英语听力短文训练材料

【导语】在英语听⼒⾥，短⽂听⼒是难度较⼤的⼀种，因此，考⽣可以在⽇常的英语听⼒⾥多进⾏⼀些短⽂听⼒，强化⾃⼰这⽅⾯的英语听⼒能⼒。

下⾯是分享的英语听⼒短⽂训练材料。

欢迎阅读参考！
1.英语听⼒短⽂训练材料
《酸奶》
When you open a container of yogurt, you’ll often see liquid collected on top. Some people mix it back into the yogurt, and others drain it off. What is it, and where does it come from?
打开⼀盒酸奶，你常常会发现有⼀层液体浮在表⾯。

有的⼈把它拌⼊酸奶中，有的⼈则将这层液体倒掉。

这层液体究竟是什么东西，它⼜是从哪来的呢?
To solve the mystery of the liquid in yogurt, let’s take a few steps back, to the milk that yogurt is made of. Milk has two different types of proteins. Most of the proteins are casein proteins, and the rest are whey proteins–of curds and whey fame.
为了揭开酸奶中这层液体的神秘⾯纱，让我们往回追溯，去看看制作酸奶的原料—⽜奶。

⽜奶有两种不同类型的蛋⽩质。

⼤部分蛋⽩质是酪蛋⽩，其余是乳清蛋⽩，包括凝质和乳清。

If you look at a glass of milk, you can’t tell the casein from the whey. But that changes when special bacteria are added to milk to make yogurt. Yogurt-producing bacteria ferment the sugars in milk and produce an acid. As a result, the mixture is more acidic than before, and this higher acidity solidifies the casein proteins. The whey proteins, on the other hand, don’t solidify, and separate out from the casein as liquid.
单单看⼀杯⽜奶，我们是⽆法从中分辨出酪蛋⽩和乳清的。

但是往⽜奶中加⼊特殊的细菌来制作酸奶时，情况就不⼀样了。

制作酸奶⽤的细菌会发酵⽜奶中的糖并制成酸。

因此，混合物⽐之前更酸，更⾼的酸度使得酪蛋⽩凝固。

⽽另⼀⽅⾯，乳清蛋⽩则不会凝固，它会从酪蛋⽩中以液体的形式分离出来。

Yogurt you buy in the store has a stabilizer, usually fruit pectin, to keep the solid casein and liquid whey mixed together. But some of the whey still separates out from the casein, and that’s what you see when you open the yogurt container.
你在超市买到的酸奶中含有⼀种稳定剂，通常是果胶，它的作⽤是让固体的酪蛋⽩和液体的乳清混合在⼀起。

但是部分乳清仍然从酪蛋⽩中分离出来，那就是你在打开酸奶包装时所看到的液体。

Whey contains not only proteins but also B vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin, and thiamin, which can’t be found in the solid portion of the yogurt. Because of the nutritional value of whey, your best bet is to mix it back into the rest of the yogurt, then gobble it down!
乳清不仅含有蛋⽩质还有维⽣素B，维⽣素B包括核黄素，烟酸和硫*素，这些物质反倒⽆法在酸奶的固体部分中获得。

因为乳清的营养价值，你的选择是把它和酸奶搅拌在⼀起，然后⼀饮⽽尽!
2.英语听⼒短⽂训练材料
《天花的历史》
In Shakespeare’s day, wishing a pox on someone was a terrible curse. Ten percent of the population in 17th century London died gruesomely of smallpox, a virus spread easily by airborne particles or contaminated clothing. Infection began with fever, aches, sneezing, and nausea. Soon a rash of red dots appeared, often covering the skin with dripping scabs. Though some recovered, people could become blind, deaf, or severely scarred from smallpox.
在莎⼠⽐亚时代，诅咒某⼈得天花是⾮常恶毒的。

