上外中级口译第三版听力教程原文及讲解--Unit 8

Unit eight. Part one. New dwellings in Great Britain. 3. Exercises.

1. Listen to the following passage about housing in Britain, and then choose the best answer to each question you hear.

In all 189,000 new dwellings were completed in Great Britain in 2006, a rise of 3.6 percent on 2005. Growth in owner occupation has been particularly marked increasing from 50 percent in 1991 to 67 percent at the end of 2006. Both the public and the private sectors build housing, but about four fifths in new dwellings are built by the private sector for sale to owner occupiers. Local authorities are encouraged to see their housing role as in the neighboring one. Working with housing associations and the private sector to increase the supply of low cost housing for sale or rent. Without necessarily providing it themselves. Housing associations are now the main providers of new social housing. Housing provided at rents affordable to people on low incomes, usually substantially below market rents. This allows local authorities to focus on improving the management of their own stock. Rents on new private sector lettings in Great Britain were deregulated in 1988 with the aim of stimulating the private rented sector, which had been declining from most of the last century. These policies had been taking forward with the housing act in 1996.

Questions:

1) How many new dwellings were completed in Great Britain in 2006?

2) What percentage was owner occupation at the end of 2006?

3) What are local authorities encouraged to do?

4) Why were rents on new private sector lettings deregulated in 1988?

2. Listen again and then supply the missing information in the following passage.

Part two. Statements. 2. Exercises. Listen and then choose the answer that is closest in meaning to the statement you hear.

1) If you want to add that information to your paper you really should check it out in the reference book.

2) We were met at the airport by Miss Janet the other day. It was very kind of her to do that especially at such short notice.

3) The forecast is for severe winter but I am hardly prepared. I am waiting for the next sale to get a down jacket.

4) She used to take two tablets a day, but recently the doctor doubled the dosage to see the effect of his prescription.

5) Alice has got her paper do, and 2 final exams next week, so she is spending a lot of time at the library. She has no time for parties at the moment.

6) John is going to California to take up a research position at the university very soon. And I need to find a new roommate.

7) Last Sunday we went to watch a football game. It started at 2 o’clock. And we arrived just in time for the second half.

8) In spite of occasional differences in the opinion about politics Ron and Pawl get along very well and often spend time together.

9) Having sent in his application 2 months earlier Tom should know by Monday whether his admission has been approved.

10) Seafood prices have come down quite a bit, the shrimp was 2 dollars a pound this week, so I bought 3 pounds.