英语四级听力练习集锦17

M: Hi, Miss Rowling, how old were you when you started to write? And what was your first book?

W: I wrote my first Finnish (finished) story when I was about six. It was about a small animal, a rabbit, I mean. And I’ve been writing ever since?

M: Why did you choose to be an author?

W: If someone asked me how to achieve happiness. Step One would be finding out what you love doing most. Step two would be finding someone to pay you to do this. I consider myself very lucky indeed to be able to support myself by writing

M: Do you have any plans to write books for adults?

W: My first two novels were for adults. I suppose

I might write another one. But I never really imagine

a target audience when I’m writing. The ideas come first.

So it really depends on the ideas that grasp me next.

M: where did the ideas for the “Harry¹ Potter” books come from?

I’ve no ideas where the ideas came from. And I hope I’ll never find out.

It would spoil my excitement if it turned out I just have a funny

wrinkle on the surface of my brain, which makes me think about the invisible train platfomp3.

M: How did you come up with the names of your characters?

I invented some of them. But I also collected strange names.

I’ve got one from ancient saints, maps, dictionaries, plants,

war memoirs² and people I met.

M: Oh, you are really resourceful.

Questions:

22. What do we learn from the conversation about Miss Rowling’s first book?

23. Why does Miss Rowling consider her so very lucky?

24. What dictates³ Miss Rowling’s writing?

25. According to Miss Rowling where did she get the ideas for the Harry Porter books?

1 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 memoirs   

n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数)

参考例句：

• Her memoirs were ghostwritten. 她的回忆录是由别人代写的。
• I watched a trailer for the screenplay of his memoirs. 我看过以他的回忆录改编成电影的预告片。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 dictates   

n.命令，规定，要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• Convention dictates that a minister should resign in such a situation. 依照常规部长在这种情况下应该辞职。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He always follows the dictates of common sense. 他总是按常识行事。 来自《简明英汉词典》