专四Dictation原文

1.Town and Country Life in England

There is a big difference between town life and country life in England. In the country, everybody knows everybody else. They know what time you get up, what time you go to bed and what you have for dinner. If you want help, you will always get it and you will be glad to help others.

In a large town like London, however, it can sometimes happen that you have never seen your next door neighbor and you do not know his name or anything about him. People in London are often very lonely. This is because people go to different places in the evenings and at weekends. If you walk through the streets in the centre of London on Sunday, it is like a town without people. One is sorry for old people living on their own. They could die in their homes and would not be discovered for weeks or even months.

2.A Change in Women’s Life

The important change in women’s life-pattern has only recently begun to have its full effect on women’s economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left s chool at the first opportunity, and most of them took a full-time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though women tend to marry younger, more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born. Very many more afterwards return to full-time or part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfactions of family life and with both husband and wife sharing more equally in providing the money, and running the home, according to the abilities and interests of each of them.

3.A Popular Pastime of the English People

One of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what the do with their non-working time.

Most English men, women and children love growing things, especially flowers. Visitors to England in spring, summer or autumn are likely to see gardens all they way along the railway lines. There are flowers at the airports and flowers in factory grounds, as well as in gardens along the roads. Each English town has at least one park with beautifully kept flower beds. Public buildings of every kind have brilliant window boxes and sometimes baskets of flowers are hanging on them. But what the English enjoy most is growing things themselves. If it is impossible to have a garden, then a window box or something growing in a pot will do. Looking at each other’s gardens is a popular pastime with the English.

4.British and American Police Officers

Real policemen, both in Britain and the U.S., hardly recognize any common points between their lives and what they se on TV—if they ever get home in time.

Some things are almost the same, of course, but the policemen do not think much of them much of them.

The first difference is that a policeman’s real life deals with the law. Most of what he learns is the law. He has to know actually what actions are against the law and what facts can be used to prove them in court. He has to know nearly as much law as a lawyer, and what’s more, he has to put it into practice on his feet, in the dark and, running down a narrow street after someone he wants to talk to.

Little of his time is spent in talking with beautiful girls or in bravely facing cruel criminals. He will spend most of his working life arranging millions of words on thousands of fomp3s about

hundreds of sad, ordinary people who are guilty--- or not of stupid, unimportant crimes.

5.Living Space

How much living space does a person need? What happens when his space needs are not met? Scientists are doing experiments on rats to try to detemp3ine the effects of overcrowded conditions on man. Recent studies have shown that the behavior of rats is greatly affected by space. If rats have enough living space, they eat well, sleep well and produce their young well. But if their living conditions become too crowded, their behavior and even their health change obviously. They can not sleep and eat well, and signs of fear and worry become clear. The more crowded they are, and more they tend to bite each other and even kill each other. Thus, for rats, populations and violence are directly related. Is this a natural law for human society as well? Is enough space not only satisfactory, but necessary for human survival? These are interesting questions.

6.The United Nations

In 1945, representatives of 50 nations met to plan this organization. It was called the United Nations. After the war, many more nations joined.

There are two major parts of the United Nations. One is called the General Assembly. In the General Assembly, every member nation is represented and has an equal vote.

The second part is called the Security Council. It has representatives of just 15 nations. Five nations are pemp3anent members: the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and China. The 10 other members are elected every two years by the General Assembly.

The major job of the Security Council is to keep peace in the world. If necessary, it can send troops from member nations to try to stop little wars before they turn into big ones.

It is hard to get the nations of the Security Council to agree on when this is necessary. But they did vote to try to stop wars.

7.Plastic

We use plastic wrap to protect our foods. We put our garbage in plastic bags or plastic cans. We sit on plastic chairs, play with plastic toys, drink from plastic cups, and wash our hair with shampoo from plastic bottles!

Plastic does not grow in nature. It is made by mixing certain things together. We call it a produced or manufactured material. Plastic was first made in the 1860s from plants, such as wood and cotton. That plastic was soft and burned easily.

The first modern plastics were made in the 1930s. Most clear plastic starts out as thick, black oil. That plastic coating inside a pan begins as natural gas.

Over the years, hundreds of different plastics have been developed. Some are hard and strong. Some are soft and bendable. Some are clear. Some are many-colored. There is a plastic for almost every need. Scientists continue to experiment with plastics. They hope to find even ways to use them!

8.Display of Goods

Are supemp3arkets designed to persuade us to buy more?

Fresh fruit and vegetables are displayed near supemp3arket entrances. This gives the impression that only healthy food is sold in the shop. Basic foods that everyone buys, like sugar and tea, are not put near each other. They are kept in different aisles so customers are taken past other attractive foods before they find what they want. In this way, shoppers are encouraged to buy products that they do not really need.

Sweets are often placed at children’s eye level at the checkout. While parents are waiting to pay, children reach for the sweets and put them in the trolley.

More is bought from a fifteen-foot display of one type of product than from a ten-foot one. Customers also buy more when shelves are full than when they are half empty. They do not like to buy from shelves with few products on them because they feel there is something wrong with those products that are there.

9.Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879, His father owned a factory that made electrical devices. His mother enjoyed music and books. His parents were Jewish but they did not deserve many of the religion’s rules. Albert was a quite child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty learning to read. When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass. The child was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction—to the north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers about magnetism and gravity were difficult for the boy to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something hidden had to be behind things.

10.Private Cars

With the increase in the general standard of living, some ordinary Chinese families begin to afford a car. Yet opinions of the development of a private car vary from person to person.

It gives a much greater degree of comfort and mobility. The owner of a car is no longer forced to reply on public transport, and hence no irritation caused by waiting for buses or taxis. However, others strongly object to developing private cars. They maintain that as more and more cars are produced and run in the street, a large volume of poisonous gas will be given off, polluting the atmosphere and causing actual hamp3 to the health of people.

Whether private cars should be developed in Chicago is a difficult question to answer, yet the desire for the comfort and independence a private car can bring will not be eliminated.

11.A Henpecked Husband and His Wife

There was once a large, fat woman who had a small, thin husband. He had a job in a big company and was given his weekly wages every Friday evening. As soon as he got home on Fridays, his wife used to make him give her all his money, and then she used to give him back only enough to buy his lunch in his company every day.

One day, the small man came home very excited. He hurried into the living-room. His wife was listening to the radio and eating chocolates there.

“You will never guess what happened to me to day, dear.‖ he said.

He waited for a few seconds and then added, ―I won ten thousand dollars on the lottery!‖

“That is wonderful! ‖ said his wife delightedly. But then she pulled a long face and added angrily, ―But how could you afford to buy the ticket?‖

12.A Young Man’s Promise

One day, a young man was writing a letter to his girlfriend who lived just a few miles away in a nearby town. He was telling her how much he loved her and how wonderful he thought she was. The more he wrote the more poetic he became. Finally he said that in order to be with her, he would suffer the greatest difficulties, he would face the greatest dangers that anyone couldn’t imagine. In fact, to spend only one minute with her, he would swim across the widest river, he would enter the deepest forest, and he would fight against the fiercest animals with his bare hands.

