大学英语六级练习试卷听力 Model Test 04

听力试题：

Section A

Directions:In this section,you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations.At

the end of each conversation,one or more questions will be asked about what was said.Both

the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.after each question there will

be a pause.During the pause,you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D),and

decide which is the best answer.Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with

a single line through the centre.

11.A.She will attend a cross-cultural lecture.

B.She will take part in a charity dance.

C.She will take the president of Harvard University.

D.She will take the day off to have a good rest.

12.A.To visit the cinema and write a composition.

B.To read a novel and write a summary.

C.To read the textbook and make an experiment.

D.To see a movie and write a comment.

13.A.He read the newspaper.

B.One of his students told him.

C.He attended a cabinet meeting.

D.He listened to the radio report.

14.A.A retirement party.

B.A faculty.

C.A class reunion.

D.A birthday party.

15.A.She suggests the man scatter his money around.

B.She suggests the man should save every of his pennies.

C.She suggests the man should keep his waist belt tight.

D.She suggests the man visit Tibet in the next summer vacation.

16.A.To persuade Mary to spend more time on her lessons.

B.To help Mary about going to the concert.

C.To talk with Mary anout going ro the concert.

D.To ask Mary to stop worrying about the exam.

17.A.The food was pretty good there.

B.The food there was not as good as Korean food.

C.She didn't like the food there.

D.She didn't know what the food was like there.

18.A.He is signing his name on an important letter.

B.He is talking to his dean about going to other countries.

C.He is helping his dean to deal with some affairs.

D.He is writing an important letter to his dean.

Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

19.A.She does some teaching work.

B.She does her homework.

C.She works as a babysitter.

D.She attends weehend lessons to improve her English.

20.A.One of her teachers recommended her to do it.

B.One of her friends introduces it to her.

C.She got it through a notice near the bus stop.

D.She happened to meet a person who offered the job.

21.A.To put up notices on community bulletin boards.

B.To post notices on wire poles.

C.To ask his teachers for help.

D.To register in job-center of the university.

Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

22.A.Different kinds of bamboo.

B. A tale related to bamboo.

C.The use of bamboo in Asian countries.

D.Bamboo artifacts in Japanese culture.

23.A.Bamboo was the food of the Shinto gods.

B.The Shinto gods lived inside the bamboo.

C.The early inhabitants worship bamboo as the Shinto gods.

D.The Shinto gods used bamboo to bulid houses.

24.A.It is a strong plant but can be easily bent.

B.It has many joints.

C.It has a delicate fragrance.

D.It can be easily planted.

25.A.It is used as a tea container.

B.It is used to add sugar.

C.It is used for measuring tea.

D.It is used for mixing tea.

Section B

Directions: In this section,you will hear 3 short passages.At the end of each passage,you will

hear some questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you

hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C)

and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the

centre.

Passage One

Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.

26.A.They made them by knives.

B.They found adequate stones.

C.They used bones of animals.

D.They made tools by hitting stone against stone.

27.A.Because it was one of thr first tools.

B.Because it developed human capacities.

C.Because it led to thr invention of machines.

D.Because it was crucial to the development of mankind.

28.A.It becomes bigger.

B.It becomes more expensive.

C.It becomes cheaper.

D.It becomes much safer.

Passage Two

Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.

29.A.They don't have a positive attitude.

B.They have other arrangements.

C.They are too lazy.

D.They get up too late.

30.A.Having fun while in school.

B.Working toward long-range goal.

C.Being discountaged.

D.Dropping a class that is dull boring.

31.A.Some students just give up on their classes.

B.A positive attitude is the key to success in college.

C.The surver may be unscientific.

D.It is important to educate college students.

Passage Three

Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

32.A.Pollution of codstal areas.

B.Rise in sea levels.

C.Exhaustion of sea resources.

D.Earthquakes and volcanoes.

33.A.Greenhouse gases.

B.Over-exploitation of the beach.

C.Change of agricultural zones.

D.Change of climates.

34.A.farming implements.

B.Scientific farming methods.

C.Heat-resistant and drought-resistant crops.

D.Scientific farming system.

35.A.By the end of this century.

B.By the first half of this century.

C.By the second half of this century.

D.By the middle of this century.

Section C

Directions:In this section,you will hear a passage three times.When the passage is read for

the first time,you should listen carefully for its general idea.When the passage is read for the

second time,you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact

words you have just heard.For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in

the missing information.For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just

heard or write down the main points in your own words.Finally, when the passage is read for

the third time,you should check what you have written.

