大学英语听说教程 (6)
新视野大学英语6(听说教程)听力原文(3)
Very often, newborn babies are not beautiful. They are wrinkled or bald, or they have angry expressions on their faces that seem to say, "Go away! I hate everybody." But to a parent, that bald, wrinkled, mean-faced baby is the most beautiful and perfect child in the world. When that proud father or mother asks you, "Well, what do you think—isn't she beautiful?", what are you going to say? Is this the time for the truth? Of course not!You look that proud father in the eye and say, "Yes, she is! She's a real beauty. She's one in a million. She's going to be a movie star! I can tell! She's as pretty as a picture."This is what we call in English a white lie. White lies don't hurt people; they aren't cruel or angry words. People use them to make a difficult situation a little easier. When people refuse dates, forget their homework, or taste something new that they don't especially like while eating at a friend's house, they tell a white lie. They are trying to be kind. They don't want to hurt someone's feelings. It is important to be honest. But many people feel that being kind and considerate 体贴的，体谅的is sometimes more important.What exactly is a lie? Is it anything we say that we know is untrue? Or is it something more than that? For example, suppose假定a friend wants to borrow some money from you and you say, "I wish I could help you but I'm short of cash现款right now." In fact, you are not short of cash, but your friend is in the habit of forgetting to pay his debts and you don't want to hurt his feelings by reminding him of this. Does this qualify as a lie?A scientific study of lying shows women are better liars than men, particularly when telling a "white lie". When a woman at a party tells another woman that she likes her dress, she might really think it looks terrible. However, this is only one side of the story. Other research shows that men are more likely to tell more serious lies. They tend to make promises which they have no intention of fulfilling. This is the kind of lies politicians and businessmen are particularly skilled at. They hope to profit from these lies in some way.Research has also been done into the way people's behavior changes in a number of small, apparently unimportant ways when they lie. It has been found that, if they sit down, they tend to move about in their chair more than usual. It seems as if they were saying to themselves "I wish I were somewhere else now." It has also been observed that in extreme situations, people who have lied perspire more than usual and they blink more often.Questions:1. Why don't you lend your friend money?2. In which way are women better than men?3. Why do businessmen tell lies?4. Which of the following is mentioned as a change in the behavior of people wholie?5. Which of the four statements is true according to the passage?(A news anchor at "Radio News" in Des Moines, Iowa is reportingon a local news event.)News Anchor主持人: Austin Scanlon of Des Moines had one of those heart-stopping realizations Tuesday that strikes the split second you realizesomething very, very bad has happened. At noon Scanlon thoughthe'd pull in for a burger at McDonald's. He reached for hiswallet, and then remembered that all of his cash, $2,000, wasin the black leather bag that he had mistakenly left in ashopping cart in the middle of a parking lot,outside the MenardsStore. He hurried back to the place outside the store where hehad unloaded some wood about 45 minutes earlier, before pushingthe cart into its storage slot. The cart and the black bag weregone. We have Scanlon here with us to tell what happened next. Scanlon: I was hoping an employee of the store had found the bag. I thought if a customer found it, it was probably lost for good. I raninside and a customer service worker asked me to describe thebag and contents. Then he told me it had been turned in to thestore manager. Another employee told me who had found it. News Anchor: This is Scott Betts, the honest Menards worker who found the bag and turned it in to the store manager. Scott, tell us aboutit.Scott Betts: I went out to pull some carts back into the store. There wasa black bag in one of them. I took it to the manager and reallydidn't have any idea about what was in it. Later I heard thatit was a lot of money.Scanlon: I told Betts he wasn't being paid enough, and I wanted people to know how honest he is. I just walked around the store tellingeveryone I saw what a great worker they have. I am also sendinga letter to the CEO of the Menards company telling them aboutthis experience.News Anchor: Scott, did Scanlon give you a reward for your good deed? Scott Betts: He offered me a reward, but I wouldn't take it. I told him I did only what any honest person would do.News Anchor: I wish all our news stories could end as positively as this.Questions:1. Where did Mr. Scanlon mistakenly leave the cash?2. Whom did Mr. Scanlon hope had found the bag?3. Whom did Mr. Scanlon go to first after he realized he had lost the cash?4. What did Mr. Scanlon do after he got the cash back?Suzanne: Hello, Product Development Department, Suzanne speaking.Darrow: Hello, my name is Darrow Thomas, and I am with LA&D. One of my clients 委托人，当事人，顾客has an opening for Director of Research and Developmentat a well-known food processor加工业者. In discussions with people in theindustry, your name was recommended as a likely candidate. I was... Suzanne: Who recommended推荐that you call me?Darrow: I'm awfully sorry, but we treat references and candidates with the utmost 极度的，最大的confidentiality保密. I cannot reveal that name. But restassured, he thought you were ready for a more challenging job. Suzanne: Well, OK.Darrow: Good. How many people do you supervise?Suzanne: Three professionals, seven technicians, and two clerks.Darrow: Approximately how large a budget are you responsible for?Suzanne: Oh, it's about three-quarters of a million dollars a year.Darrow: What degree do you hold, and how many years have you been Assistant Director?Suzanne: My undergraduate degree and master's are in nutrition science. After I graduated in1988, I came to work as an Applications Researcher应用研究员. In 1993, I was promoted to Chief Applications Researcher首席应用研究员. In 2000, I was appointed Assistant Director of Product Development产品开发署助理署长.Darrow: Good career progress, two degrees, and managerial experience管理经验. Your background sounds great! This is a little personal, but would you tellme your salary?Suzanne: I make $51,000 a year.Darrow: Oh, that is disappointing. The opening I have to fill is for $70,000. That would be such a substantial jump that my client would probably assume yourpast experience and responsibility are too limited to be considered. Suzanne: What do you mean?Darrow: Well, the ideal candidate would be making about$62,000 a year. That would indicate a higher level of responsibility than your present low salary.We could get around that problem.Suzanne: How?Darrow: On the data sheet I have filled out, I could put down that you are making, oh, say, $65,000. That sure would increase my client's interest, then myclient would think a salary of $70,000 was needed to attract you. Suzanne: Wow! But that's not fair. If they checked on my salary history, they'd know that $65,000 was an inflated figure65,000元是夸大的数字.Darrow: No, they wouldn't. They wouldn't check. And even if they did, companies never reveal the salary information of past employees. Besides, they areanxious to fill the job. I'll tell you what, let me send them the datasheet. I'm sure they'll be interested. Then we can talk about more of this,OK?Suzanne: Sorry, I don't think I can do that. Thank you for calling anyway.He was 11 years old and went fishing with his father from the dock at his family's cabin船舱on the day before the bass season opened, catching sunfish and perch with worms.After many efforts of sitting, casting and waiting, finally, he very gingerly 极度小心谨慎地lifted the exhausted精疲力尽的fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, but it was a bass.The father lit a match and looked at his watch. It was 10 p.m.—two hours before the season opened. He looked at the fish, then at the boy."You'll have to put it back, Son," he said."Dad!" cried the boy."There will be other fish," said his father."Not as big as this one," cried the boy.He looked around the lake. No other fishermen or boats were anywhere around. He looked again at his father. Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he caught the fish, the boy could tell by the clarity of his father's voice that the decision was not negotiable. He slowly worked the hook out of the lip of the huge bass and lowered it into the black water. The boy suspected that he would never again see such a great fish.And he was right. He has never again caught such a magnificent壮丽的，宏伟的；华丽的；极好的fish in his later life. But he does see that same fish—again and again—every time he comes up against a question of honesty.Do we do right when no one is looking? Do we refuse to cut corners to get the design in on time? We would if we were taught to put the fish back when we were young.For we would have learned the truth. The decision to do right lives fresh and fragrant in our memor y. It is a story we will proudly tell our friends and grandchildren. Not about how we had a chance to beat the system and took it, but about how we did the right thing and were forever strengthened永远加强.(In an American elementary school auditorium, a noted specialist on behavior of children is giving a lecture to a group of parents of students who attend that school.)A writer once observed that the first casualty in war is "truth". Although this observation concerned armed conflicts, the same observation applies to family problems. Before conflicts within families erupt爆发, one of the first things to go is "truth".Truth is often replaced with secrets, myths or fantasies秘密，神话或幻想. When the fantasy is heard often enough, it is accepted as "true" within the family.Parents can take action to采取行动develop an atmosphere in the home where "honesty" and "truth" occur on a regular basis. When children are raised with falsehoods, they often do not recognize truth when they see it. Creating an atmosphere of truthfulness and honesty requires a daily effort. It requires being able to speak honestly and to hear others speak honestly as well. When families are not used to such practices, they may exhibit strong reactions to hearing others' opinions and honesty. For this reason,attention must be given to how the honesty is communicated. An ancient writer once emphasized the need to "speak the truth in love". Honesty is great within the home when it is delivered in love. Honesty without love is cruelty 残忍；残酷行为. Someone may say, "I'm just speaking the plain坦率的truth," but the way they deliver it is designed to hurt and inflict pain造成伤害和痛苦.Although truth is important within families, some truths may hurt or worry family members. Parents need to consider what information is appropriate恰当的for their children's age. If the information would cause more hurt than healing, it is best not disclosed. The rule I use is that if the person is not part of the problem or part of the solution, it is best not shared. Subjects like money, sexual matters and religious beliefs are best left to parental judgment.For families to develop a home atmosphere with honesty also requires emotional safety. Honesty thrives兴旺，繁荣where people feel safe. In families where threats and angry words predominate占优势，支配，统治, honesty is difficult to find.It is up to the parents to initiate开始；初步了解；让…加入honesty within the home. Children often follow the parental lead either toward truthfulness or falsehood. 