《英语听力教程2》文本2

Part ⅠGetting ready

Family education, a rather controversial issue, is now receiving more and more attention from the parents. As is known by ail, the younger generation is the flower of one country, the hope of tomorrow and the future pillar of one s tate. Then, how on earth should the parents, the first teachers of children, behave in bringing up their children?

A The following words and phrases will appear in this unit. Listen carefully and

study the definitions.

-

1. pick up: stop for and take or bring (persons) along with one

2. rebel: resist any authority or control

3. smack: n. slap, a sharp blow with the open hand or any flat object

v. slap loudly, strike with the open hand or any flat object

4. reason: argue or talk in a logical way

5. spank: striking with something flat, as the open hand, esp. on the buttocks, as in punishment

6. adopt: take (sb) into one's family as a relation, esp. as a son or daughter, by legal process

7. adolescent: a boy or a girl from puberty (|f#S8) to adulthood; teenage person

8. soap opera: radio or TV serial drama with domestic problems, etc. in a sentimental and melodramatic (jj|f&[ifil$!]#j) way

9. lenient: merciful, not severe in disciplining, punishing, judging, etc.

10. Spare the rod, spoil the child.: A child who is not punished will become un- disciplined and unruly.

You are going to hear a short passage on the rules for children. Supply the missing words.

When parents make a lot of rules about their children's behavior, they make

_________?for themselves. I used to spend half my time making sure my rules were ________, and the other half answering questions like "Jack can get up whenever he likes, so why can't I?" or "Why can't I___________Angela? Jack's mum

doesn't mind who he plays with" or "Jack can drink anything he likes. Why can't I drink__________too?"

Jack's mum, I decided, was a__________woman. I started saying things

like "Of course, '______. You can drink as much wine as you like" and "No, _____you get up" and "Yes, dear, you can play with An-

.

I don't mind how'._____

gela as__________as you like."

The ______________ have been marvelous. They don't want to get up late any more,

they've decided they don't like wine, and, most important, they've_______. playing with Angela. I've now realized (as Jack's mum realized a long time ago) that they only _____ to do all these nasty things because they

weren't_______to.

ⅡRadio phone-in

From ancient times to the present, human beings are never free from personal problems. Fortunately, in modern society, one can always seek help or advice from a variety of sources such as psychologists, TV programs, radio hot lines and so on and so forth.

_____

A this section you are going to hear a telephone conversation on a radio program called "Phone-In".

1. First listen to some names.

Tessa Colbeck

Brighton

Maurice Rex Manchester

Rosemary

Norfolk

Christine

2. Now listen to the conversation. While listening for the first time, add more key words in the left-hand column. After the second listening, answer the follow-

ing questions.

-

"

Notes

column

nauak

Questions

1. Apart from the radio presenter, how many people are invited on this programme?

2. Who is Doctor Maurice Rex?

He is

at the University of Nor-

11

folk.

3. If you live in London, which number should you ring?

4. How old will the caller be in two months' time?

5. How long does it take the caller to walk from her friend's house to hers?

6. What's the name of the caller's friend?

7. Why doesn't the caller's dad allow her to stay out late?

Because he is_________________and is afraid that it may

not be_________________.

8. If the caller doesn't come home on time, what will her dad do? He will not let her_____________________.

9. Maurice gives advice to the caller. W hat is it?

Maurice advises her to dad and have a______

quietly with her

about it.

B Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the telephone conversation. Do the multiple choice.

1. Tessa Colbeck is a______.

a. doctor

b. writer

c. university teacher

d. radio presenter

2 If you live outside London, the number you should ring is_____2222122.

a. 10

b. 21

c. 01

d. 20

3. The caller is supposed to get home

at night.

a. at a quarter to ten

b. after ten o'clock

c. at a quarter after ten

d. before ten o'clock

4. Tessa Colbeck first thinks that the caller lives in____

a. Brighton

b. Manchester

c. London

d. Norfolk

5. What does Tessa suggest the caller do at the end of the conversation?

a. Tell her dad what she thinks about it.

b. Ask her dad why he does so.

c. Persuade her dad to pick her up.

d. Promise her dad that she will behave in her friend's hous

e.

.

Family discipline

Notes

Speaker 1:

Speaker 2:

talk,

Speaker 3: talkmucU

According to a report carried out by the magazine Children, nine out of ten parents smack their children, but parents often misunderstand their children's bad behavior. Is it right for parents to use smacking as a punishment? Will parents feel guilty about using it?

A You are going to hear some people talking about their attitudes towards the punishment of children. While listening for the first time, add more key words in the left-hand column. After the second listening, decide whether the speaker in each passage is a parent or a kid. Write "P" for a parent and "K" for a kid.