Considering how jazz is transcribed in Chinese, you may be misled into assuming that it is a cultural form belonging to those who have

some elegant tastes.Nothing could be further from the truth.It (36)______among black

Americans at the end of the 19th century,at a time when they(37)______ the very

bottom of the American social heap.

So how has something that was created by a once despised (38)______acquire a

central place in today’s American culture?It’s a (39)______ that many people would like to

solve.

Perhaps the (40)_____of America is that you could never get two Americans to

agree on just what that might be.After thinking about it for a while, we might (41)

_____,"Hmm, seems like being American is a bit more (42)_____ than we thought."

Certainly things like(43)_____, success,innovation and tolerance stand out.(44)

______________________.

Some, like African-American writer Ralph Ellison,believes that jazz captures the

intrinsic properties of America.(45)_______________________.They say jazz brought

together elements from Africa and Europe,fusing them into a new culture,an expression

unique to the Americas.Beyond that, though,jazz has a connection to the intrinsic

properties of America in a much more fundamental way.(46)_____________________.

参考答案：

Section A

11.B 12.D 13.A 14.D 15.B 16.A 17.D 18.B

19.A 20.C 21.A

22.D 23.B 24.A 25.C

Section B

Passage One 26.D 27.D 28.C

Passage Two 29.A 30.B 31.B

Passage Three 32.B 33.A 34.C 35.C

Section C

36.originated

37.occupied

38.minority

39.mystery

40.essence

41.utter

42.complicated

43. individualism

44.But these things come together because of our ability to work with one another and find

common purpose no matter how diverse we might be

45.The solos are a celebration of individual brilliance that can’t take place without the group

efforts of the rhythm section

46.It is an expression of the African roots of American culture,a musical medium

exemplifying the domination of African culture in American culture

听力材料：

[00:03.73]Model Test Four

[00:10.98]Part Ⅲ Listening Comprehension

[00:15.36]Section A

[00:17.20]Directions:

[00:18.77]In this section,

[00:21.05]you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations.

[00:25.45]At the end of each conversation,

[00:28.02]one or more questions will be asked about what was said.

[00:31.61]Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.

[00:36.55]After each question there will be a pause.

[00:39.83]During the pause,

[00:41.52]you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D),

[00:46.87]and decide which is the best answer.

[00:49.49]Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet

[00:53.56]2 with a single line through the centre.

[00:56.99]Now, let’s begin with the eight short conversations.

[01:01.68]11. M: Here is your arrangement for this week.

[01:06.46]On Monday, there is a cross-cultural lecture.

[01:09.62]The charity dance is on Tuesday.

[01:11.75]And then on Wednesday,

[01:13.44]you are supposed to meet the president of Harvard University.

[01:16.61]W: It seems like a full week that

[01:18.78]I’ll possibly have Thursday and Friday off.

[01:21.58]Q: What will the woman probably do on Tuesday?

[01:39.18]12. M: Did the professor give an assignment before Friday?

[01:44.15]W: Nothing to read in the textbook,

[01:46.30]but we have to see a movie and write a short comment on it.

[01:50.27]Q: What have the students been assigned to do before Friday?

[02:08.62]13. W: Professor,

[02:11.78]have you heard the morning news report?

[02:14.00]Thomas resigned his post as defense secretary.

[02:17.64]M: I didn’t turn on the radio this morning,

[02:20.18]but I did see the headlines.

[02:22.27]If you remember,

[02:23.55]he threatened to leave office at the last cabinet meeting.

[02:27.64]Q: How did the professor know that Thomas had resigned?

[02:46.04]14. W: Does John know the class is

[02:49.91]having a surprise party for him

[02:51.93]when he turns twenty-one this week?

[02:54.38]M: No. He thinks we are giving a retirement party for the dean.

[02:58.70]We’ve hidden the presents for him.

[03:01.16]Q: What are the man and woman planning?

[03:18.17]15. M: Our summer vacation is coming,

[03:22.26]and I am planning to go to Tibet.

[03:24.74]But I am totally broke.

[03:26.70]How can I afford my summer vacation to Tibet?

[03:30.24]W: Why don’t you tighten your belt a little?

[03:32.77]You have been scattering money.

[03:34.96]Q: What does the woman suggest the man do?

[03:52.30]16. M: I’m really getting worried about Mary.

