全新版大学英语听说教程_4_听力原文
新标准大学英语视听说教程4_听力原文及翻译
Unit 1OutsideviewConversation 1Li:What a wonderful view! This is such a great city!Do you ever get tired of living in London, Andy?A;"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford" Li:That's a quotation by Samuel Johnson, isn't it?A:Correct,so do you have any plans when you finish at Oxford?Li: I've got another year to go and then I suppose I'll go back home.A; And you will find a job?Li:I think I have to do my Master's before I look for work.But I must admit London is very special.Do you think you would ever leave London?A:Sure, I'd love to come to china one day, and I like traveling. But i think I'll always come back here.Li:Well, your roots are here and there are so many opportunities.A;But have you ever thought of living in London for a year or two?Li:Yes, but what could I do here? I had planned to become a teacher.But i have often thought if there was a job i could do here in publishing,maybe as an editor, I'll go for it.A:That's sounds like a great idea.I think that would really suit youLi:Maybe I should update my CV and send it to one or two publisher.A:Don't make it look too goodLi:Why not?A;Well,if you enjoy working with London Time Off, we don't want you working with anyone else Li:Oh, working with you and Joe it's great fun and really interesting. I couldn't think of a better way to find out about a cityA;So maybe you should think about applying for a job with usLi:But do you think I'd stand a chance(有可能,有希望)?I mean, I'm not sure if Joe likes meA:Don't even think about it!Joe is very straight talking and I promise you that you'd know if he didn't like you.Li:Perhaps we should both update our CVs and look for jobs togetherA:Hey,right!That would be fun.李:什么是美好的景色!这是这样一个伟大的城市!你有没有厌倦过伦敦的生活,安迪?当一个人厌倦了伦敦,他就厌倦了生活,因为在伦敦,所有的生活都能承受李:那是约翰逊塞缪尔的语录,不是吗?答:对,你在牛津结束的时候有什么计划吗?李:我还有一年要走,我想我会回家。
全新版大学英语视听阅读4视频听力原文
Unit 2 The Red DevilsNarrator: Dr. Bob Gilly is a neurobiologist at Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove, California. He’s studied squid for more than 20 years. His most recent study of Humboldt squid, sometimes called “red devils,” tracked the movements of almost 1,000 squid off the coast of Santa Rosalia, Mexico. Two months later, the squid began to appear across the Gulf of California, near Guaymas. To get a closer look at the giant squid and, hopefully, to learn more about them, Gilly headed down to the small fishing village. Gilly has invited Bob Cranston, an intrepid cameraman who’s spent more time in deep water with giant squid than anyone, to film the squid. Gilly doesn’t dive himself, so Cranston will serve as the scientist’s eyes underwater. Cranston begins by giving some det ails about the new diving equipment he’s brought.旁白:鲍勃侍从在霍普金斯海洋站在太平洋格罗夫神经生物学家,加利福尼亚。
大学英语听说教程4听力原文Unit 12
Unit 12Part BOpinion PollsMan: Do you know the thing that's always struck me as odd about opinion polls?Woman: What's that?Man: The percentages. Like recently there was a survey about what people thought about traffic, and petrol prices, and public car parks. In some car parks it now costs something like 5 pounds to park a car for half an hour.Woman: Yeah, but I don't see what you're getting at.Man: What I mean is the percentages in the results. So there might be 70% of people who complained about high petrol prices, and 60% who want to see the traffic reduced, and 65% who think car park charges are too high. Does that mean that there are 35% who actually think the charges are OK and would even be prepared to pay more, and another 30% who think petrol prices are OK? I mean that's absurd. I don't know anyone who doesn't think they're too high.Woman: Well, actually I think we should pay more.Man: Come on, you're joking.Woman: No, seriously. I think we should pay more for petrol, even twice as much maybe, and certainly far more for inner city car parks.Man: But why?Woman: More taxes should be charged on petrol, I think, to discourage people from using cars, and a kind of graded charging system for car parks depending on how far they are from the city center.Man: What do you mean?Woman: Well, if you park your car quite far from the city center then you pay a nominal amount as a kind of reward for not polluting the city center. Well, the closer you get to the center, the moreyou are penalized. Prices in the center should be totally prohibitive. I mean with an efficient bus or tram service there's no excuse for using cars.Man: Yeah, but you can't penalize people who don't use their car to go into town. I mean if you doubled the price of petrol, it would cost people a fortune to go anywhere, even on short trips, and especially on holidays.Woman: Don't use your car then. Use a train.Man: But what about lorries? I mean they use a lot of petrol to transport goods from one place to another.Woman: So what's to stop these goods being transported by train or even via canal?Man: Well, anyway, I still can't believe that 30% of those people who said car park charges were OK all think the same as you.Woman: Well, maybe that's where you are wrong. Just think about what I've said and you'll realize that perhaps it's not so stupid as it sounds.Questions:1. What items are surveyed in the opinion poll mentioned in the conversation?2. What does the man find absurd about the survey?3. Which of the following best reflects the woman's view about car parking?4. Which problem is the woman most concerned about according to the conversation?5. Which of the following describes the man's attitude toward opinion polls?Part CHow These Pollsters Do Those PollsV oters can become weary of polls as a campaign winds down, and in public, candidates invariably declare that they ignore them -- at least, the candidates who are losing. But the fact is, pollsters are good and getting better.Most election-eve polls in 1992 predicted the voting percentages eventually won by Clinton, Bush and Perot well within the sampling margin of error. Of some 300 such polls, none projected Bush or Perot as the winner.Typically, these polls are generated by telephone interviews with 600 to 1,000 "likely voters", who are 18 or older, as determined by answers to initial questions. The phone numbers are selected as random digits by a phone-dialing computer.Hypothetically, almost every person in America has an equal chance of being called since most households have phones. The samples may seem small, but the techniques used in polls are proven enough to be regularly accepted as evidence by the courts when election results are legally challenged. No sample is as accurate as interviewing 100 percent of the people in an election district, of course. A "sampling error" or "margin of error" accompanies every significant result. It is the largest possible difference that could exist between a random national sample and a poll that asked 200 million Americans the same questions. A 3 percent sampling error, for example, means that if a poll predicts that a candidate will get 45 percent of the vote, he may probably get 42 to 48 percent of the vote.Often, after a random sample is collected, it's compared with US Census statistics to determine the degree of agreement before the poll is finalized. This can help polling professionals correct anomalies so that they can get clients that pay them the big bucks.The "exit polls" that play a key part in election night drama in American homes are even more accurate than other forecasts because the specially trained interviewers are using respondents who are known voters.Questions:1. How is a typical election poll conducted in the US?2. How large is the sample for a typical election poll?3. If a poll shows a 50% support for a candidate with a 3% margin of error, what would be the probable percentage of support for him?4. Why are "exit polls" especially accurate?5. What is the passage mainly about?Part DUse of Public Opinion PollsPublic opinion polls are regularly conducted and published in many countries. They measure not only support for political parties but also public opinion on a wide range of social and political issues. They are frequently published in major newspapers and are generally accepted as useful tools by businesses, political organizations, the mass media and government, and academic research groups. Hundreds of public polling firms operate around the world. The Gallup Poll and Harris Poll are among the best known in the US.In business, polls are used to test consumers' preferences and to discover what gives a product its appeal. Responses to commercial polls help businesses in planning marketing and advertising strategies and in making changes in a product to increase its sales.In politics, polls are used to obtain information about voters' attitudes toward issues and candidates, to put forward candidates with winning potential, and to plan campaigns. Polling organizations have also been successful in predicting the outcome of elections. By polling voters on Election Day, it is often possible to determine the probable winner even before the voting booths close.Newspapers, magazines, radio and television are heavy users of public opinion polling information, especially political information that helps to predict election results or measure the popularity of government officials and candidates. The public's attitude toward various social, economic, and international issues is also considered newsworthy.Governments use opinion polls to find out public sentiment about issues of interest. Theyalso use polling methodology to determine unemployment rates, crime rates, and other social and economic indicators.Opinion polls have also been employed extensively in academic research, particularly in the social sciences. They have been valuable in studying delinquency, socialization, political attitudes, and economic behavior. Among the prominent organizations that primarily serve academic research purposes are the Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.Questions:1. By whom are public opinion polls generally accepted as useful tools?2. For what are opinion polls used by businesses?3. For what are opinion polls used in politics?4. For what are opinion polls used by governments?5. What new media are heavy users of the information from opinion polls?6. For what are opinion polls used in academic research?。
全新版大学英语听说教程4听力原文
全新版大学英语听说教程第四册听力原文(Part B,C 部分)Unit 1Part BBirthday Celebrations Around the WorldChairman: Welcome to this special birthday edition of One World. Yes, folks, we've been on the air for exactly one year now, and we thought it would be a nice idea to have a special program dedicated to birthday celebrations around the world. With us in the studio tonight we have Shaheen Hag and Pat Cane, who have a weekly column on birthdays in the Toronto Daily Star. Shaheen: Good evening. Pat: Good evening.Chairman: Shaheen, perhaps we could begin with you. How are birthdays celebrated in India? Shaheen: Well, perhaps we're all assuming that everyone in the world celebrates their birthday. This just isn't the case. Low-income families in India, for instance, simply can't afford any festivities. And most Muslims don't celebrate their birthdays.Pat: I think Shaheen has raised an interesting point here. The Christian church, too, was actively against celebrating birthdays, and in any case most people, until a couple of hundred years ago, couldn't even read and wouldn't have even been able to spot their birthday on a calendar anyway. Shaheen: Of course some Muslims do celebrate their birthdays. In Egypt, Turkey and Indonesia, for example, the rich people invite friends and families around. But not in small villages. Chairman: Here in England your twenty-first used to be the big one. But now it seems to have moved to eighteen. Is that true?Pat: Yes, in most parts of the West eighteen is now the most important birthday. In Finland, for example, eighteen is the age when you can vote, you know, or buy wines, drive a car and so on. But in Japan I think you have to wait till you're twenty before you can smoke or drink. Shaheen: I know in Senegal, which is another Muslim country, girls get to vote at sixteen and boys at eighteen. And in Bangladesh, girls at eighteen and boys at twenty-one.Chairman: That's interesting. I mean is it typical that around the world girls are considered to be more mature than boys?Shaheen: Yes, I think so, and there are some countries, particularly in South America, which have a big party only for girls. In Mexico and Argentina, for example, they have enormous parties for 15-year-old girls.Pat: You know in Norway they have a great party for anyone who's not married by the time they're thirty. It's kind of embarrassing. I mean you get pepper thrown at you.Chairman: Pepper? Why pepper?Pat: I'm not really sure.Shaheen: So does that mean that on your 29th birthday you can start thinking 'God I better get married'?Pat: Well, I'm not sure how seriously they take it.Chairman: In England we have quite big parties for your fortieth, fiftieth, sixtieth and so on.Pat: Well, in Japan your eighty-eighth is considered ...Chairman: Eighty-eighth?Pat: ... to be the luckiest birthday. Eight is a very lucky number in Japan.Part CUnit 2 Part B Last Gasp for SmokersIt was a normal day and in their New York office, Ken and his colleagues stopped for their coffee break. But while his colleagues were able to sit at their desks and drink their coffee, Ken had to go outside. He couldn't stay inside, because he wanted to smoke. If the smokers of the Big Apple want to enjoy a cigarette, the authorities have decided they must go out into the street or up onto the rooftops.Throughout the United States, the number of places where people are allowed to smoke has gradually dwindled. First it was banned on trains, buses, and planes, then in public places such as theaters and airports. Now you can't smoke in any workplace. Nonsmokers are definitely winning the battle. "Why should we breathe their smoke?" they say.If they're lucky, smokers can still find some bars and restaurants or parks and recreation centers where they can light up a cigarette, but it may soon be banned there, too. In fact, smoking in parks and recreation centers is already banned in California. On August 9, 2001, Los Angeles City and County officials announced the implementation of a smoke-free park policy, officially designating smoke-free zones in all 375 parks and recreation centers in the city. And since January 1, 2002 all parks in California have become smoke-free to safeguard children from the harmful effects of secondhand tobacco smoke and dangerous tobacco waste. Anti-smoking groups even think that smoking ought to be banned in people's homes. Under new plans you won't be able to smoke in any house where there are more than ten visitors in a week, or where there are children.In 1996, nicotine was classed as a drug, like cannabis, cocaine or heroin. And scientists all over the world agree that exposure to secondhand smoke poses a serious health risk and there is no safe level of exposure. It is especially dangerous for children because when they are exposed to tobacco smoke, they have much higher rates of lung diseases such as bronchitis and pneumonia and are also at greater risks of developing asthma.In the country that gave tobacco to the world, smoking might one day be illegal. And then Ken will have to give up.Part CUnit 3Part BHow Our Memory WorksTry to imagi ne a life without a memory. It would be impossible. You could n't use a Ian guage, because you would n't remember the words. You could n't un dersta nd a film, because you n eed to hold the first part of the story in your mind in order to understand the later parts. You would n't be able to recognize anyone - even members of your own family. You would live in a permanent present. You would have no past and you would n't be able to imagine a future.Human beings have amazing memories. Apart from all our personal memories about our own lives, we can recall between 20,000 and 100,000 words in our own Ianguage as well as possibly thousa nds more in a foreig n Ian guage. We have all sorts of in formati on about differe nt subjects such as history, scie nee, and geography, and we have complex skills such as driv ing a car or play ing a musical in strume nt. All these things and coun tless others depe nd on our memory.How well you remember things depends on many different factors. Firstly, some people naturally have better memories than others, in just the same way as some people are taller than others, or have different color eyes. Some top chess players, for example, can remember every move of every game that they have ever see n or played.Secon dly, research shows that differe nt things are stored in differe nt parts of the brain. Ideas,words, and nu mbers are stored in the left-ha nd side, while the right-ha nd side remembers images, soun ds, and smells. In most people one side of the brain is more developed tha n the other, and this may explain why some people can remember people's faces easily, but can't remember their n ames.Thirdly, we all remember exciting, frightening, or dramatic events more easily. This is because these experie nces produce chemicals such as adre nali ne, which boost your memory. They say that anyone who is old eno ugh to remember knows exactly where they were on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, when radio and TV programs around the world were interrupted with the shock ing n ews that the twin towers of the World Trade Cen ter in New York were hit.Fourthly, the con text in which you lear n someth ing can affect how well you remember it. Tests on divers, for example, showed that when they learned things underwater, they could also remember those things best whe n they were un derwater.Lastly, the more ofte n you recall a memory the more likely you are to remember it. If you don't use it, you'll lose it. A teleph one nu mber that you dial freque ntly will stay in your memory easily, but you will probably have to write dow n one that you use only now and aga in.Part CUnit 4Part BEmbarrass ing Experie ncesIn terviewer: Rob, you went to Brazil, did n't you?Rob: Yes, I did.In terviewer: So, what happe ned?Rob: Well, I went into this meeti ng and there were about, er... seve n or eight people in there and I just said 'Hello' to everybody and sat dow n. Appare ntly, what I should have done is to go round the room shak ing hands with every one in dividually. Well, you know, it's silly of me because IT^pticript7b inany people Adv<tricin^ inedins ius- ing your hairand your is it truethat the older you get, the less you reinemher?Actuftlly. in healthy peo 卩le, menior>r doesn'tdeteriorate as quickly as rndny of us think. As we age,our memory mechanism isn't broken, it's just diflerent.The brain's processing tinie slowi duwn over the years.Jiecent research EU 岸 gestf that nerve cells luseefficiency and thill there's less activity in the part of thebrain that decides whether Eo store information or not.There are steps you can take tn improve yourmtrmtjry; though you liave to work to keep your braiii inshape.Hlrliicry crlhdiicement ejtperts jsug- 月wepay attention io what wc to remember. Then givesome meaning tc it. We remember tilings when wefacus an them, whether wc intend io or nar.Basic orgdnizjtinn helps US remember thuboring stuff Fur example, rather than trying to recall arandom list of groceries, we can divide tliem into (■試such as dairy. . mnd produce. For important things like keys and money, wc CATI 5PT up a 'Target-iBE-rtOt spot wherir we always kerp them r Wfe can eat to aid our memory powtr. Whole grdins h fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of glucose, the brains preferred fiiel. 1b girt ad?c|U3tf rc^t is n low-t^ch wsy to improve memory. Sleep may allow OUF brain time to enec^de memories. Interest in friends, family and hobbies does woiider$ fnr nur memory. A sense nf passion or 卩iirpose helps u* renieniber. Memciry require^u$ to pay attention to cur lives, allowing us to dincaver in them everythin^ worth remembeTirig. Queitions !■ Which of the following an we learn from the passage? 2. Wliidi of the following can help improve our nw mo ry acco rding tu the passage? What should we do (□ nicl our memory paw - erseconding to the passage?found out later it upset every on e. I mean, I think they felt I was tak ing them for gran ted.Kate: Well, I know that because when I was in France the first time, I finished a meeting , with 'Goodbye, every one!' to all the people in the room. There were about half a doze n people there but I was in a hurry to leave, so I just said that and left. Well, I later found out that what I should have done is shake hands with every one in the group before leavi ng. Now, appare ntly, it's the polite thing to do. In terviewer: Well, people shake hands in differe nt ways, don't they?Rob: Oh, yes, that's right, they do. See, no rmally I shake hands quite gen tly whe n I meet some one. So when I went to the US for the first time, I think people there thought my weak handshake was a sign of weakness. Apparently, people there tend to shake hands quite firmly.Kate: Oh, gosh, you know, that reminds me: on my first trip to Germany, it was a long time ago, I was in troduced to the boss in the compa ny whe n he passed us in the corridor. Well, I was n't prepared, and I mean, I had my left hand in my pocket. And whe n we shook hands I realized my left hand was still in my pocket. Well, that was, you know, very bad manners and I was quite embarrassed.In terviewer: And how about using first n ames? Have you made any mistakes there?Rob: Oh, yes, I have! When I first went to Italy I thought it was OK to use every on e's first n ame so as to seem frien dly. And I later discovered that in bus in ess you should n't use some on e's first n ame uni ess you are in vited to. Oh, and you should always use their title as well.Kate: Hm, yeah, well, whe n I met people in Russia, you know, they seemed to be puzzled whe n I shook hands with them and said 'How do you do?' Well, what they do whe n they greet a stra nger is to say their own n ames, so I had that all wrong!Rob: Oh, yes, I agree with that. Remembering names is very important.In terviewer: Shall we take a break? When we come back we'll move on to our next topic.Kate & Rob: OK.Part C Test Your Listening Unit 5 FriendshipPart BThe Hospital Windowtn many cuuntriieK. ic k not customsry to callsomeone very Sdrly in th* morning, [f you call earlyin the da^ white he [s shaving or having breakfast,the time of the c^ll shows thjt The matter is veryimportant mnd requires ininiedi' ate attention. Thesame meaning is atuched to telephone calls after11:00 p.m. If someone receives a cd 11 duringsleepiEig hou 「蛍 he assumes it is n marter of lifeand dead). The time chosen for the caTI ccnimuiiic^te^ its imparr^nce.tn social life, time pFays A very importantpmrt, In the U.S. guests tend to feel they are highlyregarded if the invitation to a dinner party isextended three or four djys before [heparty date. Rut ir is not true in oih^r countries. Mseme coujitries it may be considered foolish to makean appointment too far ui advance be- BLi 我 pJansthat are mtide for a more than s week away tend to be forgotten. The meaning of timedialers in different parts of the world. Thus, misunderstanding arises between people 1 from different : countries that treat time 击他e ently. Imagine yoi] have arranged a meeting at 4 o'clock. What time should you expect your foreign business colleagues to arrive? If they're they'll be bang on time. If they're American theyll probably be 15 minutes early. If they 1 re British, they'll be 15 minutes late, and you should allow up to an hour for the Italians. Questions 1 - What have you learned about the time for telephone calls in many countries? 2. Wliy is it (xmsiderod fbuiish to nuke sn appoint- Inent too fur in advance in some countries? 3* Which nationalities are most pimctual and which are least punctual?Jack and Ben, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. Jack, whose bed was next to the room's only window, was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. But Ben had to spend all day and night flat on his bed. To kill time the two men began to talk. They talked for hours about their wives, families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, and where they had been on vacation. As days went by, a deep friendship began to develop between them.Every afternoon when Jack could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to Ben all the things he could see outside the window. And Ben began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees beautified the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.As Jack described all this in exquisite detail, Ben would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scenes.One warm afternoon Jack described a parade passing by. Although Ben couldn't hear the band -- he could see it in his mind's eye as Jack portrayed it with descriptive words.Days and weeks passed. One morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of Jack, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.Ben was heart broken. Life without Jack was even more unbearable. How he longed to hear Jack's voice and his melodious descriptions of the outside world! As he looked at the window, an idea suddenly occurred to him. Perhaps he could see for himself what it was like outside. As soon as it seemed appropriate, Ben asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself! He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall!'What could have compelled my roommate to describe such wonderful things outside this window?' Ben asked the nurse when she returned.'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you to live on,' she said. 'You know, he was blind and could not even see the wall.'Part CT4p«scrFpt || decided to hom^chool 仙As Fiona LS ar i R.IWo years ago. wfien Fiona turned four, Sam an find scho0| rubbing away her unique ventive, observant, and sensitive child, it would b亡A tr3S enflSS- ( f lrt. r mv ch i|dren would lean best if 1 stayed o ut”I tried not to reproduce school at home. I 杞山山日 -tbeif W. romes int0 mv room with ”Wh戲are we doingFiona is a structured child. Each morning she comes imo my <tod^y?" and ' What else?,h』., Every day we go with the flow, read some and 胡耿sow. but Fiona does not 注m ㈣血川环happy. She loses her temper now and then.I think it so strange that my child who is free from school doesn't warn to be tree at alL Her friends all go topre-school. So de 弭her nearest acquaintances. She feels left out of A m晌【的o; her friends' shared lives and experiences-Welh here is a dilemma I hadn't anticipated. It is importa nt to me to respect my daughter s opiii” ions and feelings. But on the other hand the quality of learning my child docs at home is superior Hpw c\3n I 注low her to get an inferior education?When we first decickd to do rhis, Sam and [ agreed that we would reassess the situation far each child as she turned seven. This would allow us to listen to how the child felt about home-schooling. MeanwhiEe we would give her plenty oftime with other kids — ballet lessons, swimming classes.Every rime she asks when shc h s going to school, we tell her that there will be a famtly meeting abour it when she turns s^ven. She nearly always responds, ThsCs when Cm going to go, tht?ru"We have one year I hope that Fiona will either learn to read and the world opens up for her or she discovcrs something wonderful to pursue. I hope she will find the activities she is involved in provide her with satisfactory kid-tiniHQuestions1娜$ 证the s P fiaker and血血聞d decide co home-school thdr daughter Fi Ona?2- How did Fiona respond to her biome-schooling?1 WhaT was血speaker s biggest pnoblem in home-schooling her daughter?4. What does the passage suggest?。
