大英三口语

Unit 1 Caring for Our EarthPart I Read the following passage aloud.“If it exists, it must be possible”, asserts Amory Lovins, co-founder and chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute think tank. He is talking about my company. Fellow industrialists, I dare say, thought my ambition impossible to realize when fourteen years ago I described my aspirations for Interface Inc. to turn into what it actually is becoming today. Indeed, around then, the CEO of a major competitor looked at me in the eye, and said, “Ray, you are a dreamer.” Yet, as Amory says, “If it exists …”The “impossible” that exists today is a petroleum-intensive carpet manufacturer (for both energy and raw material) that has reduced net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 88 percent, in absolute tons, and its water usage by 79 percent since 1996, even as sales have grown by two-thirds and earnings have doubled. In 1994 Interface set out on a mission “to be the first industrial company that, by its deeds, shows the entire industrial world what sustainability is, in all its dimensions: people, process, product, profit, and place.” Our definition of sustainability is to operate our petro- intensive company so as to take from the Earth only that which is naturally and rapidly renewable, and to do no harm to the biosphere.Cumulatively, we have avoided $372 million in costs by eliminating waste, in a quest that is half way to achieving waste-free perfection by 2020. We define waste as any cost that does not add value for our customers. This translates ambitiously into doing everything right the first time, every time. We even define energy that still comes from fossil fuels as waste, something to be eliminated. Indeed, while offsets have a critical role to play in helping Interface (and, indeed, all of us) to reach our sustainability goals, we will not achieve them until we begin to redefine fossil fuel energy in this way. Sounds incredible? Remember, “If itexists …”Part II. TOPIC Caring for Our EarthSection One Each of the students will be asked one question on the topic “Caring for Our Earth”.1.What types of energy are popular in your country? For example, coal, gas, nuclear power.What does your house or apartment use?2.Does your community offer a recycling program? Do you think recycling is an importantservice for communities to provide? Why or why not?3.In your opinion, what can cities like Beijing and Qingdao do to improve their air quality?4.How are products packaged in our country? For example, how do you usually buy milk,electronic equipment and clothing? Are they good for our earth? Why or why not?5.Do you agree that our country will be short of fresh water in the future? Why or why not?6.What should be done in order to prevent the climate change?Section Two Please have a group discussion on the following topic:Global warming may be the most harmful environmental problem human beings have created. Please discuss its causes, consequences and what we can do to reduce it. During the discussion you may argue with each other or ask each other questions to clarify a point. Your performance will be judged according to your contributions to the discussion.Unit 2 Nobel Prize WinnersPart I Read the following passage aloud.Albert Einstein was more than just curious though. He had the patience and determination that kept him at things longer than most others. Other children would build houses of cards up to 4 stories tall before the cards would lose balance and the whole structure would come falling down. Maja watched in wonder as her brother Albert methodically built his card buildings to 14 stories. Later he would say, “It‟s not that I‟m so smart, it‟s just that I stay with problems longer.”One advantage Albert Einstein‟s developing mind enjoyed was the opportunity to communicate with adults in an intellectual way. His uncle, an engineer, would come to the house, and Albert would join in the discussions. His thinking was also stimulated by a medical student who came over once a week for dinner and lively chats.At a ge 12, Albert Einstein came upon a set of ideas that impressed him as “holy.” It was a little book on Euclidean plane geometry. The concept that one could prove theorems of angles and lines that were in no way obvious made an “indescribable impression” on the young student. He adopted mathematics as the tool he would use to pursue his curiosity and prove what he would discover about the behavior of the universe.He was convinced that beauty lies in the simplicity. Perhaps this insight was the real power of his genius. Albert Einstein looked for the beauty of simplicity in the apparently complex nature and saw truths that escaped others. While the expression of his mathematics might be accessible to only a few sharp minds in the science, Albert could condense the essence of his thoughts so anyone could understand.Part II. TOPIC Nobel Prize WinnersSection One Each of the students will be asked one question on the topic “Nobel Prize Winners”.7.Have you ever thought to win a big prize in the future, and what do you plan to do toachieve the goal?8.How many Nobel Prize Winners do you know? Who do you admire most? Why?9.What would you do if you were awarded the Nobel Prize?10.W hat do you think is the most important quality of a successful scientist?11.E instei n once said: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keepmoving.” How do you understand this statement?12.H ow could you find the beauty of simplicity in the apparently complex nature? Could yougive some examples?Section Two Please have a group discussion on the following topic:What preparations should a university student make for future success?During the discussion you may argue with each other or ask each other questions to clarify a point. Your performance will be judged according to your contributions to the discussion.Unit 3 Famous Brand NamesPart I Read the following passage aloud.American mothers have long believed that when it comes to washing out the mouths of naughty children, nothing beats Ivory Soap. This is because its reputation for being safe, mild, and pure is as solid and spotless as the marble of the Lincoln Memorial. It doesn‟t even taste all that bad. And should you drop it into a tubful of cloudy, child-colored water, not to worry — it floats.Ivory Soap is an