[03:56.46]She was sitting in for the exam for the two weeks time.

[04:00.75]But all she is talking about now is nothing

[04:04.12]but an upcoming concert.

[04:05.93]W: She may fail along that line.

[04:07.89]Let’s try to talk some sense into her.

[04:11.11]Q: What are the speakers probably going to do?

[04:28.41]17. M: How did you find the food

[04:32.33]in the new restaurant I recommended?

[04:34.44]W: I haven’t tried there yet.

[04:36.46]I drove all the way there only to find it’s closed on Tuesday,

[04:41.08]so we had my dinner in the Korean restaurant

[04:44.56]on the opposite side of the road.

[04:47.22]Q: What did the woman say about the new restaurant?

[05:05.57]18. M: Hello, Linda.

[05:08.23]Have you seen Michael this morning?

[05:10.70]There is an urgent letter for him,

[05:13.19]waiting for his signature.

[05:14.24]W: Yes, he is in our dean’s office,

[05:17.05]talking about the affairs to go abroad for further study.

[05:20.96]Q: What is Michael doing now?

[05:37.39]Now you’ll hear two long conversations.

[05:40.42]Conversation One

[05:42.98]M: Where are you going,

[05:44.40]Catherine? Today is Saturday.

[05:46.71]W: Saturday isn’t a holiday for me anymore.

[05:49.51]I have to tutor for three hours every Saturday afternoon.

[05:53.60]M: That’s great.

[05:55.14]I wish I could find a part-time job to make a little pocket money.

[05:58.85]How did you find this job?

[06:00.73]W: I saw a “Tutor Wanted” notice stuck on a light pole near the bus stop.

[06:05.07]I phoned the number and I got the job.

[06:07.55]It’s not too hard to find a part-time job these days.

[06:10.83]But Richard,

[06:12.08]studying should always come first.

[06:14.33]Do you think that you have enough time to handle a part-time job?

[06:18.27]M: It’s hard to say.

[06:19.95]If I can get a job,

[06:21.68]I will try very hard to make good use of my time.

[06:25.02]W: We do spend too much time hanging around and doing nothing.

[06:29.55]Richard, your English is perfect.

[06:32.14]Why don’t you find a job teaching English?

[06:35.05]M: But I don’t have any teaching experience.

[06:37.84]Speaking and teaching are two different things.

[06:41.12]W: I don’t have any experience either.

[06:43.46]We’re just students.

[06:45.09]People know this.

[06:46.21]But we are young and energetic,

[06:48.34]and the most important thing is that

[06:50.62]we don’t ask for as much pay as professional teachers do.

[06:54.28]M: OK! Where should I start?

[06:56.96]W: You can post some notices on the community bulletin board and

[07:01.38]some other places. But remember:

[07:03.53]don’t post them on the wire poles

[07:05.85]because you’ll probably be fined for it.

[07:08.32]M: Thank you for your advice, Catherine.

[07:10.44]W: My pleasure. Good luck.

[07:12.90]Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

[07:19.44]19. What does the woman do on Saturday afternoons?

[07:39.10]20. How did the woman find the part-time job?

[07:58.41]21. What does the woman suggest the man do when starting to find a job?

[08:19.46]Conversation Two

[08:20.83]W: Good evening and welcome to our program.

[08:24.47]Today we’ll talk about several interesting

[08:27.66]cultural artifacts that are a part of daily lives of the Japanese,

[08:32.56]and perhaps other Asian countries as well.

[08:35.40]We’re very happy to have Ben Smith here.

[08:38.53]M: Thank you.

[08:39.59]W: Well, artifacts made of bamboo are

[08:42.69]very important in Japanese culture.

[08:44.97]M: Yes. For hundreds and even thousands of years,

[08:48.47]the bamboo plant has played an important role in the lives of the Japanese,

[08:53.66]and at one time,

[08:54.91]it was believed that the Shinto gods could be found

[08:58.13]in the stem of the bamboo plant,

[09:00.45]and this is something that is portrayed in one of Japan’s oldest tales,

[09:04.97]The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

[09:07.20]W: That sounds interesting.

[09:08.79]Bamboo is a very versatile plant.

[09:11.44]It’s light and flexible, but strong, and there are many varieties of it.

[09:16.37]They can be used to make various artifacts.

[09:19.31]M: Yeah, and some of them are really exquisite.