大学英语听说教程4听力原文Unit7
Unit7Part BLast Gasp for SmokersIt was a normal day and in their New York office, Ken and his colleagues stopped for their coffee break. But while his colleagues were able to sit at their desks and drink their coffee, Ken had to go outside. He couldn't stay inside, because he wanted to smoke. If the smokers of the Big Apple want to enjoy a cigarette, the authorities have decided they must go out into the street or up onto the rooftops.Throughout the United States, the number of places where people are allowed to smoke has gradually dwindled. First it was banned on trains, buses, and planes, then in public places such as theaters and airports. Now you can't smoke in any workplace. Nonsmokers are definitely winning the battle. "Why should we breathe their smoke?" they say.If they're lucky, smokers can still find some bars and restaurants or parks and recreation centers where they can light up a cigarette, but it may soon be banned there, too. In fact, smoking in parks and recreation centers is already banned in California. On August 9, 2001, Los Angeles City and County officials announced the implementation of a smoke-free park policy, officially designating smoke-free zones in all 375 parks and recreation centers in the city. And since January 1, 2002 all parks in California have become smoke-free to safeguard children from the harmful effects of secondhand tobacco smoke and dangerous tobacco waste. Anti-smoking groups even think that smoking ought to be banned in people's homes. Under new plans you won't be able to smoke in any house where there are more than ten visitors in a week, or where there are children.In 1996, nicotine was classed as a drug, like cannabis, cocaine or heroin. And scientists all over the world agree that exposure to secondhand smoke poses a serious health risk and there is no safe level of exposure. It is especially dangerous for children because when they are exposed to tobacco smoke, they have much higher rates of lung diseases such as bronchitis and pneumonia and are also at greater risks of developing asthma.In the country that gave tobacco to the world, smoking might one day be illegal. And then Ken will have to give up.Questions:1. What is the main idea of the passage you've heard?2. What does the speaker think about banning smoking in public places?3. Where is smoking not banned according to the passage?4. Which of the following is true about nicotine?5. What can be inferred from the sentence "In the country that gave tobacco to the world, smoking might one day be illegal"?Part CMaking Smoking Socially UnacceptableThe World Health Organization has named May 31 as World No Tobacco Day. Marking the day this year, the WHO announced that there was a 33 percent growth in the Asian cigarette market from 1999 - 2000.In Singapore, there has been an increase of smokers, which reflects the popularity of the addictive habit in Asia. Statistics show that seven Singaporeans die every day from smoking-related diseases in this country of 3.5 million people.Now, smoking will become socially unacceptable under a campaign by Singapore's government to use family and social pressure to get smokers to kick the habit. The campaign, launched in April 2002, is the latest weapon employed by the state against the spreading smoking habit. "Show them you care. Help them stop smoking," is the campaign's slogan, aimed at obtaining the help of loved ones to help smokers stop their nicotine habit. As part of its effort to discourage smoking, the government of Singapore has been putting up advertisements in newspapers, on TV and the Internet, showing parents quitting smoking so as not to worry their children.Questions:1. Which of the following days is World No Tobacco Day?2. What did the WHO announce on World No Tobacco Day?3. Why did the speaker cite Singapore as an example?4. What can be inferred from this passage?Part DDeveloping World Becomes a Huge AshtrayAs the tobacco industry in high-income countries faces stern legal measures, it turns to the developing world for market. The fragile economies of many developing countries have created perfect market conditions for the transnational cigarette companies. Investment in tobacco farming in Africa, for example, has increased rapidly. At present, out of the 33 million people engaged in tobacco farming worldwide, one million are in sub-Saharan African countries and the number is growing.And across Africa, farmers are reluctant to grow alternative crops to replace tobacco for fear of losing profit. Even if crop substitution were to succeed, there is little evidence that this would reduce tobacco consumption.So far, governments in Africa have avoided action to control smoking, as they are afraid that intervention might trigger harmful economic consequences on their fragile economies. In Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Malawi, there is a general fear that reduced tobacco production would mean a permanent loss of jobs and lower government revenue.While a price increase on cigarettes has been viewed as a measure to control smoking among the poor, the strategy is not working in sub-Saharan Africa. Millions of people who could not afford manufactured cigarettes are increasingly turning to smoking hand-rolled cigarettes, which were traditionally common in India and Southeast Asia but are now taking root in Africa.Partial bans on cigarette advertising in sub-Saharan Africa have had little or no effect on smoking patterns. Researchers say most smokers in the region start smoking when too young and are addicted quite early.Today, a tremendous number of people in the developing world are smokers. In fact, the whole developing world has become a huge ashtray.Questions:1. According to the passage, what is the reason that cigarette companies in industrialized countries have turned to the developing world for market?2. What do we learn about tobacco farming in Africa?3. Why are African farmers reluctant to give up growing tobacco?4. What actions have some African governments taken to control smoking?5. What kind of tobacco products do many African smokers use instead of manufactured cigarettes?5. What is the difference between the successful and the unsuccessful according to DeJoria?6. Why is there no middle management in his company?7. How many employees does the company have? How many should the company probably have?8. How are the employees treated?9. What is DeJoria's attitude toward philanthropy?10. What is his motto?。
大学英语听说教程4听力原文Unit8
大学英语听说教程4听力原文Unit8Unit 8Part BA Terrible DiseaseThe phone rang and it was my husband Jack asking me to take some lunch to his office. As I drove off, I noticed a new shopping center. Strange I hadn't noticed it before. Near his office I also saw a fire station I didn't recognize.'When did they build that new shopping center?' I asked Jack. 'And I'm glad to see that new fire station. It'll give a good landmark.''Diana, they've been there for ages,' Jack scolded.Bewildered, I became angry and, starting up the engine, began to pull away. Then I braked. Where was the exit? Suddenly, nothing was familiar. I realized I had no idea how to get home. I had to stop again and again to ask for directions. Eventually, I got home. A 30-minute drive had taken me four hours.Two months later, at the office where I worked as a legal researcher, a smart young man approached me.'Hi, Diana. Good to see you,' he said, smiling.I hesitated, then smiled with resignation. 'Please forgive me, it's one of those days. I simply can't bring your name to mind.' 'Diana, I'm your cousin Richard,' he said very slowly.After that, I was constantly making mistakes and kept forgetting my way around the building. In the end, I made the painful decision to resign from work. I also started pretending to be a tourist when I got lost because residents tend to give much better directions to visitors.Desperate to discover what was wrong with me, I made anappointment with a neurologist. After various tests he told me I had Alzheimer's disease. I felt numb. I'd hoped to find I was worrying about nothing, but now my worst fears were confirmed. And I was only 53!When I told Jack and my three grown-up children about my disease, their reaction was quiet but supportive. 'Stop worrying,' Jack said. 'We'll take good care of you.'That night, I was looking through some papers belonging to my mother, who'd died of cancer years before, when I saw her maps. They were hand-drawn and covered every place my mother went, including my house. As I examined them, I remembered Mother's other eccentric habits. She wouldn't drive out of her neighborhood or at night. One day, she hadn't even recognized me. Could she have had Alzheimer's, too, without anyone realizing?Now at 57, on good days I'm filled with hope and determination, but on bad days I have the worst sense of being alone. I've started a support group for other sufferers, for I know it's essential to have contact with people who are walking through the same maze.Jack's coping well. While he still dreams of waking up to find all this has been a horrible nightmare, he's assured me that I can depend on him. When we married he didn't know 'for better or worse' included Alzheimer's. But neither did I.Questions:1. What does the story mainly tell us?2. Which of the following is one of the symptoms of the speaker's disease?3. What can we learn from the story?4. What do you know about the speaker from the story?5. What can be inferred about the speaker's mother?Part COld Age's Problems and OpportunitiesOld age in the United States presents many problems and opportunities. As a result of improved medical services , people live longer than they used to. This increase in longevity creates a wide range of social needs. The medical specialty of gerontology (老年医学) has opened up new research areas and careers related to the elderly.Because of changes in the family structure from extended to nuclear, the elderly have to create existences apart from basically small family units. This situation is complicated by the fact that many of their friends may have died and their children may have moved away.The elderly must set up a new life. Often, the elderly must rely on a fixed income - Social Security and pensions - and gradually diminished savings. While some live with their children, many more live by themselves, with a friend or in a nursing home.However, the increasing proportion of elderly people in society has given them a new political power. They have formed organizations to voice their own needs and concerns to local state and federal agencies. Lobbying(游说)for such issues as increased Social Security benefits, better health care, income tax benefits and rent controls has brought to the public an increased awareness of the determination of the elderly to assert their ability to deal effectively with their own lives.Part DA Walking MiracleOld age is often accompanied by various kinds of illnesses. When he woke up on a July morning in 2001, Robert Tools, 59,could hardly lift his head off his pillow. He had suffered from heart troubles since a decade ago, which was made worse by his diabetes. The six-foot-three-inch former librarian and teacher became so weak that his weight had dropped from more than 200 pounds to 140. Tools was too sick for a heart transplant. So he agreed to let two surgeons try something that had never been done before. That afternoon T ools became the first person ever to be implanted with a self-contained artificial heart.Eight days later, Tools left the hospital for the first time to take a stroll through a city park, with his artificial heart pumping blood through his body. The heart is powered by a battery implant that holds a 30-to-40 minute charge. The battery is recharged via a coil attached to an external battery pack good for two hours, which T ools wears on a belt. Or the coil recharger can be plugged directly into a wall outlet. A small controller, about the size of a palm, is also implanted in the chest to regulate blood flow. The tiny controller knows how to adjust to his body's need for higher or lower blood flow when he stands, sits, walks, or otherwise. But Tools' mobility is still limited. Most of the time, a mobility transmitter implanted in his chest broadcasts data to a computer in hishospital room so that doctors can continually monitor and fine-tune the blood flow.Tools says living with an artificial heart means adjusting to some strange new sensations. "The biggest thing is getting used to not having a heart beat, except a whirring sound, and that makes me realize that I'm alive because I can hear it without a stethoscope."Statements:1. Robert Tools suffered from several health conditionsbefore his operation.2. Doctors decided to put an artificial heart in Tools' body because there was no suitable donor heart available.3. Tools' artificial heart was implanted in his chest along witha couple of other devices.4. Tools now must carry an external battery pack with him all the time.5. Tools' blood flow can be remote-controlled by doctors in the hospital.6. Tools' artificial heart is made of plastic materials.7. His new heart allows Tools to move about more than two hours at a time.8. Before Tools, a few artificial heart implant operations had been performed on other persons but all of them had failed.。
全新版《大学英语听说教程》第一册Unit4听力原文、答案及综合教程练习答案
全新版《大学英语听说教程》第一册Unit4听力原文、答案及综合教程练习答案Unit 4Vocabulary1) wreck 2) balance 3) approaching 4) handle5) discard 6) Above all 7) diet 8) do with 9) checked on 10) cleaned up 11) weekly 12) principles 2.1) to look for survivors were abandoned after it had been/was determined that all the people in the sunken ship had died.2) was amazed that Bob left a well-paid job travel around the world.3) for a loan has been turned down by many a bank as her business is small and she could provide no guarantee.4) express her thoughts with precision, so people often misunderstand her.5) will weaken our determination to modernize our country in the shortest possible time.3.1) for sale hunting for be amazed by2) become skilled handle their loans3)character by calling on he passed awayII Confusable words1.1) personal 2) personnel2.1) sometime 2) Sometimes 3)some time 4) sometimeIII Euphemismde hcgabfComprehensive ExercisesI Close1. Text-related1)sponsored 2)determination 3) turned away 4) assumed 5) capacity6)skilled 7)loan 8) character 9) hunting 10) for sale 11) send for2. Theme-related1)save 2)recent 3)modest 4) grow 5) dream6) immigrants 7)business 8) engineering 9)invest 10) richIII Translation1)It is reported that UN mediators have worked out a plan whichthey hope will be acceptable to both sides.2)Doris walked in the forest cautiously, afraid of being attacked bygiant snakes.3)Earthquakes, typhoons and other natural disasters cannot beprevented, but action can be taken to protect life and property. 4)I bought a new issue of my favorite sports magazine and hurriedhome, anxious to amuse myself reading it.5)Helen lacks confidence. I’ve never known anyone so unsure ofherself.2.After graduating from college, Tony decided to start his own business. At the beginning, many a bank turned down his request for a loan. But he was not a bit discouraged, and continued to call on one banker after another seeking help. Impressed by his determination and optimism, one banker finally agreed to loanhim the money. Now he has become a wealthy businessman. Talking about his amazing achievement, Tony says that it is important to create rather than wait for opportunities.Unit 4Part A1. 1) Yeah 2) By the way 3) Who 4) Don’t you think so? 5) Yes 6) Quite well2. 1) Like what 2) Yeah 3) Hmm, let me think 4) Well 5) Come to think of it 1. 92381 2. 26083. 15404. 755. 1566. 9007. 84,2008. 1,7359. 9:40 10. 5:45 Part BTapescript Small Talk Is EasyA: Mike, guess what?B: What?A: Carol just invited me to a party at her house on Saturday.B: Carol? You mean the pretty girl in your economics class?A: Yeah.B: Great! I’m sure you’ll have a super time.A: I’m not so sure.B: What do you mean, John? I though you really liked Carol.A: I do. But I don't know her friends very well.B: So get to know them.A: But I’m no good at small talk.B: Small talk is easy. You can learn.A: By Friday?B: sure, I’ll coach you. You just have to remember a few simple sentences.A: I don't know. I have trouble remembering things. Especially when I meet people. I get nervous.B: Don’t worry, John. You can do it. You just need a few tips.A: But what if I say something stupid?B: Hey, you’re not giving a speech. You’re just having a conversation. So just talk about something you know they are interested in.A: That’s the problem. I don’t know what Carol’s friends are interested in.B: Let them tell you. If you let people talk about themselves, they’ll think you’re interesting.A: You mean something like, “So, tell me what you’re interested in.”B: Well, you don’t have to be that direct. For example, you can talk about the weather.A: You can’t be serious. The weather’s boring.B: It’s a good excuse to find out what they like to do. On a rainy day, you say, “What do you do in such terrible weather?”A: What if they just stayed home and read a book?B: Then ask them about the book. You can ask if it was good. Ask if they liked it and why. Then talk about a book you really liked.A: So that’s what small talk is about, is it? Well, I’ll give it a try. Thanks for the tips, Mike.B: You’re welcome. Have a good time at the party.Note:Small talk means light conversations on unimportant or non-serious subjects such as the weather or TV programs you saw lastnight, or little compliments on what people are wearing. In a social gathering where a lot of guests are strangers to one another, small talk can be very useful to make them feel at ease.Exercise 1: c a dExercise 2: 1. At Carol’s house on Saturday 2. He’s uncertain whether he can have a good time at the party or not 3. He’s not good at small talk 4. One should talk about something other people are interested in 5. By getting them to talk about themselvesDialogue 1: 1. My American friend…weekend 2. That’s great 3. never been to a party given by a foreigner… I won’t know how to act 4. But it’s easier said than done5. A bottle of wine or a small box of chocolates6.his American friends. What should I say to them?7. Wh y don’t you get them to talk about themselves? Won’t it be a super chance for yo u to practice your conversation skills with native speakers of English?8. I guess you’re right. Thanks.Dialogue 2: 1.a beautiful song they are playing 2.cool 3.pop music 4.O h, yeah 5.rap 6.It’s all right, but I’m not really cray about it 7. Do you often go to those big concerts 8.Sometimes…listening to CDs… I can’t stand crowds of pushing people9. I know what you meanPart CTapescript Are you Calling about the Party?Laura: Hello. This is Laura Davis speaking.Simon: Oh, hello, Laura. This is Simon here. Simon Williams.Laura: Oh, Simon. How nice to hear you. Are you calling about the party? You did get the invitation, didn’t you?Simon: Yes, thanks, I did. That’s just it. I’m afraid. You see, I’m already tied up that evening.Laura: Oh, really? That is a pity.Simon: Yes. I’m afraid it’s been planned for ages. You see, some friends of mine are coming to see me. I haven’t seen them for a long time, and you know … well…I manag ed to get some tickets for the opera, and I promised to take them out to dinner afterwards. I can’t get out of it, unfortunately.I wish I could.Laura: Oh, what a shame! We are looking forward to seeing you. Still, if you can drop in later with your friends, we’d love to see you.Simon: Thanks. Well, I’ll certainly try, but I don’t think there’s much chance. Actually I’ve sent you an e-mail to say I can’t come.Laura: Oh, have you? That’s very kind, thanks. Well, keep in touch, Simon.Simon: I will. Regards to James. And I hope the party goes well. Bye!Laura: Thanks. Bye.Note: for ages: for a long timeExercise:1. Simon is calling because he hasn’t got the invitation. (F)2. Simon will take his friends out to dinner after going to the opera. (T)3. Laura has made a promise to her friends and will not beak her promise. (F)4. Both Laura and Simon will be rather busy that evening. (T)5. Laura and Simon agree to meet daily. (F)。
大学英语听说教程4听力原文Unit4