在17世纪的伦敦，有百分之⼗的⼈死于天花这种恐怖的疾病,这是⼀种可以通过空⽓和被污染的⾐服传播的病毒。

患者被感染后的前驱症状是发烧、疼痛、打喷嚏和恶⼼。

随后很快出现红⾊斑丘疹，⽽后通常会发展成⽪肤上的滴痂。

尽管有些⼈病愈了，但是他们会因此失去听觉、双⽬失明或者留下很深的疤痕。

None of the physicians’ attempts to treat smallpox with sheep manure or a golden needle helped at all. But European peasants and traditional healers in Africa and Asia had discovered that exposure to a very small dose of the virus offered some protection.
当时的内科医⽣尝试⽤⽺粪或⾦针帮助治疗天花，但是毫⽆作⽤。

但是欧洲的'农民和⾮洲及亚洲的传统医师发现，感染极少量的天花病毒会带给⼈体⼀定的免疫作⽤。

Traditional healers inoculated scratches in the skin with a small amount of pus infected with smallpox. About one in 200 people died from this procedure, but most became mildly sick, recovering in a few days. In the process, they gained immunity to the disease.
传统医师通过给正常⼈注射天花患者的少量脓液来进⾏预防接种。

这种治疗⽅法的死亡率是两百分之⼀，但是⼤多数⼈症状轻微，会在⼏天内恢复。

在这个过程中，他们获得了对天花病毒的免疫⼒。

Because smallpox inoculation exposed people to such a tiny dose of the virus, it caused far fewer deaths than the natural spread of the disease. Still, London physicians were skeptical of anything peasants or traditional healers did. Not until fashionable Lady Mary Wortley Montagu returned from Turkey did it catch on with the upper classes.
因为接种天花疫苗时使⽤的病毒剂量是⾮常微⼩的,它所导致的死亡和天花的⾃然传播相⽐是微不⾜道的。

不过,伦敦医⽣对农民和传统医师的这种治疗⽅法仍旧持怀疑态度。

直到玛丽•沃尔特利•孟塔古从⼟⽿其回国后，这种治疗⽅法才在上流社会中流⾏起来。

Having observed Turkish healers, Lady Mary had her son inoculated in London and published a pamphlet explaining the procedure. Soon, even physicians saw that inoculation gave people a better chance of contracting a mild case of smallpox, preventing many deaths.
通过观察⼟⽿其医师的治疗⽅法,玛丽夫⼈让她的⼉⼦接受了预防接种，并且在伦敦出版了⼀个⼩册⼦来解释这种治疗过程。

很快，甚⾄是那些内科医⽣也注意到这种接种⽅法只会让⼈们出现轻微的天花症状，它拯救了很多⼈的性命。

3.英语听⼒短⽂训练材料
《虚拟学校》
Forty-two of the fifty American states offered some kind of public online learning this past school year. One state, Michigan, now requires all students to have an online learning experience before they finish high school.
过去的⼀个学年，美国50个州中有42个州提供了某种形式的公共上学习。

现在，密歇根州要求所有学⽣在⾼中毕业之前都有络学习经历。

Even the idea of a school has changed since the rise of the Internet in the nineteen nineties.
⾃90年代互联兴起以来，学校的理念甚⾄都已经发⽣了变化。

A new report from the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University says eighteen states have full-time virtual schools. There are no buildings. All classes are online.
印第安纳⼤学评估和教育政策中⼼⼀份新的报告称，18个州拥有全⽇制虚拟学校，没有校舍，所有的课程都是在络上学习。

Online learners might work at different times. But there might be set times for class discussions — by text, voice or video — and virtual office hours for teachers.
络学院可以在不同的时间学习，但是课堂讨论必须在既定的时间进⾏——通过短信、⾳频或视频——对于教师来说也有固定的虚拟⼯作时间。

Flofida started the first statewide public virtual school in the United States in nineteen ninety-seven.
1997年，佛罗⾥达开设了美国⾸个全州范围的公⾥虚拟学校。

Today, the Florida Virtual School offers more than ninety courses. Fifty-six thousand students were enrolled as of December. Almost sixty percent were female. The school's Web site says each student was enrolled in an average of two classes.
今天，佛罗⾥达虚拟学校提供了90多门课程。

