided to give up science and go to business school.M: Well, it is your choice as long as pay your own way, but I should warn you that not everyone with a business degree will make a successful manager.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?5.W: I just read in the newspaper that Lord of the Rings is this year’s greatest hit. Why don’t we go and see it at the Grand Cinema?M: Don’t you think that cinema is a little out of the way?Q: What does the man mean?6.W: Bob said that Seattle is a great place for conferences.M: He is certainly in the position to make that comment. HE has been there so often.Q: What does the man say about?7.W: Mr. Watson, I wonder whether it’s possible f or me to take a vacation early next month?M: Did you fill out a request form?Q: What is the probable relationship between the two speakers?8.M: Do you want to go to the lecture this weekend? I heard that the guy who is going to deliver the lecture spent a year living in the rainforest.W: Great, I am doing a report on the rain forest. Maybe I can get some new information to add it.Q: What does the woman mean?9.W: Wow, I do like this campus. All the big trees, the green lawns, and the old b uildings with tall columns. It’s really beautiful.M: It sure is. The architecture of these buildings is in the Greek style. It was popular in the 18th century here.Q: What are the speakers talking about?10.M: This article is nothing but advertising for housing developers.I don’t think the houses for sale are half that good.W: Come on, David. Why so negative? We are thinking of buying a home, aren’t we? Just a trip to look at the place won’t c ast us much.Q: What can be inferred form the conversation?Section Two passagesPassage 1In the next few decades, people are going to travel very differently from the way they do today. Everyone is going to driveelectrically-powered cars, so in the few years, people won’t worry about running out of gas. Some of the large automobile companies are really moving ahead with this new technology. F&C Motors, a major auto company, for example, is holding a press conference next week. After the press conference, the company will present its new electronically-operated models. Transportation in the future won’t be limited to the ground, many people predict that traffic will quickly move to the sky. In the coming years, instead of radio reports about road conditions and highway traffic, news reports will talk about traffic jams in the sky. But the sky isn’t the limit. In the future, you will probably even be able to take a trip to the moon. Instead of listening to regular airplane announcements, you will hear someone say: the spacecraft to the moon leaves in 10 minutes. Please check your equipment. And remember no more than 10 ounces of carry-on baggage are allowed.11.What will be used to power cars in the next few decades?12.What will future news reports focus on when talking about transportation?13.What will passengers be asked to do when they travel to the moon?Passage 2County fairs are a tradition in New England towns. They offer great entertainment. One popular event is the pie-eating contest. If you want to take part in the contest, it is a good idea to remember these guidelines: first, make sure your stomach is nearly empty of food. Eating a whole pie can be hard if you have just finish a meal. Next, it is helpful to like the pie you are going to eat. The cream types are a good choice. They slide down the throat more easily. Placing your hands in the right position adds to the chances of winning. There is a temptation to reach out and help the eating process. This will result in becoming disqualified. Don’t just sit on your hands, if your hands are tied behind your back, you will not be tempted to make use of them.Now you are ready to show your talent at eating pies. The object of course, is to get the bottom of the pie plate before the other people. It is usually better to start at the outside and work toward the middle. This method gives you a goal to focus on. Try not to notice what the other people near your are doing. Let the cheers from the crowd spur you on. But don’t look up. All you should think about is eating that pie.14.Where is pie-eating contest usually held?15.What should a person do before entering into the pie-eating cxontest?16.Where is person advised to put his hands during the contest?17.What suggestion is offered for eating up the pie quickly?Passage 3The period of engagement is the time between the marriage proposal and the wedding ceremony. Two people agree to marry when they decided to spend their lives together. The man usually gives the woman a diamond engagement ring. That tradition is said to have started when an Austrian man gave a beauty. He placed it on the third finger of her left hand. He chose that finger because it was thought that the blood vessel in that finger went directly to the heart. Today we know that this is not true, yet the tradition continues.Americans generally are engaged for a period of about one year, if they are planning a wedding ceremony and a party. During this time, friends of the bride may hold a party at which women friends and family members give the bride gifts that she will need as a wife. These could includecooking equipment or new clothing. Friends of the man who is getting married may have a bachelor party for him. This usually takes place the night before the wedding. Only man are invited to the bachelor party.During the marriage ceremony, the bride and her would-be husband usually exchange gold rings that represent the idea that their union will continue forever. The wife often wears both the wedding ring and the engagement ring on the same finger. The husband wears his ring on the third finger on his left hand. Many people say the purpose of the engagement period is to permit enough time to plan the wedding. But the main purpose is to let enough time pass so the two people are sure that they want to marry each other. Either person may decide to break the engagement, if this happens, the woman usually returns the ring to the man. They also return any wedding gifts they have received.18.What was the diamond ring said to represent?19.Why did the Austrian man place the diamond ring on the third finger of the left hand of his would-be wife?20.What is the chief advantage of having the engagement period? 