新世纪研究生英语听说原文Unit_8_Family_and_Society

Unit 8 Family and Society
Thinking Ahead
Students are asked to discuss the following questions in groups. The reference answers for the questions are offered below:
1. What is the “typical” family structure in China? Please describe it.
Most modern Chinese families are nuclear families consisting of two parents (mother and father) and one child. In some cases, the grandparents are also invited to live together and help take care of the grandchild especially in his/her infancy since both of the parents work outside. Big decisions like spending money are usually made by husband and wife together, and housework such as cooking is shared.
2. Brainstorm and list as many common social problems/issues as you can.
environment pollution, labor and employment, health care/welfare, education/human resources, transport, aging, housing problems, crime, food safety, drug abuse, violence, etc.
Part I Video Time
In this part, students will have 2 tasks to accomplish.
Task 1
In task 1, students will watch a movie clip about a church wedding ceremony of Bernard and Lydia from Four Weddings and a Funeral and then do the exercises as required. Before watching, they are supposed to read the words, expressions and cultural notes related to the clip.
Transcript
The Bernard and Lydia Ceremony
Father Gerald: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy（adj：圣洁的，神圣的；
至善的n:神圣的东西）Spirit. Amen. Let us pray. Father, you have made the bond（n:债券；
结合；约定；粘合剂vi:结合；团结在一起vt：使结合；以…作保）of marriage a holy mystery,
a symbol of Christ’s love for his church.Hear our prayers for Bernard and Lydia through
your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns（vi：统治；支配；盛行；君临n:统治；统治时期；支配）with you and the Holy Goat... Ghost. One God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Mathew: It’s his first time. He’s a family friend.
Father Gerald: Bernard and Lydia, I shall now ask if you freely undertake the obligations of marriage. Bernard, repeat after me. I do solemnly（adv：庄严地；严肃地）declare... Bernard: I do solemnly declare...
Father Gerald: that I know not of any lawful impediment（n:口吃；妨碍；阻止）... Bernard: that I know not of any lawful impediment...
Father Gerald: why I, Lydia...
Bernard: why I, Bernard...
Father Gerald: Sorry. Why I, Bernard Godfrey Saint John Delaney, ...
Bernard: why I, Bernard Geoffrey St John Delaney, ...
Father Gerald: may not be joined in matrimony（n:结婚；婚礼；婚姻生活）to Lydia John Hibbott.
Bernard: may not be joined in matrimony to Lydia Jane Hibbott.
Father Gerald: Lydia, repeat after me. I do solemnly declare...
Lydia: I do solemnly declare...
Father Gerald: that I know not of any lawful impediment...
Lydia: that I know not of any lawful impediment...
Father Gerald: why I, Lydia Jane Hibbott, ...
Lydia: why I, Lydia Jane Hibbott, ...
Father Gerald: may not be johned in matrimony...
Lydia: may not be joined in matrimony...
Father Gerald: to Bernard Geoffrey Sidd... Siddun... Delaney.
Lydia: to Bernard Geoffrey St John Delaney.
Father Gerald: I call upon those persons here present to witness...
Bernard: I call upon those persons here present to witness...
Father Gerald: that I, Bernard...Delaney, ...
Bernard: that I, Bernard Delaney, ...
Father Gerald: do take thee, Lydia Jane Hibbott, ...
Bernard: do take thee, Lydia Jane Hibbott, ...
Father Gerald: to be my awful wedded wife.
Bernard: to be my lawful wedded wife.
Father Gerald: That’s ri... That’s right. May Almighty God bless you all. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spigot... Spirit. Amen.
Gareth: Bravo!
Key to Exercises
Exercise 1 Watching for Details
Being nervous, the priest in the movie clip makes several slips of the tongue during the Bernard and Lydia ceremony. For example, he says “the Holy Goat” instead of “the Holy Ghost”. Students are asked to watch the clip and name at least five of the errors made by the priest.
the Holy Goat vs. the Holy Ghost Lydia vs. Bernard Saint /seint/ John vs. St. /snt/ John
John vs. Jane Johned vs. joined awful vs. lawful the Holy Spigot vs. the Holy Spirit
Exercise 2 Watching and Dictating
Students are asked to watch the clip again and write down the complete marriage vows taken by the groom.
