历年英语专四听力听写原文2000–2011.docVIP

What We Know About Language(2000) Many things about language are a mystery and will remain so. /However, we now do know something about it./ First, we know that all human beings have a language of some sort./ No human race anywhere on earth is so backward/ that it has no language of its own at all. /Second, there is no such thing as a primitive language./ There are many peoples whose cultures are undeveloped/ but the languages they speak are by no means primitive./ In all the languages existing in the world today, /there are complexities that must have been developed for years. /Third, we know that all languages are perfectly adequate. / Each is a perfect means of expressing its culture. / And finally, we know that language changes over time, / which is natural and normal if a language is to survive. /The language which remains unchanged is nothing but dead./ Characteristics of a Good Reader (2001) To improve your reading habits, /you must understand the characteristics of a good reader. /First, the good reader usually reads rapidly. / Of course, he does not read every piece of material at the same rate. / But whether he is reading a newspaper/ or a chapter in a physics text, / his reading rate is relatively fast. /He has learned to read for ideas/ rather than words one at a time. /Next, the good reader can recognize/ and understand general ideas and specific details./ Thus he is able to comprehend the material /with a minimum of effort and a maximum of interest./ Finally, the good reader has in his command /several special skills, /which he can apply to reading problems/ as they occur./ For the college student,/ the most helpful of these skills/ include making use of the various aids to understanding /that most text books provide/ and skim-reading for a general survey./ Disappearing Forests (2002) The world’s forests are disappearing. / As much as 1/3 of the total tree cover/ has been lost since agriculture began some 10,000 years ag