[09:22.75]W: Very happily,

[09:24.44]Mr. Smith has brought here several bamboo artifacts.

[09:27.98]So can you introduce them to us, Mr. Smith?

[09:31.32]M: Sure. The first one is a chashaku.

[09:34.63]It is a tea spoon,

[09:36.32]and it is used for measuring powdered green tea during the tea ceremony.

[09:41.28]W: That’s fine. What about this?

[09:43.57]M: Uh, it is a tea whisk.

[09:45.88]It is for mixing the powdered green tea in a small bowl until

[09:50.19]it becomes a foamy mixture.

[09:52.17]W: Wow, it is so nice and I love it.

[09:54.91]Thank you for showing us these fine artifacts, Mr. Smith.

[09:58.83]M: My pleasure

[09:59.88]Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

[10:06.83]22. What are the two speakers talking about?

[10:26.00]23. According to the conversation,

[10:30.50]which is true about the Shinto gods?

[10:47.59]24. Why can bamboo be used to make different kinds of artifacts?

[11:07.95]25. What is the chashaku used for during the tea ceremony?

[11:28.70]Section B

[11:30.76]Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages.

[11:37.16]At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions.

[11:41.76]Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.

[11:47.01]After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from

[11:52.14]the four choices marked A), B), C) and D).

[11:56.51]Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2

[12:00.49]with a single line through the centre.

[12:03.43]Passage One

[12:05.02]Human beings have used tools for a very long time.

[12:09.49]In some parts of the world you can still find tools that

[12:13.30]people used more than two million years ago.

[12:16.68]They made these tools by hitting one stone against another.

[12:20.80]In this way they broke off pieces from one of the stones.

[12:25.21]These chips of stone were usually sharp on one side.

[12:29.65]People used them for cutting meat and skin from dead animals,

[12:34.74]and also for making other tools out of wood.

[12:38.30]Human beings needed to use tools because

[12:42.28]they did not have sharp teeth like other meat-eating animals,

[12:46.72]such as lions and tigers.

[12:48.88]Tools helped people to get food more easily.

[12:52.50]Working with tools also helped to develop human intelligence.

[12:57.53]The human brain grew bigger,

[12:59.66]and human beings began to invent more and more tools and machines.

[13:04.72]The stone chip was one of the first tools that people used,

[13:09.59]and perhaps it is the most important.

[13:12.91]Some scientists say that it was the key to the success of mankind.

[13:17.88]Since 1960 a new kind of tool has appeared.

[13:22.73]This is the silicon chip—a little chip of silicon crystal.

[13:28.51]It is smaller than a finger-nail,

[13:30.82]but it can store more than a million “bits” of information.

[13:34.63]It is an electronic brain. Every year these chips get cleverer,

[13:40.33]but their size gets smaller,

[13:42.36]and their cost gets less.

[13:44.39]They are used in watches,

[13:46.30]calculators and intelligent machines that we can use in many ways.

[13:51.14]In the future we will not need to work with tools in the old way.

[13:55.83]Machines will do everything for us.

[13:58.68]They will even talk and play games with us.

[14:02.01]People will have plenty of spare time.

[14:05.36]Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.

[14:11.77]26. How did people make tools two million years ago?

[14:32.81]27. Why is the stone chip thought to be the most important tool?

[14:53.56]28.How does silicon chips become nowadays?

[15:13.29]Passage Two

[15:14.73]Any one who spends at least one semester in college notices

[15:20.55]that some students give up on their classes.

[15:23.43]The person who sits behind you in accounting, or example,

[15:27.02]begins to miss a lot of class meetings and eventually vanishes.

[15:31.87]Or another student comes to class without the assignment,

[15:35.56]writes aimlessly in his notebook during the lecture,

[15:38.90]and leaves during the break.

[15:40.90]What’s the difference between students

[15:43.01]like this and the ones who succeed in school?

[15:46.13]My survey may be non-scientific,

[15:48.95]but everyone I asked said the same thing: attitude.

[15:53.68]A positive attitude is the key to everything else.

[15:57.33]What does “a positive attitude” mean?

[16:00.46]It means not only showing up for your classes,

[16:03.90]but also doing something while you’re there.

[16:06.65]Really listen. Take notes.

[16:09.34]Ask a question if you want to.

[16:11.81]Don’t just walk into a class, put your mind in neutral,

[16:15.96]and drift away to never-nerve land.

[16:18.74]Having a positive attitude goes deeper than this, though.