无论真或假对I knew something was wrong because my son always seemed happier than this after spending time with his friends; so I asked him about it. They had just finished playing a game of basketball and were getting on their bikes in a park to head home. As he was unlocking his, it tipped over, scratching划(痕) and denting弄凹a nearby car. The sullen look on his face indicated he had come home without telling this to anyone.I asked him if he wanted to run errands差事，差with me. As we were driving to the store together, I explained the choice that he would have to make and the consequences结果，后果；重要(性)，重大of his decision. On the way home, I asked him if he wanted to stop at the park and he sheepishly answered, "No." "Do you want some lunch?" I asked then as we pulled over.The restaurant hadn't changed a bit since I had worked there so many years ago. I recognized the voice of my old boss, Fred, coming from the kitchen, and asked one of the waitresses if I could speak to him. He didn't remember me at first but that soon changed; I was something of a superstar in the field of dishwashing back in those days. "I owe you some money, Fred. I ate lots of burgers in between washes and I never paid you for them." Fred looked surprised and refused to take any money, but he expressed his gratitude to me, and said it was the first time anyone had returned after so many years to pay a debt.Walking from the store, I smiled as my son asked, "Why did you do that, Dad?" The answer was easy: "I was tired of feeling guilty内疚的；有罪的every time I drove past the restaurant. It's never too late to try and fix a mistake." I asked. "Do you want to stop by the park again?"You'll never guess what he said. "I think I like the values you've shown me."One morning, just before Christmas vacation, I was selling tickets to our grade school's last evening performance of The Nutcracker. The evening before had been a sellout.One of my customers that day was a parent. "I think it's awful极坏的;不舒服的;非常的,极大的that I have to pay to see my own child perform," she announced, yanking 猛拉，猛拔a wallet from her purse钱包."The school asks for a voluntary志愿donation to help pay for scenery and costumes," I explained, "but no one has to pay. You're welcome to all the tickets you need.""Oh, I'll pay." She grumbled抱怨；咕哝. "Two adults and a child."She plunked down a 10-dollar bill. I gave her the change and her tickets. She stepped aside, fumbling with her purse, when the boy waiting behind her emptied空闲(虚)的，寂寥的a pocketful of change onto the table."How many tickets?" I asked."I don't need tickets," he said. "I've already seen the show."I pushed the pile一叠of nickels五分钱, dimes 10分铸币and quarters四等分back. "You don't have to pay to see the show with your class," I told him, "That's free.""No," the boy insisted, "I saw it last night. My brother and I arrived late. We couldn't find anyone to buy tickets from, so we just walked in."Lots of people in that crowd had probably "just walked in". The few volunteers 志愿者present couldn't check everyone for a ticket. Who would argue, anyway?I hated to take his money. Being late, they must have squeezed into the crowd and couldn't possibly have seen the whole show. Besides, a pile of coins in a kid's hand is usually carefully saved allowance money."Nobody knows the difference," I assured him. "Don't worry about it.""I know the difference."For one silent moment our hands bridged the money.Then I spoke, "Two tickets cost two dollars. Thank you."The boy smiled, turned away and was gone."Excuse me."I looked up, surprised to see the woman who had bought her own tickets moments earlier. "Why don't you keep this change?" She said quietly and handed me a few dollar bills, and left. Little did that boy know that he had given us both our first gift of the Christmas season."You've got an honest face," says the merchant商人, and accepts the stranger's check. Apparently显然，表面上地some faces really are more honest-looking than others, according to recent research, and the qualities that make for an honest face are easy to identify认同.Psychologists George Rotter and Naomi Rotter reasoned that if people could agree that one person is more honest-looking than another, and if a consensus couldbe reached, then it might be possible to compare honest and dishonest faces and see what gives each its distinctive有区别的；有特色的look.The researchers cut 341black-and-white portraits of men and women from a college yearbook and asked six people to sort分类them into three piles: those who looked honest, those who looked dishonest and those whose honesty or dishonesty was uncertain. This led to the selection of 80 faces: half honest-looking and half dishonest-looking. The researchers shuffled搅乱these photos and asked another group to sort them, as in the first round, into three piles. This resulted in the selection of 24 faces: 12 honest-looking and 12 dishonest-looking.At this point, yet another group of people evaluated the 24 faces. They examined each photograph and rated various facial features, such as the slant eyebrows and the small eyes. They also indicated whether each face looked honest, dishonest or ambiguous含糊不清的.After this last round of ratings, there was considerable agreement that the honest- and dishonest-looking faces were quite different. Most of the honest faces had broad smiles, while most of the dishonest ones wore grim expressions在诚实的面孔，大部分具有广泛的笑容，而最不诚实的人穿的表情严峻.Gaze凝视，注视was also important, but its meaning depended upon sex取决于性别.Men were more likely to be rated hones t-looking if they had looked directly into the camera, while women in this pose were more likely to be thought dishonest. The quality of the eyes and eyebrows did not distinguish区分honest from dishonest faces."We expected预料，预计to find that subtle微妙的differences in features相貌helped convey传递honesty," George Rotter says. "Instead反而，却we found that obvious differences accounted for the ratings. The message seems to be: Smile and the world will trust you."The researchers caution警告, however, that nothing in their research demonstrates论证；说明that people can accurately准确地；精密地distinguish between honest and dishonest people. The stranger may have an honest face, but the check may still bounce.Scene 1: In a park(Lillian and Barbara are sitting at a table, talking to each other.)...Barbara: So your first grandchild is coming. That's fantastic!Lillian: Oh, yes! It's an exciting time. We're really looking forward to it. Barbara: How are you and Danny planning to celebrate?Lillian: Uh, we're planning to have a family reunion next month. You and Larry willcome, won't you?Barbara: Sure! A big reunion to welcome a new member—and you'll be a grandma.That'll be great!Lillian: You know, Danny and I have been married for 27 years. We raised four children and are now welcoming a grandchild. I just couldn't ask for more.But Danny always feels like there's something missing. He told me thatthere was some kind of secret his parents knew but that he never foundout about. I just don't know how to help him.Barbara: "Something missing?" (She says hesitantly.) Well, there is a secret, you know. Do you know that both Danny and Larry are adopted?Lillian: What? Are you kidding?Barbara: Well, Larry was with his parents the day they adopted Danny. He was sworn to secrecy because their mom didn't want anyone to know she couldn't havechildren. And now that both of the parents have passed away, Larry wantsme to keep the secret. But I didn't promise him I'd keep it a secret forever,and I don't think there's any reason to hide the facts from you and Danny. Lillian: Wow, I just can't believe it! It's incredible. Now what should I do? ShouldI tell Danny that his parents had concealed the truth from him so manyyears?Barbara: I found out about all this only a month ago. When Larry was 10 years old, his mom let it slip that he was adopted. The truth pained him so much thathe didn't want Danny to have to go through the same thing. But if not knowingthe truth only makes Danny feel upset, maybe...Lillian: Oh, thanks, Barbara! I'm so glad you let me know the truth. Danny has endured this lie all his life! I think learning the truth would finallyset him free from his restlessness. He deserves to know the truth. Buthow am I going to tell him he's adopted? I'll have to think about it... Barbara: It'll be OK!Scene 2: In the sitting room(Lillian and Danny are sitting on the couch, looking at the photos takenat their grandson's party.)Lillian: Oh, Danny! You looked really pleased with that little one in your arms.He's such a miracle, isn't he?Danny: Yeah. And you looked pretty pleased that day too.Lillian: Oh, everybody did. We all love you. And don't you ever forget that, you hear?Danny: (After a pause, he changes the subject.) Honey, is there anything wrong?I thought you acted just a little bit funny today.Lillian: Well, actually, I received a letter this morning—from the Bureau of Vital Statistics. I contacted them about a month ago.Danny: You did? What for?Lillian: Sweetheart, the other day I found out something from Barbara. She told me that both you and Larry are adopted. So I needed some proof. And herethey sent me the document.(She hands a letter over to Danny and he begins to read eagerly.) Danny: "Danny Schick, on December 14, 1953, you joined your adoptive parents..."This is unbelievable! Why didn't anyone tell me before? But if Barbaratold you, somebody had to know.Lillian: They chose not to let you know the truth then. I think they had their reasons.Danny: You know, growing up, I never felt like I belonged. I didn't look like any of my relatives. I was six years old, I guess, when Larry blurted outthat I was adopted. Both my parents denied it at the time, but deep insideme, there was this shadow of doubt. Larry's words kind of haunted me, youknow.Lillian: Dear, try not to feel that way! Larry has always loved you. I've talked with Larry about this and he mentioned that story too. Your mom made himswear not to tell the truth after that incident. When he was 10, Mom letit slip that he was adopted, too. The truth made him feel like a throwawaythen, and he didn't want you to feel that way. He wanted to protect you. Danny: Larry! But why did my parents do this to me? But they never lied to me in my memory, and they taught me not to lie. How could they do this? Ijust feel like my world is turned upside down completely. I really feellet down. It might not be so important whether I was adopted or not, dear,but it's just—how could they hide the truth from me for 50 years? That...really hurts.Lillian: I've got to fix this. Maybe we can find the missing pieces of the puzzle.Would it help if we looked for your birth family? We could comb theInternet, newspaper archives and census records looking for them. Danny: I'm just a throwaway by my birth family...Lillian: If you're a throwaway, then I'm the catcher's mitt! Larry also told me that once your parents mentioned that you had been born in Georgia, sowe inquired about you through the Georgia Adoption Reunion Registry. Weare trying to find your family and the truth.Danny: I have a beautiful wife, four wonderful children, and an adorable grandchild. I have all the family I need. However, if I am not Danny Schick,who am I then?Scene 3: In the same sitting room(Lillian just puts down the phone and comes to Danny.)Lillian: Danny, they finally located your family! You have a sister! She is still alive!Danny: (He says gruffly.) Why should we look for them when they aren't looking for me?Lillian: (She replies gently.) Maybe she didn't know about you. The important thing is we found her! And guess what? Your last name is O'Hara. You're Irish! Danny: You've got her telephone number? Let's contact her immediately.Scene 4: In Louise's house(When the door opens... Danny and Louise blink in amazement.)Danny: So, you are Louise.Louise: And you must be Danny, and Lillian, (She hugs Lillian.) It's so good to see you. Please come in.Lillian: Oh, it's incredible. It's like looking in the mirror! You two have the same eyes, and the same smile... everything!(Louise throws her arms around Danny.)Louise: I always knew I had a brother. I just never knew where he was. I'm so glad we found each other.Danny: I... I just don't know what to say.Louise: Well, come in; we have a lot of catching up to do.(The three sit down in the sitting room.)Louise: Danny, my parents—my adoptive parents told me that our birth parents died when we were just babies. They were British. I was adopted by an Americancouple and I always knew I was adopted. You were adopted by a British familyand I guess they must not have told you that you were adopted. Danny: No, they, they didn't. I suppose their generation was more secretive about adoption, and I, but I don't know why. They loved me, but they couldn'ttell me the truth. And now they're dead, and I can never tell them thatit wouldn't have made any difference.Louise: Yes, it wouldn't have made any difference for me, either. Adoptive parents love their children just as much as birth parents.Danny: So if it wasn't for you, Lillian, I would never have found my whole family again. And I would never have found myself again, either. Lillian, darling,Louise, my dear sister, I am such a lucky man. (Danny clutches Louise andLillian's hands tightly.)Lillian: And we're lucky too, Danny. Don't forget that if you've found a sister, I've found a sister-in-law.Louise: And a good friend!(They laugh happily.)很多时候，新生婴儿并不漂亮。
大学英语视听说教程unit5&6
Optional 2
It was raining heavily. I couldn’t see clearly. I drove slowly. Suddenly, I saw a young girl.She was dressed neatly and standing in the middle of the road. I was surprised! Somehow, I stopped the car quickly. “What are you doing?” I asked. She looked at me strangely but didn’t answer. “Are you OK?” I asked. “I’m fine,” she answered. Then she smiled happily and walked away quietly. Nervously, I drove to my hotel and checked in. I told the clerk about the little girl. “Do you know her?” I asked. “Oh yes,” he said calmly. “That’s Mary Anne. She died five years ago on that road. It was a car accident during a rainstorm.”
Unit 6
Optional 1
Conversation 1
Woman: Morning, Simon. Wow, you look tired.