Unit4PartBHow to Use an OHPM: I want to use the overhead projector for my presentation. Could you show me how to use it?W: OK, let me show you. Just watch what I do. I... I'll talk you through the procedure.M: Thanks.W: Right, well. First of all, you put the OHP on the table here, about 2 meters from the wall or the screen. Er...do you have a screen?M: Er...no. I thought I'd just use the wall.W: Oh, er...well, a screen's better, but I suppose this wall will be all right. It is sort of white. Anyway, let's try it. So, the next thing you have to do is press these buttons in and lift this part up until it snaps into place.M: I see.W: And then turn it round so the head is facing towards the screen, I mean the wall, and now we can plug it in.M: Right, and you switch it on?W: Yeah. Then I press the switch here on the front...M: Right.W: There! And the light should come on.M: Right, OK.W: Yeah, there we are. So, you just place your transparency here on the glass.M: OK, there, oh!W: Oh, no! No, the other way up.M: Oh yes, of course.W: That's right, yeah. And to raise or lower the image you move this flap up or down... There, that's better.M: Right, OK.W: And finally, to focus the image you turn this wheel to make it sharp. There we are, that's not too bad.M: Oh, that's great, yeah. OK, thanks.W: Oh, one more thing: whatever you do, don't keep switching it on and off. I'm going to switch it off now. Now, when you use it in your presentation, you should leave it switched on, with a piece of paper over the glass.M: Right, I...er... I don't understand why you have to leave it on.W: Well, the reason why you have to do that is that you don't want the bulb to fail. The bulb fails easily if the machine is on and off frequently. If it does, you'll have to replace the bulb, which will be very hot and you may not have a spare anyway. So that's about it. Any questions?M: Erm...no, that seems all very clear. Thank you very much.W: You're welcome. Oh, and I really do think you need to get a screen, by the way. The picture would be much brighter than on that wall, you know.M: Oh, OK. Well, I'll ask Jim if he's got one.W: Oh, good idea! And make sure he shows you how to put it up!M: I will. Thanks again.PartCAdditional ListeningsHow to Send an E-mailM: I would like to send an e-mail to a friend of mine. Could you tell me how to do it?W: Certainly. First, you choose the e-mail program on your computer and click New Message.M: All right.W: OK? Well, then you start typing the name of the recipient. The program remembers the name and completes the e-mail address. Well, if not, you look up the name in the address book or contact list. OK? Well, if you want other people to get copies of the same message, you send them 'CCs', which are copies of the message. OK? Then you press Return on the keyboard and then you type the subject of the message. Now, there's no need to put the date because that goes in automatically when you send the message, together with the time. OK?M: Oh, yeah.W: Well, then you press Return again and start writing the message. Now, if you make a mistake, you just press Backspace to delete the previous letter or word and then type it again correctly.M: I see.W: Now, when you've finished, you read the whole message through to make sure it looks right and contains the right information. Now, if you decide you want to change sentences around, you can copy sentences and paste them in other places.M: And...er...er...how about spelling and punctuation, er...that can be corrected automatically, can't it?W: Well, yes and no. You can run your spell checker and that may bring up some mis-typings and things like that. But it definitely won't catch them all, so you must read it through to check your spelling, too. And check your punctuation at the same time. Now if you notice a misspelt word, or if you want to change a word or something like that, double-click on the word and type the new word over it.M: Fine. That's easy.W: Hmm. And then it's ready to send. You just click on Send and it'll go off immediately. And the other person will find your message in their Inbox when they next go online to get their messages.M: Right. Well, that sounds much easier than handwriting a message and faxing it.W: Sure it does.Questions:1. Where does the computer store the e-mail addresses of your friends?2. What does "CCs" stand for? When do you use "CCs"?3. What can you do if you want to change sentences around?4. What can you do if you want the computer to check mis-typings?5. What do you do if you want to change a word?PartDLayout of a LetterAs we go through, I'm going to tell you the layout of a formal letter in English -- you might want to note this information down on a separate piece of paper. OK, the first thing is to write the sender's address in the top right-hand corner. OK. This has a set order with the number of the house or flat followed by the name of the street; and then underneath that, perhaps the district if it's a big town, then under that the name of the town or city, with the postcode. And it's now common, quite acceptable, to write all this without any punctuation at all. And the address -- please write it now in the top right-hand corner -- is 12 Greenwood Avenue.And the next line is West Ealing (that's E-A-L-I-N-G). Next line: London W5-then a small gap -- 6RJ. London W5 6RJ.Now leave a line, and then write the date directly underneath the address. Now you can do this in several different ways. You can put 10 September, or September 10, or just 10 dot 9 dot 2003. So use one of these methods and put today's date in the correct place.And now, if you want, you could write the address of the person you are writing to. If you do that, you put it on the left-hand side of the paper, and you would usually start the address at roughly the same level as the date which is on the right-hand side.The next thing we write is the salutation. Our letter is to Sean White, and we begin Dear Mr. White -- please note exactly where it goes.Now, if you don't know the person's name you just put Dear Sir, or Dear Madam, or Dear Sir or Madam. In an informal letter you still use "Dear", but you start with the person's first name -- for example, Dear Maria or Dear Stephen or whatever.And at the end of the letter you sign off "Yours sincerely" -- capital "Y", but small "s". Socould you write that now at the end of the letter, leaving a line first?Now, we put "sincerely" if we know the name of the person that we are writing to. But if you don't know the name, the traditional ending is "Yours faithfully". Now, this is the custom in Britain, although it is true to say that not everyone keeps to it, and I think in America they use different endings -- for example, they may finish a letter with "Truly yours".OK, if you are writing to a friend, then it's usually something like "best wishes", or often "love" if it's a member of your family or a very close friend, but not so common between two friends who are men. After the ending, in this case "Yours sincerely", leave a line, and then put your signature directly underneath. If your name is Maria Lee, write M. Lee underneath "Yours sincerely" Then type your full name below your signature. So do that now -- write your signature at the end of the letter. And that's it.Questions:1. According to the speaker, what should be included in the sender's address in a formal letter in English?2. Which of the following is not an acceptable way to date an English letter?3. What does the speaker say about addressing the receiver in a formal letter if we don't know the person's name?4. What does the speaker say about the ways to end a letter?5. When is it not advisable to end a letter with the word "love"?6. What is usually placed below the writer's signature at the end of a letter?。
全新版大学英语4听说教程听力原文
The Hospital WindowJack and Ben, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. Jack, whose bed was next to the room's only window, was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lung s. But Ben had to spend all day and night lying flat o n his bed. To kill time the two men began to talk. They talked for hours about their wives, families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, and where they had been on vacation. As days went by, a deep friendship began to develop between them.Every afternoon when Jack could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to Ben all the things he could see outside the window. And Ben began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed t heir model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees beautified the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.As Jack described all this in great detail, Ben would close his eyes and imagine the wonderful scenes.One warm afternoon Jack described a parade passing by. Although Ben couldn't hear the band — he could see it in his mind's eye as Jack described it with colorful words.Days and weeks passed. One morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of Jack, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was very sad and called the hospital attendant s to take the body away.Ben was heartbroken. Life without Jack was even more unbearable. How he longed to hear Jack's voice and his fine descriptions of the outside world! As he looked at the window, an idea suddenly occurred to him. Perhaps he could see for himself what it was like outside. As soon as it seemed appropriate, Ben asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.Slowly, painfully, he propped (支撑) himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself! He strained(尽全力)to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall!"What could have compelled my roommate to describe such wonderful things outside this window?" Ben asked the nurse when she returned."Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you to live on," she said."You know, he was blind and could not even see the wall".How Our Memory WorksHuman beings have amazing memories. Apart from all our personal memories about our own lives, we can recall between 20,000 and 100,000 words in our own language as well as possibly thousands more in a foreign language. We have all sorts of information about different subjects such as history, science, and geography, and we have complex skills such as driving a car or playing a musical instrument. All these things and countless others depend on our memory.How well you remember things depends on many different factors. Firstly, some people naturally have better memories than others, in just the same way as some people are taller than others, or have different color eyes. Some top chess players, for example, can remember every move of every game that they have ever seen or played.Secondly, research shows that different things are stored in different parts of the brain. Ideas, words, and numbers are stored in the left-hand side, while the right-hand side remembers images, sounds, and smells. In most people one side of the brain is more developed than the other, and this may explain why some people can rememberpeople's faces easily, but can't remember their names.Thirdly, we all remember exciting, frightening, or dramatic events more easily. This is because these experiences produce chemicals such as adrenaline, which boost (改善)your memory.Fourthly, the context(环境)in which you learn something can affect how well you remember it. Tests on divers, for example, showed that when they learned things underwater, they could also remember those things best when they were underwater.Lastly, the more often you recall a memory the more likely you are to remember it. If you don't use it, you'll lose it. A telephone number that you dial frequently will stay in your memory easily, but you will probably have to write down one that you use only now and again.Last Gasp for SmokersIt was a normal day and in their New York office, Ken and his colleagues stopped for their coffee break. But while his colleagues were able to sit at their desks and drink their coffee, Ken had to go outside. He couldn't stay inside, because he wanted to smoke. If the smokers of the Big Apple want to enjoy a cigarette,the authorities have decided they must go out into the street or up onto the rooftops.Throughout the United States, the number of places where people are allowed to smoke has gradually dwindled(缩小,减少). First it was banned on trains, buses, and planes, then in public places such as theaters and airports. Now you can't smoke in any workplace. Nonsmokers are definitely winning the battle. "Why should we breathe their smoke?" they say.If they're lucky, smokers can still find some bars and restaurants or parks and recreation(娱乐,消遣)centers where they can light up a cigarette, but it may soon be banned there, too. In fact, smoking in parks and recreation centers is already banned in California. On August 9, 2001, Los Angeles City and County officials announced the implementation(实施,执行)of a smoke-free park policy, officially designating (指定)smoke-free zones in all 375 parks and recreation centers in the city. And since January 1, 2002 all parks in California have become smoke-free to safeguard children from the harmful effects of secondhand tobacco smoke and dangerous tobacco waste. Anti-smoking groups even think that smoking ought to be banned in people's homes. Under new plans you won't be able to smoke in any house where there are more than ten visitors in a week, or where there are children.In 1996, nicotine was classed as a dru g, like cannabis, cocaine or heroin. And scientists all over the world agree that exposure(暴露)tosecondhand smoke poses(造成,提出问题)a s erious health risk and there is no safe level of exposure. It is especially dangerous for children because when they are exposed to tobacco smoke, they have much higher rates of lung diseases such as bronchitis and pneumonia and are also at greater risks of developing asthma.In the country that gave tobacco to the world, smoking might one day be illegal. And then Ken will have to give up.Chairman:Welcome to this special birthday edition of One World. Tonight we have a special program dedicated to birthday celebrations around the world. With us in the studio we have Shaheen Hag and Pat Cane, who have a weekly column on birthdays in the Toronto Daily Star. Shaheen: Good evening.Pat: Good evening.Chairman:Shaheen, perhaps we could begin with you. How are birthdays celebrated in India?Shaheen: Well, perhaps we're all assuming that everyone in the world celebrates their birthdays. This just isn't the case. Low-income families in India, for instance, simply can't afford any festivities. And most Muslims don't celebrate their birthdays.Pat: I think Shaheen has raised an interesting point here. The Christianchurch, too, was actively against celebrating birthdays.Shaheen: Of course some Muslims do celebrate their birthdays. In Egypt, Turkey and Indonesia, for example, the rich people invite friends and families around. But not in small villages.Chairman: Here in England your twenty-first used to be the big one. But now it seems to have moved to eighteen. Is that true?Pat: Yes, in most parts of the West eighteen is now the most important birthday. In Finland, for example, eighteen is the age when you can vote, you know, or buy wines, drive a car and so on. But in Japan I think you have to wait till you're twenty before you can smoke or drink. Shaheen: I know in Senegal, which is another Muslim country, girls get to vote at sixteen and boys at eighteen. And in Bangladesh, girls at eighteen and boys at twenty-one.Chairman: That's interesting. I mean is it typical that around the world girls are considered to be more mature than boys?Shaheen: Yes, I think so, and in Mexico and Argentina, for example, they have enormous parties for 15-year-old girls.Pat: You know in Norway they have a great party for anyone who's not married by the time they're thirty. It's kind of embarrassing. I mean you get pepper thrown at you.Chairman: Pepper? Why pepper?Pat: I'm not really sure.Shaheen: So does that mean that on your 29th birthday you can start thinking "God I better get married"?Pat: Well, I'm not sure how seriously they take it.Chairman: In England we have quite big parties for your fortieth, fiftieth, sixtieth and so on.Pat: Well, in Japan your eighty-eighth is considered ...Chairman: Eighty-eighth?Pat: to be the luckiest birthday. Eight is a very lucky number in Japan.Embarrassing ExperiencesInterviewer: Rob, you went to Brazil, didn't you?Rob: Yes, I did.Interviewer: So, what happened?Rob: Well, I went into this meeting and there were about, er ... seven or eight people in there and I just said "Hello" to everybody and sat down. Apparently, what I should have done is to go round the room shaking hands with everyone individually. Well, you know, it's silly of me because I found out later it upset everyone. I think they felt I was taking them for granted.Kate: Well, I know that because when I was in France the first time, Ifinished a meeting with "Goodbye, everyone!" to all the people in the room. Well, I later found out that the polite thing to do is shake hands with everyone in the group before leaving.Interviewer: Well, people shake hands in different ways, don't they? Rob: Oh, yes, they do. See, normally I shake hands quite gently when I meet someone. So when I went to the US for the first time, I think people there thought my weak handshake was a sign of weakness. Apparently, people there tend to shake hands quite firmly.Kate: Oh, gosh, that reminds me of my first trip to Germany many years ago, I was introduced to the boss in the company when he passed us in the corridor. Well, I wasn't prepared, and I had my left hand in my pocket. And when we shook hands I realized my left hand was still in my pocket. Well, that was, you know, very bad manners and I was quite embarrassed.Interviewer:And how about using first names? Have you made any mistakes there?Rob: Oh, yes, I have! When I first went to Italy I thought it was OK to use everyone's first name so as to seem friendly. And I later discovered that in business you shouldn't use someone's first name unless you are invited to. Oh, and you should always use thei r title as well.Kate:Hm, yeah, well, when I met people in Russia, you know, they seemed to be puzzled when I shook hands with them and said "How doyou do?" Well, what they do when they greet a stranger is to say their own names, so I had that all wrong!Rob: Oh, yes, I agree with that. Remembering names is very important. Interviewer: Shall we take a break? When we come back we'll move on to our next topic.Kate & Rob: OK.College Hunks (健美的男子)of JunkIt's the universal cry of parents, generally heard by the second day of college summer breaks: "Get a job!" Omar Soliman's mother joined the chorus. "You have to do something," she told him.Soliman's friends had obtained prestigious(享有声望的)internships(实习职位)in his hometown of Washington, D.C. But he couldn't imagine himself sitting at a desk all day. After years of delivering furniture for his mother's store, he remembered that a lot of people had stuff they wanted to get rid of. If he borrowed his mom's van (厢式货车), he could make a little money hauling their trash (垃圾)away for them.That night, Soliman came up with a name for his new business: College Hunks Hauling Junk. He distributed flyers(小广告传单)the nextday, and within hours, his phone was ringing. He asked his friend Nick Friedman to help out. They made $220 in three hours cleaning out a woman's garage.Soliman and Nick pocketed(将放入衣袋)$10,000 that summer. But the two weren't ready to become full-time trashmen after graduation. "We were trained to finish college and get a good job," says Soliman. He graduated with a business degree from the University of Miami and first went into marketing at a research firm. Friedman, who had an economics degree from Pomona College in California, became an economic analyst for a consulting compan y. Months later, they quit their jobs and started their junk business full time.At first they had trouble finding a bank willing to lend them money as they didn't have much of a credit rating. After five turndowns, one bank decided to gamble $50,000 on their idea. They put together another $60,000 from their parents and their own savings. They bought a truck, hired a graphic artist(平面造型设计师)t o design a logo, ran newspaper and radio ads and recruited(招聘)haulers on campuses. Wearing bright orange hats and green polos and khakis these college "hunks" will haul away everything from construction materials to old couches(床). To cut down the cost of unloading at landfills, they have learned to recycle metals and electronics and donate to charities over 60 percent of what they collect. They also give away a portion(部分)oftheir earnings from each job to local college scholarship programs.And now, just four years later, they run a nationwide company that pulled in(获得利益报酬)$3 million in 2008. They employ 130 people and have 16 franchises(加盟连锁店)in 10 states and D.C. and plan to expand to 80 franchises by 2012.The Embarrassment of RichesThe meaning of wealth today is usually defined as the amount of money and material goods that one has accumulated and the ability to purchase more goods at an ever-increasing rate. A wealthy person possesses so much money that it would be difficult for him to spend it all in his lifetime without being wasteful and extravagant.Speaking from a strictly practical point of view, the trouble with wealth is not that it arouses envy in the hearts of others but that it weighs very heavily upon the resources of its owner. Those who have never tasted luxury imagine that a new Porsche, a Picasso in the drawing room, an apartment in the Trump Tower, will bring them ease and happiness. If that were true, owners of the Porsches, Picassos, and Trumps of the world would all be happy souls. One glance at history tells you they are not.The problem is not simply that owning goods feeds upon itself, generating desires to possess more and to outdo(超过) other owners in a competitive madness. It's that goods themselves are an endless responsibility. They must be not only paid for but also stored, insured, and publicly admired. All of those cost not just money but personal freedom. As James Boswell, the famous British biographer, once wrote in his diary, "If a man with a fortune cannot make himself easier and freer than those who are not, he gains nothing. Nothing except glittering baggage that must be attended to."In some Oriental countries poverty has never been such a disgrace(耻辱)as it is in the "get-rich-quick" zone. Wise men from these lands often remark on the tyranny(暴政,专制)of goods. According to an old Persian proverb, "The larger a man's roof, the more snow it collects." And in his discussion of "Houses", a Lebanese poet and philosopher compares the lust(欲望)for comfort to a "stealthy((偷偷摸摸的)thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host, and then a master."The same sentiment(意见,观点)is also expressed here in America by the great philosopher Ralph Emerson, who scorns(轻蔑)the acquisitiveness(对金钱的渴望和贪婪)of his day with the famous line "Things are in the saddle(马鞍), and ride mankind."Life Goes OnThe city of Ypres in Belgium has been invaded19 times, most famously in World War I. Some time ago I went with two friends to visit the battlefields and cemeteries(墓地)there, and particularly to see the tomb of my uncle who was killed in the war at the age of 20.Michael, our silver-haired(发白如银的)guide, took us first to a British cemetery, just outside the town. There are lines of gravestones (墓碑), neatly planted with herbs(香草)and flowers, and surrounded by low walls blooming(开花)with wisteria(紫藤). Michael pointed out my uncle's grave (墓穴)to me.I walked hesitantly toward it, wondering what I would feel. And suddenly there it was, and there were hundreds of others. Nothing could have prepared me for the realization that in this area alone about 250,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers were killed. There are 75 British cemeteries, but we visited just a few.Next, Michael took us to a place on the other side of the city. The names of 55,000 missing soldiers are engraved(雕刻)on its walls. We stared in awe(敬畏的). "More than half a million horses and mules(骡子)were lost, and fifteen tons of unexploded ammunition(军火)are still collected each year from the fields," Michael told us.Then we came to the largest British cemetery in the world. Someheadstones(墓碑)have words of love or gratitude: "He died that we might live," "Gone from our sight but not from our hearts.""I'd like you to visit a German cemetery before finishing," Michael said. The cemetery is in wooded(树木繁茂的)land. But there are no headstones, only slabs(平板)in the grass. There are no flowers, either. The whole place is dark and dank.