Exercise Two(1)

Exercise TwoDirections: Listen to the following passages carefully and try to fill in the missing words. You will hear the passages only once.1. Focus on the Main IdeaListening and reading require many skills in common. Finding the main idea in a paragraph is just one of these skills. The purpose of this talk is to discuss what a main idea is and how to (1) the main idea. Perhaps the best way to understand the main idea is to think of it as the (2) idea, or the most important idea which gives the paragraph purpose and (3) . That is to say, when you are trying to find the main idea, you are actually thinking about the purpose of the given paragraph: Is it to (4) you about something, to explain, to narrate? Or is it to (5) , to argue, to persuade, etc..? When you get the right answer for yourself, you are likely to have got the main idea.The main idea of a paragraph is usually (6) in what is called a topic sentence. More often than not, the topic sentence is the first sentence of a paragraph. It is followed by other sentences, containing supporting (7) . When a difficult idea is discussed or when the purpose of the paragraph is to (8)and convince, the topic sentence is sometimes placed at the end of the paragraph. If a paragraph has an (9) main idea, it does not have a stated topic sentence. The main idea is (10) at by the sentences in the paragraph as a whole.2. Don’t Attempt to Write Too MuchNote taking is a very (1) skill. But it is essential in listening. It helps us organize facts and retain concepts for later use. Taking good notes requires us to do two things quickly. First, to recognize the main topics; and second, to write down the important details and (2) examples as we hear and understand. In other words, our note-taking should keep (3) with the speaker‟s thinking process.The general principle for note taking is to (4) the language by shortening the words and sentences that we hear. It is important to remember that we should not attempt to write too much. That is to say, we should learn to write the (5) to give sufficient meaning. And we should also learn to choose an (6) time to write the notes quickly and lay them out clearly. Some commonly used Latin(7) are often very useful in note taking. For example, cf. --- compare or compare with; i.e.--- that is; e.g. --- for example; and etc. --- et cetera, and so on.One way to take notes of dialogues or conversations is to write down different speakers‟words in separate spaces, such as separate (8) or lines. This will help us (9) up each speaker‟s views and opinions correctly. Of course, note taking is a highly (10) skill. So we should make constant efforts to develop good ways of note taking which are effective and suitable to ourselves.3. Be Careful with NumbersQuick and accurate response to numbers is very important in daily communication. Telephone numbers, addresses, prices, temperatures, time and dates are all closely (1) with the use of numbers. Besides, numbers also play a very important part in (2) programs such as scientific stories, statistics update, and reports about ongoing events of various kinds. Although identification of numbers in (3) is usually easy, number identification through listening proves to be a big problem for many people. In actual listening, weare often required to get the numbers immediately after we hear them. And failure to get a correct number, sometimes a mere mistake in (4) , can seriously affect the understanding of the whole story and therefore cause severe (5) . The differences between million and billion, “teen‟s”and “ty‟s” are so great that no one can simply afford to ignore them.Numbers are sometimes read in different ways. For example, “seventeen point five million” or “seventeen million five hundred thousand” can also be read as “seventeen and one half million.” (6) training in numbers can help us get familiar with these different yet still regular ways of number (7) . For easy reading and writing, numbers of more than four digits are often separated by (8) into groups of three digits each. For example, 1,234,567 is one million, two hundred and thirty-four thousand, and five hundred and sixty-seven. Saying numbers over to yourselves after you hear them can increase your (9)to numbers. Numbers are all around us. Let us practice with numbers and learn to be (10) at numbers.4. How Is It Being Said---Formal or Informal LanguageA distinction is sometimes made between “formal” language situations and “informal” language situations. For example, a difference exists between a formal lecture and an informal (1) between friends. A lecture or a public address is expected to consist of relatively (2) speech. The language is more (3)than would be heard in informal conversation. Most