2001-2008年英语四级考试真题和答案：2004年6月全国大学英语四级考试真题和答案

2004年6月全国大学英语四级考试真题和答案
Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)
Section A
Directions,In this section,you will hear 10 short conversations,At the end of each conversation,a question will be asked about what was said,Both the conversation and the question will be spoken only once,After each question there will be a pause,During the pause,you must read the four choices marked A),B),C) and D),and decide which is the best answer,Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
Example:
You will hear:
You will read:
A) At the office.
B) In the waiting room.
C) At the airport.
D) In a restaurant.
From the conversation we know that the two were talking about some work they will start at 9 o’clock in the morning and have to finish at 2 in the afternoon,Therefore,A),At the office” is the correct answer,You should choose [A] on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the center.
Sample Answer [A] [C] [D]
1,A) The man saw Mark on the street two months ago.
B) The woman had forgotten Mark’s phone number.
C) The woman made a phone call to Mark yesterday.
D) Mark and the woman had not been in touch for some time.
2,A) The man is late for the trip because he is busy.
B) The woman is glad to meet Mr,Brown in person.
C) The man is meeting the woman on behalf of Mr,Brown.
D) The woman feels sorry that Mr,Brown is unable to come.
3,A) At 10:30.
B) At 10:25.
C) At 10:40.
D) At 10:45.
4,A) The man no longer smokes.
B) The man is under pressure from his wife.
C) The man usually follows his wife’s advice.
D) The man refuses to listen to his doctor’s advice.
5,A) Move to a big city.
B) Become a teacher.
C) Go back to school.
D) Work in New York.
6,A) Quit delivering flowers.
B) Work at a restaurant.
C) Bring her flowers every day.
D) Leave his job to work for her.
7,A) She can find the right person to help the man.
B) She can help the man out.
C) She’s also in need of a textbook.
D) She picked up the book from the bus floor.
8,A) The man was confused about the date of the appointment.
B) The man wants to change the date of the appointment.
C) The man is glad he’s got in touch with the doctor.
D) The man can’t come for the appointment at 4:15.
9,A) The two speakers are at a loss what to do.
B) The man is worried about his future.
C) The two speakers are seniors at college.
D) The woman regrets spending her time idly.
10,A) She has learned a lot from the novel.
B) She also found the plot difficult to follow.
C) She usually has difficulty remembering names.
D) She can recall the names of most characters in the novel.
Section B Compound Dictation
Directions,In this section,you will hear a passage three times,When the passage is read for the first time,you should listen carefully for its general idea,When the passage is read for the second time,you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from SI to S7 with the exact words you have just heard,For blanks numbered from S8 to S10 you are required to fill in the missing information,You can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words,Finally,when the passage is read for the third time,you should check what you have written.
The Library of Congress is America’s national library,It has millions of books and other objects,It has newspapers,(S1) ________ publications as well as letters of (S2) ________ interest,It also has maps,photographs,art (S3) ________,movies,sound recordings and musical (S4) ________,All together,it has more than 100 million objects.
The Library of Congress is open to the public Monday through Saturday,except for public holidays,Anyone may go there and read anything in the collection,But no one is (S5) ________ to take books out of the building.
The Library of Congress was (S6) ________ in 1800,It started with eleven boxes of books in one room of the Capitol building,By 1814,the collection had increased to about 3,000 books,They were all (S7) ________ that year when the Capitol was burned down during America’s war with Britain.
To help re-build the library,Congress bought the books of President Thomas Jefferson,Mr,Jefferson’s collection included 7,000 books in seven languages.
(S8) ________,Today,three buildings hold the library’s collection.
(S9) ________,It buys some of its books and gets others as gifts,It also gets materials through its copyright office,(S10) ________,This means the Library of Congress receives almost everything that is published in the United States.
Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Directions,There are 4 passages in this part,Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements,For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C) and D),You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
Passage One
Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage.
A is for always getting to work on time.
B is for being extremely busy.
C is for the conscientious (勤勤恳恳的) way you do your job.
You may be all these things at the office,and more,But when it comes to getting ahead,experts say,the ABCs of business should include a P,for politics,as in office politics.
Dale Carnegie suggested as much more than 50 years ago,Hard work alone doesn’t ensure career advancement,You have to be able to sell yourself and your ideas,both publicly and behind the scenes,Yet,despite the obvious rewards of engaging in office politics—a better job,a raise,praise—many people are still unable—or unwilling—to,play the game.”
