2024年英语专业四级短文朗读VIP免费

短文朗诵及概括大意Passage1AsimplepieceofropehangsbetweensomeenvironmentallyfriendlyAmericansandtheirneighbors.Ononesidestandthosewhohavebeguntoseeclothesdryersaswastefulconsumersofenergy(upto6%oftotalelectricity)andpowerfulemittersofcarbondioxide(uptoatonofCO2perhouseholdeveryyear).Asanalternative,theyareturningtoclotheslinesaspartofwhatAlexanderLee,anenvironmentalist,calls"what-I-can-doenvironmentalism."Butontheothersidearepeoplewhoopposeair-dryinglaundryoutsideonaestheticgrounds.Increasingly,theyhavepersuadedcommunityandhomeownersassociations(HOAs)acrosstheU.S.tobanoutdoorclotheslines,whichtheysaynotonlylookunsightlybutalsolowersurroundingpropertyvalues.Thoseactions,inturn,havesparkedaright-to-drymovementthatispressingforlegislationtoprotectthechoicetouseclotheslines.Onlythreestates--Florida,HawaiiandUtah--havelawswrittenbroadlyenoughtoprotectclotheslines.Right-to-dryadvocatesarguethatthereshouldbemore.MattReckisthekindofeco-consciousguywhofeedshistreeswithbathwaterandrecyclescondensationdropsfromhisairconditionerstowaterplants.Hisfamilyalsousesaclothesline.ButOttoHagen,presidentofReck'sHOAinWakeForest,N.C.,notifiedhimthataneighborh,adcomplainedabouthisline.TheRecksignoredthewarningandstilldrytheirclothesonaropeintheyard."Manypeopleclaimtobeenvironmentallyfriendlybutdon'ttakemattersintotheirownhands,"saysReck.HOAsHagenhasdecidedtoholdofftakingaction."I'mnotgoingtogocrazy,"hesays."ButifMattkeepshislineandmoreneighborscomplain,I'llhavetoaddressitagain."NorthCarolinalawmakerstriedandfailedearlierthisyeartoinsertlanguageintoanenergybillthatwouldexpresslypreventHOAsfromregulatingclotheslines.ButtheissueremainsatouchyonewithHOAsandrealestateagents."Mostaestheticrestrictionsarerooted,toadegree,inthebeliefthathomogenous(统一协调的)exteriorsaresupportiveofpropertyvalue,"saysSaraStubbins,executivedirectoroftheCommunityAssociationInstitute'sNorthCarolinachapter.Inotherwords,associationsworrythathousingpriceswillfallifprospectivebuyersthinktheirwould-beneighborsaretoopoortoafforddryers.AlexanderLeedismissesthenotionthatclotheslinesdevaluepropertyassets,advocatingthattheidea"needstochangeinlightofglobalwarming.""Weallhavetodoatleastsomethingtodecreaseourcarbonfootprint,"AlexanderLeesays.Passage2Withinthatexclusivegroupofliterarycharacterswhohavesurvivedthroughthecenturies--fromHamlettoHuckleberryFinn--fewcanrivaltheculturalimpactofSherlockHolmes.Sincehisfirstpublicappearance20yearsago,thegentlemanwiththecurvedpipeandatasteforcocaine,themasterofdeductivereasoningandelaboratedisguise,haslefthismarkeverywhere--incrimeliterature,filmandtelevision,cartoonsandcomicbooks.AtHolmes'side,ofcourse,washistrustedfriendDr.Watson.Loomingevenlarger,however,wasanotherdoctor,onewhosemedicalpracticewassoslowitallowedhimplentyoftimetopursuehisliteraryambition.Hisname:ArthurConanDoyle.Asthecreatorofthesefictionalicons,ConanDoylehashimselfbecomesomethingofacultfigure,theobjectofcountlesscriticalstudies,biographiesandfanclubs.ConanDoylewasborninEdinburghin1859,inarespectablemiddle-classCatholicfamily.Still,itwasfarfromaneasylife.Therewasneverenoughmoney;theymovedfrequentlyinsearchoflowerrents;andhisfather,acivilservantandillustratorwasanalcoholicwhohadtobeinstitutionalized.Yettheearlylettershewrotetohismotheraresurprisinglyoptimistic,concernedmainlywithfood,clothes,allowancesandschoolwork.At14camehisfir...