英语四级听力材料

Passage 45 The Influence of Life

In the early times when human beings hunted and gathered food, they were not in control of their environment. They could only interact with their surroundings as the other lower animals did.

When they learned to make fire, however, they became their environment. To provide themselves with fuel , they cut do capable of altering wn trees. They also burned clearings in forests to increase the growth of grass and to provide a greater grazing area for wild animals that human beings fed upon . This development led to farming and domestication of animals. Fire provided the means for cooking plants which had previously been inedible . Only when the process of meeting the basic need for food reached a certain level was it possible for humans to follow other pursuits such as setting up families, forming societies and founding cities. (139 words) Passage 46 Automobiles

It is impossible to say that any one man invented the automobile. Many individuals living and working in different countries and at different times contributed to its development. Many of the discoveries that went into the creation of the automobile were small in themselves. But together they were important. Here are two examples.

“Carriage is running at a speed of 8 to 9 miles an hour.” It was

almost unheard of in those days. According to automobile historians, this was the first practical use of mechanical power to move a vehicle. After its first run, the machine reportedly burned up while the inventor and his friends were celebrating its success at a pub.

Henry Ford is considered the father of modern automobile mass production. His famous Model-T car, because of its low price, made it possible to produce cars on a large scale and his efforts made it accessible to ordinary people. (152 words)

Passage 47 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 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. (163 words)

Passage 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. (152 words) Passage 49 Natural Resources

Through the changes in the ways of making 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. (157 words)

Passage 50 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. (154 words)