截⽌到12⽉份，已有5.6万名学⽣⼊学，其中接近60%的学⽣是⼥性。

该学校站称，每个学⽣都参加平均两个班级。

Two-thirds were also enrolled in public or charter schools. Charter schools are privately operated with public money. Other students are home-schooled or in private school.
三分之⼆的学⽣同时还在公⽴学校或政府特许学校就读。

政府特许学校由私⼈运营，但是由公众提供资⾦。

其他学⽣则在家接受教育或在私⽴学校就读。

Florida Virtual School has now opened the Florida Virtual Global School. Students in other countries pay for classes. Janet Heiking teaches an English class. She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her students live as far away as Africa and Japan.
佛罗⾥达虚拟学校现在开设了佛罗⾥达虚拟全球学校。

其他国家的学⽣缴纳费⽤来学习。

珍妮特·海靖是⼀个英语班的教
师。

她住在印第安纳州的印第安纳波利斯。

她的学⽣则远在⾮洲甚⾄⽇本。

So how good are virtual schools? Students have shown mixed results, as that new report from Indiana University notes.
那么，虚拟学校到底怎么样呢?印第安纳⼤学这份报告指出，研究表明，表明学校⽔平参差不齐。

For example, students at Florida Virtual School earned higher grades than those taking the same courses the traditional way. And they scored higher on a statewide test.
例如，佛罗⾥达虚拟学校的学⽣⽐按照传统⽅法学习同样课程的学⽣取得的分数更⾼。

在全州的.考试中，他们的分数也更⾼。

But virtual school students in Kansas and Colorado had lower test scores or performed at a lower level than traditional learners.
但是，堪萨斯和科罗拉多虚拟学校的学⽣则⽐传统的学⽣得分更低，表现更差。

Educaiton experts say the mixed results suggest the need for more research to find the best ways to teach in virtual schools. Also, they say schools of education need to train more teachers to work in both physical and virtual classrooms.
教育专家表⽰，这些表现不⼀的结果表明，需要进⾏更多的研究来发现的虚拟学校教学⽅法。

同时，他们说，教育类学校需要培养更多教师，能够同时在实体和虚拟教室授课。

4.英语听⼒短⽂训练材料
《伊丽莎⽩·泰勒》
Legendary Hollywood actress Elizabeth Taylor has died at the age of 79. A statement from Taylor's family says she died peacefully, with her children at her side. The veteran actress, known for movies such as "National Velvet," which made her a star at the age of 12, and "Cleopatra," had been suffering from congestive heart failure. She had been hospitalized in Los Angeles for the past six weeks.
好莱坞传奇⼥影星伊丽莎⽩·泰勒去世，享年79岁。

泰勒家⼈发表的⼀份表明说，她在安详中去世，她的⼦⼥守在她⾝边。

在过去6个星期⾥，这位资深的⼥演员因为患有充⾎性⼼⼒衰竭⽽在洛杉矶的医院⾥住院。

她因主演《⽟⼥神驹》和《埃及艳后》等影⽚出名。

《⽟⼥神驹》这⼀影⽚使泰勒12岁的时候就成为明星。

Taylor won Academy Awards for her role in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Butterfield 8." In later years, she was a spokeswoman for humanitarian causes, notably AIDS research. That work gained her a special Oscar in 1993.
泰勒因在影⽚《谁怕弗吉尼亚·沃尔夫?》以及《青楼艳*》⾥的出⾊表演⽽荣获奥斯卡奖。

她在后来的时间⾥担任了⼈道主义事业的发⾔⼈，特别是艾滋病研究。

她因这⽅⾯的贡献于1993年荣获奥斯卡特别奖。

Taylor was sometimes called the most beautiful woman in the world. In addition to her work in film, the Oscar-winning actress was also well known for her off-screen drama, including being married eight times, twice to actor Richard Burton.
泰勒被称为“全世界最漂亮的'⼥⼈”。

除了演电影以外，这位获得奥斯卡奖的⼥演员也因为她在银屏外的戏剧性经历⽽⼴为⼈知，这其中包括结婚8次，其中两次是与演员理查德·伯顿结婚。

Born in London to American parents, she moved to Los Angeles before World War II, and went from child star to Hollywood starlet to movie icon. But she gained attention for more than just her beauty and acting talent. Her srormy personal life and numerous marriages, as well as her friendship with pop icon Michael Jackson, made her a constant source of stories for the press.
泰勒出⽣在伦敦，⽗母都是美国⼈。

