2006年12月23日英語四級聽力原文（文字版）

　　Passage 3

　　Many people catch a cold in the spring time or fall. It makes us wonder if scientists can send a man to the moon. Why can’t they find a cure for the common cold? The answer is easy. There’re actually hundreds of kinds of cold viruses out there. You never know which one you will get, so there isn’t a cure for each one. When a virus attacks your body, your body works hard to get rid of it. Blood rushes to your nose and causes a blockade in it. You feel terrible because you can’t breathe well, but your body is actually eating the virus. Your temperature rises and you get a fever, but the heat of your body is killing the virus. You also have a running nose to stop the virus from getting into your cells. You may feel miserable, but actually your wonderful body is doing everything it can to kill the cold. Different people have different remedies for colds. In the United States and some other countries, for example, people might eat chicken soup to feel better. Some people take hot bath and drink warm liquids. Other people take medicines to relieve various symptoms of colds. There was one interesting thing to note. Some scientists say taking medicines when you have a cold is actually bad for you. The virus stays in you longer, because your body doesn’t develop a way to fight it and kill it.

　　Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　Question 33: According to the passage, why haven’t scientists found a cure for the common cold?

　　Question 34: What does the speaker say about the symptoms of the common cold?

　　Question 35: What do some scientists say about taking medicines for the common cold, according to the passage?

　　Section C: Compound dictation:

　　You probably have noticed that people express similar ideas in different ways depending on the situation they are in. This is very natural. All languages have two general levels of usage: a formal level and an informal level. English is no exception. The difference in these two levels is the situation in which you use a particular level. Formal language is the kind of language you find in textbooks, reference books and in business letters. You would also use formal English in compositions and essays that you write in school. Informal language is used in conversation with colleagues, family members and friends, and when we write personal notes or letters to close friends. Formal language is different from informal language in several ways. First, formal language tends to be more polite. What we may find interesting is that it usually takes more words to be polite. For example, I might say to a friend or a family member “Close the door, please”, but to a stranger, I probably would say “Would you mind closing the door?” Another difference between formal and informal language is some of the vocabulary. There are bound to be some words and phrases that belong in formal language and others that are informal. Let’s say that I really like soccer. If I am talking to my friend, I might say “I am just crazy about soccer”, but if I were talking to my boss, I would probably say “I really enjoy soccer”.