lecturers and public speakers plan in advance what to say, and may have notes, or even a complete text, to guide them through the speech. The language they use tends more towards written language than that used in ordinary everyday talk. Their language is “formal” in contrast with the "informal" language of (4) produced speech.Unfortunately for the language learner, the division is not as neat as this. Frequently, for example, a lecturer delivering a very formal lecture (5) to informal language when making an aside or recounting an anecdote. Or a person describing a (6) matter to a friend over coffee may switch in and out of formal and informal styles. A doctor, for example, talking to a friend about his medical condition will probably describe the condition in fairly formal language and then go on to explain it in more informal language. Between the (7) , a range of formality or informality exists. This depends on the social setting, the relative ages and status of the speaker and listener, their attitudes to each other and the topic, to what extent they share the same (8) knowledge, and so on.Many language learners have limited experience of English language in informal situations. In their lessons they tend to use formal language. They have particular difficulty when switching to informal language within a formal situation. For the foreign language learner, (9) the importance of these scattered informal(10) is a problem. Therefore, focusing not only on what is said, but also on how it is being said, is an important listening skill.5. Making Use of Them--- Signals and FillersA speaker has many ways to indicate that he or she is moving from one point to another, or giving an example, or repeating a point, or whatever. To a language learner these signals can easily be (1) . Lecturers, for example, in a formal situation generally show clearly when a new point begins. They use expressions like "Secondly..." or "Then...". They may pause or make a (2) or move slightly. A change to a new point is often made by increased loudnessor a change of pitch. In spontaneous conversations, a different (3) indicates a new idea or the repeating of something the listener already knows. Students need to learn to listen to and watch the speaker for the "signals" in order to (4) the various parts of a speech.Pauses in speech give the listener time to think about what has been said and to relate it to what has gone before. Beginning students find it easier to listen to speakers who make long pauses between the "bits" of their utterances. Pause (5) depends on the speaker‟s speech habits, on the behavior and reactions of those listening, and on the speaker‟s (6) to work out what to say next. Long (7) in speech are often filled with sounds or expressions such as “er...”, “erm...”, “and er ...” sim ply to avoid long silences, which are thought to be (8) in English conversation. A good idea is to explain the use of these “fillers”, particularly to speakers of languages where long silences are a normal conversation feature. They can then (9) them and know that fillers such as “er”, “erm”, “and er...” are not part of the (10)message.6. Letting Things Go---Speed and VocabularyMany English language learners believe that the greatest difficulty with listening comprehension is that the listener cannot (1) how quickly a speaker speaks. They feel that the utterances disappear before they can sort them out, whereas the words in a written text remain on the page where the reader can (2)back at them or re-examine them thoroughly. This frequently means that students who are learning to listen cannot keep up. They are so busy working out the meaning of one part of what they hear that they miss the next part. Or they simply ignore a whole section because they fail to sort it all out quickly enough. Either way, they (3) .Another difficulty is that the listener is not always in a (4) to get the speaker to repeat what has been said. And, of course, repeats cannot be asked for when listening to the radio or watching television.Choice of vocabulary is in the hands of the speaker, not the listener, although in some circumstances it is possible to stop the speaker and ask for (5) . Sometimes, listeners can get the meaning of a word from its context. But very often, for people listening to a foreign language, an unknown word can be like a suddenly dropped (6) causing them to stop and think about the meaning of the word and thus making them miss the next part of the speech. In listening, it really is a case of “He who hesitates is lost!”Indeed, (7) to listen to what is coming, and letting things that have passed go rather than dwelling upon them, often gives surprising good results. Speakers often say things more than