大学英语综合教程第三册听力材料

Unit 1 A
While some visitors to Singapore expect a high-tech city, there are also some parts of the island that still reflect how it used to look before urban development took over.
In one of the main Central Nature Reserves, monkeys still roam freely, living side by side with humans. The macaques have grown accustomed to being fed, so they look to humans as a source of food. But this in itself is problematic. As the monkeys depend more on humans for food, they venture further from their natural habitat, a phenomenon that has worried experts.
There is just not enough space. Essentially, in much of Southeast Asia we’ve seen a lot of habitat loss where rainforest has been destroyed and converted into human settlement. Singapore is a very urbanized city, and it’s taken a lot of space, so there is not much space left for long-tailed macaques.
We really need to stop encroaching into nature reserves. We need to stop building the houses so nearby the reserves, which then causes the problem of the macaques coming in to people’s houses and raiding them. These macaques are French species so they live on the edges of the rainforests.
If humans keep building the houses so near the reserves, there will definitely be a constant human-macaque conflict issue.
After all, the m acaques are essential to maintaining the rainforest’s ecosystem. More should be done to protect them.
Unit 1 B
During the whole year’s promotion, a series of activities will be held to promote public awareness in protecting biodiversity like summit forums and biodiversity knowledge competitions. Also, the government will conduct supervision to fight illegal hunting and other related conduct in nature reserves nationwide.
Wan Bentai, general engineer at the Ministry of Environmental Protection says biodiversity is vital to human life. The Earth is colorful just because of biodiversity. If all the species were gone and there were only us humans left, humans wouldn’t be able to survive.
Biodiversity not only refers to all the species, including animals, plants and insects but also the genes and our living environment. However, dozens of species are disappearing on our planet everyday. Currently, 34,000 plants and 5,200 animals are on the edge of extinction.
Scientists say many species’ extinction is attributed to human activities. Many animals are endangered because of human activities like hunting and fishing. But many animals have a close connection with humans, so we should treat them as friends. Besides, many plants make great contributions to human life, some of which are even more precious than gold.
In recent years, the number of animal and plant species has declined sharply in China due to various reasons. We need policies which protect biodiversity. And we have to find programs which can encourage and provide incentives for people not to cut down the forest, nor to destroy the habitat of rare birds, nor fisheries. We have to do many things.
Unit 2 A
When it comes to intelligence, there has always been one fundamental question: Is intelligence a function of nature? Is it simply encoded in a child’s genes? Or is it a function of nurture? Is it more about the environment that a child grows up in?
On the one hand, if we take two people at random from the crowd, it is very likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. However, if we take two identical twins, chances are that they will be as intelligent as each other. Therefore, a conclusion can be drawn that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. On the other hand, though, if we put identical twins in different environments, we would find differences in their intelligence several years later,
which indicates that environment does play a crucial role in people’s intelligence.
Recently, data has clearly indicated that nurture is indeed more than 50% of the equation. That is good news for educators, but even better news for society as a whole.
Fortunately, President Obama has come out in strong support of early childhood education, particularly for those children most at risk of school failure. Investing in quality pre-school opportunities clearly helps give children from poverty-stricken areas the chance at a stronger start in school and in life.
If we are serious about helping our children succeed in school, if we are truly interested in “Leaving No Child Behind,” we will take a hard look at this compelling data and begin investing greater sums at the early childhood level.
Unit 2 B
Albert Einstein was a German-born physicist, although most people probably know him as the most intelligent person who ever lived. His name has become part of many languages when we want to say someone is a genius, as in the phrase, “She’s a real Einstein”. He must have been pretty brainy to discover the Theory of Relativity and the equation E=MC2.
In 1999, Time Magazine named Einstein as the Person of the Century. No one could have guessed this would happen when he was in school. He was extremely interested in science but hated the system of learning things by rote memory. He said it destroyed learning and creativity. He had already done many experiments but failed the entrance exams to a technical college. He didn’t let this setback stop him. When he was 16, he performed his famous experiment of imagining traveling alongside a beam of light. He eventually graduated from university, in 1900, with a degree in physics.
Twelve years later he was a university professor and in 1921, he won the Nobel Prize for
Physics. He went on to publish over 300 scientific papers. Einstein is the only scientist to become a cult figure, a household name and part of everyday culture. He once joked that when people stopped him in the street, he always replied, “Pardon me, sorry! Always I am mistaken for Professor Einstein.” Today, he is seen as the typical mad, absent-minded professor, who just happened to change our world.
