love to have a picnic whenever the weather is good enough, / especially people with children. / It?s

a great way to spend a sunny afternoon. /

Even in the centre of London, on a sunny day, / the parks are full of office workers eating their lunch outside on the grass. / That might be a pretty basic picnic / — a shop-bought sandwich and a bottle of water. /

But if people are planning a picnic on the beach or at the park, / they would probably pack a

cool bag / with a whole variety of home-made sandwiches, snacks, cake, fruit and soft drinks. /

They might have a picnic rug to sit on, and paper plates and cups. /

University students enjoy having picnics, / and usually take along some kind of sports equipment, / such as a ball in order to burn off some energy after lunch. /

Dictation 22 Changing Name after Marriage 婚后改名（155 words）

Getting married is one of the most important decisions that a person takes in one?s life. / This

is because it is a step that has the potential to alter or change one?s life altogether. / Right from the

wedding dress to the house / that the couple will live after their wedding, / is decided with utmost

care. / An important decision that the person has to make along with the other arrangements for the

wedding / is to choose between one?s maiden name and spouse?s name. / Though traditionally,

women are expected to change their name / from their maiden name to their husband?s name, /

many women nowadays opt to keep their maiden name after marriage, / mostly for professional

reasons. / Apart from this, there are women who adopt their husband?s last name / and keep their

maiden name as their second name. / Also, there are couples who make a new name with both

their names, / by separating the names with a hyphen. /

Dictation 23 The Compass 指南针（153 words）

A magnetic compass is a device that has been used for centuries now, / and its utility in helping people find their way is undoubted. / Before technology gave us the privilege of GPS

navigation systems, / the act of finding out where you are and which side is north / was carried out

simply with the help of a compass. / We?ve all seen a compass at some point or the other, / and this

has almost always led us to the question “How does a compass work?” / The answer to this question can be explained / through the concept of the earth?s electromagnetism. /

Simply speaking, a compass is basically a small magnet / that has a needle attached on

one

end. / The other end of the magnet is attached to a freely moving pin. / When the compass is held

out steadily, / the magnet becomes parallel with the magnetic field of the Earth, / and this causes it

to point north. /

Dictation 24 Ball Games 球类运动（157 words）

Ball games have become an integral part of modern society. / They give us entertainment

providing us a means to safely free ourselves from stress. / There are many different ball games

that can do this for us. / Some people enjoy football, while others like basketball. / These two ball

games are the most popular in China. / Other games such as baseball are growing in appeal, yet

have not become popular. / The development of these games is interesting. / Basketball is one of

the few sports with a known date of birth. / Football, or soccer, originally developed from traits

found in both China and Europe. / It has grown to become the world?s most popular sport. / In

Europe, football clubs have been established, / which in turn has been copied in the rest of the

world. / These football clubs train players / who may later go play for their nations in the World

Cup. / This is the most watched ballgame championship on the planet. /

Dictation 25 Water Sports 水上运动（145 words）

The history of man?s involvement with water sports / stretches back before history was written down. / It is a history of the development of technology as well as human physical achievement. / Man first took to water in boats that sailed around the world / with nothing but the

stars to guide them. / The seas and rivers were a mystery to be feared, / for lurked unknown creatures and death by drowning. / Few actually ventured into the water. / As a sport, however,

water sports such as swimming, diving, / and water polo are new comparatively to those on land. /

Probably the oldest one is rowing in a rowboat. / This is seen in modern games such as competitions / between rowing clubs in British and American universities. / Olympic Water Sports

began with swimming but did not end there. / The different kinds of water sports such as diving or

water skiing came later. /

Dictation 26 Famous Universities 名校（140 words）

Many countries have excellent universities. / There are, however, few world famous ones. /

These universities have achieved their fame / through a combination of both their age / and the

high levels of quality in their instruction. / Throughout their histories, / each one has been a testing

ground for the leadership of the nation. / In the United States, Harvard and Yale attract thousands

of foreign students / who would use what they learn for the advancement of their own nations. / In

this way, these schools have developed an interesting method of international communication. /

Graduates around the world are able to connect with each other / by having graduated from one of

the finest universities in the world. / Leaders in every field, whether government officials or ground-breaking scientists, / who graduated from the same school have a direct link to each other /

and understand each other much better. /

Dictation 27 Ideal Life 理想人生（157 words）

The ideal life is one that many people would like to pursue, yet few achieve. / The balance

between dreams and reality is one that is difficult to overcome. / Many people choose a vocation

in the hopes / that it would bring them wealth and success. / However, after years of labor in their

chosen field, they begin to hate their jobs. / This is mainly because they have neglected other parts

of their lives in search of this success. / These people devote their lives to working / and are unable to separate themselves from their work. / They find that it may not be enough. / Some have

jobs where their principles and emotional health / are challenged by dishonesty or bad work environments. / These people can begin to become influenced by the environment in which they

work, / leading to personal or health problems. / This choice is not a permanent situation, however,

/ as many people have chosen to change the values of their lives. /

Dictation 28 Reeducation and Employment 再教育和就业（160 words）

During the course of our lives, we must make many choices that we may come to regret. /

This is especially true when choosing a career. / Jobs that sound exciting or rewarding become

dull or not worth it / as we live our daily existence. / This is where reeducation can help. / Occupational schools have been set up to train people in jobs / that they may be better suited for. /

People can adapt their interests and talents through selected courses. / They can learn cooking

skills, which are always in great demand. / Gardening is an option for those who enjoy the outdoors or have a green thumb. / If a person is interested in motors or cars, they can get training

as a mechanic. / Even more, the learning of a foreign language / would allow them the opening of

a dream life. / The job qualification certificates they earn can also be used too enhance their resumes, / so that they are trained in a variety of skills. /

Dictation 29 Made in China 中国制造（160 words）

The label, Made in China, is one that is becoming increasing common / in shopping centers

all over the world. / In the United States, shoppers at Wal-Mart the nation?s largest retailer / have a

wide selection of products mostly produced in China. / The large amount of Chinese imports have

created a large selection of goods in other countries / as people begin to buy more and more

products made in China. / These goods are even readily available in other Asian nations, / where

Chinese-made goods are quite popular. / Chinese brand names are also becoming more well-known outside of China. / The development of China has amazed the world with its growth. /

And also, as China is a developing economy with large amounts of labor, / industries are beginning to relocate in an effort to minimize costs and increase profits. / The results of these

relocations are that / nations are beginning to try to limit the flow of Chinese goods / with the use

of taxes and import restrictions. /

Dictation 30 Glaciers 冰川（153 words）

Glaciers are formed in places where the temperatures are extremely cold. / This could even

include places that are at sea level, / but are mostly places that are high up on mountains. / In such cold places it snows most of the year. / This snow will settle down and when it snows

again / the lower layer of snow gets compressed. / Every time it snows, the below layers will compress more, / finally turning into hard ice. / This ice is what forms the glacier. /

When the temperature rises slightly, / the outer edges of the formed glacier and fresh snow

will melt. / For a glacier to form and sustain itself it is of prime importance / that the amount of

snow that falls on it must be more than the amount of glacier that has melted. / This is the only

way in which the glacier will be able to maintain itself / and keep increasing in size year after