I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I, Bernard Geoffrey St John Delaney may not be joined in matrimony to Lydia Jane Hibbott. I call upon those persons here present to witness that I, Bernard Delaney do take thee, Lydia Jane Hibbott to be my lawful wedded wife.
Task 2
In task 2, students will watch a movie clip about family relationship from Desperate Housewives and then do the exercises as required. Before watching, they are supposed to read the words, expressions and cultural notes related to the clip.
Transcript
Tom vs. Lynette
Tom: Yeah, that is nineteen, nineteen, nineteen-zip. Bring it.
Lynette: Just stay here with Penny for a second, okay?
Lynette: Tom?
Tom: Yes! In your face! That is twenty-zip game, out!
Lynette: Tom, what are you doing?
Tom:I’m playing air hockey. What’s it look like? Kevin, you’re up.
Lynette:Well, it’s the middle of the day, and shouldn’t you be at work?
Tom: Mm, no. I quit.
Lynette: You did not.
Tom: Yes. Yesterday. I told Peterson he could stick（vt.& vi.粘贴；张贴；插入；刺入vt.容忍；产生作用；（尤指迅速或随手）放置；阻延或推迟n.棍棒，棍枝；枝条；操纵杆；球棍）it. Boom! You’re not bringing it, Kevin! Bring it! Lynette:Could you talk to me for a second? I don’t understand.
Tom: What? You asked Peterson’s wife to make sure he wouldn’t promote me. So he gives a huge promotion to Annabel, so I quit. What don’t you understand?
Lynette: Okay. Okay. Could we go home and talk about this, please?
Tom:No, we can’t. Serve it up, meat.
Lynette:You’re just gonna stay here and play games all day?
Tom:No, I’m gonna go and get some ice cream, and then I’m gonna go up to the lake, maybe rent
a boat, do whatever it is I feel like—God!
Boy: Gotcha!
Lynette: Tom.
Tom: Go home, Lynette. Go home before I say something I regret. Go home.
(Lynette walks away.)
(Lynette’s House)
Lynette: So, did you have a fun day?
Tom: As a matter of fact, I did. I probably had the most fun that I have had in a long time. Lynette: You know, I didn’t tell you to quit.
Tom:No. No, no, no. No, you made damn sure that I’d go nowhere for the next t wenty years. Lynette:I don’t know what to say.
Tom:I hear “please forgive me” is popular.
Lynette:Yes, I am sorry. I am so, so sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you. But I was trying to protect our family. If you got a promotion, we never would have seen you. You would have been traveling all the—
Tom:Lynette, Lynette, Lynette, you’re right. You’re right. You’re right. That promotion would have just killed us, so this is gonna all work out.
Lynette: What does that mean?
Tom: It means that I can use the break.
Lynette: Oh, well, yeah. I think it would be good for you to take some time off.
Tom:No, not some time. Full time. I’m gonna be a stay-at-home dad.
Lynette: Huh?
Tom: What the heck（int.& n.真见鬼）? You earn the living for a while.
Lynette:Tom, that’s ... crazy.
Tom:Why? Why is it crazy? You and I both know that you’re better at the ad game, and you tell me all the time how hard it is to be a mom.
Lynette: Well, yes, yes, it is har d, but I, I love it, too, and I’ve been doing it for six years, and I haven’t complained the entire time.
Tom:Fair enough. Fair enough. But be honest. Secretly, you miss the ad game, don’t you? I mean, you miss the pressure and the deadlines and the, the power lunches. Or am I wrong? Maybe, maybe you want to sort dirty socks the rest of your life.
Lynette: We should talk about this seriously before we make any rash decisions.
Tom:I already made the decision. You’re going back to work.
(Tom gets up and goes upstairs.)
Key to Exercises
Exercise 1 Watching for Details
Students are asked to watch the clip and match the following expressions with their meanings correspondingly.
1) bring it A. It’s your turn.
2) in your face B. used to say you are going to do sth that you know you should not do
3) You’re up! C. an exclamation of contempt
4) go nowhere D. to give one’s all in a particular effort
5) What the heck? E. to make no progress or have no success
1) D 2) C 3) A 4) E 5) B
Exercise 2 Watching for General Understanding
Students are asked to watch the clip again and answer the following questions.