He finished the letter, signed his name and then suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to mention something quite important. So, in a postscript below his name, he added:

“By the way, I’ll be over to see you on Wednesday night, if it doesn’t rain.‖

13.A Kind Neighbor

Mr. and Mrs. Jones’ apartment was full of luggage, packages, furniture and boxes. Both of them were very busy when they heard the doorbell ring. Mrs. Jones went to open it and she saw a middle-aged lady outside. The lady said she lived next door. Mrs. Jones invited her to come in and apologized because there was no place for her to sit. ―Oh, that’s OK.‖ said the lady. ―I just come to welcome to your new home. As you know, in some parts of this city, neighbors are not friendly at all. They are some apartment houses where people don’t know any of their neighbors, not even the ones next door. But in this building, everyone is very friendly with everyone else. We are like a big happy family. I am sure you will be very happy here.‖ Mr. and Mrs. Jones said, ―But madam, we are not new dwellers in this apartment. We’ve lived here for two years. We are moving out tomorrow.‖

14.A Young Man’s Promise

One day, a young man was writing a letter to his girlfriend who lived just a few miles away in a nearby town. He was telling her how much he loved her and how wonderful he thought she was. The more he wrote the more poetic he became. Finally he said that in order to be with her, he would suffer the greatest difficulties, he would face the greatest dangers that anyone couldn’t imagine. In fact, to spend only one minute with her, he would swim across the widest river, he would enter the deepest forest, and he would fight against the fiercest animals with his bare hands. He finished the letter, signed his name and then suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to mention something quite important. So, in a postscript below his name, he added:

“By the way, I’ll be over to see you on Wednesday night, if it doesn’t rain.‖

15.A Kind Neighbor

Mr. and Mrs. Jones’ apartment was full of luggage, packages, furniture and boxes. Both of them were very busy when they heard the doorbell ring. Mrs. Jones went to open it and she saw a middle-aged lady outside. The lady said she lived next door. Mrs. Jones invited her to come in and apologized because there was no place for her to sit. ―Oh, that’s OK.‖ said the lady. ―I just come to welcome to your new home. As you know, in some parts of this city, neighbors are not friendly at all. They are some apartment houses where people don’t know any of their neighbors, not even the ones next door. But in this building, everyone is very friendly with everyone else. We are like a big happy family. I am s ure you will be very happy here.‖ Mr. and Mrs. Jones said, ―But madam, we are not new dwellers in this apartment. We’ve lived here for two years. We are moving out tomorrow.‖

16.That Isn’t Our Fault

Mr. and Mrs. Williams got married when he was twenty-three, and she was twenty. Twenty-five years later, they had a big party, and a photographer came and took some photographs of them. Then the photographer gave Mrs. Williams a card and said, ―They’ll be ready next Wednesday. You can get them from studio.‖

“No,‖ Mrs. Williams said, ―please send them to us.‖

The photographs arrived a week later, but Mrs. Williams was not happy when she saw them. She got into her car and drove to the photographer’s studio. She went inside and said angrily, ―You took some photograp hs of me and my husband last week, but I’m not going to pay for them.‖

“Oh, why not?‖ the photographer asked.

“Because my husband looks like a monkey,‖ Mrs. Williams said.

“Well,‖ the photographer answered, ―that isn’t our fault. Why didn’t you think of th at before you married him?‖

17.A Guide's Answer

In 1861, the Civil War started in the United States between the Northern and the Southern states. The war continued with great bitterness until 1865, when the Northerners were victorious. However, even today, many Southerners have not forgotten their defeat, or forgiven the Northerners.

A few years ago, a party of American tourists were going round one of the battlefields of the Civil War with a guide who came from one of the Southern states. At each place, the guide told the tourists stirring stories about how a few Southern soldiers had conquered powerful forces of Northerners there.

At last, one of the tourists, a lady who came from the North, stopped the guide and said to him, ― But surely that the Northern amp3y must have won at least one victory in the Civil War?‖

“Not as long as I’m the guide here, madam,‖ answered the Southern guide.

19.A Qualified Pilot

The captain of a small ship had to go along a rocky coast, but he was unfamiliar with it, so he tried to find a qualified pilot to guide him. He went ashore in one of the small ports, and a local fishemp3an pretended that he was a pilot because he needed some money. The captain took him on board and asked him where to steer the ship.

After half an hour, the captain began to suspect that the fisheman did not really know what he was doing and where he was going.

―Are you sure you are a qualified pilot?‖ he asked.

―Oh, yes,‖ answered the fisheman. ―I know every rock on this part of the coast.‖

Suddenly there was a terrible crash from under the ship. At once the fisheman added, ―And that’s one of them.‖

20.Living Things React

You and all organisms live an environment. An environment is made up of everything that surrounds an organism. It can include the air, the water, the soil, and even other organisms.

An organism responds to changes in its environment. When an organism responds to a change, it reacts in certain ways. All living things respond in some way.

Have you ever noticed how plants and insects respond to light? Plants bend toward light. Insects fly toward light.

Living things also respond in other ways. The leaves on some trees respond to a change in season. In autumn, they change colors and then fall off the branches Animals also respond to a change in season. Squirrels save nuts for the winter. Bears sleep through the winter in a cave.

You respond to your environment in many ways, too. You may shiver if you are cold. What other ways do you respond to changes in your environment?

21.Flowering Plants

What are the parts of a flower?

Flowers can have male parts and female parts. The female parts make eggs that become seeds. The male parts make pollen. Pollen is a powdery material that is needed by the eggs to make seeds. To make seeds, pollen and eggs must come together. The wind, insects, and birds bring pollen to eggs.

Many animals love flowers’ bright colors. They also like a sugary liquid in flowers. This is called nectar. While they drink nectar, pollen rubs off on their bodies. As they move, some of this pollen gets delivered to the female flower parts.

Over time, the female parts turn into fruits that contain seeds. Animals often eat the fruits and the seeds pass through their bodies as waste. The animals do no know they are working for the plants by planting seeds as they travel to different places!

22.Finding the Direction and Location

How can you tell which direction? By day, look for the Sun. It is in the east in the morning and the west in the afternoon. At night, use the Big Dipper to help you find the North Star. It would be better to bring a compass because its needle always points north.

How do you know how far you have gone? You could count every step. Each step is about two feet. You’d better wear a pedometer which is a tool that counts steps. If you know where you started, which direction you are heading, and how far you have gone, you can use a good map to figure out exactly where you are.

Today there is a new way for travelers to figure out where they are. It is the GPS. It has 24 satellites that orbit the earth and constantly broadcast their positions. Someday you may carry a small receiver as you hike and use GPS to find out if you are there yet!

23.Waves

How does light get from the sun to the earth? How does music get from the stage to the audience? They move the same way-----in waves!

Light and sound are fomp3s of energy. All waves carry energy, but they may carry it differently. Light and sound travel through different kinds of matter. For example, light waves cannot move through walls, but sound waves can. That is why you can hear people talking in another room even though you cannot see them. The energy of some waves is destructive. An earthquake produces seismic waves.

Catch a wave. Ask a friend to stand a few feet away from you. Stretch a spring between you. Shake the spring to transfer energy to it. What happens? The spring bounces up and down in waves. When the waves reach your friend, they bounce back to you!

