listening

Part 2 PassagesPassage 1 Informational interviewingInformational interviews are one of the most beneficial ways through which to learn about a career field; they can also serve as a place to begin networking. Their purpose is to explore a particular field or organization and learn the "ins and outs*" of that field from a practitioner*. Rather than being asked questions, you are the questioner, gathering information that will help you evaluate* your interest in and suitability for a particular opportunity.An informational interview is a fine place to raise doubts you might have. explore me compatibility* of your work values with those expressed in the field and ask lot advice. An individual whom you interview for information can also critique your resume. Although you may not specifically find out about a job opening, informational interviewing will often provide leads* as to where to begin a successful job search and will help you choose between fields you are considering. If you are unable to find your former students or parents to meet for an informational interview, try contacting employers or organizations found in one of the closed stack*directories in the CRC* library.British postmen and milkmen have a reputation for being cheerful. As they both arrive very early in the morning, when you are perhaps not feeling very good-tempered, their brisk* knocking and bright whistling may get on your nerves. Of course, there are some gloomy postmen, who make you think that every letter contains tragic news, but the majority are jolly and good-humoured. This is quite surprising, because delivering the mail each morning is a job which is not very well paid and there are a great many problems.The city postman has to go on foot, not only along streets but also up and down stairs, as many blocks of flats still have no lifts and no downstairs letterbox. If he has a registered letter to deliver, he has to wait for someone to come to the door to sign for it. That person may greet him in a most unfriendly way if he has just been woken from a deep sleep very early in the morning.In the country, a postman may have a bicycle or a small van, so he does not have to walk so far, but nevertheless he has his problems too. It is very annoying to be compelled* to go all the way Io an isolated house simply to deliver a postcard or a circular, when this makes the journey half an hour longer. In winter, weather conditions are bad, but the postman must carry on in the rain or the snow.Sometimes it is impossible to use a van or a bicycle in these conditions, and he has to do his round*on foot, like his city colleague. Most country people keep a dog. Although there may be a notice on the gate, "BEWARE OF THE DOG," this is of little help to the postman~ He is forced to go in, whether the dog is dangerous or not. So every day the country postman knows that, if the dog is not safely tied up, it may bite him on the leg or tear* the seat* out of his trousers.News item 1NATO Secretary General George Robertson has arrived in Moscow for talks aimed at calming Russian fears about NATO's future plans. He is expected to meet with President Vladimir Putin and other officials. Mr Robertson says NATO's expansion to the east will not harm the balance in Europe. Russia strongly opposes NATO membership for Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. A Defense Ministry spokesman reportedly said the entry of these countries would threaten Russian's security interests. He says Russia will takenext year~News item 2An official of the Federal Security Service has linked (1) an .American student arrested this month to 2) American Intelligence. The Federal Security Service says John Edward Tarbin (3) wax arrested Feb. 1st for possessing the drug marijuana. The Russian official says (4) Mr Tarbin has not been charged with (5)spying. However, he told the Interfax News Agency that (6) the American may have been preparing (7) to spy for the United States. The spokesman for the American State Department dismissed (8) the Russian accusation.News item 3The European Unions is admitting a split among its 15 members over policy toward Iraq. An EU spokesman said member nations me divided between those who want an immediate end to the United Nations' restrictions against Iraq and those who approve slower action. Some EU nations believe the UN oil for food programme is a failure and does nothing to ease the suffering of the Iraqi people. The programme permits Iraq to sell a limited amount of oil to pay for humanitarian supplies. Many governments axe still condemning the American and British air attacks against Iraqi military targets near Baghdad. Iraq is threatening to answer the air strikes and says it has the right to attack Kuwait and Saudi Arabia if they continue to provide bases for Western planes.Section 3 Oral WorkMrs White: How did your writing go this morning? Is the book coming along all right'?Mr White: l’m not sure. I think the rest o f it will be difficult to write. There are still some problems to solve.Mrs White: I expect you'll find the answers interesting to work out.Mr White: If I can work them out. Thank goodness the house is easy to work in. I shall at leastha able to think.Mrs White: You've forgotten something. Peace and quiet will ha difficult to guarantee muchlonger.Mr White: Good, heavens, yes. The school holidays start in a week, don't they? The house will be impossible to work in while they last.Mrs White: Well, some extra noise is hard to avoid. But I'll keep them away from the study as much as I can. That'll be all right to work in.Mr White: What about the garden? It was beautifully peaceful and