DICTATION 1[00:50.44]Dining Customs in the USA[00:54.14]Americans, like many people elsewhere in the world, [00:58.12]like to invite friends to their homes for an evening of food, [01:02.10]drink and conversation.[01:04.90]Formal dinners in fine homes and hotels in the US[01:08.90]are much the same as formal dinners anywhere in the world. [01:13.50]But as most people in the US have no servants,[01:17.42]their dinner parties at home tend to be informal.[01:21.34]Guests may sit down at a table,[01:23.77]or as many new small homes have no[01:26.25]separate dining room or very small dining space.[01:30.48]Guests can also serve themselves and eat in the living room, [01:34.65]holding their plates or trays on their knees.[01:37.76]A more enjoyable form of entertainment is the picnic. [01:41.79]Americans are great picnickers and[01:44.23]almost every family has a picnic basket.[01:47.90]Summer invitations are often for[01:49.96]a picnic at a park or in the open countryside,[01:53.63]and less hamburgers or hot dogs are cooked over a fire. [01:57.86]Picnic food is usually cold.DICTATION 2[00:50.31]Costs in Colleges and Universities[00:54.66]Nearly all American students in colleges and[00:57.71]universities pay for their educations.[01:01.07]There are many costs.[01:03.44]First of all, there is tuition.[01:06.31]At some schools, the tuition is very high,[01:09.67]ten thousand dollars a year or more.[01:12.80]At other schools,[01:14.18]it may only be a few hundred dollars a year.[01:17.74]At some community colleges, tuition is free.[01:22.11]There are other costs as well.[01:24.85]Many students leave their homes to[01:26.86]go to schools in other cities.[01:29.84]They may live in dormitories or apartments,[01:32.83]and they must pay for it.[01:35.13]Finally, students must buy textbooks for their courses. [01:39.80]Going to college or university can be a big expense. [01:44.67]Some families start saving money for[01:47.25]their children's education when the children are small. [01:51.67]Many students work to save money for tuition.[01:55.71]They can also get loans from the government.[01:58.95]They pay the money back to the government[02:01.12]when they finish their education.DICTATION 4[00:49.96]Rainbow[00:51.51]You will not always see a rainbow[00:53.63]when it rains while the sun shines.[00:56.62]The sun must be in the right position over the horizon. [01:00.72]And remember to turn your back to the sun[01:03.85]when you look toward the sky.[01:05.90]A rainbow will never appear[01:07.92]in the path between you and the sun.[01:10.91]If you are on the ground,[01:13.08]you will only see a part of the rainbow.[01:16.27]This is because the earth blocks the rest of the circle. [01:20.07]You can see the whole circle[01:21.94]if you are flying high in a plane when a rainbow happens. [01:26.43]The shadow of the plane would be in the center.[01:30.22]Rainbows hold an important place[01:32.85]in the traditional stories and beliefs[01:35.75]that make up many cultures.[01:37.94]For example, some cultures say the rainbow[01:40.74]represents a bridge between life and death.[01:44.28]Still others see the rainbow as a sign of good things to come.PART I DICTATION text 1[01:02.23]Plastic[01:03.41]We use plastic wrap to protect our foods.[01:06.40]We put our garbage in plastic bags or plastic cans.[01:10.55]We sit on plastic chairs, play with plastic toys,[01:14.30]drink from plastic cups,[01:16.43]and wash our hair with shampoo from plastic bottles.[01:20.62]Plastic does not grow in nature.[01:23.51]It is made by mixing certain things together.[01:27.01]We call it a produced or manufactured material.[01:31.52]Plastic was first made in the 1860s from plants,[01:35.41]such as wood and cotton.[01:37.72]That plastic was soft and burned easily.[01:41.55]The first modern plastics were made in the 1930s.[01:46.00] Most clear plastic starts out as thick, black oil.[01:50.93]That plastic coating inside a pan begins as natural gas.[01:56.53]Over the years,[01:57.79]hundreds of different plastics have been developed.[02:01.15]Some are hard and strong. Some are soft and bendable. [02:05.91]Some are clear. Some are many-colored.[02:09.90]There is a plastic for almost every need.[02:13.79]Scientists continue to experiment with plastics.[02:17.73]They hope to find even more ways to use them.PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSION1-10 C A D C A C B C B C11-20 A D D D B B B C B D21-30 C B C C C D D C C D[00:16.16]PART I DICTATION text 2[01:01.98]Music[01:02.85]Music is the abstract art of arranging vocal or[01:06.28]instrumental sounds[01:07.62]in a manner that produces a flowing,[01:10.08]unified and thoughtful composition that has melody,[01:14.32]harmony, rhythm.[01:16.25]In contrast to the other arts,[01:18.43]music is not a readily tangible form of expression.[01:22.86]Music may be called both the most mathematical and [01:26.36]the most abstract of the arts.[01:29.30]Unlike words, images, or dance, however,[01:32.82]musical tones in themselves have no concrete associations, [01:37.55]and only gain meaning when they are combined into patterns. [01:42.04]Through the centuries various philosophers have[01:44.79]attempted to integrate theories[01:46.78]on the essence of music with their particular world views. [01:50.92]Many non-Western cultures and some Western writers [01:54.53]as well have perceived it as an inherently mystical force, [01:58.85]able to unlock elemental truths or principles[02:02.27]that cannot be translated into written or graphic form. [02:06.83]Music is an important part of our lives,[02:09.44]and has been an important part of[02:11.50]every civilization known to man.PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSION1-10 A D C C B C D B A D11-20 C C A B A A C C B A21-30 D C D D C D B D A C。