英语听力dictation.docVIP

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