新标准大学英语视听说教程听力原文
新标准⼤学英语视听说教程听⼒原⽂Unit 6-Conversation 1Janet: What are you reading, KateKate:Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. Do you know itJanet: I've heard of it, yes, but I've never read it. It's a 19th century children's story, isn't it K a te: That's right. It's very famous. It's set in Oxford. It starts with this young girl sitting on a river bank. The interesting thing is, the author, Lewis Carroll, he was an Oxford professor and he used to have tea with the girl's family on this river bank. Ja net: Oh, that's fascinating! I'll put it into my diary.Kate: Is that what you're writing I know you've been keeping a diary all the year.Janet: It's been a great year. I've had such a good time — so lucky to have Mark and Kate as friends. Feel I've been doing well with work. Much happier about asking questions in tutorials.Janet: My screen's gone dark.Mark: You're using the battery, remember. It's run out, obviously.Janet: It can't be the battery. It's still charged. Oh no it's still black. Oh dear, I hope it's nothing serious. I haven't backed anything up recently. Kate: That's not like you, Janet.Janet:I know, but I lost my memory stick. I really should have backed things up. How stupid of me not to do that! Supposing I've lost everything!Mark: Let me take a look. The power is still on. And also the operating system still seems to be working ...I think it has to be the graphics card ... But maybe that's not the problem ...Janet: If only I'd backed things up!Kate: Relax, Janet! We'll take it to the computer shop this afternoon. I'm sure it'll be OK.Janet: I hope so.Unit 6-Conversation 2Janet: Tell me about Alice in Wonderland.Kate: I tell you what, I'll read it to you. Kate: Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank and having nothing to do: Once or twice, she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversation" So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid) ...Janet: Kate, Mark, where are you going You've got my laptop!Kate: It's all right, Janet, we're taking it to the computer shop. We'll be back soon.Mark: It's not like Janet to forget to back up her work.Kate: She should have been more careful.Janet: It was stupid of me, I know! Stupid, stupid! Janet: Oh! It was a dream! What a relief!Kate: You were talking in your sleep.Janet: What was I sayingKate: "Stupid, stupid."M ark: I've sorted out your computer.Janet: Have you Oh, thank goodness! What was the problemMark:It was the graphics card, as I predicted ... Janet: Is that what it was! I'm so relieved! Thanks, Mark.Kate: He's great, isn't heJanet: Yes. So are you, Kate.Kate: You're such a good friend.Unit 6-Outside viewComputers are a very important part of our lives. They tell us about delays to transport. They drive trains, analyze evidence and control buildings. Did you know that 60 per cent of homes in Britain have got a PC (a personal computer) For many young people, playing computer games is their favorite way of spending spare time. Computers are a very important part of most areas of life in Britain-libraries, the police and in school. But they are becoming more important in our homes as well. They’ll even control the way we live-in “smart homes” or computer-controlled houses. The smart home is now a real possibility. It will become very common. A central computer will adjust the temperature, act as a burglar alarm and switch on lights, ready for you to come back home. And of course you will be able to give new instructions to the computer from your mobile phone. So if your plans change, your home will react to match. Many homes have got lots of televisions and several computers. The smart home will provide TV and Internet sockets in every room, so you’ll be able to do what you want whenever you want. If the temperature outside changes, the smart home will adjust the temperature levels inside. The computer will also close the blinds when it gets dark or to stop so much sun from entering a room. And if you want to eat when you get home, the computer will turn the oven on for you! Are computers taking over our lives In a survey, 44 per cent of young people between 11 and 16 said their PC was a trusted friend. Twenty per cent said they were happier at their computer than spending time with family or friends. Another survey found that people in Britain spend so much time on the phone, texting and reading emails that they no longer have time for conversation. What do you think about thatUnit 6-Listening inNews ReportUS Scientists have announced the discovery of gravitational waves, which are tiny waves produced by massive objects moving very quickly. Two black holes produced the waves when they crashed into each other about billion years ago. A black hole is a place in space where the gravity is so strong that even light cannot escape. This announcement of the discovery comes a century after Albert Einstein first predicted gravitational waves would exist.The discovery was made possible by using a highly sensitive instrument designed to detect signals of gravitational waves and identify their sources. This discovery proves that there are gravitational waves, and strongly confirms the existence of black holes.With this discovery, scientists are given a new tool to study and understand the universe. The waves could help scientists learn more about what happened immediately after the universe began and how the universe expanded. Scientists hope that they may be able to observe parts of the universe that were previously undetectable.1.What discovery have US scientists made2.What features do black holes have according to thenews report3.Why is the discovery importantPassage 1When you have a biscuit with your cup of tea, do you dunk it And if so, what’s the perfect way to do it That’s the subject of today’s Science in Action report. It may be hard to believe but scientists at the University of Bristol have been analyzing this question. And after a two-month study they devised a mathematical formula for dunking biscuits. So no more melting chocolate, or biscuit crumbs in the bottom of your cup, which is the fate of one in four biscuits that are dunked in tea, according to research by a biscuit manufacturer. Doughnut dunkers don’t face the same problems because doughnuts are held together with an elastic net of protein, gluten. This substance allows the doughnut to absorb liquid without breaking down its structure. The structure of a biscuit, however, is held together by sugar which melts when placed in hot tea or coffee. So what is the answer The researcher, let by Dr. Len Fisher, discovered that holding the biscuit in a horizontal position – or “flat-on”– has a significant effect on the amount of time that a biscuit can stay in hot liquid before falling apart. In fact this horizontal dunking results in a dunking time up to four times longer than traditional vertical dunking.What’s the reason for this It seems that the answer is related to diffusion, in other words, the length of time it takes for theliquid to penetrate the structure of the biscuit. Basically, it takes longer for the liquid to travel through the channels of a biscuit when it is laid flat on the surface of the liquid. Also the fact that when a biscuit is dunked horizontally, with the biscuit submerged in the liquid, and the chocolate coating staying out of the liquid, the chocolate helps hold the biscuit together. Another factor influencing the equation is the temperature of the tea –the hotter the tea, the faster the sugar melts. Researchers also found that by dunking a biscuit into tea or coffee, up to ten times more flavor is release than it the b iscuit is eaten dry. So it’s worth experimenting yourself. If you are wondering how you can perfect the horizontal dunk, the researchers have come up with an idea for a biscuit-holding device to make dunking biscuits easier. They are even mow working on producing a table giving guidelines on dunking times for different types of biscuit. On that note, I think it’s time to go off to the canteen for a tea break!Passage 2Peter: Hey Louise, look at this book about crop circles - some of the photos are absolutelyunbelievable.Louise: You don t believe in all that stuff, do you PeterPeter: I'm not saying I believe in UFOs and things, but some of the formations are fascinating.They’re made up of lots of interconnectedcircles and geometrical shapes. You know, inthe past few years, there have been morereports of them. The circles are gettinglarger and the designs are getting moreintricate... I'm sure that they can't all beman-made. Think about it - they're socomplicated, and they appear at night in themiddle of fields of wheat barley or corn.It’s definitely pretty weird!Louise: I know, but l saw a TV documentary about it, and they showed how a group of hoaxers madean elaborate crop circle in a field at nightusing wooden plank, ropes, plastic tubes anda garden roller. They even fooled some of thepeople who believe in the paranormal-alienscoming down in UFOs and aliens coming downin UFOs and creating them, and so on. Peter: I'm sure lots of them are created by people just to get publicity but look here-it says,“The first records of crop circles go backas far as the 17th century. Since the 1970sthere have been over 12,000 reports fromcountries all around the world includingItaly, America, South Africa, Australia andBrazil.” Most reports are from here inEngland though.Louise: B ut surely that’s just because they get so much media coverage these days, so more people are making them.Peter: Perhaps, but how do you explain the fact that the actual chemical composition of the grains of corps inside the circles changesScientific tests have found they have ahigher protein level. The stems of the grainshave often been exposed to high temperatures.And they found that the soil within thecircles contains more iron than the soiloutside. So far, the hoaxers haven't beenable to copy all these features.Louise: W ell, I'm not a scientist but I'm pretty sceptical about all these so-called paranormal explanations. I remember in theprogramme I watched, the researchers foundsigns of human interference, such as holesin the earth and footprints!Peter: Come on… you must admit, that still leavesa lot which is unexplained!Louise: T here's lots of things that are hard to explain but this really...。
新视野大学英语第三版听说教程答案UNIT6
Listening to the world
Cultural Notes
University College London
It is a public research university founded in 1826. It became one of the founding colleges of the University of London in 1836. It is a multidisciplinary (含有多种学科的) university with an international reputation for the quality of its teaching and research across the academic spectrum (范围). It is one of the two top universities in the UK for the number of professors and has one of the best academic (大学教师) to student ratios in the UK. It is regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious (有声望的) universities.
