在平时的'学习、工作中，我们都经常看到试题的身影，借助试题可以更好地对被考核者的知识才能进行考察测验。大家知道什么样的试题才是规范的吗？下面是细致的小编沉默为大家收集整理的12篇四级听力练习的相关文章，希望能够帮助到大家。
Punctuality means observing regular or appointed time. A man who gets up at seven o'clock every morning is punctual. A man who has promised to call on a friend at five o'clock in the afternoon and actually does so at that hour is also punctual.
Punctuality is a good habit, and unpunctuality is a bad one. A few minutes delay may not be a serious matter, but it may have bad results. Getting up five minutes later than usual may upset the plan of the day. Calling on a friend five minutes later than the appointed time may cause him some unexpected trouble. Moreover, habitual unpunctuality leads to indolence and even failure in life. One delay after another makes a man unable to trust himself. It also proves him to be untrustworthy.
Those who are unpunctual should try their best to get rid of their bad habit. In doing this, they should avoid making any kind of exception. They should never say to themselves:"A few minutes delay does not matter this time. I shall never be unpunctual again." Those who think in this way will find excuses for delay from time to time, and will at least give up the attempt to cultivate the good habit.
Like all other good habits, punctuality becomes second nature with those who have duly cultivated it.
How Did Thanksgiving Turkey Get its Name?
感恩节“火鸡”是如何得名？
The U.S. Thanksgiving holiday is symbolized by its traditional food, a large bird we call a turkey. But turkey is certainly not from Turkey.
In fact, its English name is based on one big mistake. We could say it is a case of mistaken identity.
Let’s set the record straight.
The word “Turkey” has meant “the land of the Turks” since ancient times. The word “turkey” as it refers to the bird first appeared in the English language in the mid-1500s.
The misunderstanding over the word happened because of two similar-looking kinds of birds.
There is an African bird called the guinea fowl. It has dark feathers with white spots and a patch of brown on the back of its neck. Portuguese traders brought the guinea fowl to Europe through North Africa.
This foreign bird came to Europe through Turkish lands. So, the English thought of the bird as a “Turkish chicken.”
When Europeans came to North America, they saw a bird that looked like the guinea fowl. This bird was native to the North American continent.
Orin Hargraves is a lexicographer, someone who writes dictionaries. Hargraves explains what happened.
“Some Europeans saw an American turkey, thought that it was the guinea fowl, which at that time was called the ‘turkey cock,’ and so gave it the same name."
Hundreds of years later, we continue to call this North American bird “turkey,” even though it has no connection at all with the country Turkey, or even with Europe.
But English is not the only language with interesting -- and even questionable -- names for this North American bird.
The Turkish, for their part, call turkey “hindi,” the Turkish name for India. The reference to India probably comes from the old, wrong idea that the New World was in Eastern Asia.
The French call it “dinde,” a name that also connects the bird to India. “D’Inde” means “from India” in the French language. “Turkey” has similar names in several other languages.
So, what do they call this North American bird in India? Well, in the Hindi language, “turkey” is “tarki.”
But wait, there’s more. In Portuguese, the same bird is called “Peru,” after the South American nation.
Thanks to our VOA Learning English Facebook friends, we have a few more names for “turkey” to share with you.
The Vietnamese word for the bird is “gà ty” or western chicken. Our Facebook friend Nguyen Duc explains that “local chicken is smaller than western chicken.”
A Facebook friend in Myanmar explained that the Burmese word for “turkey” is “kyat sin.” The name translates to “elephant chicken” in English.
“That animal looks like a big chicken,” Zaw Myo Win explained.
The Dari language name for the bird, "fel murgh" also translates to “elephant chicken.”
Abdulla Kawer explained to us that “here in Afghanistan this name represents the size of this delicious meal.” He adds that he thinks the descriptive name “elephant chicken” is “better than a country name.”
I’m Ashley Thompson.
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Words in This Story
symbolize - v. to represent or express a particular idea or quality
translate - v. to change words from one language into another language
Soils
There are many different kinds of soils. Different soils have different types of rock and minerals in them. Some soils have more water in them than others. Some soils might have more plant and animal material in them, too.
Different kinds of soils are found in different parts of the world. There are several kinds of soils found in the United States. In some areas, the soil has a lot of clay. Other soils are very sandy. Loam is a kind of soil that has a good mixture of clay and sand.