2005年12月英语四级真题听力原文Section A1. W: Carol told us on the phone not to worry about her. Her left leg doesn’t hurt as much as it did yesterday.M: She’d better have it examined by a doctor anyway. And I will call her about it this evening.Q: What does the man think Carol should do?2. M: There is a non-stop train for Washington and it leaves at 2:30.W: It’s faster than the 2 o’clock train. Besides, we can have something to eat before getting on the train.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?3. M: Hi, Melissa, how’s your project going? Have you thought about going to graduate school? Perhaps you can get into Harvard.W: Everything is coming along really well. I have been thinking about graduate school. But I’ll talk to my tutor Dr. Garcia first and see whatshe thinks.Q: What do you learn about the woman from the conversation?4. W: Di d you attend Alice’s presentation last night? It was the first time for her to give a speech to a large audience.M: How she could be so calm in front of so many people is really beyond me!Q: What do we learn from the conversation?5. W: You’ve b een doing weather reports for neatly 30 years. Has the weather got any worse in all these years?M: Well, not necessarily worse. But we are seeing more swings.Q: What does the man say about the weather?6. M: Excuse me, I am looking for the textbook by a Professor Jordon for the marketing course.W: I am afraid it’s out of stock. You’ll have to order it. And it will take the/publisher 3 weeks to send it to us.Q: Where did this conversation most probably take place?7. M: I am going to New York next week, but the hotel I booked is really expensive.W: Why book a hotel? My brother has 2 spare rooms in his apartment.Q: What does the woman mean?8. W: In my opinion, watching the news on TV is a good way to learn English. What do you think?M: It would be better if you could check the same information in English newspapers afterwards.Q: What does the man say about learning English?9. M: I hear a newly-invented drug can make people tell the truth and it may prove useful in q uestioning terrorists. Isn’t it incredible?W: Simple solutions to complex problems rarely succeed. As far as I know, no such drugs are ever known to work.Q: What does the woman think of the new drug?10. M: You know the electronics company is coming to our campus to recruit graduate students next week.W: Really? What day? I’d like to talk to them and hand in my resume.Q: What does the woman want to do?Section BPassage oneA new study reports the common drug aspirin greatly reduces lifethreatening problems after an operation to replace blocked blood vessels to the heart. More than 800,000 people around the world have this heart surgery each year. The doctors who carried out the study say giving aspirin to patients soon after the operation could save thousands of lives. People usually take aspirin to control pain and reduce high body temperature. Doctors also advise some people to take aspirin to help prevent heart attacks. About 10-15 percent of these heart operations end in death or damage to the heart or other organs. The new study shows that even a small amount of aspirin reduced such threats. The doctors said the chance of death for patients who took aspirin would fall by 67%. They claimed this was true if the aspirin was given within 48 hours of the operation. The doctors believe aspirin helps heart surgery patients because it can prevent blood from thickening and blood vessels from being blocked. However, the doctors warned that people who have stomach bleeding or other bad reactions from aspirin should not take it after heart surgery.Q11. What is the finding of the new study of aspirin?Q12. In what way can aspirin help heart surgery patients according to the doctors?Q13. What warning did the doctors give about the use of aspirin?Passage TwoWere you the first or the last child in you family? Or were you a middle or an only child? Some people think it matters where you were born in you family. But there are different ideas about what birth order means. Some people say that oldest children are smart and strong-willed. They are very likely to be successful. The reason for this is simple. Parents have a lot of time for their first child, they give him or her a lot of attention. So this child is very likely to do well. An only child will succeed for the same reason. What happens to the other children in the family? Middle children don’t get so much attention, so they don’t feel that important. If a family has many children, the middle one sometimes gets lost in the crowd. The youngest child, though, often gets special treatment. He or she is the baby. Often this child grows up to be funny and charming. Do you believe these ideas of birth