1) What happened to Tom’s job? How did it happen?
Tom quit his job because he failed to get an expected promotion due to Lynette’s interference.
2) What decision did Tom make?
He would stay at home and Lynette should go back to work.
3) What’s the attitude of Lynette towards his decision?
The decision took her by surprise, and she thought it was too rash.
Exercise 3 Interview
Suppose Tom does become a stay-at-home dad after quitting his job. Students are asked to work in pairs to conduct an interview. Tom is to be interviewed about his life as a stay-at-home dad.
Reference for the Interview
Interviewer: Why did you decide to be a stay-at-home dad?
Tom: It was a rash decision. At the time, I was working full time in a well-paid job and my wife was a stay-at-home mom. Unfortunately, I got frustrated for I failed to get an expected promotion and then made such a decision. With hindsight, I suspect that I also had a somewhat unrealistic expectation of what childcare would involve. As far as I could see, young children seemed to sleep for most of the day, and when they were awake they happily entertained themselves for hours on end with an old sock or something. This, I assumed, would leave me with the chance to do all the things I’d always wanted to do, but had never had the time.
Interviewer: Do you miss the office?
Tom:To be honest, I don’t really miss the work, but there are a few things I miss. For a start, there’s the chance to talk to other adults, especially male adults, and the time spent without children being around. Then there’s the money. There is no s alary for being a stay-at-home dad. Going to work also provides a level of shared experience, and something in common with other people, other than children. I guess the strangest thing I miss is the occasional pat on the back and congratulations for a job well done.
Interviewer: What do you do all day?
Tom: A typical day is spent looking after the toddler, making sure she eats when she’s hungry, naps when she’s tired, and most importantly of all, doesn’t get bored. And then of course, there are all the household chores that need to be done.
Interviewer: Do you do all the housework?
Tom:Yes. The daily routine of vacuuming, cleaning, cooking, washing, and ironing is usually done in the 45 minutes between when my wife calls to say she’s leaving work and when she gets home.
Interviewer: What do people think about you doing this?
Tom:Reactions vary a lot. Men with children tend to think I’m insane. Women tend to smile knowingly to themselves.
Interviewer: What’s it like to have a wife as the breadwinner?
Tom: It is definitely a strange feeling for a man not to be the breadwinner, but I have no doubt that I’m making as big a contribution to my family as I would be if I were going to work.
Part II Listening Activities
In this part, students will have 3 listening tasks to accomplish.
Task 1
In task 1, students will listen to a passage about a charity and do the exercises as required. Before listening, they are supposed to read the words, expressions and cultural notes related to the passage.
Transcript
Jet Li: One Foundation Passes Along Funds and Hope
He started his speech with a slow, deep bow to the audience and also ended that way.
But the bows（n.弓；鞠躬；船头；艏n.鞠躬；船头；艏vi.（向…）弯腰，鞠躬vt.低头；俯首；垂首；（使）弯曲）were not only from himself, said kungfu and action movie star Jet Li, but also from the most vulnerable（adj.（地方）易受攻击的；易受伤的；易受批评的；[桥牌]已成局的）members of the global family who will receive the help they need.
Speaking to China Daily in an interview in Tianjin yesterday, Li, who one year ago started the Red Cross Society of China Jet Li One Foundation Project, said humans comprise（vt.包含，包括；由…组成；由…构成）one big family despite different religions, languages and nationalities.
“I believe that in helping others we also find our own happiness”, Li said.
The foundation says that if each person donates at least one yuan or one dollar each month, individual donations will transform lives.
“Our goal is to build a sustainab le（adj.可持续的；可以忍受的；可支撑的）, professional, and trustworthy foundation to encourage social development and bring out mass participation in philanthropic （adj：博爱的；慈善的）giving and volunteerism in each human being,” Li said, adding that the One Foundation is still an infant（n.婴儿，幼儿；未成年人；初学者，生手adj.婴儿的，幼儿的；幼稚的，幼小的；初期的；未成年的），but he has confidence it will grow into a giant that can shoulder a great burden.
Li said the foundation will not simply collect and deliver cash or material donations for the
needy, but develop and popularize the idea of giving love.