A Parent or a Kid?

Speaker 1:

Speaker 3: _____

Speaker 4:

Speaker 5:

Speaker 6: lt&wtaUo&i,

?

Speaker 4: _____ Speaker 5: _____

Speaker 6: _____

B Listen to the monologues again. Look at the following chart. For the first two columns, tick one suitable attitude for each speaker. For the last column, fill in the missing information according to what you hear on the tape. You can refer

to the above notes as well.

Approval of Punishment to Some Degree Disapproval of Punishment Possible Action One Will Take to a Kid

Speaker 1 A certain amount of

will be needed, but not

of it.

Speaker 2 to them; try to

why one is upset

and what it is that the kid has done

Speaker 3 ?a child and

try to make him/her understand.

Speaker 4 He wouldn't be as

as his dad was.

.

Speaker 5 Sometimes a quick, short on the or

is necessary to make

a child understand.

Speaker 6 It is a mixture: at a

child, sit down and

with a child, a child

out of the room, send a child his room, not

them have any pudding for the dinner, or even a little

?

More about the topic: Adoption

More often than not, there are some familiar scenes deeply impressed in our minds: when one gets to know by chance that he/she was adopted, he/she feels extremely painful and hates everybody around him/her, including the foster parents. Never-theless, the fact is, being an adopted child is nothing to be ashamed of. He/She is just perfectly the same with any other children.

You are going to hear a discussion about adopting children. Supply the missing words while listening.

Woman: Many of the disadvantages ?or many of the troubles that occur, with _____children, do of course also occur in the cases of children

___________to their parents. But there are some, for example, grandparents say, who refuse to__________ an adopted grandchild as their own, or

schoolchildren, children, like adults, are often_________, and who find

out that a child is adopted, and perhaps tease or rag the child. Those

__________difficulties of course don't arise in the case of children born to their_________. So I think there are a few difficulties that arise, that stem

,_______ from adoption, but those parents who have_______^_ difficulties, I think often forget that many, many, what I call__________chil-

dren, children born to their parents, er, produce the so that one has to be careful in saying, this is____

Man: You put a great stress on the need to tell the child as

that he or she is adopted ... Woman: Yes.

____difficulties,

adoption'. _____as possible

Man: Why is this so?

Woman: I think it's terribly important, because the child is bound

to__________it

sometime or other. I have met some very__________cases, where the parents hadn't__________the child, that he or she was adopted, and then some

well-meaning, perhaps not so well-meaning,__________, told the child, or adolescent. It was a great __________ to the child, in some cases, the child literally packed a suitcase and_____________. I know of several cases of

___________who did that. And even if they don't react quite so violently,

they begin to think, well, can they ____________ their parents on any topic, if them? Also, if you don't tell your ___that there is something faintly

on such a vital topic, they________

child that he, or she, is adopted, it___

shameful about it, and of course this is not the case, and it should be not

__________or__________to be the case, either by the parents or the children. And if the parents, or anyone____________associated with the child

feels it, they're not very

., in my opinion, to be adoptive parents.

Memory test: Freedom or Discipline?

Almost in all countries, there is fear in many a home. When there is a lack of freedom and love, you cannot have self-regulation. Instead, you will have rebellion. As a matter of fact, you can only have a free atmosphere in the home when fear is absent.

A In the following short passage, you are going to hear some complaints poured out by Louisa's mother about watching TV. After that some questions will be asked. Listen and write down brief answers as quickly as possible according to the notes you have taken while listening.

1. ?

2.

3

A

You are going to hear a monologue in which a boy complains about his parents. After that some statements will be read to you. Decide whether they are True or False. Put "T" or "F" in the brackets. While you listen, don't forget to write down some key words in the notes column.

1. ( )

( )

3. ( )

4. ( )

Part ⅥReminder of key points in this unit

Verb & Verb Phrase Noun & Noun Phrase Other

Part Ⅰ make trouble rule marvelous

result nasty

Part Ⅱ concentrate on personal problems embarrassing

stay out studio rough

get mixed up agony column

pick sb up chat

Part Ⅲ rebel solution upset

smack dark experience awfully

defend smack drawn-out

reason moan incredibly

alternative spank

Part Ⅳ occur adoption adoptive

adopt biological children in the case of

tease adolescent due to

rag stem from put a stress on shock suitcase teenager as early as possible well-meaning literally

be bound to violently

pack vital

know of faintly

react shameful

closely associate with

Part Ⅴ deprive input first and foremost sneak soap opera under one's care

be of the opinion direction crummy

be of value naive

hang out lenient

Spare the rod, spoil on one's own

the child. ?Biblical

apply harsh