order too? A recent study saw things quite differently. The study found that first children believed in family rules. They didn’t take many chances in their lives. They usually followed orders. Rules didn’t mean as much to later children in the family. They went out and followed their own ideas. They took chances and they often did better in life.Q14. According to common belief, in what way are the first child and the only child alike?Q15. What do people usually say about middle children?Q16. what do we learn about later children in a family from a recent study of birth order?Passage ThreeWhen my interest shifted from space to the sea, I never expected it would cause such confusion among my friends, yet I can understand their feelings. As I have been writing and talking about space flight for the best part of 20 years, a sudden switch of interest to the depth of the sea doer seem peculiar. To explain, I’d like to share my reasons behind this unusual change of mind. The first excuse I give is an economic one. Underwater exploration is so much cheaper than space flight. The first round-trip ticket to the moon is going to cost at least 10 billion dollars if you include research and development. By the end of this century, the cost will be down to a few million. On the other hand, the diving suit and a set of basic tools needed for skin-diving can be bought for 20 dollars. My second argument is more philosophical. The ocean, surprisingly enough, has many things in common with space. In their different ways, both sea and space are equally hostile. If we wish to survive in either for any length of time, we need to have mechanical aids. The diving suit helped the design of the space suit. The feelings and the emotions of a man beneath the sea will be much like those of a man beyond the atmosphere.Q17. How did the speaker’s f riends respond to his change of interest?Q18. What is one of the reasons for the speaker to switch his interest to underwater exploration?Q19. In what way does the speaker think diving is similar to space travel?Q20. What is the speaker’s purpo se in giving this talk?[答案]1-10 ACDAC BACBD11-20 DAABC ACBBD。
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2005-2014年专四听写原文2005 The WristwatchIt is generally believed that wristwatches are an exception to the normal sequence in the evolution of men's jewelry./ Reversing the usual order, they were first worn by women/ and then adopted by men./ In the old days, queens included wristwatches among their crown jewelry. / Later they were worn by Swiss workers and farmers. / Until World War I, Americans associated the watch with fortune hunters. / Then army officers discovered that the wristwatch was most practical for active combat. Race car drivers also loved to wear wristwatches/ and pilots found they are most useful while flying. / Soon men dared to wear wristwatches without feeling self-conscious. / By 1924 some 30% of men ' s watches were worn on the wrist. / Today the figure is 90% / and they are now worn by both men and women/ for practical purposes rather than for decoration.2006 The InternetThe Internet is the most significant progress in the field of communication. /lmagine a book that never ends, a library with a million floors ,/or imagine a research project with thousands of scientists /working around the clock forever./This is the magic of the Internet. /Yet the Internet has the potential for good and bad. /0ne can find well-organized information-rich websites./At the same time, one can also find wasteful websites. /Most websites are known as different Internet applications./These include online games, chat rooms and so on./These applications have great power too. /Sometimes the power can be so great /that young people may easily become victims to their attraction. /So we need to recognize the seriousness of the problem. /We must work together to use its power for better ends.2007 AdvertisingAdvertising has already become a very specialized activity in modern times./ in today’s business world, supply is usually greater than demand. / There is great competition between manufactures of the same kind product/ because they want to persuade customers to buy their particular brand./ They always have to remained their customers/ of the name and qualities of their products by advertising.The manufacturer advertises in newspapers and on the radio. / He sometimes employs salesgirls to distribute the samples of his products. / He sometimes advertises on the Internet as well. / In addition, he always has advertisements put into television programs that will accept them./ Manufacturers often spend huge sums of money on advertisements./ We buy a particular product because we think that is the best. / We usually think so, because the advertisements say so. / People often don't ask themselves if the advertisements are telling the truth / when they buy advertised products from shops.2008 Choosing a CareerWhen students graduate from college, / many of them do not know how they want to spend their working lives, / and they sometimes move from job to job / until they find something that suits them / and of equal importance to which they are suited. Others never find a job in which they are really happy. / They remain all their lives square pegs in round holes. /When we choose our careers, we need to ask ourselves two questions. / First, what do we think we would like to be?