最新英语四级听力美文20篇

最新英语四级听力美文

20

篇

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Christmas Carols

Usually

at

this

time

of

the

year,Christmas

carols

can

be

heard

all

over

New

will

waftfrom

any

street

and

lane,even

from

the

dirtiest

station

of

the

dirtiest route, Route ople have to change trains dusk falls, the

commuters have to line up to moveupstairs.

The

train

is to

clime up and

onto the

overpass and

drive

its

way

through

this

dirty and g downwards and into the windows of some extremely

dilapidated

building,

passengers

may

sometimes

see

some

mysterious-looking

orientals

dressed

in

Japanese-styledark

suits

practicing

karate.

Looking

further

downwards,they may see an elderly black womanwearing a dirty flowery skirt, and

holding a big plastic ing with much difficulty, sheis tottering along. If one

happens to be in a dreamy and imaginative mood,he might think hehas blundered

into

Hollywood

and

happens

to

be

watching

the

making

of

a

crime

film.

This

isAmerica too!

At the sight, some

“

rags to riches

”

dreamers might burst into tears. The other

day,

Christmasfast

approaching,

I

was

changing

trains

here.

It

was

cold

and

wet.

People inched forward, intending to change to Route 7. Then I heard the voice of a

child,

who

was

singing

“SilentNight”

to

the

accompaniment

of

a

small

accordion.

They were standing at the foot of thestairs, an elderly man and a little boy. Holding a

little red tin can in one hand, the boy wasringing an iron bell with the other. His little

face

that

appeared

above

his

black

overcoat

wasflushed

in

the

cold

air.

Some

passengers

produced

coins

and

dropped

them

with

a

tinkle

intothe

can.

In

the

bone-chilling dusk, the bell kept ringing, and the child singing, loud and clear.

Taking Children to College

It

’

s September , I see the different facial expressions of the parents

taking

theirchildren

to

’

s

mostly

the

male

parents

who

perform

this

mes bothparents highly personalized faces which usually differ

from each other in athousandand one ways fade at this moment into each other,and

display the same look: fatigue, exhaustion, the timidness and cautiousness of a new

comer, and the concernednessand fear that their offspring might be treated unfairly.

Such

long

and

exhausting

journeysover

here!

So

many

complicated

and

time-

consuming

procedures!

They

corrode

people’s

élan.

The

gleefulness

and

dizziness usually found

in < /p>

“eighteen

-year-

old

youngsters

who’vemade

it”

disappear

altogether. Close on the heels of their parents, they shuffle from place toplace in the

campus. To go through one formality, they have to walk long distances and askmany

questions

of

many

people,

and

their

parents

have

to

smile

politely

all

the

time.

Everywhere

they

have

to

line

up

and

to

pay.

The

sun

being

blazing,

they

find

themselvesperspiring all over. They have to sit by the roadside for a rest and satisfy

their thirst by drinkingbottled water whose prices soar because of scarcity. No matter

how dignified and classy onemay look on other days, one has to, for the sake of one’s

children, humble

oneself, put up withinconveniences, and show one’s best smiles to

find

out

what

to

do.

I

saw

a

father

carrying

ahuge

bed-roll.

Bent

with

the

heavy

burden

on

his

shoulder,

he

had

to

strain

for

a

look

aheadin

order

to

see

the

way

forward. His son, head hangi

ng low, followed behind with only a smallbag. It won’t

be long before his boy will help the girls with their bags. I also saw a father andson

coming near hand in hand from the fork of a road. A mere glance told me that they

arefrom

one

of

the

poor

rural

areas.

Both

wore

cheap

T-shirts

and

had

crew-cuts.

Even smaller inbuild, the old man has graying hair and a tan. An arrogant taxi sped

towards

them

and

was

onthe

point

of

knocking

down

the

poor

man

quickly jumped aside. It was a nearescape. Then, only then, was he separated from

his

son.

When

the

car

shot

past,

they

joinedhands

again,

continued

on

their

way,

each being the other’s support. The sight nearly broughttears to my e

yes.

The Wind

We notice the wind when it seems cruel,when the trees turn away from it, and

it cuts into ourhearts.

“

Certain winds will make men

’

s temper bad,

”

said George

Israel, there is onekind of wind that brings irritability,headaches, sickness and

respiratory any, a warm, dry wind is said to blow heartaches down

from the Alps.