In some places, soil layers are very thick. Lots of plants grow in places with a thick soil layer. In dry and windy places soil layers are much thinner. Layers of soil on mountains are thin because gravity pulls the soil downhill.
The type of soil in a particular place affects what kinds of plants can grow there.
Useful Words:
1. clay 黏土，泥土
2. loam 肥土
3. layer 层
4. gravity 地心引力，重力
5. downhill 往下
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators announced Tuesday that they have agreed to an extended ceasefire after seven weeks of deadly fighting in Gaza.
The ceasefire took effect at 7 p.m. local time 。 Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced the truce from his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Egypt organized the truce. It calls for Israel to ease its blockade of Gaza. The agreement will permit shipments of humanitarian aid and building materials for repair and reconstruction in Gaza. The two sides will continue talks about Israels demand that Hamas militants surrender their weapons.
The United States said it strongly supports the truce.
Over 2,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and more than 60 Israelis were killed in the almost two month long conflict.
Belarus Meeting Fails to End Fighting in Ukraine
Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko and Russias President Vladimir Putin met in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, Tuesday. They failed to reach agreement about the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Mr. Poroshenko said the conflict would end with a secure border for Ukraine. He said there must be a block to transports of arms from Russia to the rebels.
Mr. Putin demanded that Russia be permitted to meet with the rebels and supply humanitarian aid.
Cambodian Opposition Gets Parliamentary Commissions
1. M: What would be like working with those young stars?
W: It was a great group, I always got mad when people said that we didn’t get along, just because we were girls, there was never a fight. We had a great time.
Q: What does the woman mean?
2.M: Are you telling me you don't have a housekeeper?
W: No, we don't. If you make a mess, you clean it up yourself.
Q: What do we learn from this conversation?
3. W: I hear that the Edwards are thinking of buying another house.
M: Should they be doing that with all the other expenses they have to pay? Anyhow,
they are over 70 now, their present house is not too bad.
Q: What does the man imply?
4. M: You look like you are freezing to death. Why don't you put this on?
W: Thank you, it was so warm at noon. I didn't expect the weather to change so quickly.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
5. M: I'll have the steak, French Fries, and let's see, chocolate ice-cream for dissert.
W: Oh, Oh, you know these things will ruin your health, too much fat and sugar, how
about ordering some vegetables and fruit instead?
Q: Where does the conversation most probably take place?
6. M: What was it like growing up in New York's Bronx District? Was it safe?
W: To me, it was. It was all I knew. My mom would send me to the shop and I'd go
and buy things when I was about 8 years old.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
7. M: Nice weather, isn't it? Oh, I've seen you around the office, but I don't think we've met, I am Henry Smith, I work in the Market Research Section.
W: Nice to meet you, Henry. I am Helen Grant, I am in the Advertising Section on the ninth floor.
Q: What can we infer from the conversation?
8. M: Mam, I hear you have an apartment for rent, can I take a look at it?
W: Sure, you're welcome any time by appointment, but I have to tell you the building.
is close to a railway with the noise. You might as well save the trip.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
Questions 9 to 2 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
Conversation
W: Please have a seat, Mr. Thunders. I received your resume last week, and was very impressed.
M: Thank you!
W: We are a small financial company trading mostly stocks and bonds. May I ask why you are interested in working for us?
M: Your company has an impressive reputation and I always want to work for a smaller company.
W: That's good to hear. Would you mind telling me a little bit about your present job?
M: I'm currently working in a large international company in charge of a team of 8 brokers, we buy and sell stocks for major clients worldwide.
W: Why do you think you are the right candidate for this position?
M: As a head broker, I have a lot of experience in the stock market, I deal with the clients on the daily bases, and I enjoy working with people.
W: Well, you might just be the person we've been looking for. Do you have any questions?
M: Uh-hum, if I were hired, how many accounts would I be handling?
W: You will be working with two other head brokers, in another words, you will be handling about a third of our clients.
M: And who would I report to?
W: Directly to me.
M: I see. What kind of benefits package do you offer?
W: Two weeks of paid vacation in your first year employment, you are also been entitled to medical and dental insurance, but this is something you should discuss with our Personnel Department. Do you have any other questions?
M: No, not at the moment.
W: Well, I have to discuss your application with my colleagues and we'll get back to you early next week.
M: OK, thanks, it's been nice meeting you!
W: Nice meeting you too! And thanks for coming in today.