“People assume that office politics involves some manipulative (工于心计的) behavior,” says Deborah Comer,an assistant professor of management at Hofstra University.,But politics derives from the word ‘polite’,It can mean lobbying and forming associations,It can mean being kind and helpful,or even trying to please your superior,and then expecting something in return.”
In fact,today,experts define office politics as proper behavior used to pursue one’s own self-interest in the workplace,In many cases,this involves some form Of Socializing within the office environment—not just in large companies,but in small workplaces as well.
“The first thing people are usually judged on is their ability to perform well on a consistent basis,’” says Neil P Lewis,a management psychologist.,But if two or three candidates are up for a promotion,each of whom has reasonably similar ability,a manager is going to promote the person he or she likes best,It’s simple human nature.”
Yet,psychologists say,many employees and employers have trouble with the concept of politics in the office,Some people,they say,have an idealistic vision of work and what it takes to succeed,Still others associate politics with flattery (奉承),fearful that,if they speak up for themselves,they may appear to be flattering their boss for favors.
Experts suggest altering this negative picture by recognizing the need for some self-promotion.
11.,Office politics” (Line 2,Para,4) is used in the passage to refer to ________.
A) the code of behavior for company staff
B) the political views and beliefs of office workers
C) the interpersonal relationships within a company
D) the various qualities required for a successful career
12,To get promoted,one must not only be competent but ________.
A) give his boss a good impression
B) honest and loyal to his company
C) get along well with his colleagues
D) avoid being too outstanding
13,Why are many people unwilling to,play the game” (Line 4,Para,5)?
A) They believe that doing so is impractical.
B) They feel that such behavior is unprincipled.
C) They are not good at manipulating colleagues.
D) They think the effort will get them nowhere.
14,The author considers office politics to be ________.
A) unwelcome at the workplace
B) bad for interpersonal relationships
C) indispensable to the development of company culture
D) an important factor for personal advancement
15,It is the author’s view that ________.
A) speaking up for oneself is part of human nature
B) self-promotion does not necessarily mean flattery
C) hard work contributes very little to one’s promotion
D) many employees fail to recognize the need of flattery
Passage Two
Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage.
As soon as it was revealed that a reporter for Progressive magazine had discovered how to make a hydrogen bomb,a group of firearm (火器) fans formed the National Hydrogen Bomb Association,and they are now lobbying against any legislation to stop Americans from owning one.
“The Constitution,” said the association’s spokesman,“gives everyone the right to own arms,It doesn’t spell out what kind of arms,But since anyone can now make a hydrogen bomb,the public should be able to buy it to protect themselves.”
“Don’t you think it’s dangerous to have one in the house,particularly where there are children around?”
“The National Hydrogen Bomb Association hopes to educate people in the safe handling of this type of weapon,We are instructing owners to keep the bomb in a locked cabinet and the fuse (导火索) separately in a drawer.”
“Some people consider the hydrogen bomb a very fatal weapon which could kill somebody.”
The spokesman said,“Hydrogen bombs don’t kill people—people kill people,The bomb is for self-protection and it also has a deterrent effect,If somebody knows you have a nuclear weapon in your house,they’re going to think twice about breaking in.”
“But those who want to ban the bomb for American citizens claim that if you have one locked in the cabinet,with the fuse in a drawer,you would never be able to assemble it in time to stop an intruder (侵入者).”
“Another argument against allowing people to own a bomb is that at the moment it is very expensive to build one,So what your association is backing is a program which would allow the middle and upper classes to acquire a bomb while poor people will be left defenseless with just handguns.”
16,According to the passage,some people started a national association so as to ________.
A) block any legislation to ban the private possession of the bomb
B) coordinate the mass production of the destructive weapon
C) instruct people how to keep the bomb safe at home
D) promote the large-scale sale of this newly invented weapon
17,Some people oppose the ownership of H-bombs by individuals on the grounds that ________.
A) the size of the bomb makes it difficult to keep in a drawer
B) most people don’t know how to handle the weapon
C) people’s lives will be threatened by the weapon
D) they may fall into the hands of criminals
18,By saying that the bomb also has a deterrent effect the spokesman means that it ________.