Unit 3 A
To imagine life in the future, you have to know what might be possible. You also need a lot of imagination. There have been many exhibits, such as those at World’s Fairs and theme parks, showing how future homes might look and work, sponsored by builders, developers or technology companies. Science fiction is another way to predict the future. It’s a kind of writing that blends real science with fantasy. Over the years, science fiction writers, artists and engineers have had many ideas about what life would be like in the future. Here’s a look at what some of the leading scientists are working on today to bring into your homes tomorrow.
On the outside a home might look like any other. But inside, it can be high-tech all the way! Computer scientists have found new ways to use technology to make people’s lives easier. For instance, sensors can show if someone is in your home and where they are at all times. You can check in from any computer — anywhere. The stuff of cutting-edge scientific research today is tomorrow’s household technology, and high-tech consumer products could be available in your future home!
Unit 3 B
What if we could wear bodysuits to give us super strength? Own an identical robot twin to work for us? What if we could travel through time? Technology is pushing from every direction, getting faster with each passing second. Prepare yourself! The future is closer than you think.
A robot conducting a symphony orchestra! A mazing as that is, it’s just one way
reality is outpacing science fiction. Every day robots become even more sophisticated, taking on additional human traits. Until now, robots have mostly gotten the toughest jobs. They work at the assembly line and defuse or even detonate explosive devices.
The traditional tasks for a robot have always been the 3-D’s: dull, dirty, dangerous. But as technology improves and as researchers are working towards developing these intelligent humanoids, we are going to see our homes and offices occupied by robots. It makes sense that if you are going to build a general-purpose robot that can perform any task that a human can do, you’d like to give it a human shape. It can walk gracefully. His creators study motion-capture video of both humans and animals. I believe that humanoid technologies will improve our lives in the 21st century.
Unit 4 A
A leading US scientist has predicted that computers will be as intelligent as humans by 2029. Futurologist Dr Ray Kurzweil told the American Association for the Advancement of Science that in the near future, machine intelligence will overtake the power of the human brain. He said that within two decades computers will be able to think quicker than humans. Dr Kurzweil painted a picture of us having tiny robots called nanobots implanted in our brain to boost our intelligence and health. He told reporters that these microscopic nanobots would work with our brains to make us think faster and give us more powerful memories. Kurzweil explained that we are already “a human machine civilization” and that the upcoming technology “will be a further extension of that.”
Dr Kurzweil was one of 18 top intellectuals asked by the US National Academy of Engineering to identify our greatest technological challenges. Other experts included Google founder Larry Page and the human genome pioneer Dr Craig Venter. Kurzweil has a very impressive background in science and innovation. He was an innovator in various fields of computing, including the technology behind CDs. He also pioneered automatic speech recognition by machines. He predicts the pace of new inventions
will increase greatly from now, saying: “ … the next half century will see 32 times more technical progress than the past half century.” This means scenes from science fiction movies, like Blade Runner, The Terminator and I, Robot, will become more and more a part of our everyday lives.
Unit 4 B
The scientists who launched the Human Genome Project believed in the power of genetic information to transform health care to allow earlier diagnosis of diseases than ever before and to fuel the creation of powerful new medicines.
But it was also clear that genetic information could potentially be used in ways that are hurtful or unfair —for example denying health insurance because of an increased risk for developing a particular disease.
Aware of the danger and hoping to ward it off, the founders of the Human Genome Project created a program to explore the ethical, legal, and social implications of new genetic knowledge. The goal was to anticipate problems that might arise and to prompt solutions.
For example, in the future, doctors will likely be able to give each of us a “genetic report card” that will spell out our risk of developing a variety of different diseases. But will we really want that information? How will it be used? Who will have access to our genetic information? How will it affect our lives, our families, and our communities?
The challenge of addressing these issues is not reserved for scientists. We all have a stake in making sure that everyone will benefit from genetic research and no one is harmed.