American institution, about as widely recognized as the Washington Monument and far more well respected than Congress. It had already attained this noble status when Theodore Roosevelt was still a rough-riding cowboy in North Dakota. Introduced in 1879 as an inexpensive white soap intended to rival the quality of imported soaps, it was mass marketed by means of one of the first nationwide advertising campaigns. People were told that Ivory was “so pure that it floats,” and the notion took hold. As a result, at least half a dozen generations of Americans have gotten themselves clean with Ivory.So many hands, faces, and baby bottoms have been washed with Ivory that their numbers beat the imagination. Not even Proctor & Gamble knows how many billions of bars of Ivory have been sold. The company keeps a precise count, however, of the billions of dollars it earns. Annual sales of Ivory Soap, Ivory Snow, Crest toothpaste, Folger‟s coffee, and the hundreds of other products now marketed under the Proctor & Gamble umbrella exceed thirty billion dollars.Part II. TOPIC Famous Brand NamesSection One Each of the students will be asked one question on the topic “Famous Brand Names”.13.C an you name some famous brands? Why do people like them?14.D o you think college students should pursue famous brands? Why or why not?15.S ome famous brands have a very long history. Why are they so popular amonggenerations of people?16.H ow can a national famous brand build its name in a foreign country?17.W hy do many people choose pirated stuff of famous brands instead of the genuine? Whatdo you think of it?18.A ccording to you, what kind of things are worth spending money on?Section Two Please have a group discussion on the following topic:What are the secrets of business success?During the discussion you may argue with each other or ask each other questions to clarify a point. Your performance will be judged according to your contributions to the discussion.Unit 4Cloning and EthicsPart I Read the following passage aloud.Antinori shot to fame seven years ago helping grandmothers give birth using donor eggs. Later he pioneered the use of mice to nurture the sperm of men with poor fertility. He is clearly no ordinary scientist but a showman who thrives on controversy and pushing reproductive biology to the limits. And that of course is one reason why he‟s seen as being so dangerous.However, his idea of using cloning to combat infertility is not as mad as it sounds. Many people have a hard job seeing the point of reproductive cloning. But for some couples, cloning represents the only hope of having a child carrying their genes, and scientists like Antinori are probably right to say that much of our opposition to cloning as a fertility treatment is irrational. In future we may want to change our minds and allow it in special circumstances.But only when the science is ready. And that‟s the real problem. Five years on from Dolly, the science of cloning is still stuck in the dark ages. The failure rate is a shocking 97 percent and deformed babies all too common. Even when cloning works, nobody understands why. So forget the complex moral arguments. To begin cloning people now, before even the most basic questions have been answered, is simply a waste of time and energy.This is not o say that Antinori will fail, only that if he succeeds it is likely to be at an unacceptably high price. Hundreds of eggs and embryos will be wasted and lots of women will go through difficult pregnancies resulting in miscarriages or abortions. A few years from now techniques will have improved and the wasteful loss won‟t be as excessive. But rightnow there seems to be little anyone can do to keep the cloners at bay.Part II. TOPIC Cloning and EthicsSection One Each of the students will be asked one question on the topic “Cloning and Ethics”.1.Do you want a clone of yourself? Explain.2.What kind of people are in favor of cloning science?3.Do you think a cloned Einstein would be a great person? Why or why not?4.Do you think cloning is against ethics? Why or why not?5.Can cloning prolong people's life? Why or why not?6.Should we legalize cloning? Why or why not?Section Two Please have a group discussion on the following topic:What are the pros and cons of cloning?During the discussion you may argue with each other or ask each other questions to clarify a point. Your performance will be judged according to your contributions to the discussion.Unit 5 Lifelong EducationPart I Read the following passage aloud.I‟d like to take some calculus, too. I have absolutely no ability in that direction and not much interest, either, but there‟s something going on in mathematics that I don‟t understand, and I‟d like to find out what it is. My report cards won‟t be mailed to my father and mother, so I won‟t have to worry about marks. I bet I‟ll do better than when they were mailed.There are some literary classics I ought to read and I never will, unless I‟m forced to by a good professor, so I‟ll take a few courses in English literature. I took a course that featured George Gordon Byron, usually referred to now as “Lord Byron”, and I‟d like to take that over again. I did very well in it the first time. I actually read all of Don Juan and have never gotten over how great it was. I know I could get an A in that if I took it over. I‟d like to have a few easy courses.My history is very weak, and I‟d want several history courses. I‟m not going to break my back over them, but I‟d like to be refres hed about the broad outline of history. When someone says sixteenth century to me, I‟d like to be able to associate it with some names and events. This is just a little conversational conceit, but that‟s life.If I can find a good teacher, I‟d certainl y want to go back over English grammar and usage. He‟d have to be good, because you might not think so sometimes, but I know a lot about using the language. Still, there are times when I‟m stumped. I was wondering the other day what part of speech the word “please” is in the sentence, “Please don‟t take me seriously.”Part II. TOPIC Lifelong EducationSection One Each of the students will be asked one question on the topic “Lifelong Education”.1.Do you think education is important in your life? Can you cite some examples to illustrateyour viewpoint?2.Is college education the only way to success? Is