A) will frighten away any possible intruders
B) can show the special status of its owners
C) will threaten the safety of the owners as well
D) can kill those entering others’ houses by force
19,According to the passage,opponents of the private ownership of H-bombs are very much worried that ________.
A) the influence of the association is too powerful for the less privileged to overcome
B) poorly-educated Americans will find it difficult to make use of the weapon
C) the wide use of the weapon will push up living expenses tremendously
D) the cost of the weapon will put citizens on an unequal basis
20,From the tone of the passage we know that the author is ________.
A) doubtful about the necessity of keeping H-bombs at home for safety
B) unhappy with those who vote against the ownership of H-bombs
C) not serious about the private ownership of H-bombs
D) concerned about the spread of nuclear weapons
Passage Three
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.
Sign has become a scientific hot button,Only in the past 20 years have specialists in language study realized that signed languages are unique—a speech of the hand,They offer a new way to probe how the brain generates and understands language,and throw new light on an old scientific controversy,whether language,complete with grammar,is something that we are born With,or whether it is a learned behavior,The current interest in sign language has roots in the pioneering work of one rebel teacher at Gallaudet University in Washington,D,C.,the world’s only liberal arts university for deaf people.
When Bill Stokoe went to Gallaudet to teach English,the school enrolled him in a course in signing,But Stokoe noticed something odd,among themselves,students signed differently from his classroom teacher.
Stokoe had been taught a sort of gestural code,each movement of the hands representing a word in English,At the time,American Sign Language (ASL) was thought to be no more than a form of pidgin English (混杂英语),But Stokoe believed the,hand talk” his students used looked richer,He wondered,Might deaf people actually,have a genuine language? And could that language be unlike any other on Earth? It was 1955,when even deaf people dismissed their signing as,substandard”,Stokoe’s idea was academic heresy (异端邪说).
It is 37 years later,Stokoe—now devoting his time to writing and editing books and journals and to producing video materials on ASL and the deaf culture—is having lunch at a cafe near the Gallaudet campus and explaining how he started a revolution,For decades educators fought his idea that signed languages are natural languages like English,French and Japanese,They assumed language must be based on speech,the modulation (调节) of sound,But sign language is based on the movement of hands,the modulation of space.,What I said,” Stokoe explains,“is that language is not mouth stuff—it’s brain stuff.”
21,The study of sign language is thought to be ________.
A) a new way to look at the learning of language
B) a challenge to traditional,views on the nature of language
C) an approach,to simplifying the grammatical structure of a language
D) an attempt to clarify misunderstanding about the origin of language
22,The,present growing interest in sign language was stimulated by ________.
A) a famous scholar in the study of the human brain
B) a leading specialist in the study of liberal arts
C) an English teacher in a university for the deaf
D) some senior experts in American Sign Language
23,According to Stokoe,sign language is ________.
A) a Substandard language
B) a genuine language
C) an artificial language
D) an international language
24,Most educators objected to Stokoe’s idea because they thought ________.
A) sign language was not extensively used even by deaf people
B) sign language was too artificial to be widely accepted
C) a language should be easy to use and understand
D) a language could only exist in the form of speech sounds
25,Stokoe’s argument is based on his belief that ________.
A) sign language is as efficient as any other language
B) sign language is derived from natural language
C) language is a system of meaningful codes
D) language is a product of the brain
Passage Four
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
It came as something of a surprise when Diana,Princess of Wales,made a trip to Angola in 1997,to support the Red Cross’s campaign for a total ban on all anti-personnel landmines,Within hours of arriving in Angola,television screens around the World were filled with images of her comforting victims injured in explosions caused by landmines.,I knew the statistics,” she said.,But putting a face to those figures brought the reality home to me; like When I met Sandra,a 13-year-old girl who had lost her leg,and people like her.”
The Princess concluded,with a simple message:,We must stop landmines”,And she used every opportunity during her visit to repeat this message.
But,back in London,her views were not shared by some members of the British government,which refused to support a ban on these weapons,Angry politicians launched an,attack on the Princess in the press,They described her as,very ill-informed” and a,loose cannon (乱放炮的人).”
The Princess responded by brushing aside the criticisms:,This is a distraction (干扰) we do not need,All I’m trying to do is help.”
Opposition parties,the media and the Public immediately voiced their support for the Princess,To make matters worse for the government,it soon emerged that the Princess’s trip had been approved by the Foreign Office,and that she was in fact very well-informed about both the situation in Angola and the British government’s policy regarding landmines,The result was a severe embarrassment for the government.