quiet out there this morning.Mrs White: Well, you'd better make the most of it while it lasts. Peace and quiet will ha hard to find in the garden pretty soon, I'm afraid.Exercise: Listen to the dialogue and then answer some questions about it. You will hear the dialogue and the questions only once. Answer each question with a complete sentence after you have heard it.To the American people, education is very important. The first twelve years of public school are free of charge. As a result, about 93 percent of the teenagers from fourteen to seventeen years old are in high school.However, 200 years ago, education was not free. American elementary schools were only for rich people. Most young people were not in school.The first public high school was in 1832. The purpose of the school was to prepare students for college. Its most important subjects were mathematics and foreign languages.Nowadays, American education is a big business. There are about 45 million students in thenation's elementary schools and high schools, Each year there are about three million high school graduates.The main purpose of high school is still to prepare students for college. There are also job training programmes in high school and programmes to teach useful skills for everyday life – for example, driver training, first aid, and even cooking.Section 4 Supplementary ExercisesPart I Listening ComprehensionThe latest report from the Institute for International Education gives information from the school year that began in September of last year and ended in May of this year. It says more than 500,000 foreign college students attended American schools during that school year.New York University in New York City had the largest number of foreign students. Almost5,000 foreign students attended NYU last year. The University of Southern California at Los Angeles had the second largest number of students, about 4,500.The report says the State of California had the most foreign students, with about 66,000 living there last year. New York State was next, with about 55,000 foreign students.China sent the most foreign students to the United States last year. More than 54,000 Chinese students attended American schools. Japan sent the next highest number of students, almost 47,000. India was next, with about 42,000. And Korea was fourth, sending more than 41,000 students to the United States.The report says the most popular subjects of study for international students in the United States last year were business and management. Twenty percent of all foreign students were studying those subjects. Fifteen percent studied engineering. Nineteen percent studied mathematics and computer science.Part 2 Oral WorkIn a recent broadcast, I heard a woman say that she felt guilty because she spent ~20 at an auction sale. She was afraid her husband might accuse her of being extravagant. I find this attitude difficult to understand, for, obviously a married woman has as much right to spend ~20 as her husband. Sometimes both husband and wife go out to work. But, in a case where the woman stays at home to look after the children, it is still unfair that she should feel guilty about spending a small sum of money on herself.UNIT 4Part 2 listening and note-takingThis table shows the number of commuters* into central London between TOO a.m. and 10.00 a.m. daily. The total number is 1,396,000. Of these, 405,000 travel by underground -- that's 29% of the total, and 28% travel by British Rail -- that's 391,000 people daily. 13 %, 181,000 people, use both rail and underground, and 9%, 126,000 people, travel by bus. That means a total of 1,103,000 people, 79%, on public transport. The remainder use private transport, 237,000 come by car and the rest come either by motorbike or bicycle . This means 4% come by motorbike or bicycle ,and 17% by car . Section Two Listening ComprehensionPart 1 DialoguesDialogue 1 phoning about the flatWoman: hello, 2248818Man: Hello, I'm phoning about the flat.Woman: Of course. What would you like to know?Man: Well, first, can you tell me where it is, please? Is it near some shops, and the tube?Woman: Well, the flat is in Islington, We're only 100 metres from the shops and a five minutes' Walk from the tube.Man: And how much does it cost?Woman: Three hundred and sixty pounds a month. And you have to pay a month's deposit.Man: I see, and is it a big flat? How many square metres is it'?Woman: Oh, 1 don't know. There are two bedrooms and a very large living room. Would you like to see it?Man: Yes, when can I come, please?Woman: Uhm. Can you come this afternoon'? About four? It's No. 2, Canbury Road. Man: Yes, that's fine, I'll see you then. Goodbye.Dialogue 2 The Magnificent Town ResidenceJohn: Hi, darling.Sally: Hello, John. Well, did you see the "magnificent town residence"?John: Yes.Sally: So what's it like?John: Well, first of all it's four miles out of the town centre.Sally: Oh, no!John: And it's not all that big. Three bedrooms: one quite big, one smallish, and one that would be OK for the cat. The luxury bathroom doesn't have a shower, and the downstairs cloakroom* is at the end of the garden at the end of the jungle*, l should say. The sitting and dining room are both pretty small,Sally: What about the kitchen? Is it big enough to have breakfast in?John: Oh, yes. Easily. if you sit on the fridge and put your feet out of the window there's plentyof room.Sally: The garage ?John: Fine for a bicycle . A bicycle ,mind .Not two bicycles. And there’s oil-fired central heating , which doesn’t work.. And the walls and roof are in a very bad state .Apart from that ,it’s fine.Sally: Oh , good .Let’s buy it at once !。