(潮湿的)With some relief we returned to the car. After some time, we drew up(集合)at a gate. Here, hidden from the road, lies the Pool of Peace. "It was created by an explosion so loud it was heard in Downing Street," said Michael. We looked at the still water reflecting the trees surrounding it. There is hardly (几乎没)a sound.By the time we returned to Ypres, it was evening. The city was preparing for the annual Festival of the Cats, which dates from(追溯)medieval (中世纪的)times. Soon there would be dancing in the square.A Terrible DiseaseThe phone rang and it was my husband Jack asking me to take some lunch to his office. As I drove off, I noticed a new shopping center. Strange I hadn't noticed it before. Near his office I also saw a fire station (消防站)I didn't r ecognize."When did they build that new shopping center?" I asked Jack."And I'm glad to see that new fire station. It'll give a good landmark.""Diana, they've been there for ages," Jack scolded.Bewildered, I became angry and, starting up the engine, began to pull away(离开). Then I braked. Where was the exit? Suddenly, nothing was familiar. I realized I had no idea how to get home. I had to stop again and again to ask for directions. Eventually, I got home. A 30-minute drive had taken me four hours.Two months later, at the office where I worked as a legal researcher, a smart young man approached me."Hi, Diana. Good to see you," he said, smiling.I hesitated, then smiled with resignation(屈从,顺从)."Please forgive me, it's one of those days. I simply can't bring your name to mind.""Diana, I'm your cousin Richard," he said very slowly.After that, I was constantly making mistakes and kept forgetting my way around the building. In the end, I made the painful decision to resign from work.Desperate to discover what was wrong with me, I made an appointment with a neurologist.After various tests he told me I had Alzheimer's disease. I felt numb. I'd hoped to find I was worrying about nothing, but now my worst fears were confirmed. And I was only 53!When I told Jack and my three grown-up children about mydisease, their reaction was quiet but supportive. "Stop worrying," Jack said. "We'll take good care of you."Now at 57, on good days I'm filled with hope and determination, but on bad days I have the worst sense of being alone. I've started a support group for other sufferers,for I know it's essential to have contact with people who are walking through the same maze(迷宫). Jack's coping well. While he still dreams of waking up to find all this has been a horrible nightmare, he's assured me that I can depend on him. When we married he didn't know "for better or worse" included Alzheimer's. But neither did I.Home-Schooling on a World CruiseI've never believed that the only way to get an education is to sit at a desk with four walls around you. The world is our classroom and our home, a 41-foot sailing boat, takes us there. My husband and I dreamed of sailing around the world before our daughters were even born. Their arrivals only increased our desire to live the cruising lifestyle, a way of life that has given us the opportunity for lots of quality and quantity family time. Educating our two daughters while living afloat on our sailing boat has added a wonderful new dimension to our lives.We started out years ago with a kindergarten correspondence (一致)course f or our daughter Kate. As she found it very easy we devised our own curriculum for her.Choosing courses of study for Kate was great fun. We looked at where we would be sailing to during the school year, or where we would be stopping to work, and all sorts of topics of interest presented themselves. For example, while cruising(乘船巡游)down the East Coast to Florida, we chose space exploration for a unit of study. Our studies included both fictional and non-fictional reading, experiments and writing assignments. The finale(结尾)was watching a shuttle(航天飞机)launch and visiting the Kennedy Space Center museums.We do miss out on(错过好机会)a few things that most school children are able to take advantage of. Our sailing boat is small. School is held on a small dining table and it's difficult to leave artwork, science experiments or projects on the table for later use. We also have limited room for school books and so those we have must be chosen carefully. Perhaps the thing we miss the most is not always having access to a library.But the advantages of our floating school far outweigh(比。
全新版大学英语视听说教程4听力原文
Unit OneTrack4-1-OL-lA. Jay and Elise are talking about an accident. Listen and check the correct picture.Jay: Come in here Elise. You should see this showElise: What is itJay: Its called quotThe Titanic of the Sky.quot Its about the Hindenburg a great engineering feat.Elise: The Hindenburg ...Jay: You know that giant zeppelin that crashed in 1934. Thirty-five people died.Elise: Oh yeah I remember now. It was flying from Germany to the United States. It crashed as it was landing. Jay: Right. Its so funny looking dont you think It doesnt look anything like the airplanes as have today.Elise: Thats true. Why would people ride in a zeppelin anyway It seems so dangerous.Jay: Well some people called the Hindenburg quotmans greatest achievement in flight.quot They thought it was safe I guess.Elise: Who rode in it anywayJay: Mostly wealthy people. It accommodated between 30 and 40 passengers and crew. One person said it was like aquotflyinghotel.quotEise: It sounds pretty great.Jay: Yeah and it was fast. Thats why people rode it. They wanted to get to their destination faster.Elise: Why didnt they just take a jet planeJay: Elise You know they didnt have jets back then. Look in 1934 it took five days to travel from Germany to the U.S. by ship. The zeppelin could do it in half that time. It was speedy.Elise: Well maybe Ill sit down and watch a little bit. Maybe Ill learn something ... Track4-1-OL-2B. Listen again. How was the zeppelin described Check your answers.Track 4-1-OL-3A. Listen to the conversation and check the correct picture.Jack: I think we should buy a bigger car. Big cars are safer.Kayla: Yes but on the other hand they consume more oil.Jack: They also look really cool.Kayla: Thats true but there are some SUVs which are not big but also very beautiful.Jack: And 1 think big cars are more fun to drive.Kayla: But then again its very expensive.Jack: Well lets get more information about several kinds of cars okayTrack4-1-OL-4Listen to another person talking about famous buildings in his country and fill in the blanks with information youhear. My country has two very famous buildings called the Petronas Towers. The buildings are made of glass steel and concrete. They were designed by an American architect but he used a Malaysian style. They were finished in 1998 and they were the tallest buildings in the world at that time. Each tower has 88 floors and is 452 meters high.I really like the Petronas Towers. They show both the modern and the traditional side of my country. Track4-1-OL-5A. Listen to a talk on controversies about modern buildings. Then fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.Modern buildings: We love them We hate them The world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris is almost 500 years old and it faced a very modern problem:There simply wasnt enough space for six million visitors each year. In 1989 American architect I.M. Pei designeda striking glass pyramid in the buildings center to be a visitor entrance and shopping arcade. But he also started anangry debate. Some people felt his glass building was a piece of art like the ones inside the museum. Others said itwas just an ugly modern mistake. Kyoto Japan is the countrys ancient capital and the heart of its culture. Its railroad station was too small forthe millions of visitors. In 1997 the city completed a new station in a huge shopping center right in the oldest partof the city. Designed by Hiroshi Hara the building also contains a hotel and department store. Before it was builtcritics said that the high wide modern building would destroy the citys traditional look. On the other handsupporters said it would bring new life into the city center.Track 4-1-OL-6B. Now listen again and complete the chart with the information you hear.Track 4-1-OL-7B. Listen to the interview with Erika Van Beek an engineer. According to Erika what should be done aboutovercrowding in citiesThe future building boomInterviewer: What do you think isthe biggest problem facing our citiesErika: I think its overcrowding. Talk to anyone living in a major metropolitan area and they will say the same thing: Theres no space. Even the suburbs are getting crowded.Interviewer: Well in some places there simply isnt any land left for building rightErika: Yes thats true but you have to think creatively. You cant give up so easily.Interviewer: Think creatively What do you suggestErika: What Im saying is that we can build more structures underground. We can add parking lots mallshotels and even apartment buildings. Theres plenty of space.Interviewer: Isnt it expensiveErika: Yes it can be. In the past building underground has been very expensive. However we have newtechnology that will bring the cost down. It involves using robots. You dont have to pay robots a salaryInterviewer: Isnt quotbuilding downquot more dangerous than other kind of construction k:Eri a Actually I think its safer than building skyscrapers for example. Remember we already do it. We havesubways and underground shopping malls. Im just suggesting we invest in a variety of bigger projects and that we digdeeper.Interviewer: What would you say to people who doubt your idea ri a:Ek I can understand their feelings. Whenever theres a new idea it can cause controversy. But quotbuilding downquotis not some kind of impractical idea. It makes sense. There is so much space underground: It can accommodate a lot oftraffic storage and people. With the new technology we have wed be crazy not to consider the idea — its the wave ofthe futureTrack 4-1-OL-8C. Listen again. Check the statements you think Erika would agree. Unit 2Track 4-2-OL-1Pam: Well Lynn I must be going. It was great to see you –Lynn:By Pam.Pam: What‘s thatLynn: Oh … that‘s Ollie.Pam: Ollie: I didn‘t know you had a dogLynn: Well we don‘t … really.Pam: What do you meanLynn: Come here.Pam: Oh my goodness. It‘s a robotLynn: That‘s right. It‘s a dog robot. They call it a ―dogbot.‖Pam: How interesting … But it‘s a little strange don‘t you thinkLynn: Well I wanted to get an interactive toy for the kids. They love it. So I‘m happy.Pam: How much did it costLynn: Don‘t ask. It wasn‘t very affordable. It‘s cheaper than having a real dog though. We don‘t ever have to buy dog food And the batteries are rechargeable.Juliana: Hey Henrik. Look.Henrik: What is it JulianaJuliana: What‘s that guy doing over thereHenrik: Which guy Juliana: The one over there. Wearing a suit. H‘s punching so many buttons on his cell phone.Henrik: Oh him. He‘s probably playing a game.Juliana: ReallyHenrik: A lot of people have games on their cell phones. It‘s really popular here in Finland. They play them everywhere.Juliana: Do you play them tooHenrik: Yes I do.Juliana: I only use my phone to make telephone calls. I guess I‘m old-fashioned.Henrik: I heard that some people play games even at work. They can play quietly during business meetings. No one k nows about it.Juliana: I‘d like to try it.Henrik: Here use mineTrack 4-2-OL-3Penny: Hello. Your Computer World sales department.Ted: Hi Penny. It‘s Ted.Penny: Oh hi Ted. What‘s upTed: well my computer has crashed again.Penny: Oh noTed: Oh yes. That‘s why I‘m calling. You know it‘s five years old. And I need to speak to Scott about getting a new one.Penny: well you‘ve called at a good time. We have some attractive new models.Ted: Great I‘m looking for something affordable. And I want to get something portabl e this time.Penny: I‘m sure Scott can help you with that… Let‘s see he is in a meeting until 3:30. I‘ll ask him to call you.Ted: No that‘s OK. I‘ll call him after 3:30. Please give him the message. E-mail is my favourite way to communicate. I think it is as fast as a fax machine and it is as easy as a cell phone.Of course e-mail has some problems too. It isn‘t as affordable as ordinary mail because you need a computer andInternet service. And I don‘t think it is as reliable as a fax machine. Sometimes e-mail messagesget lost. But in myopinion e-mail is as convenient as a cell phone. I can send a message from my home or office and my friends canread it when they have time.Track 4-2-OL-5 In today‘s report we look at a new technology called pervasive computing. Pervasive computing means putting tiny computers into everyday electronic appliances such as toasters andmicrowaves. With pervasive computing appliances can communicate with their users – and with other appliances Some companies now sell pervasive computing products like a ―smart‖ toaster. It remembers your favouritekind of toast: light or dark. Companies are designing a ―smart‖ coffee maker and a ―smart‖ clock. The coffeemaker can measure the water and coffee. It can even put milk in your breakfast coffee and make black coffee in theafternoon. The clock will check the time on other clocks in your house and give information about otherappliances. For example it can tell you ―Your coffee maker needs more water.‖ And that‘s only the beginning. One company is now advertising ―Save time –phone your washing machine‖engineers are making a ―smart‖ house. In this house the lights heater and air conditioner change automaticallywhen family members come home. This makes the home comfortable and it saves a lot of energy. Pervasivecomputing could change many parts of our daily lives. But do people really want pervasive computing Do they really need technology everywhere One companyasked people about their opinions on ―smart‖ appliances. There were surprises.A ―smart‖ refrigerator can buymore food on the internet but people didn‘t want it because it might make mistakes. ―Pervasive computing is as important as a telephone‖ says Rebecca Blair president of InnoTech Corporation.But some of these products are not useful or even practical. Companies should learn more about the technologythat people really want.Track 4-2-OL-7Local girl rescued She may have a broken leg but she can‘t be happier. Morgan Bailey 11 is happy to be alive. Tuesday was like any other day for Morgan. She was at school. It was fourth period and she was the firststudent to arrive in the gymnasium for her physical education class. Suddenly there was a loud noise. ―There was a sharp cracking noise and then a loud boom. After that I don‘t remember anything‖ said Morgan. The roof of the gymnasium had collapsed under the heavy snow. Morgan was trapped underneath. She couldn‘tescape. ―I woke up and there was a big piece of wood on my leg. I couldn‘t move it. I was starting to get cold.‖ Fortunately help was nearby. A new program using ―rescue robots‖ was tried for the first time. ―We were nervous about using the robot‖ said Derrick Sneed the man in charge of the program.―But in the endthe robot gave us reliable information. It went extremely well.‖ The rescue robo t was able to go into the gym and locate Morgan‘s exact position. ―We send in robots first because it may not be safe for humans‖ said Mr. Sneed. ―Human beings are not asuseful as robots in some situations. A gas leak for example could kill you or me butw ouldn‘t hurt a robot.‖ Although it didn‘t happen in Morgan‘s case some rescue robots can bring fresh air or water to people who aretrapped.Rescue robots go into rough dangerous places. They work in life or death situations. They have to be durable.Doctors say that Morgan is doing well. She should be going home in two or three days. What is the first thing shewants to do after she gets out of the hospital ―I want to meet my hero‖ laughs Morgan. ―That little robot that saved my life‖Track 4-2-OL-9The first word processorMrs. Morgan: Good. So change the first part and make those corrections and your paper will be great.Tara: OK. Thanks for all your help Professor Morgan. I‘ll e-mail my paper to you later today.Mrs. Morgan: You know technology is amazing. In high school I used to write my term papers on a typewriter.Tara: It must have taken a longtime to write a paper on a typewriter.Mrs. Morgan: Well I was pretty fast but I made some mistakes. Actually the typewriters weren‘t that bad. Now as for the firstcomp uters … oh my goshTara: What do you meanMrs. Morgan: The first computers were so unreliable. They used to crash all the time. And they were not as affordable or as fast as they are now.Tara: Mine‘s pretty fast but not as fast as some of the newer more expensive ones.Mrs. Morgan: I know And nowadays almost everyone has a computer. In those days nobody had their own computer. We used to use the ones at theuniversity.Tara: In the computer labMrs. Morgan: Yeah that‘s all we had. I‘ll never forget one spring during final exams. Everybody was working on their term papers and the electricity went outTara: So No big deal … laptops have batteries …Mrs. Morgan: Yes but remember in those days we didn‘t have laptops. If your computer crashed you lost everything.Tara: EverythingMrs. Morgan: Everything. We used to lose information all the time but that time it was terrible. Everybody lost their papers that afternoon … including me.Tara: What did you doMrs. Morgan: I went back to the good old-fashioned way.Tara: You mean typewritersMrs. Morgan: Nope. I used something more affordable portable reliable disposable something that alwaysworked.Tara: What was thatMrs. Morgan: holds up pencil and paper The first word processor. Unit3Track4-3-OL-1/Track4-3-OL-2Joe: What are you reading MariaMaria: The Daily News.Joe: The News Ugh That‘s a terrible paper.Maria: Oh Joe it‘s not so bad.Joe: Not so bad Look at that headline on the front page It‘s so sensational.Maria: Well they‘ve got great comics. I can‘t live without my comics.Joe: I know. But the news coverage is so poor ... especially the international news. It‘s a joke really.Maria: I‘m not so interested in the international news. Besides they have so many other good features.Joe: Like whatMaria: Like… the daily horoscope for example. I love it.Joe: That‘s not a good reason to buy a newspaper … for the horoscopeMaria: Look the newspaper only costs 50 cents. What so you expectJoe: Good point.Maria: Besides the horoscope I also like the entertainment news. I like to read about the stars and their loveaffairs.Joe: Well you can keep The Daily News. I‘m going to stick with The Times.Track 4-3-OL-3 Amy: JohnI‘ve never notice this old photo of your family before.John: My mother just found it in the attic. She decided to hang it up.Amy: It‘s a nice picture of your family.John:I think it‘s embarrassing. And I look stupid.Amy: Well you could‗ve combed your hair … it‘s a nice shot though. Look at how young you are How old wereyou in the photoJohn:Eight … no wait I‘d just turned nine.Amy: I gue ss these two people are your parents.John: Yep. They were married when that picture was taken. Now they‘re divorced.Amy: Oh. What do they doJohn: My father‘s retired. Mom works in a hospital.Amy: What are their namesJohn:Well my father‘s name is Joseph. M y mother is Olivia---she was named after a popular actress.Amy: How great I have an aunt with the same name..。
新标准大学英语视听说教程4_听力原文及翻译
Unit 1OutsideviewConversation 1Li:What a wonderful view! This is such a great city!Do you ever get tired of living in London, Andy?A;"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford" Li:That's a quotation by Samuel Johnson, isn't it?A:Correct,so do you have any plans when you finish at Oxford?Li: I've got another year to go and then I suppose I'll go back home.A; And you will find a job?Li:I think I have to do my Master's before I look for work.But I must admit London is very special.Do you think you would ever leave London?A:Sure, I'd love to come to china one day, and I like traveling. But i think I'll always come back here.Li:Well, your roots are here and there are so many opportunities.A;But have you ever thought of living in London for a year or two?Li:Yes, but what could I do here? I had planned to become a teacher.But i have often thought if there was a job i could do here in publishing,maybe as an editor, I'll go for it.A:That's sounds like a great idea.I think that would really suit youLi:Maybe I should update my CV and send it to one or two publisher.A:Don't make it look too goodLi:Why not?A;Well,if you enjoy working with London Time Off, we don't want you working with anyone else Li:Oh, working with you and Joe it's great fun and really interesting. I couldn't think of a better way to find out about a cityA;So maybe you should think about applying for a job with usLi:But do you think I'd stand a chance(有可能,有希望)?I mean, I'm not sure if Joe likes meA:Don't even think about it!Joe is very straight talking and I promise you that you'd know if he didn't like you.Li:Perhaps we should both update our CVs and look for jobs togetherA:Hey,right!That would be fun.李:什么是美好的景色!这是这样一个伟大的城市!你有没有厌倦过伦敦的生活,安迪?当一个人厌倦了伦敦,他就厌倦了生活,因为在伦敦,所有的生活都能承受李:那是约翰逊塞缪尔的语录,不是吗?答:对,你在牛津结束的时候有什么计划吗?李:我还有一年要走,我想我会回家。
全新版大学英语视听阅读4视频听力原文
Unit 1 The Perfect SwarmNarrator: Damage from swarms of locusts can reach disastrous proportions. A single swarm of desert locusts can consume over 70,000 metric tons of vegetation a day. There is, however, one continent that’s locust-free: North America.旁白:蝗虫群的伤害可以达到灾难性的程度。
一个单一的沙漠蝗虫可以消耗超过70000吨的植被一天。
然而,有一个大陆是蝗虫自由:美国北部。
Interestingly enough, this wasn’t always true. For hundreds of years, the Rocky Mountain locust was a common pest in the American West. Back in the mid-1800s, thousands of pioneers journeyed across the U.S. in search of free land and new opportunities. They settled on the frontier of the western states, and began to farm the land intensively, growing corn and other crops.有趣的是,这并不总是真实的。
几百年来,落基山脉的蝗虫是美国西部的一种常见害虫。
早在19世纪中叶,成千上万的先驱者跨越美国在自由的土地和寻找新的机会。
他们定居在西部边境,并开始对土地进行集中耕种,种植玉米和其他农作物。
Then, in 1875, out of nowhere, a rare combination of air currents, drought, and basic biology produced the right conditions for an unthinkable event, the worst storm ever recorded, the “perfect swarm.” It came over the horizon like a strange, dark cloud. Not millions, not billions, but trillions of insects, sweeping through the land like a living tornado. Those who saw the incredible event and survived never forgot what they witnessed.然后,在1875,走出无处,一个罕见的组合,空气电流,干旱,和基本生物学产生了正确的条件为一个不可想象的事件,最坏的风暴有史以来,“完美的群”,它在地平线上像一个奇怪的,黑暗的云。
新编大学英语视听说教程4听力原文与答案