“Everyone participates and that brings out natural kindness. The important thing is being truly loving and caring, which cannot be measured by amount of money.
“My breath will cease（vt.停止，终止，结束vi.终止，停止；永不停止的过程；停止行动n.停止）someday, but the beauty of love should be carried on forever through this, generation by generation.”
One Foundation includes not only China, but the whole world.
“We combine our charitable（adj.仁慈的，慈善的；宽恕的，宽厚的；慷慨的）strength and make sure that the most vul nerable members of our global family will receive the help they need.”
Li said he plans to start One Foundation in Singapore this year, mainly to foster（vt.培养，促进vt.& vi.收养，养育adj.（与某些代养有关的名词连用）；养育的；领养的；照顾孤儿的）10 to 20 NGO professionals.
He also hopes to sta rt it in India, whose population when added to China’s is two-fifths of the entire world.
Li admitted that the credibility of a single person like himself is very limited, but fortunately many world leading partners have come to join the fund’s management, including global giants in consulting, accounting, marketing, public relations and banking.
“It is because of the powerful credibility established by them that One Foundation raised more than 60 million yuan within two weeks of the devastating Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan province,” Li said.
Li added he was now under more pressure.
“Raising money is easy, but how to scientifically and rationally apply it is far more important and difficult.”
He said One Foundation will closely watch the policies of the central government in the relief and reconstruction of quake-hit areas and will work with the government and other NGOs to efficiently distribute the donation program in Singapore to train NGO talent in Singapore this year.
Li will devote this year to the foundation by giving up all acting work to focus on the charity. Since early this year Li has traveled throughout the world to study charities in other countries. In November One Foundation will also hold its first charity forum
(From /language_tips/cdaudio/2008-05/30/content_6724261.htm) Key to Exercises
Exercise 1 Making a Sound Judgment
Students are asked to listen to the passage and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).
F 1) One Foundation was set up to help the poor and the needy in China.
F 2) The foundation is a governmental organization.
F 3) Li plans to start One Foundation in five countries this year.
F 4) The sole aim of the foundation is to collect and deliver cash or material donations for the
needy.
T 5) Jet Li will cease film production for the entire year, devoting all of his time to developing and growing the foundation.
Exercise 2 Listening for Details
Students are asked to listen to the passage again and fill in the blanks with the missing information.
1) According to Jet Li, their goal is to build a sustainable, professional, and trustworthy foundation to encourage social development and bring out mass participation in philanthropic giving and volunteerism in each human being.
2) M any world leading partners have come to join the fund’s management, including global giants in consulting, accounting, marketing, public relations and banking.
3) One Foundation raised more than 60 million yuan within two weeks of the devastating
Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan province.
Cultural Note
History of the One Foundation: While Jet Li was vacationing in the Maldives（马尔代夫群岛）on December 26, 2004 with his family, the Great Southeast Asian Tsunami（海啸）of 2004 struck. He was immediately able to grab hold of his older daughter while his younger daughter (a toddler at the time) was swept aside by the water. As a result of his calls for help and recognition amongst the locals, she was saved and reunited with Jet Li. Understanding that in life there are countless times when help is given by others, he was inspired by this incident to create and set up the Jet Li One Foundation as his way of giving back.
Task 2
In task 2, students will listen to a piece of news about healthcare reform package in China and do the exercises as required. Before listening, they are supposed to read the words, expressions and cultural notes related to the news.
Transcript
Healthcare N etwork to “Cover A ll”
China aims to expand its medical insurance to cover all citizens and upgrade services through its new healthcare reform package, Health minister Chen Zhu said at the ongoing CPPCC session. The government already put the 850-billion-yuan ($124 billion) plans into action from January 21 following public criticism over soaring（vi.高飞；飞腾；猛增，剧增；高耸，屹立n.高飞；高涨；高飞范围；上升高度vt.高飞越过；飞升到）medical fees, a lack of affordable services, poor doctor-patient relationships and low insurance coverage.
“We will improve medical insurance systems and services to ensure both equality and
ef ficiency when it comes to healthcare,” the minister said.
