【答案解析】[听力原文]
Is Life a Tragedy or Comedy?
Generalizations about life are almost always misleading for the simple reason that life means different things to different people, and every man"s response to its call is determined by his own experience and temperament.
A man who has suffered few mishaps in life, whose upbringing has been in healthy surroundings, who is fortunate in love and friendship, who has identified himself with some public causes or who cultivates a wide range of interests, is invariably happy.
On the other hand, bitter experience of life, deaths in the family and among friends, economic insecurity, frustration in love induce pessimism.

【答案解析】[听力原文]
When Life Loses Its Smell
A sense of smell is very useful in telling when food is off, or clothes need washing, for example. But millions of people can"t smell anything at all: to use a medical term, they are "anosmic".
It"s not only scents which are missing for people with anosmia. Food and drink lose their appeal too, because smell accounts for around 80% of our sense of flavor. Anosmia can also be dangerous. People with anosmia can get food poisoning, because they can"t smell when food is bad. They can"t smell smoke from a house fire, or leaking gas.

【答案解析】[听力原文]
The Speed of Modern Civilization
Modern civilization is totally different from the times of yore in many respects. But perhaps the most notable and significant distinction is in the speed and pace of all human activities and all devices that are devised and controlled by man, such as the processes of manufacture and the increasing use of more sophisticated machinery.
This craze for speed and fast pace often leads to mishaps, and thwarts the initial aim to get through things as early as possible; haste sometimes delays things.

【答案解析】[听力原文]
Very Superstitious!
Most superstitions are linked to something negative, or the thought that something will bring bad luck.
Superstitions have been found in a wide range of cultures for thousands of years, but research suggests that many of these beliefs can still be found in modern societies. Dr. Foster, from Harvard University, believes it is an example of humans interpreting and reacting to threats. "Natural selection can readily favor making all kinds of associations," says Dr. Foster, "including many incorrect ones."
So, if these threats are likely to be "incorrect"; why are people still so superstitious? Well, it seems many people would prefer to be better safe than sorry.