Light waves travel 300,000 kilometers (186,000 miles) per second! They can also travel through a vacuum. That is why light from the sun and distant stars can travel through space to the earth! 24.Soils

There are many different kinds of soils. Different soils have different types of rock and minerals in them. Some soils have more water in them than others. Some soils might have more plant and animal material in them, too.

Different kinds of soils are found in different parts of the world. There are several kinds of soils found in the United States. In some areas, the soil has a lot of clay. Other soils are very sandy. Loam is a kind of soil that has a good mixture of clay and sand.

In some places, soil layers are very thick. Lots of plants grow in places with a thick soil layer. In dry and windy places soil layers are much thinner. Layers of soil on mountains are thin because gravity pulls the soil downhill.

The type of soil in a particular place affects what kinds of plants can grow there.

25.Crisis

Life is a contest! Who will win? A bluebird and sparrow both compete for space to build their nests. A fast-growing maple tree and slower-growing dogwood compete for the sunlight they both

need. Oil competes with coal and nuclear power as an energy source for electric power plants! There is a problem. There is a limited amount of space for birds, sunlight for trees, and energy for people! If we do not cut back on our uses of some of our resources, someday they will be gone! How can we use energy today and know we will have enough to go around in the future? We can choose alternate, or replacement, energy resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.

Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable resources. It takes the earth millions of years to create coal, oil, and gas. They are nonrenewable resources.

Solar energy, wind energy and water energy are renewable. What other ways can we conserve our sources? How can we make sure there is always enough to go around?

26.America’s Worst Surprise

December 7, 1941 was one of the worst days in American history. Nearly all Americans who are old enough to remember that day can still remember what they were doing at the moment they heard ―the news‖. The news was that America had been attacked!

Shortly before 2:00 P.M., a radio disp atch came into Washington from Honolulu, Hawaii. ―Air Raid, Pearl Harbor—This is no drill.‖ Japanese planes had begun an attack on the largest American military base in the Pacific. They first destroyed planes on the ground. Then they bombed the ships in the harbor.

No one had expected the attack. So no one was prepared for it. And it did not take long for Japanese to do their damage. When the smoke cleared, the Navy counted its losses. Eighteen ships had been sunk or badly damaged. Nearly 150 planes had been destroyed. More than 2,400 Americans had been killed and more than 1,200 wounded.

27.Great Depression in the U.S.

In 1929, the bill started to come in. American industry had produced too many goods. Americans could not afford to buy all of them. So factories had to cut down on their production. Many workers lost their jobs. Investors tried to get their money back. But businesses did not have enough money to pay them. Banks tried to get their money back from investors. But the investors could not pay, either. Too many people owed money. And few of them could pay their bill. During the next few years, business got worse and worse. By 1932, banks all over the country were closing.

People without money could not buy goods. So more businesses closed. More and more people lost their jobs. By 1932, more than 12 million Americans were jobless. Millions more were earning barely enough to live on. The country was in a great depression they had never experienced before.

28.A Place of Our Own

We are all usually very careful when we buy something for the house. Why? Because we have to live with it for a long time. We paint a room to make it brighter, so we choose the colors carefully. We buy new curtains in order to match the newly decorated room, so they must be the right color. We move the furniture round so as to make more space—or we buy new furniture—and so on. It is an endless business.

Rich or poor, we take time to furnish a room. Perhaps some people buy furniture in order to impress their friends. But most of us just want to enjoy our surroundings. We want to live as comfortably as we can afford to. We spend a large part of our lives at home. We want to make a small corner in the world which we can recognize as our own.

29.Travel for Work

You can see them in every airport in the world. They are businessmen and women who have to travel for their work.

When they first applied for the job, they may have thought of good food and hotels, huge expense accounts and fashionable cities. Now they have to sit in airport lounges, tired and uncomfortable in their smart clothes, listening to the loudspeaker announce ―The fight of Tokyo, or Berlin, or New York is delayed for another two hours.‖ Some people say to me, ―How lucky you are to be able to travel abroad in your work! You can go sightseeing without paying any money by yourself!‖ They think that my job is like a continual holiday. It is not.

There are advantages, of course, and I do think I am lucky, but only because I can go to places I would never visit if I were a tourist.

30.Intelligence

Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience?

Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus, the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, held by most experts now, can be supported in a number of ways. As is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people is, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence.

31.A Free Dress Every Week

The temptation to steal is greater than ever before especially in large shops and people are not so honest as they once were.

A detective recently watched a well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings. One Monday, there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman came in, so it was easier for the detective to watch her. The woman first bought a few small articles. After a little time, she chose one of the most expensive dresses in the shop and handed it to an assistant who wrapped it up for her as quickly as possible. The woman simply took the parcel and walked out of the shop without paying. When she was arrested, the detective found out that the shop assistant was her daughter. Believe it or not, the girl ―gave‖ her mother a free dress every week!

30.Time

Time is tangible. One can gain time, spend time, waste time, save time, or even kill time. Common questions in American English reveal this concrete quality as though time were a possession. ―Do you have any time?‖, ―Can you get some time for this?‖, ―How much free time do you have?‖ The treatment of time as a possession influences the way that time is carefully divided.

Generally, Americans are taught to do one thing at a time and may be uncomfortable when an activity is interrupted. In businesses, the careful scheduling of time and the separation of activities are common practices. Appointment calendars are printed with 15-,30-, and 60-minute time slots. The idea that ―there is a time and place for everything‖ extends to American social life. Visitors who drop by without prior notice may interrupt their host’s pers onal time. Thus, calling friends on the telephone before visiting them is generally preferred to visitors’ dropping by.

32.Cartoonists

In a good cartoon, the artist can tell in a few lines as much as a writer can tell in half a dozen paragraphs. The cartoonist not only tells a story but he also tries to persuade the reader to his way of thinking. He has great influence on public opinion. In a political campaign, he plays an important part. Controversial issues in Congress or at meetings of the United Nations may keep the cartoonist well-supplied with current materials.

A clever cartoonist may cause laughter because he often uses humor in his drawings. If he is sketching a famous person, he takes a prominent feature and exaggerates it. Cartoonists, for instance, like to lengthen an already long nose and to widen an already broad grin. This exaggeration of a person’s characteristics is called caricature. The artist uses such exaggeration to put his message across.

33.Water Pollution

Water is very important to us. Factories and plants need water for industrial uses and large pieces of farmland need it for irrigation. Without water to drink, people die in a short time.

Today most water sources are so dirty that people must purify water before drinking. Water becomes dirty in many ways: industrial pollution is one of them. With the development of industry, plants and factories pour tons of industrial wasters into rivers every day. The rivers have become seriously polluted, and the water is becoming unfit for drinking or irrigation. The same thing has also happened to our seas and oceans. So, the problem of water pollution is almost worldwide. Scientists of many countries have done a lot of work to stop pollution. The polluted water in some places has become clean and drinkable again. Perhaps one day the people in all towns and cities will be drinking clean water. That day, we believe, is not very far off.

