英语四级篇章听力.docx

英语四级篇章听力.docx

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英语四级篇章听力

Passage1

TownandCountryLifeinEngland

ThereisabigdifferencebetweentownlifeandcountrylifeinEngland.Inthecountry,everybodyknowseverybodyelse.Theyknowwhattimeyougetup,whattimeyougotobedandwhatyouhavefordinner.Ifyouwanthelp,youwillalwaysgetitandyouwillbegladtohelpothers.

InalargetownlikeLondon,however,itcansometimeshappenthatyouhaveneverseenyournextdoorneighborandyoudonotknowhisnameoranythingabouthim.PeopleinLondonareoftenverylonely.Thisisbecausepeoplegotodifferentplacesintheeveningsandatweekends.IfyouwalkthroughthestreetsinthecentreofLondononSunday,itislikeatownwithoutpeople.Oneissorryforoldpeoplelivingontheirown.Theycoulddieintheirhomesandwouldnotbediscoveredforweeksorevenmonths.（154words.）

Passage2

AChangeinWomen’sLife

Theimportantchangeinwomen’slife-patternhasonlyrecentlybeguntohaveitsfulleffectonwomen’seconomicposition.Evenafewyearsagomostgirlsleftschoolatthefirstopportunity,andmostofthemtookafull-timejob.However,whentheymarried,theyusuallyleftworkatonceandneverreturnedtoit.Todaytheschool-leavingageissixteen,manygirlsstayatschoolafterthatage,andthoughwomentendtomarryyounger,moremarriedwomenstayatworkatleastuntilshortlybeforetheirfirstchildisborn.Verymanymoreafterwardsreturntofull-timeorpart-timework.Suchchangeshaveledtoanewrelationshipinmarriage,withhusbandacceptingagreatershareofthedutiesandsatisfactionsoffamilylifeandwithbothhusbandandwifesharingmoreequallyinprovidingthemoney,andrunningthehome,accordingtotheabilitiesandinterestsoneachofthem.（154words）

Passage3

APopularPastimeoftheEnglishPeople

Oneofthebestmeansofunderstandingthepeopleofanynationiswatchingwhattheydowiththeirnon-workingtime.

MostEnglishmen,womenandchildrenlovegrowingthings,especiallyflowers.VisitorstoEnglandinspring,summer,orautumnarelikelytoseegardensallthewayalongtherailwaylines.Thereareflowersattheairportsandflowersinfactorygrounds,aswellasingardensalongtheroads.EachEnglishtownhasatleastoneparkwithbeautifullykeptflowerbeds.Publicbuildingsofeverykindhavebrilliantwindowboxesandsometimesbasketsofflowersarehangingonthem.

ButwhattheEnglishenjoymostisgrowingthingsthemselves.Ifitisimpossibletohaveagarden,thenawidowboxorsomethinggrowinginapotwilldo.Lookingateachother’sgardensisapopularpastimewiththeEnglish.（144words.）

Passage4

BritishandAmericanPoliceOfficers

Realpolicemen,bothinBritainandtheU.S.,hardlyrecognizeanycommonpointsbetweentheirlivesandwhattheyseeonTV—iftheyevergethomeintime.Somethingsareaboutthesame,ofcourse,butthepolicemendonotthinkmuchofthem.Thefirstdifferenceisthatapoliceman’sreallifedealswiththelaw.Mostofwhathelearnsisthelaw.Hehastoknowactuallywhatactionsareagainstthelawandwhatfactscanbeusedtoprovethemincourt.Hehastoknownearlyasmuchlawasalawyer,andwhat’smore,hehastoputitintopracticeonhisfeet,inthedarkand,runningdownanarrowstreetaftersomeonehewantstotalkto.Littleofhistimeisspentintalkingwithbeautifulgirlsorinbravelyfacingcruelcriminals.Hewillspendmostofhisworkinglifearrangingmillionsofwordsonthousandsofformsabouthundredsofsad,ordinarypeoplewhoareguilty—ornotofstupid,unimportantcrimes.（177words）

Passage5

LivingSpace

Howmuchlivingspacedoesapersonneed?

Whathappenswhenhisspaceneedsarenotmet?

Scientistsaredoingexperimentsonratstotrytodeterminetheeffectsofovercrowdedconditionsonman.Recentstudieshaveshownthatthebehaviorofratsisgreatlyaffectedbyspace.Ifratshaveenoughlivingspace,theyeatwell,sleepwellandproducetheiryoungwell.Butiftheirlivingconditionsbecometoocrowded,theirbehaviorandeventheirhealthchangeobviously.Theycannotsleepandeatwell,andsignsoffearandworrybecomeclear.Themorecrowdedtheyare,themoretheytendtobiteeachotherandevenkilleachother.Thus,forrats,populationandviolencearedirectlyrelated.Isthisanaturallawforhumansocietyaswell?

Isenoughspacenotonlysatisfactory,butnecessaryforhumansurvival?

Theseareinterestingquestions.（147words）

Passage6

TheUnitedNations

In1945,representativesof50nationsmettoplanthisorganization.ItwascalledtheUnitedNations.Afterthewar,manymorenationsjoined.TherearetwomajorpartsoftheUnitedNations.OneiscalledtheGeneralAssembly.IntheGeneralAssembly,everymembernationisrepresentedandhasanequalvote.ThesecondpartiscalledtheSecurityCouncil.Ithasrepresentativesofjust15nations.Fivenationsarepermanentmembers:

theUnitedStates,Russia,France,BritainandChina.The10othermembersareelectedeverytwoyearsbytheGeneralAssembly.ThemajorjoboftheSecurityCouncilistokeeppeaceintheworld.Ifnecessary,itcansendtroopsfrommembernationstotrytostoplittlewarsbeforetheyturnintobigones.