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Listening to the world
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新视野大学英语听说教程第四册unit6
Uint6II. Basic Listening PracticeScriptW: What‟s that? Is it a toy? Did it get chewed by a dog?M: Hey, that‟s my mascot! My uncle gave it to me when I was five, and it‟s been with me ever since. It brought me luck in all my college exams. I can‟t bring myself to part with it.Q: What does the man say about his lucky charm?ScriptW: Wish me luck; I‟ve got a job interview this afternoon. I‟m really nervous. M: Stay calm, best of luck! I‟ve got my finger crossed for you.Q: What does the woman say he has crossed his fingers for the woman?3. ScriptW: Oh no! Did you see that black cat walk right in front of me? That‟s unlucky! M: Really? I guess it depends on where you come from. In my hometown it‟s the opposite: It‟s lucky to see a black cat cross your pa th. So no need to worry! Q: What do the man and the woman think about a black cat crossing their path?4. ScriptM: Guess what I did this morning? I smashed my mirror. A great way to start the day!W: Oh no, seven years‟ bad luck, isn‟t it?Q: What happened in the morning?5. ScriptM: I can‟t believe this rain; it‟s been pouring for hours! Where can I dry my umbrella?W: Not in here please! It‟s unlucky to open an umbrella indoors. You can put iton the porch.Q: Where does the woman ask the man do to open his umbrella?Keys: 1.C2.C3. A 4.D 5.BIII. Listening InTask 1: David Copperfield is coming.W: My brother is going to pick up some tickers for the David Copperfield show. You interested in coming with us?M: I don‟t know. I‟ve been card tricks b efore, and rabbits from hats. I even do tricks myself—watch me change this coin into an ice cream cone.W: Very funny. David Copperfield is the world‟s greatest magician; he‟s certainly worth a look.M: Actually, I have seen him on television. He pulls off some pretty amazing stunts. I wish I knew how he performed his tricks. Then I could also make a person float in the air. I could pull a rabbit out of my hat. I could escape from a straitjacket and handcuffs—all underwater. And I could saw a woman in half. W: A magician never tells his secrets. David attempts the impossible and no one has any idea how he does it. I saw him on TV when he walked through the Great Wall of China.M: How could he do that?W: I have no idea, but I know what I saw: He entered a canvas shelter on one side of the wall, and he came out of a canvas shelter on the other side. M: yes, bur was he always in full view of the camera, or did they cut to a commercial or something else?W: Not only was the camera running all the time, but he was hooked up aheart monitor, and you could track his progress as he moved through the wall. M: It‟s difficult to know what to believe. I know it‟s not possible for him to do that, but…W: It sounds to me like it‟s a show worth watching.M: Count me in. Instead of an ice cream cone, I‟ll turn my money into a ticket.What is the dialog mainly about?Which of the following DOESN‟T the man mention?What did David Copperfield do at the Great Wall of China, according to the woman?Under what condition did David Copperfield go through the Great Wall?What does the man finally decide to do?Keys: 1C 2.B 3.A 4.D 5.CFor Reference1. He could make a person float in the air, pull a rabbit out of his hat, escape from a straitjacket and handcuffs—all underwater, and saw a woman in half.2. She thinks Davis Copperfield in the world‟s greatest magician and he‟s certainly worth a look.Task 2: Is it really bad luck?ScriptAre you worried because you have just broken a mirror? Some people believethat breaking a mirror is a (S1) terrible thing to do. They say it will bring you seven years of (S2) misfortune. The reason behind this belief stems the old idea that a person‟s soul is in their (S3) reflection, so that if you smash you r mirror, you soul will be (S4) damaged too, dooming you do an early death, and not giving you entry to (S5) heaven. Is there any way to reverse this bad luck? Yes—if you very carefully (S6) pick up all the broken pieces of the mirror and throw them into a river or stream, then the bad luck will be”(S7) washed away”..Of all number, 13 is the most associated with bad luck. (S8) Some people claim that the number is bad luck because thirteen people sat down for the Last Supper before Jesus was crucified, and with this in mind few hosts will serve dinner with thirteen at the table. And according to an ancient Norwegian tale, twelve gods had gathered for a feast when a thirteenth, Loke, entered. After the meal, Loke killed Balder, who was the most beloved of all the gods.(S9) Friday the thirteenth of any month is considered especially bad or unlucky, and Friday the thirteenth of March is the worst of the all.The number seven also has some superstition connected to it. It is said that God created the world in seven days, and any association with the number is luck. The seventh son of the seventh son is said to be the luckiest of men, and (S10) When people talk about the “seven-year itch” they mean that every seven years a person undergoes a complete change in personality.Task3: The Status on Easter IslandScriptOne of the greatest mysteries on Earth is the statues on Easter Island. The island is one of the most remote places on Earth, located in the southern Pacific Ocean. It was almost uninhabited when it was discovered on Easter Day in 1722by a Dutch captain, but it is covered with hundreds of giant statues, each weighing several tons and some standing more than 30 feet tall.Who carved these statures, and how and why were they put there?Nobody knows the answer for sure, but many ate trying to find out. There are many theories to explain this mystery. It has even been suggested the space aliens may have played a role regarding these giant statues. Another theory relates to the fact that Easter Island was inhabited by Polynesian seafarers, who traveled thousand of miles in their canoes, guided by the stars, the color of sky and the sun , the shapes of clouds, and the presence of birds making flights out to sea seeking food. The Polynesians first arrived on the island in499A.D.However, the ocean currents which carried them there would mot take them back. They were trapped and, having arrived there, could not leave. The Polynesians probable cared the statues themselves, perhaps as religious symbols.To date, 887 statues have been discovered on the island. However, only a few statues were carried intended destination. The rest were abandoned along the way.The statues appear to have been carved out of the top edge of walls of a volcano on the island. After a statue was carved, it may have been rolled or dragged down to the base of the volcano. Then it was put upright, and ropes were tied around it. Using a pulley system, the statue was moves to its intended destination.At its peak, the population of Eater Island is believed to have reached 11,000. Eventually, the resources of the island were exhausted, and the people resorted to cannibalism, eating one another. Work on the statues stopped and thestatues were knocked over. When the first Europeans finally arrived on the island, most of the people lad died out.When and by whom was the island discovered?Who are mentioned in the passage as possible builders of the statues?What is true of the Polynesians on the island according to the passage?How many statues ere carried to their intended destination?5. Which of the following would be the most suitable title for the passage? Keys: 1A 2.B3. D 4.D 5BFor ReferenceThe resources of the island were exhausted, and the people resorted to cannibalism, eating each other. When the first Europeans finally arrived on the island, most of the people lad died out.IV. Speaking OutMODEL 1This is a custom that dates back to the ancient Celts.Chris: Sue, do you know why people say, “knock on wood” when they want to avoid bad luck?Susan: It sounds a bit funny. As far as I know, it has a lot to do with ancient Celtic people. They worshipped trees.Chris: Sounds interesting.Susan: They thoughts trees would suck demons back into the ground.Chris: Well, when you think about the deep roots, their belief seems to make some senses.Susan: What‟s more, knocking on wood was a way to brag without being punished. People once thought that evil spirits would become jealous if good fortune was pointed out to themChris: Uh, yes, go on.Susan: well, by knocking on wood three times, the noise could frightened away the evil spirits, and they couldn‟t have to rob the braggart of that good fortune Chris: I‟m afraid those who don‟t know this superstition might be frightened away as well.Susan: Now here‟s a test. Do you know how the custom of kissing under the mistletoe originated?Chris: I haven‟t the slightest idea, but I‟m all ears.Susan: Again this is a custom that dates back to the ancient Celts. Since they worshipped trees, they conducted many of their ceremonies in the woods in the shade of trees.Chris: Now I see. Probably it‟s under these mistletoe trees that weddings took place.Susan: I wish you were standing under some mistletoe right now.Chris: Luckily I‟m not. Touch wood.MODEL2 Is there any relationship between superstitions and real life?ScriptChris: It‟s strange that so many people are superstitious. There must be some relationship between superstitions and real life.Susan: You know, Richard Wiseman, a British psychologist researched the relationship between superstition and luck.Chris: What did he find? Most people would be interested. At least I would Susan: He polled ,000 people and fond that people who believe themselves to be lucky tend to go for positive superstitions .They may wear a ring as a talisman or often say,” touch wood” for good luck.Chris: Then, what about the unlucky people? Do you mean if they think they ate unlucky, they tend to believe in superstitions abut bad luck.Susan: Yeah. They worry a lot about a broken mirror, a black cat running across their path, and so on.Chris: So what is his point?Susan: His point is that people make their own luck by their attitude to life. So, 49 percent of lucky people regularly cross their fingers, compared to 30 percent of unlucky people. And only 18 percent of lucky people are anxious if they break a mirror.Chris: So, our fate is linked to our attitude rather than to our superstitions. Susan: I think that‟s what he is suggesting.Chris: This research seems too complicates. If I were a psychologist, I would conduct a survey to find whether 13 really is an unlucky number. I f there ere traffic accidents or murders on the 13th than on other days, then we have to believe in superstitions.Susan: What if there weren‟t?Chri s: Then I wouldn‟t be superstitious.Susan: What a brilliant idea! I never expected you to be as wise as Solomon. Chris: Well as long as you don‟t think I‟m a fool.MODEL3 I believe ETs have visited the earth before.ScriptNora: Hey, what‟s this picture of yours? It looks like a flying saucer.Chris: It is. I was visited by aliens last week and this is a picture of their spacecraft.Nora: When I look closer, it resembles a liver Frisbee.Chris: But it could have been aliens. I believe ETs have visited the earth before. What do you think?Nora: It would be hard to believe otherwise. Projects like the pyramids are difficult to explain away, given the level of technology that was available at the timeChris: That‟s for sure. They are mysterious.Nora: When y ou consider all those “impossibilities, it‟s tempting to infer that some highly advanced civilization assisted humans in their construction. Chris: Think about this: if you were abducted by aliens and taken up to their spaceship or something …well…Nora: What do you mean?Chris: I mean, who would believe you? You‟d go nuts telling everyone: “It‟s true!I was abducted by aliens!”Nora: And everyone would think you were crazy, or just making up a story to get attention.Chris: From what I understand, sometimes these people do go crazy, trying to convince people about their experiences.Nora: I believe that in some cases they offer pretty good evidence.Chris: So, take a closer look at this picture. Do you still think it‟s a Frisbee?Now Your TurnTask 1SAMPLE DIALOGSimon: Eliza, do you know why people say” keep your fingers crossed” when they want to wish others luck?Eliza: It sounds a bit funny. As far as I know, it‟s a lot to do with an ancient Christian belief.Simon: Uh, go on.Eliza: In the Christia n belief “making the sign of the cross” would keep away evil spirits and bad luck.Simon: I see. When you think about the cross, sign of Christianity, that belief seems to make some sense.Eliza: That‟s true. That‟s why children often cross their fingers when they tell a small lie. They want to keep bad luck away, or to avoid being punished. Simon: Sounds interesting. So, I‟ll cross my fingers for you before you take the final examination.Eliza: Thank you.Simon: But those who don‟t understand this super stition might be puzzled Eliza: With interesting communications among nations, more and more people can understand it now.V. Let‟s TalkScriptThanks, perhaps, to falling stock markets and unrest in the Middle East, Britons have become even more superstitious than usual, according to a report published today. “There has been a significant increase in superstition over the last month, possible as a result of current economic and political uncertainties,” stated Dr. Dick Armstrong. He launched an Internet Survey of national superstition, and found it to be surprisingly high, even among those with ascientific background. Only more in ten of those surveyed claimed not to be superstitious at all. Three out of four people in Britain feel the need to touch wood, and 65% cross their fingers.It is interesting to note that lucky people were much less superstitious and tended to take constructive action to improve their lives. Conversely, superstitious people tended to regard themselves as among the less lucky, worried about life, had a strong need for control, and could not tolerate ambiguity.The survey also revealed some unexpected beliefs. For example, one respondent could not stay in the bathroom once a toilet had been flushed. There was no evidence that superstitious ever worked, even, when people were instructed to carry lucky charms for a week. They didn‟t feel any luckier or more stratified with their lives at the end of that week than when they started. Armstrong attempted to explain this phenomenon: “When students are preparing for exams with a lucky charm, they may trust the charm, rather than doing some extra revision.”Reasons foe More Superstitions Thanks, perhaps, to falling stock markets