Unit 5 A
“Art does not solve problems, but makes us aware of their existence,” sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz has said. Arts education, on the other hand, does solve
problems. Years of research show that it’s closely linked to almost everything that we as a nation say we want for our children and demand from our schools: academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equal opportunity. Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork. A 2005 report by the Rand Corporation about the visual arts argues that the intrinsic pleasures and stimulation of the art experience do more than sweeten an individual’s life — according to the report, they “can connect people more deeply to the world and open them to new ways of seeing,” c reating the foundation to forge social bonds and community cohesion. Comprehensive, innovative arts initiatives are taking root in a growing number of school districts. Many of these models are based on new findings in brain research and cognitive development, and they embrace a variety of approaches: using the arts as a learning tool, incorporating arts into other core classes and creating a school environment rich in arts and culture. “When you think about the purposes of education, there are three,” an educator says. “We’re preparing kids for jobs. We’re preparing them to be citizens. And we’re teaching them to be human beings who can enjoy the deeper forms of beauty. The third is as important as the other two.”
Unit 5 B
The arts are windows of the world in the same way that science helps us see the world around us.
Literature, music, theater, the visual arts, the media, architecture, and dance reveal aspects about ourselves, the world around us, and the relationship between the two. In 1937, German planes flying for Franco in the Spanish civil war bombed a defenseless village as a laboratory experiment, killing many of the inhabitants. In Guernica, Pablo Picasso painted his outrage in the form of a vicious bull surveying a scene of human beings screaming, suffering, and dying. These powerful images mark in our minds the horror of a senseless act of war.
Today, one major goal of education has become very practical: employability.
Children should know how to read, write, and compute so that they can assume a place in the work force. Few would argue with that. But this objective should not allow us to overlook the importance of the arts and what they can do for the mind and spirit of every child and the function of schooling.
Educational administrators need to be reminded that schools have a fundamental responsibility to provide the fuel that will ignite the mind, spark the aspirations, and illuminate the human spirit. The arts can often serve as that fuel. They are the ways we apply our imagination, thought, and feeling through a range of “languages” to illuminate life in all its mysteries, miseries, delights, pities, and wonders.
Unit 6 A
A solution may be at hand for holidaymakers who are finding it harder to get off the beaten track. For those who really want to get away from it all, a new holiday destination has sprung up — Antarctica. However, this new hotspot, or freezing zone, might only be for those with the deepest pockets if a new policy gets under way. Tourism on Antarctica has been increasing dramatically in the past twenty years, from a few thousand people in 1985 to more than 40,000 in 2007. The growing numbers are having a negative effect on the pristine environment of the South Pole. To combat this, researchers from Holland’s Maastricht University have come up with a possible solution: limit the number of tourists allowed to visit and auction the vacations to the highest bidders.
Many environmental protection agencies agree that there is a need to protect the frozen wilderness from the damage created by modern tourism. Antarctica is the last unspoiled place on Earth. It has a very delicate ecosystem that could be easily upset by hordes of tourists landing in airplanes and using skimobiles. A difficulty exists because Antarctica is not a country and therefore has no government to pass laws or guidelines to control the number of visitors. The Maastricht University team’s proposal to auction off a fixed number of tourist places seems a workable solution. It
would limit the number of visitors and therefore contain the amount of environmental damage, and the money would be used to protect Antarctica’s future.
Unit 6 B
Traveling to World Heritage sites is rewarding! It is about exploring unique environments, engaging with cultural splendours, experiencing a different way of life and building lasting memories. The following are some great travel tips that can enhance your trip and benefit the World Heritage sites you visit. Here are the tips: Before traveling, first find out as much as possible. The more you know about a World Heritage site before arriving, the more the site will come alive. Second, pack light. It is tempting to pack everything you think you might need, but remember to be smart about your necessities. Packaging items like the paper box of your film or the plastic wrapping of your new toothbrush simply consumes space in your bag and can create excess trash for the World Heritage site. Finally, explore transportation options. Traveling affects the environment. Wherever possible, try to minimize your pollution and impact on the environment by looking to alternative transportation and off-setting your carbon emissions.
During your traveling, tread lightly and respect the natural environment. These destinations are World Heritage sites because of their exceptional natural or cultural splendour. Do your part to keep them that way by following designated trails, respecting caretakers and not removing archaeological or biological treasures from sites. Besides, while it is important to support local economies, certain tourist activities and souvenirs can damage a fragile World Heritage site. Say “no” to souvenirs that are a piece of the site itself and to tourist activities that may be harmful to a site’s longevity.
Unit 7 A
Anyone who has experienced it knows all too well – video game addiction is real.