新编⼤学英语视听说教程4听⼒原⽂与答案视听说4 听⼒原⽂及答案Unit 1 Leisure activitiesPart 1 listening oneEver wish you could do magic tricks, or introduce yourself as “magician” at a party? Imagine, everybody wants to have fun, but nothings’ really happening, it’s time for you to show one of your ne w tricks. Here, you can learn how, and without any need for special materials or much practice.A trick with a coin, a handkerchief and a friend:Put the coin on your palm. Cover the coin with the handkerchief. Ask several people to put their hands beneath the handkerchief and feel the coin, to make sure that it is still there. Then take the corner of the handkerchief and pull it rapidly off your hand. The coin has gone! How? You must make sure the last friend who feels the coin knows the trick and removes the coin when he seems to be just feeling it. And nobody knows where it has gone!A trick with a piece of paper and a pencil:Tell your friend that you can communicate your thoughts without speaking to other people. Write on the piece of paper the word No. Don't let your friends see what you have written. Say, "Now I will communicate this word into your minds." Pretend to concentrate. Ask them if they know what is written on the paper. They will say, "No!" And you say, "Quite correct! I wrote No on the paper!"A trick with an egg and some salt:Ask your friends to stand the egg upright on the table. They won't manage to do it. Say that you can speak to the chicken inside. Say, "Chicken! Can you hear me? Get ready to balance your egg!"When you first get the egg back from your friends, pretend to kiss the egg at the base. Make the base wet. Then put the base into salt which is in your other hand. The salt will stick to the egg. Then put the egg on the table. Twist the egg around a few times as this will arrange the grains of salt. Then it will stand up. Don't forget to thank the chicken.Questions:1.What does the magician ask people to do in the first trick2.What happens to the coin?3.How does the magician prove that he can communicate histhoughts to the audience in the second trick?4.What is the first step to make the egg stand upright?5.What else is needed to make the egg stand upright?Keys: 1. B 2. C 3. C 4. A 5. DPart 1 listening two(The following is an interview from a weekly sports program.) Presenter: Good morning, listeners. Welcome to our weekly sports programaimed at all those underactive youngsters with time on their hands!Listen to what our two guests have to say about their hobbies andhow their hobbies have made a difference to their lives. Adriennefirst, then, Jonathan.Adrienne: I collect very interesting jewelry. I tend to travel a lot as most of my family do, so whenever I have a holiday, I like to go traveling.Whenever I travel somewhere, I like to pick up something to remindme of the place that I visited. And, the easiest thing to do is to pickup a small piece of jewelry instead of getting a poster or a T-shirtthat won’t last. I like the idea of having something small and also, Ifind whenever I wear jewelry from somew here, it’s a goodconversation piece. Usually people ask you, “Where did you getthis?” I then have a story to tell, and it’s a good way to meet and talkto people. It’s just interesting. I have jewelry that I picked up when Itraveled to Thailand, when I traveled to Africa and when I traveled toEurope.Presenter: Wow! Sounds nice. You’ll have to show your collections to us. Adrienne: I’d love to.Presenter: Thank you, Adrienne. Now Jonathan.Jonathan: I prefer canoeing because you've always got the water there for support. If you're a good swimmer, have a good sense of balanceand strong arms, you'll like canoeing! The main trouble istransporting your canoe to the right places—my father takes it onthe roof of the car—or sometimes I put it on the roof of the club’sLand Rover. What it has taught me most is to be independent. It'sjust you and the canoe against the wind, the weather and the water.It gives you a lot of self-confidence and it can be really exciting aslong as you don't mind getting soaked, of course! It makes you feelclose to nature somehow. Last year, when I was qualified, I began torun my own canoeing center.Presenter: So you are making your hobby work for you.Jonathan: People are usually very skilled at their hobbies. The combination of interest and skills is a very compelling reason to choose a particularcareer.Presenter: Then, Adrienne, do you have a similar plan?Adrienne: Yes, I love making beaded jewelry. I’ve decided to get some formal training. I want to learn how to be a jewelry designer. Questions:1. Who is the target audience in the program?2. What is Adrienne’s hobby?3. What does Adrienne usually buy when she visits a place?4. How does Jonathan benefit from canoeing?5. What should be the major concern in choosing a career according to Jonathan?Keys: 1. A 2. B 3. D 4. C 5. BPart 1 listening threeGerry: I've just been to see Gone with the Wind. It was fantastic. Well worth seeing. Have you ever seen it?Judy : No, but I've read the book. I don't think I would like to see the film really. It would spoil the story for me.Gerry: Really? Oh, give me a film any day. Honestly, if I had to choose between the film of a story and the book of it, I'd go for the film. Judy : Would you?Gerry: Yes. It's much more real. You can get the atmosphere better. You know, the photography and location shots, period costumes, theright accents. Don't you think so?Judy : Not really. I much prefer to use my own imagination. I can imagine how I want it, rather than how someone makes me see it. Anyway, I think you get much more insight into the characters when you read a book. Part of a person's character is lost on film because you never know what they are thinking.Gerry: True, but I don't know. It's much easier going to the cinema. It takes less time. I can get the whole story in two hours but it might take mea week to read the book.Judy : I know, but it's so expensive to go to the cinema nowadays.Gerry: I know, but it's a social event. It's fun. You can go with your friends.When you read a book you have to do it on your own.Judy : All right. Let's agree to differ. I'll get some coffee.Keys:1.1.s poil the story 1.2. and day1.3. Honestly choose the film1.4.Atmosphere photography location period1.5.insight into the characters 1.6. social event1.7. agree to differ2.Films: get the atmosphere better---photography/locationshots/period costumes/right accenteasiertake less time: two hoursan social event: fun, go with friendsBooks: take more time: one weeknot a social event: do it on your ownbooks: use readers’ own imaginationget much more insight into the charactersfilms: spoil the storyexpensivePart 1 listening fourSally Marino gets married. After the wedding, there is a big party—a wedding reception. All the guests eat dinner. There is a band and, after dinner, everyone dances. Sally's mother and father pay for everything. At the end of the reception, Sally andher new husband cut the wedding cake and all the guests get a piece.Pete and Rose buy a new house. After moving in, they invite their friends and family to a party—a housewarming party. Everybody comes to see the new house. They look at the bedrooms, the dining room, even the garage. Pete and Rose serve drinks, sandwiches, and snacks. The party is on a Saturday afternoon.It is Christmas time. Ted and Sarah Robinson want to see many of their friends over the holiday. So they invite their friends to an open house. The hours of the party are from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. The guests arrive and leave whenever they want. The Robinsons serve sandwiches, drinks, and snacks. Some guests stay for just 20 minutes, others stay for 3 hours. About fifty people come to the open house.Mr. and Mrs. Todd ask their neighbors to come to an evening party. They don't serve much food, just snacks—pretzels, chips, peanuts and many types of drinks. No one dances. Conversation is important with people asking questions like "What's new with you?".。
大学英语听说教程4听力原文Unit5
大学英语听说教程4听力原文Unit5Unit5PartBHow Our Memory WorksTry to imagine a life without a memory. It would be impossible. You couldn't use a language, because you wouldn't remember the words. You couldn't understand a film, because you need to hold the first part of the story in your mind in order to understand the later parts. You wouldn't be able to recognize anyone - even members of your own family. You would live in a permanent present. You would have no past and you wouldn't be able to imagine a future.Human beings have amazing memories. Apart from all our personal memories about our own lives, we can recall between 20,000 and 100,000 words in our own language as well as possibly thousands more in a foreign language. We have all sorts of information about different subjects such as history, science, and geography, and we have complex skills such as driving a car or playing a musical instrument. All these things and countless others depend on our memory.How well you remember things depends on many different factors. Firstly, some people naturally have better memories than others, in just the same way as some people are taller than others, or have different color eyes. Some top chess players, for example, can remember every move of every game that they have ever seen or played.Secondly, research shows that different things are stored in different parts of the brain. Ideas, words, and numbers are stored in the left-hand side, while the right-hand side remembersimages, sounds, and smells. In most people one side of the brain is more developed than the other, and this may explain why some people can remember people's faces easily, but can't remember their names.Thirdly, we all remember exciting, frightening, or dramatic events more easily. This is because these experiences produce chemicals such as adrenaline, which boost your memory. They say that anyone who is old enough to remember knows exactly where they were on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, when radio and TV programs around the world were interrupted with the shocking news that the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York were hit.Fourthly, the context in which you learn something can affect how well you remember it. Tests on divers, for example, showed that when they learned things underwater, they could also remember those things best when they were underwater.Lastly, the more often you recall a memory the more likely you are to remember it. If you don't use it, you'll lose it. A telephone number that you dial frequently will stay in your memory easily, but you will probably have to write down one that you use only now and again.Questions:1. What does the passage mainly tell us?2. What can be inferred from the passage?3. Which of the following is stated to be true?4. Why can we remember exciting, dramatic, or frightening events better?PartCAdditional ListeningsTechniques to Help Us Remember BetterWe all have problems remembering things, but there are some techniques that you can use to help you remember.First of all, remember the names and jobs of the people and where they come from. Here, the best thing is to imagine images of the people and the names that you want to remember. And you should try to think of funny images as they are easier to remember. For example, we have Tom the student from Australia. Well, for Tom you might imagine a tomato. Then Australia has a shape a bit like a dog. Now let's imagine it's a very clever dog and is studying. So imagine Tom's face as a tomato and he's with a dog and the dog is reading a book. So now we have a picture of Tom the student from Australia.Now let's take the numbers. The best thing to do here is to break a large number up into smaller numbers and then think of things that the numbers remind you of, such as a birthday, a particular year, the number of a house. Or with a number like 747 you might think of a jumbo jet -- a Boeing 747.With the directions, the best thing is to imagine yourself following the directions. Create a picture in your mind of yourself going down the street. Count the turnings 1, 2, ... Then turn left. Now imagine going past a supermarket and a cinema and so on.When you have to remember lists of words, try to build them into a story. So with our words we might start with, 'The sun was shining, so I went for a walk. I saw a horse wearing trousers. It was kicking some bananas over a television. The bananas landed in a bag.' And so on. Again the funnier the story, the better.Try some of these techniques and you'll be amazed at what you can remember.Questions:1. How many techniques are mentioned in the talk?2. Why should we imagine a dog in order to remember that Tom is from Australia?3. What should we do to remember a large number?4. How can we remember the directions to a certain place?5. How can we remember lists of words?PartDImprove Your MemoryTo many people advancing age means losing your hair, your waistline and your memory. But is it an inescapable fact that the older you get, the less you remember? Well, as time goes by, we tend to blame age for problems that are not necessarily age-related.When a teenager can't find her keys, she thinks it's because she's distracted or disorganized, but a 70-year-old blames her memory. In fact, the 70-year-old may have been misplacing things for decades -- like we all do from time to time.In healthy people, memory doesn't deteriorate as quickly as many of us think. According to psychologists, as we age, our memory mechanism isn't broken, it's just different. The brain's processing time slows down over the years, though no one knows exactly why. Recent research suggests that nerve cells lose efficiency and that there's less activity in the part of the brain that decides whether to store information or not. But it's not clear that less activity is worse. A beginning athlete is winded more easily than a trained athlete. In the same way, as the brain gets more skilled at a task, it spends less energy on it.There are steps you can take to improve your memory, though you have to work to keep your brain in shape. It's like having a good body. You can't go to the gym once a year and expect to stay in top form.Some memory enhancement experts suggest using the AM principle. Pay attention to whatyou want to remember. Then give some meaning to it. We remember things when we focus on them, whether we intend to or not. That helps explain why jingles stick in our minds. They are played on loud, flashy TV commercials. They also use rhyme and music to help us remember better.Basic organization helps us remember the boring stuff. For example, rather than trying to recall a random list of groceries, we can divide them into categories, such as dairy, meat, and produce. For important things like keys and money, we can set up a "forget-me-not" spot where we always keep them.We can also eat to aid our memory power. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of glucose, the brain's preferred fuel. Another low-tech way to improve memory is to get adequate rest. Sleep may allow our brain time to encode memories.Interest in friends, family and hobbies does wonders for our memory. A sense of passion or purpose helps us remember. Memory requires us to pay attention to our lives, allowing us to discover in them everything worth remembering.Statements:1. It is not always true that the older you get, the less you remember.2. It can be inferred from the passage that memory problems are not really age-related.3. As we get older, our memory mechanism is broken, and so cannot be the same as it was before.4. Scientists have discovered that memory loss is caused by lack of activity in the part of the brain that decides whatinformation to store.5. You must work hard to keep your brain active, just as you work hard to keep yourself in shape.6. In the AM principle, the letters A and M most likely refer to attention and memory respectively.7. A right choice of food and plenty of rest help improve our memory.8. Memory requires us to have purpose or passion in what we do.。
全新版大学英语听说教程第四册听力原文TEST1和2的
全新版大学英语听说教程第四册听力原文TEST1PartAConversation 1:W: Have you got a job, Phil?M: Yeah, I do yard work for the people in the neighborhood, cutting grass, raking fallen leaves, planting trees and pulling out weeds, things like that.Q: What does Phil do?Conversation 2:M: The trees on our campus are really beautiful.W: You're right, and they are useful, too. They cut down on our need for air conditioning, don't you think?Q: What does the woman mean?Conversation 3:W: Professor Webster has a class this afternoon from 2:30 to 4. But he won't be able to make it because he's lost his voice.M: Does he want me to try to find somebody else to take his place?Q: What does the man mean?Conversation 4:M: Can you come to the concert with me this weekend, or do you have to prepare for the exams next week?W: Frankly speaking I still have a lot to do for the exams but maybe a break would do me good.Q: What will the woman probably do?Conversation 5:M: Have you heard the weather report for today?W: Yes. It says that the sandstorm is going to be very bad and we're advised to stay indoors. Q: What is the woman talking about?Part2DialogueW: Hello, University of Sidney. May I help you?M: Yes. I'm looking for information on courses in computer programming.W: Do you want a day or evening course?M: Well, it would have to be an evening course since I work during the day.W: Uh-huh. Have you taken any courses in data processing?M: No.W: Oh, well, data processing is a prerequisite course. You have to take that course before you can take computer programming.M: Oh, I see. Well, when is it given? I hope it's not on Tuesdays.W: There's a class that meets on Monday evenings at seven.M: Just once a week?W: Right. But that's almost three hours -- from seven to nine forty-five p.m.M: Oh. Well, that's all right. I could manage that. How many weeks does the course last?W: Let me see... oh, yes, twelve weeks. You start the first week in September and finish... oh... just before Christmas. December twenty-first.M: And how much is the course?W: That's 300 dollars, and that includes the necessary computer time.M: OK. By the way, is there anything that I should bring with me?W: No. Just your checkbook.M: Thank you so much.W: You're very welcome. Bye.M: Bye.PartCHealth experts have warned for many years that cigarette smoking can lead to heart disease, cancer and other medical problems. But smokers still find it extremely difficult to stop. The American Cancer Society decided to do something to help them kick this bad habit.Every year the group organizes a national non-smoking day in an attempt to get smokers to quit smoking. The organization is asking all smokers to stop smoking at least for 24 hours. They hope this will eventually enable many people to permanently kill the habit.The cancer society officials will give telephone callers advice on how to stop smoking. Smokers also can call a special telephone number to hear recorded messages by doctors.Some businesses will offer their workers candy or chewing gum to help them fight down the crave for smoking. Some companies are offering special gifts and lower prices to people who sign an agreement to stop smoking. And Americans who do not smoke are being asked to help just one person quit smoking during the 24-hour-campaign.PartDPassage 1Office systems are equipment used to create, store, process, or communicate information in a business environment. This information can be manually, electrically, or electronicallyproduced, duplicated, and transmitted.The rapid growth of the service sector of the world economy beginning in the mid-1970s has furnished a new market for sophisticated office automation.Most modern office equipment, including typewriters, dictation equipment, facsimile machines, photocopiers, calculators, and telephone systems as well, contains a microprocessor. With the increasing incorporation of microchips into office equipment, the line between the computer and other equipment has blurred.At the same time, computers, either stand-alone or as part of a network, and specialized software programs are taking over tasks such as facsimile transmission or fax, voice mail, and telecommunications that were once performed by separate pieces of equipment. In fact, the computer has virtually taken the place of typewriters, calculators, and manual accounting techniques and is rapidly taking over graphic design, production scheduling, and engineering design.The use of computers and other modern equipment has enabled links to be established far beyond the walls of a building. Electronic links allow people in a modern office to communicate with workers at home or in satellite offices. This capability has led to a sharp increase in telecommuting. Since the early 1990s workers have worked at least part of the time outside the main office. Managers and professional employees are the major participants in this trend. As they no longer have to spend hours traveling from home to office, their work productivity has increased.As technology advances further, new equipment will be invented and introduced into the modern office, which will result in even greater efficiency in office work.Questions:1.What do office systems refer to according to the passage?2. What has furnished a new market for sophisticated office equipment since the mid-19703. How have electronic links benefited professionals and managers?Passage 2When it comes to leisure activities, Americans aren't quite the fun-seekers they've been supposed to be. For one out of five, weekends and vacations are consumed by such drudgeries as house-cleaning, yard-working and cooking; only one-third of them enjoy the luxury of relaxing in the sun, going camping, playing sports, or simply relaxing.These are among the conclusions reached by a recent poll in which more than 1,120 employed Americans were asked how they occupy themselves on days they are not at work. According to the poll, older people, the rich, and the well-educated are most apt to spend their spare time doing the things they 'want to do' rather than those they 'have to'. Overall, high-salaried people were more active then those with lower incomes -- they reported watching less television and were more likely to engage in social and cultural activities. Furthermore, those with college degrees were about twice as likely as those with no more than a high school education to spend time playing sports (42% compared with 23%). On the subject of vacations, the study found that college graduates were more likely than those with only high school degrees to have vacation plans (80% versus 60%). Of those who did intend to take some time off, 46% planned a sightseeing vacation (34% in the UnitedStates, 12% abroad), 34% expected to visit friends or relatives, 22% headed for the beach or lake, and 12% intended to relax at home.People who are divorced, widowed, or separated, the survey concluded, are the least likely of any group to take a vacation -- and the least likely to attach any importance to it.Questions:1. What is the passage mainly about?2. How do most people in the US spend their vacation according to the passage?3. Which of the following adjectives best describes the passage?4. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?Passage 3A movement to make US hotels smoke-free got a boost on Thursday when Woodfin Suite Hotels, owner of 18 hotels in 11 states, said its six California properties will go smoke-free starting September 1st.The announcement followed a similar move by Howard Johnson International Inc., which said in June that its hotel on Pocahontas Trail in Williamsburg, Va. would become the chain's first smoke-free property. And on August 1, Apple Core Hotels turned its 80-room Comfort Inn Midtown in New York City's Theater District into a no-smoking property.Hotel owners said they hope to make up for any lost business by winning over guests who prefer a smoke-free environment, but most admitted the move is largely experimental and traveler reaction will be closely watched before any major expansion of their programs. Apple Core Chief Operating Officer said his company decided to take the no-smoking plunge for a simple reason: demand."It has nothing to do with public policy," he said. "There's tremendous demand. People are very upset when they've been promised a smoke-free room and they get a smoked-in room instead."The handful of hotel owners who have taken the no-smoking plunge say the move will also help them save money in their housekeeping departments.The process of "de-smoking" a room -- eliminating all the negative effects when a room has been smoked in -- typically costs about $500 per room. Smoking rooms also face higher costs associated with more frequent carpet shampooing, curtain cleaning and minor repairs for such things as cigarette burns in fabrics, according to hotel managers.Furthermore, smoking rooms often take longer to clean than their no-smoking counterparts because they must be deodorized each day.It is also a benefit to the employees who can clean the rooms much faster. And employees who don't smoke won't get the smell. Even smokers complain when they walk in and get the smell of stale smoke.Despite the benefit of going smoke-free, however, many hotels may be reluctant to completely do away with smoking rooms in the near future. It will be more the personalpreference of the owner doing it, whereas the public company has to be more careful because it limits the demand.Questions:1. What does the passage mainly tell us?2. What do we know about Woodfin Suite Hotels?3. What is the main reason why some owners want to ban smoking in their hotels?TEST2PartAConversation 1:M: I have never heard such a fascinating lecture on solar energy. But you don't seem impressed. Don't you like it, Sally?W: Well, I must admit that I dozed off most of the time. I think it's too difficult for me to understand.Q: How did the woman feel about the lecture?Conversation 2:W: Thank goodness! You've finally arrived. The presentation started ten minutes ago. And I was just beginning to panic.M: Sorry I'm late. The traffic was extremely bad.Q: How did the woman feel when she saw the man?Conversation 3:W: I hear that you work part-time at a supermarket. What do you do there?M: I work in the produce section. I also stock shelves. Sometimes when it really gets busy, I help at the checkout counter.Q: What does the man occasionally do at his supermarket?Conversation 4:M: Mary, I've finally decided about my history paper. I'm going to focus on World War II.W: That's good, but you need to concentrate on one particular area. What about looking at thecourse of events in the Pacific?Q: What does the woman think of the man's topic?Conversation 5:M: To get an MA, you'll need thirty-six credit hours. Fifteen must be from the Education Department and fifteen from the Psychology Department. For the remaining six credit hours you have to write