34.Making a Complaint

Complaining about faulty goods or bad service is never easy. But if something you have bought is faulty or does not do what was claimed for it, you are not asking for a favor to get it put right. Complaints should be made to a responsible person. Go back to the shop where you bought the goods, taking with you any receipt you may have. In a small store the assistant may also be the owner so you can complain direct. In a chain store, ask the manager. If you telephone, ask the name of the person who handles your enquiry, otherwise you may never find out who dealt with the complaint later. If you do not want to do it in person, write a letter. Stick to the facts and keep a copy of what you write. At this stage you should give any receipt numbers, but you should not need to give receipts or other papers to prove you bought the article.

35.Where Do the British Live

Nearly everyone in Britain would like to own their own home and, whether they do or not, they are prepared to put time and money into decorating and furnishing it or even making structural alterations to it. Because of the climate and because of the expense involved in going out for the evening, the British spend a lot of time at home and a large part of their social life takes place there.

Young people tend to stay with their families longer these days as accommodation is expensive but, when they move away to a job or college, there are various options open to them. They can get lodgings with a landlady. This means that they rent a room in someone’s house and have breakfast with the family. They can also get a bed-sitting room, that is to say one self-contained room in which they can cook, live and sleep. Alternatively, they can share a rented flat or house with a group of young people, perhaps the most popular option of all.

36.Will Computers Replace Human Beings?

We are in the computer age today. The computers are working all kinds of wonders now. They are very useful in automatic control and data processing. At the same time, computers are finding their way into the home. They seem to be so clever and can solve such complicated problems that some people think sooner or later they will replace us.

But I do not think that there is such a possibility. My reason is very simple: computers are machines, not humans. And our tasks are far too various and complicated for any one single kind of machine to performer.

Probably the greatest difference between man and computer is that the former can do things of his own while the latter can do nothing without being programmed. In my opinion, computers will remain nothing but an extension of our human brains, no matter how clever and complicated they may become.

37.Artists

Every artist knows in his heart that he is saying something to the public. Not only does he want to say it well, but he wants it to be something which has not been said before.

What visual artists, like painters, want to say is easy to make out but difficult to explain, because painters translate their experiences into shapes and colors, not words. They seem to feel that a certain selection of shapes and colors, out of the countless billions of possible, is exceptionally interesting for them and worth showing to us.

Most artists take their shapes and colors from the world of nature and from human bodies in motion and response; their choices indicate that these aspects of the world are worth looking at, that they contain beautiful sights. Contemporary artists might say that they merely choose subjects that provide an interesting pattern, that there is nothing more in it. Yet even they do not choose entirely without reference to the character of their subjects.

38.Professioanl Sports in the U.S.

Professional sports are not only very popular in the United States, but also a big business. The most popular sports are baseball, football and basketball. Each sport has its own season and individual teams have millions of supporters. Professional teams are named for the cities where they are located. For example, the Lakers are in Los Angeles. The strongest supporters of the Lakers are residents of Los Angeles and Southern California. When the Lakers play, many people in Los Angeles enthusiastically follow the game. When we mention ―NBA‖, almost every one knows it has some relationship with U.S. professional basketball. However, what does it really stand for? NBA is short for the national basketball association.N.B.A is gaining new fans and supporters around the world. Basketball has been called the ―national pastime‖. However, football is the most popular professional sport in the U.S.. American football is different from international football, which Americ ans call ―soccer‖. Both games require strength and specialized skills.

39.“How to” Books

Books which give instructions on how to do things are popular in the United States today. Thousands of these ―how to‖ books are available. In fact, there are about fou r thousand books with titles that begin with the words ―how to’.

Many ―how to‖ books give advice on careers. They tell you how to choose a career and how to succeed in it. Many of these books help people to use their free time better. Some people want book which will give them useful information about sports, hobbies and travel. Other people use their free time to make repairs and improvements on their homes. They prefer books which give

step-by-step instructions on how to repair things like plumbing and electrical wiring or on how to redecorate or enlarge a house.

Why have ―how to‖ books become so popular? Probably because life has become more complex. Today people have far more free to use, more choices to make, and more problems to solve, ―how to‖ books h elp people to deal with modern life.

40.Don’t give up

If we would ever accomplish anything in life, let us not forget that we must persevere. If we would learn our lessons in school, we must be diligent and not give up whenever we come to anything difficult. We shall find many of our lessons very hard, but let us consider that the harder they are the better they will do to us if we will preserve and learn them thoroughly.

But there are some among us who are ready to give up when they come to a hard example in mathematics, and say, ―I can’t do this.‖ They never will if they feel so. ―I can’t‖ never does anything worthwhile, but ―I’ll try‖ accomplishes wonders.

Let us remember that we shall meet with difficulties all through life. They are in the pathway of everyone. If we will only try and keep trying, we shall be sure to conquer and overcome every difficulty we meet.

41.How High Can Y ou Jump?

Flea trainers have observed a strange habit of fleas while training them.

Fleas are trained by putting them in a cardboard box with a top on it. The fleas will jump up and hit the top of the cardboard box over and over and over again. As you watch them jump and hit the lid, something very interesting becomes obvious. The fleas continue to jump, but they are no longer jumping high enough to hit the top.

When you take off the lid, the fleas continue to jump, but they will not jump out of the box. They will not jump out because they cannot jump out. Why? The reason is simple. They have conditioned themselves to jump just so high. Once they have conditioned themselves to jump just so high, that is all they can do!

Many times, people do the same thing. They restrict themselves and never reach their potential. Just like the fleas, they fail to jump higher, thinking that they are doing all they can do.

42.Apology Helps

It is never easy to admit you are in the wrong. Being human, we all need to know the art of apologizing. Look back with honesty and think how often you have judged roughly, you said unkind things, and pushed yourself ahead at the expense of a friend. Then count the occasions when you indicated clearly and truly that you were sorry. A bit frightening, isn’t it? It is frightening, isn’t it? It is frightening because some deep wisdom in us knows that when even a small wrong has been committed, some mysterious moral feeling is disturbed; and it stays out of balance until fault is acknowledged and regret expressed.

A heartfelt apology can not only heal a damaged relationship but also make it stronger. If you can think of someone who deserves an apology from you, someone you have wronged, or judged too roughly, or just neglected, do something about it right now.

43.Sleep

Why is it so difficult to fall asleep when you are overtired? There is no one answer that applies to ev ery individual. It is possible to feel ―tired‖ physically and still be unable to fall asleep, because while your body may be exhausted, you do not feel sleepy. It is not so easy to simply ―turn off‖. Lack of sleep complicates matters even more. Experts say adults need at least seven to eight hours

of sleep a night to function properly. When you get less sleep than that on consecutive three nights, you begin to accrue for ―sleep debt‖. As sleep debt increases your body experiences a stress response. Now a vicious cycle has been created: You experience the feeling of being more and more tired, but your body is increasingly stimulated. ―Power sleeping‖ for more hours on weekends is only a temporary solution. There is no substitute for getting a good night’s sle ep on a regular basis.

44.Why Some People Are Poor

The poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living.People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor.

As the general standard of living rises,the pove rty line does,too.Therefore,even with today’s relatively high standard of living,about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line.Economists suggest several reasons.

For one thing, more than half of the poor people are not qualified to work.By law, children less than 16 years old can not work in many industries;many companies do not hire people over 65 years old,which is considered the normal retirement age.