The package lists public health, rural areas, urban community services and basic medical insurance as the four key areas for government investment. It also promises to tighten control on medical fee s in public hospitals, with a “basic medicine system” set up to include a catalog（n.目录，目录册，目录簿；[美]大学概况一览；登记，记载；产品样本vt.登记；为…编目；编目录；记载v.把…按目录分类；把…编目）of the most prescribed（vt.指定，规定；指定，规定vi.建立规定，法律或指示；开处方，给医嘱）medicines to ease（n.轻松，舒适；容易；安逸；不拘束，自在vt.解除痛苦；减轻；延缓；松弛vi.缓解，减少；轻松前进）concerns of rising drug costs.
Chen admitted there was pressure to make the plan happen, with cooperation vital（adj.维持生命所必需的；至关重要的；生死攸关的；生气勃勃的）, especially in areas such as attempts to eliminate the chronic （adj.慢性的；长期的；习惯性的；痼）prescribe-for-pay phenomenon.
But he assured new cooperative medical systems in rural areas, expansions to urban community health services and public health will be top priorities for government investment.
In recent years, the government has promoted a rural system guided and supported by it but with volunteers working on its administration, as well as also financed by individuals and collectives. The new system focuses on serious disease planning and mutual aid and fraternity （n.兄弟会；大学生联谊会；友爱）between rural residents.
A Ministry of Health report last week showed about 1 billion Chinese—from a population of
1.3 billion—were covered by some sort of health insurance by the end of 2008, including 814 million rural residents.
In an a ttempt to improve the country’s medical services, especially those at the grassroots（n.基层，基层民众；草根adj.基层的；草根的；乡村的）level, China will build another 5,000 clinics at the township level, 2,000 hospitals at the county level and 2,400 urban community clinics in three years, the minister said.
At the same time, China will also increase spending on public health to enhance prevention and education.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health show China’s financial costs in healthcare reached 2.36 trillion yuan in 2005, two-thirds of which were related to cases involving chronic diseases.
(From /language_tips/cdaudio/2009-03/04/content_7535437.htm) Key to Exercises
Exercise 1 Listen to Draw Inferences
Students are asked to listen to the news and choose the best answers to the questions.
1) B
2) D
3) B
Exercise 2 Listening for Details
Students are asked to listen to the news again and fill in the blanks with the missing information.
1) China aims to expand its medical insurance to cover all citizens and upgrade services through its new healthcare reform package.
2) The package lists public health, rural areas, urban community services and basic medical insurance as the four key areas for government investment.
3) China will build another 5,000 clinics at the township level, 2,000 hospitals at the county level and 2,400 urban community clinics in three years, the minister said.
Additional Listening
In this section, students will listen to a radio address by the former U.S. president Bush about drug control in the U.S. and do the exercises as required. Before listening, they are supposed to read the words, expressions and cultural notes related to the address.
Transcript
U.S. National Drug Control Strategy of 2008
Good morning. Today, my Administration is releasing(vt.释放；放开；发布；发行n.释放，排放，解除；释放令；公映的新影片，发布的新闻[消息]) our 2008 National Drug Control Strategy. This report lays out the methods we are using to combat(n.格斗，搏斗，战斗；〈美〉竞赛，比赛；论战vt.与…战斗；与…斗争；防止；减轻) drug abuse in America. And it highlights the hopeful progress we’re making in the fight against addiction.
When I took office in 2001, our country was facing a troubling rate of drug abuse, particularly among young people. Throughout America, young men and women saw their dreams disrupted(vt:使混乱；扰乱) by the destructive cycle of addiction. So I committed our Nation to an ambitious goal: In 2002, we began efforts to cut drug use among young people by 25 percent over five years.
Our strategy has three key elements. First, we are working to disrupt the supply of drugs by strengthening law enforcement and partnering with other countries to keep drugs out of the United States. Second, we’re working to reduce the demand for drugs through prevention and education programs. And third, we’re providing treatment options for those who’ve fallen prey to addiction. These efforts have produced measurable results. Since 2001, the rate of youth drug abuse has dropped by 24 percent. Young people’s use of marijuana is down by 25 percent. Their use of Ecstasy has dropped by more than 50 percent. And their use of methamphetamine has declined by 64 percent. Overall, an estimated 860,000 fewer young people in America are using drugs today than when we began these efforts.
