第一篇：2013年12月英语四级听力原文
2013年12月英语四级听力填空原文 When Captain Cook asked the chiefs in Tahiti why they always ate apart and alone, they replied, “Because it is right.” If we ask Americans why they eat with knives and forks, or why their men wear pants instead of skirts or why they may be married to only one person at a time, we are likely to get similar and very uninformative answers because it’s right, because that’s the way it’s done, because it’s the custom or even I don’t know.The reason for these and countless other patterns of social behavior is that they are controlled by social norms shared rules or guide lines which prescribe the behavior that is appropriate in a given situation.Norms define how people ought to behave under particular circumstances in a particular society.We conform to norms so readily that we are hardly aware they exist.In fact we are much more likely to notice departures from norms than conformity to them.You will not be surprised if a stranger tried to shake hands when you were introduced, but you might be a little startled if they bowed, started to stroke you or kissed you on both cheeks.Yet each of these other forms of greeting is appropriate in other parts of the world.When we visit another society whose norms are different, we quickly become aware that things we do this way, they do that way.
第二篇：2011年12月英语四级听力原文
2011年12月英语四级听力原文
11：W: This crazy bus schedule has got mecompletely confused.I can’t figure out when my bus to Cleveland leaves?
M: Why don’t you just go to the ticket window and ask?
Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?
12.W: I really enjoyed the TV Special about giraffes lastnight.Did you get home in time to see it?
M: Oh, yes.But I wish I could have stayed awake long enoughto see the whole thing。
Q: What does the man mean?
13.W: Airport, please.I’m running a little late, so justtake the fastest way even if it’s not the most direct。
M: Sure, but there’s a lot of traffic everywhere todaybecause of the football game。
Q: What do we learn about the woman from the conversation?
14.W: May I make a recommendation, sir? Our sea food with thisspecial sauce is very good。
M: Thank you.But I don’t eat shellfish, I’m allergic to it。
W: Where does this conversation most probably take place?
15.W: Now one more question if you don’t mind, what position ina company appeals to you most?
M: Well, I’d like the position of sales manager if thatposition is still vacant。
Q: What do we learn about the man?
16.M: I don’t think I want to live in the dormitory next year.I need more privacy。
W: I know what you mean but check out the cost of renting anapartment first, I won’t be surprised if you change your mind。
Q: What does the woman imply?
17.M: You’re on the right track.I just think you need to narrowthe topic down。
W: Yeah, you’re right.I always start by choosing too broad a topic whenI’m doing your research paper。
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
18.W: This picnic sure beats the last one we went to, doesn’tit?
M: Oh, yeah.We had to spend the wholetime inside.Good thing the weather was cooperative this time。
Q: What do we learn about the speakers from theconversation?
第三篇：2013年12月英语四级听力填空原文
2013年12月英语四级听力填空原文 or why they may be married to only one person at a time, we are likely to get know." The reason for these and countless other patterns of social behavior is – shared rules or guidelines which prescribe the behavior that is appropriate in a given situation.Norms particular society.We conform(遵守)to norms so readily that we are hardly surprised if a stranger tried to shake hands when you were introduced, but appropriate in other parts of the world.When we visit another society whose norms are different, we quickly become aware that things we do this way, they do that way.
第四篇：大学英语四级2008年12月听力原文
Short Conversations
11．M: I just received an Email from one of my former classmates.I was surprised, I hadn’t heard from him for ages.W: Well, I’ve been out of touch with most of my old friends, only one or two still drop me a line occasionally, Q: What does the woman mean?
A)Only true friendship can last long.B)Letter writing is going out of style.C)she keeps in regular touch with her classmates.D)She has lost contact with most of her old friends.12.M: If you can make up your mind about the color, I can start on the outside of your house early next week.W: Well, right now I think I want white for the window frames and yellow for the walls, but I’ll let you know tomorrow.Q: Who is the woman talking to?
A)A painter.B)A porter.C)A mechanic.D)A carpenter.13.W: Excuse me, do you have any apartments available for under 500 dollars a month? I need to move in next week when my new job starts.M: The only vacant one I have is 600 dollars, have you inquired at the apartment complex down the street? Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?
A)Look for a place near her office.B)Find a new job down the street.C)Make inquiries elsewhere.D)Kent the $600 apartment.14.W: You bought a pair of jeans yesterday, didn’t you? What are they like? M: Oh, they are pretty much like my other ones, except with a larger waist.I guess I haven’t spent much time exercising lately.Q: What can we infer from the conversation about the man?
