新编大学英语4视听说材料UNIT1

In one town, there were three longtime friends, Pat, Mike and Bob. Pat and Bob were quite bright, but Mike was rather dull.

One day as Pat and Mike were walking down the sidewalk together, Pat put his hand on a solid brick wall and said, "Mike, hit my hand as hard as you can." Mike struck a hard blow, but Pat pulled his hand away from the wall just before Mike's fist hit it. Of course, it hurt Mike's hand very much when he hit the wall, but Pat said, "That was a good joke on you, wasn't it?" Mike agreed, but was not too happy.

The following day Mike and Bob were walking in the town square. Mike decided to play the joke on Bob. He looked around, and seeing no solid object, he placed his hand over his face and said, "Bob, hit my hand as hard as you can." Bob agreed, and as he struck a hard blow with his fist, Mike quickly pulled his hand away and was knocked to the ground, unconscious. After a few minutes Mike recovered, and saw Bob worriedly looking down at him. Mike said, "That was a good joke on you, wasn't it?"

Questions:

1. Who was NOT clever?

2. What did Pat ask Mike to do?

3. Who was hurt finally?

4. On whom was Mike going to try this joke?

5. Where did Mike put his hand when he asked Bob to hit him?

6. What happened to Mike after Bob struck a hard blow with his fist?

If you like, you can do tricks at a party and be announced as, "The Magician". When everybody wants a bit of fun but nothing really happens, it could be the time to play one of these tricks. You won't need any special materials, nor will you need to practice them very much.

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 knows the trick! Your last friend removes the coin when he or she seems to be just feeling it. And nobody knows where it has gone!

A trick with a piece of paper and a pencil:

Say that you can communicate your thoughts to 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 someone if he or she knows what is written on the paper. They will say, "No!" And you say, "Quite correct! I wrote on the paper No!"

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 trick?

2. What happens to the coin?

3. How does the magician prove that he can communicate thoughts to the

audience in the second trick?

4. What is the first step to make the egg stand?

5. What else is needed to make the egg stand?

John: Do you feel like going to the cinema, Liz?

Liz:Oh...yes...yes, let's do that, John.

John:Well, what shall we go and see?

Liz: What kind of film do you like?

John:Well, I like all sorts of films really... My favorite films are like Star Wars, you know, the...the fantasy, special effect ones that you can escape into another world with. Um...I also like mystery films. Do you like mystery films?

Liz:I really like mystery films, yes, but I don't like horror films because they give me nightmares.

John: Yes, I know. I don't like horror films either. I tell you, I just think they're sort of stupid and unbelievable. I do

like...um...crime films, you know, ones where you follow the

detective and try to guess who the murderer is. Like...like Agatha

Christie stories, you know. And also where you take the side of the criminals. Do you know the ones I mean? You know, where you wonder if you're going to get...if they're going to get caught.

You know, like a bank robbery or something like that.

Liz:Haha. Do you think there's a film with Robert Redford or Paul Newman in it?

John:Oh, I hope not.

Liz:'Cause I really... Oh, don't you like them?

John:Well, I tend to prefer people like Clint Eastwood and...

Liz:Oh, no! I'm not keen on him at all!

John:Really?

Liz:No... What about a good comedy or a good musical, something like that?

John:No, no, I don't like films like that really.

Liz:The trouble is there are not many very good ones around these days...

John: Then what shall we go and see?

Liz:Why don't we ring up the ABC Cinema and find out what's on? Then we can decide.

John: That's a good idea...but I haven't got an evening paper. That's definitely the thing to do.

Gerry: 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, the right accents. All that. Don't you think so?

Judy : Not really, no. 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 he or she is thinking.

Gerry: True, but...well... 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 me a 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...

(The following is an interview from a weekly sports program.)

Presenter:Good morning, listeners. Welcome to our

weekly sports program aimed at all those

under-active youngsters with time on

their hands! Listen to what our two guests

have to say about their own sporting

pursuits and how sport made a difference

to their lives. Debbie first, then,

Jonathan.

Debbie:I like doing something that gets you out

into the countryside. So I'm for

horse-riding whenever I can! It's quite

an expensive hobby, though. You have to

pay for the instruction and the hire of

the horse and the equipment—and there is

quite a lot of that, but I think it's a

great sport because you're out of doors

and working with animals. I used to be

actually scared of horses until I took up

riding; now I adore them! When I've saved

up enough money I'm going to buy a pony

of my own. Another advantage of riding is

that disabled people can enjoy it too.

It's great fun teaching them to ride; it

makes you feel you're doing something

really worthwhile. It's made me more

aware of other people's problems and now

I don't worry about my own so much.

Presenter:Thank you, Debbie. Now Jonathan.

Jonathan:The trouble with riding is that you can

injure yourself if you fall! I don't like

that at all! I prefer canoeing because

you've always got the water there for

support. If you're a good swimmer, have

a good sense of balance and strong arms,

you'll like canoeing! The main trouble is

transporting your canoe to the right

places—my father takes it on the roof of

the car—or sometimes I put it on the roof

of the Club Land Rover. What it's taught

me most is to be independent. It's just

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 as long as you don't mind getting

soaked, of course! It makes you feel close

to nature somehow. I hope to run my own

canoeing center when I'm qualified.