Our drug control strategy will continue all three elements of this successful approach. It will also target a growing problem—the abuse of prescription drugs by youth. Unfortunately, many young Americans do not understand how dangerous abusing medication can be. And in recent years, the number of Americans who have died from prescription drug overdoses has increased.
One of the factors behind this trend is the growing availability of highly addictive prescription drugs online. The Internet has brought about tremendous benefits for those who
cannot easily get to a pharmacy in person. However, it has also created an opportunity for unscrupulous doctors and pharmacists to profit from addiction.
One victim of such a doctor was Ryan Haight. The young man from California was only 18 when he overdosed on pain killers that were illegally prescribed over the Internet. With only a few clicks of the mouse, Ryan was able to get a prescription from a doctor he had never met and have the pills sent to his front door. The doctor who wrote Ryan’s prescription had prev iously served time in prison for illegally dispensing controlled substances.
We need to prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future. So I’m asking Congress to work with my Administration to put an end to the illegal sale of highly addictive prescription drugs on the Internet. By working together to meet this goal, we can ensure a safer future for our children.
Government action is only one part of the solution to the problem of drug abuse. Others in our society have an important role to play as well. People in the entertainment and sports industries serve as role models to millions of young Americans, and that comes with the responsibility to dispel the notion that drug abuse is glamorous and free of consequences. Teachers, pastors, and parents also have an obligation to help young people develop the character and self-respect to resist drugs. The Federal Government will continue to do its part to keep our young people safe, and I urge all Americans to do the same. Our children deserve nothing less.
Thank you for listening!
(From /lesson/meiguozongtongyanshuo/54317.html) Key to Exercises
Exercise 1 Listening and Summarizing
Students are asked to listen to the address and write a summary about it.
The measures taken by the Bush government to combat drug abuse since 2001 have proved effective. The 2008 strategy will continue the three elements of the successful approach and target a growing problem—prescription drug abuse by youth, which mainly resulted from the growing accessibility of such drugs online. Therefore, in this address President Bush called for the joint effort of the government and individuals to put an end to that and help young people develop the character and self-respect to resist drugs.
Exercise 2 Listening for Deeper Understanding
Students are asked to listen to the address again and answer the following questions.
1) What are the three key elements of the strategy? Try to describe each element with no more than 3 words.
disrupt the supply; reduce the demand; provide treatment options
2) Has the government achieved its goal made in 2002?
Not yet. The rate has just dropped by 24% in six years.
3) Who is Ryan Haight? Why did Bush mention him in this address?
He is a victim of prescription drug abuse. His tragedy was mentioned to warn the U.S. public, especially the young of the hazards of this practice.
Part III Oral Practice
In this part, students will have 3 tasks to accomplish.
Task 1 Information Sharing
Exercise 1
Students are asked to draw a family tree on a piece of paper and explain “who is who” to their partners according to the given picture.
Reference Answer(omitted)
Exercise 2
There is nothing more valuable to families than time together. And yet it seems tougher than ever to find, with so many of us living such busy lives. Students are asked to plan a family day involving at least 2 of the activities on the given pictures and share it with the group.
Reference for the Family Day Plan
There are four activities on my family day list—exercises, camping, a dinner and family reading.
For a start, we’ll have some physical exercises. Spring is a wonderful season, with its warm, sunny days, cool evenings and postcard perfect colors. It’s the perfect time to get in shape. I’d like to get outside and enjoy the season with my family by bicycling, walking, hiking, jogging, playing badminton, or any other outdoor activity. The exercises may help to keep the whole family physically and emotionally healthier, I believe. In fact, I plan to involve my whole family in a new fitness routine against obesity. By exercising together, we can keep one another motivated, and it will be more fun.
Then, I dream of going camping with my family at a park with both hills and lakes. It’s absolutely the perfect chance to spend some fun quality time. Doing a week at a summer camp with the family can make great memories: outdoors fun during the day-time, campfires at night. The fun is endless. Can you imagine that? The whole family will go nuts for soaking up freshwater fun. Back on land, the pace of excitement never slows down! We may walk hand-in-hand along romantic, winding tracks through the forest or just read a book in the folding chairs for a moment of peace. I bet the time spent out in nature will do as much good for our mind as for our body.。