A)He prefers to wear jeans with a larger waist.B)He has been extremely busy recently C)He has gained some weight lately.D)He enjoyed going shopping with Jane yesterday.15.W: I really like those abstract paintings we saw yesterday.What do you think? M: I guess it’s something I haven’t acquired a taste for yet.Q: What does the man imply?
A)The woman possesses a natural talent for an.B)Women have a better artistic taste than men.C)He isn t good at abstract thinking.D)He doesn t like abstract paintings.16.W: You haven’t seen a blue notebook, have you? I hope I didn’t leave it in the reading room.M: Did you check that pile of journals you’ve borrowed from the library the other day? Q: What is the man trying to say to the woman?
A)She couldn t have left her notebook in the library.B)She may have put her notebook amid the journals.C)She should have made careful notes while doing reading.D)she shouldn t have read his notes without his knowing it.17.M: How about joining me for a cup of coffee? W: I’d love to, but I’m exhausted.I was up till 3 this morning, writing a paper for my literature class.Q: Why does the woman decline the man’s invitation?
A)She wants to gel some sleep.B)She needs time to write a paper.C)She has a literature class to attend.D)She is troubled by her sleep problem.18.W: You had a job interview yesterday, didn’t you? How did it go? M: Not too bad, I guess.There were about 20 candidates competing for the sales manager’s job.And finally it was down to three of us, but the other two seems better qualified.Q: What does the man imply?
A)He is confident he will get the job.B)His chance of getting the job is slim C)It isn t easy to find a quaiified sales manager.D)The interview didn t go as well as he expected.听力长对话1
F: Simon, how does it feel to be retired? M: Well, not so bad.F: How have you been spending your time? M: I have been spending more time with my family.I’ve also travelled a bit, you know, off season when everywhere is less crowded and hotels cost less.F: Great.M: You know I haven’t stopped work completely.F: Yes, could you tell us more about this? M: I’m on a scheme that’s called phased retirement;I had a six-month break from work, after that I could apply for project work with the company I used to work for.F: How does the scheme work? M: Well, it’s a trial at the moment.Instead of hiring temporary stuff, the company advertises posts on its website that retired employees like myself can access.F: What sort of works advertised? M: Well, all sorts of things, really.Administrative work and more specialized work, the sort of thing I can do.Some of the projects can last five or six months, and others can just be a couple of days.I can decide more or less when to work.So I can manage my own time.F: I can see it’s good for you.What is your company get out of this? M: Well, I still have all my old contacts at work, so I know who to contact to get something done.The company gets flexibility, too.Once the job’s over, that’s it.I’m not on their books any more.Questions 19-21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19.Why does Simon find his retired life enjoyable? 20.How does Simon get to know about the company’s available posts? 21.Why does the company adopt the phased retirement scheme?
19.A)He can manage his time more flexibly.B)He can renew contact with his old friends.C)He can concentrate on his own projects.D)He can learn to do administrative work.20.A)Reading its ads in the newspapers.B)Calling its personnel department.C)Contacting its manager.D)Searching its website.21.A)To cut down its production expenses.B)To solve the problem of staff shortage.C)To improve its administratve efficiency.D)To utilize its retired employees resources.长对话2
W: Oh, where are we going? M: I want to show you something.W: I know, but what is it? M: A farm.It’s just down this road.It’s a small place, but at least it would be our own.W: A farm? How can we afford to buy a farm? M: It isn’t very large, only 40 acres.We wouldn’t have to pay very much right now.W: Is there a house on the place? M: A small one, two bedrooms, but it needs to be fixed up a little.I can do the job myself.W: OK.Is there enough space for a kitchen garden? M: There is about half an acre around the house.That’s plenty of space.W: Then we can grow our own fresh vegetables.And maybe keep a few chickens, couldn’t we?
M: Yes, and we can probably grow a lot of our own food.W: What are you thinking about growing, if we do take this place? M: Well, it really isn’t big enough for corn.I thought we might try to raise a crop of potatoes.W: Potatoes? There are a lot of work.M: We are used to hard work, aren’t we? W: Yes, we are, but the money.Do we have enough to get started? It seems like a dream.M: I think we’ve saved enough.We can pay a little on the farm and maybe put a few dollars down on the tractor, too.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Q 22:What are the speakers going to do at the time of the conversation? Q 23:What does the man say about the farm? Q 24:Why does the man intend to grow potatoes rather than corn on the farm?