[16:22.59]It means being mature about college as an institution.

[16:26.87]College classes can sometimes be downright dull and boring.

[16:31.25]If you let a boring class discourage

[16:33.91]you so much that you want to leave school,

[16:36.75]you’ll lose in the long run.

[16:39.13]Look at your priorities.

[16:41.10]You want a degree, or a certificate, or a career.

[16:45.44]If you have to,

[16:46.82]you can make it through a less-than-interesting class

[16:49.72]in order to achieve what you want.

[16:52.29]Get whatever you can out of every class.

[16:55.54]But if you simply can’t stand a certain class,

[16:58.72]be determined to fulfill its requirements and

[17:02.13]be done with it once and for all.

[17:04.70]Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.

[17:10.89]29. Why do some students give up on their classes?

[17:31.42]30. What does maturity involve according to the speaker?

[17:52.08]31. Which is the main idea of the passage?

[18:11.27]Passage Three

[18:13.20]With the development of science,

[18:15.77]scientists have discovered more about the world.

[18:19.11]Scientists say world coastal areas

[18:22.20]must prepare now for a rise in sea levels.

[18:26.15]No matter what action is taken,

[18:28.78]scientists say there are already enough greenhouse gases

[18:33.06]in the atmosphere to cause a major warning.

[18:36.44]As a result, scientists and government officials are focusing on

[18:41.53]how society might adapt to rising sea levels,

[18:45.62]changing agricultural zones, changing climates and other problems.

[18:50.88]Already, state and local governments along the coast of

[18:55.75]the United States are starting to plan for

[18:58.88]a possible long-term rise in the sea level,

[19:02.10]and a few have taken action to cope with it.

[19:05.51]Agricultural researchers are developing heat-resistant and d

[19:10.20]raught-resistant crops that might replace traditional crops

[19:14.62]if the climate changes.

[19:16.58]How long it will take for maximum warming to be reached is uncertain

[19:21.37]because the oceans slow such warming.

[19:24.47]Most scientists expect the maximum warming to take place

[19:28.65]by the second half of this century.

[19:31.43]If levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere double,

[19:35.37]sea levels will rise;

[19:37.40]estimates of the average rise are from 1.5 feet to 6.5 feet.

[19:43.44]Some leading experts expect a rise of 1 meter,

[19:47.31]a little more than three feet.

[19:49.88]Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

[19:56.22]32. What must world coastal areas prepare for according to scientists'opinion?

[20:19.44]33. According to the passage, what has caused the rise in sea levels?

[20:41.03]34. What are the agricultural researchers developing?

[21:01.25]35. When will the maximum warming take place?

[21:20.26]Section C

[21:22.20]Directions: In this section,

[21:24.98]you will hear a passage three times.

[21:27.67]When the passage is read for the first time,

[21:30.54]you should listen carefully for its general idea.

[21:33.67]When the passage is read for the second time,

[21:37.21]you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43

[21:42.30]with the exact words you have just heard.

[21:45.30]For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill

[21:52.21]in the missing information.

[21:53.71]For these blanks,

[21:55.93]you can either use the exact words you have just heard or

[21:59.99]write down the main points in your own words.

[22:02.96]Finally, when the passage is read for the third time,

[22:07.40]you should check what you have written.

[22:10.15]Now listen to the passage.

[22:13.06]Considering how jazz is transcribed in Chinese,

[22:16.96]you may be misled into assuming that it is a cultural form belonging to those

[22:22.43]who have some elegant tastes.

[22:25.03]Nothing could be further from the truth.

[22:27.53]It originated among black Americans at the end of the 19th century,

[22:32.31]at a time when they occupied the very bottom of the American social heap.

[22:36.97]So how has something that was created

[22:39.66]by a once despised minority acquire a central place

[22:43.85]in today’s American culture?

[22:46.19]It’s a mystery that many people would like to solve.

[22:49.13]Perhaps the essence of America is that

[22:52.29]you could never get two Americans to agree on just what that might be.

[22:56.88]After thinking about it for a while, we might utter,

[23:00.48]"Hmm, seems like being American is a bit more complicated than we thought.

[23:06.48]" Certainly things like individualism, success,

[23:10.17]innovation and tolerance stand out.

[23:13.32]But these things come together because of our ability to work

[23:16.80]with one another and find common purpose no matter

[23:20.45]how diverse we might be.