Some poor adults do not look for jobs for a variety of personal reasons.Other poor people look for a job but can’t find one.Many poor adults never went to high school.Therefore,when they look for jobs,they have few skills that they can offer

45.Old Age

Many people mistakenly believe that old age is a time of increased illness and loneliness.In fact, people do not suddenly change when they reach the age of 60 or 65.Consequently,We should not expect more mental illness among the 60 to 70 age group than among the 50 to 60.Furthermore,although more parentsand their married children live in separate households than ever before,this is usually by choice. It is not because children now tend to neglect their parents when they become old.

It is also wrong to believe that old age seriously affects a person’s mental abilities.There is c lear proof that people who were eager to learn and who welcomed new experiences in their middle age,continue to do so in the old age. It is true that older people tend to take longer to learn something new than young people.Nevertheless,if they are given sufficient time,they learn as well as young people do.

46.Reading

Nowadays few of us read books after we leave school.

This is rather disturbing, for one should know that books are no less necessary to one’s mental life than fresh air is to one’s physical life. From good reading we can derive companionship, experience and instruction. A good book is our faithful friend. It can increase our contentment when we are cheerful and happy, and lessen our pain when we are sad or lonely. Books can also offer us a wide range of experience. Few of us can travel far from home or live long over 100, but all of us can live many lives through the pages of books. What’s more, reading books can increase our intellectual ability, broaden our minds and make us wise.

With the coming of TV, books are no longer read as widely as they once were. However, nothing can replace the role that books play in our lives.

47.Natural Resource

Through the changes in the ways of making a living in a family over several generations, the cartoon aims at sounding a warning against man’s wasteful use of natural resources and

emphasizing the urgent need to preserve these resources.

Ever since man appeared on the earth, man’s survival has been heavily dependent on nature. Almost everything we use in our everyday life comes from nature, ranging from the food we eat, the water we drink, to the wood which is turned into furniture. With the development of technology and population growth, the amount and range of materials used has increased at an alarming rate.

However, natural resources are not inexhaustible. Some reserves are already on the brink of exhaustion and there is no hope of replacing them. The widespread water shortage is an example in point. If man continued to squander natural resources with no thought for the future, the whole world would be in a mess.

48.Population Growth

It is well-known that there has been a drastic increase in world population. But it is probably less well-known that the extinction rate of wildlife species is experiencing a parallel trend.

Take the United States for instance. In 1990, U.S. population reached an unprecedented level of 250 million, which is approximately 250 times of that of 1800. On the other hand, wildlife species are disappearing from the country at an alarming rate. By 1900, about 70 wildlife species would never be seen in U.S.. We are fully justified in declaring that the explosive population growth has had an adverse effect on the survival of wildlife species and will be a constant threat to the wildlife resources if no immediate actions are taken.

Nothing has ever equaled the magnitude and speed with which the human species is altering the physical and chemical world. It has been demolishing the environment we are living in.

49.House and Home

“House‖ and―home‖ are two words that have similar meanings.

“House‖ and ―home‖ both refer to places where people live. However, there is a difference between them. ―Home‖ is often referred to as the place that we live in with our families. Sadly, in our society, people can hardly distinguish a home from a house because they often see no difference between them. This confusion can be traced back to the indifference between the family members. Therefore, we can say that love is an important factor in a home. A home is a shelter, not only for our bodies but also for our minds. Whenever we are depressed, we can go home for comfort. Everyone in the family will do his best to take care of each other and share their happiness as well as sorrow. Without love, a home is merely a house where loneliness is all that can be found. And a house can never be a home unless there is love.

50.Airplane Engines

In 1945, a new type of airplane engine was invented. It was much lighter and more powerful than earlier engines, and enabled warplanes to fly faster and higher than ever. This type of engine was called the jet engine because it belows a large jet of hot air backwards at high speed. The first airplane to use the new jet engine was built in Britain and it began carrying passengers in 1952. It had two jet engines and flew much higher than petrol-engine airplanes. At this height the air is thinner and very cold, and so the airplane can cut through the air more easily. However, the cabin has to be air-conditioned and has to be at normal pressure so that the passengers may eat, read and sleep in comfort.

Today all long distance airplanes have jet engines. The modern jet airplanes are very big and can carry hundreds of passengers on two different floors, which makes air travel much cheaper.

51.United Nations Day

The 24th of October is celebrated as United Nations Day./It is a daythat 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 programmes for the day./Boys and girls in some communities decorate a UN tree./In other communities,young people put on plays about the UN./Some libraries exhibit children's art works from around the world./Schools celebrate with the songs and dances of other countries,/or give parities where foods of other countiries 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.

52.The Railway in Britain

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 track.

Railways even changed the time. They need to run the railways on time meant that local time was abolished and the clocks showed the same time all over the country.

53.How and Why We Sleep?

It's apparent that everyone needs to sleep.However,most people rarely think about how and why they sleep.We know that if we sleep well,we feel rested.If we don't sleep enough,we often feel tired and irritable.It seems there are two purposes of asleep:physical rest and emotional and psychological rest.We need to rest our bodies and our minds. Both of which are important in order for us to be healthy.

Each night we alternate between two kinds of sleep:active sleep and passive sleep.The passive sleep gives our body the rest and prepares us for active sleep in which dreaming occurs. Throughout the night,people alternate between passive and active sleep.The brain rests then they becomes active then dreaming occurs.The cycle is repeated and the cycle is repeated several times throughout the night.During eight hours of sleep,people dream for a total of one and a half hours on the average.

54.Gardening

Gardening is one of the oldest of the arts./The Chinese with their deep sensitivity to beauty/laid the foundations for a form of garden art/which was later to have great influences upon other lands./

The Greeks gave to the world a new concept of gardening./Their homes were decorated with flowers,/but it was in their civic design that they most skillfully applied their garden art./Their temples were surrounded by rows of trees,/and trees lined the important streets and market places in their principal cities./The Romans acquired much of the knowledge and skill in garden craft from Greeks./In the second century AD the Romans began to build gardens of great scale,/inspired

by the vast palace gardens they had conquered./They brought water from great distances to supply the ornamental fountains/which decorated their villa gardens./Later these great villas were to inspire the Italian garden architects to follow the Roman style.

55.Dining Custom in the USA

Americans, like many people elsewhere in the world, like to invite friends to their homes for an evening of food,drink and conversation. Formal dinners in fine homes and hotels in the US are much the same as formal dinners anywhere in the world.

But as most people in the US have no servants,their dinner parties at home tend to be informal. Guests may sit down at a table,or as many new small homes have no separate dining room or very small dining space.

Guests can also serve themselves and eat in the living room, holding their plates or trays on their knees. A more enjoyable form of entertainment is the picnic.

Americans are great picnickers and almost every family has a picnic basket.

Summer invitations are often for a picnic at a park or in the open countryside, and less hamburgers or hot dogs are cooked over a fire. Picnic food is usually cold.

56.Cars in the Future

As big cars cause many problems,such as pollution, shortage of parking space,crowded traffic,scientists are now trying to design some small cars that may some day replace today’s big automobiles.If more people begin to drive such cars in the future,there will be less air pollution. There will also be more space for parking cars in cities,and the streets will be less crowded.Three such cars can fit in the space that is now needed for one car of the usual size. The little cars will cost much less to own and to drive.Driving will be safer as these cars can only go 60 kilometers per hour.