她在⼆战前移居洛杉矶，从⼀个童星成为好莱坞影星，最后成为电影界的偶像级⼈物。

但是她不仅仅因为她的美貌和演艺才华⽽引起⼈们的注意。

她坎坷的个⼈经历、⽆数次的婚姻，以及她与流⾏歌星迈克尔·杰克逊的友谊使她⼀直成为媒体报道的对象。

She had a passion for jewels and jewelry and introduced her own perfumes, including one called White Diamonds. In later years, she was widely recognized for her charitable work. France awarded her the prestigious Legion of Honor in 1987 and Britain's Queen Elizabeth made her a dame, the female equivalent of a knight, in 2000.
泰勒酷爱珠宝⾸饰并创⽴了⾃⼰的⾹⽔品牌，其中⼀种⾹⽔叫做“⽩⾊钻⽯”。

在后来的⽣涯中，泰勒因为她的慈善⼯作⽽受到普遍的认可。

法国在1987年授予她荣誉勋章。

英国⼥王伊丽莎⽩在2000年封她为贵妇⼈，相当于爵⼠的爵位。

5.英语听⼒短⽂训练材料
《呼吁⽼年教育》
Older people must be given more chances to learn if they are to contribute to society rather than be a financial burden, according to a new study on population published recently.
根据最近发表的⼀项新的⼈⼝研究报告显⽰：⽼年⼈要想不成为社会的负担，想继续发挥余热，就必须给他们更多学习机会。

The current approach which focuses on younger people and on kills for employment is not adequate to meet the challenges of demographic change, it says. Only 1% of the education budget is currently spent on the oldest third of the population.
该报告声称：现在的教育⽅法倾向于年轻⼈和职业技能，难以应付⼈⼝结构变化的挑战。

占⼈⼝总数三分之⼀的⽼年⼈只占有百分之⼀的教育预算。

The challenges include the fact that most people can expect to spend a third of their lives in retirement, that there are now more people over 59 than under 16 and that 11.3 million people are over state pension age.
这些挑战包括：多数⼈三分之⼀的⽣命将在退休后度过;五⼗九岁以上⼈数⾼于⼗六岁以下⼈数;⼀千⼀百三⼗万⼈达到了国家法定领取退休⾦年龄。

"Learning needs to continue throughout life. Our historic concentration of policy attention and resources on young people cannot meet the new needs," says the report's author, Professor Stephen Mcnair.
报告的作者史蒂芬·麦克威尔教授说：“学习应该贯穿⼈⽣的整个过程，我们壹仟的政策重⼼和资源配置更多偏重于年轻⼈，难以适应新的需求。

”
The major portion of our education budget is spent on people below the age of 25. When people are changing their jobs, homes, partners and lifestyles more than ever, they nees opportunities to learn at every age. For example, some people are starting new careers in their 50s and later.
教育预算的⼤部分花费在⼆⼗五岁以下的.⼈⾝上。

当⼈们⽐以前更频繁地更换⼯作、居住地、⽣活伴侣和⽣活⽅式的时候，处在各种年龄段的⼈们都需要学习的机会。

”例如，有些⼈到了五⼗多岁或更迟⼜重新开始创业。

People need opportunities to make a "midlife review" to adjust to the later stages of employed life, and to plan for transition to retirement, which may now happen unpredictably at any point from 50 to over 90, says McNair.
⼈们需要⼀个“中年回⾸”的机会来适应以后的⼯作⽣涯，规划退休后的⾓⾊转化。

这种转化现在可以发⽣在五⼗岁到九⼗多岁的漫长时间内。

And there should be more money available to support people in establishing a sense of identity and finding constructive roles for the "third age", the 20 or more years they will spend in healthy retired life.
应该有更多的资⾦来保证⼈们建⽴⾝份认知和在“第三年龄段”——也就是退休后⼆⼗或更多年的健康⽣活中——找到建设性⾓⾊。