Questions:

1. How many guests are interviewed in the program?

2. How do sports affect the guests' life according to the presenter?

3. What sports does Debbie enjoy most?

4. What will Debbie do if she saves up enough money?

5. What does Jonathan think of horse-riding?

6. What is required for canoeing?

7. What is troublesome about canoeing?

8. What can you get from canoeing?

The game of football may have started in Roman times. It seems that the Romans played a game very much like our modern rugby but with a round ball.

English villagers played football in the 16th century and they often had almost a hundred players on each side. It was a very common game, which was very rough and even dangerous until the early part of the 19th century. In the 18th century a Frenchman who had watched a rough game of football in a village wrote, "I could not believe that those men were playing a game. If this is what Englishmen call playing, I would not like to see them fighting!"

From the mid 19th century, it was played in schools in England and soon spread all over Britain and Europe. Until in 1850, it was not possible

to have football matches between one school and another, because each school had different rules! So set rules had to be made. They were not formalized though until, in 1863, when those who preferred to play with hands as well as feet formed the Rugby Union while the others started the Football Association (F.A.). It was only in 1863 that the first set of rules for all football clubs was agreed upon.

Nearly 150 years later, football has become by far the most popular sport in the entire world. Would that 18th century Frenchman have believed it possible?

Questions:

1. According to the passage, when may the game of football have first

started?

2. What does the speaker say about the earliest football game in England?

3. How many team members were often involved in the game when the English

began to play the game?

4. Why was it NOT possible to have football matches between two schools

until 1850?

5. What happened to football in 1863?

Receptionist:Good morning. Can I help you?

Cathy:Er...a friend told me that you have exercise and dance classes here.

Receptionist:That's right.

Cathy:Er...can you give me some information about days and times, please?

Receptionist: Yes, there are four classes a day, every day from Monday to Saturday—nothing on Sunday.

Cathy:Yeah.

Receptionist:The first one is an aerobics class from 8:30 to 9:30 in the morning. Then there's another aerobics class at

lunchtime from 12:30 to 1:30.

Cathy:Right.

Receptionist:Then in the evening from 5:30 to 6:30—that's aerobics too. And there's a jazz dance class from 6:30 to 7:30.

Cathy:Right. And what level are they for? I mean, would they be OK for a beginner?

Receptionist: The morning aerobics—8:30 to 9:30—is advanced. All the others are kind of beginner to intermediate level. But let

me give you an information sheet.

Cathy:Thanks. And how much does it cost for a class? Receptionist:You pay a ￡1 entrance fee and then the classes are ￡2.50 each and ￡3.50 for the jazz dancing. It's there on the

sheet.

Cathy:Oh, yes, I see.

Receptionist:If you become a member, entrance is free and...

Cathy:Oh, no, it's OK. I'm only in London for two weeks. Receptionist: Oh, right. That's no good then.

Cathy: And I guess you have showers and everything? Receptionist:Yes, sure, and in the evenings you can use the sauna free, too.

Cathy:Oh, great. Right. So the next class is at 5:30? Well, I'll see you then.

Receptionist:Fine. See you later!

Questions:

1. Where does the dialog most probably take place?

2. How many classes are there everyday except Sunday?

3. At what time does the last class end?

4. How much is the entrance fee?

5. Which class will Cathy come for most probably?

6. What can we learn about Cathy from the dialog?

Woman: Why don't we go abroad for a change? I'd like

to go to France, Spain, or even Italy.

Man: Mm. I'm not all that keen on traveling really.

I'd rather stay at home.

Woman:Oh, come on, Steve. Think of the sun!

Man:Yes, but think of the cost! Going abroad is

very expensive.

Woman:Oh, it isn't, Steve. Not these days.

Man:Of course it is, Juliet. The best thing about

having a holiday here in Britain is that it's

cheaper. And another thing, traveling in

Britain would be easier. No boats, planes or

anything.

Woman:Even so, we've been to most of the interesting

places in Britain already. What's the point

in seeing them again? Anyway, we can travel

round Britain whenever we like. There's no

point in wasting our summer holiday here.

Man:Mm, I suppose you're right. Nevertheless,

what I can't stand is all the bother with

foreign currency, changing money and all that

when we go abroad. I hate all that. And it's

so confusing.

Woman:Oh, don't be silly, Steve.

Man:And what's more, I can't speak any of the

languages—you know that. It's all right for

you. You can speak foreign languages.

Woman:Exactly. You see, what I'd really like to do

is practice my French and Spanish. It would

help me a lot at work.

Man: Mm, but that's no use to me.

Woman:But just think of the new places we'd see, the

people we'd meet!

Man: But look, if we stayed here, we wouldn't have

to plan very much.

Woman: I'm sorry, Steve. No. I don't fancy another

cold English summer.

Questions:

1. Where does the man want to spend the summer holiday?

2. What is considered important in planning vacation according to the

man?

3. What is confusing for the man to travel abroad?

4. What will help the woman in her work according to her?

5. What does the woman think of summer in Britain?

6. What can we learn about the man from the dialog?

Sally 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 and her 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 house-warming 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 drinks party. They don't serve much food, just snacks—pretzels, chips, peanuts. No one dances. Conversation is important with people asking questions like "What's new with you?".