ItishardtogetthenationsoftheSecurityCounciltoagreeonwhenthisisnecessary.Buttheydidvotetotrytostopwars.（156words）

Passage7

Plastic

Weuseplasticwraptoprotectourfoods.Weputourgarbageinplasticbagsorplasticcans.Wesitonplasticchairs,playwithplastictoys,drinkfromplasticcups,andwashourhairwithshampoofromplasticbottles!

Plasticdoesn’tgrowinnature.Itismadebymixingcertainthingstogether.Wecallitaproducedormanufacturedmaterial.Plasticwasfirstmadeinthe1860sfromplants,suchaswoodandcotton.Thatplasticwassoftandburnedeasily.Thefirstmodernplasticsweremadein1930s.Mostclearplasticstartsoutasthick,blackoil.Thatplasticcoatinginsideapanbeginsasnaturalgas.Overtheyears,hundredsofdifferentplasticshavebeendeveloped.Somearehardandstrong.Somearesoftandbendable.Someareclear.Somearemany-colored.Thereisaplasticforalmosteveryneed.Scientistscontinuetoexperimentwithplastics.Theyhopetofindevenwaystousethem!

（160words）

Passage8

DisplayofGoods

Aresupermarketsdesignedtopersuadeustobuymore?

Freshfruitandvegetablesaredisplayednearsupermarketentrances.Thisgivestheimpressionthatonlyhealthyfoodissoldintheshop.Basicfoodsthateveryonebuys,likesugarandtea,arenotputneareachother.Theyarekeptindifferentaislessocustomersaretakenpastotherattractivefoodsbeforetheyfindwhattheywant.Inthisway,shoppersareencouragedtobuyproductsthattheydonotreallyneed.Sweetsareoftenplacedatchildren’seyelevelatthecheckout.Whileparentsarewaitingtopay,childrenreachforthesweetsandputtheminthetrolley.Moreisboughtfromafifteen-footdisplayofonetypeofproductthanfromaten-footone.Customersalsobuymorewhenshelvesarefullthanwhentheyahalfempty.Theydonotliketobuyfromshelveswithfewproductsonthembecausetheyfeelthereissomethingwrongwiththoseproductsthatarethere.（166words）

Passage9

AlbertEinstein

AlbertEinsteinwasborninGermanyin1879.Hisfatherownedafactorythatmadeelectricaldevices.Hismotherenjoyedmusicandbooks.HisparentswereJewishbuttheydidnotobservemanyofthereligion’srules.Albertwasaquietchildwhospentmuchofhistimealone.Hewasslowtotalkandhaddifficultylearningtoread.WhenAlbertwasfiveyearsold,hisfathergavehimacompass.Thechildwasfilledwithwonderwhenhediscoveredthatthecompassneedlealwayspointedinthesamedirection—tothenorth.Heaskedhisfatherandhisunclewhatcausedtheneedletomove.Theiranswersaboutmagnetismandgravityweredifficultfortheboytounderstand.Yethespentalotoftimethinkingaboutthem.Hesaidlaterthathefeltsomethinghiddenhadtobebehindthings.（143words.）

Passage10

PrivateCars

Withtheincreaseinthegeneralstandardofliving,someordinaryChinesefamiliesbegintoaffordacar.Yetopinionsofthedevelopmentofaprivatecarvaryfrompersontoperson.Itgivesamuchgreaterdegreeofcomfortandmobility.Theownerofacarisnolongerforcedtorelyonpublictransport,andhencenoirritationcausedbywaitingforbusesortaxis.However,othersstronglyobjecttodevelopingprivatecars.Theymaintainthatasmoreandmorecarsareproducedandruninthestreet,alargevolumeofpoisonousgaswillbegivenoff,pollutingtheatmosphereandcausingactualharmtothehealthofpeople.WhetherprivatecarsshouldbedevelopedinChinaisadifficultquestiontoanswer,yetthedesireforthecomfortandindependenceaprivatecarcanbringwillnotbeeliminated.（143words）

Passage11

AHenpeckedHusbandandHisWife

Therewasoncealarge,fatwomanwhohadasmall,thinhusband.HehadajobinabigcompanyandwasgivenhisweeklywageseveryFridayevening.AssoonashegothomeonFridays,hiswifeusedtomakehimgiveherallhismoney,andthensheusedtogivehimbackonlyenoughtobuyhislunchinhiscompanyeveryday.Oneday,thesmallmancamehomeveryexcited.Hehurriedintotheliving-room.Hiswifewaslisteningtotheradioandeatingchocolatesthere.

“Youwillneverguesswhathappenedtometoday,dear,”hesaid.Hewaitedforafewsecondsandthenadded,“Iwontenthousanddollarsonthelottery!

”“Thatiswonderful!

”saidhiswifedelightedly.Butthenshepulledalongfaceandaddedangrily,“Buthowcouldyouaffordtobuytheticket?

”（148words）

Passage12

AYoungMan’sPromise

Onedaya