The cars of the future will be fine for driving around the city.However, they will not be suitable for long trips,because these cars by petrol can only go 450 kilometers before needing to stop for refueling.

57.Proffesor Bumble

Professor Bumble is not only absent-minded but short-sighted as well. His mind is always busy with learned thoughts and he seldom notices what is going on around him.

On a fine day recently, he went for a walk in the countryside. But as always, he read the book as he walked. He hadn，t gone far when he ran into a large cow and fell down. He had lost his spectacles in the fall, and he thought he had stumbled over a fat lady. "I beg your pardon，madam," he said politely before searching for his glasses. As soon as he had put the glasses on，he realized his mistake.

Soon he was concentrating on his book again and paying no attention to anything else. He had scarcely been walking for five minutes when he fell over again, losing both his book and his glasses. This time he became very angry. Seizing his umbrellas, he struck the "cow" in anger. Then, after finding his glasses, he realized with horror that he had made a second mistake. A large fat woman was running away from him in terror.

58.Representatives of Civilization: Pottery

Ancient people made clay pottery because they needed it for their survival. They used the pots they made for cooking, storing food, and carrying things from place to place. Pottery was so important to early cultures that scientists now study it to learn more about ancient civilizations. The more advanced the pottery in terms of decoration, materials, glazes and manufacture, the

more advanced the culture itself.

The artisan who makes pottery in North America today utilizes his or her skill and imagination to create items that are beautiful as well as functional, transforming something ordinary into something special and unique.

The potter uses one of the Earth's most basic materials, clay. Clay can be found almost anywhere. Good pottery clay must be free from all small stones and other hard materials that would make the potting process difficult.

The most important tools potters use are their own hands; however, they also use wire loop tools, wooden modeling tools, plain wire, and sponges.

59.Juana Lopez’s Invention

One day, Juana Lopez had an idea for a dish washing machine that worked without using water. She went to see several dishwasher manufacturers about producing the machine, but none of them were interested. Juana found investors to back her idea and founded her own production company. She spent millions of dollars on developing her own dishwasher and it was launched three years later. From then on, sales were very good, better even than Juana had hoped. But Global Domestic, one of the companies that she had been to, made its own waterless dishwasher. Juana obtained one and found that it used the technical ideas she had developed. She had obtained legal protection for legal process, Global Domestic was forced to stop making its competing dishwasher and to pay Juana several million dollars. Now Juana’s waterless dishwasher has 40% of the worldwide dishwasher market and this is increasing every year.

60.Time Management

Time is something from which we can’t escape. Even if we ignore it, it’s still going by, ticking away, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour. So the main issue in using your time well is, ―Who’s in charge?‖ We can allow time to slip by and let it be our enemy. Or we can take control of it and make it our ally.

By taking control of how you spend your time, youll increase your chances of becoming a more successful student. Perhaps more importantly, the better you are at managing the time you devote to your studies, the more time youll have to spend on your outside interests.

The aim of time management is not to schedule every moment so we become slaves of a timetable that governs every waking moment of the day. Inside, the aim is to make informed choices as to how we use our time.

61.Rainforest

Rainforests are the lungs of the planet – storing large quantities of carbon dioxide and producing a significant amount of the world’s oxygen. Rainforests have their own perfect system for guaranteeing their own survival. The tall trees make a cover of branches and leaves which protect themselves, smaller plants, and the forest animals from heavy rain, dry heat and strong winds. Amazingly, the trees grow in such a way that their leaves and branches, although close together, never actually touch those of another tree. Scientists think this is a deliberate method to prevent the spread of any tree diseases and make life more difficult for leaf-eating insects.

They are not called rainforests for nothing! Rainforests can produce 75% of their own rain. At least 80 inches of rain a year is normal – and in some areas there may be as much as 430 inches of rain annually. This is real rain. In just two hours, streams can rise ten to twenty feet.

62.Cell Phones

Nowadays, with the rapid development of IT and information industry, cell phones play a

dominant role in people’s life.On the one hand, the mobile phone is portable and convenient. Being wireless, you can carry them everywhere with great ease. You can reach a person wherever and however far away he is. On the other hand, it is a friend indeed. Whenever you come across trouble, you can call for help immediately.

However, just as every coin has two sides, the cell phone also has its many disadvantages. Some people complain that mobile phones give unpleasant noise on some important occasions when the owner forgets to turn them off. And it also cuts into people’s spare time, because with the mobile phone the boss can easily reach them and call them to duty during their spare time. Worst of all, the electromagnetic wave emitted from the phone is said to be harmful to people’s health and does often cause headaches to the owner.

63.Little Boy's Big Idea

The Intellectual Property Owners Association(IPO) is running a project to encourage young inventors. Samuel Houghton, a five-year-old boy has become the youngest Briton to hold a patent after watching his father struggling in the garden.

Samuel developed a garden tool after watching his father Mark use two brushes to sweep up leaves outside their house .

His father used a large brush to gather leaves and small branches, and then got a small brush to pick up what was left.

Samuel came up with the idea for a labor-saving tool, which has been patented and named the Improved Broom.

It is a simple idea that combines two ordinary brooms with different-sized bristles and brush-heads to enable different-sized dirt to be swept up more efficiently. ―The small one gets the first bits and the one at the back gets those left behind, Samuel explains.

The IPO says that Samuel is its youngest known patent holder.

64.The First Music Road in the U.S.

In the city of Lancaster, there is a wonderful road that can play music. Due to its special design, when cars drive on it, the road will produce beautiful notes.

This road is believed to be the first music road in the U.S.Citizens have different attitudes toward it. Some of them live near the road. They complain that the road is so noisy that it keeps them awake. But there are still many local people who are in favor of the road."You drove on it and you didn’t know what to happen. When I got to the end, I was smiling from ear to ear," said an old driver. In addition, the city has received hundreds of calls praising the road.

The road has become a tourist attraction and the city has decided to recreate the road in an industrial area away from homes.

65.Facing the Enemies Within

We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of your fears are brought on by your ow n experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you’ve read in the papers. Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy your ambitions, fortunes, relationships, and even life.

Another enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future.

The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure you can’t believe everything. But don’t let doubt take over you. It will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart.

Also, there are indifference, worry and overcaution that you should do battle with. Be courageous in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to become.

66.Expressions That Are Old and True

A proverb is a short, well-known saying that expresses a common truth or belief. Many proverbs give advice about how to live.

For example, my son is just like his father in many ways. We often say the two of them prove the proverb that the apple does not fall far from the tree.

My daughter is very short. She would like to be taller. But I tell her that good things come in small packages，like diamonds and other jewels. Also, I tell them do not judge a book by its cover. Do not be fooled by appearances.

Another proverb is, do not bite off more than you can ch

ew. This means do not try to do more than you are able to do.

Finally, I always like this proverb: You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Honey is sweet while vinegar is not. In other words, you can win people to your side more easily with gentle persuasion than by hostile actions.

Proverb:谚语

The apple does not fall far from the tree.有其父必有其子。

Do not judge a book by its cover.不要以貌取人。

do not bite off more than you can chew.贪多嚼不烂，别妄想一口吃成个胖子。

You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.用劝说和奉承比敌意和对抗更能赢得人心。

67.A Burden You Don’t Deserve

It’s easy to blame someone else for your troubles. Yet, when you’re truly honest with yourself, it’s clear that blaming others will not add the slightest bit of value to your life.