22.A)Buy a tractor.B)Fix a house.C)See a piece of property.D)Sign a busines contract.23.A)It is only forty miles from where they live.B)It is a small one with a two-bedroom house.C)It was bought at a price lower than expected.D)It has a large garden with fresh vegetables.24.A)Growing potatoes will involve less labor.B)Its soil may not be very suitable for corn.C)It may not be big enough for raising corn.D)Raising potatoes will be more profitable.25.a)Finances b)Labor c)Equipment d)Profits Passage One
Members of the city council and distinguished guests, it is my privilege to introduce to you today Mr.Robert Washington, chief of our city’s police force.He will address us on the subject of the Community Policing Program.Most of you know that Mr.Washington has a distinguished record as head of our police force for more than ten years.However, you may not know that he also holds a master’s degree in criminology and studied abroad for a year with the international police force which deals with crimes around the world.Mr.Washington first introduced the Community Policing Program 8 years ago.The idea behind the program is to get the police officers out of their cars and into our neighborhood when they can talk directly to merchants and residents about the real dynamics of our city.These officers do more than make arrests.They try to find ways to help solve the problems that contribute to crime in the first place.Often that means hooking people up with services offered by other city agencies, such as schools, hospitals, housing, drug treatment centers.And the program seems to be working: crime is down and our citizens report that they feel more secure.Today Mr.Washington is going to tell us more about this program.Now let’s welcome Mr.Robert Washington.26.What is the purpose of the speaker’s remarks?
He will address us on the subject of community policing program.27.What does the speaker say about Mr.Robert Washington?
Most of you know that Mr.Washington has a distinguished record as head of our police force for more than ten years.However, you may not know that he also holds a master’s degree in criminology and studied abroad for a year with the international police force which deals with crimes around the world.Mr.Washington first introduced the community policing program 8 years ago.28.What is the idea behind the Community Policing Program?
The idea behind the program is to get the police officers out of their cars and into our neighborhood when they can talk directly to merchants and residents about the real dynamics of our city.29.How has the Community Policing Program turned out to be?
And the program seems to be working, crime is down and our citizens report that they feel more secure.26 A)To introduce the chief of the city’s police force B)To comment on a talk by a distinguished guest C)To address the issue of community security D)To explain the functions of the city council 27 A)He has distinguished himself in city management B)He is head of the International Police Force C)He completed his higher education abroad D)He holds a master’s degree in criminology 28 A)To coordinate work among police departments B)To get police officers closer to the local people C)To help the residents in times of emergency D)To enable the police to take prompt action 29 A)Popular B)discouraging C)effective D)controversial
Passage Two
There are between 3000 and 6000 public languages in the world, and we must add approximately 6 billion private languages since each one of us necessarily has one.Considering these facts, the possibilities for breakdowns in communication seem infinite in number.However, we do communicate successfully from time to time.And we do learn to speak languages.But learning to speak languages seems to be a very mysterious process.For a long time, people thought that we learned a language only by imitation and association.For example, a baby touches a hot pot and starts to cry.The mother says, “Hot, hot!” And the baby, when it stops crying, imitates the mother and says, “Hot, hot!” However, Noam Chomsky, a famous expert in language, pointed out that although children do learn some words by imitation and association, they also combine words to make meaningful sentences in ways that are unique, unlearned and creative.Because young children can make sentences they have never heard before, Chomsky suggested that human infants are born with the ability to learn language.Chomsky meant that underneath all the differences between public and private languages, there is a universal language mechanism that makes it possible for us, as infants, to learn any language in the world.This theory explains the potential that human infants have for learning language.But it does not really explain how children come to use language in particular ways.Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 30.Why does the speaker say there are great possibilities for communication breakdowns?
There are numerous public and private languages.Question 31.What is Chomsky’s point on the ability to learn a language?