Although gaming addiction is not yet officially recognized as a disorder by the American Medical Association, there is increasing evidence that people of all ages, especially teens and pre-teens, are facing very real, sometimes severe consequences associated with compulsive use of video and computer games.
Video games are becoming increasingly complex, detailed and compelling to a growing international audience of players. With better graphics, more realistic characters and greater strategic challenges, it’s not surprising that some teens would rather play the latest video game than hang out with friends, play sports or even watch television.
Of course, all gamers are not addicts – many teens can play video games a few hours a week, successfully balancing school activities, grades, friends and family obligations. But for some gaming has become an uncontrollable compulsion. Studies estimate that 10 percent to 15 percent of gamers exhibit signs that meet the World Health Organization’s criteria for addiction. Just like gambling and other compulsive behaviors, teens can become so enthralled in the fantasy world of gaming that they neglect their family, friends, work and school.
Unit 7 B
Internet Addiction Disorder has long been recognized as a social problem.
According to psychological counselor Li Jianling, if you have the following symptoms, it is likely that Internet addiction has begun to infiltrate your life. Internet addicts lose track of time and spend less and less time on meals at home or at work. They are used to eating in front of a computer screen. Also, they deny spending too much time on the Net. They can’t help going online when already busy at work, and they sneak online when family members aren’t at home, with a sense of relief. It’s a commonly known fact that Internet addiction can have a devastating effect on peoples’ health and social lives. Adults may lose the most important years for their career development and students may waste too much of their youth in front of a computer screen.
But why is Internet addiction so prominent in China? Li Jianling explains that many youths are the only children in their families. They don’t have enough chances to associate with parents and relatives. Also, the lack of activities for adults can lead to Internet addiction. When people grow up, if they don’t spend time on sports or other positive interests, they often turn to the Internet to kill time.
How do we deal with this problem? Li Jianling says associating more with family, friends and nature can really help Internet addicts kick the habit. Everyone understands that parents nowadays are busy, but if they just spend more time communicating with their kids, they can help avoid their children from becoming addicted to the Internet.
Unit 8 A
The ability of a country to reduce poverty and increase its development depends on a number of things: its physical geography, the policy choices it makes, and the resources, institutions and capacities it has access to. On top of these, money is also needed to enable a country to invest in infrastructure or programs that support economic growth and development. Countries can finance their development in several different ways. First and foremost are the domestic financial resources that countries already have — the taxes they collect on economic activity or government borrowing from the savings that people and companies make. But for many developing countries, domestic resources are insufficient to meet the scale of investment necessary. So there is often a need to supplement them with financial resources from other countries. In 2005, many donor countries committed to increasing the amount of money they give in aid by $50 billion by 2010.
Of equal importance, aid also needs to work better. For example, aid sometimes can be tied to the purchase of goods and services from the donor. This means that aid is not necessarily directed to the things that matter for poor people. This undermines the effectiveness of aid, as measured by its ability to reduce poverty. Making aid more effective is a responsibility shared by donor and recipient countries.
The organization called United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been focusing on supporting recipient governments, ensuring aid coordination, and supporting to monitor arrangements that include the private sector and civil society.
Unit 8 B
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the global financial crisis may have shaken world confidence, but not the international community’s re solve to help the United Nations continue working to fight poverty and disease. Mr. Ban said the international community’s determination to help what he calls the world’s “bottom billion” —those who live on less than $1 a day —has not weakened. During the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly that wrapped up last week in New York, member states pledged $16 billion to help the UN meet targets of cutting poverty and disease worldwide by 2015.
“Everyone has felt the earthquake on Wall Street,” said the U.N. chief. “But it has not shaken our resolve. Banks may be failing, but the world’s bottom billion can bank on us.” He said the generosity of these commitments is very encouraging, given the economic climate.
In the first of a new monthly series of press conferences, Mr. Ban spoke about the many challenges facing the United Nations —among them, the deteriorating situation in Darfur, the precarious political and military situation in Afghanistan, piracy and instability in Somalia and the effects of climate change.
The UN chief said that amid these crises the world must not forget the plight of others and he urged world leaders to honor the monetary pledges they have made. “Grave as it may be, today’s financial crisis will be overcome,” he said. “We must und erline the need for ‘crisis-proofing’ of the important priorities of the United Nations from international financial turbulence.”。