In Southern California,the Santa Ana is associated with an increase in depression

anddomestic violence. Scientists have tried without success to identify physiological

reasons forthese ne agrees, however, that dry winds like the Santa

Ana,the

cold

northerlywind

in

France

and

the

wind

in

Germany

and

Switzerland

seem to have negative effects on ourmental and physical well- being. On windy days,

playground

fights,

suicides

and

heart

failuresare

more

frequent.

In

Geneva,

traffic

accidents

increase

when

a

wind

called

the

bise

blows.

Atthe

request

of

patients,

some

Swiss

and

German

hospitals

postpone

surgery

when

the

windblows

off

the

northern slopes of the Alps. It is human to ask what is behind the wind. It is easyto

personify the wind as the breath of God. The act of taking wind into our lungs is what

givesus life. The Jews, Arabs, Romans and Greeks all took their word for spirit from

the word forwind. Eskimo women once chased the wind from their house with clubs,

while the men shot itwith rifles to kill the evil spirit they believed rode its gusts. But

our day-to-day lives are nolonger blown on the winds. We do not identify wind with

spirit any more. That is good forcommerce, but it exacts a cost to the human eye and

heart. The wind blows us simplepleasures. There are winds lapping at shores, bathing

us in scents of coconut and spice, beckoning us further.

Feather in the Wind

A certain good woman one day said something that hurt her best friend of many

years.

Sheregretted

immediatelyand

would

have

done

anything

to

have

taken

the

words shesaid hurt the friend so much that this good woman was herself

hurt for the pain she caused. Inan effort to undo what she had done, she went to an

older,

wiser

woman

in

the

village,

explained

her

situation,

and

asked

for

advice.

Listening to her, the older woman sensed theyounger woman’s distress and knew she

must help her. She also knew she could neveralleviate her pain, but she could teach.

She knew the outcome would depend solely on thecharacter of the younger woman.

She

said,

“Tonight,

take

your

best

feather

pillows

and

put

asingle

feather

on

the

doorstep

of

each

house

in

town

before

the

sun

rises.”

The

young

womanhurried

home to prepare for her chore, even though the feather pillows were very dear to

her. All night long, she labored alone in the cold. Finally the sky was getting light, she

placed

thelast

feather

on

the

steps

of

the

last

house.

Just

as

the

sun

rose,

she

returned to the olderwoman. “Now,” said the

wise woman, “Go back and refill your

pillows with the feather you haveput on the steps. Then everything will be as it was

before.” “You know that’s impossible! Thewind blew away each feather as fast as I

placed them on the doorsteps!” The young woman wassurprised. “That’s true,” said

the

older

woman.

“Never

forget.

Each

of

your

words

is

like

afeather

in

the

wind.

Once

spoken,

no

amount

of

effort,

regardless

how

heartfelt

or

sincere,

cannever

return them to your mouth. Choose your words well and guard them most of all in

thepresence of those you love.

”

Happiness

Many people

think

that

when

they

become

rich

and

successful,happiness

will

naturally tell you that nothing is further from the world is full

of

very

rich peoplewho are

asmiserable

as

if

they were

living

in

have

read

stories

about

movie

stars

who

committedsuicide

or

died

from

clearly,

money

is

not

the

only

answer

to

all

obtained

through

dishonest

means

does

not

bring

y

winnings

do

not

winnings

do

not

bring

my

mind,

the

secret

to

happiness

lies

inyour

successful

work,There

is

no

use

sayingin

your

contribution

towards

others’

happinessandin your wealth you have earned through your own honest you

obtain

wealth

throughluck

or

dishonest

means,you

will

know

that

it

is

ill

earned

you get your money bytaking advantage of others or by hurting others,you

will not be happy with will think youare a base -term happiness is

based

on

honesty, productive

work,

contribution,

and

ess

is not

an

end;

it

is

a

is

a

continuousprocess

of

honest,

productive

workwhich

makes

a

real

contribution

to

othersand

makes

youfeel

you

are

a

useful,

worthy

D

r.

Wayne

wrote,

“There

is

no

way

to

happiness.

Happiness

is

the

way.”“Some day when I achieve these goals,when I get a car, build a houseand own

my

own

business,then

I

will

be

really

happy.”Life

just

does

not

work

that

youwait for certain things to happenand depend on external circumstances of life to

make

youhappy,you

will

always

feel

will

always

be

something

missing.