once, or rephrase them, or another speaker echoes what has been said. The listener who has not “stopped” to dwell on a half-missed point gets a second, or even third chance to fill the (8) in the message he or she is receiving.Students need to develop the skill of keeping up with the speaker (even being ahead of the speaker) even if this means letting parts which they have failed to sort out (9) . Professor H. H. Stern says that the good l anguage learner is the one who “can tolerate vagueness and (10) of knowledge.” This is especially true of good listeners.7. Thinking Ahead of the Speaker--- Anticipation HelpsListening is an extremely complex (1) activity. In this book Principles and Implications of Cognitive Psychology, Neisser defines listening as a “temporally extendedactivity” in which the listener “continuously develops more or less specific readiness for what will come next.” In other words, an effectiv e listener is constantly setting up a hypothesis in his mind, and also, he is constantly testing his hypothesis by (2)it with what he has heard in reality. If he hears what he has expected, he receives the information. But if what he hears is totally out of his expectation, he fails to get the message.The skill to anticipate what is coming in listening comprehension depends largely on the listener‟s (3)with the theme of the message. It also depends on the listener‟s (4) of the speaker as well as the setting. Obviously, when we listen to something that we already have some information about, it is generally a lot easier for us to take in the new information. Therefore, (5) preparation seems to have a big role to play in enhancing listening comprehension. Before actual listening, we could perhaps first give some thought to the topic, discuss it with others, read some (6) materials and do some vocabulary work. If we could make ourselves fully (7) for the forthcoming talks or lectures, we are more likely to become effective listeners.Of course, (8) beforehand is not at all enough. Active thinking must take place all the way through. In fact, we should always try to think ahead of the speaker. The ability to anticipate helps us in (9) and intelligent guesswork. It does not only enable us to know generally what a person is going to talk about in a certain situation, but also, interestingly enough, sometimes even exactly what a person‟s next (10)is going to be in a discussion!8. You Just Can’t Remember So Much ---Learn to Select, Learn to SimplifyAt a certain stage of English listening, some students may report a kind of unpleasant or even (1)experience. They say that while listening, they seem to understand everything that they hear, but as soon as the voice stops, all is gone! They say that they just can‟t remember what they heard, not to mention writing down or speaking out. What causes this problem? Is it also your complaint?Let us try to discuss the matter from two perspectives. First, knowing some difference between comprehension and (2) is important. When we learn a new language, we usually pass through at least three communication stages, namely, the one-way stage, the (3) two-way stage and the full two-way stage. Obviously, there‟s a gap between. Just as Brown and Terrell point out in their books on language learning and language teaching. “The (4) to produce an item should not be taken to mean that the learner cannot comprehend it.” Therefore, if we can comprehend what is being said to us, we have achieved the first (5) . That‟s quite encouraging! Secondly, of course, we‟ll have to move on. And we must be aware of some possible traps on our way to effective listening. When we listen, are we paying equal attention to every element in each utterance? Are we attempting to memorize and repeat and write down all the details in a passage? If so, we need to think for a while. Human memory can retain only a limited amount of information at a time. Therefore, only by learning to select and (6) can we possibly absorb what is really important and then remember what is the most (7) . In fact, when we listen, we usually listen with a purpose. Although it is sometimes necessary to get detailed and specific information on the subject, it is, more often than not, quite enough for us to (8) the key words and the main points. Furthermore, in the course of listening, if we are capable of (9) the complicated sentence structures into simple ones, interrogative into affirmative, or passive into active, our brain will certainly do amuch (10) job in helping our memory.9. Represent the Ideas Clear and Clean--- OutliningOutlining is a method of (1) and organizing ideas. It is a skill very useful to language learners when they are taking lecture notes, reading, or writing a paper. In listening, the