英语专业四级短文朗读.docx
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英语专业四级短文朗读
短文朗读及概括大意
Passage1
AsimplepieceofropehangsbetweensomeenvironmentallyfriendlyAmericansandtheirneighbors.Ononesidestandthosewhohavebeguntoseeclothesdryersaswastefulconsumersofenergy(upto6%oftotalelectricity)andpowerfulemittersofcarbondioxide(uptoatonofCO2perhouseholdeveryyear).Asanalternative,theyareturningtoclotheslinesaspartofwhatAlexanderLee,anenvironmentalist,calls"what-I-can-doenvironmentalism."
Butontheothersidearepeoplewhoopposeair-dryinglaundryoutsideonaestheticgrounds.Increasingly,theyhavepersuadedcommunityandhomeownersassociations(HOAs)acrosstheU.S.tobanoutdoorclotheslines,whichtheysaynotonlylookunsightlybutalsolowersurroundingpropertyvalues.Thoseactions,inturn,havesparkedaright-to-drymovementthatispressingforlegislationtoprotectthechoicetouseclotheslines.Onlythreestates--Florida,HawaiiandUtah--havelawswrittenbroadlyenoughtoprotectclotheslines.Right-to-dryadvocatesarguethatthereshouldbemore.
MattReckisthekindofeco-consciousguywhofeedshistreeswithbathwaterandrecyclescondensationdropsfromhisairconditionerstowaterplants.Hisfamilyalsousesaclothesline.ButOttoHagen,presidentofReck'sHOAinWakeForest,N.C.,notifiedhimthataneighborh,adcomplainedabouthisline.TheRecksignoredthewarningandstilldrytheirclothesonaropeintheyard."Manypeopleclaimtobeenvironmentallyfriendlybutdon'ttakemattersintotheirownhands,"saysReck.HOAsHagenhasdecidedtoholdofftakingaction."I'mnotgoingtogocrazy,"hesays."ButifMattkeepshislineandmoreneighborscomplain,I'llhavetoaddressitagain."
NorthCarolinalawmakerstriedandfailedearlierthisyeartoinsertlanguageintoanenergybillthatwouldexpresslypreventHOAsfromregulatingclotheslines.ButtheissueremainsatouchyonewithHOAsandrealestateagents."Mostaestheticrestrictionsarerooted,toadegree,inthebeliefthathomogenous(统一协调的)exteriorsaresupportiveofpropertyvalue,"saysSaraStubbins,executivedirectoroftheCommunityAssociationInstitute'sNorthCarolinachapter.Inotherwords,associationsworrythathousingpriceswillfallifprospectivebuyersthinktheirwould-beneighborsaretoopoortoafforddryers.
AlexanderLeedismissesthenotionthatclotheslinesdevaluepropertyassets,advocatingthattheidea"needstochangeinlightofglobalwarming.""Weallhavetodoatleastsomethingtodecreaseourcarbonfootprint,"AlexanderLeesays.
Passage2
Withinthatexclusivegroupofliterarycharacterswhohavesurvivedthroughthecenturies--fromHamlettoHuckleberryFinn--fewcanrivaltheculturalimpactofSherlockHolmes.Sincehisfirstpublicappearance20yearsago,thegentlemanwiththecurvedpipeandatasteforcocaine,themasterofdeductivereasoningandelaboratedisguise,haslefthismarkeverywhere--incrimeliterature,filmandtelevision,cartoonsandcomicbooks.
AtHolmes'side,ofcourse,washistrustedfriendDr.Watson.Loomingevenlarger,however,wasanotherdoctor,onewhosemedicalpracticewassoslowitallowedhimplentyoftimetopursuehisliteraryambition.Hisname:
ArthurConanDoyle.Asthecreatorofthesefictionalicons,ConanDoylehashimselfbecomesomethingofacultfigure,theobjectofcountlesscriticalstudies,biographiesandfanclubs.
ConanDoylewasborninEdinburghin1859,inarespectablemiddle-classCatholicfamily.Still,itwasfarfromaneasylife.Therewasneverenoughmoney;theymovedfrequentlyinsearchoflowerrents;andhisfather,acivilservantandillustratorwasanalcoholicwhohadtobeinstitutionalized.Yettheearlylettershewrotetohismotheraresurprisinglyoptimistic,concernedmainlywithfood,clothes,allowancesandschoolwork.At14camehisfirstunforgettablevisittoLondon,includingMadameTussaud's,wherehewas"delightedwiththeroomofHorrors,andtheimagesofthemurderers."
Asuperbstudent,ConanDoylewentontomedicalschool,wherehewasattractedbyDr.JosephBell,aprofessorwithanuncannyabilitytodiagnosepatientsevenbeforetheyopenedtheirmouths.ForatimeheworkedasBell'soutpatientclerkandwouldwatch,amazed,athowthelocationofacalluscouldrevealaman'sprofession,orhowaquicklookataskinrashtoldBellthatthepatienthadoncelivedinBermuda.In1886,ConanDoyleoutlinedhisfirstnovel,AStudyinScarlet,whichhedescribedas"asimpletaleofmysterytomakealittleextramoney."Itsmaincharacter,initiallycalledSherringfordHopeandlatercalledSherlockHolmes,wasbasedlargelyonBell.ButHolmes'firstappearancewentalmostunnoticed,andthestrugglingdoctordevotednearlyallofhissparetimetowritinglonghistoricalnovelsinthestyleofSirWalterScott—novelsthathewasconvincedwouldmakehisreputation.Itwasn'ttobe.In1888,HolmesreappearedinAScandalinBohemia,ashortstoryinStrandMagazine.Andthistime,itsherotookanimmediatehitandConanDoyle'slifewouldneverbethesame.