The English Character

To

other

Europeans,

the

best

known

quality

of

the

British,and

in

particular

of

the English, is

“

reserved

”

.A reserved person is one who does not talk very much to

strangers,does not showmuch emotion, and seldom gets is difficult to get

to

know

a

reserved

person:henever

tells

you

anything

about

himself,and

you

may

work with him for years without everknowing where he lives,how many children he

has, and what his interests h peopletend to be like y related to

English reserve is English their hearts, the English are perhaps no less

conceited

than

anybody

else,but

in

their

relations

with

othersthey

value

at

least

a

show of -praise is felt to be a person is, let ussay,very good at

tennis

and

someone

asks

him

if

he

is

a

good

player,he

will

seldom

reply

“Yes,”because

people

will

think

him

will

probably

give

an

answer

like,“I’m notbad,” or “I think I’m very good,” or “Well, I’m very keen on tennis.”Even if

he had managed toreach the finals in last year’s local championships,he would say it

in such a way as to suggestthat it was only due to a piece of good reserve

and modesty are part of his ownnature,the typical English tends to expect them in

secretly looks down on moreexcitable nations,and likes to think of himself

as

more

reliable

than

they

does

n’t

trustbig

promises

and

open

shows

of

feelings,especially

if

they

are

expressed

in

doesn’t

trust

self-praise of any applies not only to what other peoplemay tell him about

themselves orally,but to the letters they may write to those who arefond of

flowery expressions,the Englishman may appear uncomfortably cold.

Exercise

A

state

of

physical

and

mental

health

allows

you

to

take

part

in

exercise

comfortably andenjoyably so that it doesn

’

t hurt, so that you can look forward to it,

and

feel

good

afterwards.

Ifyou

are

feeling

down,

exercise

may

help

pick

you

up.

Although

researchers

disagree

on

thisissue,

one

review

of

past

studies

found

that

long-term

exercise,

especially

when

it

includeslong-lasting,

strenuous

training

sessions,

has

about

as

much

of

an

effect

on

depression

aspsychotherapy.

Working out helps you deal with stress in your job, relationships or any area of life

—

possiblybecause exercise is a form of stress itself and helps condition your body to

deal

with

stralian

researchers

compared

people

who

did

30

minutes

of

aerobic

exercise

three

times

aweek

to

those

who

practiced

progressive

relaxation

techniques, they found that the formergroup responded better to acute stress and

had

lower

blood

pressure.

Even

a

little

exercisecan

make

you

think

less

anxiously.

Studies have shown that any amount of exercise, from abrisk10 minute walk to an

intense

aerobics

or

weightlifting

session

seems

to

decrease

feelingsof

anxiety.

Working out regularly may make you smarter now and lessen the possibility that you

’

ll losebrain function as you age. According to a recent animal study at the University

of Illinois, exercise can actually help the brain develop new cells. In several studies,

regular

weight

trainingor

aerobic

exercise

was

shown

to

improve

the

quality

and

duration of sleep. Naturally, this canmake you less fatigued and be able to function

better during the day. Like meditation, hobbies or any other leisure activity, exercise

gives

your

mind

a

needed

break

from

everydaythoughts,

responsibilities

and

commitments.

Finally,

there’s

one

more

reason

to

keepexercising.

When

you

work

out

regularly,

your

body

simply

functions

better

you

are

better,

healthier

and

less

likely to suffer painful physical conditions. And that just plain feels good.

All Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

…

Most of what I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how

to be,

I learned in kindergarten.

Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate mountain,

but there in the sandbox at nursery school.

These are the things I learned:

Share everything. Play fair. Don

’

t hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don

’

t take things that aren

’

t yours.

Say you

’

re sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life.

Learn

some

and

think

some

and draw

and paint

and

sing

and

dance

and play

and work everyday some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands and stick together.

Be aware of wonder.

Remember the little seed in the plastic cup?

The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why,

but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup

—

they all die. So do we.

And

then

remember

the

book

about

Dick

and

Jane

and

the

first

word

you

learned, the biggestword of all:

Look. Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.

The

Golden

Rule

and

love

and

basic

sanitation.

Ecology

and

politics

and

sane

living.

Think of what a better world it would be if we all

—

the whole world

—

had

cookies

and

milk

about

3

o

’

clock

every

afternoonand

then

lay

down

with

our

blankets for a nap.

Or

if

we had

a basic

policy

in

our nationsto

always

put

things back

where

we

found them and cleaned up our own messes.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it

is better to hold hands and stick together.

Come as You Are

Come as you are; do not loiter over your toilet.