skill of outlining reflects, to a certain extent, the listener‟s ability in understanding how the facts or ideas, or the (2) pieces of information are related to one another.People generally use a system of Roman numerals, Arabic numbers, and letters to show relationships. There is a kind of standard form for using these (3) to show which ideas are most important. The symbols used, in order of (4) importance, are Roman numerals ( I , II, III, ...) , capital letters (A, B, C, ...) , Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, ...) , and numbers in parentheses [ ( 1 ) , (2) , (3) , ... ].The placement of the topics on paper is also important. The most important items are entered farther to the left. (5) items are entered farther and farther to the fight. Headings of (6) importance are indented the same distance from the left margin. The purpose of this indentation is to make each idea easy to see and also to show just how it is (7) to the ideas before and after it. No (8) is needed at the end of an idea unless it is written as a (9) sentence.Outlining, as a fairly comprehensive and effective method in language learning, certainly deserves our attention and (10) , particularly for advanced listeners.The blank form of an outline looks like this:I.A.B.1.a.b.2.C.II.A.1.2.B.C.10. The "Inverted Pyramid" in News ReportingBroadcasting news in English has some particular (1) , such as its style, its structure, the choice of words, and the logical order of presentation, etc.The standardized narrative (2) in news reporting is often called the "inverted pyramid". That is to say, the most important information is usually included in the news lead. And a news lead, in a sense, is also a condensed form of a complete news story. Each (3) sentence becomes less significant, providing further information on the “who”, “what”, “where”,“when” or …how”.If we want to sum up a certain news item, we can take words from either inside or outside the news stories. We can say, for example, “this news is about somebody‟s (4) onsomething”, or “it‟s about the (5)between country A and count ry B”.Other words such as (6) , remarks, attitudes, analysis can also be very useful.Apart from current news, radio reports on some breaking-throughs in science and technology also help update our knowledge about the world. However, vocabulary has proved to be a problem that often (7)our understanding of the new information. Therefore, in order to enhance our ability in listening, words that frequently appear in some popular science programs should be carefully studied. Besides, if we have a close examination of the (8) reports, we may find that they are often divided into different parts or paragraphs on the “(9) ”, the “test or experiment procedures”, the“observa ti ons”, the “findings or results” and so on. Thi s kind of knowledge also helps us in following the (10) developments in science.Key to Exercise 21. Focus on the Main Idea( 1 ) recognize ( 2 ) central ( 3 ) direction (4) inform ( 5 ) compare(6) stated (7) details (8) persuade (9) implied (10) hinted2. Don't Attempt to Write Too Much(1) complex (2) supporting (3) pace (4) reduce (5) minimum(6) appropriate (7)abbreviations (8)columns (9)sum (10)personal3. Be Careful with Numbers( 1 ) linked ( 2 ) broadcast ( 3 ) print ( 4 ) digit ( 5 ) losses(6) Intensive ( 7 ) presentations (8) commas (9) sensitivity (10) good4. How Is It Being Said -- Formal or Informal Language(1) chat (2) well-organized ( 3 ) structured (4) spontaneously(5) switches (6) complicated ( 7 ) extremes ( 8 ) background(9) judging (10) utterances5. Making Use of Them -- Signals and Fillers(1) missed ( 2 ) gesture ( 3 ) intonation (4) connect(5) length ( 6 ) need ( 7 ) gaps ( 8 ) embarrassing(9) recognize (10) essential6. Letting Things Go -- Speed and V ocabulary( 1 ) control (2) glance ( 3 ) fail (4) position( 5 ) clarification (6) barrier ( 7 ) determination ( 8 ) gap( 9 ) pass ( 10 ) incompleteness7. Thinking Ahead of the Speaker -- Anticipation Helps( 1 )communicative (2)matching (3)familiarity (4)knowledge( 5 ) pre-listening (6) related (7) orientated ( 8 ) readiness( 9 ) logical ( 10 ) utterance8. You Just Can't Remember So Much -- Learn to Select, Learn to Simplify( 1 ) frustrating ( 2 ) production ( 3 ) partial (4) inability( 5 ) goal ( 6 ) simplify ( 7 ) essential ( 8 ) grasp( 9 ) turning (10) smarter9. Represent the Ideas Clear and Clean -- Outlining( 1 ) classifying ( 2 ) scattered ( 3 ) symbols (4) decreasing ( 5 ) Lesser (6) equal ( 7 ) related ( 8 ) punctuation ( 9 ) complete ( 10 ) practice10. The "Inverted Pyramid" in News Reporting( 1 )characteristics (2)procedure (3)succeeding (4)view( 5 ) relationship ( 6 ) comments ( 7 ) hinders ( 8 ) experiment (9) subjects (10) latest。