and unrest in the Middle East, Britons have become even more superstitious than usualWho are more superstitious? Lucky people were much less superstitious and tended to take constructive action to improve their lives. Conversely, superstitious people tended to regard themselves as among the less luckyDo superstitions work? There was no evidence that superstitious ever worked, even, when people were instructed to carry lucky charms for a week. They didn‟t feel any luckier or more stratifiedExplanation When students are preparing for exams with a lucky charm, they may trust the charm, rather than doing some extra revision.VI. Further Listening and SpeakingTask1: Horseshoes as a Sign of Good LuckScriptHorseshoes are a traditional sign of good luck. Most people believe this comes from the fact that the horseshoe is shaped like the crescent moon, a period of prosperity and good fortune. One legend has it that the Devil was in disguise and wandering at large, looking for trouble. He happened to call on St. Dunstan, who ea skilled in shoeing horses. St. Dunstan recognized the Devil and tied him to a wall with only his feet free to move. He then set to work shoeing him as though he were a horse, but with such roughness the Devil cried out for mercy. St. Dunstan stopped his work and released the Devil after making him promise never to enter a home on which a horseshoe was fixed. Witches fear horses, so they are also turned away by a door with a horseshoe mounted on it. The big issue regarding horseshoes is whether they should be hung points up or points down.The original superstition was that the horseshoe is points up to keep the luck from pouring out. Despite this view most buildings with horseshoes in their sign hang them the opposite way. The Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas hangs its horseshoe with the arc on top. Th ey may be hoping their customers‟ luck runs out, but this is usually not something you advertise in your sign. Finger ringsmade of horseshoe nail are said to keep away bad luck. Also, robbing two horseshoes together is said to bring good luck.According to the passage, what does the crescent moon represent?What did St. Dunstan do to the Devil?What did the Devil promise?What is the big issue concerning the horseshoe?Why is the arc of the horseshoe up at the casino in Las Vegas?Keys: 1.A 2.C 3.D 4.C5.BTask 2: Superstitions or real bad lucks?ScriptJoan: Pass me that mirror, would you? I‟ll see if my makeup is OK.Dick: OOOPS!! Sorry I dropped it…but is it you or me that gets the seven years of bad luck?Joan: You, I hope, but probable neither of us. I wonder where that “old wives‟ tale” originated anyway.Dick: There used to be a lot of superstitions: black cats, ladders, numbers. My parent and grandparents are full of them.Joan: I agree. People today are much more educated than before. These supersti tions are just amusing pieced of history rather than beliefs, don‟t you think so?Dick: Perhaps, but some people today still go for them. People whose livelihoods depend more on luck—like professional athletes, or fishermen—often they have superstitious routines.Joan: It‟s rue. I have heard of athletes who wear lucky socks or a treasuredmedal to bring them good fortune.Dick: And let‟s not forget lucky numbers. We all know about the number4,6, and 8 in China.Joan: I know 4 is death and 8 is wealth, but what is the significance of 6? Dick: 6 means good luck. Some people include 6 in their e-mail address just for luck.Joan: Maybe we are not as smart as we think we are.Dick: Well, there are many things in the universe that we cannot control, and that‟s w hy people are superstitious.Keys: TTFFTTask3: Career TransitionsScriptThere was a king in Africa who has a close friend that he grew up with. The friend has a habit of looking at every situation in his life and saying, “This is good!”One day the king and his friend were out hunting. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation, the friend remarked as usual, “This is good!” to which the king replied, “No, this is NOT good!” and proceeded to send his friend to jail.About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied him to a stake surrounded by wood. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king had but one thumb. Being superstitious, they neverate anyone that was less than whole. So they set the king free.As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb off and felt badly sorry about his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. “You were right,” he said, “it was good for my thumb was blown off.” Then he apologized, “I‟m very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this.”“No,” his friend replied, “this is good!”“What do you mean, …this is good‟? How could it be good that I sent you, my good friend, to jail for all this time?”“If I had not been in jail, I would have been with you—and eaten.!”For ReferenceHe had a habit of looking at every situation in his life and saying, “This is good!”After taking the gun, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off.They set the king free, because being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than wholeHe felt sorry for his friend and went to the jail to apologize to him.5. If he had not been in jail, I would have been with you—and eaten.News ReportEgyptian TombsScriptArchaeologist have uncovered two tombs that date back more than 2,500 years in the part of Cairo where the ancient city of Heliopolis once stood, according to Egyptian antiquity authorities.Although there is a modern suburb of Heliopolis in Cairo southeast of its ancientnamesake, the original Heliopolis was known as a center of learning and academic study in ancient Mediterranean times.The 26-century-old tombs that date back to the years 664 to 625 BC were developed during a routine archaeological inspection of an empty plot of land in the Eins Shams district of northwestern Cairo. This district covers part of the ground that used to be the ancient city of Heliopolis.The owner of the land was seeking construction rights and by law, construction cannot begin without a permit certifying that the site has no historical significance.The first of the two limestone tombs to be opened contained a sarcophagus and sixteen statuettes, said the chief state archaeologist for the Cairo-Giza area, Zahi Hawass.Hawass said in a statement that the tombs were found in a downtown residential area, three meters below the ground.[SOUND BITE]Hawass went on to give a more detailed account of the important find. [SOUND BITE]It appears that the tombs have not been raided by grave robbers, but they have been damaged by leaking sewage water.The first tomb to be uncovered belonged to a builder named Waja-Hur. His name was engraved on the statuettes, which the ancient Egyptians placed in tombs to answer questions for them in the afterlife.Te process of recovering these artifacts can be long and tedious, but the historical significance of these pieces makes the painstaking work worthwhile. [SOUND BITE]Egyptian archaeologists plan to open the second tomb on Sunday.。
新视野大学英语听说教程4册听力原文及答案（6）
新视野⼤学英语听说教程4册听⼒原⽂及答案（6）Uint7II. Basic Listening Practice1.ScriptM: We offer all kinds of tours and excursions. DO you have anything particular in mind?W: Not really, we’d just like to see the local sights and have an English speaking guide. It would be good if they were someone local too. My husband is interested in the local stories and folklore.Q: What does the woman mention as one of her preferences?2. ScriptM: Are you joining a tour group when you go to Indonesia?W:No, I’m going to backpack my way round. I like being independent and seeing things at my own pace. Besides, there’s more chance of meeting local people that way. I’ve just got to be careful.Q: what dose the woman want?3. ScriptW: Hey, could you bring your video camera to the kids’ concert tomorrow? I’d love to capture it on film.M: No problem. I’ll burn it to a DVD for you afterwards, then you can watch it at home.Q: How will the woman watch the concert later in the week?4. ScriptW:I can’t find that track I really like anywhere. It’s not on CDs in any of the shops, and I really want it on a CD.M: Well, let’s look online. Maybe we can download it, then burn it to a CD.Q: What does the man suggest doing to get the track?5. ScriptW:Here’s a riddle: Y ou love deep-sea finishing in Florida, and you’re crazy about skiing in Canada, but you can’t afford even one vacation home. What do you do? M: I buy a share in two holiday homes, so I own a week or more at each place. Timesharing is the way many people afford seemingly expensive holidays.Q: What advice does the man give for people unable to afford expensive holiday homes?Keys: 1.A 2.A 3. D 4.B 5.CIII. Listening InT ask 1: I’m doing a lot of things on the computer! ScriptBarbara: Jack, you’re sitting in front of your computer again! The sea and the sand are only steps only away. Why are you wasting these beautiful holidays?The summer will be over before you know it.Jack:I’m not wasting the holidays as you say. The computer is a good thing. On the Internet you can go to any part of the world; I can see everything in theworld. It’s more real than reality.Barbara: But…but you can’t spend your entire summer watching that screen. Y ou’ll get a big bottom.Jack: I’m not just watching the screen. I’m doing a lot of things—I’m sending e-mails, I’m learning things, I’m chatting in chatrooms…Barbara: Right! But I’ll bet you’re spending most of your time playing computer games—a time-wasting, mindless activity that I’ll turn your brain intoChinese doufoo.Jack: No, it isn’t a single mindless pasti me. It’s many activities: role-playing games, arcade games, adventure games, strategy games…Barbara:I understand the computer is a wonderful thing, but you have to be careful not to get too much of a good thing. Every life needs some variety in it. Itwould be a lot healthier if you played a chess game outdoors, in the park. Jack: It wouldn’t be the same. In those games in the park I can’t play against the grandmaster of Moscow, can I? And there are creative games in thecomputer, where I can learn city planning and psychology.Barbara: Well, what about me? Don’t you think I’d like a little attention?Jack: Now, Baby, that’s no way to talk. After all this time together, you know I love you.Barbara:I’m not so sure any more. It’s time you made a choice. Is it going to be more me or the computer?Jack: Well…1.Where does this dialog probably take place?2.What dose the man like to do according to the dialog?3.What does the woman mean when she says the man’s brain will turn into Chinesedoufoo?4.What does the man think about a chess game outdoors?5.What does the woman mean when she says, “Don’t you think I’d like a littleattention?”Keys: 1.A 2.B 3. C 4.D 5.CFor Reference1.He says that in those games in the park he can’t play against the grandmaster ofMoscow. And there are creative games in the computer, where he can learn city planning and psychology,2.She asks him to make a choice between her and the computer.T ask 2: A Magician and a ParrotScriptA magician was working on a deluxe cruise ship in the Caribbean. The (S1) audience was different each week, so the magician did the same (S2) tricks over and over again. He felt he could cast a spell over the audience (S3) whenever he wanted to.There was only one problem: The captain’s (S4) parrot watched every show and began to understand what the (S5) magician did in each trick. Once he understood that, he started shouting in the middle of the show.“Look, it’s not the same (S6) hat!”“Look, he’s hiding the flowers under the table!”“Hey, why are all the (S7) cards the Ace of Spades?”(S8) The magician was furious. Each time the parrot revealed one of his secrets, the audience roared with laughter. The performance he intended to be dark and mysterious turned into a comedy. He was in a rage. (S9) He dreamed of various ways he could do away with the troublesome bird. But he didn’t dare to touch it. It was the captain’s parrot after all.One foggy night the ship collided with an enormous iceberg and sank. The magician found himself on a piece of wood, in themiddle of the ocean, and the parrot was by his side. (S10) They stared at each other with hate, but did not utter a word. This went on for several days.After a week the parrot finally said, “Okay, I give up. But I hope you’ll tell me what trick you are going to do with the boat.”T ask3: The Modern CircusScriptThe first modern circus was staged in London in 1768 by Philip Astley, a former English cavalry officer, who performed as a trick ride. Beginning with a visit to Paris in 1772, Astley introduced the circus in cities throughout continental Europe and was responsible for establishing permanent circuses in a number of European countries as well as in England. A circus was first presented in 1793 at the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg.By the early 19th century, several permanently-based circuses were located in larger European cities. In addition, small traveling shows moved from town to town in covered wagons in which the performers lived. The traveling shows were usually simple affairs, featuring a fiddler or two, a juggler, a ropedancer, and a few acrobats. In the early circuses such performers gave their shows in open spaces and took up a collection for pay; later, the performers used elaborate shows. In the earlier part of the 19th century a main feature of the permanent circus program was the presentation of grams that included displays of horsemanship. Throughout the 19th century the circus evolved in programming and management. Initially, trained horse and horsemanship performances dominated circuses, but ropedancing, juggling, acrobatic acts, wild-animal acts, and clowning were all introduced within the first few decades. The flying trapeze, an important part of the modern circus, was not invented until 1858, and the street parade and sideshow did not become standard circus events until later in the 19th century. Tents are believed to have come into use in the 1820s, but it is uncertain whether they appeared first in Europe or in the United States. Nowadays, the entertainment activities offered at a circus are more elaborate, generally consisting of displays of horsemanship, exhibitions by gymnasts, aerialists, wild-animal trainer, performing animals, and comic performance by clowns.1.What was Phillip Astley especially good at?2.According to the passage, what was true of the early traveling shows?3.What acts were featured in permanent circus programs in the early 19th century?4.When were wild-animal acts introduced?5.What is the main idea of