Human infants are born with the ability to learn language and the potential to learn any language in the world.Question 32.What does Chomsky’s theory fail to explain according to the speaker? It does not really explain how children come to use language in particular ways.30 A)people differ greatly in their ability to communicate B)there are numerous languages in existence C)Most public languages are inherently vague D)Big gaps exist between private and public languages 31 A)it is a sign of human intelligence B)in improves with constant practice C)it is something we are born with D)it varies from person to person 32 A)how private languages are developed B)how different languages are related C)how people create their languages D)how children learn to use language
参考答案：
26.A)To introduce the chief of the city police force.27.D)He holds a master s degree in criminology.28.B)To get police officers closer to the local people.29.C)Effective.30.B)There are numerous languages in existence.31.C)It is something we are born with.32.D)How children learn to use language.Passage Three
When US spacewoman Joan Higginbotham is not flying and working in space, she might be found somewhere on earth giving a speech.Higginbotham, who grew up in Chicago and became an engineer before joining NASA, that is the National Air and Space Administration, gives about a dozen speeches a year.Each speech is different because she tailors her remarks to each audience.Through interviews and E-mails, she finds out in advance her listeners educational level and what information they want to know.On the subject of space walks, for example, audiences vary in their interests and how much complexity they can comprehend.To elementary school children, Higginbotham may discuss a problem that many kids want to know about.“How do spacemen in a spacesuit eat, drink, and go to the bathroom?” Her answer is “the spacesuit is really a small spacecraft with room for food and water-containers, and a waste-collection system.” To a high school audience, she might satisfy a curiosity that often arises in her pre-speech interviews with students who obviously have seen many science fiction movies.“Do spacemen carry weapons in case they encounter enemies in space?” Her answer is “No”.To scientists, she might provide technical details on such topics as the design of spacesuits that protects spacemen from the deadly temperature extremes of space.Just as elaborate preparation is required for success in space, Higginbotham says that it’s important for speakers to learn as much as possible about their listeners before a speech because every audience is different.33.What did Joan Higginbotham do before joining in NASA? 34.How does Higginbotham prepare her speech on space walks? 35.What does the high school audience want to know about space travel? 33.A)she was a tailor B)she was an engineer C)she was an educator D)she was a public speaker 34.A)Basing them on science-fiction movies.B)Including interesting examples in them C)Adjusting them to different audiences D)Focusing on the latest progress in space science 35.A)Whether spacemen carry weapons B)How spacesuits protect spacemen C)How NASA trains its spacemen D)What spacemen cat and drink Section C 复合式听写
Crime is increasing worldwide.There is every reason to believe the(36)trend will continue through the next few decades.Crime rates have always been high in multicultural industrialized societies such as the United States.But a new(37)phenomenon has appeared on the world(38)scene-rapidly rising crime rates in nations that previously reported few(39)offenses.Street crimes such as robbery, rape,(41)murder and auto theft are clearly rising,(41)particularly in eastern European countries such as Hungary and in western European nations such as the United Kingdom.What is driving this crime(42)explosion? There are no simple answers.Still, there’re certain conditions(43)associated with rising crime.Increasing heterogeneity of populations, greater cultural pluralism, higher immigration, democratization of governments,(44)changing national borders, greater economic growth, and the lack of accepted social ideas of right and wrong.These conditions are increasing observable around the world.For instance, cultures that were previously isolated and homogeneous(同种类的)such as Japan, Denmark, and Greece(45)are now facing the sort of cultural variety that has been common in America for most of its history.Multiculturalism can be a rewarding, enriching experience, but it can also lead to a clash of values.Heterogeneity in societies will be the rule in the 21st century, and(46)failure to recognize and plan for such diversity can lead to serious crime problems.
第五篇：2003年6月英语四级真题听力原文
2003年6月英语四级真题听力原文
Section A
W：Gorge, look at the long waiting line.I am glad you've made a reservation.M：More and more people enjoy eating out now.Beside, this place is especially popular with the overseas students.Q：Where did the conversation most probably take place?
W: 乔治，看看这里排着这么长的队，真高兴你订到了座位。
M：越来越多的人喜欢在外面吃饭。而且这个地方尤其受留学生亲睐。Q：对话可能在哪里发生？
M:I wonder if you can drop by tomorrow evening.The Stevensons are coming over to dinner.I'd like you to meet them.W: Sure, I'd love to.I've heard they are very interesting people.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
M：你明天晚上能到我这来一趟吗？史蒂文森一家明天到我家吃晚饭，我希望你能见见他们。
W：当然，我非常愿意。我听说他们非常有意思。
Q：我们可从该对话中了解到什么？
W: The presentation made by Professor Jacksonwas complicated to understand.M: Well, I think he didn't speak slowly enough for us
for us to take the notes.Q: What did the man complain?
W：杰克森教授作的报告太难懂了。
M；我觉得他的语速太快，我们根本没法做笔记。
Q：男士抱怨什么？
W: You've got your apartment furnished, haven't you?
M: I've bought some used furniture from Sunday market.It was a real bargain.Q: What does the man mean?
W：你买了家俱，是吗？
M：我从周日市场买了一些旧家俱。价钱便宜。
Q：男人什么意思？
M Mary doesn't want me to take the job.She says our child is too young.And the job requires much travelling.W: You should talk to her again and see if you can find a way out.Think about the gains and losses before you make the decision.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
M：玛丽不想让我干那个工作，她说孩子还些这个工作又需要我经常出差。W：你应该和她再谈谈，看你们能不能想出个两全其美的办法。权衡一下利弊，再做决定。
Q：从对话中我们可以了解到什么？
M:I haven't got my scores on the GRE test yet.Do you think I should call to make inquiries?
