2009年6月英语四级听力备战-听写训练(13)

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Whether we like it or not, the world we live in has changed _ in the last hundred years, and it is likely to change _ in the next hundred. Some people would like to stop these changes and go back to what they see as a _ and simpler age. But as history shows, the past was not that wonderful. It was not so bad for a _ minority, though even they had to do without modern medicine, and childbirth was highly risky¹ for women. But for the vast _ of the population, life was nasty, brutish, and short.

■填空答案■

答案：

1. great deal

2. even more

3. purer

4. privileged

5. majority

■隐藏■

译文:无论我们是否愿意,我们生活的世界在过去一百年间已经变化了许多,而且在未来的一百年里可能变化更多.有人想中止这种种变化,回到那个他们认为更纯洁更朴素的时代.但正如历史所表情的，过去并非那么美妙.过去对享有特权的少数人不算太糟,但即便他们也无从享受现代医疗,而生育对妇女来说风险极大.对占人口大多数的民众而言,生活是艰难、残忍而又短暂的.

privilege

(1) privilege sb. from sth.表示”特免某人的…”的意思.

例:Knowing the fact that his parents died, the headmaster privileged him for the fees.弄清楚他父母双亡的事实后,校长特免了他所有的费用.

(2) grant sb. the privilege of doing sth.表示”赋予某人做某事的特权”的意思.

例:The teacher granted the monitor the privilege of finishing the work after the holidays.老师特许班长在假期后做完工作.

risk:后面只可接动名词用作宾语,不接动词不定式.

run risks冒险

take risks冒险

at the risk of冒…的风险

at risk可能遭到损失

at one’s own risk自行负责

run the risk of doing sth冒险做某事

at all risks无论冒什么危险

at any risk无论如何

risk one’s neck冒着生命的危险

1 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。