To try and limit the damage,the Foreign Secretary,Malcolm Rifkind,claimed that the Princess’s views on landmines were not very different from government policy,and that it was,working towards” a worldwide ban,The Defense Secretary,Michael Portillo,claimed the matter was,a misinterpretation or misunderstanding.”
For the Princess,the trip to this war-torn country was an excellent opportunity to use her popularity to show the world how much destruction and suffering landmines can cause,She said that the experience had also given her the Chance to get closer to people and their problems.
26,Princess Diana paid a visit to Angola in 1997 ________.
A) to voice her support for a total ban of landmines
B) to clarify the British government’s stand on landmines
C) to investigate the sufferings of landmine victims there
D) to establish her image as a friend of landmine victims
27,What did Diana mean when she said,..,putting a face to those figures brought the reality home to me” (Line 5,Para,1)?
A) She just couldn’t bear to meet the landmine victims face to face.
B) The actual situation in Angola made her feel like going back home.
C) Meeting the landmine victims in person made her believe the statistics.
D) Seeing the pain of the victims made her realize the seriousness of the situation.
28,Some members of the British government criticized Diana because ________.
A) she was ill-informed of the government’s policy
B) they were actually opposed to banning landmines
C) she had not consulted the government before the visit
D) they believed that she had misinterpreted the situation in Angola
29,How did Diana respond to the criticisms?
A) She paid no attention to them.
B) She made more appearances on TV.
C) She met the 13-year-old girl as planned.
D) She rose to argue with her opponents.
30,What did Princess Diana think of her visit to Angola?
A) It had caused embarrassment to the British government.
B) It had brought her closer to the ordinary people.
C) It had greatly promoted her popularity.
D) It had affected her relations with the British government.
Part III Vocabulary and Structure (20 minutes)
Directions,There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part,For each sentence there are four choices marked A),B),C) and D),Choose the ONE that best completes the sentence,Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
31,I went along thinking of nothing ________,only looking at things around me,
A) in particular
B) in harmony
C) in doubt
D) in brief
32,Critics believe that the control of television by mass advertising has ________ the quality of the programs.
A) lessened
B) declined
C) affected
D) effected
33,I must congratulate you ________ the excellent design of the new bridge.
A) with
B) of
C) at
D) on
34,There is a fully ________ health center on the ground floor of the main office building.
A) installed
B) equipped
C) provided
D) projected
35,For more than 20 years,we’ve been supporting educational programs that ________ from kindergartens to colleges.
A) move
B) shift
C) range
D) spread
36,The ________ at the military academy is so rigid that students can hardly bear it.
A) convention
B) confinement
C) principle
D) discipline
37,The test results are beyond ________; they have been repeated in labs all over the world.
A) negotiation
B) conflict
C) bargain
D) dispute
38,I was so ________ in today’s history lesson,I didn’t understand a thing.
A) amazed
B) neglected
C) confused
D) amused
39,It ________ you to at least 50% off the regular price of either frames or lenses when you buy both.
A) presents
B) entitles
C) credits
D) tips
40,Deserts and high mountains have always been a ________ to the movement of people from place to place.
A) barrier
B) fence
C) prevention
D) jam
41,In order to make things convenient for the people,the department is planning to set up some ________ shops in the residential area.
A) flowing
B) drifting
C) mobile
D) unstable
42,Mr,Smith says:,The media are very good at sensing a mood and then ________ it.”
A) overtaking
B) enlarging
C) widening
D) exaggerating
43,This is not an economical way to get more water; ________,it is very expensive.
A) on the other hand
B) on the contrary
C) in short
D) or else
44,It was the first time that such a ________ had to be taken at a British nuclear power station.
A) presentation
B) precaution
C) preparation
D) prediction
45,________ that he wasn’t happy with the arrangements,I tried to book a different hotel.
A) Perceiving
B) Penetrating
C) Puzzling
D) Preserving
46,The board of the company has decided to ________ its operations to include all aspects of the clothing business.
A) multiply
B) lengthen
C) expand
D) stretch
47,His business was very successful,but it was at the ________ of his family life.
A) consumption
B) credit
C) exhaustion
D) expense
48,First published in 1927,the charts remain an ________ source for researchers.
A) identical
B) indispensable
C) intelligent
D) inevitable
49,Joe is not good at sports,but when it ________ mathematics,he is the ‘best in the class.