the passage?Keys: 1C 2.A3. B 4.B 5.DFor ReferenceThey are more elaborate, generally consisting of displays of horsemanship, exhibitions by gymnasts, aerialists, wild-animal trainer, performing animals, and comic performance by clownsIV. Speaking OutMODEL 1 Would you like to do anything?Amy:Would you like to go to see a movie tonight, say, The Lord of the Rings?Bill: Thanks for asking, but there’s too much violence in those blockbusters. Amy: Then, let’s go roller-skating.Bill:I don’t really like to now that I’m not so young any more. Y ou know, my knees ache terribly.Amy: I’ m sorry to hear that. Hey, let’s go to see a country singer tonight?Bill:No. I’m not really in the mood.Amy: Well, would you like to do anything?Bill: Sure, let’s stay home and watch TV.Amy:Is there anything worth watching tonight?Bill: Let me look at the TV Guide first. Well, Survivor’s on Channel 3 at 7:30. Amy:If I remember correctly, there’s a documentary about animals on another channel.Bill: Y es, on Channel 10. Do you want to watch it?Amy: Do you mind if we watch it?Bill: Well. I really wanted to watch the Rocket game tonight.MODEL2 I can’t make up my mind!ScriptJohn: Hey!Nora: Hey!John: I see you’re reading travel brochures. Planning a holiday trip somewhere? Nora: Once the warms up. I get itchy feet. I think about going places.John: Will this be a trip abroad or some excursion close to home?Nora: Two tours are offered in May: one to big American cities; one to Europe. John: Are these whirlwind tours that allow you a few hours in each place?Nora: Oh, no, no, they’re both three-week three-city tours, with a week in each city. John: That’s more like it. Y ou can look around and not feel rushed. What cities?Nora: I can’t make up my mind: London, Paris and Rome or New Y ork, San…? John: Stop there. Europe’s more interesting. America’s OK, but it’s all the same. Nora: Y ou didn’t let me finish. San Francisco and Chicago, a modern metropolis. John: Big U.S. cities are so much alike. European cities differ from one anther. Nora: Y eah, like, they’re in different countries.John: There are other differences in languages, architecture, food, and customs. Nora: All right. Y ou convinced me. They say variety’s the spice of life. V ariety, here I come.MODEL3 You’d better get more exercise in your leisure time.ScriptAmy:Look at you! Y ou’re fat and flabby. Y ou’d better get more exercise in your leisure time, or you’ll never be Governor of California.Bill: That’s right. I’m no Schwarzenegger, no Mr. Universe, so don’t bug me.Amy: He shows what exercise can do. He used to be a skinny kid from Austria.Bill:He likes exercise; I don’t. I was born tired, and I’ve been resting ever since. Amy:Seeing a fine specimen like him, don’t you feel like exercising vigorously to stay in good shape?Bill:Whenever I feel like exercising, I lie down and rest until the feeling passes. Amy: Ha, ha, very funny. Surely you’ve read about the dangers of obesity.Bill: Scientists constantly find dangers: smoking, cholesterol. What else is new? Amy: Y ou must know an exercise like walking benefits the mind and body.Bill: I do, and I walk every day—from my office to the parking lot, not-stop. Amy: OK, have it your way. Eventually you’ll be a burden on our health system. Bill: And just what do you mean by that? I’m not sick. My appetite is good. Amy: If you stay fat, heart trouble or high blood pressure could hospitalized you. Bill: Well, you may have a point there.I suppose we could go for a walk after dinner, slowly.Now Your TurnT ask 1SAMPLE DIALOGQiang: I see you’re reading travel brochures. Planning a holiday trip somewhere? Li:Once the warms up. I get itchy feet. I think about going places.Qiang: Will this be a trip abroad or some excursion close to home?Li:I prefer going abroad. We’ve never visited a foreign country before. Qiang:What countries are advertised in the brochure? Li:Two overseas tours are offered during summer vacation. One is to a nearby country like Korea or Japan, and the other is to European countries.Qiang:Which tour do you prefer?Li:I’d like to go and see Korea. It’s close to China so that the tour is less expensive.Qiang: I prefer to spend our savings on the European tour. We can see very different people and architecture, enjoy different food, and appreciatedifferent customs.Li:All right. Y ou convince me. They say variety’s the spice of life. But shall we take a long tour or a whirlwind tour that allow us only a few hours in eachplace?Qiang: In a long tour we can look around and not feel rushed, but it’s too expensive.So let’s take a whirlwind tour. That’s what we can afford.Li:I agree. A whirlwind tour allows us to visit many important places we’ve heard and read so much about. That’s good enough for us.Qiang: Right on.V. Let’s T alkScriptThe notion of a weekly rest is ancient. Christian religions celebrate a day of rest known as the Sabbath, also called the Lord’s Day. It is on Sunday. The weekend as a holiday is a rather modern invention. Before the industrial revolution the wage labor force was a small fraction of the population. The day of the Sabbath was viewed as one dedicated to God, not one of relaxation.The early industrial period in Europe saw a six-day work week with only Sunday off, but some workers had no days off at all. Only the workers’ rights movements in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century saw a five-day work week introduced as Saturday became a day of rest and relaxation. This movement began in England.In many ways this has been a great boon to the economy as it leads to a great increase in consumer spending on Saturdays as restaurant visits, motorcar journeys, or trips to the movies became common on Saturday. Many jurisdictions continued to enforce strict Lord’s Day laws on Sunday, which meant that most places of recreation, such as stores and theaters, were forced to close on that day. These regulations began toweaken in the years after the Second World War, and Sunday also became a day of recreation for many.After centuries of development, the weekend is now a part of the week usually lasting two days in which most paid workers do not work. This is a time for leisure and recreation, and for religious activities.VI. Further Listening and SpeakingT ask1: The History of Chinese AcrobaticsScriptWelcome to the magnificent world of the Beijing Acrobats! Here the impossible is made of possible, and “daring”only begins to describe their amazing performance. The Beijing Acrobats are comprised of the finest acrobatic troupes in China today and have received acclaim from countries around the world. An outgrowth of Great China Circus, popular during the 1920’s, this group became an integrated professional acrobatic company in 1958.Many of the magnificent and sophisticated feats we see today were performed even in ancient times. The history of Chinese acrobatics is rich in tradition and dates back over 2,000 years. It began with folk arts; tumbling, juggling ordinary household objects and balancing.Myth and religion also influenced the acrobatic performing arts. The Lion Dance is Buddhist in origin. It was a symbol for the spirit of renewal and for avoiding bad luck. Throughout the history of China the acrobatic arts flourished, but in varying degrees. Originally, court entertainments were formal and monotonous, quite the opposite of the lively folk arts of the people. Eventually, however, the excitement of the acrobats’amazing feats caught and held the attention of the ruling class. Acrobatic performers were routinely invited to the court to entertain and impress the Emperors. These varied acts of tumbling, singing, dancing and juggling became known as “The Hundred Entertainments”in the Han Dynasty, more than 2, 000 years ago. The acrobatic arts have always maintained their popularity with the people. Today the acrobatics of families carry on this highly-acclaimed tradition. Children begin training at a young age to do handstands on a chair, balance jar, spin plates and throw knives; they stick to a strict training schedule which they follow the rest of their lives.Now let’s sit back, relax and enjoy the shows as our performers reveal to you their mastery of an ancient art from, thousands of years in the making!1.Where does this speech probably occur?2.When was the Great China Circus popular?3.How long is the history of Chinese acrobatics?4.According to the passage, what does the lion in a Lion Dance symbolize?5. How long do acrobats receives training?Keys: 1D 2.A 3.C 4.B 5.DT ask 2: Exercise to RelaxScriptW endy: What a day…a walk on the beach, bodysurfing, an hour of pumping iron, followed by a nice long jog. Maybe we can finish off with a little badminton this evening.Howard: Groan.W endy: So far this week, we’ve played beach volleyball, gone hiking, gone swimming, and ridden mountain bikes. Don’t you feel better in mind and body than when we arrived here?Howard: To tell the truth, I ache all over. My muscles are complaining that they’re being mistreated.W endy: Oh, now, admit it: This is the way to get the most out of life. This is how Nature intended us to live. I’ll bet you’d be exercising even if I weren’t here. Howard: Not a chance. Whenever I feel the urge to exercise, I lie and wa it for the feeling to pass. I prefer sitting around fishing or resting on a comfortablechair and watching the grass grow or stretching out on the beach while thesun slowly sets.W endy: Y ou’re a lazy lump. Before long you’ll be fat and weak and short of breath. If you think we had a big workout this week, just wait till next week. We’regoing rafting, and after that, I want to go camping and mountain climbing. Howard: Know what you are? Y ou’re fitness freak.Y ou’re hooked on exercise.W endy:Well, that may be true. But I’ll make a deal with you. If you promise to go camping with me next week, we’ll go to a movie this weekend.Howard: Wonderful. Just what I was waiting to hear. It sounds like a great chance to relax. Maybe someday I can even help you break free from that horriblefitness habit.W endy: That’ll be the day!Keys: FTTFFT ask3: How Americans Use Their TimeScriptIf you want to know what Americans do when they are not working, well, the average adult spends almost two hours a day on household activities like cooking, cleaning and paying bills. How do we know? The Department of Labor has just released a study of how Americans use their time.The study confirmed something that many people already knew. Women spend more time on child care and housework than men do, even when the women are employed. Men, however, spend more time at work. Men also spend more time on leisure activities and sports. They average five hours and twenty minutes a day, half an hour more than women.Leisure activities include things like watching television, visiting friends or exercising. Both men and women reported that they spent about half their leisure time watching television. Visiting friends and attending social events was the next most common leisure activity for both sexes.Older Americans spent more of their leisure time watching TV and reading than younger people did. Y ounger people reported spending more time with friends, using the computer and playing sports. In all, 19 percent of men and 16 percent of women play sports on any given day..For Reference1.They spend almost two hours a day on household activities like cooking, cleaningand paying bills.2.Men spend more time at work. Men also spend more time on leisure activities andsports. They average five hours and twenty minutes a day, half an hour more than women3.Both men and women reported that they spent about half their leisure timewatching television. Visiting friends and attending social events was the next most common leisure activity for both sexes.4.They spend time with friends, using the computer and playing sports5. In all, 19 percent of men and 16 percent of women play sports on any given day..News ReportLatest Space Walk from Space StationScriptAmerican astronaut Carl Walz and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Onufrienko took their first space walk outside of an international space station on Monday. Their mission was to move a construction crane and install a radio antenna outside the space station. Walz, Onufrienko, and American astronaut Daniel Bursch first moved into the space station last month. This was their first attempt since then to exit the station.As Bursch monitored from outside, Walz and Onufrienko exited the station 400 km above the Pacific Ocean. Their main task was to move a Russian-built crane from its temporary home on the U.S. side of the space station to a permanent home on the Russian side. Their plan was to use another similar Russian-built crane to help them carry out the job. The goal was for both cranes to eventually be located on the Russian side of the space station, which was launched in September.The job was not an easy one, considering that the crane they were in charge of moving is nearly 15 meters long when fully extended and able to move more thanthree tons of equipment when in use. The two men worked together to maneuver the two large cranes into the correct positions. The complicated job took several hours to complete, but their hard work resulted in the successful relocation of the crane to the Russian side of the space station.The men were also given the task of installing the first of four radio antennas on the living quarters of the space station. During the space walk, the two men complained of a continual high-pitched beeping sound that distracted them as they floated in space.Russian engineers attempted to find the cause of the noise the men were hearing inside their spacesuits, but could not provide an immediate solution.The three-man crew is the fourth crew to live on the space station and will remain on board there until May.。
新编大学英语视听说教程第六册听力原文Unit