/ Second, what kind of people are we? / The idea, for example, of being a painter or a musician may seem very attractive, / but unless we have great talent and are willing to work very hard, / we are certain to fail in these occupations, / and failure will lead to unhappiness in life. /So it is important to assess our suitability for a certain career in job search.2009 New Year's EveFor many people in the west, New Year's Eve is the biggest party of the year. /I t’s the time to get together with friends or family/and welcome in the coming year. / New Year's parties can take place in different places. /Some peoplehold a house party; others attend street parties;/ while some just go for a few drinks with their friends. /Big cities have large and spectacular fireworks displays. / There is one thing that all New Year's Eve parties have in common,/ the countdown to midnight./ When the clock strikes 12, people give a loud cheer and sing songs./ It's also popular to make a promise in the New Year. /This is called a New Year's resolution. / Typical resolutions include giving up smoking and keeping fit. /However, the promise is often broken quite quickly /and people are back into their bad habits within weeks or days.2010 Freshmen’s' WeekBritain has a well-respected higher education system/ and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world. / But to those who are new to this system, it can so metimes be confusing. /October is usually the busiest month in the academic cal endar./ Universities have something called Freshmen's Week for their newcomers./ It's a great opportunity to make new friends, /join lots of clubs and settle into university life./ However, having just left the comfort of home and all yo ur friends behind, /the prospect of meeting strangers in clas srooms and dormitories can be worrying./ Where do you star t? And who should you make friends with? / Which clubs and society should you join?/Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same bo at as you./ They worry about starting their university social l ife on the right foot./ So just take it all in slowly./ Don't rush into anything that you'll regret for the next three years/ 2011 British Holidaying HabitsIn the late 1970s, air travel became affordable for the av erage family in the UK, and more people started travelling ab road for their summer holidays. After all, the British weather wasn’t very good, even in summer, so a lot of people left thecountry for a vacation.In the 1980s and 1990s, young people in the UK became wealthier on average. As a result, they started to go abroad i n groups, to places such as Spain and Greece. Once they arri ved at their destination, they met with other groups of young people and had one long party.British holidaying habits have begun to change, however. Climate change means that the UK now has a hotter climate, so people do not need to go overseas to find good weather. Also, going abroad is more expensive. As a result, more Briti sh people are choosing to spend their summer holidays in th e UK.2012 Eco-tourismNowadays many of us try to live in a way that will damage the environment as little as possible. We recycle our newspapers and bottles; we take public transport to get to work; and we try to buy locally produced fruit and vegetables. And we want to take these attitudes on holiday with us. This is why alternative forms of tourism are becoming popular in the world. There are lots of names for these new forms of tourism: responsible tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, educational tourism and more.Although everyone may have a different definition, most people agree that these new forms of tourism should do the following: first, they should conserve the wildlife and culture of the area; second, they should benefit the local people; third, they should make a profit without destroying natural resources; and finally they should provide an experience that tourists want to pay for.2013 What is a dream for?One theory is that we dream to release the deep, secret desires. We do not express these desires in real life because of the rules of polite society. Another theory is that dreams allow us to solve problems that we can’t solve in real life. Wego to sleep with a problem and wake up with the solution. This may be more of a way to ‘use’ our dreams than a ‘purpose’ of dreaming. If you believe that your dreams are important then analyzing them may help you to focus your mind on the problem and help you to find the solution. The modern image is that dreams are the brain’s ways of cleaning up the compu ter’s hard disk.Dreames organize the events of the day into folders and delete what is not needed. Then we all know very little about our dream with concerned with what happened to us that day2014年英语专四考试听写部分答案(网友版)Li miting the growth of technology throughout history man has changed his physical environment to improve his way of life. With the tools of technology man has altered many physical features of the earth. He has transformed wood lands into farmland: He has modified the face of the earth by cutting through mountains to build roads and railways. However these changes in the physical environment have not always had beneficial results. Today, pollution of the planet. Each day, thousands of tons of gases come out of the vehicles: smoke from factories pollutes the air of industrialized areas and the surrounding countryside. The air in cities is becoming increasingly unhealthy. The pollution of water is equally harmful. In the sea, pollution from oil is killing a lot of sea plant and fish. It is now necessary for man to limit the growth of technology in order to survive on the earth.。