it worth the price?3.If you had chance to continue learning after graduation, what subject do you like tochoose? Why?4.Is college education satisfactory from your own experience?5.Do you think college education means more than study?6.There are some graduates going to the technical school to study again. What do you thinkof that?Section Two Please have a group discussion on the following topic:For what purpose(s) would an adult return to college? What do you think of this?During the discussion you may argue with each other or ask each other questions to clarify a point. Your performance will be judged according to your contributions to the discussion.Unit 6 Travel around the worldPart I Read the following passage aloud.She knows every nook and cranny in and around Cairo — no easy feat. Cairo with its complex system of streets and lanes, its quarters and markets is like a labyrinth invented by ancient storytellers. Hundreds of mosques —many of which are masterpieces of Islamic architecture, old neighborhoods with houses boxed together, huge apartment buildings on the outskirts and the Nile calmly running through it; all are part of this overcrowded city.With a mild sense of humor around a deep core of understanding of human nature, Nagat takes control of my sightseeing schedule. Every morning punctually at nine o‟clock, I can depend on seeing her short, solid frame outside the hotel lobby, her round face turning into a big smile as soon as she sees me coming down the stairs. Most every day, she wears an earth tone-colored Jellaba. Her movements are energetic and she doesn‟t waste any time. Her determined approach seems to have grown on a bed of economy, on the necessity to get as much done as she possibly can.What becomes clear to me soon as she drives me from museum to pyramid, from one part of town to the opposite, is this: she is a true exception here. Wherever we stop, be it for a cup of tea during a break or upon arriving at a historical site where her male colleagues gather in the parking area — everywhere, she is being noticed. Men walk up to her in the car with questioning faces. As she tells me, they all have one question first of all: “Are you a taxi driver?” She then explains in a few short sentences, and I see the men‟s faces soften, smile and respectfully and kindly chat with her. This scene repeats itself over and over again. I get the sense that she invites goodwill from the people she meets.Part II. TOPIC Travel around the worldSection One Each of the students will be asked one question on the topic “Travel around the world”.1.What attracts you most when you visit a new place?2.People travel for various reasons. Please talk about some of them.3.What is your favorite way of travelling, alone or in a group? Why?4.Introduce a tourist attraction that you have been5.If you had $1000, where would you go on holiday? How about if you had $10,000, or$100,000？6.Which scenic spot do you think can best represent the culture or lifestyle of yourhometown? Why?Section Two Please have a group discussion on the following topic:A lot of people after travelling often say: Travelling means sort of suffering. That implies they don’t eat well, sleep well, and they are very tired on the trip. Do you agree with it ? Give your reasons and explain.During the discussion you may argue with each other or ask each other questions to clarify a point. Your performance will be judged according to your contributions to the discussion.Unit 7 Drug AbusePart I Read the following passage aloud.It was 3 a.m., and most of the men had been up since the morning before. But none of them would sleep that night either. They had a big day ahead of them. Hours earlier, White had been in his office, preparing warrants. Meanwhile, the New Haven Airport had quietly filled with federal agents, flying in from New York and Washington, DC. They had then gathered at the western corner of the city. The team‟s field headquarters that night would be an empty building on the very edge of town. The 300-man team of federal agents, state police, and local police had gathered to discuss the next step in the war on drugs.White listened as his friend Kevin Kline, an FBI special agent and one of the original members of the task force, was speaking to the law enforcement army. Kline laid out the battle plan for the morning‟s drug bust: the agents were to organize themselves into squads, forming arrest teams and back-up crews. The teams assigned to carry out raids received arrest packets containing the names, addresses, and photographs of all the suspects, as well as search warrants issued by the federal court. At 5:30 a.m., the teams were to split up, each reporting to their designated sites to prepare for the final stage of the operation: making the arrests.As he listened, White asked himself the same question that everyone else in the room must have been thinking. Could the team pull off a successful bust? Born and raised in New Haven, White still remembered a time when New Haven was considered a peaceful town. In 1960, only six murders, four rapes, and 16 robberies were reported. But soon, the drug gangs set up shop, and the turf wars began. With the gangs came gang violence: drive-by shootings, innocent victims killed, murders in broad daylight. In 1990, there were 31 murders, 168rapes, and 1 784 robberies. “Back then it was hell,” White recalls. “I thought, …What are we doing?‟”Part II. TOPIC Drug AbuseSection One Each of the students will be asked one question on the topic “Drug Abuse”.1.What do you know about drugs and drug abuse?2.What kind of people are easier to turn to drugs? Why do people use drugs like Ecstasy?3.How do drugs affect the drug takers? What do drugs like Ecstasy do to the people whotake them?4.How should you avoid doing things that appear to be pleasant at first but will turn out tobe really harmful? (e.g. drug abuse, smoking, alcoholism, addiction to computer games, etc.)5.Have you ever heard of the war on drugs?6.Who should be responsible for drug abuse?7.Section Two Please have a group discussion on the following topic:If one of your friends were doing drugs, what would you do to help him out?During the discussion you may argue with each other or ask each other questions to clarify a point. Your performance will be judged according to your contributions to the discussion.。