a thesis in about two thousand words.W: Hmm, that seems a lot, but I'm sure I'll manage.Q: What are the two speakers talking about?PartBFast ReadingAt 6:45 p.m. on the evening of Thursday 9th October, Miss Allen was returning from work to her home at 79 Winston Avenue. She had left work at 5:30 p.m. and stopped at the Fox and Goose public house in Market Street for a drink with a colleague. Miss Allen and her colleague had left the pub at 6:30 p.m. and Miss Allen had walked to the No.13 bus stop at the end of Market Street. While awaiting the arrival of the bus, she noticed a group of three youths loitering on the corner. The youths started to approach her, and she started to walk in the opposite direction. The footsteps behind her accelerated and a youth of about 19 years of age stopped her and asked her the time. As Miss Allen stopped and looked at her watch the youth seized her wrist, twisted her arm behind her back and forced her at knifepoint to surrender her handbag and her ring and bracelets. The two accomplices were encouraging their friend at this point. After Miss Allen gave the youth her handbag and her ring and bracelets the three quickly disappeared. Miss Allen was very shaken, but decided to walk to her home, a distance of about three miles, where she would alert the police. She arrived home at 7:40 p.m., only to discover that her flat had been hurriedly burgled. Clearly the muggers had found Miss Allen's keys in her handbag and had arrived before her to ransack her flat. Miss Allen later called the police to report the mugging and the burglary. In her handbag, there were 65 pounds in cash, her credit cards and checkbook and her keys. Two necklaces, several pairs of earrings, a camera and a portable CD player were stolen from her flat.PartCFor years almost everyone has believed that people lose some of their mental powers as they age. We have believed that old people have difficulty remembering and they think more slowly. Some even believe that old people have a reduced number of brain cells.Doctors are now saying that the loss of mental powers is not a sign of old age but of diseases. But Warner Shan, an expert on aging, says that some healthy elderly people seem to lose mental powers because they expect to lose some. They accept the idea that old people always lose intelligence, but studies have shown that if a person refuses to accept this idea and remains healthy, active and interested in life, his mental powers will not be affected. In fact, some kinds of intelligence continue to grow.The studies also show that old people who live with their families and have active lives increase in intelligence. People who live alone and withdraw from any kind of social life seem to lose mental ability.PartDPassage 1Lifestyle is the way a person lives; it includes work, leisure time, hobbies, other interests, and personal philosophy. One person's lifestyle may be dominated by work with few social activities. Another's may involve hobbies, recreational activities or personal philosophy. There is little doubt that lifestyles are changing and that these changes will have an impact on the way business operates in the years ahead. Several cases are causing lifestyle changes in some developed countries.First, there is more leisure time than ever before. The workweek is now less than forty hours, as compared with seventy hours a century ago. Some experts believe it will be twenty-five hours or less in a few decades. Several firms have adopted four-day workweeks with more hours per day. Others have cut down on the number of working hours each week. Reduced work schedules mean increased leisure time.Second, families have fewer children than before -- and young couples are postponing childbirth instead of having children early in the marriage. This trend has forced many businesses to modify their competitive strategies. Gerber Products Company used to advertise 'babies are our business -- our only business'. Now Gerber products include infant and toddler clothing, stuffed animals and accessories such as bottles, baby powder and so on. Third, people are better educated and more prosperous now than they were earlier. These advantages bring with them the freedom to question current lifestyles and examine new ones. Inquiries of this nature have sometimes led to personal lifestyle changes. Today's youth, for example, are not only better educated but more independent and individualistic than past generations.The business world is only beginning to realize how people's lifestyles can influence their behavior as employees, consumers and members of society.Questions:1. What does the passage mainly tell us?2. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?3. What does the speaker say about today's youth?Passage 2Mountain climbers around the world dream about going up Mount Qomolangma. It is the highest mountain in the world. But many people who have climbed the mountain had left waste material that is harming the environment. The pollution is affecting populated areasnear the mountain.A team of Americans is planning the largest clean-up effort ever on Mount Qomolangma. They will make the risky trip up the mountain next month. The team of eight Americans will be guided by more than twenty ethnic Sherpas of Nepal. Their goal is to remove all the trash they see and send most of it back to the United States. They will spend two months moving up the mountain gathering oxygen bottles, fuel containers, batteries, drinks cans, human waste and other trash. They are expected to remove at least three tons of trash in large bags. Team leader Robert Hoffman is making his fourth trip up the mountain. He says he hopes to return Mount Qomolangma to the condition it was in before the first successful climb fifty years ago. He says he hopes the effort will influence other people to clean up the environment closer to home.Human waste on Mount Qomolangma is a major concern. So the clean-up team will take along with them newly developed equipment to collect and treat human waste. Over the years, the waste particles have polluted the mountain. In the warm season when the ice melts, the polluted water flows to Nepalese villages below. The problem has gotten worse in recent years because climbing Mount Qomolangma has become more popular.Since 1992 the government of Nepal has required climbers to bring down what they take up. But those rules were never fully carried out. And no one has ever been required to bring back their trash from the highest part of the mountain.Mount Qomolangma is part of the Himalayan mountain range. It is on the border between Nepal and Tibet, China. Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Sherpa Tensing Norgay made the first successful climb in 1953. Since then, more than eight hundred people have successfully climbed the mountain. Some people who reached the top died on their way down. Many other people died before reaching the top, which is almost nine thousand meters high.Questions:1. Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?2. Which of the following is true?3. What's the American team's goal in going up Mount Qomolangma?4. What can be concluded from the passage?Passage 3According to popular belief, eccentrics are wealthy people who can afford to indulge their eccentricities on a grand scale. But nowadays eccentrics are just as likely to work at ordinary jobs. One man, for example, works in a bank from 9 to 5, but in his spare time carries a bow and arrow and thinks of his home as a leafy corner of Sherwood Forest. Another eccentric is a social worker but lives in a cave and does long charity walks wearing pajamas. A third spends all his time in bed and a fourth lives only on potatoes.Dr. David Weeks has found that such oddballs often have certain features in common. They are often the only or eldest child raised in strict homes. Many have strange eating or sleepinghabits. And although they are frequently impatient with other people, they are generally not competitive and hate sports. They are poor conversationalists, but are often highly educated and read far more than ordinary people. They are often creative and inventive, especially in the scientific field. Not surprisingly, eccentrics tend to live alone and they are more likely to be men. They outnumber women by two to one.If you're an eccentric, you'll be encouraged by Dr. Weeks' study. Eccentrics are less likely to be mentally ill than more conventional people are. And, in his view, they provide some harmless, welcome relief from ordinary people.Questions:1. Why does the speaker give three examples of eccentrics at the beginning of his talk?2. What can we learn about eccentrics from Dr. Weeks' study?3. What's Dr. Weeks' attitude toward eccentrics?。
【精品】全新版《大学英语听说教程》第一册Unit4听力原文、答案及综合教程练习答案
Unit 4Vocabulary1) wreck 2) balance 3) approaching 4) handle5) discard 6) Above all 7) diet 8) do with9) checked on 10) cleaned up 11) weekly 12) principles 2.1) to look for survivors were abandoned after it had been/was determined that all the people in the sunken ship had died.2) was amazed that Bob left a well-paid job travel around the world.3) for a loan has been turned down by many a bank as her business is small and she could provide no guarantee.4) express her thoughts with precision, so people often misunderstand her.5) will weaken our determination to modernize our country in the shortest possible time.3.1) for sale hunting for be amazed by2) become skilled handle their loans3)character by calling on he passed awayII Confusable words1.1) personal 2) personnel2.1) sometime 2) Sometimes 3)some time 4) sometimeIII Euphemismde hcgabfComprehensive ExercisesI Close1. Text-related1)sponsored 2)determination 3) turned away 4) assumed 5) capacity6)skilled 7)loan 8) character 9) hunting 10) for sale 11) send for2. Theme-related1)save 2)recent 3)modest 4) grow 5) dream6) immigrants 7)business 8) engineering 9)invest 10) richIII Translation1)It is reported that UN mediators have worked out a plan whichthey hope will be acceptable to both sides.2)Doris walked in the forest cautiously, afraid of being attacked bygiant snakes.3)Earthquakes, typhoons and other natural disasters cannot beprevented, but action can be taken to protect life and property. 4)I bought a new issue of my favorite sports magazine and hurriedhome, anxious to amuse myself reading it.5)Helen lacks confidence. I’ve never known anyone so unsure ofherself.2.After graduating from college, Tony decided to start his own business. At the beginning, many a bank turned down his request for a loan. But he was not a bit discouraged, and continued to call on one banker after another seeking help. Impressed by his determination and optimism, one banker finally agreed to loan him the money. Now he has become a wealthy businessman. Talking about his amazing achievement, Tony says that it is important to create rather than wait for opportunities.Unit 4Part A1. 1) Yeah 2) By the way 3) Who 4) Don’t you think so? 5) Yes 6) Quite well2. 1) Like what 2) Yeah 3) Hmm, let me think 4) Well 5) Come to think of it 1. 92381 2. 26083. 15404. 755. 1566. 9007. 84,2008. 1,7359. 9:40 10. 5:45 Part BTapescript Small Talk Is EasyA: Mike, guess what?B: What?A: Carol just invited me to a party at her house on Saturday.B: Carol? You mean the pretty girl in your economics class?A: Yeah.B: Great! I’m sure you’ll have a super time.A: I’m not so sure.B: What do you mean, John? I though you really liked Carol.A: I do. But I don't know her friends very well.B: So get to know them.A: But I’m no good at small talk.B: Small talk is easy. You can learn.A: By Friday?B: sure, I’ll coach you. You just have to remember a few simple sentences.A: I don't know. I have trouble remembering things. Especially when I meet people. I get nervous.B: Don’t worry, John. You can do it. You just need a few tips.A: But what if I say something stupid?B: Hey, you’re not giving a speech. You’re just having a conversation. So just talk aboutsomething you know they are interested in.A: That’s the problem. I don’t know what Carol’s friends are interested in.B: Let them tell you. If you let people talk about themselves, they’ll think you’re intere A: You mean something like, “So, tell me what you’re interested in.”B: Well, you don’t have to be that direct. For example, you can talk about the weather.A: You can’t be serious. The weather’s boring.B: It’s a good excuse to find out what they like to do. On a rainy day, you say, “What do such terrible weather?”A: What if they just stayed home and read a book?B: Then ask them about the book. You can ask if it was good. Ask if they liked it and why. Thentalk about a book you really liked.A: So that’s what small talk is about, is it? Well, I’ll give it a try. Thanks for the tips, Mike. B: You’re welcome. Have a good time at the party.Note:Small talk means light conversations on unimportant or non-serious subjects such as theweather or TV programs you saw last night, or little compliments on what people are wearing. In asocial gathering where a lot of guests are strangers to one another, small talk can be very useful tomake them feel at ease.Exercise 1: c a dExercise 2: 1. At Carol’s house on Saturday 2. He’s uncertain whether he can have a good time at the party or not 3. He’s not good at small talk 4. One should talk about somethingother people are interested in 5. By getting them to talk about themselves2. That’s great3. never beenDialogue 1: 1. My American friend…weekendto a party given by a foreigner… I won’t know how to act 4. But it’s easier saidthan done5. A bottle of wine or a small box of chocolates6.his American friends. What should I say to them?7. Why don’t you get them to talk about themselves? Won’t i t be a super chance for you topractice your conversation skills with native speakers of English?8. I guess you’re right. Thanks.Dialogue 2: 1.a beautiful song they are playing 2.cool 3.pop music 4.Oh, yeahit 7. Do you often go to those big concerts5.rap6.It’s all right, but I’m not really cray about8.Sometimes…listening to CDs… I can’t stand crowds of pushing people9. I know what you meanPart CTapescript Are you Calling about the Party?Laura: Hello. This is Laura Davis speaking.Simon: Oh, hello, Laura. This is Simon here. Simon Williams.Laura: Oh, Simon. How nice to hear you. Are you calling about the party? You did get theinvitation, didn’t you?Simon: Yes, thanks, I did. That’s just it. I’m afraid. You see, I’m already tied up that evenin Laura: Oh, really? That is a pity.Simon: Yes. I’m afraid it’s been planned for ages. You see, some friends of mine are coming to seeme. I haven’t seen them for a long time, and you know … well…I managed to get some tickets for the opera, and I promised to take them out to dinner afterwards. I can’t get out of it, unfortunat I wish I could.Laura: Oh, what a shame! We are looking forward to seeing you. Still, if you can drop in later withyour friends, we’d love to see you.Simon: Thanks. Well, I’ll certainly try, but I don’t think there’s much chance. Actually Iyou an e-mail to say I can’t come.thanks. Well, keep in touch, Simon.Laura: Oh, have you? That’s very kind,Simon: I will. Regards to James. And I hope the party goes well. Bye!Laura: Thanks. Bye.Note: for ages: for a long timeExercise:1. Simon is calling because he hasn’t got the invitation. (F)2. Simon will take his friends out to dinner after going to the opera. (T)3. Laura has made a promise to her friends and will not beak her promise. (F)4. Both Laura and Simon will be rather busy that evening. (T)5. Laura and Simon agree to meet daily. (F)。
大学英语听说教程4听力原文Unit 2
Unit 2Part BEmbarrassing Experiences (Part One)Interviewer: Rob, you went to Brazil, didn't you?Rob: Y es, I did.Interviewer: So, what happened?Rob: Well, I went into this meeting and there were about, er... seven or eight people in there and I just said 'Hello' to everybody and sat down. Apparently, what I should have done is to go round the room shaking hands with everyone individually. Well, you know, it's silly of me because I found out later it upset everyone. I mean, I think they felt I was taking them for granted.Kate: Well, I know that because when I was in France the first time, I finished a meeting , with 'Goodbye, everyone!' to all the people in the room. There were about half a dozen people there but I was in a hurry to leave, so I just said that and left. Well, I later found out that what I should have done is shake hands with everyone in the group before leaving. Now, apparently, it's the polite thing to do.Interviewer: Well, people shake hands in different ways, don't they?Rob: Oh, yes, that's right, they do. See, normally I shake hands quite gently when I meet someone. So when I went to the US for the first time, I think people there thought my weak handshake was a sign of weakness. Apparently, people there tend to shake hands quite firmly.Kate: Oh, gosh, you know, that reminds me: on my first trip to Germany, it was a long time ago, I was introduced to the boss in the company when he passed us in the corridor. Well, I wasn't prepared, and I mean, I had my left hand in my pocket. And when we shook hands I realized my left hand was still in my pocket. Well, that was, you know, very bad manners and I was quite embarrassed.Interviewer: And how about using first names? Have you made any mistakes there?Rob: Oh, yes, I have! When I first went to Italy I thought it was OK to use everyone's first name so as to seem friendly. And I later discovered that in business you shouldn't use someone's first name unless you are invited to. Oh, and you should always use their title as well.Kate: Hm, yeah, well, when I met people in Russia, you know, they seemed to be puzzled when Ishook hands with them and said 'How do you do?' Well, what they do when they greet a stranger is to say their own names, so I had that all wrong!Rob: Oh, yes, I agree with that. Remembering names is very important.Interviewer: Shall we take a break? When we come back we'll move on to our next topic.Kate & Rob: OK.1. What is the conversation mainly about?2. Who might be the people Rob and Kate met in various countries?3. What can we infer about Kate and Rob from the conversation?4. Which countries has Kate visited, according to the conversation?5. Which countries has Rob visited, according to the conversation?6. What is the main message that the speakers want to tell us?Part CAdditional ListeningAmerican PartiesAs you would imagine, Americans move about a great deal at parties. At small gatherings they may sit down, but as soon as there are more people than chairs in a room - a little before this point - you will see first one and then another make some excuse to get to his feet to fetch a drink or greet a friend or open a window until soon everyone is standing, moving around, chatting with one group and then another. Sitting becomes static beyond a certain point. We expect people to move about and be "self-starters". It is quite normal for Americans to introduce themselves; they will drift around a room , stopping to talk wherever they like, introducing themselves and their companions. If this happens, you are expected to reply by giving your name and introducing the person with you; then at least the men generally shake hands. Sometimes the women do so as well, but often they merely nod and smile. A man usually shakes a woman's hand only if she extends it. Otherwise he too just nods and greets her.Statements:1. We can't imagine that Americans do not like big parties and they prefer going around at parties.2. At small parties they may sit down, but as more people come, they would stand up and move about.3. The reason why Americans like to stand is that they like the free atmosphere of the party.4. The meaning of "self-starters" is that Americans help themselves to drinks during the parties.5. Americans are more open-minded than British people according to the passage.6. If a woman doesn't extend her hand to a man at the party, he should not shakes hands with the woman.7. The passage shows a unique aspect of American culture.Embarrassing Experiences (Part Two)Interviewer: Let's go on with our talk. What do you think of business cards, Rob?Rob: I found them very useful when I was in Japan not so long ago. Each person can clearly see the other's name and the job title on the card. And I found out that you have to treat business cards with respect. What you've got to do is hold them with both hands and then read them very carefully. What happened to me was the first time I just took a man's card with one hand and put it straight into my pocket.Interviewer: What other advice do you have, Kate?Kate: Well, one time I unintentionally caused some problems when I was in China. Well, I was trying to make a joke when I pretended to criticize my business associate for being late for a meeting. And he was embarrassed, I mean, he was really embarrassed instead of being amused. Now you shouldn't criticize people in China or embarrass them. I mean, you must avoid confrontation. That's for sure!Rob: Oh, I must tell you about the first time I was in Mexico! I have to admit I found it a bit strange when business associates there touched me on the arm and the shoulder. Well, I tried to move away and, of course, they thought I was being very, very unfriendly. Apparently, it's quiteusual there for men to touch each other in, you know, in a friendly way. Oh ... oh, and another thing, the first time I went to Korea I thought it was polite not to look someone in the eye too much. The Koreans I met seemed to be staring at me when I spoke, which seemed, you know, a bit odd at first. In Korea, eye contact conveys sincerity and it shows you're paying attention to the speaker.Kate: Oh, well, it seemed strange because you British don't look at each other so much when you're talking to each other. I mean, you look away, you know, most of the time. I found this hard to deal with when I first came to the UK, because people seemed to be embarrassed when I looked at them while they were speaking to me.Interviewer: So what's the thing visitors to Britain should avoid most?Rob: Well, I don't think we're all that sensitive, do you, Kate?Kate: Ohoo, well, I'll tell you, I made a big mistake when I was in Scotland. I found myself referring to the UK as "England" and to the British as "the English". Now, I know that would be just as bad in Wales, I guess.Rob: Y es, it certainly would!。
全新版大学英语视听阅读4视频听力原文
Unit 1 The Perfect SwarmNarrator: Damage from swarms of locusts can reach disastrous proportions. A single swarm of desert locusts can consume over 70,000 metric tons of vegetation a day. There is, however, one continent that’s locust-free: North America.旁白:蝗虫群的伤害可以达到灾难性的程度。
一个单一的沙漠蝗虫可以消耗超过70000吨的植被一天。
然而,有一个大陆是蝗虫自由:美国北部。
Interestingly enough, this wasn’t always true. For hundreds of years, the Rocky Mountain locust was a common pest in the American West. Back in the mid-1800s, thousands of pioneers journeyed across the . in search of free land and new opportunities. They settled on the frontier of the western states, and began to farm the land intensively, growing corn and other crops.有趣的是,这并不总是真实的。
几百年来,落基山脉的蝗虫是美国西部的一种常见害虫。
早在19世纪中叶,成千上万的先驱者跨越美国在自由的土地和寻找新的机会。
他们定居在西部边境,并开始对土地进行集中耕种,种植玉米和其他农作物。
Then, in 1875, out of nowhere, a rare combination of air currents, drought, and basic biology produced the right conditions for an unthinkable event, the worst storm ever recorded, the “perfect swarm.” It came over the horizon like a strange, dark cloud. Not millions, not billions, but trillions of insects, sweeping through the land like a living tornado. Those who saw the incredible event and survived never forgot what they witnessed.然后,在1875,走出无处,一个罕见的组合,空气电流,干旱,和基本生物学产生了正确的条件为一个不可想象的事件,最坏的风暴有史以来,“完美的群”,它在地平线上像一个奇怪的,黑暗的云。
全新版英语听力原文unit4
A: Mike, guess what?
B: What?
A: Carol just invited me to a party at her house on Saturday.
B: Carol? You mean the pretty girl in your economics class?
Question 2: Sally's aunt has just come back from France. Now she's staying at the Park Hotel, Room 2608.
Question 3: Mr. Davis lives at 1540, Water Street.
Dialogue 1:
Listen to the dialogues and supply the missing words in the blanks
(At a party)
A: Great party, isn't it?
B: Yeah, super. Everyone seems to be having a good time.
A: So that's what small talk is about, is it? Well, I'll give it a try. Thanks for the tips, Mike.
B: You're welcome. Have a good time at the party.
A: Yeah.
B: Great! I'm sure you'll have a super time.
A: I'm not so sure.