To move your life in the direction you choose to go, you must be willing to take full responsibility for it.That means you must accept that things are not always going to be fair.

Perhaps life has given you a burden you don’t deserve. Instead of seeing that as an excuse to give up, see it as an opportunity to give more.

Though you may not have brought your troubles upon yourself, you can still make positive use of them. Choose to take full responsibility for your own situation, and you’ll begin to see how you can rise from it to a levelthat’s higher than ever before.

Real success does not result from everythin g going perfectly. Real success comes when you’re willing to move forward no matter what may happen.

68.Words Can Make a Difference

On August 26，1999, New York City was struck by a terrible rainstorm during the morning rush hour that caused the streets to flood. Many people who were going to work were forced to go home. Some battled to call a taxi, get a bus or walk miles to get to work.

I soon discovered most of the subway lines had stopped service. I finally found an operating line, but there were so many people that I could not initially get to the platform. Finally, I got to my office, wet through, and exhausted.

After an unenjoyable day, Garth, my Director, sent an e-mail to everyone:

Thanks to everyone who reported to work. It is always reassuring when employees show their devotion to their jobs, Thank you.‖

Garth's email was short, but welcomed. It made me realize that even when times are tough, a few

kind words can make a big difference.

69.Experiences Speak

There are many different ways of seeing a town for the first time. One of them is to walk around it, guidebook in hand. Of course, we may study with our guidebooks the history and special developments of a town and get to know them. But then, if we take our time and stay in a town for a while, we may get to know it better. When we look at it as a whole, we begin to have some questions, which even the best guidebooks do not answer. Why is the town just like this, this shape, this plan, and this size?

Here even the best guidebooks fail us. We can’t find in it the information about how a town has developed to the present appearance. However, we may get some idea of what it used to look like by walking around the town. A personal visit to a town may help us better understand why it is attractive than just reading about it in a guidebook.

70.self-image

Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the wa y you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about us. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.

It might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. The best way to get rid of a negative serf-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those, you will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image.

71.Love is a telephone

Love is a telephone which is always silent when you are hoping for a call, but rings when you are not ready for it. As a result, we often miss the love coming from the other end.

Love is a telephone which is seldom program-controlled or directly dialed. You cannot get an immediate answer with a simple ―hello‖, let alone go deep into your lover’s heart with one call. Usually it has to be relayed by an operator, and you have to wait patiently.

Love is a telephone that is always busy. When you are ready to dial for love, you only find, to your disappointment, the line is already being used by someone else.

Love is a telephone, but it is difficult to know when to dial. You will miss the opportunity if your call is either too early or too late.

72.Charity Shops

The charity shop is a British institution, selling everything from clothes to electric goods, all at very good prices . You can get things you won’t find in the shops anymore . The th ing I like best about them is that your money is going to a good cause and not into the pockets of profit-driven companies, and you are not damaging the planet , but finding a new home for unwanted goods . Most of the people working in the charity shops are volunteers , although there is often a manager who gets paid . Over 90% of the goods in the charity shops are donated by the public .

The shops have very low running costs : all profits go to charity work . Charity shops raise more than ￡110 million a year , funding medical research , overseas aid , supporting sick and poor children , homeless and disabled people , and much more .

73.Passive Learning

We can achieve knowledge either actively or passively.We achieve it actively by direct experience, by testing and proving an idea, or by reasoning. We achieve knowledge passively by being told by someone else. Most of the learning that takes place in the classroom and the kind that happens when we watch TV or read newspapers or magazines is passive. Conditioned as we are to passive learning, it’s not surprising that we depend on it in our everyday communication with friends and co-workers.

Unfortunately, passive learning has a serious problem. It makes us tend to accept what we are told even when it is little more than hearsay and rumor.

That’s what happens in daily life. The simple fact that people repeat a story in their own words changes the story. Then, too, most people listen imperfectly. And many enjoy adding their own creative touch to a story, trying to improve on it, stamping it with their own personal style. Yet those who hear it think they know.

74.Fairytales

Tales of the supernatural are common in all parts of Britain. In particular, there was a belief in fairies. Not all of these fairies are the friendly, people-loving sprites that appear in Disney films. In some folktales, they are cruel and cause much human suffering. This is true in the tales about the Changeling. These tell the story of a mother whose baby grows sick and pale and is changed so much that it is almost unrecognizable to the parents. It was then feared that the fairies had come and stolen the baby away and replaced the human baby with a fairy Changeling. In those cases, there was often a way to get the real baby back. You could place the Changeling on the fire--then it would rise up the chimney, you would hear the sound of fairies' laughter and soon after, you would find your own child safe and sound nearby

75.Stress

Stress is what you feel when you react to pressure, either from the outside world or from inside yourself. Stress is a normal reaction for people of all ages.

Most people think that pressure is always a bad thing. In fact, a little bit of stress is good. Without stress, most of us couldn’t push ourselves to do well, especially in difficult things.

People usually complain about feeling pressed for time when they are under certain pressure. It is true that you can’t always control the things that are stressing you out, but you can control how you react to them. The way you feel about things results from the way you think about things. If you change how you think, you can change the way you feel. Try the following tips to deal with your stress:

Make a list of the things that are causing your stress.

Give yourself an excuse.

Don't promise to do things you can't do or don't want to do.

Find someone to talk to.

76.Rising Sea Level

Latest research predicts that the global sea level is expected to rise 9 to 88 centimeters by 2100, with a ―best estimate‖ of 50 centi meters. This is due to global warming which is causing the ice caps to melt.

This great rise of close to one meter would threaten huge areas of low-lying coastal land as well as major cities such as London, New York and Tokyo.

In many places, 50 centimeters would see entire beaches being washed away. On low-lying Pacific

英语专四历年听写文本

历年英语专业四级考试听力听写原文（1994年-2007年） The American Family (1994) The concept of family life has changed considerably over the years. / In earliest times, several generations lived together in clans, / which consisted of all living descendents and their husbands or wives. / These clans were almost totally self-sufficient, / every member contributing in some way toward the survival of the group. / The men hunted and fished for food or sometimes maintained flocks of sheep or goats. / The women baked bread and roasted the meat their men provided. / Special members of the community were selected to make products like pottery, baskets and home weapons. / But with the development of greater varieties of food, clothing and shelter, / a single clan could no longer develop all the individual skills the group required. / Clans merged into larger societies and at the same time broke into smaller units consisting of married couples and their children. / Later the Industrial Revolution brought about even more important changes in family life. / New inventions brought shorter working hours for men and easier housekeeping routines for women. / Today a productive family life suggests not the group's cooperative efforts of working together, / but the pleasant and meaningful sharing of its leisure. Unidentified Flying Objects (1995) There are many explanations for why UFOs visit the Earth. / The most popular one is that they maybe visitors from other planets./ To fly such aircraft, their builders 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 believed that several such aircraft may have landed on earth/ and the space visitors may be living amongst us./ But there are also less fantastic explanations 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 on to the clouds./ However, the exact cause of many sightings still remained a mystery. The Indian Medicine Man (1996) Among the Indians of North America, the medicine man was a very important person. He could cure illness 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 your own mind is the best doctor for you. The medicine men were often successful for another reason, too. They knew about plants that really can cure illness. A lot of medicines are made from the plants that were used by medicine men hundred of years ago. Legal Age for Marriage (1997)