Unit 6ViewScene 1: In the studio(The Program "News Review" is on. Garman is interviewing Tiffany Zorn, theNotComGuy.)Garman: This is Terry Garman. Welcome to "News Review". With me today is Ms. Tiffany Zorn, from The Chicago Tribune. Welcome.Zorn: Hi.Garman: Tiffany, your series of reports in the Tribune on your experiment have become well-known nationwide. Would you please briefly introduce it to the audience? Zorn: Well, I made a public announcement that I would go cold turkey for one week and then report on my discoveries.Garman: What do you mean by going cold turkey?Zorn: We human beings are addicted to electronic equipment, such as cell phones, fax machines, and of course, the computer and the Internet.Garman: And you want to go without them?Zorn: You're right. I wanted to know if I could survive in a world without them. Garman: That's why you've got a nickname—NotComGuy. Now I'm curious about the results of your experiment. Did you actually do that?Zorn: Well, to tell the truth, I gave up my attempt four days after I began. Garman: Your experiment only lasted four days and then you gave up?Zorn: Yep.Garman: What do you think was the reason for the failure of your experiment? Zorn: For one thing, I have to admit that I don't have enough willpower. At the beginning, I thought it would be difficult for me to quit after I made a publiccommitment in the newspapers, but things turned out otherwise.Garman: What made you change your mind?Zorn: When I set out to give up my computer and other electronic equipment, I felt sort of living in a different environment. I was cut off from my e-mail andfelt lonely. I knew I could exist without it. But I still really missed mye-mail. You know, as a columnist, I always have to keep in contact with mycorrespondents.Garman: Yes, I see.Zorn: But that's only part of the story. Worse still, I learned that I wasn't able to write coherent sentences without the use of my word processor.Garman: That's amazing.Zorn: On second thought, it is quite understandable. With access to computers everywhere you go, you've probably lost some sort of ability to spell. Garman: That's right. Do you mean that you just couldn't go without a computer? Zorn: I was kind of adrift for those four days. It was partly due to the absence of the computer and the Internet. Yet of course, the cell phone and the faxmachine were likewise indispensable. Think of the inconvenience andfrustration it caused when I deliberately ignored them! They were so handyand tempting!Garman: The results of this experiment are not encouraging at all for those who want to return to simpler times.Zorn: I suppose so. I intended to give up my dependence on electronics, but as it turned out, I failed. Things are easier said than done.Garman: Tiffany, you tried to withdraw from your computer, your cell phone and your fax machine, and fit into human society. Someone I know is trying to do theexact opposite. He's withdrawing from human society into his computer. Hisname is Eric Maddox.Scene 2: In Eric Maddox's home(Terry Garman is interviewing Eric Maddox, the DotComGuy, in Eric Maddox'shome, where he has been doing the opposite of Tiffany Zorn's experiment.) Maddox: Hi, everyone!Garman: Hi, Eric! How's everything going?Maddox: Fine. Everything's fine.Garman: Eric, or should I call you DotComGuy?Maddox: Go ahead.Garman: Eric, what prompted you to spend a whole year at home ordering everything you need to live over the Internet?Maddox: I got the idea two months ago when I found myself growing restless while I was shopping with my parents. They were walking back and forth in the aisle,making a fuss over what to buy. The whole trip took three hours. I was fedup with it.Garman: So you turned to e-commerce?Maddox: Yeah. It saves me a lot of trouble. Time is one thing, and price is another.What's more, I hope people can learn from my experience and know that theage ofe-commerce is here and it's good.Garman: Well, you've certainly shown that it's possible. Your name is a household item because you've been observed by round-the-clock video cameras hookedup to computers around the world.Maddox: Computer and the Internet are here as well, you see?Garman: Since you are not allowed to leave your home, do you feel that you are separated from the outside world?Maddox: To some extent, my life is more isolated. But the Internet is a virtual world in itself. It offers a wide variety of things to buy, information to learn,and people of different backgrounds, professions and interests to chat with. Garman: That's for sure. Do you have any other leisure activities?Maddox: Uh, an aerobics instructor comes once a week to make sure I don't merge with my couch physically.Garman: And your couch was bought online too?Maddox: Yeah, of course. Um... I enjoy my lifestyle. Last night I went shopping for my bed.Garman: Besides, your life as a professional electronics consumer is apparently a financial success.Maddox: My website, which features videos of nearly every move I make, receives millions of hits a day and is using advertisements as well. I estimate I willearn nearly $90,000 this year.Scene 3: In the studio(Terry Garman and Tiffany Zorn are in the studio for the "News Review" programagain.)Garman: We're back in the studio. Tiffany, what do you think are the differences between you and DotComGuy?Zorn: Well, I think my experiment is 50 times harder than his. And what he's doing is not very difficult. And I have the impression that what he's doing is almostlike a job. He's now profiting from it. The problem is how long people willbe willing to log on and watch him click his mouse. It's questionable whetherthat will go on for very long.Garman: You may have a point. The true test of DotComGuy's character will be 10 months from now, when he has to face the outside world again, no longer safelyprotected by the Web and his e-comforts.Listen1-1Those of us who do not want to tell our doctor how much we really drink are often more honest with a computer. In fact, many patients say they prefer talking to a computer to talking to their doctor."Computers don't expect you to smile or socially relate to them when you are feeling ill," said psychiatrist and program writer, Dr. Tony Carr.Dr. Carr of the Maudsley Hospital in London tries to make sure his programs are friendly. For example, if a patient called Anna says that both her parents are dead, the computer will say: "I'm sorry to hear that, Anna."As well as expressing sympathy like a doctor, the computer can also question patients and remind patients of something. If a patient says he never drinks alcohol, the computer can ask him: "Never? Not even at parties or at Christmas?"Computers are doing everyday interviews which used to take up a lot of a doctor's time. "And, of course," said Dr. Carr, "it is cheaper to use a computer than a highly-trained person."Does this direct contact between the patients and the computer mean that we do not need doctors anymore?It depends. Computers are useful because they do not feel embarrassed. They do not look shocked if you say you drink two bottles of whisky a day. And they do not stop to talk on the phone as doctors often do.But, as Dr. Mike Pringle, a family doctor in Nottinghamshire, said: "We smile and we give a patient a hankie or put an arm around her shoulder if she is crying. That is why people will always want us."Listen1-2Questions:1. Why do some patients prefer to talk to a computer?2. What is the advantage of using computers in hospitals?3. How are doctors different from computers?4. What is the main idea of the passage?Listen2-1Vickie Hulvey, 29, in New Jersey, met Steve Barnes, 35, a confirmed bachelor and computer consultant living in Bristol, in a CompuServe chat room in August 1995. Now they're married and have an eight-month-old daughter.When they first made contact, Vickie had been divorced for about four years. She'd begun using the Net while she was married to her ex-husband. "I am not a good computer user," Vickie said. "I could only use text, so I spent lots of time in the chat room. It was a great way for me to forget about all my problems. Everyone was so friendly. Sort of a Utopia where no one really had any problems."Four months after Steve and Vickie had first made contact, he flew to New Jersey. "Our first meeting was pretty amazing," she recalls. "Steve and I both realized the IRL (In Real Life) meeting would either cement our future together or end the relationship we'd been dreaming about. I felt awkward during the first 10 minutes, because I kept thinking, 'A sane person wouldn't be doing this!' But Steve said he felt comfortable straightaway. He was exactly what he had said he was, so there weren't any adjustments to make."They'd started e-mailing each other during August 1995 and had been sending about four messages daily. "We spent a huge amount of time online," Vickie says. They printed all the e-mails, which fill seven large binders. They also crossed the Atlantic to visit each other five times between December 1995 and June 1996."I don't think it was a specific thing that attracted me to him; it was the whole package really," Vickie said. "I know it's going to sound sappy, but it was like destiny. We just clicked. We had similar hopes and dreams for the future for what we wanted out of life."Is their relationship still heavenly? "Life is good, we get on well together, and we work on everything as a team, sharing all of life. Steve sometimes e-mails me when he is at work, but we talk more than type these days," Vickie gushed. "We will be married for two years in July and I can honestly say it was a match made in heaven!"Questions:1. Where did the couple first get to know each other?2. When did the couple have their first meeting?3. What did Vickie think about chatting on the Net?4. How did they feel during the first 10 minutes of their first meeting?5. How many times did they visit each other between December 1995 and June 1996? Listen2-2Mlisten1-1Are you looking to improve your language skills, but without a chance to go overseas to attend school? More and more universities around the world are offering opportunities for students to obtain degrees online—distance education—from the comfort of their own homes, and many of these institutions are accredited, meaning that they have met certain standards of excellence.If you decide to take language courses online (or any subject for that matter), be sure to evaluate the benefits of studying online versus going abroad. The advantages of studying online are that the costs are usually lower, you can study at your own pace, and you have access to the materials 24-hours-a-day from almost any computer in the world. However, you won't get the human interaction of meeting people face to face like you would if you were physically attending a school overseas.On the other hand, the advantages of going overseas may include day-to-day opportunities to learn a new culture, meet new friends with whom you can use and practice the language, and chances to see different parts of the world. However, there may be a number of disadvantages for you, including expense, being away from one's school, family, or work, and the challenge of adapting to a new culture and way of life.Whatever you do, consider a distance education program that meets your educational needs, is within your budget, and equally important, provides you with opportunities to grow beyond the classroom through cultural and educational activities.Statements:1. Many universities offer degrees online to make profits.2. It's impossible to decide whether these universities are qualified or not.3. The most important thing to take into consideration when you choose an overseasuniversity is cost.4. For those who have no chance to go abroad to pursue their studies, an onlineuniversity degree is a good choice.5. One needs to evaluate both advantages and disadvantages of studying online beforethey actually do that.Mlisten1-2Mlisten2-1A jobless man applied for the position of "office boy" at Microsoft.The HR manager interviewed him, then gave him a test: clean the floor. The man passed the test with flying colors."You are hired," the HR manager informed the applicant, "give me your e-mail address, and I'll send you the application for employment, as well as the date you should report for work."The man replied, "I don't have a computer, or an e-mail!""I'm sorry," said the HR manager. "If you don't have ane-mail, that means you do not exist. And we cannot hire persons who do not exist."The man was very disappointed.He didn't know what to do. He had only $10 with him. Once that was spent, he wouldn't have any money to buy any food.He went to the supermarket and bought a crate of tomatoes with his $10.He went from door to door and sold the tomatoes in less than two hours. He doubled his money.He repeated the operation three times, and returned home with $60. He realized that he could survive this way. He started to go early everyday, and return home late.He doubled or tripled his money every day. Soon, he bought a cart, then a truck. In a very short time, he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.Five years later, the man became one of the biggest food retailers in the . He started to plan his family's future, and decided to have a life insurance policy.He called an insurance broker, and chose a protection plan.At the end of the conversation the broker asked him for hise-mail address.The man replied, "I don't have an e-mail."The broker was dumbfounded. "You don't have an e-mail, and yet have succeeded in building an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?" he exclaimed.The man thought for a while, and replied, "An office boy at Microsoft!"Questions:1. What does an office boy do according to the passage?2. Why was the man applying for the office boy disappointed?3. What did the man do with his money?4. How was the man five years later?5. What is the moral of the story?Mlisten2-2Statements:1. The HR manager wanted to send the man the application for employment.2. At Microsoft, those who didn't have a computer were assigned the task of floorcleaning.3. The man bought a cart with the $60 he earned in less than two hours.4. The man worked hard and that was the reason for his success.5. The man decided to protect his money earned from being stolen.6. The man could have been an office boy at Microsoft if he had an e-mail.Mlisten3-1Have you heard of online movie rentals? If not, there might be an option for you to improve your language skills and enjoy some entertainment at the same time. Some people have grown tired of going down to the video rental store to rent movies. Now, more and more companies are offering customers the service of online movie rentals.Here's how it works for most of these companies like Netflix, Blockbuster, and Qwikfliks:1. Select and sign up for a payment program, which will determine howmany movies you can rent and hold at any one time.2. Choose the movies you want to watch (generally 1—3 at a time).3. Movies (usually DVDs) are sent to you within 1—3 days, and shippingis covered by the company.4. Watch the movies, often with no late fees.5. Return the movies in a prepaid return envelope.New companies and terms of service are always changing, so check these sites for specific, up-to-date details.Once you receive the movies, how can you improve your language skills with them? Well, just sitting in front of the TV with a drink in one hand and popcorn in the other isn't a