[23:22.55]Some, like African-American writer Ralph Ellison,

[23:26.21]believes that jazz captures the intrinsic properties of America.

[23:30.52]The solos are a celebration of individual brilliance

[23:34.40]that can’t take place without the group efforts of the rhythm section.

[23:38.80]They say jazz brought together elements from Africa and Europe,

[23:42.99]fusing them into a new culture,

[23:45.37]an expression unique to the Americas.

[23:48.21]Beyond that, though,

[23:50.15]jazz has a connection to the intrinsic properties

[23:53.43]of America in a much more fundamental way.

[23:56.24]It is an expression of the African roots of American culture,

[24:00.53]a musical medium exemplifying the domination of

[24:04.25]African culture in American culture.

[24:06.97]Now the passage will be read again.

[24:11.60]Considering how jazz is transcribed in Chinese,

[24:16.03]you may be misled into assuming

[24:18.47]that it is a cultural form belonging to those who have some elegant tastes.

[24:23.91]Nothing could be further from the truth.

[24:26.47]It originated among black Americans at the end of the 19th century,

[24:31.35]at a time when they occupied the very bottom of the American social heap.

[24:36.26]So how has something that was created

[24:38.82]by a once despised minority acquire a central place

[24:42.85]in today’s American culture?

[24:45.23]It’s a mystery that many people would like to solve.

[24:48.45]Perhaps the essence of America is that

[24:51.29]you could never get two Americans to agree on just what that might be.

[24:56.20]After thinking about it for a while,

[24:58.61]we might utter, "Hmm, seems like being

[25:02.15]American is a bit more complicated than we thought.

[25:05.70]" Certainly things like individualism, success,

[25:09.27]innovation and tolerance stand out.

[25:12.61]But these things come together

[25:14.30]because of our ability to work with one another

[25:17.11]and find common purpose no matter how diverse we might be.

[26:31.23]Some, like African-American writer Ralph Ellison,

[26:34.64]believes that jazz captures the intrinsic properties of America.

[26:39.07]The solos are a celebration of individual brilliance

[26:42.70]that can’t take place without the group efforts of the rhythm section.

[27:56.59]They say jazz brought together elements from Africa and Europe,

[28:00.55]fusing them into a new culture, an expression unique to the Americas.

[28:06.00]Beyond that, though,

[28:07.84]jazz has a connection to the intrinsic properties of

[28:10.56]America in a much more fundamental way.

[28:13.87]It is an expression of the African roots of American culture,

[28:18.13]a musical medium exemplifying the domination of

[28:21.79]African culture in American culture.

[29:34.20]Now the passage will be read for the third time.

[29:37.40]Considering how jazz is transcribed in Chinese,

[29:41.54]you may be misled into assuming that

[29:44.17]it is a cultural form belonging to those who have some elegant tastes.

[29:49.29]Nothing could be further from the truth.

[29:51.86]It originated among black Americans at the end of the 19th century,

[29:56.89]at a time when they occupied the very bottom of the American social heap.

[30:01.55]So how has something that was created by a once despised minority acquire

[30:07.02]a central place in today’s American culture?

[30:10.46]It’s a mystery that many people would like to solve.

[30:13.96]Perhaps the essence of America is that

[30:16.86]you could never get two Americans to agree on just what that might be.

[30:21.49]After thinking about it for a while, we might utter,

[30:25.27]"Hmm, seems like being American is a bit more complicated than we thought."

[30:30.87]Certainly things like individualism, success,

[30:34.80]innovation and tolerance stand out.

[30:37.99]But these things come together because of our ability to work

[30:41.24]with one another and find common purpose

[30:44.30]no matter how diverse we might be.

[30:46.87]Some, like African-American writer Ralph Ellison,

[30:50.62]believes that jazz captures the intrinsic properties of America.

[30:54.80]The solos are a celebration of individual brilliance

[30:58.93]that can’t take place without the group efforts of the rhythm section.

[31:03.09]They say jazz brought together elements from Africa and Europe,

[31:07.37]fusing them into a new culture, an expression unique to the Americas.

[31:12.71]Beyond that, though,

[31:14.47]jazz has a connection to the intrinsic properties of America

[31:18.59]in a much more fundamental way.

[31:20.62]It is an expression of the African roots of American culture,

[31:24.84]a musical medium exemplifying the domination

[31:28.20]of African culture in American culture.

[31:31.63]This is the end of listening comprehension.