【精品】全新版大学英语4(第二版)听力原文(Word版本)
Unit1LessonAActivity 1Listen to Mary and Blake talking about her paper. Then answer the question.B;What are you working on, Mary?M:I?m finishing my paper. It?s due tomorrow,Blake.B:What?s the topic?M:It?s about Greenland.B:Greenland. Hmmm --- that?s part of Canada, right?M:I think you need to study your world geography, Blake.B:Well, isn?t it near Canada?M:Yes, it?s off the coast of northeast Canada, but it?s part of Denmark. B:Oh, I didn?t know that. Well, what?s your paper about exactly?In M:In my paper, I answer the question “Is Greenland really green?” other words, is Greenland covered by a lot of plants and trees?B:Is it?M:What do you think?B:Let?s see --- Greenland is in the Arctic Circle --- way up north. It?s cold, --- so “Is Greenland really green?” I?d answer “probably not.”M:You?d be correct. It?s too cold here. In the north, a lot of the ground is frozen. The summers are short, so only the surface thaws.B:That sounds tough.M:It?s hard for the construction industry. It?s not easy to build inGreenland.B:It sounds so harsh. Why would anyone want to go there?M:There are big mountain ranges on the coasts. They?re great for hikingand outdoor sports. And there are lots of animals there. You cansometimes see whales swimming in the harbors.B:That sounds cool! Ok, so if it?s not really a “green” place, why was named “Greenland”?M:The first settlers wanted to attract other people. They gave it anattractive name.Activity 2Jay and Elise are talking about an accident. Listen and check the correctpicture.J:Come in here, Elise. You should see this show!E:What is it?J:It's called "The Titanic of the Sky." It's about the Hindenburg, a greatengineering feat.E:The Hindenburg ...J:You know, that giant zeppelin that crashed in 1934. Thirty-five peopledied.E:Oh yeah, I remember now. It was flying from Germany to the UnitedStates. It crashed as it was landing.J:Right. It's so funny looking, don't you think? It doesn't look anything like the airplanes as have today.E:That's true. Why would people ride in a zeppelin anyway? It seems so dangerous.J:Well, some people called the Hindenburg "man's greatest achievement in flight." They thought it was safe, I guess.E:Who rode in it anyway?J:Mostly wealthy people. It accommodated between 30 and 40 passengers and crew. One person said it was like a "flying hotel."E:It sounds pretty great.J:Yeah, and it was fast. That's why people rode it. They wanted to get to their destination faster.E:Why didn't they just take a jet plane?J:Elise! You know they didn't have jets back then. Look, in 1934 it tookfive days to travel from Germany to the U.S. by ship. The zeppelin could do it in half that time. It was speedy.E:Well, maybe I'll sit down and watch a little bit. Maybe I'll learn something ...Activity 3Listen to the conversation and check the correct picture.J:I think we should buy a bigger car. Big cars are safer.K:Yes, but on the other hand, they consume more oil.J:They also look really cool.K:That's true, but there are some SUVs which are not big but also very beautiful.J:And 1 think big cars are more fun to drive.K:But then again, it's very expensive.J:Well, let's get more information about several kinds of cars, okay? Activity 44-1-9 Listen to someone person talking about famous buildings in his country and fill in the blanks with information you hear.My country has two very famous buildings called the Petronas Towers. The buildings are made of glass, steel, and concrete. They were designed by an American architect, but he used a Malaysian style. They were finished in 1998, and they were the tallest buildings in the world at that time. Each tower has 88 floors, and is 452 meters high. I really like the Petronas Towers. They show both the modern and the traditional side of my country.4-1-10 Listen to a talk on controversies about modern buildings. Then fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.Modern buildings: We love them. We hate themThe world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris is almost 500 years old, and it faced a very modern problem: There simply wasn't enough space for sixmillion visitors each year. In 1989, American architect I.M. Pei designeda striking glass pyramid in the building's center to be a visitor entrance and shopping arcade. But he also started an angry debate. Some people felt his glass building was a piece of art, like the ones inside the museum. Others said it was just an ugly, modern mistake.Kyoto, Japan, is the country's ancient capital, and the heart of its culture. Its railroad station was too small for the millions of visitors. In 1997, the city completed a new station in a huge shopping center, right in the oldest part of the city. Designed by Hiroshi Hara, the building also contains a hotel and department store. Before it was built, critics said that the high, wide, modern building would destroy the city's traditional look. On the other hand, supporters said it would bring new life into the city center.LessonB4-1-1Alejandra:One of the most beautiful natural wonders I?ve seen are the glaciers in the south of Argentina.Nick:The Matterhorn, which is a mountain in Switzerland, is one of the most beautiful places I?ve ever seen. My dad and I climbed about halfway, and once we got there it started snowing so we had to turn back. Catherine:I climbed up to Everest Base Camp. All of a sudden, you look up and there?s t his huge mountain that everyone?s t alked about, thateveryone?s photographed, and you?ve seen what it?s like in pictures but you?ve never seen it in person.Kumiko:Mt. Fuji is really beaut iful from far away. When you climb it, it?s just rocks and dirt --- but it?s really beautiful from far away.Natalie:I went to Niagara Falls for a family reunion. It was one of the most memorable times of my life because I got to be around people who I love --- my family. And it was also one of the most beautiful sites thatI?ve ever seen.4-1-3Kevin:The most impressive man-made wonder that I have seen is the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall took several thousands of people to build, it stretches many, many miles throughout China, and it was madein a period where we didn?t have all the technological advancements --- like cranes and lifts.Gian:Last year I was in San Francisco and I had a chance to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge. What an amazing feat of engineering. It gives you a chance to look through all of San Francisco and over San Francisco Bay and it?s just a wonderful chance to see the city.Woo Sung:I saw the Hoover Dam once and I didn?t like it very much. It was in the middle of the desert and it?s just very hot, and there wasn?t much activity going on --- and it?s just a big concrete structure.Unit 2Lesson AActivity 1Listen to some people talking about different situations with their computers. Match each situation and its problem.Situation 1M:Oh no!W:What happened?M:I can?t believe it. I was sending a message and I accidentally clicked on “Reply to All.”W:So?M:It was a personal message for my friend, Jerry. I wanted to send it to his e-mail address only.W:Oops.M:Exactly --- Instead I sent it to everyone on the list. How embarrassing! Situation 2M:I see you have a new keyboard. That? s nice.W:Yes, the company bought me a new one.M:That?s good.W:Well, actually --- I spilled coffee on my old keyboard, and it stopped working.M:Oh, I see.W:Don?t tell anyone. Drinking coffee near the computers is not allowed! Situation 3W:Have you finished working on my computer?M:Yes, I have. I?m afraid I don?t have good news for you.W:Really?M:Really. The problem is with your hardware.W:Oh. What do you suggest?M:I think you should probably buy a new computer. This one can?t b e fixed.W:Well, I have had it for five years. It?s time to replace it, I guess. Activity 2Listen to these two conversations. Circle the best answer to complete each sentence.Conversation 1P:Well, Lynn, I must be going. It was great to see you –L:By, Pam.P:What?s that?L:Oh … that?s Ollie.P:Ollie? I didn?t know you had a dog!L:Well, we don?t … really.P:What do you mean?L:Come here.P:Oh my goodness. It?s a robot!L:That?s right. It?s a dog robot. They call it a “dogbot.”P:How interesting! … But it?s a little strange, don?t you think?L:Well, I wanted to get an interactive toy for the kids. They love it. SoI?m happy.P:How much did it cost?L:Don?t ask. It wasn?t very affordable. It?s cheaper than having a real dog, though. We don?t ever have to buy dog food! And the batteries are rechargeable.Conversation 2J:Hey, Henrik. Look.H:What is it, Juliana?J:What?s that guy doing over there?H:Which guy?J:The one over there. Wearing a suit. H?s punching so many buttons on his cell phone.H:Oh, him. He?s probably playing a game.J:Really?H:A lot of people have games on their cell phones. It?s really popular here in Finland. They play them everywhere.J:Do you play them, too?H:Yes, I do.Activity 34-2-5:Listen to a technology report. What appliances does the reportmention? Write them down.In today?s report, we look at a new technology called pervasivecomputing.Pervasive computing means putting tiny computers into everydayelectronic appliances, such as toasters and microwaves. With pervasivecomputing, appliances can communicate with their users – and with otherappliances!Some companies now sell pervasive computing products like a “smart” toaster. It remembers your favorite kind of toast: light or dark. Companiesclock. The coffeecoffee maker and a “smart” are designing a “smart” maker can measure the water and coffee. It can even put milk in yourbreakfast coffee and make black coffee in the afternoon. The clock willcheck the time on other clocks in your house, and give information aboutother appliances. For example, it can tell you, “Your coffee maker ne more water.”And that?s o nly the beginning. One company is now advertising “SaveEngineers are making a “smart” time –phone your washing machine!” house. In this house, the lights, heater, and air conditioner change automatically when family members come home. This makes the home comfortable, and it saves a lot of energy. Pervasive computing couldchange many parts of our daily lives.But do people really want pervasive computing? Do they really needtechnology everywhere? One company asked people about their opinionson “smart” appliances. There were surprises. A “smart” refrigerato buy more food on the internet, but people didn?t want it, because it mightmake mistakes.says Rebecca “Pervasive computing is as important as a telephone,” Blair, president of InnoTech Corporation. But some of these products arenot useful, or even practical. Companies should learn more about thetechnology that people really want.4-2-7Activity 4Local girl rescuedShe may have a broken leg, but she can?t be happier. Morgan Bailey, 11,is happy to be alive.Tuesday was like any other day for Morgan. She was at school. It wasfourth period, and she was the first student to arrive in the gymnasium forher physical education class.Suddenly there was a loud noise.“There was a sharp cracking noise and then a loud boom. After that, In.don?t remember anything,” said MorgaThe roof of the gymnasium had collapsed under the heavy snow. Morganwas trapped underneath. She couldn?t escape.“I woke up and there was a big piece of wood on my leg. I couldn?tmove it. I was starting to get cold.”Fortunately, help was nearby. A ne w program using “rescue robots” wastried for the first time.“We were nervous about using the robot,” said Derrick Sneed, the manin charge of the program. “But in the end, the robot gave us reliable information. It went extremely well.”The rescue robot was able to go into the gym and locate Morgan?s exactposition.“We send in robots first because it may not be safe for humans,” said Mr Sneed. “Human beings are not as useful as robots in some situations. Agas leak, for example, could kill you or me but w ouldn?t hurt a robot.”Although it didn?t happen in Morgan?s case, some rescue robots can bringfresh air or water to people who are trapped.Rescue robots go into rough, dangerous places. They work in life or deathsituations. They have to be durable.Doctors say that Morgan is doing well. She should be going home in twoor three days. What is the first thing she wants to do after she gets out ofthe hospital?“I want to meet my hero,” laughs Morgan. “That little robot that saved my life!”Lesson B4-2-1Reda:I really don?t know a lot about electronics but I think that new phones --- new cell phones --- with ah --- cameras --- which have digital cameras are very cool and they?re so easy to use. And you don?t have tothink all the time that you forgot the camera --- you know? Because youalways have it with you and that?s so smart.Kevin:I like the laptop because it?s very, very thin. It?s maybe less thanone inch and it?s about four pounds and I can carry it anywhere I want. Alejandra:My favorite feature of my computer is the Instant Messenger.The reason for this is that it?s very affordable, fun and convenient andallows me to chat with my friends from all over the world.Denise:I stay in touch with my family in Brazil with like --- Instant Messenger.Jackie:I use the computer for chatting online, searching the web, and downloading music.Catherine:I have a lot of friends in New York and Philadelphia and California, so instead of talking on the phone with them, I e-mail them constantly ---Dave:My laptop computer is fun because I can do all sorts of things on it.I can write a paper while I?m on the train on the way home.Julianna:I use my computer to surf on the Internet, to do my homework, and to work. My computer was expensive, but it is reliable.Jonathan:I don?t really like my computer because it?s old and not reliable. Unit 3Lesson AActivity 1Listen to the two conversations. Check Christiane?s and Dan?s job(s). Conversation 1W1:What are you watching?W2:Oh, just the news.W1:Can I change the channel?W2:In just a minute. I want to see the end of this report.W1:I didn?t know you were interested in the news.W2:Well, it?s Christiane Amanpour. She?s really great. She usually reports from London --- the city where she was born.W1:I don?t know her.W2:She?s an international correspondent. She goes to some reallydangerous places. When there?s a war, she?s usually there.W1:Sounds scary.W2:Yeah. And --- get this --- she?s a wife and mother, too.W1:That?s very impressive.Conversation 2M1::That?s a str ange-looking book. What is it?M2:It?s the writings and photos of Dan Eldon. He was a photojournalist. M1:A photojournalist?M2:Yeah. A photographer and a journalist. He was born in London in 1970. The book tells all about his life and his dangerous adventures.M1:Well, the book certainly looks interesting. Has he written anything else?M2:He wrote a book when he was younger. Unfortunately, he won?t be writing anything else --- he was killed.M1:He died?M2:Yeah. It?s really sad. He was only 22. He was kill ed while working in Africa.Activity 2Listen. Maria and Joe are talking about The Daily News. Circle the correct words.J:What are you reading, Maria?M:The Daily News.J:The News? Ugh! That?s a terrible paper.M:Oh, Joe, it?s not so bad.J:Not so bad? Lo ok at that headline on the front page! It?s so sensational.M:Well, they?ve got great comics. I can?t live without my comics.J:I know. But the news coverage is so poor, ... especially the international news. It?s a joke, really.M:I?m not so interested in the international news. Besides, they have so many other good features.J:Like what?M:Like… the daily horoscope, for example. I love it.J:That?s not a good reason to buy a newspaper … for the horoscope! M:Look, the newspaper only costs 50 cents. What do you expect?J:Good point.M:Besides the horoscope, I also like the entertainment news. I like to read about the stars and their love affairs.J:Well, you can keep The Daily News. I?m going to stick with The Times. Activity 3Listen as John and Amy talk about a photo. Use the names in the box tolabel the people in the picture.A:John, I?ve never noticed this old photo of your family before.J:My mother just found it in the attic. She decided to hang it up.A:It?s a nice picture of your family.J:I think i t?s embarrassing. And I look stupid.A:Well, you could,ve combed your hair … it?s a nice shot, though. Look at how young you are! How old were you in the photo?J:Eight … no wait, I?d just turned nine.A:I guess these two people are your parents.J:Yep. They were married when that picture was taken. Now they?re divorced.A:Oh. What do they do?J:My father?s retired. Mom works in a hospital.A:What are their names?J:Well, my father?s name is Joseph. My mother is Olivia --- she wasnamed after a popular actress.A:How great! I have an aunt with the same name. I love the nameOlivia … Who?s that guy?J:Which one?A:The guy standing behind you. Is that your brother, Tom?J:No, that's my Uncle Randy. He?s only two years older than my brother.A:He?s cute. I love a guy with a moustache.J:Um, sorry, but he?s married now. His wife just had a baby.A:I was just making a comment … So the other young guy must be your brother.J:Yes. That?s Tom.A:How old is he in the picture?J:Let?s see … he?s nine years older than me, … so he would,ve been 18 then.A:And there?s your little sister, Tina. She?s so cute!J:Yeah. She?s t wo years younger than me. It?s hard to believe she?s i nhigh school now!Activity 4Listen to the news reports. Write the correct headline for each piece ofnews. Two headlines are extra.1. A bank robbery in Virginia, USA, was stopped when the robber and thebank teller couldn?t reach an agreement. The robber pushed a holdup notendunder the window, but the teller looked at it, said,” I can?t read this gave it back. The robber pushed the note through a second time. Theteller crumpled the note up and threw it at the robber. He picked it up andwalked out of the bank.2. A professional ice hockey player will miss the rest of this season?sgames because he injured himself. National Hockey League goalieJean-Louis Blanchard went on the injured list after he fell and seriouslyhurt his back. He was walking out of a restaurant in Ottawa, Canada,when he slipped on some ice.3. The first international camel beauty contest was held last week in Alxa,in western China. More than 100 dressed-up camels entered the contest.The judges examined them for shiny hair, tall humps, and beautiful costumes. Unlike human beauty contests, though, there were no interviews with the contestants.4. Police in Sheffield, England, arrested a 41-year-old man for stealing five cars. Graham Owens went to car dealers and said he wanted to buy a car, and borrowed a car to test-drive. Each time, he drove the car around, then cleaned it inside and washed it outside --- before leaving it at the side of the road, and walking home.Lesson B4-3-1Gian:I think working in the media is a very glamorous job. A person gets to travel quite a bit, and they also get a chance to tell people stories that may not be told otherwise.Calum:I think that a really boring job would be being a --- an editor or a critic, because it?s not very creative. I think the most fun job would be being an international correspondent, because you get to travel a lot, and see a lot of new things.Woo Sung:I don?t think news anchors have the greatest job in the world --- um --- and I think it?s really funny when they mess up on TV.Miyuki:I don?t feel that working in the media industry is very glamorous.I had a friend who was a cameraman --- or an assistant --- and she would have to research for sixty, seventy hours for a story that never ever madeit.4-3-2Calum:I usually always get my news online. I use the Internet because I think it?s a very useful tool and it?s always u p-to-date.Miyuki:I get my news from the Internet, because it?s the most accessible media --- around me at least. And I find it extremely uncomfortable to be carrying a huge newspaper. I can?t turn the pages that well.Dennis:I get my news from the Internet and from TV. From TV, I get it like --- firsthand, like somebody?s reading the news to me, and I like that feeling.Alejandra:I don?t watch TV or use the Internet, but I read the newspaper starting on the front page and going to the international section.Nick:Next, I?ll look at the sports page and see how my teams are doing. Gian:Then I go on to the regional news to find out what?s going on in my area. And I always save the comics for last, including my horoscope, because that?s the funpart.Unit 4Lesson AActivity 1Listen to three people talking about their jobs. Write Alice, Diane, or Mimi under the appropriate picture.Alice:I work six days a week. My shift is from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. I?m on myfeet all day long. It?s a very active job. Most of my cust omers are nice. Itry to be friendly to everyone, but it?s difficult sometimes. My customersgive me good tips. That?s nice.Diane:I?m very punctual --- actually, I can?t be late! You know what theyI like being on stage. Something always say, “The show must go on!” happens, though. During the show last week, the lights went out. I couldn?t believe it! You definitely have to be flexible.Mimi:My students are eight years old. I have to be careful about what Isay and do. They are always watching me and copyi n g my behavior. I?mlike a big sister. The kids have a lot of energy. I need patience I this job, that?s for sure.Activity 2Listen to Camille?s job interview. Then circle the answer to the question.M:So, I see here that you went to college.C:Yes, sir. F or two years. I didn?t graduate.M:Do you speak any languages besides English?C:Yes, I speak conversational French.M:Any other languages?C:No, that?s it.M:Well, that?s g reat. As you know, we fly to Paris twice a week. We always need people who can sp eak French.Let?s see… have you worked for an airline before?C:No. I have no job experience.M:So, this would be your first job.C:Yes.M:Well, I only have two more questions. Are you healthy and physically fit? Can you lift heavy objects?C:Yes, I think so.M:Well, the emergency window exit on the plane weighs about 50 pounds. And the meal cart is very heavy, too. You need to move those objects sometimes.C:I think I can do that.M:Wonderful. Let me tell you about the next step. We have a six-week training program that takes place in the summer. You have to…Activity 34-4-5:Listen to Olivia talking about her future plan and fill in the blanks with information from the talk.I plan to become a teacher after I finish my studies. I decided to study at this university because the teaching program is very good. We have a lot of practice working with children. I love to work with young kids. I expect to graduate from the university next June, and I hope to find a job in a kindergarten. I?ll try to start working in September.4-4-6:Listen to the job interview. Check the right item in the table based on the information from the interview.G:Hello, Ms. Hale. I?m Mr. Grant, the advertising manager for the company. Do you have a resume or curriculum vitae to give to me?H:Yes, Mr. Grant. Here it is.G:Thank you. Now, let me tell you a little bit about the job. We need someone t o design brochures on the computer. Do you have up-to-date computer skills?H:Yes, I do. In my present position I use computer graphics all the time. I have experience with animation as well.G:Oh, that?s very good. We hope to launch a new group of animated ads next spring. Can you work with others in a pleasant manner, Ms. Hale? H:My co-workers seem to think so. I can also work independently by myself.G:That?s necessary, too. What about flexibility in working long hours on a project?H:I have a lot of energy and I?m willing to get the job done. The work I did last year won two awards at a national conference.G:Excellent. That?s very impressive. By the way, did I mention that we need someone to start next week?H:No, you didn?t, but it might be possible.G:Good. Thank you for coming today. We?ll be in touch soon.Activity 4Listen to the passage about an unusual job. Fill in the blank withinformation from the passage.You?ve never met Melissa Hayes, and you don?t know her name, but youknow her voice. Mellissa records information messages for the telephone---company. When you hear the number you called has been changed … that?s Mellissa!“Yes, i t?s true,” she says. “I?m the voice talent for Nation Telephone.least 50000 people hear her voice every day. “I try to sound warm andfriendly, even when I?m saying, I?m sorry, that number is incorrect.Please try again.”Melissa works only three days a week, but she has to practice a lot. “My voice has to sound the same at the end of eight hours.” She?s very c about her voice. “I don?t drink lots of water with honey. I can?t g to horror movies because I always scream, and I might hurt my voice!”How did she get her job? “A friend told me about it. I listened to all the telephone company messages on my phone, and then I recorded a cassetteof those messages. After I sent it to the company, I called them every dayfor a month!”She?s done this work for three years now, and she loves it. “It?s fun! And I?m helping people by using my voice.” Plus, people are always surprised when they hear about Melissa?s job. They say, “You?re a real person? Ithought it was a computer!”Lesson B4-4-1Nayalie:I work for a television station that was launched ten years ago and I have been working there for about a year.Dan:I work with computers at a hospital and I have been doing that for three years.Gian:I am a marketing manager. I make brochures, I send out e-mails, and I work on the web.4-4-2Kumiko:I have two ideal jobs and teaching Japanese is one of them. The other one is training dogs. I like working with dogs because they give me unconditional love all the time.Dave:My ideal job would be designing movie posters and CD covers. To do this job, I need a strong foundation in art, and it helps to be able to speak two languages.Jackie:Teaching is an ideal job for me because I enjoy being around children and I want to help them learn.Vanessa:My dream job is to be a photographer because I love taking pictures.Dayanne:I would like to help people in developing countries. In order to do this job well you need to be passionate, you need to be able to listen, and you need to communicate.Jonathan:My future plans are to get into computer animation --- andhopefully become an animator in movies or video games. To be a computer animator, you have to be patient, work hard, and be creative. Calum:My ideal job would be a reporter or to work for a newspaper, and that way I could see the world, and also keep up-to-date with events. For my job you should be able to write well, and you should be well-informed, and you should be able to communicate well.Unit 5Lesson AActivity 1Listen to this profile of a successful businessman. Who is he? What company does he run?He may have been your typical teenager in most ways. But he was different in one particular way: he started his own magazine. At the age of 15 he managed the magazine called Student. It was written for and about young people in school. He was very busy, but it was a satisfying job.His next business venture was completely different. He and some friends started a mail order record company. It was also the same year, 1970, when his music discount store was opened in England. It made a lot of money.In the early 1990s, he sold his successful music business and used the money for another business idea: an airline company. And so, Virgin Airways Ltd. Was born. To compete with other airlines, his company。