bad way to relax and passively enjoy movies, but you won't learn much doing it. Rather, one idea to improve your listening skills is to watch the movies with the captions turned on and pause the movie when you see and hear new expressions. Write down these words and look them up in a good English-English dictionary to understand their possible meanings. Then, think of some sample sentences for each word. In other words, learning vocabulary has little meaning if you don't know how to use them in context. Good luck.Statements:1. You can rent two movies online at a time.2. You can choose the movie you want to watch and wait for 1—3 days for it to arrive.3. You need to pay delivery fees in addition to the rental.4. If you don't return the movie you rent on time, you'll be fined.5. You need to pay for an envelope in advance so that you can put your movie in itwhen you return it.Mlisten3-2Mlisten4-1Video game consoles and software will gross $30 billion this year, more than twice the revenue of the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, and Major League Baseball combined. With millions of people playing, it's no wonder that it has given rise to professional video game competition.The No. 1 video game player, Johnathan Wendel, who lives in Kansas City, Missouri, and has the professional name of "Fatality", is the outstanding cyber-athlete in the world. At the age of 25 he has been a professional for six years, has won 46 tournaments and has earned more than $300,000. He has won world championships in four different video games and is working on a fifth game. Nobody else has done that, but, when asked if he is the best cyber-athlete in the world, he answers, "If you say so, I'm trying to be modest..., but, yes, I'm pretty good."When he was 18, he wanted to become a professional video game athlete, but his parents both thought it was a bad idea. Johnathan said, "Dad, just let me go to thisone tournament. If I don't win... any significant money, I'll just quit, and go to school full-time." He won $4,000, came home and said, "Dad, I won $4,000 playing a video game... It was so insane!" At the 2004 World Cyber Games in San Francisco, the total prizes were more than $400,000, and the games were broadcast live over the Internet, complete with play-by-play commentary, coaches, and both individual and team competitions."Fatality" said, "It's all about hand-eye coordination, reflexes, timing, strategy and thinking fast." Like all cyber-athletes he practices 8—10 hours a day at the video screen, but he is not a geek. He is an excellent athlete, a star on his high school tennis team, and works out a lot to stay physically fit, making sure his neurotransmitters are working well and are ready to go. He calls his physical training "neuro-fitness". It has been compared to playing chess, using the controls to collect weapons and ammunition while making precision moves to evade, trap and kill one's opponent. He doesn't think this "killing" is a bad thing, but compares it to scoring in football or baseball.Video game competition drew 100,000 fans to a tournament in South Korea in 2005, and it is now a big enough community around the world to attract prize money, advertising revenue and merchandising deals from computing companies, video games and soft drinks.Questions:1. What has given rise to professional video game competitions?2. How many times has Johnathan Wendel won world championships?3. What does Johnathan Wendel think of himself?4. Who prompted him to become a professional cyber-athlete?5. What does Johnathan Wendel think of "killing" in the video games?Mlisten4-2Quiz1-1(Ms. Johnson, a bank manager and Mr. Kantor, the assistant manager, arediscussing the problem of senior citizens not making use of the bank'scomputerized services. Many senior customers are complaining that doingbanking chores is becoming less convenient and more time-consuming.) Johnson: Many of our senior customers are not using our computerized banking services.How do you explain this phenomenon?Kantor: Well, it could be that they might not know how to use them and that they mightfeel uncomfortable about asking for help. Perhaps we should develop programsto show these customers just how easy it is to use bank computers such asautomated teller machines.Johnson: We could do that. More senior citizens might use these services if they also knew how much easier it would be for them to do their banking tasks by computerat any time of the day rather than having to wait for a teller during regularbanking hours. What other ideas do you have?Kantor: We could also have our staff take note of any customers waiting in line who could be saving time doing the same thing by computer.Johnson: How about a Seniors' Day? We could invite our senior customers to an open house to demonstrate how to use the computers and how these machines can maketheir banking faster and more convenient.Kantor: We could also advertise that by using a computerized banking machine, they would avoid the cost of service charges.Johnson: Let's get working on this right away. I want our customers to know just how much computers can change their lives.Quiz2-1"Just when you think you've seen the basest means by which strangers try to steal from the innocent, a new low is reached," said Elly Harkins of Vallejo, California. The 77-year-old said the latest attempt to cheat her came in the form of an e-mail appealing to her sense of compassion. "What bothers me is that it appeals to people's goodwill and their desire to help someone in trouble," said Harkins. "My concern is that some of the elderly people might send this cheat money, not so much for the money it promises, but because they want to help this woman with such a sad story."Harkins' e-mail was reportedly from a dying woman who wants to send Harkins two million dollars to care for her children after she dies. All Harkins is supposed to do is call or e-mail a priest in Africa, and send him all sorts of personal information. She got a second such e-mail from a different woman directing her to the same "priest".Harkins said she was immediately suspicious when she saw the e-mail, but some recipients are likely to fall for it, according to a new Consumer Reports survey. The survey shows that . consumers have lost more than eight billion dollars to online schemes and computer viruses in the past two years.Vallejo Police Department Chief Detective Lt. Ron Becker said that while he's never heard of Harkins' particular cheat, he agrees that it sounds like a new variation of the Internet crimes. "All these cheating and tricking prey either onpeople's generosity or greed," Becker said. He continued, "Real people in trouble don't often send out blanket e-mails. If you get an e-mail requesting money or personal information, it's best just to delete it."Jeff Fox, Consumer Reports Technology Editor, advises accessing bank or other official websites from one's own browser and never from an e-mail link. He says, "Scarier still is a new breed of fraud from e-mailers pretending to be from the Internal Revenue Service or other government agency." He continued, "The best way to stay safe from computer/Internet crime is to use anti-virus and spyware-blocking software, but many people still don't."Statements:1. According to Harkins most people now have very low moral standards.2. The two e-mails she received were aimed at getting her personal information andstealing money from her.3. . consumers have lost 80 billion dollars to online schemes and computer virusesin the past two years.4. If you get an e-mail requesting money, it's best to delete it.5. An e-mail link is as reliable as one's own browser.Quiz3-1Some people think of the Internet as a huge video game in which millions of "surfers" spend time skipping from one entertaining website to another with the flick of a mouse. While it is true that high technology provides unlimited opportunity for aimless entertainment, interactive technology also offers amazing new possibilities for serious learning. People can use the Internet for gaining knowledge, managing their money, pursuing special interests, and taking courses.One such use is information retrieval. Online access to reference material is becoming an unparalleled resource that will grow enormously in the next decade. Most standard reference works, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, thesauruses (分类词典), telephone directories, and atlases are already available on the Internet, and more are being made available every month. Instead of having to make a trip to the library to find out information, you can look up encyclopedia entries, legal and political documents, word definitions, and telephone numbers in other cities without leaving your computer.Another use for the Internet is money management. Many banks now have connections for customers to do much of their banking at home, looking up their balances,paying bills by computer, transferring money between accounts, and paying off credit cards. Investors can get large amounts of information regarding stocks, mutual funds, and bond markets through a variety of services on the Internet as well. Prices on stocks are available almost up to the minute, and many conversation groups allow users to exchange financial advice. Computers are bringing us near a "cashless" world of spending, saving, and investing.For those who want to pursue a special interest, whether as part of their profession or as a hobby, the Internet offers access to a rapidly expanding number of special interest groups. These enable you to exchange opinions and information with others who share your interest. Electronic bulletin boards display the most recent announcements of events related to the subject and may provide more current information on recent developments in the field than you are likely to find anywhere else. Hypertext materials available on the World Wide Web combine sound, graphics, and written text in a way that a book cannot.If you want to take courses for credit on the Internet, a number of colleges already offer that possibility, and many more are certain to follow. For people who find it inconvenient to live on a college campus or travel to one, courses by computer provide distance learning opportunities. Online courses allow for electronic communication between student and teacher, with virtual classrooms beginning to serve nearly the same function as actual classrooms. Furthermore, multimedia materials make the experience far more interesting and lifelike than any academic experience other than the classroom itself.As the number and variety of its services will increase rapidly over the next few decades, serious applications of the Internet for reference purposes, money management, education, and research on special interests can only expand greatly.。
大学英语(四)听说unit 6讲稿
That night, Soliman came up with a name for his new business: College Hunks Hauling Junk. He distributed flyers the next day, and within hours, his phone was ringing. He asked his friend Nick Friedman to help out. They made $220 inthree hours cleaning out a woman’s garage.
At first they had trouble finding a bank willing to lend them money as they didn’t have much of a credit rating. After five turndowns, one bank decided to gamble $50,000 on their idea. They put together another $60,000 from their parents and their own savings. They bought a truck, hired a graphic artist to design a logo, ran newspaper and radio ads and recruited haulers on campuses. Wearing bright orange hats and green polos and khakis, these college “hunks” will haul away everything from construction materials to old couches. To cut down the cost of unloading at landfills, they have learned to recycle metals and electronics and donate to charities over 60 percent of what they collect. They also give away a portion of their earnings from each job to local college scholarship programs.
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Part II: Task
Section A: Short Conversations Directions: In this part, you are going to hear 5 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, there will be a question based on what you hear. Try to find the best answer to the question.
1. How much do you know about the four great inventions of ancient China?
2. What impacts do you think these inventions have on the world?
3. Do you know any modern inventions or discoveries which change the world dramatically?
2 M: Oh, my god! Can you believe the temperature will drop 10゜C tomorrow? And it may snow? You know it is April!
W: The weather report said so? Nothing is impossible. The overdevelopment of technology doesn’t create a new better world, but ruin the existing one.
Unit 6 Inventions and Discoveries
Module
Part I
Lead - in
Part II
Listening Task
Part III Speaking Task
Part IV Specific Focus
Part V
Self - enjoyment
Unit 6 Inventions and Discoveries
Part II: Listening Task
Section A: Short Conversations Directions: In this part, you are going to hear 5 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, there will be a question based on what you hear. Try to find the best answer to the question.
In this unit, you will: Learn some expressions about inventions and discoveries Listen to different materials about inventions and discoveries Practice talking in English about inventions and discoveries Master a listening skills of English note-taking Enjoy a wonderful speech and some English idioms about inventions and
1 M: Did you listen to the piano concert on the radio last night? W: I couldn’t because the result of the experiment didn’t appear till 7:00 p.m.. Q: Why didn’t the woman listen to the music? Tapescript
A. Because she must stay at his friend’s home. B. Because she listened to another song. C. Because she didn’t like piano concert. D. Because she stayed at the laboratory.
discoveries
Part I: Lead-in
Section A: Group Work Directions: Please discuss the following questions in pairs. Try to talk in English as much as possible.
Q: What does the woman mean? Tapescript
A. She doesn’t believe the weather report. B. She believes the climate change will ruin the world. C. She thinks the overdevelopment of technology will ruin the world. D. She thinks human should stop developing the technology.
4. Can you name some world famous inventions or discoveries?
Part I: Lead-in
Section B: Useful Words and Expressions
Part II: Listening Task
Listening Skill — Note-taking (II)
Part II: Listening Task
Section A: Short Conversations Directions: In this part, you are going to hear 5 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, there will be a question based on what you hear. Try to find the best answer to the question.