9. What's the purpose of Mr. Thunder's visit?
20. What is Mr. Thunder's current job?
2. What can we conclude from the conversation?
1.A 2.A 3.B 4.D 5.C 6.A
7.B 8.A 9.B 20.C 2.A
From Learning English, this is the Education Report.
During 3 months in 1994, 800,000 Rwandans were killed in attacks led by ethnic Hutu militias. Most of the victims were ethnic Tutsis. Many organizations around the world are observing the 20th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide.
One of these groups is Shoah Foundation Student Association at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. It invited survivors to share their memories of the horrific event.
Yannick Tona has been traveling the world to talk about the genocide. He spoke about his experiences to a crowed of students at USC. He told them what happened in his country, and what happened to his own family.
I remember the first time I saw the killing. The first time I saw people been killed. The first time I saw bodies, said Tona.
He was only four years old at the time. He said he hid in bushes and heard screaming. He said he saw big bloody knives and bodies on the street everywhere. Mr Tonas one-year-old brother and his grandmother were killed.
Rwandan Edith Umugiraneza said she struggled with the guilt, she fought for surviving when her mother, brothers and many other relatives did not.
Because I was blaming, Why did I survive why I did not go with others? I had the question, Why, why? all the time, said Umugiraneza.
Ms Umugiraneza now lives in the United States. She said prayer and sharing stories with other survivors has helped her to heal.
From Learning English, this is the Economics Report.
International economists say they are hopeful about Africas economy. They say economic growth on the continent will increase by as much as five or six percent over the next two years. That would be the continents highest growth rate since the worldwide economic recession in 。
Economic experts say the growth is partly because governments have established policies inviting to foreign investors. They say increased trade among African nations is also growing the continents economy. And the experts say the growth is widespread. They made the observations in the African Economic Outlook report.
The African Development Bank, the United Nations Development Program and the OECD Development Center produced the report together. Angela Lusigi is a U. N. Development Program economist and policy adviser for Africa.
A lot of people think growth in Africa, they think the only driven by mineral wealth or oil-exporting countries, but we find now the report that even countries that are not resource rich are still growing effectively. This is mainly because of their agricultural sector but also growth in services [including tourism] and a little in manufacturing, said Lusigi.
The report says Africas top foreign trade partner is Europe. About 40 percent of African trade is with European nations. 25 percent is with Asian countries and about 12 percent is with North America.
From Learning English, this is the Technology Report.
There are increasing calls for lawmakers to reconsider copyright laws that protect the owners of 3-D printing designs. But there is also concern that extensive laws could suppress new ideas. 3-D printers have spread from scientific labs to industrial workshops to private homes. And prices of 3-D printers continue to drop.
Designers demonstrate a large number of different machines at 3-D print shows. There are models that can produce complex copies of human organs. There are less costly 3-D printers that make toys for children or parts for home electrical devices.
One German automaker recently demonstrated an example of a car structure printed in one piece. And a Chinese manufacturer advertised a house created in a 3-D printer.
With the help of computer, almost anyone can print exact copies of many kinds of objects. But they also violate the law in doing so.
Julie Samuels is a lawyer with the civil liberties group, Electronic Frontier Foundation. She says people should be careful about what they create when using 3-D printers.
If a certain design that you want to print is covered by copyright, then if you print that you are infringing, arguably, someones copyright, said Julie Samuels.
But 3-D companies are concerned about passing more restrictive copyright protection laws. They think these laws could place bans on the rights of citizens. They also believe restrictive copyright laws could suppress technological invention.
From Learning English, this is In the News.
Nouri al-Maliki said Thursday that he would leave his position as prime minister of Iraq. His decision opened the way for Haider Jawad al-Abadi to take Mr. Malikis place.
Former colleagues describe Mr. Abadi as a good speaker and a direct person who is open to the ideas of others. He will need strong qualities. Among the issues facing the new prime minister are extremist militancy, religious division and political disputes.
The man now responsible for leading Iraq out of crisis was born in Baghdad. But he has lived much of his life outside the country. For example, he worked in Britain as an advisor in the engineering industry until the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.
His family suffered under the rule of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Saddams government arrested two of Mr. Abadis brothers in 1980 for their association with the Dawa Party and executed them two years later. In 1981, the government arrested a third brother for the same reason. That brother survived. But he spent 10 years in prison.