If your braided hair has loosened,if the parting of your hair be not straight, if the

ribbons benot fastened, do not mind.

Come as you are; do not loiter over your toilet. Come, with quick steps over the

grass.

If

thered

come

from

your

feet

because

of

the

dew,if

the

rings

of

bells

upon

your

feet

slacken,

ifpearls

drop

out

of

your

chain,

do

not

mind.

Come,

with

quick

steps over the you seethe clouds wrapping the sky? Flocks of cranes fly up

from

the

further

riverbank.

The

anxiouscattle

run

to

their

stalls

in

the

village.

Do you see the clouds wrapping the sky? Come as you are; do not loiter over your

toilet. Letyour work be. Listen, the guest has come. Do you hear, he is gently shaking

the chain whichfastens the door? See that your anklets make no loud noise, and that

your step is not over- hurried at meeting him.

Let your work be, the guest has come in the evening. It is the full moon on a

night of April; shadows are pale in the court yard; the sky overhead is bright. Draw

your veil over your face ifyou must, carry the lamp in the door if you fear.

Have no word with him if you are shy; stand aside by the door when you meet

him. If he asksyou questions, and if you wish to, you can lower your eyes in silence.

Do not let your braceletsjingle when, lamp in hand, you lead him in. Have you not

finished your work yet? Listen, theguest has come.

An Irish Wedding

Have you ever been to an Irish wedding? I have just returned from one. It is a

quarter

to

five

inthe

morning;

the

sun

has

already

climbed

above

the

horizon;the

birds

are

busy

celebrating

thenew

day

and

have

eagerly

been

in

search

of

food.

But some of the guests have not yet left. They are still prolonging the night: dancing,

singing, gossiping, and postponing the unfortunate necessity of undertaking a day

’

s

work in the fieldsafter a sleepless night.

The evening party was to start at ten o

’

clock, but many of the guests arrived

earlier.

A

few

ofthe

nearer

male

relatives

were

looking

rather

awkward

in

evening

suits

with

smart

bow

ties,

and

the

pleasant,

unsophisticated

countrywomen

appeared a little self-conscious in their Sunday best. Two men squeezing accordions

providedthe music: the old Irish tunes that have been played at weddings for many

years.

Half the people in the room were dancing the square dances which have been

enjoyed evenlonger. A score of men stood in the narrow dark hall leaning against the

wall, drinking beerfrom bottles and speculating about crops, cattle and the current

political situation. Andwhenever the dancing stopped, somebody would start singing

one

of

the

sentimental,

treasured

Irish

songs:

the

exile

longing

for

his

home,

the

grief-stricken

lover

mourning

hisfate.

Sometimes

we

all

joined

in

the

chorus,

sadly

and solemnly, before getting up to danceagain.

Irish

weddings

are

almost

certain

to

have

been

celebrated

in

this

way

for

generations. I havebeen to wedding receptions

where

champagne

has

been

served

to

the

accompaniment

of

soft

unnoticed

orchestral

music;

I

have

listened

to

carefully

prepared

speeches

and

eyed

a

little

enviously the model gowns ofwomen far more elegant than I could ever hope to be.

I

have

been

impressed, and

a

little bored.

I have

just

been

sitting up

all

night

in a

small, uncomfortable Irish cottage and I have been enjoying every moment of it.

Challenges of School

Life is full of challenges. School has to be the most challenging obstacle in the

lives of youthtoday. Elementary school brings about a few challenges characteristic of

those years spentthere. There

’

s the challenge of coloring in the lines, a very real

problem to any youngster. Orhow about the challenge of remembering to raise one

’

s hand before one speaks?

There are hundreds of rules and regulations that govern these young children.

The one thingthat keeps these children in line is the hope of reward. Yes, this is the

brass ring. The reward fora clean desk is an extra five minutes of recess!

The prize for having all homework done, a shiny-new pencil topper! These small

wonders keepsmall people in line.

They

make

the

children

love

challenge.

Middle

school

is

not

so

easy.

It

is

not

eas

y for thestudents, and it also isn’t easy for the challenge of staying

out of trouble, orwriting that research paper

—

these are the new confrontations of

an

older,

wiser

group.

Thisclan

has

outgrown

the

recess

and

pencil-topper

tricks.

They know that their efforts have tobring them something really useful, so mom and

pop

are

pulled

onto the

scene.

How

does five,

ten

dollars

for each

“A” sound? Or,