英语专四听力dictation

Digital cameras According to a standard definition, a digital camera is a camera that produces digital images that can be stored in a computer, displayed on a screen and printed. Years ago, people used to possess two different devices in order to take pictures and make videos. The creation of digital cameras was motivated mainly by two factors. First, need to spare space. Second make it more comfortable for people to do both things with higher quality results. the multi-functionalism of digital cameras and combination of several devices in one make it a popular choice for a modern man. For years a digital camera has been unaffordable for many families. However, the variety of digital cameras and various prices nowadays make it possible for almost every single family to buy a digital camera. With increasingly fierce competition, the digital camera manufactures satisfy customers with lower prices but best quality standards. The migration of birds The most obvious feature of birds is that they can fly. This facility gives them great mobility and control over their movements. Many species can travel quickly and economically over long distances, up to thousands of kilometers, if necessary, crossing seas, deserts or other inhospitable areas. They also have great orientation and navigational skills and are able to remember and re-find remote places they have previously visited. Birds can thereby occupy widely separated areas at different seasons, returning repeatedly to the same localities from year to year. Although migration is evident in other animal groups, including insects, mammals and fish, in none is it as widely and well-developed as in birds. The collective travel routes of birds span almost the entire planet. As a result of migration, birds’ distributions are continually changing on regular seasonal patterns and on local, regional or global scales. Benefits of becoming a teacher Becoming a teacher gives you a chance to spend a major portion of your day with children or youngsters. With kids around, you are a part of their world of innocence and purity. It indeed creates a healthy work environment for you. On becoming a teacher, you get a chance to be with children, laughing with them, think their way and enjoy their innocent, silly and hopefully naughty behavior. Apart from this, the nature of your job is that you do not work on weekends and you get your share of holidays. Becoming a teacher entitles you for receiving private scholarships and sponsorships for teaching programs. However, one of the most important benefits of becoming a teacher is that teachers contribute to the shaping of the future generations. They make a difference to society by playing a vital role in nurturing young minds. British and American police officers Real policemen both in Britain and the U.S. hardly recognize any common points between their lives and what they see on TV, if they ever get home in time. Some

英语专业四级考试真题听力部分历年听写原文(2005年-2014年)

英语专业四级考试真题听写原文2005年 The Wrist Watch It 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 percent of man's watches were worn on the wrist. / Today, the figure is 90 percent. / And they are now worn by both men and women / for practical purposes rather than for decoration. 2006年 The internet The internet is the most significant progress in the field of communications.Imagine a book that never rend, a library with milion floors,or imagine a research project with thousands of sientists working around the clock forever.This is the magic of the internet.

专四dictation原文(1993—2012)

Package Holidays (1993) Package holidays, covering a two weeks' stay in an attractive place, are increasingly 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 is very little chance that you will really 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 planned stops for you to visit historic buildings and monuments. You may visit the beautiful, the historic, the ancient. But time is always short．There is also the added disadvantage of being obliged to spend you holiday with a group of people you have never met before． The American Family (1994) The 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 the 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 rive Americans lives alone. Unidentified Flying Objects (1995) There are many explanations for why UFOs visit the Earth. / The most popular one is that they maybe visitors from other planets./ To fly such aircraft, their builders 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 believed that several such aircraft may have landed on earth/ and the space visitors may be living amongst us./ But there are also less fantastic explanations 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 on to the clouds./ However, the exact cause of many sightings still remained a mystery. The Indian Medicine Man (1996) Among the Indians of North America, the medicine man was a very important person. He could cure illness 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 your own mind is the best doctor for you. The medicine men were often successful for another reason, too. They knew about plants that really can cure illness. A lot of medicines are made from the plants that were used by medicine men

专四1995_2004历年真题听力Dictation部分

Unidentified Flying Objects There are many explanations for why UFOs exist on earth. The most popular one is that they may contain visitor from other planets. To fly such an aircraft the builders 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 believed that several such aircraft may have landed on earth and the space visitors may be living among us. But there are also less fantastic explanations available. Although some sightings of UFO 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 clouds. However, the exact cause of many sightings still remains a mystery. 1996 The Indian Medicine Man Among 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 super-natural forces that controlled the world. The Indians believed that had 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 that these spirits were helping them. But, really, these people curded themselves. Sometimes, your mind is the best doctor for you. The medicine-men were often successful for other 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. 1997 Legal Age for Marriage Throughout the United States, the legal age for marriage shows some difference. The most common age without parents’ consent is 18 for both females and males. However, persons who are under age in their home state can get married in another state, and then return to the home state legally married. Each state issues its own marriage license. Both residents and non-residents are qualified for such a license. The fees and ceremonies vary greatly from state to state. Most states, for instance, have a blood test requirement, but a few do not. Most states permit either a civil or religious ceremony, but a few require the ceremony to be religious. In most states a waiting period is required before the license is issued. This period is from one to five days depending on the state. A three-day-wait is the most common. In some states there is no required waiting period. 1998 The Railway in Britain 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 25000 kilometers of track were built, and over 100 railway companies were created. Railway travel transformed people’s lives. Trains were first designed to carry to 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.

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 of new 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)

(完整版)历年英语专四听力真题答案和原文.doc

2000 年专四听力答案 PART I DICTATION What We Know About Language 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 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. PART Ⅱ LISTENING COMPREHENSION SECTION A CONVERSATIONS Questions 1 to 3 are based on the following conversation. M:Jill,have you registered with the next semester? W:Not yet, there's still something that I'm not sure. Do you know if Professor Smith's economics 102 is still available to all undergraduate students? M:No, I don't think so. Last semester I tried to register in that course but all the other people told me not to. W:Why not? M:They said that my lack of knowledge in higher mathematics might be an obstacle in understanding Professor Smith's theory. W:Really? M:(I ) Jack tqld me that Professor Smith usually uses lots of formulas inside class. So you'd better make sure that you are extremely familiar with these formulas if you are seriously considering taking his course. W:What a shame I (2)My friends all told me that Professor Smith has lots of original ideas and he really can stimulate students to think. But I don't think I have the mathematical skills to keep up with the others. M:lf you want to take the course so much, why don't you register in a course in higher mathematics first? W. But I'm afraid that I will miss Professor Smith's course when I finish the mathematics course. M:Hey, I heard that Professor Smith would give the same course in the semester that starts next fall. ( 3 ) Why don't you take a year's higher mathematics and register in economics 102 the next fall? W:That sounds a good idea. I. [ B] 推断题。根据 ''They said that my lack of knowledge in higher mathematics might be an obstacle in understanding Professor Smith's theory. 可知，缺少高等数学知识会阻碍理解史密斯 教授的理论，所以学习经济学需要有高等数学知识，因而[ B]项伟正确答案。 2. [D] 细节题。文中提到 ''My friends all told me that Professor Smith has lots of original ideas and he really stimulate students to think. ”由此可知，史密斯教授有很很多新颖的观点，斌且