A) comes to
B) comes up to
C) comes on to
D) comes around to
50,Doctors warned against chewing tobacco as a ________ for smoking.
A) relief
B) revival
C) substitute
D) succession
51,When carbon is added to iron in proper ________ the result is steel.
A) rates
B) thicknesses
C) proportions
D) densities
52,You should try to ________ your ambition and be more realistic.
A) reserve
B) restrain
C) retain
D) replace
53,Nancy is only a sort of ________ of her husband’s opinion and has no ideas of her own.
A) sample
B) reproduction
C) shadow
D) echo
54,Now that spring is here,you can ________ these fur coats till you need them again next winter.
A) put over
B) put away
C) put off
D) put down
55,There is a ________ of impatience in the tone of his voice.
A) hint
B) notion
C) dot
D) phrase
56,Please ________ dictionaries when you are not sure of word spelling or meaning.
A) seek
B) inquire
C) search
D) consult
57,At yesterday’s party,Elizabeth’s boyfriend amused us by ________ Charlie Chaplin.
A) copying
B) following
C) imitating
D) modeling
58,She keeps a supply of candles in the house in case of power ________.
A) failure
B) lack
C) absence
D) drop
59,The group of technicians are engaged in a study which ________ all aspects of urban planning.
A) inserts
B) grips
C) performs
D) embraces
60,The lecture which lasted about three hours was so ________ that the audience couldn’t help yawning.
A) tedious
B) bored
C) clumsy
D) tired
Part IV Cloze (15 minutes)
Directions,There are 20 blanks in the following passage,For each blank there are four choices marked A),B),C) and D) on the right side of the paper,You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage,Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
Historians tend to tell the same joke when they are describing history education in America,It’s the one __61__ the teacher standing in the schoolroom door __62__ goodbye to students for the summer and calling __63__ them,“By the way,we won World War II.”
The problem with the joke,of course,is that it’s __64__ funny,The recent surveys on __65__ illiteracy (无知) are beginning to numb (令人震惊),nearly one third of American 17-year-olds cannot even __66__ which countries the United States __67__ against in that war,One third have no __68__ when the Declaration of Independence was __69__,One third thought Columbus reached the New World after 1750,Two thirds cannot correctly __70__ the Civil War between 1850 and 1900,__71__ when they get the answers right,some are __72__ guessing.
Unlike math or science,ignorance of history cannot be __73__ connected to loss of international __74__,But it does affect our future __75__ a democratic nation and as individuals.
The __76__ news is that there is growing agreement __77__ what is wrong with the __78__ of history and what needs to be __79__ to fix it,The steps are tentative (尝试性) __80__ yet to be felt in most classrooms.
61,A) about
B) in
C) for
D) by
62,A) shaking
B) waving
C) nodding
D) speaking
63,A) in
B) after
C) for
D) up
64,A) rarely
B) so
C) too
D) not
65,A) historical
B) educational
C) cultural
D) political
66,A) distinguish
B) acknowledge
C) identify
D) convey
67,A) defeated
B) attacked
C) fought
D) struck
68,A) sense
B) doubt
C) reason
D) idea
69,A) printed
B) signed
C) marked
D) edited
70,A) place
B) judge
C) get
D) lock
71,A) Even
B) Though
C) Thus
D) So
72,A) hardly
B) just
C) still
D) ever
73,A) exclusively
B) practically
C) shortly
D) directly
74,A) competitiveness
B) comprehension
C) community
D) commitment
75,A) of
B) for
C) with
D) as
76,A) fine
B) nice
C) surprising
D) good
77,A) to
B) with
C) on
D) of
78,A) consulting
B) coaching
C) teaching
D) instructing
79,A) done
B) dealt
C) met
D) reached
80,A) therefore
B) or
C) and
D) as
Part V Writing (30 minutes)
Directions,For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition entitled A Brief Introduction to a Tourist Attraction,You should write at least 120 words according to the following guidelines:
Your role,a tour guide
Your audience,a group of foreign tourists
Your introduction should include:
l some welcoming words
l the schedule for the day
l a description of the place the tourists will be visiting (e.g,a scenic spot or a historical site,etc.)
You should make the introduction interesting and the arrangements for the day clear to everybody.