Passage3
TheInternet,E-commerceandglobalizationaremakinganeweconomicerapossible.Inthefuture,capitalistmarketswilllargelybereplacedbyanewkindofeconomicsystembasedonnetworkedrelationships,contractualarrangementsandaccessrights.
Hasthequalityofourlivesatwork,athomeandinourcommunitiesincreasedindirectproportiontoallthenewInternetandbusiness-to-businessInternetservicesbeingintroducedintoourlives?
IhaveaskedthisquestionofhundredsofCEOSandcorporateexecutivesinEuropeandtheUnitedStates.Surprisingly,virtuallyeveryonehassaid,"No,quitecontrary."Theverypeopleresponsibleforusheringinwhatsomehavecalleda"technologicalrenaissance"saytheyareworkinglongerhours,feelmorestressed,aremoreimpatient,andareevenlesscivilintheirdealingswithcolleaguesandfriends--nottomentionstrangers.Andwhat'smorerevealing,theyplacemuchoftheblameontheverysametechnologiestheyaresoaggressivelychampioning.
Thetechnogurus(领袖)promisedusthataccesswouldmakelifemoreconvenientandgiveusmoretime.Instead,theverytechnologicalwondersthatweresupposedtoliberateushavebeguntoenslaveusinawebofconnectionsfromwhichthereseemstobenoeasyescape.
Ifanearliergenerationwaspreoccupiedwiththequesttoencloseavastgeographicfrontier,the.generation,itseems,ismorecaughtupinthecolonizationoftime.Everysparemomentofourtimeisbeingfilledwithsomeformofcommercialconnection,makingtimeitselfthemostscarceofallresources.Our,voicemailandcellphones,our24-hourInteractnewsandentertainmentallseizeforourattention.
Andwhilewehavecreatedeverykindoflabor-andtime-savingdevicetoserviceourneeds,wearebeginningtofeellikewehavelesstimeavailabletousthananyotherhumansinhistory.Thatisbecausethegreatproliferationoflabor-and-time-savingservicesonlyincreasesthediversity,paceandflowofcommodifiedactivityaroundus.Forexample,isagreatconvenience.However,wenowfindourselvesspendingmuchofourdayfranticallyrespondingtoeachother'selectronicmessages.Thecellphoneisagreattime-saver,exceptnowwearealwayspotentiallyinreachofsomeoneelsewhowantsourattention.
Socialconservativestalkaboutthedeclineincivilityandblameitonthelossofamoralcompassandreligiousvalues.Hasanyonebotheredtoaskwhetherthehyperspeedcultureismakingallofuslesspatientandlesswillingtolistenanddefer,considerandreflect?
Maybeweneedtoaskwhatkindsofconnectionsreallycountandwhattypesofaccessreallymatterinthee-economyera.Thisnewtechnologyrevolutionisonlyabouthyperefficiency,thenwerisklosingsomethingevenpreciousthantime--oursenseofwhatitmeanstobeacaringhumanbeing.
Passage4
Attheageoftwelveyears,thehumanbodyisatitsmostvigorous.Ithasyettoreachitsfullsizeandstrength,anditsownerhisorherfullintelligence;butatthisagethelikelihoodofdeathisleast.Earlier,wewereinfantsandyoungchildren,andconsequentlymorevulnerable;later,weshallundergoaprogressivelossofourvigorandresistancewhich,thoughimperceptibleatfirst,willfinallybecomesosteepthatwecanlivenolonger,howeverwellwelookafterourselves,andhoweverwellsociety,andourdoctors,lookafterus.
Thisdeclineinvigorwiththepassingoftimeiscalledageing.Itisoneofthemostunpleasantdiscoverieswhichweallmakethatwemustdeclineinthisway,thatifweescapewars,accidentsanddiseaseweshalleventually"dieofoldage",andthatthishappensataratewhichdifferslittlefrompersontoperson,sothatthereareheavyoddsinfavorofourdyingbetweentheagesofsixty-fiveandeighty.Someofuswilldiesooner,afewwilllivelonger—onintoaninthortenthdecade.Butthechancesareagainstit,andthereisavirtuallimitonhowlongwecanhopetoremainalive,howeverluckyandrobustweare.
Normalpeopletendtoforgetthisprocessunlessanduntiltheyareremindedofit.Wearesofamiliarwiththefactthatmanages,thatpeoplehaveforyearsassumedthattheprocessoflosingvigorwithtime,ofbecomingmorelikelytodietheolderweget,wassomethingself-evident,likethecoolingofahotkettleorthewearing-outofapairofshoes.Theyhavealsoassumedthatallanimals,andprobablyotherorganismssuchastrees,oreventheuniverseitself,mustinthenatureofthings"wearout".
Mostanimalswecommonlyobservedoinfactageaswedo,ifgiventhechancetolivelongenough;andmechanicalsystemslikeawoundwatch,