popular

ritual. / Millions of Chinese have the word ?long?, meaning dragon, as part of their name. / China isn?t the only country to have the dragon as its symbol. / Wales, one of the four

countries in the UK, / has a red dragon proudly displayed on its flag. / The only other country in

the world with a dragon on its flag is Bhutan, / the tiny country between China and India. /

Dictation 12 Rainy Britain 阴雨的英国（153 words）

Britain is famous around the world for its rainy weather, / but many parts of the country this

June / are experiencing much more rain than they have ever seen before. /

Torrential downpours have caused rivers to burst their banks, / roads have been closed and many people have been evacuated / from their homes because of the floods. /

The worst hit area seems to be the north of England. / There have even been fatalities as people got stuck in the rain / or were washed away by the floodwaters. /

Flood warnings have been issued in many parts of the UK / and it is said that over a month?s

worth of rain has fallen in just the last couple of days. /

The rain has also caused chaos at some of Britain?s famous June events. / The Glastonbury

festival is a four-day-long outdoor music festival / and while it is traditionally quite rainy and muddy there, / this year was particularly bad. /

Dictation 13 Christmas traditions 圣诞节传统（145 words）

There are many ways to celebrate Christmas, / and some British people like to go on holiday,

/ go out for lunch to a restaurant, or spend the day with friends. / But most people?s idea of a traditional Christmas / involves spending a few days with their family / — sometimes their extended family. /

The day is the most exciting for the children. / They may have spent weeks or even months

dreaming of the presents they want most. / Since the beginning of December, they may have

opened their advent calendars, / finding a new festive picture, chocolate, or small gift, / to count

down each day until 25th December. /

On Christmas Eve, they hang up stockings, / ready to be filled with presents by Santa Claus. /

Often a thank you gift of a mince pie and a glass of sherry will be left, / as well as a carrot for

those hungry reindeer. /

Dictation 14 Olympic Slogan 奥运口号（140 words）

Beijing unveiled the slogan for the 2008 Olympics as far back as 2005. / “One World, One

Dream” was finally selected / from more than 210,000 entries from around the world. /

Beijing?s original bid to host the 2008 games / had a different slogan “New Beijing, Great Olympics”. / The organizers felt the new slogan shifted the focus nicely / from the city of Beijing

itself to the spirit of the Olympics /— unity, friendship amongst nations and progress. / It was also felt that the “One World, One Dream” slogan / captured the traditional Chinese values of peace and harmony. /

The Olympics hasn?t always had a slogan attached to each host country. / In fact it wasn?t

until 1988 at the Seoul Olympics in South Korea / that the first slogan appeared. / “Harmony and

Progress” was chosen / and it seems to have been a popular theme over the years. /

Dictation 15 Sunbed 太阳床（159 words）

In the UK, a country known for its bad weather and lack of sunshine, / there appears to be an

ever increasing number of very tanned young people. /

So just how are they achieving their golden tans? / Some are opting for the sun-free option / and are getting their tan from a bottle. / However, it appears that others are turning to tanning

salons, / of which there are thousands in the UK. /

While in China young people often prefer to remain fair, / in the UK there seems to be a growing desire for tanned skin. / So why do the British prefer to be bronzed? / Often, they are

trying to emulate their favorite celebrities, footballers, or footballers? wives. / Research from the

British Sunbed Association suggests that / many people believe a tan makes them feel and look

healthier. /

This is a belief that is most definitely not shared by Cancer Research UK. / They firmly state

that being tanned is not a sign of health. /

Dictation 16 Speechwriting 写演讲稿（143 words）

The success of a speech is often attributed to the skill of the speaker, / with merit being given

to speakers who are confident, articulate, / knowledgeable and able to deliver a speech with

conviction. /

But often it is not the speakers who write these moving speeches, / it is a speechwriter. / And

one industry in which this practice is common is that of politics. / So what does it take to be a

political speechwriter? /

Well according to a recent job advertisement from the US Embassy in Britain, / a political

speechwriter needs to have exceptional interpersonal skills, / be detail oriented and able to

demonstrate a deep knowledge of their subject. / They must also work closely with speakers / and

be able to relate to their style. /

Some believe that the best speechwriters have an inherent talent, / a natural creative instinct, /

and that speechwriting is an art form. /

Dictation 17 AWalk in the Park 在公园散步（141 words）

Exercising in natural areas is not only good for your physical health / —it can improve your

mood / and sense of well-being in as little as five minutes. / So says research in the journal Environmental Health and Technology. /

Exercise alone is known to make you happier. / So is being in a natural setting. / So scientists

wanted to see the effect of combining the two. / They evaluated 10 different UK studies involving

more than 1,200 people. /

Participants had taken part in activities such as gardening, / sailing and country walks, and

rated their mood and self-esteem. /

The research showed that both areas get a significant boost / with as little as five minutes of outdoor exercise. / And people with mental disorders benefited the most. / The study authors say

this is the first study / to quantify the amount of time needed to get a positive effect. /

Dictation 18 Fast food Makes Us Less Patient 快餐使我们失去耐性（146 words） Fast food is a multibillion-dollar industry, / and for some of us, drive-through dinner has become a way of life. / Granted, sometimes we grab something quick because we really don?t

have time. / But psychologists got to wondering / whether all this speed eating might actually

make us less patient. /

In a series of experiments, the scientists showed volunteers logos / from several fast-food

chains or asked them to recall the last time they?d visited. / And they found that folks who had

thought about fast food would then read faster, / even though no one told them to hurry. / And they

also expressed a preference for time-saving products, / like shampoo plus conditioner. / And they

tended to opt for immediate rewards, / like getting a small cash payment right away / rather than

waiting a week for a larger sum. / So if you want to ease the pace, forget meditation. Try a slow cooker. /

Dictation 19 Light All Night Not Alright 整夜开灯并非好事（159 words）

A nightlight may keep those monsters under the bed. / But it may also open the door to the blues. /

If you have access to electricity, you no doubt switch on a lamp, / maybe even watch a little TV, after the sun goes down. / But our bodies use cues about lightness and dark to regulate our

hormones / and of course our sleep cycles. / So what might these extra photons be doing to our

health? /

To find out, scientists housed mice in a room / where the lights were always on. / After three

weeks, they found that mice who lived in the spotlight showed symptoms of depression, / more so

than mice who enjoyed eight hours of darkness at night. / Interestingly, mice who could escape the

light by ducking into a dark tube / also escaped the worst of the depression. /

So flip that light switch at your own risk. / Because the artificial brightness that helps keep us

up could also bring us down. /

Dictation 20 London 2012 Olympic Games 伦敦2012 奥运会（154 words）

After a hard-fought campaign, / London has been awarded the right to host the 2012 Olympic

Games. / The UK capital saw off competition from four rival cities: / Paris, Madrid, Moscow and

New York. /

Londoners can now look forward to the transformation of their city / in the same way as their

counterparts in Beijing. / Indeed, there are many similarities in the two cities? approach to hosting

the games. / Both cities need to invest in developing their infrastructure / in order to cope with the

demands of the event. /

However, this kind of investment is far from cheap / — it is estimated that it will cost around $40 billion to prepare for the 2008 games, / much of which will be spent on transport links.

/ Nevertheless, the benefits of becoming an Olympic city can be enormous / — Barcelona, which

hosted the 1992 games, / was completely regenerated and has since become one of the most

popular tourist destinations in the world. /

Dictation 21 Picnic 野餐（155 words）

As summertime begins in Britain, people start to feel the urge to go outside to eat. / People