A Brief Introduction to a Tourist Attraction
答案
Part I
1,D 2,C 3,C 4,A 5,C
6,D 7,B 8,A 9,C 10,C
Part II
11,C 12,D 13,B 14,D 15,B
16,A 17,C 18,A 19,D 20,A
21,C 22,C 23,B 24,D 25,D
26,A 27,D 28,B 29,A 30,B
Part III
31,A 32,C 33,D 34,B 35,C
36,D 37,D 38,C 39,B 40,A
41,C 42,D 43,B 44,B 45,A
46,C 47,D 48,B 49,A 50,C
51,C 52,B 53,D 54,B 55,A
56,D 57,C 58,A 59,D 60,A
Part IV
61,A 62,B 63,B 64,D 65,A
66,C 67,C 68,D 69,B 70,B
71,A 72,B 73,D 74,C 75,D
76,D 77,C 78,C 79,A 80,B
S1,popular S2 historical S3 prints S4 instruments
S5,permitted S6 established S7 destroyed
S8,In 1897,the library moved into its own building across the street from the Capitol.
S9,The library provides books and materials to the US Congress and also lends books to other American libraries,government agencies and foreign libraries.
S10,Anyone who wants copyright protection for a publication in the US must send two copies to the library.
2004年6月19日四级听力原文
1,M,I ran into our friend Mark yesterday on the street,and he said he hadn’t heard from you in two months.
W,Yes,I know,But I’ve been too busy to phone him.
Q,What can be inferred from the conversation?
2,M,Mr,Brown asked me to tell you that he’s sorry he can’t come to meet you in person,He’s really too busy to make the trip.
W,That’s okay,I’m glad you’ve come in his place.
Q,What do we learn from the conversation?
3,M,So,when are the other guys going to get here? The train is leaving in 10 minutes,We can’t wait here forever!
W,It’s 10:30 already? They are supposed to be here by now! I told everybody to meet here by 10:15.
Q,When is the train leaving?
4,W,So you’ve finally listened to your wife’s advice and given up smoking?
M,It was my doctor’s advice,I’m suffering from high blood pressure.
Q,What do we learn from the conversation?
5,W,Frank,I thought you were working in New York.
M,I was,but I’ve moved back,I just couldn’t get used to living in a big city,so here I am back in school taking courses for a teacher’s certificate.
Q,What is Frank planning to do?
6,M,Washing dishes at the restaurant every day is really boring.
W,Why don’t you quit and deliver flowers for me?
Q,What does the woman advise the man to do?
7,M,Can I borrow your math textbook? I lost mine on the bus.
W,You’ve asked the right person,I happen to have an extra copy.
Q,What does the woman mean?
8,W,Hello,this is Dr,Gray’s office,We’re calling to remind you of your 4:15 appointment for your annual checkup tomorrow.
M,Oh,thanks,It’s a good thing you called,I thought it was 4:15 today.
Q,What do we learn from the conversation?
9,W,I just can’t believe this is our last year,College is going by fast.
M,Yeah,We’ll have to face the real world soon,So,have you figured out what you’re going to do after you graduate?
Q,What do we learn from the conversation?
10,M,I had a hard time getting through this novel.
W,I share your feeling,Who can remember the names of 35 different characters?
Q,What does the woman imply?
Passage One
The Library of Congress is America’s national library,It has millions of books and other objects,It has newspapers and popular publications,as well as letters of historical interest,It also has maps,photographs,art prints,movies,sound recordings,and musical instruments,All together,it has more than 100 million objects,The Library of Congress is open to the public Monday through Saturday except for public holidays,Anyone may go there and read anything in the collection,But no one is permitted to take books out of the building,The Library of Congress was established in 1800,It started with 11 boxes of books in one room of the Capitol Building,By 1814,the collection had increased to about 3,000 books,They were all destroyed that year,when the Capitol was burned down during America’s war with Britain,To help rebuild the library,Congress bought the books of President Thomas Jefferson,Mr,Jefferson’s collection included 7,000 books in seven languages,In 1897,the library moved into its own building across the street from the Capitol,Today,three buildings hold the library’s collection,The library provides books and materials to the U,S,Congress and also lends books to other American libraries,government agencies,and foreign libraries,It buys some of its books and gets others as gifts,It also gets materials through its copyright office,Anyone who wants copyright protection for a publication in the U,S,must send two copies to the library,This means the Library of Congress receives almost everything that is published in the United States.