Mr. Abadi also was involved in the Dawa Party while in London. He served as an active party leader in exile.
He returned home to enter politics after Saddam was ousted from leadership. As communications minister, Mr.Abadi rebuilt telephone systems that had been destroyed by war. He also brought the first mobile and Internet communications services into the country.
From Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.
Climate researchers met recently in Cameroon to talk about threats to Africas land and animals. They said they believe the continent may lose as much as 30 percent of its animal and plant species by the end of this century. They blame the expected losses on the warming of earth, population growth and unrestricted development.
The researchers represent 20 African, American and European universities. They say countries south of the Saharan desert are losing forest faster than any place on earth. Wood companies are cutting down trees to meet growing demand from China, Europe and the United States.
The population is growing at 3 percent per year. There are now homes, factories and farms on land that once was forest. Many African animals and plants no longer have a place to live as result. Climate change also continues to threaten species.
Thomas Smith is the director of the Center for Tropical Research at the University of California.
With a 1.5 degree rise in global temperature, Africa may lose 30 percent of its animals and plants. And unfortunately with the increase in CO2 that has been now estimated to be up to three degrees in terms of rising global temperatures -- that means we may lose 40 percent of all mammal species in Africa by the end of the century, said Smith.
The African chimpanzee is one such animal at risk. Mary Katherine Gonder is a professor in the Department of Biology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem says his nation is willing to work with the international community in the fight against Islamic State militants. He also appealed to others to end their support for the militants. The official spoke Monday; the day after Syria lost a major airbase in the northern Raqqa province.
Mr. Moallem said, My government is ready to cooperate and coordinate both regionally and internationally to fight terrorism.
He said that the Islamic State militants and Jabhat al-Nusrat, another jihadist group, are more dangerous than the Taliban or al-Qaida. The two groups have fought against the U.S. and its NATO allies since 2001
But, Mr. Moallem warned against U.S. airstrikes in Syria. He said any action in Syria must be approved by Syria. He warned that Syria could attempt to shoot down U.S. warplanes that take action without approval. The Syrian foreign minister also accused both Qatar and Turkey of supporting the militants.
Ukraine Says Russian Military Has Crossed Its Border
A top Ukrainian official said Monday Russian tanks and other military vehicles had crossed into southeastern Ukraine.
A spokesman for Ukraines National Security Council, Andriy Lysenko, said the group of 10 tanks, two armored vehicles and two trucks crossed the border near Shcherbak. He said the Russian military vehicles were flying flags of separatist Donetsk rebels.
Large Muslim Community in Minnesota Observes Ramadan
MINNEAPOLIS— Ramadan is widely observed in parts of the northern U.S. state of Minnesota; a place a large Muslim community calls home.
An estimated 200,000 Muslims live in Minnesota. When you walk into the businesses and the neighborhoods where Somalis reside, you would assume you are in a Muslim country. At night, houses of worship are full of people saying the so called the “Taraweeh” prayers identified with Ramadan.
Rowda Mosque in Minneapolis is one of the places where worshipers come in masses. Imam Abdirazak Abshir Farah (aka San’ani) talks about the virtue of Ramadan.
“Muslims who are fasting shouldnt only avoid eating and drinking but all evil deeds as well.”
During Ramadan, people strive to help the poor and the needy. Farhia Isse Qalanjo is a volunteer from the Minnesota branch of “Walaal Afuri,” an organization that helps poor people in Somalia.
“In Somalia, there are people who have no relatives in foreign countries who send them money and are in dire needs. We are collecting the money for them. We don’t know them but we got their contacts through friends.”
Jamal Farah (aka Happy Khalif) is a barber at Karmel Somali Mall. He is also a well-known comedian.
“Since I came to the U.S., I have never cooked food. Maybe, I occasionally make tea for myself. You can find everything in the mall, even there is a buffet upstairs. It is easy.”
Last year, the Minneapolis City Council approved a bill that permits Somali businesses to stay open after regular closing hours during the month of Ramadan. The owner of Safari Restaurant, Abdurahman Abkos believes this came as a result of the prominent role the Somali community plays in the city.
“To extend the hours of operations during the Holy Month of Ramadan is a recognition of the role of the Somali and the Muslim communities in the city.”
This year, Ramadan came in the summer season. People fast between 17-18 hours. Some complain about the high temperature and lengthy hours, but find it spiritually rewarding.