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全新版听说教程 4 听力原文Unit 1 One WorldPart BListening TasksA ConversationBirthday Celebrations Around the WorldExercise 1Listen to the conversation and write down answers to the questions you hear. Chairman: Welcome to this special birthday edition of One World. Tonight we have a special program dedicated to birthday celebrations around the world. With us in the studio we have Shaheen Hag and Pat Cane, who have a weekly column on birthdays in the Toronto Daily Star.Shaheen: Good evening.Pat: Good evening.Chairman: Shaheen, perhaps we could begin with you. How are birthdays celebrated in India?Shaheen: Well, perhaps we're all assuming that everyone in the world celebrates their birthday. This just isn't the case. Low-income families in India, for instance, simply can't afford any festivities. And most Muslims don't celebrate their birthdays.Pat: I think Shaheen has raised an interesting point here. The Christian church, too, was actively against celebrating birthdays.Shaheen: Of course some Muslims do celebrate their birthdays. In Egypt, Turkey and Indonesia, for example, the rich people invite friends and families around. But not in small villages.Chairman: Here in England your twenty-first used to be the big one. But now it seems to have moved to eighteen. Is that true?Pat: Yes, in most parts of the West eighteen is now the most important birthday. In Finland, for example, eighteen is the age when you can vote, you know, or buy wines, drive a car and so on. But in Japan I think you have to wait till you're twenty before you can smoke or drink.Shaheen: I know in Senegal, which is another Muslim country, girls get to vote at sixteen and boys at eighteen. And in Bangladesh, girls at eighteen and boys at twenty-one.Chairman: That's interesting. I mean is it typical that around the world girls are considered to be more mature than boys?Shaheen: Yes, I think so, and in Mexico and Argentina, for example, they have enormous parties for fifteen-year-old girls.Pat: You know in Norway they have a great party for anyone who's not married by the time they're thirty. It's kind of embarrassing. I mean you get pepper thrown at you. Chairman: Pepper? Why pepper?Pat: I'm not really sure.Shaheen: So does that mean that on your twenty-ninth birthday you can start thinking "God I better get married"?Pat: Well, I'm not sure how seriously they take it.Chairman: In England we have quite big parties for your fortieth, fiftieth, sixtieth and so on.Pat: Well, in Japan your eighty-eighth is considered ... Chairman: Eighty-eighth? Pat: ... to be the luckiest birthday. Eight is a very lucky number in Japan. Questions1. What is One World?2. What is the topic of the program?3. What do Shaheen Hag and Pat Cane do?4. Why don't some people in India celebrate their birthdays?5. Why is the eighteenth birthday so important in Finland?6. Why can girls in some countries get to vote at an earlier age than boys?7. Which of the countries mentioned in the conversation are Muslim countries? Exercise 2Listen to the conversation again and decide if each of the statements you hear is true (T) or false (F).Statements1. The program is broadcast in Canada every day.2. People everywhere in the world celebrate their birthdays.3. Many Muslims do not celebrate their birthdays for religious reasons.4. In England, the twenty-first birthday is very important, which is unusual in the West.5. The twenty-first birthday is very important in Japan.6. In Norway, young men and women usually get married before thirty to avoid having pepper thrown at them.7. Eighteen is a very lucky number in Japan.8. It can be concluded that our world is made more colorful by the many different ways birthdays are observed in different countries.Speaking TasksPair WorkA. Reflections on the textYou have just heard a program about birthday celebrations around the world. What do you think of the celebrations?Why is it that some people do not celebrate their birthdays?What does your birthday mean to you?Exchange views with your partner. You may mention the following points in your discussion.○ what birthdays mean to you○ how birthdays are observed around the world○ why some people don't celebrate their birthdaysB. Picture talk — Talking about wedding customsA SampleMost people in the world hold a wedding ceremony when they get married. However, like birthday celebrations, wedding celebrations are conducted in different ways, depending on where you live, which religion you believe in, and how good is your financial situation. The following are three groups of pictures showing three wedding ceremonies held in different places and at different times. Give a brief description of each picture and then make a comparison between the three weddings. Possible Description (for reference)Pictures (a) — (c) show a typical wedding ceremony held in a church in a Western country. In the first picture, the bride is seen walking down the aisle, leaning on her father's arm. She is wearing a white wedding gown and holding a bouquet of flowers in her right hand. All eyes turn to her as she slowly moves forward to take her place beside the bridegroom in front of the clergyman.In Picture (b) we can see the clergyman presiding over the wedding ceremony. He is asking the bride and the bridegroom the usual questions on such an occasion.In Picture (c) the parents of the bride and the bridegroom are giving a large party in a garden. Guests arrive in formal evening dress. There is music and dancing. Pictures (d) — (e) present a traditional Chinese wedding held at home.In Picture (d), we can see a hall thronged with people. There are red lanterns hanging on both sides of the hall. On the lanterns are written the Chinese character "double happiness".In Picture (e) we can see the bridegroom's parents seated in high-backed chairs. The bride and bridegroom are bowing to them. The bridegroom in his long gown looks very respectful. The bride is dressed in bright red but we can't see her face since it is covered with a piece of red cloth. Along the two sides of the wedding hall stand the family members, relatives and friends.Pictures (f) — (h) show a wedding banquet held in a big restaurant in China.In Picture (f), we can see the bride and the bridegroom standing at the entrance greeting the guests. The bride wears a long white dress, and the bridegroom is in a tuxedo. In Picture (g), we find ourselves in a large banquet hall, decorated with the cheerful colors of a wedding party. About a hundred guests are seated around tables that are graced with all kinds of delicious food and drinks. The host, who is the father of the bridegroom, is making a speech, expressing his thanks to the guests for coming to his son's wedding.In Picture (h) the bride has changed to a traditional Chinese red gown, or qipao, which is elegantly cut and shows her fine figure. She and the bridegroom are going round the tables, exchanging toasts and sharing a joyful moment with the guests. Comparing From the pictures, we can see that a wedding is an important event everywhere in the world. It has been so in China, for example, from the old days to the present and the same holds true in Western countries. As a rule, there is a big ceremony, attended by family members, relatives and friends, who have come to share the joy of this special occasion in the lives of two people in love. Foodis plentiful and laughter fills the air. To all those present, the ceremony is both sacred and joyous. However, while sacredness and joy are the spirit of all weddings, the way people observe the occasion varies from place to place and changes over time. This is reflected in various respects. First, in Western countries, many people get married in a church while in China this is rare. Second, Western people often choose a scenic spot to hold wedding parties whereas most people in China give their wedding parties either at home or in a restaurant.Third, in Western countries, the color of the bride's dress is white, which is a symbol of purity, while in China, traditionally, the color of the bride's dress is red, which is a symbol of happiness.***** ***** ***** *****Now use the above sample as your model and carry on similar activities with your partner according to the pictures given below.Part CTest Your ListeningListen to the passage three times and supply the missing information.First ReadingOne World One Minute is a unique film project that invites participants in every country around the globe to record simultaneously one minute of their lives, one minute of our world. Sponsors of this project have chosen 12:48 GMT, September 11th, 2002 as the one minute to record. At that moment exactly a year earlier began the terrorist attacks that led to the deaths of more than 2,000 people from over 60 countries. For many this will be a time of remembrance and reflection. And for others this will be an appropriate time for international communication, cooperation and sharing. This is the idea behind the project One World One Minute. Participants are free to choose what and how to record their One Minute. Some may want to take photographs, some paint or draw pictures, while others may want to write something and record their readings. The material can be submitted to the project organizers in Scotland via or post within 6 weeks of September 11th. All the material will then be made into a feature-length film, which will capture that One Minute of our existence. The film will explore the rich diversity that is both humanity and our world. It will allow a voice to all people regardless of nationality, religion, race, political viewpoint, gender or age. The rich diversity that is Humanity shall be there for all to see. Participants will not only be kept informed of the progress of the film and the release process but will be invited to actively participate through newsletters and discussion forums. When the film is finished, it will be shown in every country of the world, both in cinemas and on TV. Contributors will be invited to attend the first public performance of the film in their respective countries and will receive a full screen credit on the finished production.Second ReadingFinal ReadingUnit 2 Anti-smokingPart BListening TasksA PassageLast Gasp for SmokersExercise 1Listen to the passage and choose the right answers to the questions you hear. It was a normal day and in their New York office, Ken and his colleagues stopped for their coffee break. But while his colleagues were able to sit at their desks and drink their coffee, Ken had to go outside. He couldn't stay inside, because he wanted to smoke. If the smokers of the Big Apple want to enjoy a cigarette, the authorities have decided they must go out into the street or up onto the rooftops. Throughout the United States, the number of places where people are allowed to smoke has gradually dwindled. First it was banned on trains, buses, and planes, then in public places such as theaters and airports. Now you can't smoke in any workplace. Nonsmokers are definitely winning the battle. "Why should we breathe their smoke?" they say. If they're lucky, smokers can still find some bars and restaurants or parks and recreation centers where they can light up a cigarette, but it may soon be banned there, too. In fact, smoking in parks and recreation centers is already banned in California. On August 9, 2001, Los Angeles City and County officials announced the implementation of a smoke-free park policy, officially designating smoke-free zones in all 375 parks and recreation centers in the city. And since January 1, 2002 all parks in California have become smoke-free to safeguard children from the harmful effects of secondhand tobacco smoke and dangerous tobacco waste. Anti-smoking groups even think that smoking ought to be banned in people's homes. Under new plans you won't be able to smoke in any house where there are more than ten visitors in a week, or where there are children. In 1996, nicotine was classed as a drug, like cannabis, cocaine or heroin. And scientists all over the world agree that exposure to secondhand smoke poses a serious health risk and there is no safe level of exposure. It is especially dangerous for children because when they are exposed to tobacco smoke, they have much higher rates of lung diseases such as bronchitis and pneumonia and are also at greater risks of developing asthma. In the country that gave tobacco to the world, smoking might one day be illegal. And then Ken will have to give up. Questions1. What is the main idea of the passage you've heard?2. What does the speaker think about banning smoking in public places?3. Where is smoking not banned according to the passage?4. Which of the following is true about nicotine?5. What can be inferred from the sentence "In the country that gave tobacco to the world, smoking might one day be illegal"?Exercise 2Listen to the passage again and complete the answers to the questions you hear.Questions1. Who has won the battle against smoking in the U.S.? How do you know?2. What did authorities in California do to restrict smoking?Speaking TasksPair WorkA. Reflections on the textYou have just heard a passage about the anti-smoking movement in the U.S.Do you agree with the policies mentioned to ban smoking in public places?What do you think about young people smoking?Why do they pick up smoking in the first place?What should we do to help them give up smoking?Exchange views with your partner.You may mention the following points in your discussion.○ importance of banning smoking in public places○ increase in the number of young smokers○ measures to discourage the young from picking up smoking○ finding out and campaigning against the real ca uses of young people smoking B. Debating — Arguments for or against banning smoking in restaurantsA SampleIn our city it is quite common to see diners smoking in restaurants, even when the air-conditioner is on and all the windows are shut. Some people are strongly against it and think the government should put a ban on smoking in all air-conditioned areas. Others either take it for granted or do not care. What is your attitude on this issue? Express and defend your views from the perspectives given below.Topic: Should smoking be banned in restaurants?Perspectives:1. From the perspective of a customer (positive)2. From the perspective of a restaurant manager (negative)Possible Arguments (for reference)From the perspective of a customer (positive)I'm strongly against smoking in restaurants. I hate breathing in cigarette smoke while I'm eating, especially when the air-conditioner is on and all the windows are shut. Toxic tobacco smoke lingers on in the room, gets into my eyes, my hair, and my clothes. It makes me dizzy and even causes me headaches. As the restaurant becomes dangerously polluted with concentrated tobacco smoke, nonsmokers who must share the same enclosed environment with smokers run a higher risk of contracting smoking-related illnesses. Even if people around one table are all nonsmokers, they cannot avoid inhaling smoke from other tables. Statistics show that secondhand smoke is also a cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers. And if a pregnant woman happens to be there, she might run the risk of having a deformed baby. Secondhand smoke is also extremely harmful to young children and can cause asthma and bronchitis. We nonsmokers don't want to sacrifice our health for the selfish enjoyment of smokers. The restaurant, I think, should at least have a smoke-free area. The size of thearea would depend on customer demand. Let the smokers enjoy themselves in a special room. Otherwise, I think I will stop patronizing (光顾) restaurants that do not have a smoke-free area and perhaps this will force them into creating one. From the perspective of a restaurant manager (negative) I know smoking is very harmful. For us who work in air-conditioned restaurants, inhaling secondhand smoke is certainly harmful to our health. But what can I do? How can I say "no" to the smokers in my restaurant? Most likely, they would not listen to me. If I insist, they would surely get very angry at me. Some of them might quarrel or even fight with me. And those who come with them would usually support them and criticize me. They might say: "It's none of your business. There is no regulation against smoking in restaurants. Why can't we smoke?" In that case, what could I say? It's true that there are no regulations banning smoking in restaurants. And other diners, though they are aware of the danger of inhaling secondhand smoke, may be either indifferent or intimidated from speaking out. I would be quite alone, and my effort to dissuade my customers from smoking would be in vain. What is worse, I don't think those customers would come to my restaurant again.And my business would suffer.***** ***** ***** *****Now use the above sample as your model and carry on similar activities with your partner.Part CTest Your ListeningListen to the conversation and choose the right answers to the questions you hear. W: Hey, Eric, have you read that letter in the paper about smoking this morning? Don't you think the person who wrote that has gone too far?M: I don't think so, Rose. To my mind the government should do everything it can to discourage people from smoking, especially the youngsters.W: Maybe so. But it seems a law banning cigarettes would do no good.M: No. You can't suddenly make smoking illegal. But the government could prohibit smoking in public places, like cinemas and theatres.W: I quite agree that smoking should be banned in public places. I don't smoke myself and cigarette smoking bothers me. But I don't know if it will work. You know, if you ban smoking in all public places, many smokers will want to do it. People always want to do things that they are not allowed to do.M: Yes, that's true.W: But I think people should be allowed to smoke in the street. Don't you think so? M: Not at all. Frankly I think smoking should be banned altogether in public and private places. In the first place it's a dirty habit. In the second place it's dangerous to your health.Questions1. What does the letter in the paper suggest that the government do?2. What do the two speakers have in common?3. What do you know about the woman?4. Which of the following is true of the man?Unit 3 MemoryPart BListening TasksA PassageHow Our Memory WorksExercise 1Listen to the passage and choose the right answers to the questions you hear. Human beings have amazing memories. Apart from all our personal memories about our own lives, we can recall between 20,000 and 100,000 words in our own language as well as possibly thousands more in a foreign language. We have all sorts of information about different subjects such as history, science, and geography, and we have complex skills such as driving a car or playing a musical instrument. All these things and countless others depend on our memory. How well you remember things depends on many different factors. Firstly, some people naturally have better memories than others, in just the same way as some people are taller than others, or have different color eyes. Some top chess players, for example, can remember every move of every game that they have ever seen or played. Secondly, research shows that different things are stored in different parts of the brain. Ideas, words, and numbers are stored in the left-hand side, while the right-hand side remembers images, sounds, and smells. In most people one side of the brain is more developed than the other, and this may explain why some people can remember people's faces easily, but can't remember their names. Thirdly, we all remember exciting, frightening, or dramatic events more easily. This is because these experiences produce chemicals such as adrenaline, which boost your memory. Fourthly, the context in which you learn something can affect how well you remember it. Tests on divers, for example, showed that when they learned things underwater, they could also remember those things best when they were underwater. Lastly, the more often you recall a memory, the more likely you are to remember it. If you don't use it, you'll lose it. A telephone number that you dial frequently will stay in your memory easily, but you will probably have to write down one that you use only now and again.Questions1. What does the passage mainly tell us?2. What can be inferred from the passage?3. Which of the following is stated to be true?4. Why can we remember exciting, dramatic, or frightening events better? Exercise 2Listen to the passage again and fill in the following blanks with the missing information.Speaking TasksPair WorkA. Reflections on the textYou've just heard a passage about the importance of memory.Have you ever thought about how important your memory is?And have you ever complained that you have a bad memory?Exchange views with your partner. You may mention the following points in your discussion.○ the importance of memory○ factors influencing how well one's memory works○ ways to improve one's memoryB. Describing an unforgettable experienceA SampleIt is mentioned in the passage that exciting, frightening or dramatic events tend to leave a sharp impression on your memory. What is the most unforgettable experience in your life? Describe it to your partner.Possible Description (for reference)It was an extremely hot day in 1980. That night my roommate and I went to bed early. All of a sudden we felt that the whole building was shaking. "It must be an earthquake," cried my roommate. Quickly she put on her dress and her shoes.On hearing what she said, I was frightened to death and my whole body froze, unable to move. Instead of putting on my clothes, I kept crying, "Please wait for me! Please don't leave me!" I was so afraid that she might ignore me and run out of the building to find a safe place for herself. Contrary to what I expected, she returned, stood by my bedside and waited for me patiently. She watched me clumsily put on my blouse and trousers and then we went downstairs together. Once we were out on the playground, my panic was gone and I was able to think. On recalling what I had required my roommate to do, I felt guilty. No one can tell what might happen next during an earthquake. By asking her to wait for me, I might have put her life in danger! She was too smart not to realize that, I think. But she waited for me anyway. How selfish I was! That earthquake and the courageous act of my roommate have always stayed in my mind, long after the event.***** ***** ***** *****Now use the above sample as your model and describe an unforgettable event to your partner.Part CTest Your ListeningListen to the passage and choose the right answers to the questions you hear. To many people advancing age means losing your hair and your memory. But is it true that the older you get, the less you remember? Actually, in healthy people, memory doesn't deteriorate as quickly as many of us think. As we age, our memory mechanism isn't broken, it's just different. The brain's processing time slows downover the years. Recent research suggests that nerve cells lose efficiency and that there's less activity in the part of the brain that decides whether to store information or not. There are steps you can take to improve your memory, though you have to work to keep your brain in shape. Some memory enhancement experts suggest we pay attention to what we want to remember. Then give some meaning to it. We remember things when we focus on them, whether we intend to or not. Basic organization helps us remember the boring stuff. For example, rather than trying to recall a random list of groceries, we can divide them into categories, such as dairy, meat, and produce. For important things like keys and money, we can set up a "forget-me-not" spot where we always keep them. We can also eat to aid our memory power. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of glucose, the brain's preferred fuel. To get adequate rest is a low-tech way to improve memory. Sleep may allow our brain time to encode memories. Interest in friends, family and hobbies does wonders for our memory. A sense of passion or purpose helps us remember. Memory requires us to pay attention to our lives, allowing us to discover in them everything worth remembering.Questions1. Which of the following can we learn from the passage?2. Which of the following can help improve our memory according to the passage?3. What should we do to aid our memory power according to the passage?Unit 4 Dealing with Cultural Differences Part BListening TasksA ConversationEmbarrassing ExperiencesExercise 1Listen to the interview and choose the right answers to the questions you hear. Interviewer: Rob, you went to Brazil, didn't you?Rob: Yes, I did.Interviewer: So, what happened?Rob: Well, I went into this meeting and there were about, er ... seven or eight people in there and I just said "Hello" to everybody and sat down. Apparently, what I should have done is to go round the room shaking hands with everyone individually. Well, you know, it's silly of me because I found out later it upset everyone. I think they felt I was taking them for granted.Kate: Well, I know that because when I was in France the first time, I finished a meeting with "Goodbye, everyone!" to all the people in the room. Well, I later found out that the polite thing to do is shake hands with everyone in the group before leaving.Interviewer: Well, people shake hands in different ways, don't they?Rob: Oh, yes, they do. See, normally I shake hands quite gently when I meet someone. So when I went to the US for the first time, I think people there thought my weak handshake was a sign of weakness. Apparently, people there tend to shake hands quite firmly.Kate: Oh, gosh, that reminds me of my first trip to Germany many years ago. I was in troduced to the boss in the company when he passed us in the corridor. Well, I wasn't prepared, and I had my left hand in my pocket. And when we shook hands I realized my left hand was still in my pocket. Well, that was, you know, very bad manners and I was quite embarrassed.Interviewer: And how about using first names? Have you made any mistakes there? Rob: Oh, yes, I have! When I first went to Italy I thought it was OK to use everyone's first name so as to seem friendly. And I later discovered that in business you shouldn't use someone's first name unless you are invited to. Oh, and you should always use their titles as well.Kate: Hm, yeah, well, when I met people in Russia, you know, they seemed to be puzzled when I shook hands with them and said "How do you do?" Well, what they do when they greet a stranger is say their own names, so I had that all wrong!Rob: Oh, yes, I agree with that. Remembering names is very important. Interviewer: Shall we take a break? When we come back we'll move on to our next topic. Kate & Rob: OK.Questions1. What is the conversation mainly about?2. Who might be the people Rob and Kate met in various countries?3. What can we infer about Kate and Rob from the conversation?4. Which countries has Kate visited, according to the conversation?5. Which countries has Rob visited, according to the conversation?6. What is the main message that the speakers want to tell us?Exercise 2Listen to the interview again and fill in the table below.Speaking TasksPair WorkA. Reflections on the textYou've just heard Rob and Kate talking about the experiences they had in some foreign countries. They made a number of mistakes in behavior because they were unaware of cultural differences. Do you think it is important to be aware of cultural differences? Why? How can we avoid misunderstanding in international communication? Exchange views with your partner.You may mention the following points in your discussion.○ awareness of cultural differences — to avoid misunderstanding○ importance of learning about other cultures○ importance of knowing how to deal with cultural differences —key to successful international business and cultural exchangeB. Picture talk — Describing Chinese and Western ways of eating。