大学英语口试阅读材料

1第一部分：短文阅读（每小组需5-6分钟。教师可要求学生读其中的一、二段）(1)Isuspectnoteveryonewholovesthecountrywouldbehappylivingthewaywedo.Ittakesacoupleofspecialqualities.Oneisatoleranceforsolitude.Becausewearesobusyandonsuchatightbudget,wedon’tentertainmuch.Duringthegrowingseasonthereisnotimeforsocializinganyway.JimandEmilyareinvolvedinschoolactivities,buttheytoospendmostoftheirtimeathome.Theotherrequirementisenergy—alotofit.Thewaytomakeself-sufficiencyworkonasmallscaleistoresistthetemptationtobuyatractorandotherexpensivelaborsavingdevices.Instead,youdotheworkyourself.Theonlymachineryweown(notcountingthelawnmower)isalittlethreehorsepowerrotarycultivatoranda16-inchchainsaw.Howmuchlongerwe’llhaveenoughenergytostayonhereisanybody’sguess—perhapsforquiteawhile,perhapsnot.Whenthetimecomes,we’llleavewithafeelingofsorrowbutalsowithasenseofprideatwhatwe’vebeenabletoaccomplish.Weshouldmakeafairprofitonthesaleoftheplace,too.We’veinvestedabout$35,000ofourownmoneyinit,andwecouldjustaboutdoublethatifwesoldtoday.Butthisisnotagoodtimetosell.Onceeconomicconditionsimprove,however,demandforfarmslikeoursshouldbestrongagain.Wedidn’tmovehereprimarilytoearnmoneythough.Wecamebecausewewantedtoimprovethequalityofourlives.WhenIwatchEmilycollectingeggsintheevening,fishingwithJimontheriverorenjoyinganold-fashionedpicnicintheorchardwiththeentirefamily,Iknowwe’vefoundjustwhatwewerelookingfor.(2)Ithasbeenreplacedbydead-boltlocks,securitychains,electronicalarmsystemsandtripwireshookeduptoapolicestationorprivateguardfirm.Manysuburbanfamilieshaveslidingglassdoorsontheirpatios,withsteelbarselegantlybuiltinsonoonecanprythedoorsopen.Itisnotuncommon,inthemostpleasantofhomes,toseepastedonthewindowssmallnoticesannouncingthatthepremisesareundersurveillancebythissecurityforceorthatguardcompany.ThelockisthenewsymbolofAmerica.Indeed,arecentpublicserviceadvertisementbyalargeinsurancecompanyfeaturednotchartsshowinghowmuchatriskweare,butapictureofachild’sbicyclewiththenow-usualpadlockattachedtoit.Theadpointedoutthat,yes,itistheinsurancecompaniesthatpayforstolengoods,butwhoisgoingtopayforwhatthenewatmosphereofdistrustandfearisdoingtoourwayoflife?WhoisgoingtomakethepsychicpaymentforthetransformationofAmericafromtheLandoftheFreetotheLandoftheLock?Forthatiswhathashappened.WehavebecomesousedtodefendingourselvesagainstthenewatmosphereofAmericanlife,sousedtoputtingupbarriers,thatwehavenothadtimetothinkaboutwhatitmaymean.(3)Alwaysthecollegeprofessor,mydadhadcarefullyavoidedanythingheconsideredtoosentimental,soIknewhowmovedhewastowritemethat,afterhavinghelpededucatemanyyoungpeople,henowfeltthathisbestresultsincludedhisson.2TheReverendNelsonwrotethathisdecadeasa“simple,old-fashionedprincipal”hadendedwithschoolsundergoingsuchswiftchangesthathehadretiredinself-doubt.“IheardmoreofwhatIhaddonewrongthanwhatIdidright,”hesaid,addingthatmyletterhadbroughthimwelcomereassurancethathiscareerhadbeenappreciated.AglanceatGrandma’sfamiliarhandwritingbroughtbackinaflashmemoriesofstandingalongsideherwhiterockingchair,watchingher“settin’down”somelettertorelatives.Characterbycharacter,Grandmawouldslowlyaccomplishoneword,thenthenext,sothatafinishedpagewouldconsumehours.IweptoverthepagerepresentingmyGrandma’srecenthoursinvestedinexpressingherlovinggratefulnesstome-whomsheusedtodiaper!(4)OldBehrmanwasapainterwholivedonthegroundfloorbeneaththem.Hewaspastsixtyandhadalongwhitebeardcurlingdownoverhischest.Despitelookingthepart,Behrmanwasafailureinart.Forfortyyearshehadbeenalwaysabouttopaintamasterpiece,buthadneveryetbegunit.Heearnedalittlebyservingasamodeltothoseyoungartistswhocouldnotpaythepriceofaprofessional.Hedrankgintoexcess,andstilltalkedofhiscomingmasterpiece.Fortheresthewasafiercelittleoldman,whomockedterriblyatsoftnessinanyone,andwhoregardedhimselfasguarddogtothetwoyoungartistsinthestudioabove.SuefoundBehrmansmellingstronglyofgininhisdimlylightedstudiobelow.Inonecornerwasablankcanvasonaneaselthathadbeenwaitingtherefortwenty-fiveyearstoreceivethefirstlineofthemasterpiece.ShetoldhimofJohnsy’fancy,andhowshefearedshewould,indeed,lightandfragileasleafherself,floataway,whenherslightholdupontheworldgrewweaker.OldBehrman,withhisredeyesplainlystreaming,shoutedhiscontemptforsuchfoolishimaginings.“What!”Hecried.“Aretherepeopleintheworldfoolishenoughtodiebecauseleafsdropofffromavine?Ihaveneverheardofsuchathing.Whydoyouallowsuchsillyideastocomeintothatheadofhers?God!ThisisnotaplaceinwhichonesogoodasMissJohnsyshouldliesick.SomedayIwillpaintamasterpiece,andweshallallgoaway.Yes.”(5)EverystudentisfacedwiththesamequestionwhenhepassestheCollegeEntranceExamination.Shouldhechooseagoodmajororagooduniversity?Differentpeoplewillofferdifferentanswers.Somestudentsgiveprioritytoagoodmajor.Whattheycherishisaspecialtytheylikemost.Intheirmind,whethertheuniversityisfamousisnotveryimportant.Solongastheyworkhard,theycanlearnitwellinanyuniversity,andabrightfutureisawaitingthem.Otherstudentspaymoreattentiontotheuniversity.Theyattachgreatimportancetotheuniversitybecausetheenvironmentisvitaltothemakingofanexcellentpersonandisthesymbolofagoodfuture