W: There is no hurry.The test scores are released at least eight weeks after the test.Q: What does the woman advise the man to do?
M：我还不知道GRE考试的分数。你觉得我是不是该打电话问问？
W：不要急。考试的分数至少要在考试后八周之后公布。
Q：女人建议男人干嘛？
M: Have you finished reading the book you bought last month?
W: oh, I didn't read straight through the way you read a novel,I just covered a few chapters which interested me most.Q: How did the woman read the book?
M：你读上个月你买的那本书了吗？
W：哦，我不象你读小说那样从头读到尾。我读了我感兴趣的几章。
Q：女人采用什么读书方式？
W: Hello, Joe, Haven't seen you for quite a while.Are you fine?M: Oh,yes, but not a thing to go against me.I had a car accident, only someminor injuries though.Q: What happened to Joe?
W：你好，乔，很久不见，你好吗？
M：还好，我吉人自有天相，出了车祸，只不过受了轻伤。
m: The taxi is waiting downstairs, let's hurry.W: Wait a minute.I'll take some food with us.I don't like the meal served on the train.Q: What are the speakers going to do?
M：出租车在楼下等着，赶紧！
M：等等，我要带点吃的东西。我不喜欢吃火车上供应的食物。
Q：两个谈话者准备做什么？
W: Is that optional course as hard as everybody says?
M: It's actually even worse, believe it or not.Q :What did the man say about the course?
W：那门选修课象别人说的那么难吗？
M：不管你信不信，难极了。
Q：他们如何评价选修课？
Section B
Passage 1
My father woke me up early one morning when I was fourteen and announced “Get up, you are going with me to cut grass.” I felt proud and excited because my father thought I was responsible enough to help him in his business.Still, that first day was very hard.From sunrise to sunset, my father, my younger brother and I cut and t very large yards in well-to-do part of the city.By the end of the day I was exhausted, but I felt good.I put out a hard day's labor and earned six dollars.One day, my father spotted some weeds I have miss cutting and pulled me inside.“Cut that section again!” he said firmly “and don't make me have to tell you again.” The message was very clear.Today I stress the importance of doing the job right the first time.Every job I have held from cutting lawns to wash dishes to working a machine on the construction site.I have learned something that help me in my next job.If you work hard enough, you can learn from any job you do.Q: How did the speaker feel when his father asked him to help cut grass? 13 Q: What did his father do when the speaker missed cutting some leaves?14 Q:What did the speak want to tell us in this passage?
Passage B
I am living in a small village in the country.My wife and I run a village shop.We have a very peaceful live, boring some my say.But we love it.We know all the people in the village.They have plenty of time to stop and chat.I have plenty of time for my hobbies too--gardening, fishing, walking in the country side.I love the outdoor life.It wasn't always like this though I used to have a really stressful job, working so late in the office every evening.I often bring work home at the weekends.The advertising world is very competitive.And when I look back, I can't imagine how I stood it.I have no private life at all.No time for the really important things in life.Because of the pressure of the job, I used to smoke and drink too much.The crisis came when my wife left me.She complaint that she never saw me and I had no time for family life.This made me realize what is really important to me.I talked things through with her and decided to get back together and started a new and better life together.I gave up tobacco and alcohol and searched for new hobbies.Now I am afraid of looking back since the past life seemed like a horrible dream.What did the speaker do for a living?What do we know about the speaker's life in the past?What made the speaker change his life style?
Passage 3
”Where is the university?" is the question many visitors to Cambridge ask.But no one could point at any one direction because there is no campus.The university consists of 31 self-governing colleges.It has lecture halls, libraries, laboratories, museums and offices throughout the city.Individual colleges choose their own students who have to meet their minimum entrance requirements set by the university.And the graduates usually live and study in their colleges but they are taught in very full groups.Lectures and laboratories and practical work are organized by the university and held in university buildings.There are over ten thousand undergraduates and three thousand five hundred post-graduates.About 40% of them are women and some 8% from overseas.As well as teaching, research is of major importance.Since the beginning of the twentieth century, more than sixty university members have won Nobel prizes.The university has
a huge number of buildings for teaching and research.It has more than 60 specialist subject libraries as well as the university library, which as the copy-right libraries, is entitled to a copy of every book published in Britain.Examinations are held and degrees are awarded by the
university.It allowed women to take the university exams in the 1881, but it was the not until 1941 that they were awarded degrees.Why is it difficult to located Cambridge University?What does the passage tell us about the colleges of the university?19 What can be learnt from the passage about the libraries in Cambridge University?What does we know from the passage tell us about the women students in Cambridge university?
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